Something Old, Something New

Connie’s wedding-planning business, Connie’s Dreams, is struggling to attract clients. Penny volunteers her artistic talents for a new advertising campaign, while Emily and Matthew complain that Odyssey has not supplied them with a mystery worth solving. At the same time, Eugene warns everyone about a dangerous computer virus that steals a victim’s address book, sends itself to every contact, and then erases the computer’s files.

At Jacques Henri’s gallery, a blonde woman calling herself Jessica Brown claims to have found paintings in her grandmother’s attic that may be original works by Winslow Homer and Georgia O’Keeffe. One of them is believed to have been destroyed long ago, and the possibility of such a discovery captures Jacques’s attention. He agrees to inspect the collection at an apartment on Clover Ridge.

Emily and Matthew see Jessica leave the gallery, remove her blonde wig in an alley, and make a secretive telephone call. She reports that the initial contact has been made and that Jacques has taken the bait, then gives the address of the apartment. The young detectives follow her there. Although the apartment first appears empty, Jessica later returns with a handsome man, furniture, and several large covered paintings. Emily and Matthew record what they observe, convinced that they have finally found a real case.

Penny arranges a wedding-photo session at Trickle Lake for Connie’s brochure. Connie reluctantly puts on the dress she once intended to wear when she nearly married Mitch, while Wooton plays the groom in exchange for the promise of meatloaf. The photographs are meant only as samples, but the computer virus infects Penny’s work. It sends what looks like Connie and Wooton’s wedding invitation to everyone in her address book and then wipes out her contact information.

Congratulations, gifts, and excited messages pour in before Connie understands what has happened. Wooton enjoys the attention and suggests that they hold a party anyway. He even buys a pig for a roast, names it Ham Sandwich, and then becomes too fond of it to eat it. He decides that the party can feature a tofu pig instead.

Emily and Matthew warn Penny that the mysterious Jessica may be planning an art fraud. A message from Jacques says the paintings may be genuine and could transform his coming exhibition, making the young detectives fear that the trap is closing. Connie tries to correct the wedding rumor during Candid Conversations, only to hurt a caller who now feels excluded from a ceremony that never existed. Then Mitch calls the program. After hearing about Connie’s supposed engagement, he announces that he is getting married too.