Maxie Miles as the production of a typical artists and I heart radio have a good day. Well, well, well i'll be Maxie Miles. Did your uncle rope you into this? How did you know? Oh that Joe is always looking out for you. I know he'd want you to be safe safe. Well what with the poor Stevens boy missing? I think we're all concerned about our younger citizens. So you don't think he ran away after all? What changed
your mind? Oh? Well, I wasn't saying that. I just well, all possibilities are still open, unfortunately, but don't you worry, young lady. You are safe as houses in Hastings. But people have gone missing before, right, people have died. Well, of course, death is a part of life, my dear, But people have died suspiciously. I'm not sure what you mean. Hastings is a good town full of good people, right, yeah, I know that, of course. Um speaking of good people,
do you know Mr Beatie? Of course? Oh? Oh, I see this is about what happened with his family. I'm guessing what family. Oh no, see, you've got some more customers, So I'll just take this big bag of butterscotch and be on my way. Oh that's a three thirty, got your exact change right here, Thanks very much, dear wait, Mayor, how keep up the good work. That guy gives me the creeps. Mayor How he's a big teddy bear. I
don't know about that. Well, whatever you think of him, he was in the middle of telling me something that could actually help with Riley, So thanks for that. Don't you think that if hell knew something, he would have told Mr Combs already? I thought he gave you the creeps. That doesn't mean I think he's a kidnapper. I just meant, Look, if I tell you something, will you promise not to go all max about it? What does that mean? Like, don't make it into a whole thing that you obsess over?
What is it? Jenna Riley's interview with the mayor for the paper did not go well. Not go well? How I don't actually know. All Riley said was that the mayor was mad, mad about what something that Riley found out about. I guess that's what I mean. I don't think How is the perfect civil servant that everyone thinks. I think he's like skimming off the top of town funds or something. And if the beloved Perma Mayor of Hastings was corrupt. That would be the biggest scandal this
town has ever seen. From a typical artists and I hurt radio. You're listening to Maximles. This is chapter four The Secret Admirer. So he went out again last night, but no double back this time. He went out around nine o'clock and then was back at ten, got into his truck, nothing else, drove away and came back. Mm hmmm, what are you thinking? I'm thinking that there's nowhere to go for an hour at nine pm in Hastings. He couldn't have been running an errand because most places closed
at eight on Sunday night. Maybe he went to the tavern? Okay, But did he leave exactly at nine and get back exactly at ten, give or take two minutes? But yeah, pretty much. It's a ten minute drive to town from our houses, So that means he would have been at the tavern for forty in its doesn't feel right, does it? So what's next? You'll keep an eye on it? Sure? Yeah, I mean I'm always in the tree house anyway, I've got nothing else to do. Do you spend every night
in there? I mean I don't sleep in there? Are you sure? I don't sleep in there very much? But trust me, if you lived with my family, you'd spend all your time somewhere else too. Oh I doubt that I'd love a house full of people. Things get boring. It's just me and Joe all the time. I'd kill for a little boring, and i'd kill to have my parents around. Sorry, I didn't mean no, it's totally fine. I don't know why I said that. Oh no, No, I mean I'm sure you missed them a lot. I
wasn't trying to say that. Yes, of course I do. But I mean it's not like you don't love your parents. Of course, Yeah I do? Right, so so, uh sentimental moment over? Is that what passes for a sentimental moment in your book? Oh? Hey wait, speaking of family, I found something out about Beatty yesterday. Only you max, only me what only you would leap from your dead parents to an investigation? Crap? Sorry, Yeah, I'm seeing the sentimentality thing you were talking about. I don't know how you
walk around with a heart that big. Come on, Miles, I'm sorry, Okay, I just i'd say stuff sometimes. Yeah, I know, tell me what you found out? About Mr Beatty. Okay, so apparently Mr Beatty had a family at one point. What mm hmm. May Or How mentioned something yesterday and then I tried to ask Joe about it during dinner last night. He wouldn't give me much but just said it was a tragedy, something about Beatty having a wife and son. Then tragedy mm hmm. Joe wouldn't tell you
anything else. He doesn't. He doesn't really like to talk about that kind of stuff because you know, right well, that definitely is interesting. You know, Beatty having a family, a kid. That's so hard to picture. I told you he wasn't as scary as he seemed. Well, you're also the one who wanted to follow him because you think he's like holding Riley captive somewhere. I never said that. I just I think it's weird that he's going out
at night all the time. We're at the stage of the investigation where all potential leads need to be chased down. Speaking of I have another another what potential lead? Jenna said that Riley's piece for the paper may have been a bigger deal than we thought. Bigger deal how corruption scandal something about may Or How I don't have the
specifics yet, but there's something there. You're working the store this afternoon, yep, every afternoon from now until well until Riley has found Probably Joe is worried I'm going to do something stupid and dangerous if I'm not occupied. He's not wrong. Shut up. That's good though. You can gather more until about beating maybe even how Yeah, you've got math with THEO right now? Right? Yeah? Could you see
if he knows anything about the official investigation. I doubt his dad tells him much, but he might have overheard something. I just want to know where they're at. Um, Why don't you just ask him yourself at lunch? Because just can you help me out for once? Teller? For once? What are you talking about? Just ask him? Okay, okay, whatever, Max, thank you, have a great day. Why does no one know anything about Mr? Beede? Hi and welcome to Archer's General.
Oh hi, Jenna, lovely to see you too, Maxine. Please don't call me that. We don't have any of the new magazine issues in yet. You'll have to come back tomorrow. That's not why I'm here. Then? What are you here for this? What is this? Just read it Jenna, is this a a love letter? What? Why are you giving this to me? Oh? My god, Max, it's not for you. Oh m, this is the fourth one I've gotten in
the past two weeks. They just show up in my locker. Wow, that's creepy, right, I was going to say romantic you would You really don't like getting this kind of stuff. I mean, whoever it is, he clearly really likes you. These are poems, Jenna. I know it's so embarrassing. Why is that embarrassing? It's all squishy and sensitive? What's your point? I don't do squishy and sensitive? Right? I forgot that you and Ross are basically the same person. What do
you mean nothing, Jenna? Where are you showing me this? Because I want to find out who wrote them? Oh that's great. What you like him too, and you want to find out who it is so you can tell him what. No, that's not what's happening here. I want to find out who it is so I can tell him to stop. Why if you don't know who it is, how do you know you don't like him? Because I just I know, Okay, I don't have time for all that stuff. Is that why you broke up? With Cody.
I broke up with Cody because he's a moron and a bully. But yes, that was one of several contributing factors. So will you help me or not? Jenna? I mean, don't you think there are more important things to focus on than some random love notes? Of course there are, Maxine, but neither of us can do anything to help Riley. And before you start, no, you can't. Max You're fourteen. I know that you want to help, and you like this kind of stuff, but this isn't a fun, hardy
boy's mystery. This is dangerous, and I'm doing you a favor by giving you something low stakes to focus all that insane energy on. Oh is that why you're doing this? To save me from myself? Someone has to and Ross is too chicken shipped to do it himself. Besides, I have a curious mind too, and I would like to know who has decided to declare their love for me in the completely infuriating form of anonymous notes. I do not understand how you don't think it's romantic. Maybe he shy,
maybe he's intimidated by you. Don't you think you should at least just think that some people have reasons to hide, and some people are selfish cowards. I have a feeling this guy is the latter. Ease, come on, Max, I gave you that intel on Riley's article. The least you can do is okay, fine, fine, I get it. I'll help things that the store are going. Okay, Yeah, they're fine. It's pretty boring most of the time. It's not exactly the most bustling place in Hastings. Is any place in
Hastings bustling. That's a good point. Yeah, it's one of the things I love about this town. Actually, I know everyone, and pretty much everyone knows me. There's no getting lost in a crowd. I thought you wanted to run off to New York the moment you graduated. Well, I mean, I want to visit New York. I'd love to go to college there or Boston somewhere with you know, real public transportation and museums. But I don't know. I couldn't be surprised if I ended up back here. Yeah, your
dad felt the same way, both your parents. Actually, I mean, we may have all scattered to the winds when high school ended, but the winds eventually blew you back to Hastings. Well, once your mom took a teaching post at Hastings High, your dad was always going to be right behind her. Well, yeah, I think that's how marriage works. Well no, no, I mean she got that job way before they were married.
It was right after college. I think I was still at Hastings, actually in my senior year, and then Mary shows up as the new teacher, and I just knew. I knew my brother would be moving back to Yeah, they've been in love for so long. With the long distance thing for college, it made it harder. And your dad wasn't gonna let that be a barrier anymore. So he came back to Hastings to be with her. Mm hmmm. And then I came back to Hastings to be with you, kiddo.
But you like it here, okay, right, I mean I'm not like keeping you here. I mean I can't exactly leave you on supervised, no matter how grown you think you are. But I know that. But just because I'm a minor doesn't mean you have to up end your entire life, just Max, Max, Where is this coming from? I don't know. I've just been thinking about family, I guess, just generally speaking, and I don't like the idea that you're trapped in this miserable small town existence because of me.
I am not living in a miserable small town existence. Like. Yes, I moved back here to take care of you, but see see, I've ruined your cool city life. But there was never any way I was letting anyone else take care of you. You're my favorite niece, after all, I'm your only niece. Besides, I found things to like about Hastings. Really, like what I'll tell you when you're older. Oh, oh my god, are you dating someone I know I'm still a young man. Tell that to your gray hair, Maxine.
Someone has to be brutally honest with you. I look in the mirror every day. That's enough brutal honesty for me. I love my life here with you, Max. I miss your parents every single day. I would do anything to get them back, but I'm so grateful to get to have you as my family. Thanks Joe, me too. What do you think happened to Riley? I don't know, kiddo. I hope nothing bad, but bad things happen sometimes. Bad things happen sometimes, but it's sort of good things. Dinners
with my niece. The Harvest festival dogs falling in love? So you are dating someone? I think that you are what I'm not. I'm not dating anyone. What was with the note in your backpack? You look through my backpack I was putting on the counter and it fell out. So who's the lucky guy? Oh my god, no one, you can talk to me about this stuff. It's not for me. What. Oh did you write it? Oh? I guess I was making assumptions based on the whole boy
meets girl perspective in the poem. But if if there's something you want to talk to me about, Oh my god, no, please stop talking. It's Jenna's She's been getting them in her locker for the past few weeks, and she wanted me to find out who's been leaving them. Got it, she wrote, ju and helping her? Well, I mean, I am known for being good at solving things. I thought you and her were on the outs where we're fine.
We're just not best friends anymore. That happens. People grow up, and some people get popular and pretty and become the object of a love letter writer's attention, and some of us don't. Max Anyway, I should probably start in on my list of suspects so I can interview people at school tomorrow. Max. Thanks for dinner, Joe. These are all of them for now, six letters in three weeks, always left between second and third period. Right, what classes do
you have? Those periods Math and then Health, which are right down the hall from each other, which means you're never passing your locker when you go to health unless well, do you ever go back for any books? No? I usually bring all my morning class books with me and then do a swap over during lunch. So whoever's leaving you these notes must know that they know your locker is going to be clear between those periods, and that you'll go to your locker after third period and before lunch.
That's creepy. I think that depends on who it is. If it's someone with a locker really near yours, then it's possible they're just going to their locker between each period and have just noticed that you're never there. What if it's someone with a locker in a totally different hallway, then yeah, it would be a little weird for them to know this much about your movements unless they have both Math and health with you. Do you share both of those classes with anyone. Uh yeah, probably like half
a dozen people at least. All right, then we'll start there. Write down the names of everyone you share both classes with, and then the names of anyone in the vicinity of your locker who might have caught onto when you're not there. I'll take that list and start to narrow down the suspects based on who likes girls, who single, and who might write you letters rather than just asking you out. Okay, and then and then I'll start to interview the suspects,
suspects whatever you want to call it, potential boyfriends. Whoever is writing these notes is not a potential boyfriend. You should at least wait to figure out who it is first. Well, come on, start writing. Hey, hey, Ross, what are you doing here? I thought you had work shot closed early for the manager's nephew's birthday or something, so I've got the afternoon off. Huh made any breakthroughs? I think I've narrowed it down to three people. Chat Ryan Carter? What
what would they want with Riley? What? Oh? No, no, sorry, not for Riley. This this is a thing for Jenna. What is this her hit list or something sort of? She's trying to figure out who has been leaving her love notes. That's not you, right, I mean, your lucker isn't near Jenna's, but you are in her math class. What me is sending Jenna Ambrose love notes? Yeah? I thought it was pretty far fetched. That's why you were eliminated early, just double checking. Why is it so far fetched?
I mean, I know you and she aren't best buzz anymore, but Jenna's cool. We've always gotten along. Are you saying you like her? No, I'm not saying it. I just want to know what's so far fetched about it? That's all you. Romancing Jenna is not what's far fetched. I get it. She's pretty, she's smart, she's popular. I'm sure there are lots of guys in school who would want to go out with her. But but the idea of you romancing anyone is a little far fetched. Oh, I didn't.
I didn't mean that as a bad thing, A right, right? Right? Sorry? Did I I feel like I hurt your feelings? No, you didn't. It's just that you don't seem like the type of person who would write a bunch of love letters. Yeah. I get it, and that's not a bad thing. I mean, some people just aren't romantic people. Why do you assume I'm not a romantic person. Well, come on, ros, I mean, you've never asked anyone out. I don't think you've ever had a crush on anyone, which, again, is totally fine.
Just because I don't go around leaving weird poems and people's lockers are talking about my crushes all the time doesn't mean that I don't have them. Okay. I just thought maybe I'm just waiting for the right moment, you know, or maybe it's just not worth putting yourself out there when you know for certain that the other person doesn't feel the same way. I mean, you know, I get the appeal of staying anonymous. You can test the waters
without getting hurt. Yeah. I guess that's true. But wait, how did you know the notes were being left in her locker? What? Oh? You mentioned something about my locker not being close, so I just assumed, I mean, you know, where else would you leave notes for someone? Okay, but you also knew they were poems. How did you know they were poems? What? I didn't tell you that I need? Um? Ross? Did you write these notes? What? No? No way, I promise. What are you sure you can tell me, trust me, Myles,
I did not write them. I do not have a crush on Jenna. Okay, then how you know who? Don't you? You know who has a crush on Jenna? Maybe I do? Yeah? Who? You're not gonna like it. Maxie Miles was created by Lauren Shippen and as a production of A Typical Artists and I Heart Radio. This episode was written and directed by Lauren Shippen, dial a editing and sound designed by Morrissy Ewing at Month Creek Productions, with editing assistance from
low Ran Davis and Melissa Ponds. It featured Jordan cop as Maxie Miles, Max a Follow as Ross teller A, Shanna cana Car as Jenna Arose, Michael Smallwood is Uncle Joe, and JOSHR. Bino as May and how Original artwork by Shane McMullan. For more information about the show, please visit Maxie Miles dot com and follow a Typical Artists on
Twitter and Instagram. Maxie Miles is executive produced by Lauren Shippen and I Heart Radio and For more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows, Thank you for listening, and keep curious two