Some puzzles are unsolvable. This one was deadly.

When crossword puzzle mastermind Harold Aston is found dead in his locked study — shot in the back of the head with a million-dollar contest on the line — Norwood and Cross are called in to solve the only puzzle that really matters.

Aston had claimed he’d written a crossword so impossible that no one could solve it, allowing him to legally keep the contest’s million-dollar prize for himself. But before the world could test his boast, someone decided to end his game early.

As Nicole Norwood and Jason Cross dig through clues, suspects, and a suspicious number of reference books, they discover that ambition has sharp edges, clever people lie beautifully, and some puzzles are more dangerous than they look. With classic noir style, modern wit, and just enough bite, this episode delivers mystery, banter, and a murder that refuses to stay neatly in the margins.

Credits:

• Created, written, and produced by: Jody Lebel vojodylebel@gmail.com
• Directed by: Nick Omana - nick@nickomana.com
• Project Manager and Editor: Mark Winkworth - mjwinkusa@gmail.com
• Recorded at: Munjoy Studio – Mark Winkworth
• Foley/Sound Engineer: Tyler Walker – tyler.walker56@gmail.com

VOICEOVER CAST:

Narrator: Mike Coward stocos28@gmail.com

Jason: Max Culter maxbcutler@gmail.com

Nicole: Rachel Vega, rachel@rachelvegavo

Metromess Sponsor: Davey Jarrel | daveyhjarrell@gmail.com

Support the show

Divorced. Detectives. Disaster waiting to happen.

Norwood and Cross, P.I. is a character-driven audio drama blending mystery, comedy, and classic noir vibes. Nicole Norwood and Jason Cross—once married, now professionally entangled—run a private investigation agency where the crimes are strange, the clients are shady, and the personal tension is thicker than Jason’s terrible office coffee.

Episode 1, It’s In the Bag, is a classic whodunnit set inside a local jewelry store, where something valuable has gone missing, suspects are in short supply, and the biggest clue may be hiding in plain sight—if Jason can stop thinking about lunch long enough to notice.

Created, written, and produced by Jody Lebel, the series showcases a talented cast of voice actors and original sound design. It’s clever, quirky, and just serious enough to keep you guessing.

Credits:

• Created, written, and produced by: Jody Lebel vojodylebel@gmail.com
• Directed by: Nick Omana - nick@nickomana.com
• Project Manager and Editor: Mark Winkworth - mjwinkusa@gmail.com
• Recorded at: Munjoy Studio – Mark Winkworth
• Foley/Sound Engineer: Tyler Walker – tyler.walker56@gmail.com

Voiceover Cast:

• Narrator: Mike Coward - stocos28@gmail.com
• Jason: Max Cutler - MaxBCutler@gmail.com
• Nicole: Rachel Vegavo - rachel@rachelvegavo.com
• Mr. Benson: Mark Winkworth - mjwinkusa@gmail.com
• Fake Sponsor: Max Cutler - MaxBCutler@gmail.com

Support the show