At long last, the twins’ two-week punishment had ended, allowing them to finally begin preparations for their upcoming sleepover. Eagerly, they headed to the store to gather snacks and supplies. However, as soon as they entered, they could sense that something was amiss; the store was in utter disarray, with food strewn across the floors and shelves. 

“What happened here?” asked Mackenzie, surveying the chaos. “It looks like a hurricane hit this place.”

“Let’s find the manager; he might know what’s going on,” suggested Mason.

The twins searched the store until they ultimately discovered the manager tied up in the storage room. 

“Are you okay? What happened?” Mackenzie inquired, concern etched on her face.

“I have no idea,” the manager replied, struggling against his bindings. “I was doing inventory when someone came up behind me and knocked me out. The next thing I knew, I was tied up in here.”

“And you didn’t see who it was?” Mackenzie pressed.

“I’m afraid not,” the manager lamented.

“Well, whoever did this was either searching for something or extremely angry, considering the state of the store,” Mason noted. “Mr. Daniels, would you mind if we looked into this before you call the police? We might be able to find some clues.”

“Go ahead, kids. I need to fill out a report first before contacting the authorities anyway,” the manager responded.

“Let’s split up and search for clues,” suggested Mackenzie.

Before they could put their plan into action, Mason stopped to make a point. 

“Mackenzie, searching for clues here won’t be easy, especially with the place in such disarray. And even if we find something, it might just be left behind by a customer. Let’s check the security cameras first; we may have better luck uncovering something there,” Mason proposed.

"I think that's a great idea," said Mackenzie. "Mr. Daniels, could you please tell us exactly when this incident occurred and how long you were tied up?" 

"Well," Mr. Daniels replied, "I arrived at the store around 7:00 AM and began taking inventory at approximately 9:00. However, about an hour earlier, I heard someone knocking at the door, asking to be let in. I informed them that the store wasn't open yet and suggested they come back later. An hour later, while I was engrossed in inventory, I suddenly felt a sharp blow to the head. The next thing I knew, I was bound in the storage room while the store was being ransacked."

"Would you mind if we reviewed the security footage for any clues about who might be responsible?" Mackenzie inquired.

"Of course," Mr. Daniels replied as he guided them to the security room. "The timeline aligns with when I was attacked," Mackenzie noted. "However, there's something peculiar about the way this person is vandalizing the store; it almost seems as though they are searching for something specific. But what could it be?"

"I think it's time we investigate the store for clues. Let's split up and check each aisle for anything unusual," suggested Mackenzie.

With that, the twins separated to search the store. Eventually, Mason returned, holding a gray, sheer shawl. "I found this in aisle 5. Do you think it could be a clue?" he asked.

"It's possible," Mackenzie replied, "but without knowing who it belongs to, we can't say for certain. As you mentioned, it could have simply been dropped by a customer. Let's show it to Mr. Daniels—perhaps he'll recognize it."

"Mister Daniels, do you recognize this shawl?" Mackenzie asked. "We discovered it on the floor in aisle 5."

"Yes, I do recognize it," Mr. Daniels said. "The woman I spoke to at the door was wearing it. As I suspected, we're dealing with the same individual. What puzzles me, however, is how she managed to enter the store when the doors were locked."

“Even if we do know who this shawl belongs to, there’s no way to track her down. Moreover, a shawl alone isn’t sufficient evidence to link her to the incident,” Mackenzie said. 

"Can I take a look at that shawl for a moment?" Mason asked. 

"What do you plan to do with it?" Mackenzie inquired.

"Jose introduced me to a new app that can trace personal items back to their owners," Mason replied. 

"How long have you had this app?" Mackenzie probed.

"I just downloaded it recently," Mason admitted. "Sometimes I chat with Jose when he's not swamped with work." He then pulled out the app to see if it might help them identify the person responsible for the situation.

“Let’s see… it appears this shawl belongs to a Wanda Stanson, who lives nearby,” Mackenzie noted. “But we still can’t link her to what happened here.”

"Perhaps we could if Mr. Daniels can identify her," Mason suggested. 

"The question is, how do we accomplish that?" Mackenzie asked. 

"What if we can connect her to other robberies in town? That might provide enough evidence to prove her involvement in this case," Mason proposed. 

"All we need is a photo of her, and I think I know how we can get that. Let's go to her house and pretend to return her shawl," Mackenzie said. 

"Wait, Mackenzie, that’s the solution! We don’t need to connect her to other break-ins; we just need her to acknowledge that the shawl is hers and that she left it after the store break-in. That shouldn’t be too difficult," Mason replied. 

The twins then made their way to Wanda’s house, aiming to get her to confess to the break-in. 

“Before we go, there’s one thing I need to clarify,” Mackenzie said. “Mr. Daniels, was there anyone else in the store besides you who had access to the keys? That might explain how she got in while the store was closed.” 

"I provide all my employees with keys to the building," Mr. Daniels explained. "However, they are aware that they’re not permitted to allow anyone in before or after closing time. That’s store policy."

I see. When this woman arrived at the store before it opened, did you recognize her as a regular customer? I know all our regulars personally, and I can assure you she was not one of them, Mr. Daniels replied. Did she mention why she was there? Mackenzie asked. If someone approaches the store before business hours and insists on being let in, there must be a reason, he continued. Mr. Daniels, are you absolutely certain she was wearing the shawl when you saw her? Mackenzie inquired. What are you implying, Mackenzie? Mason asked. I believe I may have figured this out, but I need to confirm whether she was indeed wearing the shawl when she arrived at the store. Now that I think about it, no, she wasn’t wearing it, Mr. Daniels admitted. I knew it! Mackenzie exclaimed. She returned for the shawl she left behind. Now we just need to verify one more detail, and we’ll have this all sorted out. Let’s go speak with Wanda, Mackenzie suggested, and the twins made their way to Wanda’s house to return the shawl. Upon their arrival, Mackenzie’s suspicions were fully confirmed. Just as I suspected, she said. Wanda Stanson? I’m Mackenzie, and this is my brother Mason. We were at the store earlier and found this. Does it belong to you? Indeed, I remember going to the store to retrieve it, but the owner wouldn’t let me in. I thought he was rather rude, Wanda replied. Wanda, when did you realize your shawl was missing? Mackenzie asked. This morning, which is why I went to the store to collect it, she answered. Were you at the store at all yesterday? Mackenzie pressed. Yes, I was, Wanda said. But you didn’t notice your shawl was missing until this morning? Mackenzie clarified. That’s correct, Wanda confirmed. Wanda, do you happen to have a son? Mackenzie asked. Yes, I do, replied Wanda. His name is Charles. Does he work at the store where you left your shawl? Mackenzie probed.

"Where is your son now?" Mackenzie asked.

"He should be at work," Wanda replied. 

"I think I've got this figured out, but we need to talk to Charles," Mackenzie said. 

"Thank you for the information, Wanda. You've been a great help," she added as the twins made their way back to the store to find Charles.

"Mr. Daniels, is Charles Stanson here? We need to speak with him," Mackenzie inquired.

"He should be in the back doing inventory. Would you like me to page him?" Mr. Daniels offered.

"No, that’s alright," Mackenzie said, and the twins proceeded to the back to find Charles.

"Hey, Charles. We wanted to ask you a few questions about this morning. Were you aware that your mother came to the store looking for the shawl she left here yesterday?" Mackenzie asked.

"Yes, I was aware, and I didn't appreciate the way Mr. Daniels spoke to her," Charles replied.

"How upset did that make you?" Mackenzie probed.

"I was quite angry," Charles admitted.

"Could you please call your mom and ask her to come down here? I think I've solved this mystery. Then meet us at the front of the store," Mackenzie instructed.

Charles called his mother to come to the store, and once she arrived, Mackenzie began to explain everything.

"Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?" Mackenzie suggested. 

"Yesterday evening, Wanda Stanson was shopping here. When she got home, she realized she had left her shawl behind, but by then the store was already closed, so she couldn't retrieve it. Mr. Daniels, could I take a quick look at the employee log?" Mackenzie asked.

"Of course, here you go," Mr. Daniels said, handing over the log.

"Just as I suspected, Charles wasn’t working last night, which means he couldn't have picked it up and taken it to his mother. So, the next morning, Wanda came to the store hoping to find her shawl and, ideally, see Charles, who would have been here already."

"However, Mason recounted that she instead encountered Mr. Daniels. Exactly, Mackenzie confirmed. Mr. Daniels was not about to bend the rules to accommodate Wanda's needs. But where does Charles fit into this, Mackenzie? That’s simple. Charles overheard Mr. Daniels arguing with Wanda and was displeased with the way she was treated. Since store policy prevented him from allowing his mother inside, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He pleaded with Mr. Daniels to permit Wanda to enter and retrieve her shawl, but Mr. Daniels remained steadfast. In a moment of desperation, Charles knocked him out, tied him up in the back, and staged a crime scene to make it appear as though there had been a break-in. 

"Wait, are you saying…" Mr. Daniels began to process the revelation. 

"That's correct, Mr. Daniels," Mackenzie responded. "Wanda did not attack you; it was Charles, and all because you wouldn’t allow his mother into the store." 

"And how do I know this?" you may wonder. "I noticed his name tag was missing from his shirt, which likely fell off in the vicinity where you were struck. Could you remind us where that was, Mr. Daniels?" Mackenzie inquired. 

"Aisle 4," Mr. Daniels replied. 

Mackenzie dashed over to aisle 4, where she found Charles' name tag. "Just as I suspected," she said triumphantly. "Well, Charles, do you have anything to say for yourself?" 

"Actually, yes," Charles replied defiantly. "I quit. Working in this store has been a miserable experience, and I don’t regret what I did because, frankly, you deserved it." 

"We'll see how you feel about your actions once I’m done with you, young man. Now go wait in the car," Wanda instructed firmly. 

Mackenzie turned to Wanda and said, "I'm truly sorry this happened. This is my fault; I should have just returned when the store was open." 

"It's fine; I'm just relieved that we have everything sorted out now," Mr. Daniels reassured her. "Kids, I can’t thank you enough for your help today. As a reward for uncovering the truth, feel free to take anything you need from the back on the house." 

"Thank you, Mr. Daniels. We love helping out people like you," they both said cheerfully. 

"Well, sister, are you ready to head home? We still have a sleepover to plan," Mason stated. 

"Absolutely," Mackenzie agreed. "Let’s go." 

And so, the twins made their way home, equipped with everything they needed for their sleepover."