0:00

Maxie Miles is a production of A Typical Artists

0:02

and I Heart Radio. While

0:05

appropriate for all ages, Maxie Miles

0:07

contains mod language, depictions of adult

0:09

character, smoking, and instances of danger.

0:15

M hmm,

0:25

wonderful, m hm hm

0:41

hm Okay.

0:49

Ship from

1:07

a Typical Artists and I Heart Radio. You're

1:09

listening to maxim Miles. This

1:35

is chapter one Hastings Happy,

1:40

Happy Monday. We're almost

1:42

their most The annual Hastings

1:44

Harvest Festival is a mere week away,

1:47

and what a festival it's going

1:49

to be. This is the big one, the Big

1:51

five, almost as

1:53

old as me and

1:56

I won't be the only piece of Hastings

1:58

history there. We've honored the

2:01

original then from nine and

2:03

we'll be hanging it over the town square.

2:08

Which brings me to a grim

2:10

bit of mayoral business that I

2:13

have to address this

2:15

morning. We discovered

2:19

kind of get a bit close, aren't we. If I

2:21

leave in the next two minutes, I'll be

2:23

fine. I guess I'm making these eggs for no

2:26

one then, sorry, Joe,

2:28

just take an apple or something at least, So,

2:31

did you sleep past your alarm? No? I

2:33

was up early working on the first quarterly

2:35

for Environmental Club. Oh Hey, you

2:38

got more kids to join? Well

2:41

no, not not exactly. Well,

2:43

then it's a dumb rule. I

2:45

don't see why you need ten students to sign

2:48

up in order to make a club. It's not my fault.

2:50

No one else cares about the environment. Principle

2:52

Jennings can't stop me from distributing

2:55

important literature about the climate just because

2:57

I don't have an actual club. Maxie

3:00

know, I know, don't harass

3:02

the Principle. You're not going to get any

3:04

calls from him this year, I promise good.

3:07

You know most people get calls from

3:09

the Principle because their kids are in trouble. You

3:12

should be proud of me. I am proud

3:14

of you, Max, But your poor middle school principal

3:16

when entirely gray in three years coincidence,

3:19

and you've got a fresh start with this one exactly.

3:22

And he's already coming around to my way of

3:25

thinking. I just know it. He's just

3:27

used to being caught up in soccer and whatever the

3:29

archers want. That never

3:31

mind, it's fine. I'm not going

3:33

to get caught up in Hastings high politics.

3:36

I'm going to focus on what really matters.

3:40

You'll be home for dinner tonight. I'm

3:45

going to the library after school,

3:47

but I'll be home after And are you

3:50

going to be doing your homework or spending

3:52

time on the internet. I can do research

3:54

on the internet. It counts as schoolwork.

3:57

I don't know about that, Joe. It's

3:59

nineteen. One of these days

4:01

you're going to have to learn how to use the internet.

4:04

I gotta good you

4:06

too, Oh,

4:22

Principal Jennings, Can I come by later

4:24

to talk about the environmental club? Now

4:26

is not a good time, Maxcine. I know that's

4:28

why I said later, get to class,

4:31

Maxine. I've still got five

4:34

minutes. Did

4:39

you hear that? Principal Jennings is

4:41

a great shirker of responsibility, still

4:43

giving you crap about environmental club. It's

4:46

a stupid rule. You

4:49

know. If you said you were

4:51

going to join, I bet I could get ten people to sign

4:53

up before home room. Listen. I care

4:55

about the environment too, you know I do. But between

4:58

the school paper and the fact that my dad still

5:00

pushing in after school job at the quarry, I

5:03

just don't have time for anything else. Jennings

5:06

is gonna come around eventually. I know you will. You've

5:08

got that right. He has to listen

5:11

to me about this or what You're going to annoy

5:13

him to death? Shut up? Ross.

5:15

I was talking to Riley, so

5:18

did you guys hear? I was just about to tell

5:20

her what what happened? Someone

5:23

spray painted the town square? What?

5:26

Yeah, with all this anti Hasting stuff,

5:28

Hastings as hell, wasting way

5:30

and Hastings the Archers are assholes.

5:34

Yeah, there were a couple of specific

5:37

Archer ones. Ransom Archer is

5:39

a liar? Whoa what that

5:42

one was actually on the Atticus

5:44

Archer statue. Someone's

5:47

clearly got a beef. Are

5:50

you guys talking about the graffiti? Oh?

5:53

Hey, theo Hey what?

5:56

I don't get a hello? Hi, Jenna.

5:59

Can you guys believe that something exciting

6:01

actually happened in Hastings?

6:06

Nowhere yet? But apparently the mayor

6:08

is pissed? I mean, are you surprised?

6:11

How has been mayor for like a thousand

6:13

years and nothing like this has ever happened

6:15

before. Do you think they're going to cancel the Harvest

6:18

festival and miss a chance to go

6:20

on and on about how Hastings is the backbone

6:22

of Americana? I doubt it. Some

6:25

of us actually like the festival, Ross,

6:28

Maybe those of us still living in the sixth

6:31

grade. Come

6:34

on, none of you were planning

6:36

on going and do what a

6:39

hay ride Bob for apples?

6:42

I mean there's lots of stuff.

6:44

The bookstore always does have priced books.

6:47

THEO. You like that kind of thing, right?

6:50

Oh um?

6:52

I mean we are kind

6:55

of too old for most of this stuff now right,

6:58

I'll probably be going Max. Maybe

7:01

we can meet up. Yeah,

7:03

yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks

7:06

Riley, Riley,

7:10

are you coming? Ye? See

7:12

you guys? By

7:15

THEO? By? What

7:19

do you want? Teller? Nothing?

7:22

Just surprised you didn't have a million

7:24

questions about the graffiti. What are you talking

7:26

about? Seems like you're kind of thing.

7:29

What makes you think you know what my kind

7:31

of thing is? We've been next

7:34

door neighbors since we were two in Locker

7:36

neighbors since the sixth grade. I think I know you're pretty

7:38

well at this point, and I know

7:40

you love sticking your nose in town business. Physical

7:43

proximity doesn't automatically equal

7:45

emotional closeness. But I'm

7:47

right, aren't I? By Ross,

7:51

I heard they've already got a cleaning crew on it, So

7:53

if you want to get a good look at it, you should

7:55

go right after school? Whatever?

7:58

Ross, how

8:17

long is this going to take I need this cleaned up

8:19

now. We told you, Mr Roger,

8:21

we gotta get to the roads and the wall

8:24

first, then we'll get to the statue.

8:26

This is my great grandfather right here. Do

8:28

you realize how long my family has been in this town.

8:30

We built Hastings and Mayor Hall is

8:33

in charge of Hastings and he wants

8:35

the roads cleaned up first. Hey,

8:39

how long have you guys been cleaning this place up?

8:41

Since this morning? There was that much?

8:44

Or they're working extremely slowly?

8:47

There was that much? Was

8:49

it all anti Hastings, all

8:52

in the same handwriting? I don't know, kid,

8:54

I wasn't taking notes. Oh I

8:57

see it's Max right,

9:00

um, yeah, yeah,

9:02

you're that kid that likes solving little mysteries and

9:04

stuff. Right, I've been known to

9:07

help out. I'll give you twenty bucks if

9:09

you can find out who vandalized our statue. That's

9:11

okay, I don't want your money. What

9:14

why? What time did you get into town this

9:16

morning? Mr Archer? What? Oh

9:20

about? And all of this was already

9:22

here right? Obviously Hal

9:25

apparently discovered it this morning on his usual

9:27

six am power walk. Did you notice

9:30

it when you left the tavern? Last night. How do you

9:32

know I was in the tavern? Were you? Yes?

9:36

No, it wasn't there, or at least if

9:38

it was, I didn't notice it. And what time

9:41

was that? Eleven thirty or so? I

9:43

thought the tavern closed at eleven on weeknights.

9:46

When your name is on it, it closes whenever you

9:48

want, right, and

9:50

the message it seems

9:52

up pointed. Yeah,

9:56

I'll say, can you think of anyone who

9:58

might want to call you a liar? Publicly?

10:01

Very publicly? Whoever they are,

10:03

they'll have to contend with my lawyer. Yeah,

10:10

you figure out who did it? Yet? Why does everyone

10:12

automatically assume I'm trying to figure out who

10:14

did it? No, not

10:16

yet. I want to help me ask around

10:18

town. Can't I've got to go to

10:20

the mayor's office. Could you tell him to speed

10:22

up his cleaning crew. Sure, I'll get

10:25

right on that. I don't get smart with

10:27

me. I was come on, seriously,

10:29

you're gonna do the planters before the statue?

10:32

Okay, I guess

10:34

that's the end of our conversation. That

10:37

guy is such a dick. Riley,

10:40

what you're going to disagree? He was

10:42

being sort of helpful.

10:45

At least I know that the vandals did this after before

10:48

six am. Really tight window there, Max,

10:51

It's a start. Why are you

10:53

going to the Mayor's office? Um,

10:55

just an interview for the paper. You're doing

10:57

a piece on mayor how No, just general

11:00

town stuff. The new mining project,

11:02

the fiftieth festival, the new innkeeper.

11:04

Oh yeah, I heard about that. I

11:06

can't believe someone actually bought that place.

11:09

Apparently she's from New York, like the

11:12

city. That's what I've heard. Wow,

11:14

that is so cool. One

11:17

d years. That's all old. The statue

11:20

is if my father sees this will all be a

11:22

deep ship. I can't believe

11:25

that that is the guy who's going to inherit

11:27

half this town. Maybe he's

11:29

not as bad as as what he

11:31

seems his dad as the way

11:33

he's always behaved. Okay,

11:35

fair point. Sorry, I don't

11:37

mean to. It's it's

11:40

just frustrating. You know, the

11:42

Archers care so much about their stupid

11:45

family legacy. The Archer line

11:48

that stuff just isn't important. Family

11:51

is what you make it, not who you share DNA

11:54

or last name with. Are you okay, Riley?

11:56

Yeah? Sorry, I'm fine. Just

12:00

sick of this place. I get that.

12:03

You what come on, Max?

12:06

You love Hastings. It has

12:08

its charms. Only you could

12:10

be looking at anti town graffiti and complimenting

12:12

the town at the same time. You

12:15

really always see the best in things, don't you.

12:17

You say that like it's a bad thing. I

12:20

gotta get going. Good luck with your interview

12:22

and good luck with your mystery.

12:24

Thanks, see you tomorrow. Hey,

12:30

Max, don't

12:32

ask me how I know this, but the graffiti

12:35

wasn't here at one am. Might

12:37

help you tighten that window. Wait what

12:40

Riley? See you? Nancy Drew? Excuse

12:59

me? Do you have any books on the history

13:01

of the area. Yes, that shelf back

13:03

there is our Hastings history section, mostly

13:06

old newspapers and pampus from town events,

13:09

though there are a few books in the mining industry in the Archer

13:11

family, one of the founding families of the

13:13

town. Oh great, thank you,

13:16

that's very helpful. Do you have any maps,

13:18

old maps especially, it would be helpful.

13:21

Maps won't help you learn the place very well. Now.

13:24

We may not be on the cutting edge, but Hastings has changed

13:26

through the years. Oh it's um. I just

13:29

moved into the old inn and I'd love

13:31

to get my hands on the original blueprints if I

13:33

could even what the street used

13:35

to look like would be a great help. You're

13:37

the new owner of the maple Thorpe and yes,

13:41

Alana Honeywell, nice to make

13:43

your acquaintance. It's delight for the meet

13:45

miss Honeywell. That's a great property. It

13:48

is. You can find blueprints at city

13:50

Hall. I'm sorry. If you're looking

13:52

for old blueprints of the Maplethorpe, they'll have

13:54

them at city Hall. I'm sure may Or how would

13:56

be happy to help you personally. He's a really

13:59

nice guy and he loves of all that town history

14:01

stuff. Well,

14:04

thank you, yes, thank you, Maxine.

14:07

This is Maxine Miles, one of our more precocious

14:10

residents. That's a new one. It's

14:12

lovely to meet you, Maxine Miles.

14:15

I'm Alana Honeywell. You're from New

14:17

York. I

14:19

am how did you know? As

14:22

I said, precocious. It's

14:25

a small town and I've lived here my whole

14:27

life, so I see.

14:30

Well, Maxine Miles, it

14:32

is extra lovely to meet you. Then. I've

14:35

only been here about twelve hours, but I've

14:37

gotten the distinct impression that I'm the first

14:39

new person in Hastings in a million

14:41

years. Something like that. I

14:44

could very much use a guide one

14:47

Hastings, New Hampshire Guide at your service.

14:51

You've only been here twelve hours something

14:53

like that. I got in late last night.

14:56

The inn is right on the town square, Yes

14:58

it is. Do you mind if I ask you a couple

15:00

of questions. I'm

15:12

Hume in the kitchen.

15:16

Hey, can I have dinner in my room? Well?

15:18

Hello to you too. Why are you Are you

15:20

feeling okay? Oh? Yeah, I'm fine. I

15:22

just have a lot of work to do. You can't

15:24

take half an hour to eat dinner at the table. Did

15:26

you hear about the graffiti in the town square.

15:28

Yeah, I saw it on my way into work this morning. Mayor

15:31

Howse said he might delay the festival if they can't

15:33

figure out who did it. So

15:35

let me guess you're going to figure it

15:37

out. We think about it. It was almost

15:40

certainly a high schooler, I mean, pretty

15:42

juvenile prank, right, So they

15:44

probably used spray paint taken either from the

15:46

theater department or the mines, which narrows

15:48

things down considerably. Based

15:50

on the interviews I've conducted, the graffiti was

15:52

most likely sprayed between one am and five

15:55

am, which means that it's probably someone who

15:57

lives in a short walking distance to town or

15:59

has a call are, because who's going to walk a mile

16:01

in the middle of the night, in the middle of October

16:03

to just spray paint some rude phrases

16:05

that they must have known would have been power washed away

16:07

in a second. Plus, Miss Honnee

16:10

Well said she saw two people in town Square

16:12

last night around midnight, one of them wearing what she

16:14

thinks might have been a letterman jacket, though

16:16

she's not sure because obviously she doesn't

16:18

know what our school colors are yet. But if she is

16:21

right, then I would bet my life that

16:23

one of those people was Cody Thompson, who

16:25

lives right off of Main Street and whose brothers started

16:27

working in the quarry last month. I mean,

16:30

some of the graffiti looked like the same color

16:32

as the stuff they used to make the markings for

16:34

the detonation spots. Now I

16:36

can't be sure, because by the time I got to town

16:38

Square half of it was already washed away.

16:41

And I don't know who the second person is yet,

16:43

but I'm close, and I

16:45

think if I just spent some time

16:47

looking through the yearbook, I'll be able to piece together

16:51

how on Earth It's been

16:53

a very productive day

16:59

who's miss Honeywell, she's bought the old

17:01

Maplethorpe in She just got to town yesterday

17:04

from New York City. I met her at

17:06

the library this afternoon. She's beautiful

17:08

and smart and way too cool

17:10

to be in Hastings, of all places. I

17:13

didn't even realize that old place was even on

17:15

the market. I guess someone in her family knew

17:17

Mrs Maplethorpe. I think it was one of those private

17:19

deals. I don't know. Anyway,

17:25

You see now how much work I have to do, so if

17:27

you don't mind, Oh, come on,

17:29

Max, the Combs are coming for dinner. I at

17:31

least like what. Well,

17:33

yeah, Walt and I set it up when we were playing

17:35

cards last weekend, and THEO Combs

17:38

is coming here tonight.

17:40

I thought you liked THEO. What

17:42

who told you that? No? I don't. I don't

17:45

like THEO. Wait? What He's not a bully?

17:47

Is he? Because not that I'd expect that from Walt's kid,

17:49

but I hear that's a real problem in schools these

17:51

days. What. No, THEO is not a

17:54

bully. He's he's really kind

17:56

and smart, and he's sensitive

17:59

and he's got Oh I

18:01

see you like

18:03

THEO. What

18:06

No, that's great, Like I knew he was a good kid.

18:08

Oh my god, I'm not. You can't.

18:11

I do not like THEO. It's

18:13

okay, I won't. I won't. I won't tell um

18:15

though. You know, if you two wanted to go and

18:18

get some hot chocolate after dinner, that would

18:20

be okay with me. You're almost fifteen

18:22

and freakishly responsible as long

18:24

as you aren't gonna well park

18:28

anywhere. I am going to sink into

18:30

the ground and die if you don't stop talking

18:33

right now, right right now, okay,

18:35

and I'll stay out of it. Oh

18:40

that must be them. I should open the wine,

18:43

Max, Can you get the door? What? No?

18:46

I have to I can't, So

19:01

THEO. How's your freshman

19:03

year going? It's going okay, Thanks

19:05

for asking, Mr Miles. You can just call me

19:07

Joe. Right. You're

19:09

enjoying your schoolwork. Yeah. We're doing

19:11

Frankenstein in English right now. So that's pretty

19:13

cool. Oh I love that book.

19:16

Max. You didn't mention you were doing Frankenstein.

19:19

Oh yeah, we started

19:21

it last week. It's okay. Not

19:23

a fan of horror, Maxine, No,

19:26

it's not that well. Max isn't the

19:28

biggest reader in the world. What, No,

19:30

that's not true. I feel like every

19:32

other time I see you, you've got your nose

19:35

buried in some book. I do. I mean

19:37

I like reading, of

19:40

course, you do. You. I

19:42

just meant that Maxine reads a lot of nonfiction,

19:46

a little SCHOLARO. Fiction

19:49

is all that THEO reads. Yeah,

19:52

pretty much any kind of literature,

19:54

novels, poetry, whatever, Yeah,

19:57

me too, I love all

19:59

that stuff. Really, max, I

20:01

didn't think you liked poetry. Yeah,

20:05

I've read it all the time. Really,

20:08

who's your favorite poet? Uh?

20:13

Hemingway. I

20:15

don't think I even knew that Hemingway wrote poetry.

20:18

Yeah, yeah, he wrote some

20:21

stuff. Well, I mean, obviously he's most

20:23

famous for his

20:26

his his novels. Write

20:28

his novels, But his poetry,

20:31

it's it's good, cool,

20:33

cool cool. I'll have to check that out,

20:35

Yeah, for sure. So

20:44

well. Any news on

20:46

the graffiti artists. Nothing

20:48

yet. The mayor is awfully

20:50

worried about it happening again, but I told him

20:52

it's probably just some kids blowing off steam,

20:55

not a criminal mastermind. I

20:57

doubt it. Still, I'm

21:00

sure we'll track them down in time for them to volunteer

21:02

at the Harvest Festival. I would

21:04

have left the graffiti up until those responsible

21:06

could clean it up themselves. But you

21:09

know how, I think Max has

21:12

some theories about who might have done it in the right kiddo,

21:14

What No, I don't. That's

21:17

right, our resident amateur sleuth.

21:21

You're still into that stuff, Max, the like

21:24

Harriet the spy stuff. Oh no,

21:26

no, definitely not. I just

21:30

heard some things when I was in town

21:32

today, that's all. While I was

21:34

on my way to the library to see what

21:36

new books they had. I need some new

21:38

reading. Of course, I've

21:42

got to homework.

21:45

I've got to do homework. Wait.

21:48

Max, thanks for dinner, Joe. It was good

21:50

seeing you. Mr Colmes a sheriff.

21:53

Sir theo so

22:09

damn stupid?

22:14

What's stupid? Not now, teller

22:17

rough night, I said, not now.

22:21

My night was spent convincing Mr

22:23

Beatie that I wasn't the one who stole his garden home,

22:25

which was not successful because I'm pretty

22:27

sure Ansell stole it and put it in our shed. Isn't

22:29

Ansel like seven? Oh?

22:32

And already the anti Christ? Yes, I

22:34

thought Charlotte was the Antichrist.

22:36

All of them spawns of Satan. They're

22:39

your siblings. Wouldn't that make you spawn of

22:41

Satan to Mr Beady Shore

22:43

seems to think so, Well, maybe if

22:45

you weren't so rude to him all the time. He's

22:47

creepy. You have us is

22:50

the buffer zone between your house and his. You don't

22:52

realize how creepy he is. He's

22:54

a lonely old man. Ross pick on someone

22:56

else. I don't pick on Mr Beati. I

23:01

so what's going on with you? Did I see

23:03

the columbs leave earlier? Yeah? They

23:06

were here for dinner? Do

23:08

you what? No? Why does

23:10

everyone think that? I don't

23:12

know. No one's that quiet

23:15

without some kind of ulterior motive. You

23:18

don't always have to see the worst in people, Teller,

23:21

and you don't always have to have blinders

23:23

on about everyone. Miles. I

23:25

don't, after all. I see you

23:27

for who you are, right

23:31

whatever? Yeah, see, it's school

23:33

tomorrow. I guess have

23:48

you seen Riley today? Good morning, Jenna,

23:51

So senior locker mate

23:53

recently, I don't know, vandalized

23:56

any beloved town landmarks recently?

24:00

What Cody Thompson is your

24:02

boyfriend? Right? I have it

24:04

on good authority that he was one of the people

24:06

in the town square the other night, and there

24:08

was someone else with him, and you weren't

24:11

wearing nail polish yesterday, even though you

24:13

always wear nail polish, which suggests

24:15

to me you had to use remover on your

24:17

hands, maybe to get off some spray

24:19

paint. God, you

24:21

think that you're so smart,

24:24

don't you, Maxine, always

24:26

putting together a little clues and

24:29

mapping out timelines. Here's

24:32

a timeline for you. Cody

24:34

and I broke up at the beginning of the summer,

24:37

and I didn't have nail polish on yesterday

24:40

because I got a manicure with my sister

24:42

after school. See,

24:46

you could have just asked me, max

24:49

you don't always need to prove that you're

24:51

better than everyone else. No,

24:54

that's not what students.

24:56

Please rewards to the auditorium for

24:58

an emergency assembl All

25:01

students to the auditorium.

25:04

What's that about? Whatever it is,

25:06

I doubt it's good. Why

25:08

do you assume it's bad. The sheriff

25:10

just walked in. Settle

25:28

down, a lease, settle down. We'll

25:32

give you back to class in a moment. But Jeff

25:35

Colmes is here with a very important announcement.

25:38

Good afternoon, students. We've

25:41

got ourselves a bit of a situation. Here is

25:44

he actually going to call someone out for vandalism

25:46

in front of the whole school. Sh

25:49

Now, this is a serious matter, so

25:52

I need everyone to pay very close attention.

25:55

About an hour ago, we discovered that

25:57

Riley Stevens has gone missing.

26:03

Maxie Miles was created by Lauren Shippen and

26:05

as a production of a Typical Artists and Imhart Radio.

26:07

This episode was written and directed by Lauren Shippen. Dialogue,

26:10

editing and sound designed by Morrissy Ewing Hemlock

26:12

Creek Productions, with editing assistance

26:14

from Laurian Davis. It featured Jordan Cobb

26:16

as Maxie Miles, Mixa Follow as

26:19

Ross teller A, Shanny cannon Car as Jenna

26:21

Ambrose, Morgan el Garton asco

26:23

Combs, Michael Smallwood as Uncle

26:25

Joe, Sean Jane as Sheriff Combs,

26:28

Josh Robino as Mayor how Andrew Nook

26:30

as Ransom Archer, Jacqueline Landgraph

26:32

as a lot of Honeywell Pacific, Obadiah

26:34

as Principal Jennings, Chris Boyki as

26:36

crew member, Lauren Shippen as librarian,

26:39

with Griggan Snow as Riley Stephens.

26:41

Original artwork by Shane McMullan for more

26:44

information about the show, he's visit Maxi

26:46

miles dot com and followed at a typical Artists

26:48

on Twitter and Instagram. Maxie Miles

26:50

is executive produced by Lauren Shippen and iHeart

26:52

Radio, and for more podcast from My heart Radio,

26:55

visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

26:57

or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Thank you

26:59

for listening and keep curious.