Ep 11. Partner in Crime

In the eleventh episode of Mystery Diners season 7, titled "Partner in Crime," the stakes are high when a restaurant owner suspects that her business partner is stealing from her. The episode opens with Charles Stiles receiving a call from Marcie, the owner of Patty's Restaurant in Marina Del Rey, California. She is concerned that her partner, George, is not only stealing from the restaurant but also possibly involved in selling drugs.

Charles sends in Mystery Diner Jamie to go undercover as a server at Patty's Restaurant to investigate. Jamie immediately notices that George is the only one handling the cash register and seems to be hiding something in a locked cabinet. She also hears from other employees that George is constantly on his phone and regularly leaves the restaurant to make mysterious phone calls.

Jamie sets up cameras around the restaurant to capture footage of George's behavior. She then takes a closer look at the restaurant's inventory and discovers that several expensive bottles of wine are missing. Jamie also hears from a regular customer that George has been offering him illegal drugs.

With all this evidence, Charles decides to bring in Mystery Diner and security expert Grant to help catch George in the act. Grant installs a hidden camera in the locked cabinet where George hides his belongings.

One night, while Jamie is working, George leaves the restaurant and heads to his car. Grant watches the hidden camera footage and sees George take money from the cash register and put it in his car. When he returns to the restaurant, George confronts Jamie and accuses her of stealing the money.

Charles and Grant advise Marcie on how to confront George with the evidence they have gathered. When she confronts him, George denies everything but eventually confesses to stealing money and selling drugs. With his guilt confirmed, Marcie immediately fires him and gets a restraining order.

In the end, Patty's Restaurant gets a fresh start and Marcie ensures that her business is no longer being siphoned by a thief. The episode gives a reminder of how important it is to take action when you suspect theft in your business.