Speed Saunders: The Grogan Case (What the Ace Investigator Saw)

In yesterday's post we challenged you to guess which of his traditional methods Speed would use to track down the counterfeiters' hideout. Did you pick:

A. wake the Dean / consult a counterfeiting expert;

B. do some research at the Central Library;

C. happen upon a Useful And Attractive Female Informant; or

D. use his Face Of Judgement on Grogan to get him to spill the beans?

Well, if you picked any of these answers, you are, of course, completely incorrect. The answer is E. None of the Above.  Remember, the hint was: Speed always chooses his actions in the interest of TIME.  And the most time-saving move is simply:

to happen immediately upon the hideout completely by accident.  Yes, really.

Sounds like a printing press?  What does THAT sound like?  How do you know this, Speed?  Is it the anti-crime computer hat?

Despite what you may think, I didn't skip any panels here, but Speed sure did. He is simply immediately pictured wandering down some alley, overhearing the apparently unmistakable Sounds of A Counterfeiter's Printing Press.  Think of the time he saved!

Time he spent getting a warrant? BWHAHAHAHa. No.

He just climbs the fence and pokes his nose in the window.

I think I'd be more interested in the story behind the abandoned bra and panties in the garbage can. Because a DRAG counterfeiting gang is DELIGHTFULLY apropos.

 

And what does Speed see? Exactly what he had hoped!

Not only is the counterfeiter making only $10 bills, he seems to making them one at a time.
Tsk tsk; so time-wasting!

Speed is HYPED. He'll just bruise in and arrest the guy and the case will be solved in record time.   Think of the time he'll save!

Well, technically, counterfeit bills aren't "goods", Speed. They are "bads", if anything. You USE them to buy goods. But we get your gist.

And what does he find? Is it:

A.  The counterfeiter he saw through the window, with his machine;

B.  Dave Grogan, still nursing a sore jaw;

C.  Papa Bodega, turning out to be the mastermind;

D.  The counterfeiter, but without any bills or equipment.

The answer is E. None of the Above. He finds exactly nothing.

I am just going to assume that the act of Speed "bursting in" with his accustomed vigor obliterated the door into sawdust and shattered the wall plaster. Possibly it atomized the counterfeiter and his equipment, too.

Well, that's strange.  Speed tesseracts immediately to Commissioner Nameless's office to complain about having wasted his time bursting into an empty room.

"Glad to see you had the walls painted, Commissioner; I guess I was wrong about you."

Commissioner Nameless doesn't provide any insight or help or back-up.  Not even a "good luck".  Obviously an ELECTED Police Commissioner.

Realizing that his usual purple Glenurquhart check suit is perhaps not the best outfit for stealth, Speed dons a clever disguise!

Oh, DOES it, Speed? Because THAT's what matters; how your disguise FEELS.

Speed may be an Ace Investigator but he's no Madame Fatale.  He's not accustomed to disguises because everyone ALWAYS recognizes Speed Saunders.  

TOMORROW: Speed infiltrates the hideout!