Day 212

## Story

Shelly and Melvin are caught; The gang develops a plan to get closer to Dan Best.

## New Characters

*No new characters are introduced on this day.*

## Locations

*No new places are unlocked on this day.*

## Tasks

Players must earn 42 stars to complete the tasks of this day.

* The Biggest Score
* Keep Getting Paid
* Garbage Thieves
* Cold, hard facts
* The Untouchable
* Pave the Way
* Back door dealing
* Risky Business
* Spies like us
* Star Seducer
* Family Affair
* Reinforcements
* Best laid plans
* Into the fray
* Schmooze or Lose
* Invite Only
* Mission Accomplished?

## Dialogue

#### Opening Scene

*The next morning...*
*No, wait a minute. Let's rewind...*
*Our heroes cornered the thieves in NYC!*

> **Luke**Hands in the air!**Lily**We've got you surrounded!**Melvin**Ugh, this is a relief. I'm so tired of running.**Shelly**Shut up, you inconsolable cretin! Say nothing!**Lily**Don't listen to her! It's over. Time to spill the national beans, buddy!

#### The Biggest Score

> **Melvin**My love, I was not built for this life of lawless uncertainty!
> I'm afraid we will never be together so long as your true love is crime!**Shelly**I... I... thought you also loved crime.**Melvin**No, I love YOU.
> I'm waiting for you to finally score your Big Score, and be ready to run away with me.

> **Melvin**We will live in a simple hut on the beach of some beautiful island! I'll paint...
> You'll hunt wild boar and hack open coconuts and protect us. Simple! Peaceful!**Luke**Wow, they are having a whole moment here.**Lily**Shhhh! Let it happen!**Shelly**The VP hired us on TaskRat. We're freelance. His family has been doing this for years.
> We'll tell you everything if you let us go. Together.**Lily**Who are we to let a little criminal activity stand in the way of true love?**Melvin**Your heart is truly the biggest score, my love!**Shelly**Shut up, Melvin, you beautiful lunk.**Lily**Let's start by listing every artifact you've stolen for VP Dan.

#### Keep Getting Paid

*Meanwhile, back to today...*

> **Lily**Marco had no idea what was going on, but Luke has explained it all.
> And he's still totally happy to be our impartial witness.
> They're off on a walk right now and I was thinking... we might as well finish here, right?**Regina**You mean finish the work in the park? I mean...
> It's not the Tools & Tulips Way to leave a job half finished, now is it?**Lily**Exactly! And we still need to catch VP Dan. I don't know when Jack will call.**Regina**Then heck yeah, let's keep getting paid!
> I also just really like it here. I think I get why Whit likes NYC so much.**Lily**It's way too hectic for me. But there's definitely something romantic about this place!

#### Garbage Thieves

> **Regina**Let's get electrical!**Lily**I love working on lights!

*Player selects an option*

> **Regina**Lucy, hey! What's the word?**Lucy**Well, Jack took Shelly and Melvin for questioning. They'll flip and give evidence.
> According to the list I compiled based on their testimony...
> They've been working for VP Best for months. The list is...eclectic.**Regina**What does that mean?**Lucy**It means they weren't actually very good thieves. Some of this stuff is garbage.

> **Lucy**A bottlecap labeled First Budweiser Ever, which was definitely not made in America.
> "Amelia Earhart's teeth", ew. Obviously fake.**Lily**But some of it is very real!**Regina**Like the Liberty Bell.**Lucy**Exactly. Now, they can tell us their drop-off for these items.
> But, unfortunately, it's not like they hand the artifacts directly into Dan's hands.

#### Cold, hard facts

*Meanwhile, at the FBI...*

> **Isabel**I can't believe they said that!**Whitney**It wasn't even a very good impression of me...
> ...was it?
> "Ladies, we do not tell fairy tales at the FBI! This is reality, not Law & Order!"**Whitney**Law & Order is the police force, actually, anyway.**Isabel**"Profiling as an investigative practice has been retired at the FBI!"**Whitney**Okay, your impression of Agent Smith is dead-on, though.**Isabel**"If you want to pass, you'll do so with cold, hard fact! No what-ifs!"**Whitney**Which, honestly, is a more rigorously defendable and legally sound method.**Isabel**Don't HELP them, Wells. Ugh! Okay. I'm going to throw out the whole thing and start over.
> This isn't a case we're going to solve.**Whitney**No no! We're going to get justice, Isabel, I know it. And! I just got a text from Jack...

#### The Untouchable

> **Lily**So we did the whole sting and we still don't have VP Dan where we want him!**Regina**Ugh. This whole take down a national conspiracy thing is hard.**Lily**I need to think. Time to work on the flowerpots.

*Player selects an option*

> **Lily**It just seems impossible, you guys.
> We get closer and closer, but VP Dan is still so untouchable.
> Even if we put those two dorks on the stand, he could claim innocence.**Regina**And he's the Vice President. People want him to be...**Lucy**If not innocent, certainly not culpable.**Lily**Meanwhile Juan-Miguel is taking the fall for it all!
> We have to clear his name.

#### Pave the Way

> **Regina**We're gonna help Juan-Miguel, Lils. I promise we will.**Lily**It just all seems so impossible.**Regina**Maybe laying out this path will help...pave the way...to clarity?**Lily**Thank you, I love for trying to pun me out of my funk. Let's pave!

*Player selects an option*

> **Holly**All right, conspiratorial collaborators! What's next in our Frame Dippy Dan Plan?**Regina**Slow your roll, Mommy Mastermind. We're waiting on Jack for some options.**Lily**Then we'll put together the next phase of our plan.**Holly**Ugh. Boring. You, historian, right? You have style.**Lucy**Thank you! You work in charity, don't you? Or philanthropy, or... one of those?**Holly**It's all the same Bruce Wayne business. Less Bat, more batting eyelashes.**Lucy**Would you be interested in being involved in some of my community arts work?**Holly**Hate the word 'work', love the words 'community arts.'
> Go on.**Lucy**I think you might find some very like minds in Philadelphia, Holly!

#### Back door dealing

> **Lily**Jack! I hope you've got good news. Or just, you know, any news at all.**Mr. Lawrence**Well, it's all gotten more and more complicated, folks.**Regina**You get the details, I'll get the floor laid out, Lils.**Lily**Perfect, Regina!

*Player selects an option*

> **Mr. Lawrence**Well your perps gave us a drop point. No drop-off contact, though, and no way in.
> And they're not exactly...reliable. That man has no actual chin.
> And unfortunately, no judge in the city would give us a warrant for hearsay alone.**Lily**Where have they been delivering the artifacts?**Mr. Lawrence**A back door of the Excelsior Building, a very prestigious building in the city.**Holly**Ohh hm. The NYC Mayor's wife was talking about going to rooftop party there this week.
> She said Dan was hosting. His family owns the penthouse apartment there. Very exclusive.**Lily**Ooh!! I have an idea!

#### Risky Business

> **Lily**I need to be sure my idea is a good one and not just an exciting one.**Regina**Time to work it out on the flowerbed base, hm?**Lily**You know me too well, Regina! Let's go.

*Player selects an option*

> **Lily**Okay, I think it's a good one: Risky! But a good idea. Here's my plan:
> Mom, you call Dan Best again. Make like everything went fine with Melvin and Shelly.
> But tell him you're so sad you didn't get to see Dan himself.**Holly**So lie. Got it.**Lily**Tell him you heard about the party, get him to invite you. THEN.
> Tell him I LOVED his huckleberry loaf and--
> **Regina**Hggglp.**Lily**I know. I have flashbacks just thinking about it. Anyway--
> Remind him we worked at the White House. Then offer Tools & Tulips...
> Decorate his rooftop party! The perfect cover!
> Then Regina and I can hunt around the building for the artifacts while we work!**Mr. Lawrence**It's so bold, it just might work! Let's do it.

#### Spies like us

> **Mr. Lawrence**Come with me, Holly. We've got some important calls to make.**Holly**Quit stressing yourself out. Remember: I always get what I want.**Regina**Thank goodness Jack showed up. We needed a professional to handle Holly.**Lily**Leave the unruly informant to the professional informant handler.
> And leave the unruly hedges to us professional hedge handlers!

*Player selects an option*

> **Lucy**Lookin' good, team. You are somehow equally good at gardening AND making history.**Lily**Oh, you're too nice! We're just normal folks, with normal lives, normal homes.**Regina**And the incredibly normal ability to always find ourselves neck-deep in drama.**Lily**I must have inherited my Aunt Mary's sense of adventure without knowing it!**Lucy**Aunt Mary? As in Mary LaRosa?! I just finished reading a book about her.
> Tell me, Lily, and be honest...are you a spy too?**Lily**Of course not! I'm just a normal gardener.**Lucy**Okay...but that is exactly what a spy would say...

#### Star Seducer

> **Holly**Oh come on, Danny. You can trust wittle ole Holly, can't you?**Mr. Lawrence**Nice one, Holly. I've used that same tactic before.
> No one has ever denied the "wittle ole Jack".**Lily**That's my momma! You seduce that elected official.**Regina**With her handling Dan Best, we can just sit back and watch him implicate himself.**Regina**Though, of course, we'll need somewhere to sit!

*Player selects an option*

> **Regina**Job well done. I think we've earned ourselves a break.**Holly**You? A break? Nope. I've done all the work. I'm taking this bench for myself.
> Somebody get me a cocktail! I can't work under these conditions.**Lily**She may be a diva, but you can't deny her talent.

#### Family Affair

> **Lily**Well, seeing as Holly's hogging the whole bench...
> ...let's fix up another so we can actually take a break!

*Player selects an option*

> **Lily**Amazing work, Regina! Now let's take a load off.**Luke**Hey, Sweetie! We wanted to check in on you guys before we head uptown.**Marco**Washington Square Park's never looked finer, ladies. You shoulda seen it in the 80's.**Holly**My oh my, if it isn't my pseudo-stalker from yesterday! How are you doing Marco?**Marco**A-okay. The energy of this city... it makes me feel young.**Holly**Young and handomse. I never woulda guessed Luke's father could be such a looker.**Marco**Oh, you're too much. Say, you have any plans for dinner?**Lily**Break over. I can't watch anymore of this!**Holly**Oh, relax! It's just dinner. A family dinner!**Marco**That's what I'm here to do, right? Get to the know the family?**Luke**Fine. Just try not to get TOO acquainted, okay?

#### Reinforcements

> **Regina**These light poles are shabby as heck. They need a major revamp.

*Player selects an option*

> **Whitney**Who's that metalworking cutie making this park shine? Could it be my girlfriend?**Regina**What's up, Whit? I thought you were still down in D.C.!**Whitney**We were, but Jack let us know about your plan, and we had to help.**Isabel**We retrieved a blueprint of the VP's building. It should come in handy.**Whitney**Holly, what's the plan with Dan? When does the party start? When do the ladies arrive?**Holly**If you must know, we haven't gotten the details yet.
> He just told me he's in New York and I said we should meet up.**Whitney**Okay...but when are you planning to meet up?**Holly**Should be about...[Dan arrives at the park.]**Holly**...now.

#### Best laid plans

> **Whitney**Everyone disperse! Look casual. It's showtime!**Lily**I'm freaking out, Regina! How do I look casual? I feel so not casual.**Regina**We're gardeners, Lils. Just trim a tree. It'll be fine.

*Player selects an option*

> **Dan**Holly Roberts. As I live and breathe.
> I'm sorry we couldn't meet yesterday. My job keeps me very busy.**Holly**Of course, Danny. But it was nice meeting your little friends.**Dan**Mel and Shelly! They're a bit dopey but boy howdy are they helpful.
> It's good to have people outside the presidential realm to send on errands.**Holly**You've only gotten smarter and smarter, Danny.**Dan**You flatter me, Holly. And you know how much I love to be flattered.**Holly**I'm just proud to be your friend. Always have been.
> And I'm so proud of my talented daughter! She spoke very highly of you.**Dan**She did? Well, that means she's as smart as she is talented.**Lily**They're looking over here! Do I look casual? I'm trying really hard to be casual.

#### Into the fray

> **Dan**Well, if it ain't my favorite gardeners!
> If I knew you were here, I would have brought some of my beef bone brownies.**Regina**Oh... darn...**Dan**I felt so bad when your time in DC was cut short, though I'm sure you understand.
> Thankfully that creepy gardener has been arrested, so now all is well.**Lily**Oh yeah. We're really...um... happy about that.**Dan**Maybe we'll be able to get you back some time.
> Or even better, hire you for the Vice President quarters at Observatory Circle.**Regina**Isn't that place just a big field of grass with a house in the middle?**Dan**Sure, but you ladies are good at mowing lawns, right?**Regina**Yeah...
> ...but we're much better with trees. Right, Lils?

*Player selects an option*

#### Schmooze or Lose

> **Lily**I'm worried, Regina. How are we gonna get him to hire us for his party?**Regina**Follow your mom's lead. Do a little schmoozing. Butter him up a bit.**Lily**But I'm freaking out! How can I schmooze in the state I'm in?**Regina**You just focus on the flower bed. I can handle this cowboy myself.

*Player selects an option*

> **Dan**Regina! Your work here is stupendous. Though I'm not really surprised...**Regina**Oh how kind. Working on Washington Square Park is an absolute joy...
> ...but my real dream has always been decorating rooftop parties!
> I remember being 4 years old, looking up at a guy shingling our roof, and thinking...
> "There should be a party up there. And I should be the one setting it up."**Dan**Wow! An honest-to-goodness American Dream! Well, you wouldn't believe this...
> But I'm throwing a rooftop party tomorrow!**Regina**You don't say...

#### Invite Only

> **Regina**Lily, get over here! Don't be shy. We're discussing my lifelong dream.
> You know, the one where I get to decorate a rooftop party.**Dan**And just by coincidence, I'm hosting a rooftop party tomorrow evening.**Lily**Wow! I love coincidences.
> It would be an honor to work on your rooftop party, if you'll have us.
> Though I'm sure you're worried about letting relative strangers into your house...**Regina**Lily, chill.**Lily**After the kidnapping attempt and with all these thefts lately!**Dan**Yikes! Don't remind me. It's making me want to cancel the party.**Regina**Don't listen to Lily! She's a worrywart. Party hard, Mr. VP!
> Lily, don't you have flowers to work on?**Lily**Yeah, of course. Haha! Silly me! Bye for now. Ha...ha...heh...heh...

*Player selects an option*

#### Mission Accomplished?

> **Regina**This arch is quite the landmark, ain't it?**Dan**It's a wonderful piece. I just adore American history, you see.**Regina**So do we! That's why we want to make a little history ourselves.**Lily**That's right! Let's bring this artifact into the 21st century!

*Player selects an option*

> **Dan**Wow! You took history by the reins and made it your own.
> I respect that. It shows gumption. I'm impressed.
> My party tomorrow... would you be interested in setting it up?**Lily**Of course! Thank you, sir.**Dan**Wonderful! Then I'll see you tomorrow.
> But Holly, I can't wait til then. Shall we dine together tonight?**Holly**I've already got a date, sweetness. But maybe I can meet you at your party?**Dan**Absolutely. I will see you ladies then![Dan exits]**Lily**Did we... did we do it?**Holly**Of course, honey. I've never failed a day in my life.**Lily**Great work, mom. This is exciting. We've got a ticket inside his evil lair.
> It all ends tomorrow. We have to be perfect. History's at stake.