A  few minutes passed. There was no explosion.

Lee was surprised. "What? No boom-boom?"

Maelstrom fiddled with the detonator. "Something must have gone wrong!"

Mortimer spoke up. "Uh, guys? I sort of diffused the bomb."

The rest of Acme laughed with relief. But they didn't laugh long.

Lee glared. "Stop laughing!"

Maelstrom grabbed Mortimer. "Nobody move--or the hero dies!"

Everyone gasped as Lee and Maelstrom made their getaway, with Mortimer
restrained between them.

Back in the control room, Carmen, Ivy, and Zack were debating what to do
next.

The Chief cleared his throat. "Well, the two are currently in Montreal,
trying to sell
a--" he stopped short.

"What, Chief?" Zack asked.

"Sorry. I didn't want to say it."

"What?"

The Chief stammered. "Remember the fake diamonds Lee used to set up Mortimer
last night? Now, Lee's about to sell the real thing to a gemstone collector.
Name of Russell Carlisle."

"So, you're suggesting we go to Canada and warn Mr. Carlisle, right?" Ivy
asked. She picked up a small wooden box, then opened it.

The Chief bobbed up and down in his window. "If you can get there fast
enough." He paused. "But frankly, Ivy, I didn't know you'd want to help
Mortie."

Ivy looked away and turned the box in her hands. A soft rattle could be
heard.

Carmen brought her back to attention. "If we go to Montreal and visit Mr.
Carlisle, won't he get suspicious?"

"So, Carmen, you're saying he won't believe us when we tell him we're
detectives and the merchants are a pair of crooks?" Zack inquired.

"Not to worry," Ivy cut in. She removed the contents of the wooden box. "Mr.
Carlisle's a gemstone expert, right?" She held up a pearl necklace.

"OK," the Chief announced. "I'm C-5ing you to Russell Carlisle's estate in
Montreal, Canada!"
******************************************************************************

*******************
[Montreal, Canada]

The C-5 corridor opened, bringing its passengers in a small courtyard.

"How'd you get here?" called a man. "And what are you doing in my courtyard?"

Ivy unclasped the pearl necklace. "Are you Russell Carlisle?"

"Yes, I am," the man answered, looking confused. "What are you three doing
here?"

Ivy handed him the necklace. "I thought you might appraise this."

Russell took the pearls. "Hmm, seventy five white pearls of the same
diameter." He pulled out a jeweler's lens. "And good quality. Almost all of
them are flawless. Four thousand dollars easily." He gave Ivy back the
necklace, who put it on again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm expecting a
couple of guests."

"Guests?" Zack echoed. "As in a pair of suspicious diamond merchants?"

Russell looked aroused. "Diamond merchants, yes. Why are you calling them
suspicious? Are they disreputable?"

"Disreputable, yes," Carmen informed. "They aren't even actual merchants.
They're a pair of fugitives, selling stolen diamonds."

Russell looked alarmed. "I've made a rule never to deal with stolen goods.
But you're saying those two are criminals?"

Ivy showed Russell her Acme badge. "We're detectives. We're planning to trap
the two fugitives here."

Russell nodded. "Let's go inside."

The collector led the trio into a wing of his home. "This is my collection."
He gestured to the glass cases of the varitities of gems. Now, hide."

The threesome obeyed.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Russell got up to answer it. Then
he ushered in Maelstrom and Lee. Mortimer followed, trembling. His face was
pale from terror.

"My brother's not feeling well," Lee explained in a false-sounding voice.

"That good news," Carmen whispered to Zack and Ivy. "If Lee is pretending
Mortimer is his brother, he can't exactly hold a knife to his throat in front
of Mr. Carlisle."

Both siblings nodded in agreement.

Lee drew a small bag out of his pocket. "Here are the diamonds."

Russell took the bag and extracted a diamond. He examined it. "Perfect. White
diamond, good color, no flaws." He examined a few more. "These are all high
quality..." he said, stalling for time.

Just drop the diamonds, Carmen thought silently.

As if he had heard her, Russell dropped the diamonds.

"What on earth are you doing?" cried Maelstrom.

Mortimer took this opportunity to try to flee to the door. Unfortunately, he
tripped on a piece of uneven carpets.

Lee grabbed Mortimer. "You're not getting away this time."

Maelstrom stood up. "Something's going on here!"

Zack, Ivy, and Carmen rose. "Dr. Gunner Maelstrom and Lee Jordan, you are
both under arrest," they announced in unison.

Lee laughed. "You won't even try. I've got their ally. Isn't that right,
Maelstrom? Maelstrom?"

Maelstrom was already at the door. "Head for the hills!", he bellowed while
running out the door.

Lee, with Mortimer in tow, followed.

Russell stood there, shocked.

Zack tried to reassure him. "I know, it's a hard situation to be in."

Russell shook his head. "It's not that....it's that I had twenty five
flawless white diamonds and I dropped them."

To be continued...