The Made-For-TV Robbery (part 3)

They all agreed it was a good idea and decided to use Joe's Milk Store down the street for the scene of the crime. John asked his uncle, who was visiting that week, if he'd take the part of the robber. His uncle said he would; he even had his own trench coat and hat. They borrowed a stocking from John's mother.

After that they all went over to Ben's house. Ben showed them how to work the videotape machine and they made funny pictures of themselves and watched them on the portable monitor. Finally they got to work on the script. It took longer than they expected but by four o'clock they had everything written out. Then they all trooped down to Joe's Milk Store to talk to Joe and explain the plan to him.

Joe wasn't quite sure about it. The detectives were so excited when they told him about their idea for the videotape that they all spoke at once and he had a hard time following them. He couldn't really tell exactly what was supposed to happen. And besides, he'd never been on TV before and he wasn't all that sure he wanted to be. It made him a little nervous and he thought he might forget what to say.

"We've got it all written down," Ben coaxed. "And if you forget a line you can just make something up."

"Listen, here's the plot," John broke in. "You're behind the counter waiting for customers and we open with you whistling..."

"I don't whistle," said Joe.

"Well, you sing then," John decided. "It doesn't matter. Mike and Sally come in to get some gum and comic books and you all talk about the bandit and how he's robbing everybody. Then Mike has to go to the bathroom so you let him use the one in the basement..."

"It's broken," said Joe.

"It doesn't matter," John explained. "We're not going to follow him with the camera. He just says he's going there."

"Then the robber comes in and you give him the money," Mike continued the story.

"Money?" exclaimed Joe. "What money?"

"Your money," said Sally. "Whatever you have in the cash register. John's uncle takes it from you and then..."

"What's he want to do a thing like that for?" asked Joe.

"Because that's the story," John explained. "He doesn't really take it. He's not a real robber, he's my uncle."

"If he's anything like my uncle he'll keep the money."

"He's not like your uncle," John told him. "He's like MY uncle. He is my uncle."

"He's just going to be acting, Joe," said Sally. "We'll all be acting. Mike and I play ourselves; John's going to be a cop."

"I'm running the videotape machine," said Ben proudly.

"What if some customers come in?" asked Joe. "They'll see the camera and go right out again. I'll lose business."

Everyone looked blank - none of them had considered that problem.