“I’ll play what you’ll hear for an introduction, and then I’ll point to you. I’ll just play your part then.” Practice went on in that fashion. We were finished in a fairly decent amount of time, and we all went out to the local pizza place for dinner. We arrived back home in time for Kristin to go upstairs and finish her homework. Tracy and I went to the music room to work on our duet. While we were practicing, the phone rang, and I was called to get it. I picked it up and said, “Hello?”

“Adam, this is Joel. One of the guys down here says that he knows the location of the DG. He wants to see you.”

“All right, I’ll meet him tomorrow night at the night club.”

“Okay.” He replied. He hung up.

“Who was that?” Tracy asked.

“Oh that was Joel. It looks like Gangster Schofield and crew are making another appearance!”

“Does that mean…”

“Yes, some one knows the location of the DG.”

“No, I meant does that mean we get to go to the night club again?”

“Oh. Yes, it means that I have to go to the night club.”

“What, can’t I come?”

“It’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous for Kristin, maybe, but not for me.”

“Oh, all right.” Just then I heard a noise outside the room. I turned to look, but only got a glimpse of something dashing out of the room.

“Who was that?”

“I don’t know.” We went back to the music, and then I took her up to her room. “Tracy,” I said as she started into her room. She turned and looked me in the eyes. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her. “Good night.”

“Good night, Adam.” She said.

“If you need me, you know where to find me.” I said. She nodded, and then went into her room. I stopped by Kristin’s room, and saw her lying on her bed on a book. I walked over and picked the book up. I then turned off the light, took off her shoes, and put her in bed. She moved a little, but not much. I went to my room, and turned on the light. Picking up my Bible, I did my devotions for the evening, turned out the light, and went to sleep. Some time that night, Ann returned and went to sleep.

“I’m glad you’re satisfied, I would have gone myself, but I couldn’t leave Laura alone.”

“I told you I could take care of myself!” Laura stated. “And besides, that’s what we’ve got Theresa around for!”

“I know that, dear.” Noah replied. “But I want to be here for you.”

“Well, I think we ought to leave this happy home and return to our own. I told Ann to call us at my house when she was done.” I told Tracy.

“I wonder what’s for lunch.”

“I don’t know. Let’s go find out.” I responded. We bid Noah and Laura farewell and went back to our house. Walking in the door, Ann called and said that she and the gang was going out and that she would be back late. We took off our jackets and put them in the closet. Karin had lunch all prepared.

“Marie called while you were gone, Adam.” Karin said.

“What did she want?” I asked.

“She just wanted to remind you that there was practice this afternoon for your Les Mis group.”

“I still don’t think that Marie should have me play this afternoon. I’m not ready.” I commented.

“Nonsense. You’ll do fine.” Tracy assured me.

“I’d feel a whole lot better if Tricia played. It’ll make me feel so weird if I have to play in front of her. She’s a very talent pianist.”

“Have a little faith in yourself. Have fun.”

The lunch past quickly. Kristin arrived home from school and asked if we would pick Katie up on our way to practice. I said that we would, and before long we were preparing to make our trek for our first practice. I drove over to Katie’s house to pick her up. She and Kristin giggled in the back, while Tracy and I talked about my return as Gangster Schofield.

“So, when do you think that you’ll make your next appearance?” Tracy asked.

“Why, doll?”

“Well… The sooner we go back, the sooner we get this case solved, and then we can get ready for our wedding. It’s only a couple months away, you know.”

“Believe me, I know. Don’t worry. I go back next week, unless Joel comes by first.”

“Right.” She said, as I pulled up to the place where we were practicing. I stopped the car, and the girls hopped out of the back and into the building. It was the school where Marie taught. She had gotten permission for us to use their auditorium until we could find another place.

“Hiya guys!” Marie said as we entered. The rest of the gang was there, and it looked like Marie was banging out the parts for the singers to hear.

“Woah. There are a lot of them.” I whispered to Tracy.

“Relax. They’re your friends.” She whispered back.

“Tracy, would you and Adam would take the duet on ‘On My Own?’” Marie asked.

Tracy looked at me and said, “Sure we would.”

“Okay. That takes care of the solos. Here’s what I think we’ll do: Adam, you take the soloists, one at a time, and work with them, while Tricia and I work with the choir.”

“Sure!” I turned to Tracy and whispered, “I’m a lot better with just one other person.”

She nodded, tossed her coat on a nearby chair, and took her place amongst the rest of the singers. I went with Carrie Bastidas, who was the first soloist, into the other room to practice. Carrie was as tall as I am, with long blond hair and blue eyes. She was very skinny and very pretty. We assumed our positions, me at the piano, and her at the other side. “So where do I start?” She asked, leaning over the upright. I pointed to a place in the music.

“Sure.”

“Be careful, the last time I saw some of these people, they were teenagers.”

“And now their college students?”

“Right.”

“Oh.” She said. We turned in for the night.

The next morning Ann was up before any of us, and she and Karin were have a nice conversation in the dining room over hot chocolate. Kristen was next, and she just jumped in. Finally, Tracy and I came down, and they all hushed up. “That’s funny, I’m sure I heard some talking down here.” I stated.

“Karin and I were just talking.” Ann said.

“Fine.” I replied, eyeing the three of them. Tracy and I went and took our seats, and ate breakfast. We then went off with Ann to her practice.

We arrived at the building in which the practice was to be held, and we all went upstairs. Walking in the room, Ann announced, “Hey guys! Guess who I found down street?” She asked, pointing to me.

“Ahh, Toronto.” A man named Aaron Zwilling said from the corner.

“Yes Kimoslobby.” I said back.

“It’s back in the saddle again.”

“Yes, it seem we always start episode that way!”

“You never forget a line, do you?”

“Why you always call me Toronto, when my real name is Fred?” I asked.

“Okay, okay, enough already!”

“Who else do we have here?”

“Well, on the piano is Kirsten Paddock, Aaron’s got the French horn, I’ve got the clarinet, Amy Davis is on viola, and Bob Langworthy is on the trumpet…” She went through the rest of the names, but none of the others were from Music Camp.

“Wow.”

“Mind if we listen a spell?” I asked. They all said no. “Oh, I almost forgot, this is my fiancée, Tracy Hatch.” They nodded and went to their instruments.

“Hi.” Tracy responded. We took seats, listened to them for a little while, until lunch. Leaving, we went over to Noah’s house. We knocked on the door, and Noah invited us in. Going in the living room, we found Laura in the living room, sitting down. She had just started showing, and Noah was treating her like the baby. “So, how’s the mother-to-be?”

“I wish he’d let me help.” Laura said.

“How’s Theresa?”

“She’s doing fine. She’s cooking, fortunately, and Noah’s doing the rest.” Tracy went to ask Theresa if we could eat with them, and Noah came in the living room.

“So, how’s the case going?” He asked.

“You’re more active then I am!” I said. “We don’t go back as gangsters until Joel gets some info.”

“Oh, so you liked my gangster types?”

“Yeah, they’re the muscle I needed.”

“Sir, ‘Go ahead, make my day!’” He said, shooting me in the back. He went over to Heather, and was about to take her out again when the sheriff entered.

“NOT SO FAST!” The sheriff shouted.

“Right!” Her date shouted, taking the sheriff’s gun. “I love my fiancée.” He said.

Pat spit, “Ooo. Love.” He replied. Her date fired, and Pat clutched his stomach and fell to the ground.

“You see, son, law and order prevails again.” The sheriff said. Two men carried Pat and I out, and we returned to be clapped for. I then returned to my table.

“WOW! That was exciting. Almost as good as ‘The Lone Stranger.’” Ann told me.

“‘The Lone Stranger?’ I haven’t done that one since Music Camp!” I replied.

“Should we go home? It is getting kind of late, and I have to check in with the others.”

“Fine.” I replied, we both got up, and I left a tip. We then left the building, and went back to my house. By now Tracy and Kristen had returned. I opened up the door to my house, and we went inside. Tracy came up the few steps that led to the front door to greet me.

“Adam, Marie says she wants to practice tomorrow afternoon… Oh, hello.” Tracy said, seeing Ann.

“Tracy meet Ann Months, an old friend from Music Camp.” I said.

“Hello.” Ann said.

“Hello, nice to meet you.” Tracy replied. “Wasn’t that that music camp you went to while you were in high school?”

“Yes, it was. Ann played clarinet, if I remember right.” I said. She nodded her head. “Oh, Ann, you didn’t tell me when your practice is.”

“Oh, tomorrow morning at ten. You’re invited to come along.”

“Believe me I will.”

“Well, I’ve had a long trip, I think I’ll turn in.” Ann said, excusing herself, and going upstairs. I put my arm around Tracy and led her over to couch.

Sitting down, I said, “Well, did you have a fun hike?”

“It was okay, I guess. As I was trying to tell you… Marie says she wants to practice tomorrow afternoon at about two. She wants to at least run through it once, and she wants you to play.”

“Play?”

“Piano.”

“But I haven’t played in years.”

“I know that and you know that, but she doesn’t know that!” Tracy stated, handing me the music.

“Well, let’s go see what I remember.” I said back. We got up, and went to the music room. It was a sound proof room with an upright in the corner, drum set in the other, and an assortment of instruments in other places. “Here goes nothing.” I said, putting the music on the music holder. Trying to sight-read the music, one staff at a time, I struggled through the piece. “This will take some practice, I mumbled to Tracy.”

She put her elbow on my shoulder, “I know you can do it.” She said. I looked at her and smiled. I then went back and played the song, over and over, until I could hear it right.

“For being a bit rusty, that was quite fast.”

“When do you think our connection will come through?”

“Let her go, Reddish.” They had a fake fight out, and the sheriff dropped his guns.

“Now don’t anybody try to stop me.” Pat said.

“I’m sorry, sir, but that’s my date!!” Her date said. Pat threw a punch and her date felt his face, to massage where he had been hit. Pat dashed out of the room, via a back door. Her date got up of the floor, and said to the Sheriff, “Sheriff, aren’t you going to go after them?”

“That’s Pat Reddish, he’s killed over a hundred men, not counting injuns.” The sheriff said.

“But that’s your job!” Her date argued.

“I’m sorry sir, but if I go up there, she might get shot!”

“Then what’ll we do now. That’s my fiancée up there!”

“I guess we’ll just have to wait for a ransom demand.”

“Not while I’m around.” I said, rising to my feet.

“Who are you?” Her date asked.

“Why, don’t you know? That’s Sure Shot Schofield, the fastest shot in the North West.” The sheriff stated.

“Sir, if I may ask, could you go get Heather?” Her date asked.

“Sure will mister. It’d be a pleasure.” I replied.

“You’re not really going up after her, are you?” Ann asked me.

“Sure, somebody has to.” I replied, retrieving one of the guns. I ran towards that back door and went up the steps inside. I approached a door and opened it. There was Pat and Heather discussing what was to happen next. “Well Pat, you’ve certainly done it this time.”

“Did what?” Pat replied.

“Well, I’ve gotta come up here after Heather, her fiancée wants to wait for a ransom demand. Shall we change the plan, or continue?”

“I’ve got a better idea.”

“Huh?”

“Just play this by ear. What’s your name?”

“Adam… Oh, you mean my fake name… Sure Shot Schofield.”

“Well, Sure Shot, you’re going to have a shootout, Old West style, except I’ll have a bullet proof vest.”

“Ahhh! I see said the blind man…”

“..When he picked up his hammer and saw!” Pat said, tossing me a packet of fake blood. We left the room, and went downstairs, with Patrick holding a gun into Heather’s back. “Sure Shot and I done made a deal. We’ll have shoot out to decide who gets the girl.”

“How shall we do this?” I asked him.

“Back to back.” He replied. “Just like Dick Van Dyke.” He whispered into my ear. “Count off five then shoot.” He then stated.

A bit of time past. There was dead silence. “Something’s not right.” I said.

“Yeah. Hey you, piano player.” He shouted at the piano player. “Play some of that eire music.” He said. The pianist started a tremolo.

“That’s better.” I replied.

“Ready, one, two, three, four, FIVE!” We both opened fire, and a waiter and a bartender fell down, pretending to be dead.

“That’s crazy,” I said, turning around. “You didn’t tell us to turn around. I didn’t want to shoot him, I wanted to shoot you.” I said, squeezing the trigger. Pat pretended to fall dead, and I went for Heather. Pat got up.

“And who’s that?” I said, with a smile.

“Why it was me and those deduction riddles. Like, if a man is on a train…”

“And it goes through a tunnel… Right! Let me see, did he commit suicide?”

“Let me see, is it immaterial?” We both started laughing.

“How’d you like to help me with this case I’m working on?”

“Well, I don’t know, I’m only in town for a week.”

“I’d give you free room and board.”

“Well, I guess, I need a place to stay while my college performing group is in town.”

“Great! I’ll take you over right now. Where’s your stuff?”

“Right outside the door.” She said. I went out, got the stuff, and put it into my automobile. I drove her to my house, reminiscing about music camp and trying some new deduction stories she had made up. We arrived at my house, and we entered.

“KARIN!” I called. She entered. “Karin, I’d like you to meet my friend Ann. She and I went to Music Camp together.”

“That was in Pennsylvania, right?” Karin asked.

“Yes.” I replied. “Make up a bedroom. She’ll be spending a few nights with us.”

“Certainly.” Karin replied. She took Ann to a room upstairs and left her alone to get acquainted to the room.

In a few minutes, Ann came back down, and I asked her, “How would you like to go out and eat?”

“Sure, I’d love to.” We went out to the car, and took off for the Smoking Gun. For once I anticipated being a part of the skit. In fact, I was counting on it. We arrived there, and I escorted her into the building in true Music Camp style. We then went to the table where I always sat, and I pulled out her chair for her. “My, we have all the manners going here!” Ann exclaimed.

“I just wanted to show you that I wasn’t out of practice. Practice? Oh no! I completely forgot to ask Marie when our first practice for the Les Mis group she’s concocting.”

“Les Mis?”

“Yes. My friend’s wife is trying to pull together a medley for a variety show. She’s got a bunch of college kids and a bunch of my friends in it.”

“When does it go on?”

“The first part of May. Unfortunately I won’t be around right before it. My honeymoon is the last part of April.”

“Honeymoon? You’re getting married?!! You never told me?”

“I’ve been so busy looking for this Glowing Gem, but enough about that. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about that later. So, who else do I know in this group of yours?”

“Not many. Aaron Zwilling, Kirsten Paddock, and maybe a couple others.”

“We’ll have to get together some night.”

“That’s a good idea.” The lights began to dim.

“What’s going on?”

“That’s just the dinner theater.” I said with a smile.

“That sounds exciting.” Ann replied. Patrick came over, but opted for another table. Choosing the girl at the table next to us, which happened to Heather with her fiancée? “Isn’t that Heather?” Ann asked.

“Yes, I believe it is.” I replied.

“Nobody move, or she gets it!” Pat said. Her fiancée put his hands in the air. Just then a sheriff came in the door.

After finishing our lunch, Chet made a comment, “You know, Adam, for an entrepreneur like yourself, you’re out of your office a lot.”

“I’m on a case.” I responded.

“Yeah, but when do you get paid? After you return the item. How do you live until then?”

“He’s got a good point there, dear.” Tracy added. “We can only live so long on the money from your last case.”

“True. Maybe I’ll go down to the office this afternoon.” I replied.

“You know, Marie, Andy, and I are going on a little hike this afternoon. Would you like to come, Tracy? That is, if Adam doesn’t mind.”

“Not at all,” I replied.

“Sure, I guess. Are you sure you won’t need me?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Go have a fun time.” I instructed her. She took off, not without giving me a kiss, and went with Chet. It was going to be an exciting afternoon for her. I went down to the office and found Tricia sitting there doing some paperwork. “Hi, Tricia. What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m just working on compiling evidence and data.”

“Oh, did I get any other calls.”

“Oh yeah, tons. But, I told them that you were all ready on a case.”

“Could you give me one of those numbers? I’m thinking of working on two cases at once.”

“Really? Should you do that?”

“Well, seeing as I have no source of income until I get the Glowing Gem, it’s either that, or ask the Museum for money now and then.”

“Try that first.” Tricia replied.

“Fine.” I said, walking into the inner office. I looked around and decided it was time to clean out the place. I first went over to the phone and called the Museum. They promised to pay me once a month and I decided that I was going to try and find myself another case. I went back into the other room. “Tricia. Find me another case. A short one, but another one.”

“Yes sir.” She said. I went back into the office, while Tricia called up some of the people that had called in the past. I started sorting the junk on my desk, and threw a lot of it away. I then went and straightened things up, and was in the middle of dusting, when I heard the phone buzz.

“Hello?” I responded.

“Adam. There’s a lady out here who wishes to speak to you.”

“Send her in.” I replied. I went over to my chair, but soon stood up as she entered the room. “ANN! What are you doing in the area?” I asked. It was a long time friend of mine, Ann Months. She and I went to the same Summer Music School back when I was in High School.

“Well…”

“You didn’t even call to tell me that you were coming!”

“Well, I wanted it to be a surprise. My my, the great Detective Schofield. Well, we both know what, or who, gave you that great deductive mind you’ve got.”

“Activate!!” I shouted. All of a sudden, everything froze. Everything, except my computer monitor. I had written in the program that a number would flash in the upper right hand corner. It would flash so fast that Chet couldn’t see it, but I could. I went over, took his glasses, and hid them in one of my suit coat pockets. After that, I hid under my desk. The time ended, and I appeared.

“Where did you go?” Where did my glasses go?”

“I’m under here, and your glasses are here!” I said, reaching

As I was typing, Karin came in and told us that it was time for lunch. “That’s great Adam, but what if someone reads it and believes it, or one of those guys…” Chet started.

“We’ll use pen names and call it fiction. Plus, we’ll add and subtract parts to make it less believable.”

“Like the part with the police?”

“Exactly,” I replied. Chet and I called it a day, and I went to find Tracy. Finding her still immersed in my story, I told her it was time for lunch, and she asked to read it later. I said it would be okay. She left the pile of printer paper on her bed, and came with me down to the dining room.

“That’s good. Now let’s just continue remembering, and see if we can’t remake the entire event.” Chet said.

“I’ve got a feeling we have a best-seller on our hands.” I replied. We continued typing our story in…

As I got more and more impatient, I began watching my animated screen saver, Joey Outcast. The car he was in finally appeared from around the corner. I went outside to flag him down. I wanted him not to go in the front door because my mother had just finished washing it. He came, and we went directly to my room. “I’ve got it, Chet!”

“What? What have you got?”

“I figured out how to. . .” I heard some noise around the corner. “Inside,” I said. We went into my room.

“Hey!! Joey Outcast! I love this screen saver.”

“That’s not what I called you over here for.” I commented, turning on the tape player and playing a tape moderately loud. “I figured out how to slow down the passage of time.”

“But time is a constant; it can neither be accelerated nor decelerated.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong. With the board I just built, and this Audio Basic program, I can tell the computer to slow down time, to us. For everyone else we will be going super fast. So fast that they won’t be able to see us.”

“Yeah right. Some gag.”

“Seriously. Watch.” I said. I went out and got the dog. Putting a funny looking collar on it, I brought it back in. “Now, I’ll activate the program for two minutes, and watch.” I put the dog down, and said, “Activate!” The computer sprung into action, showing the program. On the screen was diagrammed the rate that time would pass for the dog, and the length of time he would be in a faster time. The dog changed positions and was now gnawing on Chet’s shoe.

“Ow, I think he bit me!”

“Yes, this was the fastest setting, he look like he just changed locations, but he thought ten minutes had passed.

“Wow! Does that work for humans too?”

“Sure does, I haven’t exactly tried it, but I wanted you to be here for our first attempt.”

“So we can be kind of human guinea pigs? Is that it?”

“Kinda. But nothing will go wrong.”

“You go first.”

“Okay. But you’re missing the chance of a lifetime!” I said. I put the collar around my wrist. “I’ll be faster than you for two minutes, just try to keep your glasses.”

“Huh?”

“Thanks Dad!” Kristin answered, as she jumped out of her chair, and ran over to the telephone. Picking up the phone, she dialed Katie’s number and told her that she had permission, and then she left.

“That was nice of you. You trust them by themselves?”

“I guess, I mean, they’re teens aren’t they?”

“How are they getting there?”

“Good question. Hey KRISTIN!” I called.

“Yes Dad?”

“How are you getting to the mall?”

“Oh, Katie’s mom’s taking us.”

“OKAY! She’ll be okay.” I said to Tracy.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I know Katie’s mom.”

“Well what should we do today?”

“Let’s go see if we can find out what’s wrong with the game.”

“That’s a good idea.” We left the house, and went over to the game. It was still off. I went to the patch cables to look where Noah disconnected the wiring. Peering inside, I saw that they cables had melted together. Examining further, I saw that the cables were made of some strange alloy, unknown to me now. “Any idea how to fix it?”

“Fix it?! I still don’t know how it works! Look at this wire. What’s it made of?”

“I’ve no clue.”

“Well, it’s cold out here, let’s go back indoors, and I’ll show you something.” We left the control room, and went into the computer room. I started up the machine, and loaded up The Mystery of the Purloined Palette. “Here it is. I thought that you would like to see how far I’ve gotten with my book.” She sat down, and started to read.

“This is interesting.” She said, after she started reading it.

“Do you like it? I’ve gotten as far as the amnesia level of the game, but I can’t quite remember what happened next.”

“Do you have a print-out?”

“No, it’s not good enough to print out.”

“I think so. Please? For me?”

“Oh, all right. If you insist.” I flipped on the printer, and began to print out my multi-paged work. After it was printed, she took it to her room, sat atop her bed, and started to read it. I went to the workshop, and looked around. I stumbled upon a piece of a equipment Chet and I had built many years before. Making sure to recover it well, I continued to look at the other equipment. I thought back on that gadget. Boy did that get me in a lot of trouble. We didn’t know slowing down time could create such a mess! You know, that adventure may be a good story idea also! Maybe I’ll call Chet up and try to write it. That’s a good idea. I thought. Going over to the phone, I called him up, and he came over. We got started right away.

“How should we start it?” Chet asked.

“I don’t know. Let’s start it like this…” I replied keying my ideas into the computer.

It was a cold day in the fall of 1976. I watched impatiently out the window, waiting for my friend, Chet Szymanski, to come over.