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says I cook enough for the whole countryside. That’s why we’ll always be as poor as church mice,” he says.
    That and those design fees Lila didn’t tell him about, Chloe thought.
    Susan took a big bite of mashed potatoes. “Speaking of Pete, where is he?”
    “He went to Las Vegas for a jewelry exhibit, but he’ll be back in time for the weekend.”
    Chloe noticed that a look passed between Susan and Darbie. What was it with these two and their silent communication?
    “What does Pete do for a living?” Chloe asked breaking off a piece of her roll.
    “He’s a buyer for most of the jewelry stores in this area.”
    “Speaking of jewelry,” Darbie said, spearing a green bean and shoving it in her mouth. “Today in my Psychology of Criminal Behavior Class, we were discussing that jewel theft that took place in Park City a few months ago.”
    “Oh, yeah, I remember that,” Lila said, “Pete was talking about it. The unsolved Park City theft.” She looked at Darbie. “What were the particulars?”
    “A Dr. Clifton and his wife went out to dinner with friends. They returned home, only to find that her diamond necklace, earrings, and an emerald bracelet were stolen from their safe. The diamonds themselves were worth over fifteen grand.”
    Lila made a tsking sound with her tongue. “Anyone foolish enough to keep jewelry worth that much in his or her home is asking for trouble.”
    “Well, that’s just the thing,” Darbie said, excitement coating her voice. “My professor was saying that the investigators learned that Mrs. Clifton normally kept the jewels in a safety deposit box, but she and the doctor had attended a charity function the night before, and she’d not had a chance to return them to the bank.”
    “So the thief knew a little something about the couple,” Susan said.
    Darbie nodded. “And get this, there were no signs of a forced entry. Even after all of these months, the police are trying to figure out how the perps got in.”
    “Perps?” Chloe was confused.
    “Perpetrators,” Darbie explained. “That’s what we call criminals in the law enforcement world.”
    “Oh.” Chloe felt her cheeks go warm. Darbie had answered her so matter-of-factly that Chloe felt ignorant. Everyone else at the table obviously knew what she was talking about.
    “My professor’s contact on the force told him that from the looks of this job, it has all the trappings of being a Ghost Theft.”
    “Ooh!” Susan shivered with delight. “Really?”
    Darbie’s eyes danced. “I know. Can you believe it?”
    Chloe was dying to know what they meant by Ghost Theft , although she didn’t dare ask. Luckily, she didn’t have to because Lila saw her bewildered expression. “You might want to explain to Chloe about the Ghost Thief.”
    “He’s one of the most elusive jewel thieves in the country,” Darbie said.
    Lila nodded. “Pete’s always carrying on about The Ghost. In the world of jewels, he’s as dreaded as Alan Golder. A real rogue who leaves no trace.” She chuckled. “Of course, that’s just speculation. No one really knows who he or she is.”
    “Or if it’s one thief or a whole team,” Darbie added.
    Susan thought for a minute. “Alan Golder? Never heard of him.”
    The startled looks on Darbie and Lila’s faces were almost comical. “What?” they belted out.
    “Alan Golder was the best of the best,” Lila said
    “Until he got caught,” Darbie inserted.
    Lila waved the comment away. “I thought everybody had heard of Alan Golder. He was quite the ladies man. Charming, sophisticated. He would go to all of the top parties and case out the goods, right there while he was wining and dining with the best of them—usually with a lady or two on his arm. I believe he even stole from Johnny Carson. He was known as the Dinner-time Bandit because he could rob you blind while you were sitting at the table. I heard that he once ripped a diamond ring right off a screaming woman’s finger, while