American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

“Good afternoon,” Lynn replied politely, walking towards the cashier. “I’d like a signature coffee.”

“Of course, I recommend our signature latte, made with our own roasted coffee beans; it has a very unique flavor,” Jack enthusiastically explained. “Anything else? We have freshly baked blueberry muffins today.”

“Then lattes and muffins, please,” Lynn said, while observing the coffee-making area. He noticed that there was indeed a door leading to the storage room at the back, in a rather hidden location that was difficult to see from the seating area.

“Okay, please wait a moment,” Jack began making coffee.

Lynn chose a seat by the window, from which he could observe most of the store. He noticed that there was indeed a security camera in the corner, but its angle only covered the cashier and the entrance area; as Gwen had said, the storage room area was a blind spot.

A few minutes later, Jack brought over coffee and muffins. "Enjoy! Let me know if you need anything."

"How's business here?" Lynn asked casually. "This is my first time here."

“It’s not bad, mostly students and people who work nearby,” Jack replied. “Weekends are busier, but weekdays are like this.”

Lynn looked around and found that there were three other customers in the store besides him: a female student working on her laptop, a couple chatting quietly, and a middle-aged man sitting in the corner reading a book.

"Do you have many employees in your store?" Lynn continued to probe.

“There are five of us,” Jack said. “The boss is great, and my colleagues are all very nice. By the way, do you live nearby?”

“Not too far,” Lynn replied vaguely, then began to sip his coffee.

Lynn was somewhat surprised by his first sip of coffee. The taste was indeed very special, rich and aromatic, with a unique flavor he had never tasted in other coffee shops. The coffee had a rich complexity, starting with bitterness, then sweetness, and finally a nutty aftertaste.

“This coffee is really good,” Lynn praised sincerely. “Where do you get your coffee beans from?”

Jack's face lit up with pride. "Thank you! Our coffee beans are special; the owner sources them from a special channel. He said they come from a small farm in South America, and the yield is very limited, making them hard to find elsewhere."

“Special channels?” Lynn keenly grasped the meaning of that term.

“Yes, the boss has some special supplier relationships,” Jack explained, “but I don’t know the specifics; the boss handles these directly.”

This information made Lynn start to think. If the coffee beans really did have a special origin, then the thieves might not be targeting ordinary coffee beans, but rather these special beans.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Gwen appeared. When she saw Lynn, she deliberately acted naturally, simply smiling and nodding in greeting.

“Gwen! You’re here,” Jack waved to her. “This guest just complimented our coffee.”

“Really? Thank you for the compliment,” Gwen smiled professionally, then began preparing to change shifts.

Lynn continued to observe the store's operations. He noticed that Gwen and Jack would briefly check the inventory during their shift change, which seemed to be a routine procedure. Gwen took a small notebook to the storeroom to check, and returned a few minutes later with a somewhat puzzled expression.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

“It seems like we’re short of coffee beans again,” Gwen whispered. “The count was correct yesterday.”

Jack frowned. "Could it have been stolen again? This is the second time this week."

Lynn pricked up his ears to listen carefully to their conversation. It seemed the thefts were continuing, and were happening more frequently.

Around four o'clock in the afternoon, a blonde girl who looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old walked into the coffee shop. She was quiet and went straight to the staff area at the back. This must be Ellie, whom Gwen mentioned.

Lynn observed the girl carefully. She was indeed as Gwen had said—quiet and only nodding when greeting other employees. Her English did have a slight accent, sounding like an Eastern European one. But she was diligent in her work, her movements were practiced, and she didn't seem like someone who would steal.

“Ellie, you’re here,” Gwen greeted her warmly. “How’s your day?”

“It’s alright,” Ellie replied briefly, then began preparing her work supplies.

Lynn noticed Ellie's behavioral patterns: she always kept her head down, avoided too much eye contact with customers, was very focused at work, and rarely chatted with colleagues. This could be due to introverted personality, or it could be that she was hiding something.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, a woman in her thirties walked into the coffee shop. Judging from Gwen's interaction with her, this should be Lisa. She looked tired, but still maintained a friendly smile for the customers.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Lisa said to Gwen. “There’s something I need to take care of at my son’s school.”

“It’s alright,” Gwen replied considerately, “things at home are more important.”

Lynn observed Lisa's behavior and realized she truly resembled a busy single mother, her words and actions revealing the pressures of life. However, she was very responsible at work and quickly immersed herself in serving customers.

About half an hour later, a boy who looked to be just over twenty years old ran into the coffee shop, carrying a large backpack, looking like he had just come from school. This must be Tommy.

"Hey everyone!" Tommy greeted everyone cheerfully, including Lynn sitting in the corner. "Sorry I'm late, the professor went overtime."

Tommy's personality is indeed as Gwen described: cheerful and lively. But you can also tell he's a responsible kid; he immediately started working and didn't slack off because he was late.

By this time, Lynn had observed all the employees. Judging from their words and actions, they were all normal young people. While the possibility of an inside job couldn't be completely ruled out, the probability was indeed low.

At six o'clock in the afternoon, a man in his forties walked into the coffee shop. Judging from the employees' reactions, this was probably the manager, Mike. He did look very stressed, his face etched with fatigue and worry.

"Hello everyone," Mike greeted the employees, then walked over to Gwen, "How was today's inventory?"

“We’ve run out of coffee beans,” Gwen reported quietly, “about two pounds.”

Mike's expression grew more serious. "This is the third time this week. We have to find a way to solve this."

Seeing this, Lynn felt it was time to take the initiative. He walked to the cashier, intending to order another coffee.

"Could I have another signature latte?" Lynn asked Gwen.

“Of course,” Gwen began making the coffee. “What do you think of our coffee?”

“It’s fantastic, the flavor is unique,” ​​Lynn said sincerely. “I’ve had coffee in many cafes in New York, but this flavor is truly special.”

Mike, who was standing nearby, overheard the conversation and came over to say, "Thank you for the compliment. We are indeed very confident in the quality of our coffee; we use only the finest beans."

"Could I ask where the beans come from?" Lynn asked curiously. "I really like coffee and would like to know more."

Mike hesitated for a moment. "Well... our beans come from a rather special source, through the owner's private channels. I don't know the specifics." "Does the owner come to the shop often?" Lynn continued to inquire.

“Not very often, maybe once or twice a week,” Mike replied. “Mainly to check on operations and handle supply issues.”

Just then, Lynn noticed that the middle-aged man who had been sitting in the corner reading a book suddenly stood up and hurriedly left the coffee shop. This man had been there since Lynn entered the shop, sitting there for almost four hours, but had only ordered the cheapest Americano.

Even more strangely, Lynn noticed that this man was clearly eavesdropping when Mike was talking to him about the source of the coffee beans. When the topic turned to the boss and the supply chain, the man became very nervous and eventually chose to leave.

Lynn's detective instincts told him that this man was suspicious.

"Who's that regular customer?" Lynn asked casually. "The middle-aged man sitting in the corner reading a book?"

“Oh, you mean Tom?” Gwen replied. “He does come quite often, almost every day he comes and sits for a few hours. He’s very quiet and doesn’t talk much.”

"When does he usually come?" Lynn continued to ask.

“His hours are irregular, sometimes morning, sometimes afternoon,” Lisa interjected. “He doesn’t seem to have a regular job; he’s always here reading or using his laptop.”

What did he order?

“Always the cheapest Americano, never anything else,” Tommy said. “Sometimes I can sit here all afternoon with just one cup of coffee.”

This information made Lynn even more suspicious. A person without a stable job, sitting in a coffee shop for hours every day, ordering only the cheapest coffee, and behaving strangely when discussing sensitive topics—this could very well be the person he was looking for.

"Around when did he start coming here regularly?" Lynn asked.

The employees exchanged glances, and Ellie suddenly spoke up, "It started about a month ago. I noticed him when I first started working here."

The timing was perfect again. The time when Tom started appearing frequently coincided with the time when the theft began.

Lynn decided to delve deeper into this person's behavioral patterns. "Where does he usually sit?"

“Always that corner spot,” Gwen pointed to where Tom had been sitting, “He said the light was good there, perfect for reading.”

Lynn walked to that corner, carefully observing the strategic location. This angle did indeed offer a view of most of the store, including the staff's work areas and the door leading to the storage room. It was truly the best spot for anyone wanting to observe how the store operated.

More importantly, this location is close to the back wall, which corresponds exactly to the wall that Gwen mentioned hearing the sound from.

“Have you noticed any other behavior from him?” Lynn asked. “For example, has he ever asked any questions about store operations?”

The employees thought about it for a moment, and Jack said, "He did ask some questions, like when we get our deliveries and when we're busiest, but we thought he was just curious."

Is there anything else?

“I once saw him measuring something,” Ellie suddenly said, “using a small ruler to measure the distance from the table to the wall, and I found it very strange.”

This detail is very important. Measuring the distance might be in preparation for some kind of action.

Lynn began to form a hypothesis in his mind: Tom might be a professional thief who first spent time observing the coffee shop's operation, understanding the employees' work schedules and the shop's security measures, and then found a way to enter the storeroom and steal items.

But there's still one question: how did he get in? The lack of signs of forced entry means he didn't break in.

"Are you familiar with the structure of this building?" Lynn asked Mike. "For example, are there passageways connecting to other rooms?"

Mike thought for a moment, "This is an old building, and its internal structure is indeed somewhat complicated. I heard that it used to be a large store, which was later divided into several smaller shops."

Is it possible that the walls are shared?

“Very likely,” Mike nodded, “especially that wall in the storage room; I always felt it was a bit thin.”

This confirmed Lynn's suspicions. Tom probably entered through the building next door and then reached the coffee shop's storage room through a passage in the wall.

"Do you have the contact information for the owner of the shop next door?" Lynn asked.

“Yes, it’s a small clothing store. The owner’s name is Mary, and she’s a very nice person,” Mike replied. “Why do you ask?”

Lynn realized he had asked too many questions and might arouse suspicion. "Oh, I'm just interested in the history of old buildings," he said, making up an excuse.

At seven o'clock in the afternoon, Lynn felt he had gathered enough information. He paid his bill and left, but after leaving the coffee shop, he didn't immediately leave the street; instead, he observed the surrounding area.

About half an hour later, he saw Tom return. This time, instead of going into the coffee shop, he stood across the street observing, seemingly confirming something. Then, Tom walked towards the clothing store next door.

Lynn quietly followed him and saw Tom exchange a few words with a young shop assistant in the clothing store, after which the shop assistant let him into the store.

This essentially confirms Lynn's suspicions. Tom likely has some connection to the clothing store next door, perhaps using it as a means to access the coffee shop's storage room.

Lynn took out his phone and sent Gwen a text message: "The investigation has progressed. We'll discuss it in detail when I get home tonight."

Back home, Lynn couldn't wait to share his discovery with Gwen.

"So you think it's that guest named Tom?" Gwen said after listening.

“Very likely,” Lynn nodded. “The timing matches, the behavior is suspicious, and he’s clearly very interested in your store’s operations.”

“But how did he get into the storeroom?” Gwen asked, puzzled.

“I suspect it’s through the clothing store next door,” Lynn explained his reasoning. “There might be some kind of passage between the walls, or he might have made a hole in the wall.”

“Then how do we confirm this hypothesis?” Gwen asked.

“I’ll investigate the clothing store next door tomorrow,” Lynn said. “In the meantime, keep an eye on Tom’s behavior in the store, but don’t alert him.”

“Also,” Lynn added, “I need to know more about your boss, Carlos Rodriguez, especially his coffee bean supply chain. I suspect the stolen beans might not be ordinary coffee beans.” (End of Chapter)