Lucy arrived early Friday carrying groceries and an overnight bag. She found Clara asleep beside another stack of posters. After making breakfast, Lucy insisted they report the anonymous telephone call. Clara worried police might dismiss her, but Lucy replied that fear deserved attention before it became evidence of something worse.
An officer recorded everything but explained that no identifiable crime occurred. He promised additional patrols around Hawthorne Park through the weekend. When Clara mentioned the teenagers, he asked whether they had threatened her directly. She admitted they had not. Even so, she felt increasingly certain their behavior involved her missing cat.