We know MM was published in 1959. We also know from page 15 of MM that Brains and Jimmy got together about one year before that, 1958, to start the BCIDA. I have often wondered how and why they got together. Since CSV did not tell us I decided to write a short story about it just so I would know .

I knew I was doing badly in math. Heck, one look at my test scores and you could see that. The only way I was going to improve was to really study and that meant Barclay "Brains" Benton.

Everyone knew him, even though he may not know you. He was a genius, or at least everyone in school thought so. He had a way of drilling you in math so that the stuff stuck, for long enough anyway.

I saw him in the hallway between classes and decided to ask. "Hi, Barclay". "Call me "Brains", He said, "Everyone does except my parents". "O.K Brains", I said. "I’m Jimmy Carson and I’m not doing to well in math this term and I’d like to know if you would tutor me."

"Are you free tonight?" He asked.

"After 7:30" I answered, "My favorite TV show "The Detectives" is on tonight and I never miss it."

"Neither do I" he said. "Be over my house at 6:30 and we can watch it together before tutoring you".

Brains had an ulterior motive for wanting to watch "The Detectives" with me, but I didn’t know it then.

The rest of the school day passed and 3:00 found me riding down Washington Ave. heading for my house at 43 Maple Street.

At dinner that night I told my parents about the tutoring session at Brains’. They both thought it was an excellent idea but my Dad said it was kind of odd that we were going to watch "The Detectives". "Guess he really likes the show too." I said.

At 6:15 I threw my math book into my bike basket and rode the four blocks to Brains house on Chestnut Drive.

"Hey James ride your bike down the alley behind my house and park it next to our garage". It was Brains voice. He was standing in the cupola on the garage.

By the time I had gotten there Brains was waiting for me. I leaned my bike against the garage and we went inside and went upstairs. Brains opened the door at the second floor landing and we were inside.

It was one huge room with a table in the middle with a TV set on it. There were two chairs near by. I sat down on one. "About six months ago my parents let me have use of this floor and have promised never to come up here again", Brains was saying as he turned the TV on. "Gee, you could use this place like some kind of clubhouse" I said.

"The Detectives" faded in and we watched intently. The story was about counterfeiters. When it was over I said, "Pretty good story although they left out all the legwork that must have been done." "What kind of legwork?" Brains asked.

"Well for one thing they never talked about getting a search warrant for those counterfeit plates they took from that apartment" I said. "Perhaps the director just assumed anyone watching would know they would have to get a warrant." Brains replied.

Brains turned the TV off and we sat in silence for a few minutes then he said

"I didn’t know you were interested in detective work". "Yeah, I suppose I am" I heard myself saying. "I’m also interested in detective work", Brains was saying, "In fact I have a proposal about that for you but first we some math to do so I’ll tell you about that tomorrow, stop by here after school".

Now that was interesting. I wondered what Brains had in mind, but I wouldn’t find out till tomorrow even though I asked him what he meant. "Not now" he said, "we have some math to do".

For the next two hours we tackled math. It was really easy to understand the way he explained things. By the time we were finished I knew my math troubles were over.

During the ride home I couldn’t get his proposal out of my brain. I knew it had something to do with detective work but that was it.

When I got home I changed into my pajamas and went to bed. That night I had dreams about it. Some strange guy kept saying he had an important question for me but would never ask it.

The next day was so busy that I didn’t even have time to wonder what Brains wanted to ask me. Mid-terms were coming up in a few weeks and it seemed like all my teachers wanted to give us a pop quizzes. They called them review tests because they were supposed to point up any weak spots we had and would let us know what we needed to study.

I thought that someone had invented some new type of glue and was testing it out on all the clocks at school. It seemed like they never moved. I thought the day would never get over.

Eventually it was 3:00 and we were released. I rode home and dropped off my books and told my Mother I was going over to Brains house and that I would be back in about an hour.

I began to pedal slowly up Franklin Ave. I decided to take that alley behind Brains house and park my bike next to the garage like I had done the night before.

As I was pedaling down the alley I heard Brains voice, he was up in the cupola again. "Park your bike against the garage and come up here". "How" I asked. "Go inside, then up to the second floor, you’ll see a ladder leading up here".

"This is a great lookout" he was saying as I entered the cupola. I noticed he had a pair of binoculars. "I watched you come all the way up Franklin. "In fact with these I can see all the way to the down to the library".

"What were you doing, spying on me". I asked, laughing. "No", he said, "Observing you". "That’s what this cupola’s for, observing things." I could tell he was excited about something, the way he was pacing back and forth. "You’re right it is a great lookout but what’s the problem."

"No problem, I just have a question for you." He said. "Has this got anything to do with detective work." I asked remembering his proposal from yesterday. "Yes it does." He said. "I remember you commenting", he continued, "That the detectives never got a search warrant for those plates they took from that apartment." "So". I said.

"So how would you like to work in a detective agency?" Brains asked.

Now that floored me. Crestwood is a small town, it doesn’t even have an agency and doesn’t even need one. "Crestwood needs a detective agency like I need another hole in my head". "I didn’t ask you that", Brains said quietly, "I asked if you would like to work there." "Yes, I would" I answered. "Good" ,he continued, "You may begin now".

"I suppose you started a detective agency" I said with a touch of sarcasm in my voice. "As a matter of fact I have." He

answered.

We went down the ladder back to the second floor and stared at the huge empty room. "This garage was a coach house back in the horse and buggy days" Brains said "The second floor here was servants quarters. It is now the headquarters of the Benton International Detective Agency."

"You think big don’t you". I said. He ignored my remark.

"I intend on using this room like a laboratory. It will have many scientific apparatus.

Right now all it has is a private phone line I rigged up which runs to the kitchen of my house".

"And this TV". I interjected. "Yes, and this TV" he repeated.

I suddenly realized something. "Brains, it’s going to cost a lot of money. I’m going to be taking over a newspaper route for the Crestwood Daily Ledger next month I’d like to donate some of my profit to the lab".

"Thank you, I have been repairing broken appliances for neighbors and other folks around town to earn extra money . You know, James…"

"Call me Jimmy" I cut in.

"You know, Jimmy since you are going to use some of your newspaper route profits to equip the lab it only seems fair that your name also be in the agency name. I propose The Benton and Carson International Detective Agency". "Boy, that has a nice ring to it" I said. I looked at my watch. "It’s almost 4:30 I need to be getting back home, I told mom I’d only be gone an hour". "On your way then" he said "And come back here tomorrow we have a lot to discuss". "Since it’s Saturday it’ll have to be after noon because I have some chores to do". "That’s fine, only one word of caution. Please don’t discuss this with anyone".

He didn’t have to worry about that, I had no intention of telling anyone but I almost let it slip at dinner when my Father asked me what went on over at Brain’s house.

"Oh, he showed me his garage. His parents gave him full use of the second floor ."

Early the next morning I got started on my chores. First up was the grass. It had to be mowed. I got the mower and gas can out of the shed. "Great" I said to myself as I lifted the empty can. "The Vine Street Garage will have at least one customer today."

I got a dollar from Dad, put the can in my basket and road over to fill it up.

Fortunately Mr. Cripp opened early on Saturday’s so I wouldn’t have to wait. Even so I didn’t finish till 9:00 when I started on my next chore, giving the hedges a haircut.

When my Mom and Dad bought this house about ten years ago my Mom planted hedges on the property line. I asked her why she planted a hedge instead of putting up a fence like normal people. "Fences get old and need to be replaced she’d said, all you do to hedges is trim them. It costs less". She’s right, all I do is trim them, and I’m not a barber. I must admit, though, I do a good job.

By the time I had finished and cleaned up it was time for lunch so I didn’t get over to Brain’s house till about 1:30. I came up the alley as usual but I didn’t see Brains around. I thought he might be in the garage so after I parked my bike I went to the door and knocked and waited.

After a minute and no Brains I started for his house. Then I heard a mechanical voice. It was a whisper. It said, "State your name and business?". I looked around for Brains but he was nowhere to be seen. I decided to play along. "James Carson", I said, "here to see Brains Benton".

After a moment the door on the second floor landing opened and Brains came down to let me in. We walked back to the second floor in silence. He sat down in a big overstuffed chair and looked at me. I just stood there as if I had done something wrong.

"Brains", I said, "That wasn’t very funny". "Now what’s this all about".

"Sit down Jimmy". I sat.

"First", he said, "It wasn’t supposed to be funny". "You remember that I asked you not to discuss your visit here last evening with anyone". I said I had. "I have decided that the

Benton and Carson International Detective Agency must be a secret. No one must know of it’s existence, or else it might hamper our operations".

I stood up. "Come on Brains, spill it". I was getting annoyed now. But he ignored me, again. "As I was saying. If our agency becomes known it might hinder our operations, hence the question ‘State your name and business’. "The correct answer is, James Carson, official business". I sat back down. That made sense. After all we wouldn’t want just anybody to have access to agency HQ.

"You heard my voice over an intercom system I installed in the garage this morning while you were out mowing the grass and trimming the hedges. We will use it to restrict access to agency headquarters. I also intend on using a password which we will change every few weeks".

"Hey, how do you know I mowed the grass and trimmed hedges? I didn’t tell you that’s what my chores were" He thumbed his glasses back up his nose and looked at me as if I should already know how he knew.

"Observe your tennis shoes and you will see that freshly cut grass still clings to the soles". He said. I looked down. Sure enough there was a piece of grass on my left tennis shoe. " Alright, but what about trimming the hedges?"

"Last Monday evening I returned from a shopping trip downtown with my parents. On the way home we passed your house and I observed that the hedges needed to be trimmed. I assumed you would not be tasked to trim them that on a school night. Because of the cut grass on the soles of your tennis shoes I knew you had mowed the grass. I knew the hedges needed to be trimmed. It was not too much of a stretch to say that you had also trimmed the hedges."

"Gosh, that’s neat". I said. "So that’s what you like about detective work".

"Deduction is one of the aspects of detective work that I enjoy". "What I need from you now is a password" I thought about that a few minutes then said, "How about, ‘Fort Morgan is under attack’. "Interesting", he commented, "A allusion to the attack on Mobile Bay during the Civil war".

"Gee, maybe we should have code names that we use when we’re on a case." I said. "An excellent idea Jimmy" he said. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearly 5:00. As they say time flies when you’re having fun. "I’ve got to go, we eat about 5:30 and my Dad gets sort of riled up if I’m late. I’ll see what I can come up with and let you know tomorrow."

I thought I would go over to HQ after we ate our big meal the next day, Sunday, no such luck. Dad saw to that the moment I asked. "James," he said "You have been over to his house for the past three days, you are not going". That was the end of it. I knew if I tried to argue with him it would only make matters worse, so I looked Brains number up in the phone book and gave him the bad news. "I understand". Brains said. "I will come over to your house after school tomorrow and you can introduce me to your parents."

The next day at school, teachers began returning those review tests to us. I did pretty well, even on math. Brains probably aced them all. I passed him in the hallway during the fifteen minute break that afternoon and wanted to tell him the code names I had come up with. "Later," he said, "When I go over to your house to meet your parents." He walked away. I didn’t even have a chance to get a word in.

I was in the kitchen eating an after school snack when the doorbell rang. I thought it might be Brains so I got up to answer it. My fifteen year old sister, Ann, walked in followed by Brains. "Someone to see you". She said and left. Brains and I went out to the back porch.

"Now you can tell me what code names you have, Jimmy. He said. "Well I was thinking", I said, trying to stretch things out. "That we would be called operatives. You would be Operative one since you founded the agency. I will be Operative Three." "Why no Operative Two?", Brains asked. "Because", I said slowly, "If someone overhears any conversation we might have they will think there is a third person in the agency. In other words, we would appear to be bigger than we are."

By this time we were seated on some of the chairs we kept on the porch. "An excellent idea, however I have one change that will cause Benton and Carson to grow to four people." I will be called Operative X". He said.

My Mom came out on the back porch and said, "Jimmy, your father and I have a shopping trip to Bleeker City tonight so we will be having Roast Beef sandwiches for dinner. "That’s great Mom." Roast beef and a dill pickle was my favorite.

I suddenly remembered Brains, he was sitting there like a lump on a log. "Mom, I’d like you to meet Barclay "Brains" Benton." By this time Brains was standing. "Glad to know you, Barclay." She said. "Please, call me Brains Mrs. Carson". "Alright Brains." She turned and went back into the house.

Brains started walking so I followed him. "I have some equipment to install in the laboratory this week so I will be busy." By now we had reached his bike. "I’d like you to come over next Saturday. I will be finished by then".

That night I began thinking that this detective agency idea wasn’t so good after all. What types of mysteries could a couple of school kids solve? I decided I would voice my misgivings to Brains when I saw him Saturday. Everything had changed by then.

I went over to the Lab right after lunch. I knocked on the door of the garage and waited. Sure enough, I heard that same question. ‘State your name and business’. This time I knew how to answer. "Operative Three, official business". ‘What is the password?’. "Fort Morgan is under attack". I said in a whisper. The door opened. I went inside and up the stairs and entered the Lab. Brains was sitting in that overstuffed chair.

"Hey, that gizmo is pretty neat. But listen, I have our first case." I sat down ready to spill the beans. "That gizmo, as you call it, is an electronic device I have installed. It allows someone to remotely open and close a door ", Brains said. "I am going to install a variation of it on the garage doors for my Mother and Father." Now you say you have our first case?"

" Since Thursday we have not received a newspaper and my Dad has been going over to Sunny Spa to buy one. At first he thought that our paperboy had just forgotten to deliver one. So the next day he called and found that he was gone for a week on a camping trip and had a substitute doing the route. Dad got the name and number of the substitute, Billy Harrison. If we don’t get a paper today he is going to call Billy and tell him.

Brains got up and walked over to a desk and opened a phone book. "There are four Harrison’s here. Do you know which number is the correct one?" "No idea. Guess we’ll just have to call them all."

I looked around the Lab. It wasn’t as empty now. Besides the desk and the overstuffed chair Brains had brought in three worktables, one of which had some power tools on it. I could also see a false wall he was constructing on the far end of the room.

Brains struck out on the first two numbers but hit pay dirt on the third. After talking a few minutes he hung up the phone and started to walk out of the Lab. I followed him. "Are we going to Billy’s?" I asked. "Yes, he lives over on Madison, I want him to check his subscriber list.

It took about ten minutes to ride over to Madison. Billy met us at the front door. Brains introduced us then had billy check his subscriber list for 43 Maple Street. "It’s not on the list". Just a minute, I’ve got to make a call". He said. He was back in a few minutes. "I just talked to Mr. Worts in the circulation department at the Ledger and he confirmed that 43 Maple Street is a subscriber. Tell your father I’m sorry about the mix up, Stinky must have given me an old list. He’ll have the paper tonight.

When we got back to the Lab I asked him how come he knew to ask Billy to check his subscriber list. Brains gave me that look again, like I was the village idiot.

"It really is most simple. Brains said. "Newspapers are not usually stolen when they are delivered to a house. Therefore the paperboy either just forgot, which is not likely or a substitute was doing the route. In order for the substitute to know which houses to deliver to he will have be given a subscriber list." Brains just shrugged his shoulders. Now I did feel like the village idiot. I guess I just wasn’t into the deduction end of detective work.

Page last updated on: February 22, 2006