Mini-Mystery: 5. Jackpot

I can’t believe how easy that was, ”Clay Barton said with a chuckle as he started up the car. He steered the stolen Mercedes from the underground parking lot into the flow of night traffic.

“Could almost do that again with our eyes closed,” Johnny, his partner-in-crime, said with a laugh. “We’re starting off a very profitable night.” Rolling down his window, he leaned on an arm and added, “We just might be able to retire soon.”

Clay grinned as he drove through theL.A.traffic Friday night was alive and glittering with neon signs and flashy cars. He looked at his watch as he headed east. It was 10 minutes pastmidnight.

Most people who lift their cars in the underground parking lots this late usually planned on leaving them all night. The owner of the car wouldn’t notice it missing until the morning, and by then it would be too late. Heck, in two hours it would be too late. Harry, his boss, would have it disassembled or painted a new color by then.

Clay ran his hand along the leather upholstery. “This one should bring us at least a thousand. Seems like a crime to let Harry mess it all up.”

Johnny nodded, admiring the vehicle. “Let’s take a spin before we bring it in.

Hey, check it out—we even have a cellular, “he said, reaching for the phone on the dashboard. “Who should we call?”

Clay slapped back his hand. “Leave it alone.” His own gaze took in the expensive stereo before settling on the digital alarm system he’d dismantled in under two minutes.

Wishing the luxury car could be his own, Clay opened the sunroof and switched the radio to a rock station. At least he could pretend for a little while. “We do look pretty good in this car, don’t we?” he said to Johnny.

“Yeah, let’s take the long way to Harry’s. He won’t be expecting us for another hour or so.” He aimed the car for the center of town.

Cruising along the crowded streets, the two young men took their time enjoying the city sights and flirting with the pretty women in snazzy cars. After a short time, the cellular phone rang.

John froze with uncertainty, but Clay casually picked it up. “Hello,” he said with a smile. He knew the phone call couldn’t be traced.

“Hi there, partner! This is Jane Edwards from WJOL Country Radio. We just drew your number out of our ten-gallon hat. Congratulations! You’ve been pocked to answer our thousand-dollar question-of-the-week.”

Frowning, Clay turned to look at Johnny. Johnny shrugged. “How do we know this is for real?” Clay asked the woman.

The DJ laughed. “Well, sir, just turn your dial to 93.9 FM. We’re on live.”

Clay quickly reached down to change the radio station, and the two men heard the woman on-air say, “Are you ready for the thousand-dollar question?”

Clay grinned. It wouldn’t hurt to line his pockets with some extra cash tonight. “Sure,” he said into the phone as he continued driving down the busy street.

“I think all out listeners would like to know your name, sir,” said the woman.

“Call me Clay,” he answered.

“What do you do, Clay?” He chuckled.” I guess you could say I’m in the car business.”

“Okay, Clay, tell us a little about yourself. Our listeners would like to know who’s winning their money.”

Clay thought for a moment and them said, “I’m single, hardworking, and drive a nice car. You hear that, ladies?” He laughed into the phone.

The DJ laughed with him. “You sound pretty interesting, partner. I’m sure there are a lot of women out there looking for a guy like you.”

Clay sat up a little taller and winked at a carload of girls cruising past him. He chuckled. “ They’d have to find me first.”

“Well, Clay, I think we have enough information on you. Now, listen carefully. Here is your one-thousand-dollar question. What is the capital ofNebraska?”

Clay could hear a timer ticking over the radio. He looked over at Johnny and whispered, “Omaha?”

Johnny shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought it wasColumbus.”

“Fifteen seconds, Clay,” came the DJ’s voice.

“Uh….” Clay stammered as he stopped the car at a red light. “ It isColumbus?”

Loud applause came over the radio. “Clay, you just won yourself one thousand dollars, partner. Congratulations!”

At that moment, Clay noticed two police cars pulling up on either side of the Mercedes, their red lights flashing. “Hey, what’s going on?” he croaked, dropping the phone and pulling to a stop.

“Thank you, all you good people of L.A,” came the woman’s voice over the radio. “Thanks to your tips, we just lassoed us a car thief!”

Startled by her announcement, Clay and Johnny just stared at each other in total shock.

After being handcuffed, the two thieves were ushered into the backseat of a patrol car. Seeing their confusion, one policeman grinned and said, “ You stole the DJ’s car just minutes before she got off her shift. So she went back into the radio station and used her quick thinking and the friendly airways to catch you two.”

Seeing the thieves still bewildered, the policeman continued. “She announced her car had been stolen, identified it to the listeners, and offered a thousand-dollar reward to the first person on the street who could call in your location.” He chuckled. “ She used her cellular phone to play a little game with you and keep you on the streets a bit linger.”

Clay grumbled beneath his breath. Johnny frowned and stared blankly out the window.

“Oh, by the way, boys,” the officer added, “ the capital ofNebraskaisLincoln, as in the sixteenth President of theUnited States— as in the number of years you two will be doing time.”

He turned up the radio just as the DJ announced, “ And this one’s for you, Clay.” Both men had to listen to “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You” all the way to the precinct.

                                                     —Aimee Martina