A few minutes later, a couple of spot lights came on, shining on a box amongst the four figures in the front.  Once it was opened, it revealed a gem in the center.  A gem which seemed to glow.  "The Glowing Gem."  Tracy whispered to herself.

"This gem is what I figure you are here for.  The bidding price will start at 10,000,000 dollars.  Anyone who can afford this or higher is invited to Honolulu, Hawaii on April 17, where the auction will be held.  Accommodations will be made starting on April 15.  For right now, we are headed to Orlando, Florida.  You may come up and look at the gem for the next ten minutes."  The man said.  Tracy got up and went to the front of the room to look at the gem.

After five minutes, she exited the room and returned to the bar, where Tricia was waiting.  "So, how did it go?"  Tricia asked.

"The bidding starts at 10 million dollars, and the auction’s being held in Honolulu, Hawaii."

"Whoa!  Where are they off to next?"

"Shhhh…"  Tracy said as the two couples passed by them.  "Orlando, Florida.  You know, I think I recognize those two girls."  She thought for a moment.  "Now I remember!  They were two of the Amazons that captured us in South America!"  With that, the two girls followed the couples outside, got in their car, and returned to the hotel.

The next morning, they got up and went to the airport to catch a plane ride to Orlando.  Arriving at the airport, they rented a car, and drove to a nearby hotel.  After checking in, they scanned the hotels in the area to see in which hotel the couples had chosen to stay.  They made arrangements to be awakened when the couples moved and went to sleep.

"Yes, or an alarm goes off," the man replied.

"Could you alert me when the couples in rooms 335 and 336 come down?"  She said, writing something down on a sheet of paper.  "Could you give them this?"  She said, handing him the paper.  He nodded, she gave him her number at the other hotel, and they left."

Once they had arrived and were getting ready to sleep, Tricia asked Tracy, "What did you put in that note?"

"I said that I was interested in the gem, and I told them to leave me an address or somewhere where I could get in touch with them.  That is what they’re here for, isn’t it?"

"Yeah, but what if they ask you to show them the money?"

"I’ll ask them how crazy they think I am to carry large amounts of money on my person."

"Oh yeah.  That’ll work."  Tricia said, sarcastically.

"It’ll have to.  I want you to put some make up on me, and me you.  Just in case this falls through, I don’t want them to be able to recognize our real faces.

"Good idea."  Tricia said.  The two girls went to sleep and were awakened by the telephone.  Tricia got out of her bed to answer it.  "Hello?"

"Hello, is a Miss Tracy Martin there?"

"Yes.  Just a moment, please."  Tricia roused Tracy and handed her the phone.

"Hello?"

"Miss Martin, the couple you wanted to be notified about have arrived."

"Thank you.  Did they get my message?"

"Yes, and they left one.  I’ll hold it until you come and get it."

"Thanks.  Bye."  She said, hanging up.  "I’ll run over to the hotel and get the message."  Tracy got dressed and ran over to the hotel to get the message.  When she came back, Tricia was dressed, and getting out the make-up kits.

"What does it say?"  Tricia asked.

"It says that anyone interested in buying the gem should show up at 11:00 PM at the Blue Flamingo."

"That gives us about two hours to get ready."

"Good.  We’re going to have to pick out just what to wear."  The girls got made-up and then picked out their clothes.  By the time they had completed getting ready, they had ten minutes to get to the Blue Flamingo.  Tracy was wearing a navy suit and was a brunette.  Tricia was in a brown suit and was a red head.  They looked nothing like themselves, needless to say. 

They drove up to the Blue Flamingo, and exited their car.  The valet took it away.  Walking in the door, they scanned the room for the meeting place.  It was an interesting night club, filled with interesting people.  A jazz band was playing on-stage while the lights were dimmed.  Tracy, followed by Tricia, walked over to the bar and asked the bartender where the meeting for the DG was to be held.  He pointed toward a room, and they went over to it.  "Tricia, you stay out here and keep an eye out, while I go inside."

Knocking on the door, a sliding panel, about eye-level, opened.  "Who’s there?"  A voice came from a pair of eyeballs behind the door.

"I’m here about the DG."  Tracy said.

"Do you have an invitation?"  The voice asked.

"Yes, here."  Tracy handed the sheet of paper through the hole in the door.  The sliding panel closed, there was a click sound, and the door opened.  Walking inside, Tracy observed the room.  To the right and left were chairs.  The lights were dimmed, and there were four figures in the front of the room.  Other figures were seated in the chairs.  Tracy took a seat near the back.

"Tracy?!  How did you…  Why did you…"

"Karin explained it to me.  How’s the hunt going?"

"Well, I saw the two of them today.  They had two ladies with them.  They’re trying to start some kind of auction.  I think they’re carrying the gem in a suit case with them."

"I see."

"I figure that if I can get the gem from them one of these times, then we can have this case solved and Adam will go back to work again."

"Could I help?"

"You bet!  I’m getting tired, tracking these people.  The only problem is how to get you over here.  I mean, that would make me suspicious!"

"Right."  Tracy said, thinking.  "I know!!  I could give you a call in a couple of days from my house!"  She proceeded to give Tricia the number, so she would know who to call when her pager went off, then hung up.  She picked up the receiver once again, and called her mom…

When she was at her mom’s house, she called Tricia once again.  "So what’s your plan?"  Tricia asked.

"I got my mom to ask me to come home to plan for the wedding, then I had Adam call me here.  Now I can come and help you."

"But what if he calls your house again?"

"My mom will say that I can’t be reached, and call me to tell me to call him back!"

"But how does he know you were ever there?"

"I let him hear my mom on her answering machine before I picked up the phone!"

"Oh!!  I get it."  She proceeded to give Tracy her location, and Tracy got on the next plane headed there.  Arriving at the airport, Tracy exited her plane and headed toward the baggage claim where Tricia was waiting for her.  The came toward each other, and Tricia said, "How was the flight?"

"Swell.  Where are the thieves?"

"They, and their girls, went to sleep a few hours ago in their hotel.  They do their business transactions at night."

"Oh.  Can you take me there?"

"Sure," Tricia said, "But first I think we ought to stop by our hotel room and drop off your suitcases."

"Now there’s a good idea."  Tracy responded.  They left the airport and went to their hotel room.  After they stopped off there, they went to the thieves hotel, and the "Do Not Disturb" sign was outside their door.  Tricia and Tracy checked downstairs with the man at the desk, and he said that they hadn’t left the building.

Tricia commented to Tracy, after looking at her watch, "It’s going to be a while until they wake up.  What do you suggest we do until then?"

"Well, one of us should stay and watch them, while the other gets some rest."

"But what if they go to fly away?  How will the one of us get the other up?"

"Good question.  I guess we had better stay together."

"So, let’s go get a little ’shut eye’."

"I’ve got an idea."  Going over to the desk again, Track asked the man, "Does everyone who stays here have to turn in their key before leaving the hotel?"

Little did I know of what was going on "behind the scenes" at my house.  A couple of my friends decided that if I wasn’t going to solve the case, they were going to try.  You see, before Tricia had taken off for Vegas, she told Karin that she had gotten a lead and was going to help me out.  So, one day at my house, while I was out job hunting, Tracy and Karin got to talking about Tricia.  "You know," Tracy started, "It’s not like Tricia to just take off all of a sudden, spontaneously."

"She’s a big girl now, and I’m sure she can take care of herself."

"True.  But it’s not like her.  Did she tell you anything?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure!"

"She’s got a lead on the Glowing Gem."

"She’s what?!!"

"Well, Tricia found a map of Las Vegas in the thieves’ house.  She thought that they were going to go there to try and sell the gem."

"Oh, I see.  Why didn’t she tell anyone?"

"Well, with Adam not being on the case and all, she decided that it would be better if she just went after then and got the gem herself."

"Did she leave you some way to contact her?"

"As a matter of fact, yes…  But, she said that she didn’t want anyone to know.  She’s got a pager on her.  She told me that if I really needed her, to go to her apartment and call her pager.  She’d call back as soon as she could."

"I’ve got to get a hold of her, and since Adam’s job hunting, I’ve got a little time."

"But what if he finds something fast?"

"Well then, tell him that I went down street and will be back in a little while."

"Okay.  If you say so."  So Tracy went down to Tricia’s apartment, went inside using the key Karin gave her, and went to her phone.  Calling the pager number, she hung up the phone and waited for Tricia to call back.

Ten minutes came and went before the phone rang.  Tracy answered it, "Hello, Tricia?!"

"This is Better Apartments and Condominiums.  Is a Miss Drowning there?" asked the male voice on the other end of the line, mispronouncing Downing.

"I’m sorry, she’s not."

"Oh.  This is Jon Wagner, Sales Rep for BAC.  We were just wondering if she could answer a few questions for us.  Could you help?"

"I don’t know."

"Do you own an apartment?"

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean, ‘not exactly’?"

"Well, I’m… Well… I guess you’d say that I’m employed and I live in the house where I work."

"Oh."

"I don’t think I’d be much help.  Sorry!"

"That’s okay.  Good-bye."  Tracy hung up the phone, and waited some more.  The phone rang again, and this time it was Tricia."

So I was listening to Adam McManus yesterday and I was so like loving his show when he brought Stacy McDonald on.  I’m not sure if you’ve read her blog, but she’s the writer of Raising Maidens of Virtue—a book my mom made me read.

So, I went to her site to see what all the fuss was about, and it turns out that Noah Cyrus, Miley Cyrus (AKA Hannah Montana) has got a new clothing line out… or should I say, lack of clothing line.

I mean, look at it.  The photos on the left aren’t bad—if you’re in a ballet.  The ones on the right—I’m trying to figure out if they’re supposed to be underwear or what?

I mean, maybe as sleepwear it’d be ok, but it’s a grownup look that seems out of place for the age group.  The tops look ok, but come on!

What do you think?  Do you think that 8 year old should dress like this?

After watching this latest installment of 24, Tracy and I were excited to see that things have gotten back to normal—especially the second half of the show.  For a while there it seemed that they were getting Renee ready to take Jack’s place, if you can believe that.

Now there’s news that they are writing a movie for 24, staring Keifer Sutherland of course, but the gags abound as far as how it will go.  Some think it will be the end of Bauer, some think that it be called “2”.

Who is your favorite love interest that Jack has had?  It seems like only one of them survived being associated with Jack—and that’s because she left.

“The following takes place between 10 AM and 11 AM—Events occur in real time.”

So starts every episode of 24.  But what’s the deal!?  I mean, I’ve watched so many of these episodes on DVD, and I know that it’s not a full hour.  There’s very precious time that is spent where we don’t see it.

And there’s so many unanswered questions:

• When is the last time that you saw Jack Bauer eat?
• When does Jack take a dump?
• How is it that CTU can be so high tech and so vulnerable?
• Did Jack wear glasses for the same reason that Superman wears glasses—I mean, if it worked for Supe’s…
• How come there aren’t wanted posters in all terrorist headquarters with photos of Jack from CSPAN?

And I’m sure we could come up with some more.

So what do you think?  What does Jack do during a commercial break?  I personally think that’s when he says sweet nothings in Chloe’s earpiece and tells the President how to run the country.

But maybe he’s just scarfing down some Dunkin’ Doughnuts and hit the shower/toilet…

So, the last story has almost been finished.  That’s right, I’ve almost finished writing about my detective years, so I’ve started wondering what to do next.

What started out as a desire to chronicle my exploits has grown into a desire to write about what I see day to day.  A lot has happened since these events finished, and though I haven’t been in the game for a while, I think I might do that.

Plus my friends want to get in on the fun, and so I figured I could make this into a group blog.  I mean, I hardly have the time to do all the writing myself.

So look for some fiction tips, reviews, and some comments about fiction that we see…

Also, I can’t always guarantee that Noah will be serious, so be careful about what he posts.  Honestly, Adam, I’ll be good, I promise.

“Those two are the men we followed to South America!” They soon left, and with two girls of their own.

“I recognize those two.” Noah said. “They’re girls from the Amazon camp!!”

“Right! Now I remember them. I wasn’t used to seeing them dressed like that!” Kristin stated.

“I think I’ll go have a chat with our friendly neighborhood bartender.” I said, getting up. “Excuse me, ladies.” I walked over to the bartender, and leaned over onto the bar.

“What’ll it be?” He asked, cleaning out a glass.

“What do you know about those two who just left?”

“Who? The dames, or the fellas?”

“Either.”

“Well, the dames are from out of town. They speak very broken English. The guys come here more often, about once a night. Rumor has it that they’re trying to get hot merchandise off their hands.”

“Thanks.” I said, leaving the bar. I started back, “Just one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Can anyone get involved in the bid?”

“Not saying I know anything about which you are talking…”

“Of course…”

“Do you have money?”

“I could have, if the price was right.”

“Well, I’ll tell them that you’re interested.”

“All right.” I stated.

“They won’t be back for another two weeks.”

“What if they find another buyer?”

“Oh, don’t worry. There’s going to be an auction. Right now they’re just looking for perspective buyers.”

“Oh. Thanks.” I said, going back to my table and sitting down.

“How’d it go?” Kristin asked.

“I’ve got an appointment with the two guys in two weeks.” I replied.

“Why not earlier?” Noah asked.

“Because it’s the next time that those two are in town.”

“Won’t they sell the DG by then?” Katie asked.

“No. The bartender says that they’re going to auction it off. First they have to get some buyers together, though.”

“Oh.” Katie replied.

“Do we get to come the next time?” Kristin asked.

“If you keep your grades up.” I said, looking right in Kristin’s eyes.

“Oh, we will.” She stated. We all got up and walked out to the car. Once inside the car, we drove back to Noah’s house, and all went down to his basement. There, we changed out of our outfits, making sure to leave them hidden. Kristin, Katie, and I then got into the car, and headed for my house.

Once home, Katie immediately went to Kristin’s room to get ready for bed. Karin came in and told me, “Adam, Tricia called while you were gone. Said that she was fine and that she’d be back in a few days.”

“Oh. I wonder where she could be.”

“I don’t have the foggiest idea.”

“Let’s let them decide.” Noah said, looking at Kristin with a smile. We walked over to them, and Noah said, “All righty now. It’s up for you girls to decide who you want to be your date.”

“Him.” They both said at the same time, pointing to me. I shrugged my shoulders and looked at him. It was decided that Kristin and I were to go together, and Noah and Katie would be the other couple. The girls did look a bit older than they really were, and we looked a bit younger, which balanced us out.

In the car on the way over Noah and I sat in the front, while the two girls sat in the back. “They were just trying to make you feel good, you know. I know that Kristin wanted to pick me, but she knows that you expect her to pick you because she’s your daughter.” Noah said.

“Well, Noah, if you’re that concerned, why don’t you use NLP 2.1 on Katie when we get there?”

“Are you crazy! She’d be all over me, what with that increasing part.”

“Oh, so now you’re scared.”

“Hey, I’ve given up on love potions. All I want to invent is a garbage can that takes itself out!”

“Now there’s something practical.” I said. We neared the place where we were going, so I pulled over about a block away, and Noah and Kristin switched seats. “Okay guys and girls. It’s time for a little acting!” I stated. As we drove the rest of the way to the Night Club, Kristin moved closer to me, and I put my arm around her. Katie and Noah were in the back, and she was kissing him. Under her breath though, I could hear them talking.

“Ouch, not so tight!” Katie whispered. “You’re hurting me.”

“Sorry.” He replied. We pulled up, and we all got out. Noah had lipstick all over his face.

“Here you go Noah.” I said, handing him a handkerchief. “I think you’d better wipe your face off.” He took it, and proceeded to do so. We went around to the back to meet the girls, and then I put my arm around Kristin’s back, and Noah put his arm around Katie’s shoulders. We walked into the club, where a prominent jazz musician was playing, and sat down at one of the tables.

“Gee. I’ve never been in one of these before!” Katie stated.

“Yeah, it’s kinda neat.” Kristin said, with a giggle.

“Girls, behave yourselves.” I stated. Just then, a tall waiter walked over, and winked at Katie. Katie shrunk back a little and giggled.

“Did you just make a pass at my girl?” Noah asked the waiter. Turning to me, he asked again, “Did he just make a pass at my girl?” Turning to Katie, “Did he just make a…”

“Yes. I just made a pass at your girl. What are you going to do about it?” The waiter replied.

“Nothing,” I replied. “Settle down, Noah. Settle down.” I said, trying to hold Noah down.”

“Settle down! He just made a pass at my girl!! Why I oughta…” Noah replied.

“You oughta what?” He said, getting in Noah’s face.

“I oughta back off, and leave you alone.”

“I thought so. What’ll it be?” We placed our orders, and he left. Needless to say, it wasn’t the standard night club order.

After the meals came, Kristin spotted two men walking in the back room. “There.”

“What?” I asked.