Three days had passed since the incident involving the unwrapped presents at the hospital, and Mason was preparing to head to the mall for some Christmas shopping. “Hey, Mom, I'm off to the mall to shop. I’ll be back soon,” he announced. 

“I’d be happy to lend you some money if you need it,” Melissa offered. 

“Thanks,” Mason replied. “Is Mackenzie still upset?” 

“She’s still mad and still grounded,” Melissa responded. 

“Have you tried talking to her?” Mason inquired. 

“We’ve both attempted to, but she refuses to speak to us,” Melissa said. 

“Maybe you should try talking to her; she might be more receptive to you,” suggested Melissa. “But don’t feel like you have to do that right now. Focus on your shopping first, then you can have a conversation with her. Oh, and take this $200 just in case.” 

“Wow, thanks, Mom!” Mason exclaimed, grateful for the support. 

With that, Mason set off to the mall to begin his shopping.

Upon arrival, he pulled out his list of items to purchase, starting with a gift for Olivia. He made his way to her favorite store to find a pair of earrings she had been eyeing. However, when he arrived, he noticed the store owner speaking with the police about a recent robbery. 

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but overhear that a robbery just occurred. I'm a detective, and I might be able to assist,” Mason offered. 

“That would be greatly appreciated,” said the owner, introducing himself as Mike. 

“I'm Mason,” he replied. “Could you explain exactly what happened?” 

“Sure,” Mike responded. “I was handling some transactions when I placed an item on the counter and stepped into the back briefly. When I returned, it was gone.” 

“Do you know what item was taken?” Mason asked. 

“I believe it was a pair of earrings, but I can't say for sure,” Mike answered. 

“Actually, speaking of earrings, I'm in the market for a pair for my girlfriend. There’s a specific pair she’s interested in,” Mason mentioned. 

“Which pair do you mean?” Mike asked. 

“That one,” Mason indicated. 

“How about this: if you help me find the person who stole from me, I’ll sell those to you for half price,” Mike proposed. 

“Deal!” Mason agreed enthusiastically.

Mason decided to visit the next store on his list to pick up a gift for Mackenzie. She had been wanting a book titled "Dark Warrior: The Last Frontier" from her favorite bookstore. When he entered, he found police officers at the front desk and decided to inquire about the situation. 

"Hi, can I safely assume that a robbery occurred here recently?" Mason asked. 

"Yes, how did you know?" replied the clerk. 

"The guy at the jewelry store mentioned he was robbed as well, so it seems too coincidental," Mason explained. "Do you happen to know which book was taken?" 

"I can’t recall the exact title, but it was definitely something in the fantasy genre," the clerk replied. 

"Did you see who committed the theft?" Mason probed. 

"I didn’t get a clear look, as they were gone before I could see their face, but they appeared to be around your age, possibly a bit older," said the clerk. 

"Hmm, I'll be right back. I need to check on something," Mason said, and he quickly made his way back to the jewelry store to follow a hunch. 

"Hey, Mike, can I ask you something? Did you get a glimpse of what the thief looked like? Was he perhaps a child? Were there any kids in line before you went into the back?" Mason inquired. 

"Yeah, one kid looked like he might be around your age, but I can't really describe him," Mike responded. 

"That's helpful. So now I know I’m on the lookout for a boy about ten years old. But why is he stealing from all these stores?" Mason wondered aloud as he made his way back to the bookstore to purchase the book. 

"Hi, I'm back, and I’m looking for a book titled 'Dark Warrior: The Last Frontier,'" Mason said. 

"Of course! You’ll find it in the young adult section," the clerk informed him. 

"Thanks," Mason replied, then added, "Would you like me to hold this for you until you find the thief?" 

"No, that's okay. I already owe one person a favor, and I prefer not to accumulate more," Mason said, grateful for the offer but unwilling to take on any additional obligations.

“I understand,” said the clerk. “That will be $10.00, please.” 

“Here you go,” replied Mason as he moved on to his next destination: the clothing store for his mother. He wanted to buy her a new shirt. Upon arriving, he began searching the racks for something suitable.

“Hello, can I assist you with anything?” asked one of the employees.

“Actually, yes,” Mason responded. “I’m looking for a casual shirt for my mother—something comfortable but not too fancy.”

“I believe I have just the thing,” the clerk said, pulling out an orange blouse. 

“This is perfect!” exclaimed Mason. “By the way, you weren’t robbed before I got here, were you?”

“Actually, yes. How did you know?” the clerk asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

“I’d heard about the same person robbing the jewelry store and the bookstore,” Mason explained. “Was it a child who robbed you?”

“Yes, he appeared to be about your age,” the clerk confirmed.

“Do you remember what he looked like?” Mason inquired.

“All I can say is that he was wearing a red sweatshirt and jeans,” the clerk replied. 

“Did you see his face?” Mason pressed on.

“I could tell he was around 10 years old and of mixed African American and Caucasian descent,” she reported. 

“Well, if you’re ready, I can ring you up at the front,” the clerk said.

“Thanks,” Mason said gratefully. After purchasing the blouse, he decided to head to the food court for lunch. 

Once there, he spotted a boy who matched the description given by the clothing store clerk. Rather than accuse him outright, Mason opted for a more casual approach and walked over. 

“Hey, mind if I join you?” Mason asked.

“Sure,” the boy replied. “I’m Miguel.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Mason,” he said, glancing at Miguel’s food. “Cool stuff you’ve got there.” 

“Thanks,” Miguel responded. 

“By the way, I’m looking into a series of robberies that have been happening in the mall. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” Mason probed gently.

"No, I'm afraid I don't know anything about that," Miguel replied. Just then, Miguel's dad approached and said, "Come on, son, it’s time to go. We have more work to do." With that, they left the area together.

After finishing his lunch, Mason made his way to the appliance store to pick up something for his dad. Upon arriving, he unexpectedly ran into Miguel, who was there with his dad, who was purchasing some tools.

"Hey, Miguel," Mason greeted.

"Oh, hi Mason," Miguel replied. "What are you shopping for?"

"I'm looking for a Christmas gift for my dad," Mason said. 

Curiously, he added, "I have to ask, does your dad know you’re stealing items from the stores you visit, or is he forcing you to steal for him?" 

"Promise you won't tell him?" Miguel asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, I won’t say a word. But can you at least explain why you're stealing from these stores?" Mason pressed.

"You've probably heard this reason a million times before," Miguel sighed. "I want to buy something from the store, Dad says no, so I decide to take it for myself."

"Well, while you aren't entirely wrong, I have a couple of questions. First, what do you need with a pair of earrings? Second, have you considered that the reason your dad won’t buy you these things might be because he plans to get them for you for Christmas?" Mason inquired.

"And you can skip the part about why you don't want to tell your dad the truth. You're probably worried that if you come clean, you won’t get any presents this year. But believe me, lying will only make it harder to tell the truth when it eventually comes out. It would be much better for both of you if you just came clean."

"Come on, I'll go with you. If you think it’ll make it easier, I can tell him." 

"Thanks, Mason," Miguel said, relieved.

"No problem," Mason replied with a reassuring smile.

Miguel and his father walked toward Miguel’s dad so that he could confess what he had been up to. “Dad, there's something I need to tell you,” Miguel began. “You know how I've been asking for things at every store we visit?” 

“Yes, and I've told you no,” replied Miguel’s dad. 

“Well, I’ve been taking them anyway,” Miguel admitted. 

“By ‘taking,’ you mean you've been—” his dad started. 

“Yeah. You’re not too angry, are you?” Miguel asked anxiously. 

“Angry? No, I’m actually proud of you for telling me the truth. I know that wasn't easy,” his dad answered. “However, there has to be consequences for your actions. Instead of taking away your Christmas presents, how about I ground you for a week instead?” 

“Thanks, Dad. I’m really sorry for stealing those items,” Miguel said remorsefully. 

“It’s okay, son. Now, how about we return the things that you took and you can apologize to the store owners as well? We'll do it together,” his father suggested.

Meanwhile, Mason had discovered who the thief was. After catching the mall thief, he bought the toolbox he had initially come for and returned to the jewelry store to pick up the earrings he needed. “Hey Mike, I’m back. I figured out who stole from you,” Mason said.

“Thank you, Mason. He actually just came back a short while ago to return what he took, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a man of my word. You can have the earrings you want for half price. That’ll be $30, please,” Mike replied. 

“Thanks,” Mason said, pleased with the outcome. 

With that transaction completed, Mason made one final stop at the toy store to find a gift for his cousin Noah. Once he arrived, he began searching for a dinosaur playset, as Noah was particularly fond of dinosaurs.

After completing his shopping, Mason returned home. Upon his arrival, he found his mother sitting in the kitchen. "Hey, honey! How was your day at the mall? Did you manage to get everything you needed?" she asked. 

"Well, considering I had to deal with a series of robberies at the mall, yes, I did get everything on my list," Mason replied. "Has Mackenzie still not left her room?"

"Nope," Melissa said. "Honestly, I’m at a loss. I can’t just lift her punishment; that would send the wrong message."

"Let me talk to her," Mason offered, heading upstairs to reason with his sister. 

"Hey, sis, how are you doing? Mom says you haven’t left your room all day and that you won’t talk to her or Dad," he said as he approached Mackenzie’s door. "What's going on with you?" 

As Mason opened the door to Mackenzie’s room, he was met with an unsettling sight—her room was empty, and the window was wide open. 

"You’ve got to be kidding me," he muttered. "I thought I was the one who would be foolish enough to pull a stunt like this. If I tell Mom and Dad, they’re going to freak out. I have to find her before they discover she’s gone, or she’ll be in even deeper trouble than she already is!" Mason paced, torn between informing their parents and risking a grounding himself. 

Realizing he needed help, he called the one person he trusted, but first, he tried reaching Mackenzie directly. There was no response. A quick glance around her room revealed that she had left her phone behind. "She must have anticipated that someone would try to call her," he thought. Determined, he decided to seek assistance.

As Mason was leaving the house, his mother called after him, "Hey, honey, where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"I'm going over to Olivia’s to hang out. Is that okay?" Mason replied. 

"Of course, just make sure you’re back by 9:00, okay?" Melissa said.

"Sure, Mom," Mason assured her, and hurried out the door, heading to find someone who could help him locate his sister. 

When he arrived at the house, it wasn’t Olivia who answered the door. 

"Mason, what's wrong?" she asked, her concerned expression catching him off guard.

"I need your help," Mason blurted out. "Mackenzie ran away, and I have no idea where she went."

Of course, why don't you come inside and you can tell me everything. Thank you, said Mason as he stepped inside the house of an unexpected ally.

TO BE CONTINUED!