Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for November 09, 2023

Good morning™, everyone!

Well, it may not quite be “the year dot,” but it’s well over 100 years, so that counts for something. I guess that Robert Caxton is “Grandfather” who bought the “wonderful toy.” So, it would seem that Ms. Libris had Mr. Caxton’s name removed. That’s extremely good evidence to have.

I wish I could be like Neil, who’s bubbling over with joy over this snorefest of a tale!

Good morning™, dirty deal dealers !

Do I see a little bit of traction going on here ?

Okay pal. Tells us the name of that very good customer of yours already. And not gives any vague words again.

Provenance definition is a record of ownership of a work of art or an antique used as a guide to authenticity or quality. Lucky for Tracy and his band that the bookplate was not discarded.

MC controlled themselves while using their favourite colour of grey today on the hair and facial hair. Unfortunately for some reason when they use grey on hair and facial hair it looks fake, as in the character is wearing a wig and false facial hair.

In fact yesterday was so bad it looked like he was wearing dentures.

Called it two days ago.

Except… While it is common practice to keep the old bookplate it doesn’t mean it is required or universal. Unusual, yes. Criminal? Not necessarily. You don’t need to call the police for the unusual (“My neighbor actually cleaned up after his dog pooped in my yard today! Check him out – that’s odd behavior!”)

But… Uh… The Caxton murder just happened. This book was brought into the shop months ago. This can’t be the Caxton volume. It has to be from the institute where Manutius worked, or one of the other earlier murders/thefts. And the institute bookplate would have immediately cried, “Theft” even if the murder hadn’t been discovered yet.

At least I’m learning something the “Antiques Roadshow” didn’t teach me

Robert Caxton…the start to solving these murders. Well two for openers. About the one in New York, will it connect?

MCU is really on the case (no pun intended) to find the perpetrator. I have not seen that happen, yeah they are getting busy.

Where’s Sam this week? Must have stopped for a sammie en route to view the CCTV footage.

The rats are being flushed out . Dick , Sam , Lizz and Lee better polish up the handcuffs .

Wow…so this means that the MCU has been working on Caxton murder case for over six months now! This also places that murder as around the same time as the one of the “cold case” from seven months ago that Lizz found.

1-MOTT BALLZ: Yes. That manuscript was legitimately owned by the Caxton family. DT: Darn. I was hoping the rightful owner had just taken it back – with extreme prejudice. Another dead end.

2-LEE: Wait. I just figured out that you can probably identify the Manutius’ killer! We just have to keep you alive long enough to testify!

3-MORT: GULP! Erm…I didn’t see anybody. I found these bookplates on the street. In fact – do you have a lighter? I think I need a smoke…no. CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP!

LEE: STOP EATING EVIDENCE!

MOVIE QUOTE—-

“She’s old and hideous and doesn’t know a thing about love!”

Jane Bryan talks about Bette Davis—-THE OLD MAID—1939

Well,we were complaining about the LACK of sleuthing under Curtis—-now we’ve got ALL sleuthing. Well,we know the MCU ain’t dumb.

Meanwhile,Firestrike has changed his name to Monty Woolley and I can’t get him out of my guest room.

Great, a thrilling story about old books. Bring back Edison and Shaky. Or better yet, Rabbit and Ferret. I really admired their large, sturdy teeth.

They wanted to remove the Ex libris? That’s really veird.

Three-day Holiday sends me away.I shall return along with General MacArthur on Monday 13th.

And after Thanksgiving,we will ALL look like Pear-Shape.

If you are interested in the book collecting and selling aspects of this story arc I just finished an excellent book called, “The Lost Bookshop” by Evie Woods. Set in Ireland over 100 years it tells the struggle of a woman trying to be independent and how she refused to allow herself to be broken.

I would call it a historical literature fantasy novel with romance elements.

Check it out.

The astonishingly cooperative Brown BowTie Guy in the art auction house, panel 1, confirms to Tracy that a certain book, apparently the c. 1290 “Song of the Virgin” Hours, was sold to Robert Caxton of the Tracyville Caxtons on 17 II 19. This would be the book in the late Wilhelmina Caxton’s possession prior to her murder, mayhap the “toy” [why call it that?] bequeathed her through the family tree.

At the same time, elsewhere, (panels 2 and 3) Lee learns from the Little Old Pressman/book-restorer that the removal of a bookplate is non-standard and, in the prevailing circumstances, suspicious.. If the book it was removed from can be traced, e.g., to the huge private library of Xaviera Libris, her goose is cooked in time for Thanksgiving dinner. Not too sanguine about that timing, though….