Finished listening?

Stupendous job, Puzzler! The detectives were engrossed in the performance when suddenly there was a bright flash of light and an alarming silence! There was a long pause as streaks of stage lightning flickered across the set, lighting up the faces of the actors for brief seconds at a time, but not a single sound could be heard.

From his place on stage, Ronan looked around, clearly waiting for something. As the strange silence started becoming eerie, he seemed to give up waiting, and began his monologue scene. “So that’s why you decided to steal all my money?” Ronan’s character, the con man, said. He pointed a finger at Della’s witch character, “Because your grandmother was part of the group I conned when I was masquerading as a chef? How did you find out it was me? Ah, it must have been the night of the fiasco. I told my sous chef, ‘I know I said I’d prepare the doctored food, but I have a feeling I’m being watched, so I can’t make it tonight. You take the lead. Break an egg per person into a bowl to start the omelets, but don’t forget to add the sleeping powder before folding in the cheese.’ I should never have brought that sous chef in on the plan.”

Della replied with her next line, bringing the show back on track, and Ells and Ernie shared a shrug. The play ended as the cast took their bows and Ells and Ernie attempted to head backstage. No sooner had they arrived, though, than they found their way blocked by a frowning older woman wielding a broom. Luckily, Della appeared at that moment and told the woman they were her guests. The woman looked unconvinced, but Della pulled the detectives towards her dressing room. She explained that the woman, Muriel, had been the sound effects manager at this theater for the last 40 years, and that Muriel was very protective of her space.

Della trailed off as she saw a man in overalls, carrying an overflowing box. She told Ells and Ernie to go ahead to her dressing room with her assistant Kip, who they had met earlier. Kip had obviously been in the middle of his lunch, but around bites of a salad he told Ells and Ernie that they had probably just seen Hardy, the stagehand. Ernie’s attention was mostly reserved for the bag on the table that read “Chip’s Diner: World Famous Biscuits,” but Kip didn’t notice and told the duo he had just overheard Hardy being fired for missing a cue to turn on the rain effect.

Della returned with Hardy in tow and urged him to tell the detectives about his situation. Hardy looked miserable, but recounted that a few days ago he left the rain effect on for too long. That had overflowed the water collection tank and damaged a few of the set pieces he himself had made. Hardy thought the water damage made the pieces look cool and abstract, but because of the overflow, yesterday’s rehearsal had to be cancelled. That particular rehearsal was very important because some of the blocking was changing and the director warned Hardy that another mistake would cost him his job.

Hardy explained that during today’s show, the script directed him to turn on the rain after the first clap of thunder. But there was no thunder, so he didn’t turn on the rain. He tried to explain, but the director wouldn’t listen, and he was fired on the spot. Hardy said it was nice to meet them, but he should go. After he left, Della immediately turned to Ells and Ernie and asked if maybe they could help. It felt like something fishy might be going on. She told the detectives that the woman they saw earlier, Muriel, would have been the one to trigger the thunder sound effect and she’s never known Muriel to miss a sound cue, ever.

Ells and Ernie considered the prospect of snooping around an old theater full of mysterious props, set pieces, and suspects. It didn’t take much for them to decide that yes, that sounded like one of their favorite pastimes. Della suggested they visit the sound effects room while she tried to fix Ells’ Automatic Door Closer.

Della turned to Kip and asked him if he would take Ells and Ernie to the sound effects room, which he automatically wrote down on a list titled “To Do for Della.” Della also asked if he would pick up the hopefully-fixed violin that Muriel has for her. Before Kip could even finish his vigorous nodding, she asked if he would also take the large coat that Tilly had to the costume department, on account of it being a bit too heavy, and Kip was quick to agree.

Kip led Ells and Ernie through the backstage area, passing a bulletin board chock-full of flyers and announcements, until they saw an open door with the name “Ronan” written on a gold star. As they approached, they saw Ronan in front of a mirror, spraying product into his hair. I have to admit that if I had long flowing blonde locks like Ronan, I would always carry a fan with me to draw attention to it.

Tilly was working at a desk, and as soon as she saw Kip, she grabbed a coat off the table. In a routine they had clearly performed many times, Kip handed Tilly the hat that Della the witch snatched from Ronan the con man in the second act, and Tilly handed Kip the coat that Della the witch tossed to Ronan the con man in the third act. Then, at the exact same time, they each gave a small bow and said, “Pleasure doing business with you.”

Kip explained that it was a little superstition they shared. If they don’t say the words at the same time, then the next show won’t go well. Kip checked his watch and told Tilly that he needed to hurry the detectives over to the sound effects room. Tilly’s eyes lit up and she proposed that she could lead them there, since she knows Kip has a lot to do.

Kip pursed his lips, looking slightly confused, and maybe even a little suspicious, and told Tilly, no, but thanks, Della had entrusted this task to him. He gestured to Ells and Ernie to continue down the hall. As they walked, Kip rattled off a few other superstitions he’d seen in the theater, but stopped cold when they arrived at the door to the sound effects room.

The door was closed, but all three of them could see a thick red liquid seeping out from under the door. Kip was shocked, but as was befitting a great detective, Ernie leapt into action. He stepped toward the door and shouted at them, “Quickly, we need to save-”

I know it’s a terribly suspenseful time for me to end a sentence short, but that’s the point! Press the continue button and when you can tell me the end of that line, I’ll resume the story and end the suspense!