CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE – THEIVING BASTARDS

It was late one evening, just as Joan was finishing up the closing duties in the shop, that everything changed. She had just turned off the lights and was about to lock up when she heard a crash from the back of the store. Heart pounding, Joan called out, "Hello? Is someone there?" There was no response, just the sound of hurried footsteps and another crash. Without thinking, Joan grabbed a heavy candlestick from a nearby shelf and crept towards the source of the noise. As she rounded the corner into the storage area, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure slipping out the back door. Shelves had been overturned, and boxes lay scattered across the floor. "Stop!" Joan yelled, but it was too late. By the time she reached the back door, the intruder was gone. Hands shaking, Joan fumbled for her phone and called Maria, who lived just above the shop. Within minutes, Maria and Luca were downstairs, surveying the damage with shocked expressions. "Oh no," Maria whispered, her face pale as