The sixteen suspects of Where in Time (1989)
A rogues' gallery of pun-named V.I.L.E. operatives, logged by inmate number in the Chronoskimmer's evidence database.
Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? (1989) states its suspect count plainly: “There are sixteen possible suspects for the crime.” Fifteen are henchmen; the sixteenth is Carmen Sandiego herself, filed under Inmate Number 94327007 and occupation “Professional Ringleader.”
The gallery
- “Auntie” Bellum — a professional Southerner who won’t even walk on the north side of the street.
- Earl E. Bird — runs a worm ranch as cover for his illegal activities.
- Justin Case — a flamboyant lawyer specialising in pre-need lawsuits for accident cases.
- Molly Coddle — a sinister nanny, “the hoodlum version of Mary Poppins.”
- Nosmo King — sells fake mood rings and polyester toupees by mail.
- Rudy LePay — an ex-Parisian cab driver whose driving scares his fares into emptying their wallets.
- Kari Meback — also known as “The Virginia Creeper,” a cat burglaress who can’t bring herself to sell the kittens she steals.
- Minnie Series — a fading soap-opera star.
- Lee Ding and “Big” Bill Ding — identical twins; Lee is an authority on crime, Bill works in construction.
- Ernest Endeavor — a door-to-door cello salesman.
- Lynn Gweeny — owner of the Lot O’ Bologna Delicatessen, a well-known hoodlum hangout.
- Russ T. Hinge — a handyman and safecracker, “so crooked he once picked his own pocket.”
- Sybil Servant — a former Bureau of Standards employee who invented the wrapper that makes candy bars look twice as big.
- Sharon Sharalike — drives the “Howdy Harley” welcoming newcomers to the neighbourhood.
- Gene Yuss — sells dehydrated water and liquid ice to campers.
Filed by inmate number
The Chronoskimmer’s Data button presents these files as a grid of mugshot-style cards, each headed by an Inmate Number alongside hair and eye colour — the two traits, plus sex and a favourite artist or author, that the Evidence Database uses to narrow a case down to one name before issuing a warrant.
Climbing the ranks
A detective on this case starts as a Time Cadet and is promoted through Time Patroller, Time Investigator, Time Inspector, Time Detective and Ace Time Detective before reaching the top rank of Super Time Sleuth — seven levels in all, two more than the five ranks of the 1985 original. Unlike the Deluxe remake and America’s Past, the manual doesn’t dress the ending up as a Hall of Fame induction: solve about eighty cases and a detective is simply “retired from active duty.”