a blizzard of mysteries

I run down the steps and answer the door splashing hot coffee on my hand. Two of my neighbors are standing outside up to their knees in a snow-drift. They are both half-smiling and looking at my face for a sign. A foot of snow fell overnight, and it's still coming down hard.

"Did you steal my snow shovel?" one of them asks

I open the door to let them in, they're banging snow off their boots. They are friends.

"What?" I'm confused by the question.

"My shovel, I left it next to my back door last night. This morning I went to grab it and it's gone..."

I cant stop myself from grinning. I totally understand why he thinks it was me, and I'm giggling because it's such a funny joke that someone played. I try to straighten my face up, he'll never believe me.

I need to change the subject.
"Do you guys want some coffee?"
This has the intended effect. The neighborhood has been without power since 4am, my house is freezing cold and everyone on the block has electric ovens. They are following wide eyed into the kitchen as I hold an impossible cup of steaming coffee.

I point to my coffeemaker that is unplugged in my dark kitchen. The pot is full and visibly hot with vapor and arouma.

"how did you?...?"
I have no intention of ruining the mystery of the miracle coffee, so I switch subjects back to the shovel again.

Finally with a straight face I interupt
"I didnt take your shovel, but I wish I did.(i do) Thats pretty funny that someone did that to you. If you want you can borrow mine" Chuckling, I open the door to grab my shovel that I left just outside the door.

"HEY! SOMEONE STOLE MY SHOVEL TOO!!!"

"Can we have some of your coffee?"