Ace Wonder: Message from a Dead Man Page #6

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Well, what now?

Let's watch a movie.

I wonder what's on there.

Home movies.

No, don't be ridiculous.

It's probably a microfilm

series of the blueprints for his inventions.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

Here we go.

What is it?

It's a letter... from Dad.

Dear son, it's been a while.

I have so much I want to say;

so much to tell you.

I wish we could talk face to

face, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

Your mother is already gone

ahead of me, and soon I'll be following her.

It seems only yesterday

that Carol and I were the young couple...

filled with joy at your birth.

Our hearts were tied to you

from the moment you arrived.

Sadly, we didn't tie

your heart to ours.

I blinked my eyes

and you were gone.

It happened in stages and

I didn't see it clearly until it was too late.

At first, we were your

whole world...

our home and your toys

were enough for you.

When you went off to school,

you discovered a whole new world and new friends.

We blamed their influence

on you...

but the truth is, that although

you had our hearts, we did not have yours.

We were losing you,

and I didn't know what to do.

So I just ignored the problem.

We surrendered your heart without a fight.

May God forgive me...

Now at the end of my life,

I recognize how much I was like my father and his before him.

And now the purpose of my letter

is to beg you...

to break that cycle, and to

learn from my mistakes.

I leave you my journal, filled

with my thoughts, my hopes, and my vision for the future.

I hope that it will serve you,

and help guide you through life.

I pray that you will be that man

for your son, that I was unable to be for you.

With love, Dad.

Hey, Derek, look. Logan must

have left his pen here.

You should keep it.

p.s. I hope you found the

Three Kings and will continue my work with them.

Three Kings?

It's part of the clue.

The pictures will shine

in the darkness and you will see the Three Kings.

( EMPTY PROJECTOR RATTLES)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC FADES UP )

Now that's more like it.

Pictures will shine

in the darkness.

The Three Kings...

Derek, these three trees!

I know where this is.

(AIR HISSING)

Huh.

I can't find an "on" switch.

(SOMBER MUSIC FADES UP)

( DEVICE BEEPING)

( ELECTRONIC CRACKLING)

( ELECTRONIC HUMMING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

Rad, Derek!

He really was a scientist!

Oh, the pen!

( ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)

( ELECTRICITY

WHIRRING DOWN )

AUTOMATED VOICE:

Diagnostics pass complete.

Whoa.

Hello.

MARCUS (O.S.):

Sheriff... yes, I have an intruder in my home.

He's tearing the place up,

looking for something.

So, Grandpa invented the world's

coolest night light?

No. No, these are measuring

electrical inputs.

He's harvesting solar energy.

He felt that other options

were ugly and inefficient.

He used to talk about it

all the time when I was a kid.

How one day he'd use creation to

transform the power of the sun.

I can't believe

he actually did it.

Log:
DeWhitt is The Pen.

Everything he said about Logan is a lie.

Trust me.

I'm telling you, the prints

are in that house somewhere.

As soon as I get the family out

of there, I'll find them.

The blueprints!

Hello?

(EERIE MUSIC PLAYING)

Forgot my briefcase.

( ENGINE STARTS)

Hey, guys, follow me,

we gotta get to the blueprints.

Where's he going?

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

( PHONE BEEPS, DIALING)

I've got the blueprints.

It's a done deal.

So, call off your dogs

and have the money ready.

(CAR APPROACHING)

Look out!

Here you go, take this!

I'm gonna hit you!

(GUN FIRES)

(SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(STEPS THUMPING)

Give me that case.

Now!

That's a good boy.

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC PLAYING)

That's from Dad... with love.

Whoa, that was-- I mean--

Spectacular, amazing,

fantastic, phenomenal?

You're trespassing on my

property and none of this is gonna stick in court.

You were shooting at my son!

In self-defense,

he was trying to kill me!

We know all about your

dealings with Solara.

Try to prove it in court.

You've stolen several

of Morton's inventions in the past...

But the theft

is a little too clean.

Never leave a paper trail,

right?

He needed proof, so,

he gave you a gift.

A Trojan horse.

That's right. This thing,

it's been recording for months.

Everything you've spoken, just

think about every crime you committed, it's all right here.

That's not admissible in court.

You recorded it

without my permission.

Actually, I think you'll find

that the laws vary state by state.

In the great state of Tennessee,

this serves as a legal record for your crimes.

Oh, by the way, it's still

recording.

How old are you? Nine?

Ten... actually.

Unbelievable, kid.

Hey, thanks again for coming

back, Jeff.

Come see us sometime in Texas,

will you?

You know I will, I got business

in Texas, so you might see us sooner than you think.

Okay.

Here.

Thought you might want

to have this.

It should sell.

Murder mysteries always do.

Murder mystery?

Gator, Grandpa died

of a heart attack.

(SNICKERS)

Right.

Wait, seriously?

He wasn't murdered?

How did we not discuss the fact

that he wasn't murdered?

Well, I didn't think that--

Great, now how am I supposed

to get this thing published?

(CLEARING THROAT)

I just happen to have a number

of well-connected friends in the industry...

and with a little persuasion

I could possibly procure

a rather substantial contract on your behalf.

What--what, really?

Well, thanks, Mr. Logan.

It's business, not charity.

I think Ace Wonder has a

wonderful future ahead of him.

JEFF (O.S.):

Come on, Gator!

I don't know what to say.

Say goodbye and get

along with you.

Thanks, Mr. Logan.

I'm really sorry that I thought

you were a lying thief.

Apology accepted.

Of course.

Bye!

Very strange little boy.

He does have a point, though.

We should have never

doubted you.

Oh, don't worry about it,

there were times I doubted you.

How so?

Your father had me deliver

the messages to Derek.

He was so secretive, even I

didn't know what they contained.

And the next thing I know, you

two are showing the clues to every jackanapes in Willow Wood.

It was a huge gamble.

Neither of you could find the

treasure on your own.

If you didn't work together,

all would have been lost.

Fortunately, it paid off.

Your father had significantly

more faith in you than he should have had in my opinion.

You know, for a genius, he did

the dumbest things sometimes.

Oh, I'm out of here.

Bye-bye.

Arrivederci.

Hey, Dad, um, Sheriff Billings,

when we were talking...

he said something about you

spending time in jail when you were a kid...

but he wouldn't tell me

what you did.

I mean, you know, in a small

town like this, way back when, um... what was it?

Well, I, uh, assaulted

the mayor's son.

He and I were up to no

good and got caught.

I took all the blame, and he got

off the hook, because he was the mayor's son.

Ironically, we became good

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