Chicago.
Union Station.
"Sheldon, where are you?"
Adam and Paige waited outside the station. The train from Los Angeles had already arrived, but Sheldon still hadn't emerged, so they called him again.
"Of course I'm inside the station!"
Sheldon said softly and cautiously.
"Come out already. We're outside."
Adam urged.
"Oh, I don't think so."
Sheldon shook his head like a rattle-drum.
Adam understood why.
Sheldon had heard Chicago's background music over the phone earlier, and it had scared him badly.
After Adam snapped at him, he had calmed down a little.
But in the brief thirteen minutes as the train entered the city, he had heard two more heartfelt performances of "Welcome to Chicago."
"Don't be scared."
Adam reassured him. "We're the Texas Trio. Don't disgrace our hometown!"
"Don't even think about it."
Cowardly Sheldon, transformed into a towering giant, held Texas Cowboy Sheldon firmly down. Sheldon kept shaking his head, showing none of Texas's spirit.
"Fine."
Adam sighed. "I didn't want to say this because I was afraid of scaring you, but with things like this, I have no choice.
Actually, performances of 'Welcome to Chicago' are even more frequent inside Union Station."
"I don't believe you."
Sheldon spoke in a Russified accent.
"You don't?"
Adam solemnly reminded him, "Think about it carefully. Union Station is packed with people.
With so many travelers coming and going, do you think there wouldn't be criminals looking to get a cut?
They're all seasoned professionals, good at spotting easy marks.
And who's an easy mark?
Who could be fatter than someone about to receive the prize money from a MacArthur Genius Grant?
The key is that this easy mark has absolutely no ability to resist. Send a little girl in with her bare hands to rob him, and she'd succeed easily.