Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for September 17, 2017

Domain and Nitrate ushered in to Bea Thorndike’s posh lair

Criminal and con man best think twice and have a care.

To bilk the rich and powerful one must have a shrewd scheme

‘Tis not enough to fool the mark. All things to her must seem

On the level, no whiff of devil, transaction above board

The silly cow she must be wowed, never guessing she’s been gored.

There’s just one fact they’re missing. In the ointment spy a fly

Thorndike is known by Honeymoon, young sleuth with a keen eye.

Imoto Chan is swift and smart, a detective in the making

She faces danger without fear, in her boots she’s never shaking.

To underestimate the girl would be a foolish move

Should she get wise to these bad guys she’ll slip into a groove.

Use her wits and give them fits, she may just light them up

One fierce Zap and they shall nap, drink from a bitter cup.

Good morning guys!

Here’s where research pays off …

“Mr. Femstock” has great news from the university and he calls the university “they” so I don’t think he’s from the university, himself. Either he found the phonautogram in some papers that he owns or he’s in charge if investigating it for a client of his.

SISYPHOS ABOUT 6 HOURS AGO

“Mr. Femstock” will no doubt come with nice, bright, shiny credentials as a Lincoln phonautograph expert (if there is such a person).

The genius of this plan is that Ms. Thorndike is the expert here, as a Lincoln aficionado. She’ll tell them if it’s authentic. “Femstock’s” role is to listen to her authoritative pronouncement about the identity of the speaker.

In the last panel Thorndikes left hand looks like it has the mumps! ☆

If only we could get

Everything we dream

Then all our disappointments

A memory they would seem

Alas that’s not the way

The unfolding of our life

Maneuvers all the bumps

And the twists that cause us strife

It’s best to test the water

Before jumping in head first

And a tainted cup to drink

Won’t always quench your thirst

I think Silver is rushing it a bit. I would have expected him to go into the provenance a little, then mention something about the university—when they got the item and only then mention they had managed to play it.

Be funny if Sprocket had switched the tape to s omething else, lol

Making “the university” a part of their scam is very risky, I would think, because that’s something that can be easily checked. Bea (or anyone close to her who starts to suspect something) only needs to call the university to find out if such a recording is real or not.

Auntie Bea’s all a-quiver with Silver/Mr. Femstock’s offer of letting her hear the tape of the actual phonautogram message from Abraham Lincoln! This is exactly as the scam should be. The mark wants to be scammed; Auntie Bea wants to hear and believe in the first authentic recording of Lincoln’s voice! Never mind that it’s a hoax. She will gladly pay plenty!

And since, as it seems, Honeymoon does not happen to be present for this deception, it will take some after-the-fact sleuthing to uncover the scheme and get on the trail, by then cooling, of the scammers.

ms. Thorndike is going to have a ’’thorn’’ in Her side,soon enough!

Why do I have the feeling something is about to go hideously wrong, courtesy of Sprocket?

Hey, if it makes her happy……what’s the diff? Lol…..

Please tell me this is a Vitamin-style trick on her part. Otherwise I think she might fall for anything with Lincoln involved.