"Up in Smoke"

"Norwood and Cross, PI “ 

 An AVA 2026 Platinum Award-Winning Podcast 

Episode 8: “Up in Smoke” 

A candy store reduced to rubble. A marriage on the rocks. And three suspects with motives stickier than a taffy pull. 

 Jason’s taking it hard—his favorite candy shop’s gone, and  somehow he’s got melted chocolate on his shoes and a lollipop stuck to his coat. The man’s in mourning. And he wants answers. 

 Was it a vengeful ex? A bitter business partner?
 Or just someone with a match, a motive, and a sweet tooth for arson? 

The sugar’s scorched, the alibis are melting,
 …and this case is about to go --  Up in Smoke. 

 Credits: 

Created, written, produced by: JodyLebel, vojodylebel@gmail.com         

Directed by: Nick Omana - nick@nickomana.com 

Project Manager and Editor: Edward Waldorph - ewaldorph@yahoo.com 

Foley/Sound Engineer: Tittoedits(@atifullah9988) 

VOICEOVER CAST: 

Narrator: Mike Coward, stocos28@gmail.com 

Jason: Max Cutler,  maxbcutler@gmail.com 

Nicole: Rachel Vega,  rachel@rachelvegavo.com 

Frank: Nathan Myers, nmeyers@nathanmeyersvo.com 

Wife: Dara Kramer,  dakramer16@gmail.com 

Carl: Judd Shiffler,  safeministries@yahoo.com 

Harry: John Causby,  john@groundcrewsound.com 

Announcer for fake sponsor –  Brotherhood Baker: 

Jeannine Orci,  jeanineorci@gmail.com 

             "AVA's 2026 Platinum Award Winner" 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:03

Welcome once again to Norwood and Cross PI, where the coffee is strong, the sarcasm is stronger, and the office plants don't make it past payday. Nicole Norwood, sharp-witted, sharp-tongued, and capable of solving a homicide before Jason finishes tying his shoes. Jason Cross, big heart, good instincts, and a long complicated history with both Nicole and electrical outlets. Together they run a private investigation firm held together by caffeine, bickering, and the unspoken agreement that Nicole drives. Always. Jason hurried out of his apartment building, juggling coffee, car keys, and the vague hope that today he might be on time for something. When he reached his beloved El Camino, he stopped. Perched squarely on the hood was a tiny cat. It stared at him like it owned the vehicle.

SPEAKER_06 1:00

Hey, this is a private car.

SPEAKER_03 1:03

The cat was scruffy, orange, and missing the tip of one ear, the universal mark of a former feral who had seen some things.

SPEAKER_06 1:12

Alright, boss, time to move. Come on.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

Jason gently picked the cat up and set him on the grass beside the curb.

SPEAKER_06 1:18

I've got to get to work. Stay here. Guard the neighborhood.

SPEAKER_03 1:22

A half hour later, Jason and Nicole stood on a curb in the downtown area and studied the shoulder-high piles of charred beams and blackened rubble. This used to be a candy store. Jason carefully towed a piece of singed display case. Pieces of ash floated around them in the still air. The sharp odor of scorched sugar stuck in the back of his throat.

SPEAKER_05 1:46

This is impressive. You don't often get to see a building burnt right to the ground. Where are we supposed to meet the owners and employees?

SPEAKER_06 1:54

They're waiting at the coffee shop on the corner.

SPEAKER_05 1:57

Do you have the fire examiner's report?

SPEAKER_06 1:59

Yep, and it's preliminary, not published yet. It's definitely arson. Gasoline was used as an accelerant. Okay, let's go see what we've got. Are you uh okay to walk in those shoes? They look pretty um uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_05 2:13

These are Jimmy's shoes. I'm fine.

SPEAKER_03 2:16

They found the owner, Frank Johnson, sitting alone at the local coffee shop, wrapped around a cup of coffee that had long since gone cold. Dark soot streaked his face and shirt. His eyes were bloodshot. Exhaustion weighed him down, but underneath it sat something hotter. Anger. The kind that lingers after the smoke clears.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

Talk to my wife. We're in the middle of a divorce. She wanted the business, and when I refused, she said she'd burn it to the ground before she'd let me have it. Is she here today? She's in the back. I'm so upset that I thought it'd best if I stayed away from her.

SPEAKER_05 2:56

Let's go talk to the wife.

SPEAKER_06 2:58

She said she'd burn it to the ground. That seems pretty damning.

SPEAKER_05 3:01

Let's not jump to conclusions. It could be an unfortunate choice of words.

SPEAKER_03 3:07

Mrs. Johnson sat stiffly at the table, tapping her manicured nails against a cup. As Jason and Nicole approached, the wife picked a piece of ash off of her designer handbag. When questioned about the burning remark, the wife waved her hand in dismissal.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

That's just divorce talk. What good would a ruined business do me? Talk to Frank's business partner, Harry. They've been at each other's throats for weeks. Listen, do I look like a woman who handles gas cans?

SPEAKER_06 3:38

Hmm, the plot thickens. The partner has a motive.

SPEAKER_03 3:42

Business partner Harry admitted he had been angry when he found out Frank had been making business decisions without him, but not mad enough to burn down his own store. Harry nodded toward a nervous young man pacing the sidewalk.

SPEAKER_06 3:56

That's Carl, our day manager. Frank was about to fire him. Angry men sometimes get revenge. And he's sweating. That's a sign of guilt.

SPEAKER_05 4:05

You think everyone's sweating is guilty.

SPEAKER_06 4:08

It's science.

SPEAKER_05 4:09

It's Florida. But it could just be he's just nervous.

SPEAKER_03 4:13

Nicole glanced at Jason's notepad and noticed he had already filled three pages. One good thing about him, she didn't have to write the reports anymore. As they approached Carl, he wrung his hands and shifted his feet from side to side.

SPEAKER_04 4:27

I knew he would accuse me. Frank don't like me. Rumor was that he was gonna can me.

SPEAKER_05 4:32

Uh, can you tell us anything about the fire?

SPEAKER_04 4:35

I sure can. Frank recently upped his business policy to a million dollars. How do you know that? Because he had me witness the documents last month when the insurance man was here.

SPEAKER_03 4:46

Nicole and Jason stepped outside the coffee shop, out of Carl's hearing, while Jason flipped through the file.

SPEAKER_06 4:53

Yeah, it's right here in the file. Policy increased last month.

SPEAKER_05 4:57

That's a pretty big jump for a candy store. I say the owner had a million reasons to torch his own business.

SPEAKER_06 5:06

Maybe, but something's off.

SPEAKER_05 5:09

Since when do you get something's off feelings?

SPEAKER_06 5:12

Since I started writing reports, you don't read. I don't think we're looking at the right person.

SPEAKER_03 5:18

Solution.

SPEAKER_06 5:19

I got this. She mentioned gas cans before anyone said how the fire was set.

SPEAKER_05 5:24

Ah, the report wasn't made public yet.

SPEAKER_06 5:28

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 5:29

The wife knew about the new insurance policy. Money she could potentially get in the divorce. Sometimes the sharpest clue isn't hidden in the ashes, it's hidden in something said a little too soon. And sometimes, just sometimes, Jason Cross gets there first.

SPEAKER_05 5:46

Jason, that's actually good detective work.

SPEAKER_06 5:51

I come in handy.

SPEAKER_05 5:52

Don't let it get to your head. Too late. You realize this doesn't make you lead detective.

SPEAKER_06 5:59

I'm just saying maybe we should get matching rings. I mean mugs.

SPEAKER_05 6:03

Let's not get reckless.

SPEAKER_03 6:06

Next time on Norwood and Cross P.I. A quiet neighborhood, a missing set of expensive tools, and a smell so powerful it could knock a buzzard off a garbage truck. When a skunk crashes the crime scene, Jason nearly taps out of the investigation entirely.

SPEAKER_06 6:23

Nicole.

SPEAKER_03 6:36

One suspect swears he's innocent, another has something to hide, and someone tracked more than footprints back home. This case, a real stinker. The truth, unmistakable. The aftermath? Fabrize can only do so much. And now a word from our sponsor.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

At the Brotherhood Bakery, we believe every pastry tells a story. A story of opportunity. A story of how Carmine got bail and started this bakery. A story where you probably shouldn't ask questions. Whether you're in the mood for a buttery baguette or a confidential envelope sealed inside a vanilla pound cake, we got something fresh out of the oven for you. Come in for the croissants. Stay for the untraceable scones. Our back room stays closed, and so do our mouths. We're a little hard to find for a reason. Brotherhood Bakery. It's almost criminal how good our pastries are.

SPEAKER_06 7:45

You know, those croissants do sound pretty amazing. Uh, Jason. What?

SPEAKER_05 7:51

Their slogan includes the word criminal.

SPEAKER_06 7:53

That's just the marketing.

SPEAKER_05 7:55

Uh, someone just muttered in Russian.

SPEAKER_06 7:57

Um authenticity?

SPEAKER_05 8:00

Uh, if you bring home one cannoli with a tracking device in it, I'm changing the locks.

SPEAKER_06 8:06

So, no cannolis?

SPEAKER_05 8:09

We're done here.

SPEAKER_03 8:10

Later that evening, Jason returned home, kicked off his shoes, and walked into the living room. He stopped. Curled up comfortably on the couch was the same little orange cat.

SPEAKER_06 8:22

What? How did you get in here?

SPEAKER_03 8:24

The cat didn't move.

SPEAKER_06 8:26

Did you break into my house? You know what? I don't even want to know.

SPEAKER_03 8:32

Jason studied the cat for a moment.

SPEAKER_06 8:36

All right. If you're staying, you need a name.

SPEAKER_03 8:39

Jason opened a pizza box. The cat climbed directly inside the lid. A moment later, it jumped out with a piece of pepperoni.

SPEAKER_06 8:49

Pepperoni it is.