Stolen property

Jack and Jill were driving home.

"Is that a new hat?" said Jill.

"This? It's Kevin's."

"I thought so. That's his favourite hat. He let you borrow it?"

"Yeah, I stole it." Jack replied smugly.

"Jack! He's your son! And you know he's going to be angry", Jill started.

"Nah, I've got it all figured out. Here's what's going to happen. We walk in: Sadie's already denied taking the hat, being primary suspect anyway. So then he asks us. We deny any involvement. He's confused. Then he thinks about where he might have left it. But he knows he only wears this once in a while. So he suspects foul play... perhaps an intruder. One of the neighbourhood kids might have come in; or one of his friends borrowed it last time the were here. Meanwhile, we use this opportunity to lecture him on how keeping his room clean and putting away his stuff properly can prevent this type of thing. He'll probably clean his entire room just to find it.

"And if we gently stoke the idea in his brain that one of the neighbourhood kids might have his hat, we might convince him to go door-to-door asking for it. And while he's going door-to-door he can finally take Sadie to sell her Guides cookies like he said he would do two weeks ago. That's killing two birds with one hat."

"Wow," Jill said dryly, "you've thought this out."

"You just might be married to a criminal genius."

Jack and Jill pulled into the driveway, unloaded the truck and made their way up the steps.

"Just play along, OK?" insisted Jack as he fumbled with the house keys.

"Sure."

They stepped through the front door, kicking off their shoes with bags of groceries in their hands. Kevin was home, and came racing down the stairs.

"Hey, dad?"

"Yes, son," smiled Jack.

"Why are you wearing my hat?"