The police received a call about illegal street selling on the corner of the main street and rushed to the spot.
But when they saw a harmless old woman with a box of vegetables, their determination disappeared.
The woman stood next to neatly arranged tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers, wearing a worn-out sweater and a faded skirt.
— Grandma, you know that street selling is prohibited, right? — one of the officers asked calmly.
— I know, my dear, — she sighed. — I just need money for medicine for my sick son. He has no one else, no one to help. All these vegetables I grew myself in my garden. There’s nothing bad here.
The officers exchanged glances.
The violation was obvious, but they felt sorry for the old woman.
— We won’t do anything this time, — the senior officer said. — But grandma, please try to find another side job. Other officers might not be as kind as we are.
— Yes-yes, of course, — the woman replied quickly, noticeably nervous, as if she couldn’t wait for them to leave.
— Since we’re here, let us buy something from you, — one of the officers smiled. — Let’s do a good deed.
— No, no need, dear, — she said hastily. — I already have many customers.
— Many customers? — the partner was surprised. — But there’s no one around.
— Well… they come in the mornings, — the old woman laughed, — you just didn’t catch them.
— Alright then, we’ll take a couple of tomatoes at least, — insisted the officer.
— No need, son, — she waved him off again, — leave them, let others get them.
Her voice trembled, her gaze darted around.
One of the officers frowned, leaned down and picked up a tomato from the box.
He examined it carefully, then suddenly said sharply:
— Arrest her. Right now.
— What? What happened? — the partner asked in surprise.
It turned out that the old woman… 
Continuation in the first comment 
The officer showed the tomato.
On its surface were tiny puncture marks, as if someone had injected something into it with a needle.
The same marks were found on the other vegetables.
Later, during the investigation, it turned out that under the guise of a helpless old woman, the woman was distributing illegal substances.
At her home they found her son — a disabled man who produced all of it, while his mother delivered and sold it, using the fact that no one would suspect trembling hands and an elderly smile.
The world has long learned to hide evil under the most harmless appearance.
