Detective Jones Is On the Case

"Listen idiot," Squirrel said, "we got no problems here. They don't suspect a thing."

"But," asked Blue Jay, "how do we move the haul?"

"People need this stuff," Squirrel responded. "Bread, peanut butter, soup, diapers. Hell, we can deliver it and charge more. Just get a few boxes each day."

"Yeah," said Blackie, "grab it and I'll sell it."

- - - - - -

"Detective, I don't know what's happening," said the shelter director, "but our clients aren't getting what they need."

"How do you operate?" asked Detective Jones.

"Contributors, mostly distributers, call us when they have excess inventory. Crews pick up, bring it here, and we distribute to those in need."

"Who's on those crews?" asked Detective Jones.

"Here's the breakdown," replied the director, "of who's on each crew."

"Can you get me a list of your biggest contributors?" asked Jones.

"Here."

"Do the crews have a regular schedule for these major contributors?"

"Right."

- - - - - -

"Looks like you have stuff for the shelter almost every day," Detective Jones said.

"Yea," said the manager of City Distributors. "We get much better prices by buying in bulk, but we have to keep the stuff moving."

"And this crew of John, Peter, and Ron pick it up?" asked the Detective.

"If that's their names," said the manager. "I know them as Squirrel, Blue Jay, and Blackie."

"OK with you if I set up a few devices?" asked Jones.

- - - - - -

"It was obvious Captain," Detective Jones reported. "The scales I setup recorded a pickup of an average of 100 pounds of supplies at the distributors, but only 50 got to the shelter."

"Plus Squirrel, Blue Jay, and Blackie? Sure sounded like a bunch of bullies stealing from a bird feeder."