They liked to explore and figured the area might turn up something interesting, or at least a few coins to spend. What they didn't count on finding was a bright red car with the words `The Monkees painted on the side.
"Hey Frankie, look at this!" Ed called over to his younger brother.
Frank ran over to join his brother. He looked with admiration at the groovy looking car. It would be a few years before either boy would be able to get a license, but that didn't stop them from dreaming of driving such a car some day.
"Wow, what a car." Frank said
"Yeah, but what's it doin' out here?" Ed asked, looking inside the interior. "There's nothing out here."
"I dunno." Frank answered, "Maybe the circus people left it." He tried to open the driver's door, but it was locked. "It's locked. I guess the owner must be around somewhere."
Ed just shrugged his shoulders and then he and his brother walked away. They walked to where the tents used to be. The grass was all trampled down in that area. Happily, the boys picked up a few coins which had been dropped, then Frank saw something green lying in the grass. He walked over to it and saw it was a wool hat with a pompom on top.
"Look what I found, Ed!" He called over to his brother, as he put the hat on.
"A hat?" Ed said, "Who would be wearing a wool hat in the summer?"
"I'm gonna keep it." Frank said, "It might come in handy."
"Suit yourself." Ed replied, then spied something shiny in the grass a few feet away.
"Hey!" He shouted, walking over to the object. "Look what I found!"
"What?" Frank asked.
Ed picked up a key ring with keys on it. He held it up for his brother.
"Groovy!" Frank exclaimed, snatching the keys from his brother, "Maybe they go with that car!" With that, Frank ran back to the Monkeemobile.
"Hey, wait for me!" Ed yelled, running after him.
Frank went back over to the Monkeemobile and wasted no time trying the keys in the lock. The second key he tried opened the driver's door.
"I was right!" Frank exclaimed. "This is great!"
He opened the door and sat down in the driver's seat.
"Frank, what are you doing?" Ed exclaimed, "This isn't our car!"
"Oh, I'm just looking." Frank said, looking over the controls. "Come on, sit down," He opened the front passenger side door for his brother. Ed opened the door and sat down next to his brother.
"Frankie, we could get in trouble for this." Ed told his brother.
"Oh, you worry too much." Frank said as he put the key in the ignition. "If the guy who owns this car wanted it back, he would've come for it, right?"
"Maybe he lost the keys so he couldn't drive it home." Ed countered. "I found those keys far from the car."
Frank responded by adjusting the driver's seat. "Man, whoever drives this car sure is tall." He fixed it so that he could now reach the pedals with ease, then looked at his brother.
"Wanna see how it runs?" He asked with a smile.
"No, Frank." Ed said, "This isn't our car."
"I know that!" Frank said, rolling his eyes, "But what harm is there in taking it for a little spin around the parking lot?"
"Well…." Ed replied.
"Good!" Frank smiled and turned the ignition. The Monkeemobile started right up.
"Wow! Purrs like a kitten." Ed smiled.
"Let's see what this baby can do!" Frank laughed as he put the car into gear. He gunned the engine and the Monkeemobile peeled down the lot. Frank hit the brakes and smiled at the sound of rubber squealing.
"Ok, Frank." Ed told him. "We tried the car out. Let's take the keys to the police and…"
But Frank wasn't listening to his brother. Without a word, he floored the gas and took the Monkeemobile out onto the street.
"Frank! What are you doing!" Ed shouted.
"YeeHA! Frank yelled as they tore down the highway. "What a ride!"
"Frankie, pull over! NOW!" Ed demanded.
"Why should I?" Frank shot back.
"That's why!" Ed retorted, pointing behind them.
Frank looked in the rear-view mirror to see a police car behind them, sirens blaring and the red and blue dome lights shining brightly.
"Oh, man..." Ed whispered as he pulled the car over to the curb.
"Yeah, the car belongs to one Michael Nesmith." The police officer
said into his radio as he looked at the insurance papers he had
taken from the glove box. He looked at the two boys sitting
nervously in the back seat of his police car.
"I have two boys here who claim they found the car abandoned by the old high school." He said with a small smile. "I'll take them to the station so I can call their parents. Were there any calls about a stolen car?"
"Negative, Joe." The dispatcher replied, "But I'm sending out a tow- truck for the car and I'll have someone call Mr. Nesmith so he can pick up his car up at the pound."
"Ten-four." Joe said and put the radio back in its place. He looked at the boys and noticed the hat Ed was wearing.
"Isn't it kind of warm to wear that kind of hat, son?" He asked.
"I found it, officer." Ed said meekly. "It was near the car keys."
"Seems like all you and your brother found was trouble." Joe responded, shaking his head, "You should've just turned the keys over to the police. Now you boys might get charged with theft, driving without a license…"
"He was driving!" Ed yelled, pointing at Frank.
"Shut up!" Frank yelled at his brother.
"That's enough, both of you." Joe said sternly, "I'm taking you two down to the station and we'll get it sorted out there."
Ed and Frank simply hung their heads as the officer started the police car and drove away. A tow truck came up in front of the Monkeemobile a few seconds later and the driver began to get his truck ready to take the Monkeemobile to the pound.
Back at the police station, an officer called the number of the Monkees' pad, but nobody answered. Nor did anybody answer the phone the next several times he called throughout the day.