"Did you notice anything unusual about Mr. Fields yesterday?" "Him? No, but I did hear he bought a dozen lemon tarts." "Curious, don't you think? He hates anything citrus." "Very strange. I wonder if they were really for him." "Maybe, or maybe not. Did you see him talking to anyone?" "Come to think of it, he was whispering with Mrs. Reed in the corner." "Mrs. Reed? She's always so secretive these days. What were they saying?" "Couldn't catch much, but there was something about 'the usual place' and 'after dark'." "Interesting. Do you think it has anything to do with the missing pie recipes?" "Could be. Those recipes go back generations. Whoever stole them must be well-known around here." "I'm going to ask Mrs. Reed about it later. She's meeting her bridge group at the library at three." "Be careful. If she's involved, you don't want her knowing we're onto her." "Of course. Let's keep this between us for now." "If we blow this open, we could lose more than just the recipes. We've built our whole lives here." "I know. That’s why we have to tread lightly. Just gather information, one crumb at a time." "And hopefully, piece together this puzzle before anyone else gets hurt." "Agreed. Until then, keep your eyes and ears open."