The Chief thought a moment. "One of the last cases was the Tale of Two Towns. It took place in Tellsburg, North Carolina. Tellie is now one city, but it was two in Carmen's time. The North side was an innovative technological hotspot led by Miss Veronica Kingsmith. The South was proficient in farming and tourism and was headed by Veronica's twin brother, Lester. For over two years, North and South Tellsburg were sworn enemies. But why? What was it that kept these two great sides of the same metropolis apart?"

"Oh, for heaven's sakes, Chief!" interjected Carmen. "That's no unsolved mystery! It was because Lester and Veronica hated each other!"

"Yeah! Ever since they were waddling toddling tots, these quibbling siblings were always at odds. Hey, that rhymed! Well, sort of. I should become a poet. How about this? I miss the old days, I miss Carmen a lot, But I hate her thieving ways, and I'm in a total spot!"

"Never mind the bad poetry. What about Tellsburg?" Martin asked.

"Ah, yes. The city was one when Veronica and Lester ran for mayor. The Northern citizens wanted Veronica to run the town, but Lester was favored by the Southerners. The election ended in a brutal tie. No matter how many tiebreakers, they used, there was no final decision. They even tried the wishbone."

[Flashback]

"Come on," wheezed Veronica, snatching one end of the wishbone.

Lester grabbed the other end. "Let's get this over with."

The siblings pulled and pulled.

"Crack, you old-fashioned goat," hissed Veronica.

"Shut up, you wavy-futured mudslinger!" snapped back Lester.

The wishbone broke evenly into two pieces.

[Present]

"The city split into North and South. Kinda like Germany, only it was more like use-technology or stick to the old ways rather than democracy-versus-communism. Then, enter Acme."

[Flashback]

Carmen sat down in Veronica's office. "So, what can you tell us."

The mayor faced them. "Suhara, Carmen, as you may have noticed, South Tellsburg has dug a trench between our cities. I think my brother's up to something. Your job is to find out what and report back to me."

"So, what do we do first?" asked Carmen as she and Suhara crossed the border to South Tellsburg.

"Order is everything. I recommend longest to shortest--"

"New faces!" came a cheerful voice. "I'm Lester Kingsmith, the mayor of South Tellsburg. Now, tell me...what brings you to my fair town? Cat got your tongue? Oh well. There's a lot to be said for silence. I can use two smart people like you for Project INT."

"Project INT?"

"Project Incinerate North Tellsburg!" Lester laughed. "This town's only large plane will fly over their side of our trench, and drop a huge bomb. The bomb will go off, making the entire skyline erupt in flames."

Beatrice Quack ran in, followed by Troilus Dardandell.

"Carmen!" cried Beatrice breathlessly. "Troilus just had a vision that your cover--"

"Bea--"

"Would be blown and that Lester would find you were a spy for his sister!"

Lester's mouth dropped open. "A SPY FOR VERONICA?! GUARDS!"

Several guards rushed in, and led the foursome to the jailhouse, locking them in the cell.

Troilus folded his arms. "Way to go, ship-sinker!"

Beatrice threw herself down. "Give me a goodbye kiss, Troy!"

"No!"

"Come on!"

"You're never going to let me live the first one down, are you? "

"But we're gonna die!"

"Relax. We'll live." Troilus sat down.

"You really think so?"

"They don't call me the Truthful Oracle for nothing!" Troilus' gaze went glassy. "Until that plane crash thirty years from now."

"See? You do care about me!"

"Frankly, Bea, I have more affection for my magnifying glass." Troilus stood up and approached the barred door of the cell. The keys were hanging on the opposite wall. "I wonder if..." He stared intensely at the keyring.

Carmen arched an eyebrow. "You don't really think you have telekinetic powers, do you?"

Troilus shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm willing to try." He stared intensely at the key ring. He suddenly clutched his forehead as the keys flew off the hook and flew into the cell. "Ouch! My head feels like a nail's been hammered into it! Yow! Somebody get me an aspirin! I should have guessed this would hurt. I'm a seer, not a mover!"

Carmen sighed as she unlocked the cell door. "I escaped with Troy's headache? Sheesh, traps and prisons aren't the way they used to be."

Suhara glanced out the window. "It appears Lester and his cronies are carrying the bomb onto that airplane."

Carmen grabbed Beatrice's wrist. "Suhara, you call Veronica and tell her what's going on. Beatrice and I are going to disarm that bomb. Troy, distract Lester."

Troilus was holding an ice pack to his head. "What?! I just got a telekinetic headache!"

"Now!"

"Okay," Troilus stuffed the ice pack into his jacket pocket and strode over to Lester. "Want to have your fortune told?"

Beatrice looked displeased. "Disarm the bomb? Look at it! It's six feet long! Hey--" she cried as her determined co-worker pulled her towards the bomb.

Lester looked down at Troilus. "Future? Wow. I always did have a knack for supernatural wonders and superstitions. My sister Veronica called me an idiot and said that science and technology are the waves of our future, not fate. Bring it on."

Beatrice studied the bomb. "For such a large explosive, there are only seven wires. Each one is a different color."

Carmen opened a Swiss Army knife. "And I bet if they were cut in a certain order, the bomb would be useless. Let's see...seven wires. What does seven symbolize? Perfection? Luck? Hmm..."

"Seven colors of the rainbow?" suggested Beatrice.

Suhara's words echoed in Carmen's mind. Order is everything. I recommend longest to shortest. "That must be the order. The wavelengths of the colors...from longest to shortest." She sliced the wire of a red hue, then an orange one. Next came a yellow.

"I hope you've done this before," commented Beatrice. "We might not get a second chance."

Carmen cut a green wire, then a blue. Last came indigo and violet.

It worked. The explosive fell to pieces.

"Whew," sighed both.

Veronica rushed in. Suhara followed at her heels, trying to calm her down, but to no avail. "So, brother? Trying to bomb my turf?! How dare you!"

"Why? It would be an improvement! A pile of ashes beats those fancy skyscrapers any day!"

Veronica stomped her foot. "I ought to smite you--"

Suhara finally succeeded in getting a word in. "No. You two must settle this matter peacefully. It's the only way."

Troilus' gaze went glassy. "If you don't reunite now, all of Tellsburg is going to be doomed."

Lester jumped into Veronica's arms. "Help!"

Veronica set him down. "You big baby!" She sighed. "Maybe I was a bit too harsh about abolishing the old rules."

"Maybe," Lester agreed. "And some of your new ideas were pretty innovative. I think I was a bit too hasty in my judgments."

"Les? How about being co-mayors?"

"Why not? Mom and Dad will be happy that we've finally ended our sibling rivalry."

"They always liked me better."

"Oh, who do you think you are?"

"The favored one?"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Veronica, I think we need family therapy."

"I guess. I hear Dr. Shrink Wrap does wonders with sibling rivalry..."

Suhara rested his hand on Carmen's shoulder. "Okay, that worked out well."

Troilus shrugged. "At least they aren't planning to blow up each other's side of the town."

[Present]

"So, Mick, how does it feel to have your father date the world's greatest thief?" Zack moved his pawn forward.

Mickey moved a bishop diagonally halfway across the board. "Not bad. They go for walks and they come back to play chess."

"No wonder," whispered Zack. "The king remains stationery while the queen has all the power."

[Acme Headquarters]

The Chief shook his head. "Now, North and South Tellsburg has been reunified. Now, where was I. Oh, yes...things were starting to change around the Acme circuit."

[Flashback]

"I've been thinking of leaving Acme," Beatrice announced at lunch.

"Leave Acme? Why?" asked Carmen.

"Troilus and I have hit a wall." Beatrice stared at her plate of spaghetti.

"This isn't about Troy, is it?"

"How'd you guess?"

"You're the lousiest liar in the world. When you tell the truth, you stare straight ahead. When you lie, you look down."

"Curse your remarkable observance skills. Okay, I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to laugh."

"Deal."

Beatrice sighed. "When I was ten years old, my parents were murdered. I eventually captured the murderers when I entered the Advanced level, but I'm getting a little ahead of myself. When my parents died, I was sent to live with my aunt. Aunt Edith was a former senator. She was a good politician, but a bad businesswoman. She lost almost all the family money in bad business deals. When I was twelve, I hooked up with Acme to bring more money into the family bank account. Shortly before you arrived here, I sent an application to the FBI. They turned me down. A while later, I sent another application."

"Did they accept?"

"Yes. They said my detective skills had improved greatly, and I could enter whenever I felt ready. And I feel ready."

"Why did you apply in the first place?"

"At first it was because the FBI pays a lot better than Acme. But now it feels like a calling. A challenge."

"Interesting."

"I feel more determined to enter the Federal Bureau Investigation than ever. And I think it was you who gave me the newfound energy."

"Me?"

"When I first met you, I knew you were different."

Carmen blushed. "Not everyone opens Batty's room on the first day."

Beatrice twirled her fork into her spaghetti and raised it to her mouth, then set it down. "It was more than that. It was almost as if you had inspired me to do better. If it hadn't been for you, I'd still be at the Intermediate level, having my lunch stolen by Daley Bred every day. I thank you for this. Listen, it's Aunt Edith's birthday tomorrow and I need to buy her a present. Care to go with me?"

"Love to."

"Thanks. I think I'll get her that jacket she's been eyeing at Coat Caddy."

An hour later, Beatrice removed a long brown coat from the rack. "This is Aunt Edie's size." She tucked it under her arm. "Carmen! Look!"

"What?"

"That red trenchcoat behind you. Try it on. It'll look great with your hair." Beatrice picked up a red fedora from the hatrack as Carmen slipped on the coat. "And the matching headgear. There. You look perfect. Look in the mirror."

"Bea?" came a voice.

Beatrice turned. "Troy? What are you doing here?"

"I came by the jewelry shop to get a new battery for my watch and saw you two walk in here." Troilus peered at Carmen's red apparel. "Beware, my friends. Red is such a volatile color."

"Yes, very volatile indeed," whispered Carmen to her reflection.

[Present]

The Chief sighed. "I haven't figured out why Carmen hung out with Beatrice."

"So, did she join the FBI?" asked Martin.

"Yes. Soon after Carmen left Acme. And believe me, the Federal Bureau Investigation hasn't been the same since!"

Martin's eyebrows shot up. "Chief, what have you gotten against Ms. Quack anyway?"

"What have I got against her? Weeell, after Bea left Acme, Merey LaRock escaped from prison. Again. Beatrice temporarily worked with Acme. And she could not follow my orders! She said, 'Chief, if I fail this case, you can yell at me all you want, but not before then.' "

"Yes, Bea was made of gristle," agreed Carmen. "I remember when we'd do crossword puzzles. A normal person uses a pencil and erases. But Beatrice always worked with an ink pen! She was so confident that she unscrewed the cap and just dove in."

"Yeah," grumbled the Chief. "And some of it rubbed off on you! She was a bad influence!"

"Funny," Martin commented. "I thought it was the other way around."

For once, the Chief was speechless.

[Shapiro Manor]

Ivy stepped into the lounge. She glanced at a portrait of a younger Martin and Francesca in formal wear. "Wedding photo...that's a little too personal." The detective strolled to the bookcase. A set of eight blue books caught her eye. She tugged at one until it shook free and opened it. "One of Martin's high school yearbooks! The Blue Academy...a prestigious coed private school located near the center of San Francisco. Students were required to wear uniforms on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and appropriate casual dress on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Let's see...Shapiro...Shapiro..." Ivy stopped, then shrieked with delight at the tiny portrait. "Carmen is going to love this!"

[Acme Headquarters]

The Chief coughed. "We all knew Carmen was stirring back then, but we'd never guess she'd become a thief. Well, there was a warning in the form of Troilus. It was the night before Carmen left Acme forever..."

[Flashback]

Carmen handed a small vase to Beatrice. "Tomorrow night, drop this when Suhara's nearby."

Beatrice looked puzzled. "Why?"

"You'll find out." Carmen walked off to her room.

"Yes, Mumsie," Troilus was saying on the pay phone. "I'll be home for dinner."

"I wouldn't recommend bringing an appetite," came Hecuba's voice. "Hector's cooking dinner."

"Blech," muttered Troilus. His eyes took on the infamous glassy look. "I see red."

"Troy?"

"Our most dangerous lesson is about to begin!"

Hecuba's voice took on a concerned tone. "Are you okay?"

"No!" The seer dropped the phone. "Our own bombs will explode in our faces."

Another detective stared at Troilus. "You're crazy!"

"Recherchez Madame dans le rouge!" The color drained from the psychic's face. "A straight arrow will become a solid crook!"

"Someone call the mental hospital! Dardandell's gone mad!"

"Don't you understand?! This is the eve of the night Acme changes for good!"