John V Madormo

The Copycat Caper John V Madormo

Charlie Collier here. You won't want to miss my third caper. In this adventure, the local newspaper is filled with reports of a pair of unsolved crimes in the Oak Grove area-the theft of a rare painting from the local art gallery, and the discovery of hundreds of dollars in counterfeit bills at a downtown convenience store. Meanwhile at school, the drama teacher, Mr. Miles, a long-time thespian well past retirement age, stops by Mrs. Jansen's class to recruit cast members for the new sixth grade play, one which he has written. Mr. Miles, well aware of my reputation, asks me if I would consider playing the role of the private detective in his play. At first, I politely decline. I've never thought of himself as an actor. But when Scarlett is cast as the young heroine, I reconsider. The next day I pay a visit to Eugene to tell him about my new stage role. During the conversation, he asks me if I've heard the good news-it's the 75th anniversary of the Sam Solomon Mystery Theater-a series of old-time radio programs that ran in the 1930's and '40's. Eugene informs me that a local radio station, in celebration of the anniversary, is currently running the programs. How could a crime spree, the school play, and the Sam Solomon radio series possibly be connected? There's one way to find out.