The Mystery of the Clock Tower, Part 1 of 2

Chris: Hi, this is Chris. Welcome to Odyssey. We're just getting ready for a time of wonder, excitement, and discovery. So why don't you get the whole family together and join us for another exciting adventure in Odyssey.
Eugene: Now, Matthew, let's download the program into the display so it'll integrate with the existing setup.
Matthew: Okay. In thanks, Eugene.
Eugene: For what, pray tell?
Matthew: For letting me follow you around for career day.
Eugene: Of course. Though, to make the most of it, I'm going to be rather direct and instructional. Now—
Matthew: Oh, this button is flashing. What does it—
Eugene: No, wait! It resets the system. I may be wrong, Matthew, but I believe we've discussed the concept of cause and effect. If you take one action, then another action is likely to follow. And we've also discussed the concept of not pushing a button unless you know what it does first.
Matthew: Yes, sir. Sorry. Did I wreck everything?
Eugene: Fortunately, no.
Ms. Kendall: Eugene! You need to come to the counter right away.
Eugene: Well, actually, we're in the middle of—
Ms. Kendall: Whit and Mayor Hicks are here to see you.
Eugene: The Mayor? To see me? Well, you can tell him that I paid that parking fine and—
Ms. Kendall: Just come down.
Eugene: Right, coming.
Matthew: Parking fine?
Eugene: A complete misunderstanding regarding my bicycle.
Matthew: Cause and effect, right?
Mayor: It's the confoundest thing. I've had all the tech people at City Hall check it out, and they can't figure out what to do.
Mr. Whitaker: Well, if anyone can figure it out, Eugene can.
Eugene: Greetings, Mr. Whitaker, Mr. Mayor, and Ms. Kendall.
Mayor: Hi, Eugene. Thanks for interrupting your day.
Eugene: Mr. Mayor, this is Matthew Parker. Matthew, this is Mayor Spencer Hicks.
Matthew: Hi.
Ms. Kendall: Matthew's with Eugene today as part of his school's career day exercise.
Mayor: Good. Maybe Matthew will be the one to solve our problem.
Eugene: Problem, sir?
Mayor: Have you heard about the clock at City Hall?
Matthew: Oh, I read about that. The clock is stuck on 11:45.
Mayor: It's more than stuck. No matter how many times we correct the clock, it goes back to 11:45. We believe it's a glitch in our new computer system we set up, but our technical team can't figure it out.
Eugene: So the clock is connected to your main computers?
Mayor: Yep, so it'll keep more accurate time and automatically change for daylight savings, that sort of thing. I suggested that you take a look at it.
Eugene: Well, I'd be honored to help the city in any way I can.
Mayor: Good. Alicia Jennings is in charge of our technical support at City Hall. You should talk to her first.
Eugene: Alicia Jennings. I'll go see her right away.
Matthew: We'll go see her.
Eugene: Yes, we. Me and my shadow.
Alicia: Well, as you can see, we've run all the proper diagnostics, reloaded the programs where necessary, and checked the network and all the connections, but there's no explaining why the clock resets to 11:45.
Eugene: Well, Alicia, may I call you Alicia?
Alicia: Sure.
Eugene: Has anyone gone into the programming code itself?
Matthew: That's what I was going to suggest.
Alicia: Not yet. None of us have that level of expertise, especially since it's a third-party program.
Eugene: Who created it?
Alicia: A local company called Dreadlocks Programming and Software.
Eugene: An intriguing name. Have you spoken with them about the problem?
Alicia: I've tried, but so far, I haven't heard back from them. They're really small, I think, just a couple of people running the whole outfit.
Eugene: I see. Would you mind resetting the clock to the current time?
Alicia: I don't mind, but it won't help. It'll go back to 11:45.
Eugene: No doubt it will, but I would like to look at the clock itself whilst that happens.
Alicia: Okay. We'll have to hurry.
Eugene: Why?
Alicia: By the time we get to the clock, it'll have changed.
Eugene: So it makes the adjustment that quickly?
Alicia: That's right.
Matthew: Have you thought about turning the knob on the back of the clock?
Eugene: Knob, Matthew?
Matthew: Knobs are easy.
Alicia: The clock is set for the current time. Come on, let's go.
Matthew: Those are a lot of stairs.
Alicia: Thirty-nine to be precise. And as you can hear, the clock has reset itself to 11:45. No big knob on the back, Matthew.
Matthew: Rats.
Eugene: Where does the computer attach to the mechanism?
Alicia: The control panel is around over this way.
Matthew: What is that? Flowers? Somebody left flowers up here?
Eugene: How odd. Are those roses?
Matthew: Never seen black roses before. Why in the world would—
Alicia: Maybe it's a practical joke.
Eugene: Look, there's a card attached and it's addressed to you, Alicia.
Alicia: Me? No, it can't be. Why would someone leave flowers up here for me?
Eugene: Perhaps the card will explain.
Alicia: So strange. I don't understand.
Eugene: What does it say?
Alicia: "Time is running out." What does that mean?
Eugene: As much as your name is on the card, I would hope you would know.
Alicia: I can't imagine.
Eugene: Well, the flowers and the card would indicate that we're dealing with more than a computer glitch. Someone is doing this on purpose.
Mr. Whitaker: Matthew, how are things at City Hall?
Matthew: Kind of weird. Is Connie around?
Ms. Kendall: I'm right here, Matthew.
Matthew: This is for you.
Ms. Kendall: A flower? How sweet!
Matthew: It's not for me.
Mr. Whitaker: Well, I would hope not. If you're going to give a girl a rose, it shouldn't be black. Has Eugene been showing you old tombstones again?
Matthew: No, he wants to know if you could find out what kind of flower this is. You do wedding planning or something like that, right?
Ms. Kendall: Dreams by Constance.
Matthew: Eugene figured you'd be able to ask your flower friends about this.
Mr. Whitaker: Why is Eugene suddenly interested in rare types of roses?
Matthew: Someone left a bunch of them at the clock tower for the woman who works at City Hall with a card that says, "Time is running out."
Ms. Kendall: Oh, did somebody propose to her and he wants an answer?
Matthew: She doesn't know who did it or why.
Ms. Kendall: Maybe it's unrequited love. Somebody really likes her, but she rejected him.
Mr. Whitaker: You're reading an awful lot into this, Connie.
Ms. Kendall: You're a man. You wouldn't understand.
Matthew: Sure, black roses, a cryptic note. Something romantic is going on here. Eugene is wondering if it all has something to do with the clock resetting itself to 11:45. It's a real mystery.
Ms. Kendall: Well, I'll see what I can find out about this flower. I assume it came from a local florist. Matthew, tell Eugene, Connie is on the case.
Matthew: Will do.
Guest (Male): Hi, you've reached Dreadlocks Computers. We're assisting other customers now, so please leave a message. Thanks.
Eugene: Well, I won't give the Dreadlocks company high marks for their customer service. I've done everything I know to do with the system itself.
Alicia: I've gone through the list of the employees who have access to our computers and they all check out. This is so embarrassing, Eugene. And I don't like that this may be about me personally.
Eugene: Forgive me if I'm prying, but we're running out of options. Are you entangled with a jealous boyfriend or someone you've rejected? Is it a hoax or vendetta?
Alicia: Not that I know of. That's the weird part of all of it. I can't think of any reason why someone would do this.
Eugene: So the time, 11:45, has no meaning to you or the black roses and the message, "Time is running out"? Perhaps the overall timing, this time of year, the date?
Alicia: No, nothing. The date—no, that's impossible.
Eugene: What's impossible?
Alicia: Something that happened years ago, but no one, I mean, no one knows about it.
Eugene: If you say so. What else can we do? Hope for something to happen that'll give us another clue, a place in the system we haven't looked, perhaps a bit of information from an unlikely source.
Alicia: Like what?
Eugene: The identity of that flower might help.
Veronica: Hi, welcome to Gower's Flower Shop. How may we brighten your day?
Ms. Kendall: Hi. You're Veronica, right?
Veronica: Yes, I am. Oh, and you're Connie Kendall, Dreams by Constance, right? We worked with you on the McKenzie wedding a few months ago, our terrific tulips motif.
Ms. Kendall: Yep, that's right.
Veronica: Now, might I interest you in our merrymaking magnolias ensemble? The vase comes with it. Oh, and you should see our religious designs. The incarnations are very popular now.
Ms. Kendall: Actually, I've been all over town trying to find out about a particular flower.
Veronica: Oh, which one?
Ms. Kendall: This.
Veronica: You should have come here first. I know exactly what it is. It's called the Jilted. The black petals symbolize the death of love. And you see these tiny bits of dark red on the inner petals? Very unique. And it's symbolic of the blood spilled from a broken heart.
Ms. Kendall: So it's a feel-good flower. How do you know it?
Veronica: Because the man who created the hybrid used to work at this shop. I mean, before it was this shop.
Ms. Kendall: No kidding. I bet he was a riot at parties.
Veronica: I wouldn't know. His name was Michael Butler. Now, the story goes that he was an expert botanist and created beautiful new flowers in the greenhouse out back.
Ms. Kendall: What happened to him?
Veronica: Rumor has it that something terribly sad happened in his romantic life and he left town, thus the name of the flower.
Ms. Kendall: Do you know where he is now?
Veronica: No, I don't. But we get these flowers from a place called Stems and Surprises in Connelsville. They're not very popular for obvious reasons. Funny, though, that you'd ask about them now.
Ms. Kendall: Why is it funny?
Veronica: Because a man just bought a dozen of these the other day. Oh, they weren't for you, were they, honey?
Ms. Kendall: No, but can you tell me who bought them?
Veronica: I'm sorry, I can't. He paid cash. He didn't give a name.
Ms. Kendall: Well look, here's my card. If he happens to come by again and you get a name, will you please let me know?
Veronica: Okay. But why are you so interested?
Ms. Kendall: I'm just trying to help out a friend of mine, that's all.
Veronica: Oh. Was she the one jilted?
Ms. Kendall: That's what we're trying to find out.
Mr. Whitaker: Michael Butler, huh?
Ms. Kendall: That's what she said. Do you know him?
Mr. Whitaker: My wife and I used to go out to that flower shop when Michael worked there. It was called Gower's Flowers then. Michael was fresh out of high school. He knew flowers better than anyone in town.
Ms. Kendall: Do you know why he left?
Mr. Whitaker: No one at the shop would say, just took off.
Ms. Kendall: Veronica said Michael Butler had a sad love life, which is where the name for the jilted flower came from.
Mr. Whitaker: Okay, so how does that connect to what's happening at the clock tower?
Ms. Kendall: Maybe Michael Butler can tell us.
Mr. Whitaker: Why would he know?
Ms. Kendall: Beats me. Somebody chose those flowers specifically to give to Alicia. It's a stretch.
Mr. Whitaker: It's the only lead we have. Okay, Detective Kendall, I suppose you're planning a trip to the flower shop in Connelsville, am I right?
Ms. Kendall: Yes, and please don't lecture me about my curiosity.
Mr. Whitaker: I was going to ask if you want me to drive.
Ms. Kendall: Yes, please.
Michael: Jeffrey, I want those rhododendron bushes moved to aisle three. And make sure to water the chrysanthemums on twelve. Oh, excuse me. Hi. What can I do for you?
Mr. Whitaker: You're Michael Butler.
Michael: Yes, I am. Who are you?
Ms. Kendall: This is Connie Kendall and I'm John Whitaker.
Michael: I know you from somewhere, don't I?
Mr. Whitaker: Odyssey. My wife and I used to see you at Gower's Flowers.
Michael: That was a long time ago. What can I do for you, Mr. Whitaker?
Mr. Whitaker: We're curious about a flower you created. Show him, Connie.
Ms. Kendall: You called it the Jilted, right?
Michael: Yes, I can get that for you.
Mr. Whitaker: We're not interested in buying it. This flower is connected to something mysterious that's going on in Odyssey.
Michael: Mysterious, huh? But what's it have to do with me? Lots of people buy flowers and I haven't set foot in Odyssey for twenty years.
Mr. Whitaker: It's a long shot, but at this point, we thought it was worth taking.
Michael: I'm intrigued. Let's go to my office.
Michael: So what's this mystery?
Mr. Whitaker: The clock tower in Odyssey somehow gets reset for 11:45 no matter how many times they correct it.
Michael: Okay.
Ms. Kendall: A dozen flowers, like the ones you call the Jilted, were left at the clock tower for one of the women who works there.
Michael: And the flowers led you to me?
Ms. Kendall: Yep.
Mr. Whitaker: Why do you think that's interesting?
Michael: Just the timing, something personal that happened exactly twenty years ago tomorrow.
Mr. Whitaker: Is it connected to the clock tower?
Ms. Kendall: Or 11:45?
Michael: Yes.
Matthew: Okay, I've got your herbal tea, Eugene.
Eugene: Thank you, Matthew.
Matthew: And your latte, Ms. Jennings. Ms. Jennings? Alicia?
Alicia: What? Oh, sorry. Thank you.
Eugene: It may be helpful if you told us what's on your mind.
Alicia: I probably should since this mess may be connected. But it's very hard to talk about and no one knows. That's why this whole thing is just so bizarre.
Eugene: Well, you can be assured of our complete and total confidence. Right, Matthew?
Matthew: Yeah. And I can keep it a secret, too.
Guest (Male): Hi, Alicia.
Alicia: Hi, Anthony.
Guest (Male): Andrew. Just coming to empty your trash. You're Eugene Meltsner, aren't you?
Eugene: Indeed I am.
Guest (Male): I've been to a few of your lectures on computing at the college. It's good stuff. Really helpful.
Eugene: Well, thank you.
Guest (Male): So what's going on here? You guys are looking busy and you're working late.
Alicia: It's nothing. Thanks, Andrew.
Guest (Male): Oh, I get it. You're welcome. Farewell.
Matthew: Was he on your list?
Alicia: Him? No. He doesn't have access to anything. Why?
Matthew: Because in the mysteries, the butler always does it. And he's kind of like a butler, being a janitor and emptying the trash.
Eugene: Yes, may we get back to your information, Alicia?
Alicia: Yes. Something that happened when I was ten years old.
Michael: When I was a young man in Odyssey, I loved a girl more deeply than I ever thought possible. Her name was Wendy. I was nineteen and she was only eighteen and her parents had big plans for her future. College, medical school, the works. The last thing they wanted was for her to meet and fall in love with a young run-of-the-mill gardener.
Mr. Whitaker: I get the impression you're not run-of-the-mill, Michael.
Michael: Even so. Her parents didn't approve and told her she wasn't to see me, ever, not even as a friend.
Ms. Kendall: Oh, that's pretty harsh.
Michael: Well, I don't blame them. I was a cocky and arrogant kid. Understandably, her parents believed Wendy could do better. But Wendy and I were too blindly in love to go along with what her parents wanted. We tried meeting secretly, but got caught. So we switched to communicating through letters.
Ms. Kendall: Letters? Wouldn't her parents see them in the mail?
Michael: We didn't mail them. We had a secret courier who delivered the letters back and forth.
Ms. Kendall: Who would do that for you?
Michael: Her little sister.
Mr. Whitaker: What was her sister's name?
Michael: Alicia.
Alicia: I carried their letters back and forth. Wendy would give one to me at home and I'd see Michael in the park on the way to school. Then on the way home, he'd have a letter for me to take back to her.
Matthew: Sounds pretty boring.
Alicia: You're a boy. For me, it's like I was part of something really special. It made my sister happy. But then—
Eugene: Then what?
Alicia: Something went wrong between them. There was tension. Wendy was miserable and Michael seemed angry.
Eugene: Do you know the cause?
Michael: I wanted to run away with Wendy. I asked her to elope and leave town. It was so hard for her. We fought about it in our letters. I realized much later that I was being unreasonable, even hotheaded, pressuring her like that. But all I could think about was how happy we'd be together. Finally, I gave her an ultimatum. I wrote her a letter telling her to meet me at the clock tower that night.
Ms. Kendall: At 11:45?
Michael: That's right. I told her to meet me and we'd go off together. If she didn't meet me, then I would assume that she never wanted to marry me and we shouldn't see each other ever again. I'd leave Odyssey without her.
Ms. Kendall: Wow.
Michael: I gave the letter to her sister.
Alicia: I'll never forget that day. Wendy was in a horrible mood, crying and complaining. She was being really nasty to me and said some unkind things. The terrible part is that I don't remember what she said. All I remember is how angry I felt. There I was, running those letters back and forth, and she didn't appreciate it. I was furious by the time I saw Michael. When he gave me the letter, I almost told him to deliver it himself. I wish now that I had. But I took it and on the way home, I decided I wasn't going to be their delivery girl anymore. So I tore the letter in half and shoved it into my coat pocket. Worse, I lied and told Wendy that Michael didn't show up at the park, so there was no letter. And I went to bed that night feeling really smug in my anger. I showed them.
Michael: I waited beneath the clock tower at 11:45 and for an hour after that. Wendy didn't show up.
Alicia: At first, I didn't know what happened. Michael didn't come to the park the next day or any day after that. Wendy did nothing but cry. I knew something was wrong. After a few days, I remembered the torn-up note in my coat pocket. I sneaked away and pieced it together. Michael wanted Wendy to elope with him. They were to meet at the clock tower at 11:45 that night or he'd leave her forever. Oh, no. I know, that's when I realized what I'd done. It was terrible. I panicked. I tore the letter up into a million tiny pieces and threw it into the dumpster. And I swore I would never tell anyone what happened.
Eugene: Did you?
Alicia: No. Not my parents, not my sister, no one, ever. It's been my secret. I thought that life would go on and we'd all forget about it. Until now.
Michael: I haven't been back to Odyssey since that night. I went to work in Chicago and then a few years ago, came to Connelsville. But I won't set foot in Odyssey again. I won't even deliver our flowers there.
Ms. Kendall: So you don't know what became of Wendy?
Michael: No.
Matthew: Or her sister, Alicia?
Michael: Her sister. Wait, do you know Alicia?
Matthew: She's in Odyssey, working for City Hall.
Mr. Whitaker: Michael, she's at the center of this mystery.
Michael: But why?
Alicia: I don't know why. That's what I can't figure out. Somehow, someone knows what I did, that the anniversary is twenty years ago, and I'm now being tortured for it.
Matthew: What's that?
Eugene: Did you reset the clock? Why is it chiming?
Alicia: No, I didn't. Is this normal, Alicia? Nothing is normal anymore.
Mayor: I'm sorry to bother you guys again, but were any of you in the clock tower just now?
Eugene: No. Why do you ask?
Mayor: Because the door to the staircase is standing wide open.
Matthew: Whoa, it's freak-out time.
Eugene: Let's look.
Alicia: There doesn't seem to be anybody here.
Matthew: No flowers, either.
Mayor: Flowers?
Eugene: They were placed around by the control panel.
Alicia: I can't bear to look. This whole thing is making me a nervous wreck.
Eugene: If it's distressing to you, Alicia, then stay here.
Alicia: No, I'll come.
Eugene: Very well.
Alicia: What is that? Some sort of white headdress, but I'm not entirely sure if it's— I know what it is. It's a wedding veil. Why is this happening to me? Who could know? It's a nightmare and it's all my fault.
Eugene: No, why would it all be your fault? Hey, what's happening? The clock's moving again. Whoa, did you see that? The minute hand just moved backward. Why is it doing that? Quickly, I must get to the computer.
Alicia: What's happening?
Eugene: I'm doing my best to find out.
Mayor: Sorry to bother you guys, but in case you haven't noticed, the clock hands are moving backward.
Eugene: Yes, Mr. Mayor, I'm investigating even now. This is very unusual. The computer program, the entire system, even the clock has started a countdown.
Alicia: A countdown?
Mayor: A countdown to what?
Eugene: 11:45 tomorrow night.
Chris: This is a perplexing mystery. Do you have any guesses about how it will turn out? I have one or two ideas, but we'll have to wait until next time to find out what's really going on. Meanwhile, be sure to visit our website at whitsend.org to discuss your theories with other fans. Or you can let us know what you're thinking just by sending a letter to Adventures in Odyssey, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80995. Or in Canada, write to Box 9800, Vancouver, BC, V6B 4G3. Today's adventure, The Mystery of the Clock Tower, is included in album 52. Check it out. Adventures in Odyssey is a presentation of Focus on the Family. The Mystery of the Clock Tower was written by Paul McCusker, with sound design by Jonathan Crowe, and music by John Campbell. Our cast included Will Ryan, Zach Callison, Heather Simpson, and Katie Leigh. And I'm Chris, hoping you'll join us again next time for the conclusion to this mysterious adventure in Odyssey.