Tonight, A "Dateline" exclusive.......

The case of the missing hamster. Part 2.
A suspicious looking woman cleaned out the cage of "Coco" on a dark Monday night in Hauser Lake. We believe the person must have been pre-occupied with other "chores" at the time of the crime, because she forgot a crucial part of the delicate procedure as she finished up the messy job. Yes, you guessed it....she didn't close the door to the cage properly....... and so unbeknown st to her, she went on with her multiple other evening activities. Never knowing what she would find "missing" in the morning.
She glanced at the hamster's cage that morning just as she had every morning....but this time something was different. The hamster was gone. G-O-N-E. Suddenly she had a feeling of sheer panic. Her heart started beating fast as she thought about how she would explain the "mishap" to her innocent daughter, the "mommy" of precious Coco. So that morning, instead of letting her daughter dine within view of the hamsters cage as usual, she switched her breakfast's location. And as she was walking out the door to bring her daughter to summer camp that day, she made sure not to mention one word about the prized pet's location.
So, mission 1 of keeping the secret, for now, was accomplished. Now on to mission 2. As she was speeding home to look for this innocent little creature, she couldn't help but think the worst. "What should I do if I don't find it?". She wondered. She almost drove straight to the local pet store and picked out the first hamster that looked anything close to Coco. Would her daughter ever know?? Duhhhh. Yes. Stupid idea. So, she continued to drive till she arrived at the crime scene. Home.
As she walked into the house she wondered how she would ever find this small creature. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. But she frantically continued on. Is it under the bed? No. Is it under the other bed? No. Is it in the pantry behind all kinds of other crap? No. Is it in the basement? Who knows. The basement is so huge, and there are so many tiny holes to the "outside"...(we are under construction still....) that if the thing made it to the basement, it would surely find it's way out to "freedom" by now. It's probably been gobbled up by one of the large cats next door by now....
She desperately tries to keep focused. She makes a couple quick phone calls. She starts feeling helpless. Then.....it occurs to her. Look behind the stove. So, she pulls the bottom drawer out from under the stove and what does she find? Miraculously, a tiny hamster is sleeping comfortably in between the electrical cords and the natural gas line. Yep, he is tuckered out from his "travels". So back in the cage he goes, as quickly as possible. And when her daughter gets home that hot afternoon, she will think today was "just another day" for her mom. But, she is wrong. Very wrong.