Ghostwriter (2019–…): Season 2, Episode 11 - The Ghost Writer, Part 1 - full transcript
Chapter 8. May 15th, 1955.
Would you believe
it was a night of a million stars,
but no one was looking at the sky.
The stars we all wanted to see
were inside.
Everyone who was anyone in town
was at the opening.
They all wanted to get a glimpse
of the museum's latest acquisition.
The Cobalt Mask.
You see that character over there?
He hired me to find his missing brother.
Turns out his brother wasn't missing.
He was just hiding from his family.
Enjoying the Cobalt Mask, Owen?
She's a beaut.
I know a couple of buyers
who would pay a small fortune for it.
Too bad the museum's not selling.
A girl can dream, can't she?
Who's that?
Genevieve Marcus. Owns half of downtown,
has her eyes set on the other half.
She's smart.
Just don't get on her bad side.
Are you on her bad side?
Well, it depends on the day,
but lately... yeah.
Jimmy, you're out?
Yeah. Last month.
Out?
The hoosegow. Prison.
I figured out Jimmy was behind
a rash of burglaries.
I turned the evidence over to police
and they put him behind bars.
So I'm guessing
you're also on his bad side.
Comes with the territory, Ben.
Owen?
Pleasure as always.
If it isn't the belle of the ball.
You're looking spiffy there, Sarge.
Nice shindig. Light on the food.
What, you didn't try
any of that delicious shrimp?
You must've been late,
like your police work.
Witty as ever. Have a nice night.
-Are you also on--
-Don't say it.
I'm just sensing a pattern.
Be right back, wise guy.
Ben took in the room.
He drank it up like it was fruit punch.
It was always a treat
when his uncle took him out on the town.
Though he was young,
Ben knew that when he grew up
he wanted to be a private investigator,
just like his hero, Owen Quinn.
Suddenly there was a crash!
It sounded like a thousand
tin cans hitting the floor at once.
The guests hurried over to watch
as the guards scrambled
to upright the scattered armor.
-Gentlemen, please.
-Look! The mask!
"The next day, the museum hired Owen
to find the Cobalt Mask.
And he promised he would have the case
cracked by the end of the week."
That's it.
She just stopped writing
after that sentence.
Well, G.W., you left us
a pretty good cliff-hanger.
-That we have to solve.
-Okay, then. What do we know?
The story follows Ben,
who is around our age,
as he tags along with his uncle,
Owen Quinn.
The famed private investigator who is the
main character of all Mason Briggs' books.
And who was at the end
of a Kwame Alexander poem.
Also, I think I remember reading that Ben
and his friends are amateur detectives.
Yeah, here.
"Ben asked his mom to pack extra snacks.
Mystery club will run long
and it will be hard to solve the case
of the missing cocker spaniel
on an empty stomach."
Call it a long shot,
but I think I know why we were chosen.
These kids kinda sound like us.
You're right, they do.
We did meet Sarah in 1955 when
we all time traveled to the bookstore.
Maybe we inspired her.
I would say no way, but then again
we talk to book characters, so...
anything's possible.
So, is there anyone in the book like me?
"Doris with her light brown hair
and playful curls."
-Me.
-"Was bouncing off the wall with ideas."
Me.
"Her saddle shoes
squeaked across the waxed floor."
I love saddle shoes. Yep, it's me.
Think about it.
Ben, Ruben. Yvonne, Chevon.
Charles, Curtis.
Doris, Donna. It can't be a coincidence.
I think G.W. agrees.
This is getting interesting.
Usually, characters come out of the book,
but nothing's happening.
I think G.W.'s trying to tell us
to do something.
Maybe she wants us to touch it.
Good idea.
Okay.
On three. One, two, three.
What just happened?
No clue.
How did we get here?
No one has
the time traveling compass, right?
No, that went back in the Time Castaways
with Captain Vincent.
Wait.
Roller skates...
model airplanes.
This looks a lot like
Sarah's description of Ben's room.
We didn't time travel.
We went into the book.
So, instead of book characters coming
to life, we became book characters?
I think so.
Does that mean we're invisible
like characters are
when they come into our world?
Ben!
That must be Ben's mom.
Let's go.
Hi, kids. How about some cookies?
They just came out of the oven.
It's just a cookie. Go ahead.
Thanks, Mom.
Well, have fun with mystery club.
Okay. So I guess people in the book
world can see us.
But why did G.W. bring us here?
Aren't we supposed to be writing the book?
Maybe we need to be in the book
to figure out what the story is.
Exactly. If we experience it firsthand,
then we can write down
everything that happens.
So, what should we do?
Look.
That must be Owen.
If Ben and his friends are gonna
help Owen solve the mystery,
they're gonna need to talk to Owen.
And we've read enough Mason Briggs books
to know where to look. Let's go.
We need a plan
for what we're gonna tell Owen.
Remember: not what we would say,
what Ben and his friends would say.
Good point.
Okay, well, Ben and his uncle seem close.
Wouldn't he just ask what's going on
with the mask and offer to help?
Definitely. Let's start there.
Hey, kids. What's cooking? Come on in.
So there I was...
in the back alley of this old jazz club.
I was completely boxed in.
The goons were approaching.
Course they hadn't planned on
the old Owen Quinn-genuity.
You see, I had planted
two of my associates inside the dumpster
and before they knew it...
...the tables were turned in a jiffy.
And they went upstate for five to ten.
Sweet.
Enough about me.
What's new with you kids?
Working any new cases
with your mystery club at school?
No. Business is slow, unlike you.
Tell us about the Cobalt Mask.
We know it was stolen the night
you and Ben went to the museum gala,
and the museum hired you to get it back.
Yes. This is a very puzzling case.
At first, I thought it was an inside job.
The museum curator
had access to the mask all night.
So, she took it?
I don't think so.
See, the curator had an alibi. She was
nowhere near the mask when it was taken.
Do you have any other leads?
There's always another lead
even if I haven't found it yet.
The key to detective work is persistence.
Never give up.
Which reminds me,
I better get out of here.
Come on, Uncle Owen. We wanna help.
This is a high profile case, kids.
Best if I go at this one solo.
Next time. I like your moxie though.
You kids have character.
See you around.
We're back.
Why'd we get pulled back out so fast?
Things were just starting to get good.
I don't know. He was leaving the office.
It kind of seemed like
the end of a chapter, didn't it?
Maybe when the chapter's done,
G.W. brings us out of the book
so we can write down what happened.
Let's do it then,
before we forget all the details.
Wait, we should use the typewriter
from Albert's storage locker.
That'll take twice as long.
No, Chevon's right.
It has to look like a Mason Briggs
manuscript that was written years ago
in order to get published.
There it is.
Ruben!
Hi. Can you come downstairs?
We could really use a few
extra pairs of hands moving books.
Can we do it in a little bit?
We're kind of in the middle
of something right now.
What you doing?
We are in the middle
of a writing assignment.
All of you?
Yeah. It's more fun that way.
But Donna's not in your grade.
She's just helping.
You know, 'cause I'm advanced.
I see.
Well, it won't take long, I promise.
And we really need the help, so...
And if we move everything off this wall,
I'll be able to open it up
to get wiring in for the new lights.
As long as I'm not the one carrying the
heavy coffee-table books, fine with me.
Well, that's what
we got all this muscle here for.
They're gonna help us
move all these upstairs.
Define "all."
Come on. It'll be like you're
on one of those home reno shows.
So, we can all knock down
a wall like on Room Renos?
No, not quite.
I love those shows.
They renovate houses in, like, 20 minutes.
I think this might take
a lot longer than 20 minutes.
Start with these.
Okay, this is heavy.
-They don't show you that on TV.
-No, they don't.
There's a few more boxes downstairs.
Yeah, feel free to help us.
I'm setting up the typewriter so
we can write. It's harder than it looks.
What's this?
Think that's a typewriter ribbon.
How do you change it?
Let's hope we don't have to deal with it.
I think we're ready.
Suddenly, I'm nervous.
I mean, how are we
supposed to finish writing a novel?
The longest thing I've written
is a five-page history paper.
Not just any novel.
A Mason Briggs novel. They're classics.
You're not helping, Curtis.
Wait. Don't you get it?
Sarah picked us for a reason.
She's been preparing us for this moment.
Look, all of the books she chose
and all the characters
who have come to life,
they've taught us everything
we need to know about good writing.
Foreshadowing.
Descriptive language,
setting, suspense.
It's all here.
Okay, then.
We came in the story in Ben's room.
Let's start the chapter there.
"The kids stood...
in Ben's room."
Anything else?
Maybe add, "thinking about what to do."
"Thinking about what to do."
Or not.
I think we need to describe
what we saw in more detail.
Listen to this,
"Underneath the hazy clouds,
Owen sauntered to the museum,
Ben following in tow."
The way that sounded
I can almost picture being there.
It's kind of like Kwame Alexander's poetry
when he used imagery
and descriptive language.
What about something like this?
"The room was a mess with a heap
of Ben's clothes lying on the floor."
"And a half-built model airplane
on the desk."
"But cleaning could wait."
"Ben and his friends needed
to go pay his Uncle Owen a visit."
And then Owen says,
"What's cooking, kids?"
"Owen said the kids were too young...
...to come along."
"And then...
like a shadow...
he was gone."
That sounds great.
We totally captured Owen's voice.
Cool and confident.
No wonder Ben looks up to him.
I wish I had an uncle like that.
And that fedora? So awesome.
We did it. One chapter down.
It's getting late.
Maybe we should all get some sleep.
Yeah. Let's start fresh tomorrow.
I wanna read more Mason Briggs tonight.
I have a copy of A Touch of Malice
on audiobook.
It's pretty good.
We'll see you tomorrow.
Hey, Ruben. Your friends are here.
8:00 a.m.
You do know it's Saturday, right?
You guys came along
to help your dad. That's so sweet.
Yeah, right. We are here to help.
Tess would be so proud
seeing you all pitching in so much.
The store really is gonna look great.
I think George is starting
on the ceiling today.
You don't need
any more books moved, right?
No, it's all done.
But the bookcases
need to be out of the room.
With four pairs of arms,
it'll be done in no time.
Who knew empty bookcases were so heavy?
I know, but my mom and Grandpa
really appreciate the help,
and they gave us more time to think
about what to do next.
Come on.
I have an idea. Last night, when
I was listening to A Touch of Malice,
Owen kept going to the diner.
Maybe Ben and his gang
should also go there too.
Great idea. The diner was also
in the book I was reading last night.
It seems like the place
where everyone in town hangs out.
You think it'll be as cool
as the first time?
Let's see.
It's so cool.
This food is so amazing.
Didn't you eat breakfast this morning?
Yeah, but book eggs taste way better.
It's exactly the way
Sarah described it in the book.
See,
there's Owen's favorite waitress, Mimi.
Hi, Mimi.
Cuppa joe, please.
Well, well, well.
Should've known I'd find you here.
Their shakes are hard to beat, huh?
Hey, Uncle Owen.
Any new leads on the stolen mask?
Well, I was looking
into the director of the museum.
I'd heard attendance was low,
so I thought maybe she stole the mask
for the insurance money.
Smart.
I thought so. Didn't pan out though.
Are you worried
you won't be able to solve it?
I have never met a case I cannot crack.
Remember, the key to this game:
persistence.
I'll solve it. Don't worry about it.
Kids.
Hello, Doris. Nice to see you.
Jean tells me you two
are getting together later.
Right.
Yeah, of course. Yes. We will be
getting together soon. I'm so excited.
Owen. I see you're working hard as ever.
Just enjoying a cuppa
with my nephew and his pals here.
Sorry to cut that short, but I need you
to come down to the station with me.
I have a few questions.
-I'm not a suspect, am I?
-Should you be?
No. And what if I refuse to come with you?
I wouldn't advise it.
Keep your shirt on, Belson.
I'm happy to come answer your questions.
Let me just finish my coffee first.
I'll be waiting outside.
So, what was that about?
Nah, he's always giving me
a hard time. Nothing to worry about.
Best take care of it though.
No one likes a cranky sarge.
My coffee and...
your milkshakes are on me.
Where were you when the mask was stolen?
I was enjoying hors d'oeuvres with
my nephew. You were there, Belson.
I was, but I seem to recall
that you excused yourself
just before the suit of armor
crashed to the ground.
You saying I ducked out to steal the mask?
Why exactly would I do that?
You tell me.
-What about Genevieve Marcus?
-What about her?
My sources tell me you still owe her a lot
of money and she's getting impatient.
Maybe you hand her the Cobalt Mask
and she calls it even.
I hate to poke holes in your theory,
Belson, but I'm a private investigator.
I find things, I don't steal them.
You live large, Quinn.
You owe a lot of money
and you're desperate to pay it back.
Desperate people do desperate things.
Yeah. Look who's acting desperate now.
You got a little coffee on your tie.
Belson's making this up, right?
There's no way what he was
saying about Owen can be true.
That doesn't seem like Owen.
Unless... what if he has a secret?
-What do you mean?
-Remember with Raine
when we saw all the secrets your grandma
had in the sparkles? Like being arrested.
Good point.
But still, I just don't believe it.
Exactly.
That's what makes it good writing.
You need to have surprises
and twists and turns.
Let's get this down.
"Sergeant Belson was the one
who was looking for answers,
but it was the kids who found something.
Owen owed Genevieve money.
What other secrets did he have?"
This is getting interesting. What's next?
-A break. I could use a snack.
-Yeah, me too.
Good idea.
A break will help us clear our heads.
The books are totally cleaned out.
This room looks so much bigger empty.
That's where we all first met.
The juice spill, remember?
How could we forget?
"Hello."
It feels like forever ago.
Yeah.
So much has changed.
We've written a lot so far.
I bet Sarah's really proud of us.
And if she wasn't, we'd hear about it.
Okay, where to next?
Well, Belson just made a bunch
of accusations against Owen.
Maybe we can ask him about that.
Great idea.
Let's go back to the police station.
Uncle Owen.
Were you eavesdropping on me?
Why was Sergeant Belson accusing you
of stealing the Cobalt Mask?
Belson's always had it in for me
because I've solved
half his cases for him.
If the cases get solved, why does he care?
Makes him look sloppy
in front of the mayor.
Especially since
he wants to be the police chief.
And what about the money? He said
you owe Genevieve Marcus money.
First rule of detective work, Ben:
don't believe everything you hear.
Belson's grasping at straws.
Now if you'll excuse me,
I got a case to solve.
I believe Owen. It does seem like
Belson has it in for him.
But why would Belson hate him so much?
There must be something else
we're missing.
Hey, you there?
-Afternoon, Miss Belson.
-Hello, Officer.
If that's who I think it is,
I have an idea.
So the Hula-Hoop contest is next weekend.
My record right now is 45 minutes,
but I think I can beat it if I practice.
Well, 45 minutes is a really
long time, so I'm sure you'll win.
Are those your friends?
Why are they staring at us?
Well, I think they want us to join them.
No.
You sure? They're really nice.
I'm not supposed to hang around Ben.
Maybe you shouldn't either.
Why?
My dad doesn't like him
or like his uncle, at least.
He thinks Owen Quinn
stole the Cobalt Mask.
I overheard my dad on the phone last night
talking to the mayor.
He's getting a warrant
to search Owen's office.
I really think
they want me to eat with them.
Don't wanna be rude.
Yeah, that's fine.
I've got to get to piano lessons anyways.
See ya.
Major news. The sergeant
is gonna search Owen's office.
-We have to warn him.
-Come on.
Time. Put the brakes on.
What are you all doing here?
Sergeant Belson's
gonna search your office.
Well, it's about time
he did some actual police work.
Aren't you worried?
'Course not. I'm an open book.
I've got nothing to hide.
Are you going to do anything about it?
As a matter of fact, I am.
I am going downstairs
and I'm getting myself a cup of coffee.
And I tell you what,
I'm gonna get Belson a cup of coffee too.
That'll really get his goat.
And I'll get you kids some juice.
You look pooped.
That guy is definitely smooth.
Nothing rattles him.
Hey, check this out.
"To Owen, from Jackie Robinson."
-He really does know everyone.
-Yeah.
Here, catch.
Dude.
Look! It's a secret compartment
like in Sarah's office.
It's the Cobalt Mask.
I don't believe it.
-Sergeant Belson is here.
-All right, we've--
Wait. Wait.
-Uncle Owen, come back!
-They're coming up the steps!
-What are we supposed to do?
-Run!
No!
-No! The ruby! Where'd it go?
-Doris! We have to go. Come on!
-The mask was in Owen's office all along?
-Did he know it was there?
How else would the mask
get into a secret compartment?
And if he didn't put it there,
then why was he running away?
Innocent people don't run.
Would you believe
it was a night of a million stars,
but no one was looking at the sky.
The stars we all wanted to see
were inside.
Everyone who was anyone in town
was at the opening.
They all wanted to get a glimpse
of the museum's latest acquisition.
The Cobalt Mask.
You see that character over there?
He hired me to find his missing brother.
Turns out his brother wasn't missing.
He was just hiding from his family.
Enjoying the Cobalt Mask, Owen?
She's a beaut.
I know a couple of buyers
who would pay a small fortune for it.
Too bad the museum's not selling.
A girl can dream, can't she?
Who's that?
Genevieve Marcus. Owns half of downtown,
has her eyes set on the other half.
She's smart.
Just don't get on her bad side.
Are you on her bad side?
Well, it depends on the day,
but lately... yeah.
Jimmy, you're out?
Yeah. Last month.
Out?
The hoosegow. Prison.
I figured out Jimmy was behind
a rash of burglaries.
I turned the evidence over to police
and they put him behind bars.
So I'm guessing
you're also on his bad side.
Comes with the territory, Ben.
Owen?
Pleasure as always.
If it isn't the belle of the ball.
You're looking spiffy there, Sarge.
Nice shindig. Light on the food.
What, you didn't try
any of that delicious shrimp?
You must've been late,
like your police work.
Witty as ever. Have a nice night.
-Are you also on--
-Don't say it.
I'm just sensing a pattern.
Be right back, wise guy.
Ben took in the room.
He drank it up like it was fruit punch.
It was always a treat
when his uncle took him out on the town.
Though he was young,
Ben knew that when he grew up
he wanted to be a private investigator,
just like his hero, Owen Quinn.
Suddenly there was a crash!
It sounded like a thousand
tin cans hitting the floor at once.
The guests hurried over to watch
as the guards scrambled
to upright the scattered armor.
-Gentlemen, please.
-Look! The mask!
"The next day, the museum hired Owen
to find the Cobalt Mask.
And he promised he would have the case
cracked by the end of the week."
That's it.
She just stopped writing
after that sentence.
Well, G.W., you left us
a pretty good cliff-hanger.
-That we have to solve.
-Okay, then. What do we know?
The story follows Ben,
who is around our age,
as he tags along with his uncle,
Owen Quinn.
The famed private investigator who is the
main character of all Mason Briggs' books.
And who was at the end
of a Kwame Alexander poem.
Also, I think I remember reading that Ben
and his friends are amateur detectives.
Yeah, here.
"Ben asked his mom to pack extra snacks.
Mystery club will run long
and it will be hard to solve the case
of the missing cocker spaniel
on an empty stomach."
Call it a long shot,
but I think I know why we were chosen.
These kids kinda sound like us.
You're right, they do.
We did meet Sarah in 1955 when
we all time traveled to the bookstore.
Maybe we inspired her.
I would say no way, but then again
we talk to book characters, so...
anything's possible.
So, is there anyone in the book like me?
"Doris with her light brown hair
and playful curls."
-Me.
-"Was bouncing off the wall with ideas."
Me.
"Her saddle shoes
squeaked across the waxed floor."
I love saddle shoes. Yep, it's me.
Think about it.
Ben, Ruben. Yvonne, Chevon.
Charles, Curtis.
Doris, Donna. It can't be a coincidence.
I think G.W. agrees.
This is getting interesting.
Usually, characters come out of the book,
but nothing's happening.
I think G.W.'s trying to tell us
to do something.
Maybe she wants us to touch it.
Good idea.
Okay.
On three. One, two, three.
What just happened?
No clue.
How did we get here?
No one has
the time traveling compass, right?
No, that went back in the Time Castaways
with Captain Vincent.
Wait.
Roller skates...
model airplanes.
This looks a lot like
Sarah's description of Ben's room.
We didn't time travel.
We went into the book.
So, instead of book characters coming
to life, we became book characters?
I think so.
Does that mean we're invisible
like characters are
when they come into our world?
Ben!
That must be Ben's mom.
Let's go.
Hi, kids. How about some cookies?
They just came out of the oven.
It's just a cookie. Go ahead.
Thanks, Mom.
Well, have fun with mystery club.
Okay. So I guess people in the book
world can see us.
But why did G.W. bring us here?
Aren't we supposed to be writing the book?
Maybe we need to be in the book
to figure out what the story is.
Exactly. If we experience it firsthand,
then we can write down
everything that happens.
So, what should we do?
Look.
That must be Owen.
If Ben and his friends are gonna
help Owen solve the mystery,
they're gonna need to talk to Owen.
And we've read enough Mason Briggs books
to know where to look. Let's go.
We need a plan
for what we're gonna tell Owen.
Remember: not what we would say,
what Ben and his friends would say.
Good point.
Okay, well, Ben and his uncle seem close.
Wouldn't he just ask what's going on
with the mask and offer to help?
Definitely. Let's start there.
Hey, kids. What's cooking? Come on in.
So there I was...
in the back alley of this old jazz club.
I was completely boxed in.
The goons were approaching.
Course they hadn't planned on
the old Owen Quinn-genuity.
You see, I had planted
two of my associates inside the dumpster
and before they knew it...
...the tables were turned in a jiffy.
And they went upstate for five to ten.
Sweet.
Enough about me.
What's new with you kids?
Working any new cases
with your mystery club at school?
No. Business is slow, unlike you.
Tell us about the Cobalt Mask.
We know it was stolen the night
you and Ben went to the museum gala,
and the museum hired you to get it back.
Yes. This is a very puzzling case.
At first, I thought it was an inside job.
The museum curator
had access to the mask all night.
So, she took it?
I don't think so.
See, the curator had an alibi. She was
nowhere near the mask when it was taken.
Do you have any other leads?
There's always another lead
even if I haven't found it yet.
The key to detective work is persistence.
Never give up.
Which reminds me,
I better get out of here.
Come on, Uncle Owen. We wanna help.
This is a high profile case, kids.
Best if I go at this one solo.
Next time. I like your moxie though.
You kids have character.
See you around.
We're back.
Why'd we get pulled back out so fast?
Things were just starting to get good.
I don't know. He was leaving the office.
It kind of seemed like
the end of a chapter, didn't it?
Maybe when the chapter's done,
G.W. brings us out of the book
so we can write down what happened.
Let's do it then,
before we forget all the details.
Wait, we should use the typewriter
from Albert's storage locker.
That'll take twice as long.
No, Chevon's right.
It has to look like a Mason Briggs
manuscript that was written years ago
in order to get published.
There it is.
Ruben!
Hi. Can you come downstairs?
We could really use a few
extra pairs of hands moving books.
Can we do it in a little bit?
We're kind of in the middle
of something right now.
What you doing?
We are in the middle
of a writing assignment.
All of you?
Yeah. It's more fun that way.
But Donna's not in your grade.
She's just helping.
You know, 'cause I'm advanced.
I see.
Well, it won't take long, I promise.
And we really need the help, so...
And if we move everything off this wall,
I'll be able to open it up
to get wiring in for the new lights.
As long as I'm not the one carrying the
heavy coffee-table books, fine with me.
Well, that's what
we got all this muscle here for.
They're gonna help us
move all these upstairs.
Define "all."
Come on. It'll be like you're
on one of those home reno shows.
So, we can all knock down
a wall like on Room Renos?
No, not quite.
I love those shows.
They renovate houses in, like, 20 minutes.
I think this might take
a lot longer than 20 minutes.
Start with these.
Okay, this is heavy.
-They don't show you that on TV.
-No, they don't.
There's a few more boxes downstairs.
Yeah, feel free to help us.
I'm setting up the typewriter so
we can write. It's harder than it looks.
What's this?
Think that's a typewriter ribbon.
How do you change it?
Let's hope we don't have to deal with it.
I think we're ready.
Suddenly, I'm nervous.
I mean, how are we
supposed to finish writing a novel?
The longest thing I've written
is a five-page history paper.
Not just any novel.
A Mason Briggs novel. They're classics.
You're not helping, Curtis.
Wait. Don't you get it?
Sarah picked us for a reason.
She's been preparing us for this moment.
Look, all of the books she chose
and all the characters
who have come to life,
they've taught us everything
we need to know about good writing.
Foreshadowing.
Descriptive language,
setting, suspense.
It's all here.
Okay, then.
We came in the story in Ben's room.
Let's start the chapter there.
"The kids stood...
in Ben's room."
Anything else?
Maybe add, "thinking about what to do."
"Thinking about what to do."
Or not.
I think we need to describe
what we saw in more detail.
Listen to this,
"Underneath the hazy clouds,
Owen sauntered to the museum,
Ben following in tow."
The way that sounded
I can almost picture being there.
It's kind of like Kwame Alexander's poetry
when he used imagery
and descriptive language.
What about something like this?
"The room was a mess with a heap
of Ben's clothes lying on the floor."
"And a half-built model airplane
on the desk."
"But cleaning could wait."
"Ben and his friends needed
to go pay his Uncle Owen a visit."
And then Owen says,
"What's cooking, kids?"
"Owen said the kids were too young...
...to come along."
"And then...
like a shadow...
he was gone."
That sounds great.
We totally captured Owen's voice.
Cool and confident.
No wonder Ben looks up to him.
I wish I had an uncle like that.
And that fedora? So awesome.
We did it. One chapter down.
It's getting late.
Maybe we should all get some sleep.
Yeah. Let's start fresh tomorrow.
I wanna read more Mason Briggs tonight.
I have a copy of A Touch of Malice
on audiobook.
It's pretty good.
We'll see you tomorrow.
Hey, Ruben. Your friends are here.
8:00 a.m.
You do know it's Saturday, right?
You guys came along
to help your dad. That's so sweet.
Yeah, right. We are here to help.
Tess would be so proud
seeing you all pitching in so much.
The store really is gonna look great.
I think George is starting
on the ceiling today.
You don't need
any more books moved, right?
No, it's all done.
But the bookcases
need to be out of the room.
With four pairs of arms,
it'll be done in no time.
Who knew empty bookcases were so heavy?
I know, but my mom and Grandpa
really appreciate the help,
and they gave us more time to think
about what to do next.
Come on.
I have an idea. Last night, when
I was listening to A Touch of Malice,
Owen kept going to the diner.
Maybe Ben and his gang
should also go there too.
Great idea. The diner was also
in the book I was reading last night.
It seems like the place
where everyone in town hangs out.
You think it'll be as cool
as the first time?
Let's see.
It's so cool.
This food is so amazing.
Didn't you eat breakfast this morning?
Yeah, but book eggs taste way better.
It's exactly the way
Sarah described it in the book.
See,
there's Owen's favorite waitress, Mimi.
Hi, Mimi.
Cuppa joe, please.
Well, well, well.
Should've known I'd find you here.
Their shakes are hard to beat, huh?
Hey, Uncle Owen.
Any new leads on the stolen mask?
Well, I was looking
into the director of the museum.
I'd heard attendance was low,
so I thought maybe she stole the mask
for the insurance money.
Smart.
I thought so. Didn't pan out though.
Are you worried
you won't be able to solve it?
I have never met a case I cannot crack.
Remember, the key to this game:
persistence.
I'll solve it. Don't worry about it.
Kids.
Hello, Doris. Nice to see you.
Jean tells me you two
are getting together later.
Right.
Yeah, of course. Yes. We will be
getting together soon. I'm so excited.
Owen. I see you're working hard as ever.
Just enjoying a cuppa
with my nephew and his pals here.
Sorry to cut that short, but I need you
to come down to the station with me.
I have a few questions.
-I'm not a suspect, am I?
-Should you be?
No. And what if I refuse to come with you?
I wouldn't advise it.
Keep your shirt on, Belson.
I'm happy to come answer your questions.
Let me just finish my coffee first.
I'll be waiting outside.
So, what was that about?
Nah, he's always giving me
a hard time. Nothing to worry about.
Best take care of it though.
No one likes a cranky sarge.
My coffee and...
your milkshakes are on me.
Where were you when the mask was stolen?
I was enjoying hors d'oeuvres with
my nephew. You were there, Belson.
I was, but I seem to recall
that you excused yourself
just before the suit of armor
crashed to the ground.
You saying I ducked out to steal the mask?
Why exactly would I do that?
You tell me.
-What about Genevieve Marcus?
-What about her?
My sources tell me you still owe her a lot
of money and she's getting impatient.
Maybe you hand her the Cobalt Mask
and she calls it even.
I hate to poke holes in your theory,
Belson, but I'm a private investigator.
I find things, I don't steal them.
You live large, Quinn.
You owe a lot of money
and you're desperate to pay it back.
Desperate people do desperate things.
Yeah. Look who's acting desperate now.
You got a little coffee on your tie.
Belson's making this up, right?
There's no way what he was
saying about Owen can be true.
That doesn't seem like Owen.
Unless... what if he has a secret?
-What do you mean?
-Remember with Raine
when we saw all the secrets your grandma
had in the sparkles? Like being arrested.
Good point.
But still, I just don't believe it.
Exactly.
That's what makes it good writing.
You need to have surprises
and twists and turns.
Let's get this down.
"Sergeant Belson was the one
who was looking for answers,
but it was the kids who found something.
Owen owed Genevieve money.
What other secrets did he have?"
This is getting interesting. What's next?
-A break. I could use a snack.
-Yeah, me too.
Good idea.
A break will help us clear our heads.
The books are totally cleaned out.
This room looks so much bigger empty.
That's where we all first met.
The juice spill, remember?
How could we forget?
"Hello."
It feels like forever ago.
Yeah.
So much has changed.
We've written a lot so far.
I bet Sarah's really proud of us.
And if she wasn't, we'd hear about it.
Okay, where to next?
Well, Belson just made a bunch
of accusations against Owen.
Maybe we can ask him about that.
Great idea.
Let's go back to the police station.
Uncle Owen.
Were you eavesdropping on me?
Why was Sergeant Belson accusing you
of stealing the Cobalt Mask?
Belson's always had it in for me
because I've solved
half his cases for him.
If the cases get solved, why does he care?
Makes him look sloppy
in front of the mayor.
Especially since
he wants to be the police chief.
And what about the money? He said
you owe Genevieve Marcus money.
First rule of detective work, Ben:
don't believe everything you hear.
Belson's grasping at straws.
Now if you'll excuse me,
I got a case to solve.
I believe Owen. It does seem like
Belson has it in for him.
But why would Belson hate him so much?
There must be something else
we're missing.
Hey, you there?
-Afternoon, Miss Belson.
-Hello, Officer.
If that's who I think it is,
I have an idea.
So the Hula-Hoop contest is next weekend.
My record right now is 45 minutes,
but I think I can beat it if I practice.
Well, 45 minutes is a really
long time, so I'm sure you'll win.
Are those your friends?
Why are they staring at us?
Well, I think they want us to join them.
No.
You sure? They're really nice.
I'm not supposed to hang around Ben.
Maybe you shouldn't either.
Why?
My dad doesn't like him
or like his uncle, at least.
He thinks Owen Quinn
stole the Cobalt Mask.
I overheard my dad on the phone last night
talking to the mayor.
He's getting a warrant
to search Owen's office.
I really think
they want me to eat with them.
Don't wanna be rude.
Yeah, that's fine.
I've got to get to piano lessons anyways.
See ya.
Major news. The sergeant
is gonna search Owen's office.
-We have to warn him.
-Come on.
Time. Put the brakes on.
What are you all doing here?
Sergeant Belson's
gonna search your office.
Well, it's about time
he did some actual police work.
Aren't you worried?
'Course not. I'm an open book.
I've got nothing to hide.
Are you going to do anything about it?
As a matter of fact, I am.
I am going downstairs
and I'm getting myself a cup of coffee.
And I tell you what,
I'm gonna get Belson a cup of coffee too.
That'll really get his goat.
And I'll get you kids some juice.
You look pooped.
That guy is definitely smooth.
Nothing rattles him.
Hey, check this out.
"To Owen, from Jackie Robinson."
-He really does know everyone.
-Yeah.
Here, catch.
Dude.
Look! It's a secret compartment
like in Sarah's office.
It's the Cobalt Mask.
I don't believe it.
-Sergeant Belson is here.
-All right, we've--
Wait. Wait.
-Uncle Owen, come back!
-They're coming up the steps!
-What are we supposed to do?
-Run!
No!
-No! The ruby! Where'd it go?
-Doris! We have to go. Come on!
-The mask was in Owen's office all along?
-Did he know it was there?
How else would the mask
get into a secret compartment?
And if he didn't put it there,
then why was he running away?
Innocent people don't run.