#rockapella in japan

[cheesecake-crisis]

Rockapella in 1992 (Carmen Sandiego-era), being interviewed in Tokyo for CNN, about their success in Japan.

Curiously, the news anchor introduces them as "some rockers who aren't quite stars yet", only to have the reporter say they are "already on a roll in the U.S." Get your story straight, guys!

[microgeneration]

[snowflake-apocalypse]

Before we get down to the wire, cash in your predictions/hopes/crack-theories

Hopes:

-We get a Team Red/ Julia & Chase team up.

- Or Julia helps out behind the scenes

- Gray gets some focus

- BACKSTORIES

- Rockapella’s 2020 is used, hopefully in a episode, cause it jams

Predictions

- Julia is going to make some sort of heroic sacrifice so Carmen can escape

V.I.L.E: Where is Carmen Sandiego?

Julia: Yeah. Where is she?

Crack-theories

- ACME is super sketchy in this incarnation.

- Cookie And Shadow-san are Black Sheep’s birth parents and that “found abandoned on the side of a road” is a bunch of bs that she was told.

- Cookie is the original Carmen Sandiego and she set Black Sheep up to be her successor, which she did out of a selfish need to keep her name alive. Further down the crackery, late in her 30’s she got pregnant, hid in Japan with Shadow-san, had the baby, went out as sort of a theiving vigilante, trying to put the world in a better place while she could. She was getting older. Then she felt she couldn’t do it anymore, she mass mind-wiped the world of her identity(with the exception of Shadow-san and Chief). Now hides as her organizations financial keeper. ( Some aspects of this have already been stated elsewhere, but we all agree, heh.)

[littlewalken]

You got to wonder when Rockapella was touring Japan in the 90s how much time might have been spent with Scott helping Sean figure out what was and wasn’t kosher.

[ladywhaiyvern]

Musings of An Otaku #6- Worldly Potato Chips

This won’t be a typical musing from a form of entertainment. Not a video game, not an anime, not a manga, etc. Nope. Deals with food! My favorite type of snack food! Potato chips or crisps. Doesn’t matter what you call them- they can be delicious. 

Now here in the States (especially the midwest and the actual mitten-shaped state) we seem to have the same consensus on what a potato chip is. Thin, deep fried potato usually seasoned with salt or some sort of other flavoring. BBQ flavors- sure! Ranch flavor- why not! Salt and vinegar- yum! Cheddar and sour cream- oh yeah! Sour Cream and Onion- Yuppers! Even bizarre flavors have popped up- dill pickle, chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy. Not my cup of tea for chip flavors but to each his own. Some are wavy, others are not. Some have ruffles….which is just a fancy way of saying wavy. All of which are typically pretty darn grease-laden and leave your hands with the slippy feeling, glossy sheen of whatever oil they fried them in, topped with a layer of powdered flavoring. 

This is the one thing that I absolutely hate about American potato chips. Why so greasy? I shouldn’t set down a single chip on a napkin or paper towel- walk away for less than a minute, come back and see said napkin or towel with a large greasy spot forming under the chip. Shit, I’m pretty sure if I set up a time lapse video- one could prolly watch it slowly extend its way outward. This would be like watching paint dry or grass grow. Pointless and a time-waster. 

Sure, we have the different cooked styles like the baked chips and the kettle cooked chips that do not leave your hands feeling this disgusting after consuming and come in some of the same said flavors as regular chips. But a damn baked chip tastes more like a baked corn chip then a potato chip. Yeah, they are healthier but it sometimes feels like I’m biting into a small piece of cardboard enhanced with flavoring. I don’t think the kettle chips are healthier by any means but what do I know. I’m no potato chip scientist. Just an enthusiast. They are on the more crunchier side and tend to have a shit ton more “fold-over” chips in the midst. IMHO, those are the best chips! Still a little on the oily side but definitely NOT as grease-laden as regular potato chips. 

It all depends on the brand as well. Big name brands like Lay’s are notorious for being greasy as all get out. Store brands like Kroger, Meijer, etc. are just as bad. Better Made and other local Michigan chip makers (as there are quite a few of them now) vary in between being mildly oil covered to not even having a single drop on them. How do they make that even possible and why can't big name chip makers go that route?

For the past 6 months, I have been receiving the snack-food subscription box from Universal Yums. OMFG! Both the best and worst decision ever! Monthly subscription box sent to your door filled with snack goodies from different countries from around the world. Now you damn well know the Cultural Anthropologist in me is jumping up and down like a giddy child on Christmas morning. It’s like playing “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”, only instead of following Carmen around the world to catch her, you're following a trail of snack foods to the country they are from. “Where in the World is Universal Yum?” Hmm…...I’ve got connections to Rockapella….maybe they can give a new jingle! LOL!

Also, during these same said months I have also been part of another snack-food subscription box. Japan Crate. This one- only hailing from Japan…...obviously. This one is typically filled with Japanese snack goodies ranging from salty to sweet. Usually more of the sweeter items then salty. Which disappoints me to no end because I absolutely love salty snacks more than I do sweet. And being an otaku since the late-90’s, I have already tasted and tried a good majority of these sweets. Thank you, local Asain markets and the long gone Anime store here in Michigan- Wizzywigs. Shit now you can walk into brick and mortar stores and pick up a box of Pocky and bottle of ramune. Now….do not even get me started on this American ramune that you can purchase from Meijer or even GameStop. It’s obviously bottled and manufactured here and not imported. It sure as hell does not taste the same and have that same satisfying fizz and flavor as ones I have drank years upon years ago. BUT! This is about potato chips and not Japanese sweets and drinks. These boxes will sometimes feature a bag of flavored chips. One said box contained a bag of sour cream and onion chips.

In all seriousness- well about as serious as a musing on a snack food can get; almost every single month I have gotten said potato crisps/chips from said different countries. England, Scotland, Egypt, Russia, Columbia, Italy, Taiwan. And each one, no matter what country or what flavor- all have the same consistency. They sure as hell are not thin ass pieces of paper like what you get here. It’s got some bulk to it! It’s crunchy. It’s crispy. IT”S NOT FULL OF GREASE!! It gives you that satisfying crunch when you bite into it. Like how a chip is supposed to taste and feel as you bite into it. 

Your lips lightly graze the surface of the chip and do not become painted in oily dissatisfaction. Your lips thank you as you start to taste the seasoning mixed with an actual hint of potato. Your fingers are surprisingly dry after you eat the rest of the chip. Yes, you still notice flavoring powder left over on said fingertips but you sure as hell don’t feel guilty licking that off. As you reach your hand into the bag to grab another handful, you can actually grasp chips and hold onto them. You're not fishing your hand around inside the bag trying to pick up a handful of what feels like wet moving chips. Another thing that is worth mentioning, is that you do not feel an oily, greasy feeling on the tops of your fingers or hand after it scrapes across the sides of the bag when entering and exiting. 

How are all these chip/crisp manufacturing places around the world able to accomplish this task? And yet, here in the good ol’ United States- we are still stuck on selling this crap. This super greasy, super oil laden thin ass fake tasting snack food. Why do we have to pay more for said snack food to not be this way? Why the hell do we have to import them from other countries to have them taste better (in most cases) then what is purchased here? Yes, I have tried some not too flavorful crisps. Haggis and Black Pepper?! Black Truffle Flavor? Not my cup of tea at all. But you know what it did have regardless. That thick ass crisp with a satisfying crunch. 

I honestly think after trying crisps from all over the world, I have become a bonafide chip snob. The more chips that I encounter from different regions of the world, the more and more I am disliking the chips here in America. But this is AMERICA!! They have to be good! Whatever- as someone who was born and raised here and grew up eating the chips sold here I can honestly say that America- your chips suck ass! Sorry, not sorry at all! 

[pikapalsfanfiction]

Bye Bye Burger

The girls modem to Acme Crimenet after school.

“Vi that is a great gnome costume!” Greg says.

Vi sighs and says “I’m dressed as a Keebler Elf.”

“You must have some cookies to bake in a tree.” Greg jokes. “Where is your costume Winnie?” Greg asks. 

“I don’t do dress up days for homecoming. Vi has to dress up she is the sophomore class president; to boost school morale and all that. For homecoming week we have a different theme to dress up as each day all week. It all leads up to the big pep rally on Friday where we have to dress up as the school mascot the Fighting Nixon or in class colors. Ours is green. Today was food mascot day.” Winnie explains.

“I even drew a map to Isabelle’s house for other sophomores to help build the homecoming float.” Vi says as she holds up the map.  

Greg takes the map and looks at it with a confused look on his face. “I don’t understand this. Do you know about cartography Vi?”

“What is cartography?” Vi asks.

“It is the study of maps.” Greg says “Come on Vi, I’ll help you draw a better map.”

Winnie tires to sneak out of the door to Greg’s office. “Winnie, you too.” Greg says.

Winnie walks back towards them dejected shuffling her feet. 

The next day the girls modem to ACME Crimenet after school.

“Baked potato day?” Greg asks.

Winnie giggles “No, it was foil day.” She crosses her arms. “I think it’s a stupid theme day and it is a waste of foil. She says.

“Winnie what happened to the sleeve on your Sleuth jacket?” Greg asks.

“Jan and I went to the In n Out yesterday after I left ACME Crimenet. I got some ketchup on the sleeve.” She holds up her arm and points to the stain. “Greg we need your help with something.” Winnie says

“We need help building our homecoming float.” Vi pleads

“I can help for a little while.” Greg says.

They modem to Isabelle’s house. Vi knocks on the door. Isabelle answers she greets Vi and Winnie she sees Greg and asks “Who is that?”

“That’s Greg he’s here to help us build the float.” Winnie says.

“Does he work at the school?” Isabelle asks.

“No.” Vi says.

“He looks familiar.” Isabelle says as she looks at Greg. 

Greg starts to say “I was the host of...” Isabelle interrupts “Wait here!”

Isabelle runs back into the house and comes back with a box of cereal. She hands the box to Greg and says, “Hold this box of cereal, and say ‘Now with 30% more sugar!’”.

“Now with 30% more sugar!” Greg says.

“I know who you are. You are the guy from the cereal commercial.” Isabelle says.

As Winnie overhears that conversation between Isabelle and Greg she is trying not to laugh.

Later Greg tells Vi he has to leave.

“Thanks for the help!” Vi says as she waves to Greg.

On Wednesday, the girls modem to Acme Crimenet after school.

“That’s a very cute farmer costume.” Greg laughs as he holds up Vi’s braided pigtail. “You even made tools out of cardboard.” Greg says as he plays with her cardboard pitchfork. “Where is your farmer costume?” Greg asks.

“I didn’t dress up today.” Winnie says.

“Do I need to come help build your float today?” Greg asks.

“No, those maps you help me design really helped more people come to Isabelle’s house to build the float.”

“Have you picked a song to play on the float?” Winnie asks.

“We should play ‘Sing Sing Sing’ on the float.” Vi says.

“No, that is a swing song! You should play some early rock.” Winnie argues.

“Girls stop arguing. Modem to Cleveland and settle this at the Rock and Roll museum.” Greg says.

The girls return. “Did you find a song for the float?” Greg asks.

“She did but she won’t tell me.” Winnie says.

“Please come to my office for a briefing.” Chief says.

Greg and the girls enter Chief’s office.

“Eartha Brute stole the historic In n Out location in Baldwin Park, California. She ate there and ordered a 10x10 because that was the highest she can count. The burger was so good she stole the whole restaurant and all the other locations around the Western US. Girls help retrieve the burgled burgers.” Chief says.

They go back into Greg’s office. “Looks like we are getting a clue from an Acme Bovine agent” Greg says as a cow appears on the monitor.

“Moo, to you gumshoes! I heard Eartha was in the state with the most dairy cows per square mile. Get her faster than you can say ‘How now brown cow’. I got some cud to chew.”

“Let’s go to Wisconsin.” Vi says.  

The girls modem to Wisconsin. 

“The cow could not help Eartha left when we got there.” Vi says. “Winnie where did you get that cheese hat?”

“I could paint it green for the pep rally. It could be my moldy cheese hat!”

Vi rolls her eyes at Winnie.

The girls modem back to Acme Crimenet. “I have to go help with the float.” Vi says and modems to Isabelle’s house.

The next day at school the homecoming costume theme is decades. Vi is dressed as a 1950s girl. She sees Winnie in first period and says “I can’t believe you even bothered to dress up this week.”

“It seemed like an easy costume to make I had all this stuff at home and I found a way to incorporate my sleuth jacket into the costume.” Winnie says. “Are you going to have to wear this on the float?” Winnie asks.

Vi nods. “Where did you get that hat? It looks like Greg’s hat. Did you take his hat?” Vi asks

“I did not!” Winnie huffs.

“Let me see it.” Vi snatches the hat off Winnie’s head. “It says ‘property of Greg’ inside it.”

“No, I borrowed it for my costume. Greg has a lot of hats he won’t notice it’s missing.”

Meanwhile at ACME Crimenet “Chief are you sure you have not seen my tan fedora? It’s missing.” Greg asks.

Later Winnie is walking to her art class and she sees a group of three people. She thinks to herself. “Oh great it's the Frannies! Richard Nixon High’s resident poser punk rockers.”

“Hi Frannie, Frannie, and Jorge.” Winnie says with a sigh.

“Nice costume Winnie!” Frannie V. says stifling her laugh.

“We’re only joking! Rock on!” Frannie V. headbangs at Winnie. Jorge does jazz hands.

As the three of them walk away, Frannie C. says loud enough for Winnie to hear “What a stupid looking costume!”

After school the girls modem to Acme Crimenet.

“Any leads on the case?” Winnie asks.

“There is my hat I’ve been looking all over the office for it!” Greg says as he plucks the fedora off Winnie’s head. “Winnie what happened to your sleeves? They are all dirty.” Greg asks.

“Jan and I ate hamburgers in the school cafeteria today. I got a little catsup on the sleeves.” Winnie giggles.

Greg sniffs and asks “What is that smell?

“It’s Winnie. She smells so bad she could be Top Grunge’s girlfriend.” Vi says.

“Winnie you have to be careful if Chief smells you the Acme Freshness Inspectors will come after you and Chief will take your sleuth jacket. Remember what happened to my tie? Why don’t I get it dry cleaned for you?” Greg says.

“I can’t take it off. It’s my sleuth jacket! I’m wearing it to the pep rally tomorrow! I got busted last year because my shirt was the wrong shade of green. Mrs. Hess had it in for me! And the sleeves on this jacket are a mint color. I don’t care! I’m a sleuth! This is my sleuth jacket.” Winnie says. “Wait! I have to clean out the pockets. Let’s see Airheads, a Pokémon doodle, a bag of chocolate Flips, Acme Crimenet badge, my Keroppi wallet, my leave a message wallet, my secret sender, pencorder, Carmen watch…”

“Where’d you’d get those last things from?” Greg interrupts.

“Chief gave them to me from Acme Surplus Consolation Prize Net.” Winnie says. She continues emptying out the pockets “a hair tie, hair clips, hog whistle, a cookie…” a small pile of all the things she took out of the pockets accumulates at their feet.

“Girls oh girls!” Scott calls out to them. 

They shuffle through all the things that were in Winnie’s pockets to get out the door. They come out to the alley. “What is the word on the street? Vi asks. 

“The word on the street is ‘suteki’. It means “steak” in this East Asian country. They are famous for their Kobe beef from the Hyogo Prefecture.

“Kobe, that sounds like Japan.” Winnie says.  

The girls modem to Japan.

Back at Acme Crimenet “What did you do with the jacket?” Barry asks.

“I threw it out and I got her a new one she won’t even notice the difference.” Greg says.

“I can’t solve a crime without my sleuth jacket! I feel naked. She wraps her arms around herself. Is it cold here in Hyogo or is it just me?”

“You’re being paranoid. We have to look for the In n Outs.” Vi says.

They return to Acme Crimenet.

“We didn’t find anything in Hyogo” Vi says.

Greg holds up the new jacket. “Thanks to Acme Dry Cleaning Net your sleuth jacket is now clean.”

“Thanks Greg!” Winnie says. She puts on the jacket and she stuffs all the things she took out of the pockets back into the new jacket.

“Look out Mrs. Hess. I am so going to wear this to the pep rally tomorrow!” Winnie says.

The next evening at the homecoming football game Winnie is there watching the game in her sleuth jacket.

Winnie jumps out of the stands and talks to Vi who is waiting by the sophomore class float. She whispers something into Vi’s ear.

“I have to check on the decorations for the dance… in the gym.” Vi says hesitantly.

The girls modem to Acme Crimenet.

“Do you think we can make it back in time?” Vi asks

“It’s still the first quarter.” Winnie reassures Vi.

Plastic Diver Guy’s music plays.

“That can only mean one of two things either your school pool is being drained for vandalism again or it’s time for Plastic Diver Guy” Greg says.

“He lives a life of danger, our underwater ranger, the one and only plastic diver guy!” Rockapella sings.

“You have a clue for us PDG?” Greg asks.

“Eartha was spotted on this island nation that exports the most beef in the world. She tried to trade an In n Out for a Hungry Jacks. It’s the ominous music again.” Plastic Diver Guy says.

He is injured by various flavors of small school sized milk cartons falling into the tank.

“The one and only Plastic Diver Guy!” Rockapella sings

“Did she go to Australia?” Vi asks.

“Let’s try there.” Winnie says.

The girls modem to Australia.

“We need to look for anything that looks out of place here.” Winnie says.

“Like that?” Vi questions as she points to an In n Out.

“Of course they look out of place they don’t have In n Outs here!” Winnie says.

Winnie enters one of the In n Outs. She picks up a potato and throws it at Eartha.

“Why did you throw a potato at her?” Vi asks.

“My love for fresh ingredients?” Winnie says. 

Eartha chases after Winnie. Vi gets a bunch of catsup packets and throws them on the floor. “Winnie watch your step!” Winnie jumps over the catsup packets, but Eartha’s weight smashes them open and she slips on the catsup. The girls arrest Eartha.

“Girls you retrieved all the stolen In N Out locations and the food. Good work” Chief says.

“My jacket has catsup stains all over it!” Winnie says.

“You earned these stains.” Greg says.

The girls return to the homecoming game.

Somebody asks Winnie what happened to her jacket.

“A mishap with some catsup at the snack bar?” Winnie says sheepishly.

The sophomore float goes around the track. The float is a 1950s diner theme with a jukebox and “Rock Around the Clock” playing over the sound system on the float.

Vi and the others on the float are throwing candy. Winnie gets hit in the forehead with a gummi hamburger.

[cheesecake-crisis]

More footage on a bus...

And inside a CD store. (Barry is me rn)

[cheesecake-crisis]

Intro to a Rockapella performance in Japan, Christmas 1996. Yes, the scrolling text in the first image does say 'Rockaperlla'. Similarly charming misspellings are littered throughout. (Sorry, Elliott. But notably, Jeff's last name is spelt correctly here, something English-speaking networks have struggled with).

[cheesecake-crisis]

Rockapella performs House of the Rising Sun in Japan, 1995.

[cheesecake-crisis]

Rockapella performing on Japanese TV in 1992. Looks to be some kind of musical guessing-gameshow?

[cheesecake-crisis]

More from the Rockapella X'mas '96 performance. If some of these seem extra choppy, I swear it's just the manic '90s editing style, and not me. (This same video also features hilarious dissolve and spin transitions without a hint of self-awareness. I love it.)

"Lucky Seven!"

[cheesecake-crisis]

Rockapella has fun inside a Japanese toy store, Christmas 1996.

Seanpanman?

Barry Kong

Coming soon - the concert, at the Japan Airlines Building, Tokyo.

[littlewalken]

Aug 6

anxious about having to go out and real life because last time the car broke and I got heat stroke

now they tell us a local disability place will help us with stuff, my phone appointment is over two weeks away and I’ve decided not to feel anything because all I have left are sad emotions and I’m tired of feeling only those

otherwise I…

I hand wrote a story starter for a Rockapella fan fic. I don’t have coffee shops, I have a performing arts school of sorts I feed my fictionalized people thru.

let me tidy up my notes and I can give y’all a well basically on the Carmen five, got to include Jeff in your boy band, and see the live in Japan show where Scott and his fluid Japanese sooth a lady from the audience who doesn’t immediately understand what the song Pretty Woman is about. sometimes Sean doesn’t realize how tall he is compared to other people

time to hit the same old listings that won’t take disabled and rent voucher people

[pikapalsfanfiction]

The Case of the Taken Tests

“Girls I have your first case see Chief for a briefing.” Greg says.

“I wonder where it is? Japan?!” Winnie exclaims.

“The Caribbean?!”  Vi asks.

“Girls your first case is at Richard Nixon High School.” Chief says.

“Our high school? That is not an exotic location.” Winnie says

“Right now you girls will start out as gumshoes.” Greg says.

Winnie grabs Greg’s arm and pleads “Do we get jackets? Please tell me we get jackets!?”

Greg pulls the jackets from behind Chief’s desk, and hands them to the girls.

Winnie immediately puts it on. “I love it! It looks like the ones from the tv show! And my name is on it!” She rubs the sleeve of the jacket against her cheek.

Vi rolls her eyes.

Chief shows the girls a picture of the criminal and reads her dossier. “This is Heather Penn. Her eyebrows are drawn on, so are her lips. Don’t let this girl give you makeup tips.”

“She looks familiar. Don’t we have a class with her?” Winnie questions.

Vi nods.

“That’s right! She is Mr. Farbman’s student assistant.” Winnie says as she snaps her fingers.

The girls modem back to school.

“We need clues” Vi says.

“Let’s try the radio!” Winnie exclaims.

“How’d you get that?” Vi asks.

“I smuggled it into school.” Winnie says.

Rockapella sings, “ACME Radio Net! More hits! More music!”

“This is Greg Lee DJing for A-C-M-E! Heather was spotted in the city where the band Bis was formed.” He plays “Tell it to the Kids”. “It’s Scotland’s largest city.”

“I know this one Vi! It’s gotta be Glasgow!” Winnie says.

The girls modem to Glasgow. They ask around for clues about Heather.

“A dead end.” Vi says.

They pass by a shop selling fish and chips with brown sauce. Winnie salivates at the smell. She walks in. “I’ll take one order of...” Vi yanks Winnie by her jacket collar.

“Careful! I just got this.” Winnie yells. She straightens out her jacket.

“Let’s modem back to school it’s time for lunch.” Vi says.

Vi and Winnie sit in a quad at the school on a cement bench with their bags. Winnie asks “Vi what did you bring for lunch?”

“Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.” Vi says. She opens up a large plastic food storage box full of finger sandwiches with the crust cut off. “Do you want one?”. She hands a finger sandwich to Winnie.

Winnie exclaims “I love those! You make them well because you use enough peanut butter to stabilize the jelly. If you make them wrong the jelly makes the bread all mushy. And wash down the sandwich with a large glass of milk.”

“Milk is disgusting! I hate it! Almost as much as cake frosting!  What did you bring?” Vi asks

“Glazed cake donuts, cheese, a soft pretzel, beef jerky with some Arctic Shatter Powerade to drink.” Winnie says.

After they finish eating. “I wonder if we have to do a training exercise? I’m stuffed!” Winnie gets up and stretches a bit. She looks down and points. “Hey look! I found a copy of ‘Teenage Detective’ magazine.”

“Stop goofing off! Be serious! We have a case to solve!” Vi commands.

“Ok, I’ll put it down, but I have to read the ‘Embarrassing Stories’ section. It’s the best part!” Winnie says excitedly. She starts reading from the magazine “One time I was arresting a criminal when I slipped in a puddle of water. I chipped my tooth and ripped my pants in the butt. The criminal laughed at me and got away.” Here is another one, but it looks like a clue. “Heather went to an area of the world where Jain Vegetarianism is practiced. Which may also include the exclusion of root vegetables in one’s diet. People who practice this form of vegetarianism do not eat onions or garlic.”

“I think that is India.” Vi says.

The girls modem to India. “We asked around here nobody has even seen anybody that looks like her.” Vi says.

“I think Heather planted that magazine there to trick us to go to India.” Winnie says.

Vi and Winnie return to the Acme Crimenet office.

“Here is a clue from Celeb-net agents The Backstreet Boys.” Greg says. The Backstreet Boys appear on the monitor.

“It’s The Backstreet Boys! I love AJ! He’s so pretty!” Vi squeals.

Winnie gives Vi a confused look.

“Heather was seen in a state that is famous for manatees, swamps, and we got our start there.” Kevin says.

“Florida!” Vi yells at the monitor.

“What are the names of the members?” Greg asks.

“I know it’s Lance, Justin, JC… no wait that’s N*sync.” Winnie says.

“I know it’s Elliot, Barry, Scott…no wait that’s Rockapella.” Greg says.

“They aren’t as pretty as the Backstreet Boys!” Vi says.

They hear Scott yell from the alley “We heard that!”

The girls arrive in Florida.  

“We’ve been looking all over the state for her.” Winnie says.

“I see her by that manatee statue.” Vi says.

They confront Heather. “Why do you want this Heather? You’re getting the best grade in the class and Mr. Farbman is oblivious to this. Even Vi and I get bad grades on his tests. Winnie says.

“Do I need a reason?” Heather says as she laughs.

“Well...no.” Winnie says as she shrugs.

The girls arrest Heather. Greg arrives.

“Is there a chain? Do I get to pull a chain?” Winnie asks.

 “Sorry, Winnie that was only on the tv show. Let’s return to ACME Crimenet.” Greg says.

“You girls have solved your first case you are now sleuths. Congratulations!” Chief says.

“We moved up in the rankings. And she even did the thing with the magnifying glass.” Winnie says. Elliot hands them the sleuth jackets.

 “I got a sleuth jacket! It only took one solved case to move up in the rankings?” Winnie questions.