The old clock ticked. Rain beat on the window. Mr. Jones sat in his chair, a book in his hand. He was alone.
Suddenly, the phone rang. Mr. Jones jumped. He answered. "Hello?"
A voice said, "Mr. Jones, your cat is missing."
Mr. Jones looked around. His cat, Mittens, was gone. He felt a chill. Mittens never went out.
The voice said, "Don't worry. We have Mittens. We want something from you. Come to the park at midnight. Bring your wallet.
Mr. Jones hung up. He was scared. He didn't know who to trust.
He went to the park at midnight. He saw a shadow. "Here's my wallet," he said.
The shadow took the wallet. Then, it said, "Now, we have your cat."
Mr. Jones gasped. He saw Mittens in the shadow's hand. He ran to grab her.
But the shadow was gone. Mittens was gone too.
Mr. Jones stood alone in the dark. He didn't know what to do. He had lost his cat, and his wallet. He felt lost and confused.
The next day, Mr. Jones found Mittens sleeping in his chair. He was so happy! But he still didn't know who took her. He looked at his empty wallet. The mystery remained.
