The Last Chance Detectives

Focus on the Family: Hi, this is Chris. Welcome to a special presentation of Adventures in Odyssey: The Last Chance Detectives. If you would like to know more, log on to lastchancedetectives.com. Meanwhile, please keep in mind that Last Chance is aimed at a little older audience and may be intense for listeners under the age of 10. Kids, make sure your parents are listening with you. Now, sit back and enjoy The Last Chance Detectives.

Previously on the Last Chance Detectives, something really strange is going on in the desert town of Ambrosia, Arizona, and Jason Whitaker is right in the middle of it. One night, traveling on Route 66 just outside of Ambrosia, Jason survives a crash. It is not a good night for the guy. On the good side, he meets the Last Chance Detectives. On the bad side, the weirdness continues at the Last Chance Diner.

Mike Fowler: Hi, my name is Mike Fowler. When I was six years old, my dad was my hero. As a fighter pilot, Dad went on dangerous missions. One night, he didn't return. They never found him. Now, I work on my detective skills. One day, I hope to find my dad.

My clubhouse is a B-17 bomber. My three friends and I solve mysteries in the town of Ambrosia. Together, we are the Last Chance Detectives.

Pop: Does this look alright to you, Jason?

Jason Whitaker: This will be great, Pop.

Pop: It is the only place in the Southwest where you can sleep in a 100% authentic concrete Indian teepee.

Jason Whitaker: I think I could sleep anywhere right about now.

Pop: Go on up to the guy at the desk. That is Jonesy. Tell him Pop is taking care of the bill.

Jason Whitaker: Thanks. That would be great.

Pop: Sorry about that earthquake or whatever it was. That has never happened around here before.

Jason Whitaker: I have a feeling that was no earthquake. I am pretty sure I know what it was, but I probably shouldn't say just yet. I need to investigate some things first.

Pop: Well, don't keep yourself up tonight. Mike and I will be by first thing tomorrow morning to pick you up. We will tow your car to the shop and I will take a look at it right away.

Jason Whitaker: Thanks. That would be great.

Pop: Talk to you tomorrow.

Jason Whitaker: Goodnight now. I can't believe it is happening.

Pop: Mr. Whitaker? Mr. Whitaker, are you there?

Mike Fowler: Maybe he is in the shower.

Pop: I don't hear any water running, though. Why don't we go tow the car ourselves? We don't really need him. He said it is right there on 66.

Mike Fowler: Okay.

Pop: Doesn't make sense, Mike. He said the accident was a couple of miles from the truck stop.

Mike Fowler: It is not like we could have missed it. How could a car just disappear? Wait a minute. What was that?

Pop: What?

Mike Fowler: I saw tire marks right over there.

Pop: Yeah, this was an accident. Look at the dirt over there. Looks like it was hit by a meteor.

Mike Fowler: There is another set of fresh tracks here. Do you think he towed it himself?

Pop: No telling. Doesn't seem real likely. Let's head back to town. Surely he will be back by now. Mr. Whitaker? Mr. Whitaker, are you there?

Mike Fowler: The door is open.

Pop: We need to make sure he is okay. Mr. Whitaker?

Mike Fowler: What in the world? The whole room has been destroyed.

Pop: I don't know, Sheriff. What if he was just some punk who decided to trash the room before he left?

Sheriff: Doesn't make sense. He didn't seem the type.

Pop: How do you know? You met him last night.

Sheriff: I just know.

Mike Fowler: I agree with Pop, Sheriff. He seemed honest. Definitely not the type to take off without paying his motel bill.

Sheriff: Maybe he was just a good actor, just a con man for all we know. He may have planned this whole thing from the beginning. How do you know for sure he even had an accident?

Pop: Martha saw his car last night.

Sheriff: I am still not sure I buy it. I will file a report on the room, but beyond that, you might be on your own, Mike. We can't do anything about it until he has been gone for 48 hours.

Mike Fowler: We can handle it. Can you give me a ride to the diner, Pop?

Pop: Aren't you going to the debate this morning?

Mike Fowler: That is right. I can't wait to watch Martha mop the floor with these guys.

West Ortega: Thank you. Back in the 40s and 50s, Ambrosia lit up the desert sky with its neon personality and effervescent nightlife. Ambrosia was thriving. Now, I know that everyone has been very hesitant to say this, but I think it needs to be said. Our once proud city is not just dying. It is on life support.

Our town is dying. Our schools are in shambles. Few Navajo have any kind of health insurance. But I see one surefire way to bring back those good old days when Ambrosia thrived. Adding a casino to our fair city would bring those tourists once again and restore our future. Let's take back what once was ours. Vote yes on Issue One.

Martha Whitefeather: Thank you. I have no doubt that Mr. Ortega believes that he has the best interest of Ambrosia and the Navajo reservation in mind when he takes the position he does. But I don't think he realizes how dangerous gambling can be. It is a vice that preys on the weak.

Sorry. Gambling is not at all harmless entertainment or a quick solution to our financial problems. It is— Excuse me. Is there something wrong with this thing?

Mike Fowler: It is happening again! We have to get out of here. Grandma! Grandma, can you hear me?

Doctor: Over there, on the stage. The doctor is here.

Winnie: Thank goodness. She is not breathing right.

Doctor: Martha, can you hear me?

Winnie: I don't know what happened. A heart attack?

Doctor: Is it possible that she was shocked by an electrical current?

Winnie: Oh, she has a pacemaker.

Doctor: She does?

Winnie: Yeah, she had it put in a few years ago.

Doctor: We have to get her to a hospital. I need a stretcher over here, fast.

Martha Whitefeather: Winnie, please. No, grandma, try not to talk. We are going to take you to the hospital. Don't let them. Don't let them what? Don't let them win. It is up to you now.

Winnie: No, Grandma, you are going to come back and win this thing. What is her full name? Monoma Whitefeather. Monoma? In Navajo, it means warrior to the end.

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Pop: Where did Winnie go?

Mike Fowler: She is walking around the hospital. I guess she couldn't sit still.

Pop: Doctors do seem to be taking a long time.

Ben: Now, I don't want to look dumb or anything, but what is a pacemaker?

Spence: If your heart stops, it shocks you to make it beat again.

Ben: Sounds dangerous.

Spence: It is more dangerous not to have one if you have an arrhythmia.

Ben: A what?

Spence: It is a heart disorder and Winnie's grandma has it. It is called bradycardia. It means she has got an extremely slow heart rate.

Pop: Oh, there is a doctor.

Doctor: Is Winnie around?

Winnie: I am right here. How is she?

Doctor: Right now, she is resting comfortably.

Winnie: What happened to her?

Doctor: It appears she was shocked by some sort of electrical pulse that caused her pacemaker to malfunction.

Winnie: What are you going to do?

Doctor: She is going to need a new one. For now, she is on a heart monitor, so she should be fine, but her heart is quite weak. We will have to start the surgery right away.

Winnie: Can I see her?

Doctor: Yes, of course. Come with me.

Pop: Poor Winnie. Boys, I think we need to do some praying.

Spence: Definitely.

Pop: I have got to get back to the diner. You boys need a ride somewhere?

Mike Fowler: Yeah, we will come with you. We need to have a meeting at the B-17.

Pop: Sure thing.

Ben: Why are we going to the B-17, Mike?

Mike Fowler: We have got some things to talk about. Something really weird and dangerous is going on here.

Ben: What do you think it is?

Mike Fowler: I don't know, but I have this feeling it has something to do with Jason Whitaker.

Winnie: Hi, Doctor. Will you be starting the surgery soon?

Doctor: Yes. There is a bit of a problem, though. Are your parents around?

Winnie: They are both out of town. I called my mom to tell her about this. She is trying to make it back as soon as she can.

Doctor: I see. The next time you talk to her, I would like you to give her a message. Our records show no current health insurance provider for Martha.

Winnie: Well, she lives with my family. Wouldn't she be covered under our policy?

Doctor: I checked into that as well, and I found that your family's policy expired over a year and a half ago. Is there any way I could speak with your father about this?

Winnie: My father is not available.

Doctor: Well, the next time you speak with your mother, could you ask her if she switched to another policy?

Winnie: I will call her back.

Doctor: Winnie, we have to cap services at $10,000 for uninsured patients. Placing a pacemaker will far exceed that.

Winnie: You mean we are going to have to pay for this ourselves?

Doctor: It looks that way.

Winnie: There is no chance. We don't have the money.

Doctor: There is nothing else I can do.

Winnie: You mean you won't even do the surgery?

Doctor: We will put in the pacemaker. Your grandmother can't survive without one. And we can set up some kind of payment plan.

Winnie: She is on a fixed income. We can't do it. We would have to sell the house or something. She has lived in that house for 60 years. What are we going to do?

Mike Fowler: All right. Thanks, Winnie. We will be praying for you. Bye.

Spence: How is she doing, Mike?

Mike Fowler: She just found out that her insurance won't cover the pacemaker.

Spence: What is she going to do?

Mike Fowler: She is hoping the Tribal Council might help her out.

Ben: They have got a benefit carnival tomorrow. Maybe that will help her pay for it.

Spence: Maybe. Unless we can figure out what went wrong at the debate. If we can prove that the electrical interference was someone else's fault, then maybe their insurance would have to pay for it.

Mike Fowler: We are not blaming anyone. We are just trying to get to the bottom of this whole thing.

Spence: True. But you have to admit, we haven't made much progress.

Mike Fowler: Right. Let's get back to it. Any more theories?

Spence: Nothing that makes sense. Ben, you got anything?

Ben: Well, yeah.

Mike Fowler: What is it?

Ben: Never mind.

Mike Fowler: What do you mean, never mind? Tell us.

Ben: You will laugh at me.

Mike Fowler: We are just brainstorming. Nobody is going to laugh at you.

Ben: You always laugh at me.

Mike Fowler: Ben, this case is already bizarre. How could your theory be any worse?

Ben: Well, okay. I think it is alien body snatchers.

Spence: Okay, maybe his theory could be worse.

Ben: I told you!

Mike Fowler: No, wait, stop. Spence, give him a chance to explain. I am open-minded. Please, continue. Alien body snatchers. Sell me, Ben.

Ben: Nothing else makes sense. Lightning wouldn't make cell phones ring. Electrical surges wouldn't make forks move across the table. Earthquakes wouldn't turn off a pacemaker. It is an outside force, something we don't understand. Somebody out there can change or destroy everything we invent, and they are targeting us.

Mike Fowler: Aliens?

Ben: Yes. Wait a minute. Ben might be onto something.

Spence: He is? You mean you really think it is aliens? You think aliens are after us?

Mike Fowler: It was just a theory. I didn't want to be right. I am never right. Not about the aliens, but an outside force. I have got an idea. My father has magnetic instruments that measure seismic activity planted around Ambrosia.

Ben: Why? For fun?

Mike Fowler: He is a geologist, Ben.

Ben: Oh, right.

Mike Fowler: In theory, I should be able to connect to his lab and track the equipment readings through the internet.

Ben: How will that help?

Mike Fowler: If the electrical activity shows up on the equipment, I may be able to find the source by comparing the different readings from around town.

Ben: You mean you think there is a spaceship or something in the desert, and we can find the location with this thing?

Mike Fowler: A spaceship or whatever it is. You guys are right. It was a bad theory. We don't need to go looking for spaceships. It will take a little while to study this data. I will let you know when I come up with something.

West Ortega: Winnie.

Winnie: Hello.

West Ortega: Hi. Let me officially introduce myself. I am West Ortega.

Winnie: I know who you are. I heard you at the debate. What are you doing here?

West Ortega: I understand that you don't like me. Your grandmother and I don't see eye to eye on very many issues.

Winnie: It is more than the issues. She genuinely doesn't like you.

West Ortega: Of course. Anyway, the Tribal Council told me about Martha and I know you won't believe this, but I wanted to let you know how sorry I am. Even though we disagree, I respect her very much. She has been a worthy opponent.

Winnie: Okay.

West Ortega: And also, I wanted to tell you that I know about the pacemaker problem and that you can be assured that her finances will be completely taken care of.

Winnie: What? But how?

West Ortega: As a matter of goodwill, the NAIG wants to pay for this out of our emergency fund.

Winnie: The NAIG? What is that?

West Ortega: It is the organization I belong to. Wait a minute. Grandma mentioned this once. That is the National Association of Indian Gaming, right? That is right. The proceeds from casinos go towards many good causes, including this one.

Winnie: Mr. Ortega, I don't think I can take your money.

West Ortega: Why not?

Winnie: I would be too afraid that you would talk about this in your campaign—how you helped the enemy with gambling money.

West Ortega: You are not the enemy. You are part of our community. We can use our resources to help you just as well as anyone.

Winnie: I can't do it. Grandma wouldn't want it.

West Ortega: Well, Winnie, do you really have a choice? You are dooming your grandmother to a life of poverty.

Winnie: We are fine with poverty.

West Ortega: Is that really a decision you should be making for her?

Winnie: Don't worry about it. There is a benefit carnival tomorrow. Grandma set it up to show that there are other ways to raise money for the Navajos instead of gambling. We will raise plenty of money to cover for her new pacemaker.

West Ortega: You are being awfully stubborn about this.

Winnie: I get it from my grandmother.

West Ortega: Yes, you do. Well, suit yourself. Let me know if you change your mind. Bye, Winnie.

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Ben: Man!

Mike Fowler: I don't think you will be making the team for the Olympic milk bottle game.

Ben: I am going to get this. Just stay back, okay? You are throwing me off.

Mike Fowler: Ben, you have been playing this game all day. There are other things to do here, you know. Haven't you ridden any rides?

Ben: Rides make me nauseous. Okay, this is the one. Oh, this is rigged! There is a magnet in the ball or something.

Winnie: Hey guys.

Mike Fowler: Winnie, I am glad you came.

Winnie: Yeah, me too. It is good to get out of the hospital. Wow, there is a lot of people here.

Mike Fowler: It has been packed all day.

Winnie: Great. We will show the NAIG we can get along without their dirty money.

Mike Fowler: So the Tribal Council agreed to pay for the pacemaker?

Winnie: Yep.

Mike Fowler: Cool. So, you want to ride something?

Winnie: Sure. Ben, you coming?

Ben: No thanks. I have got a stuffed orange worm to win.

Mike Fowler: A stuffed worm?

Ben: He has been trying for the worm all day. Hello?

Ben: Mike, it is Ben. I know where the signal is coming from!

Mike Fowler: Where?

Ben: Lots of places. It is not a fixed location.

Mike Fowler: What do you mean?

Ben: It is moving! And Mike, it is coming straight for you!

Mike Fowler: What?

Ben: Get out of there! The electricity could go crazy any second!

Mike Fowler: Spence, this whole thing is run by electricity. We have got to go. We have got to get everyone off the rides.

Spence: Why?

Mike Fowler: Just do it! I will take the carousel. Hey mister!

Guest (Male): Yeah?

Mike Fowler: You have got to stop the carousel.

Guest (Male): Why?

Mike Fowler: The kids could be in danger. Please, just turn off the ride. No! What are you doing? I told you to turn it off, not on!

Guest (Male): I tried! It is going by itself! It is out of control!

Mike Fowler: The kids are going to fly off!

Focus on the Family: Hope you enjoyed today's show. I am Brian and we would like to hear from you. Just drop us a note in the mail. Send it to The Last Chance Detectives, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80995. In Canada, that is PO Box 9800, Vancouver, BC, V6B 4G3. And you can log on to our website at lastchancedetectives.com. And if you like a copy of today's show, just mention the title, The Day Ambrosia Stood Still, Episode Two. Now, here is a preview.

Mike Fowler: There is a little girl about to fall off!

Spence: Where?

Mike Fowler: We're going in.

Spence: We are going in?

Mike Fowler: Yes, this is why we came here.

Ben: We don't even know what this thing is. I mean, that warehouse is definitely big enough for an alien spaceship.

Mike Fowler: Well, there is only one way to find out. Grandma, can you hear me? I am not as strong as you are, and I am sorry, but this is something that I have to do.

Pop: What is it, Spence?

Spence: I think Mike and Ben are in trouble.

Pop: What kind of trouble?

Spence: They may have been kidnapped!

Ben: I can already feel the carbon dioxide choking me! Oxygen! I need air!

Focus on the Family: The Last Chance Detectives is a presentation of Focus on the Family, created by Robert Vernon. The Day Ambrosia Stood Still was written by Marshall Younger and Robert Vernon, directed by Marshall Younger. Mike was played by Adam Wiley, Winnie was May Whitman, Spence was AJ Noel, and Ben was Daryl Sabara. Our cast included Steve Kanaly, Jim Custer, Townsend Coleman, Joe Campanella, Susan Silo, and Gary Clement. Engineered by Jonathan Crow, sound design by Gap Digital, and our producers were John Fornof and Bob Hoose. Hope you enjoyed today's show. You are always welcome back for another mystery adventure of The Last Chance Detectives.