Page 31 of Pumpkin Patch Peril
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ruth pulled into the Cup and Cake parking lot like a getaway driver, her eyes constantly flicking to the rearview mirror. The sedan hadn’t appeared since they left Gertie’s, but that somehow made her more nervous, not less.
“Coast looks clear,” Mona said, though she was scanning the street just as intently as Ruth.
“For now,” Helen added grimly, clutching her purse with white knuckles.
Ida was practically bouncing in her seat, completely undeterred by their surveillance situation. “Perfect timing for the tire tread analysis! The lighting in here should be optimal for photographic comparison work.”
They made their way into the cozy café like a tactical unit, Ruth holding the door while the others filed in, everyone stealing glances over their shoulders. The familiar warmth and coffee-scented air of Cup and Cake should have been comforting, but their paranoia was running too high for complete relaxation.
“Corner table,” Ruth murmured, nodding toward a spot where they could watch both the entrance and the parking lot through the large front windows.
“Excellent defensive positioning,” Ida agreed, making her way toward the table with her purse full of investigation materials.
Once they were settled with their backs to the wall and clear sightlines to all potential threats, Ida began unpacking her supplies with the efficiency of a forensic investigator. She spread out printed photos of tire treads, mathematical charts covered in measurements and calculations, and several magnifying glasses of varying strengths.
Lexy appeared at their table with the coffeepot, taking in the spread of evidence with obvious curiosity. “Ladies, you look like you’re planning a bank heist or solving a murder. What’s with all the spy stuff?”
“Scientific analysis,” Ida said importantly, adjusting one of her magnifying glasses. “We’re conducting comparative measurements using geometric principles and statistical modeling.”
Lexy poured coffee into their cups while studying the tire tread photos with interest. “Okay, but why do you all look like you’re expecting the FBI to kick down the door any minute?”
The four women exchanged glances. Ruth finally spoke up, keeping her voice low. “Someone’s been following us. Same car, three different locations. We think it might be connected to... well, to what we’re working on.”
“Following you?” Lexy’s voice rose with concern. “Should I call Jack?”
“We’re not sure it’s that serious yet,” Mona said quickly. “Could be a coincidence.”
“Three-location convergence probability indicates less than eight percent chance of coincidence,” Ida added, pulling out a calculator. “But we need more data points for a definitive statistical conclusion.”
Lexy looked around the café, taking in the few other customers. “Well, you picked a good spot. I can see everything from behind the counter, and Cassie’s in the kitchen if you need backup. What are you working on that’s got people following you around?”
Helen cleared her throat diplomatically. “We’re looking into something that went missing from a friend’s property. Agricultural theft.”
“That pumpkin theft you asked about earlier?” Lexy asked, intrigued.
Mona nodded.
“I didn’t realize that would get so serious.” Lexy glanced out the window. “Well, I’ll keep an eye out for suspicious cars. You ladies want your usual pastries while you do your... agricultural investigation?”
“Please,” Mona said gratefully. “And maybe keep those coffee cups full. This might take a while.”
As Lexy headed back to the counter, returning moments later with a generous assortment of pastries on a large plate, Ida was already deep into her analysis, using a ruler to measure tire tread patterns in the photographs with impressive precision.
Ida immediately claimed a pumpkin spice cookie from the selection, placing it squarely on her plate, then discreetly wrapped a cinnamon scone in a napkin and tucked it into her purse. “Emergency snack,” she explained matter-of-factly when Helen raised an eyebrow. “Mathematical analysis requires sustained energy levels.”
“First comparison,” she announced, placing Tom Knowles’s tire tread photos next to the crime scene evidence from Brenda’s farm. “Tread width: Tom’s tractor tires measure 18.3 centimeters between major grooves. Crime scene tire tracks measure 21.7 centimeters.”
Ruth kept one eye on the parking lot while Ida worked. A blue pickup truck pulled in, but it was just old Mr. Jenkins from the hardware store. A red sedan drove past on the street, but it didn’t slow down or seem to be watching them.
“Tread pattern analysis,” Ida continued, adjusting her magnifying glass. “Tom’s tires show a standard agricultural pattern—straight parallel grooves with minimal cross-hatching. The crime scene photos show a more complex pattern with diagonal elements and deeper channeling.”
“What does that mean?” Helen asked, though she was also monitoring the entrance.
“It means,” Ida said with obvious satisfaction, “that Tom Knowles’s tractor did not make the tire tracks at Brenda’s farm. The mathematics are conclusive.”
Mona looked up from watching the street. “So Tom’s not our pumpkin thief?”
