Hello, search engine listeners.

Quick note before we start, I just wanted to say how excited I am about this new season of episodes we have for you.

We just have a bunch of stories, including this one, that are more experimental.

There will be some more original investigations, which we think you'll really enjoy.

And we've been able to do that because of you.

We've had a little more budget to add freelance production and research help, and that's because you all have been listening, you've been able to do that because of you. We've had a little more budget to add freelance production and research help.

And that's because you all have been listening.

You've been sharing the show with your friends.

And especially because some of you have even signed up for premium memberships to the show to our incognito mode feed.

And I just wanted to thank you all for that.

We are tremendously grateful.

We're going to have a bonus episode in the incognito mode feed in the next few days with me and our show's editor, Shruti Epinam and Annie.

It was a real treat to have her on mic.

You can hear that on incognito mode, which you can sign up for at search engine.com.

Okay, some quick ads, and then on with the show.

Okay. Okay, some quick ads and then on with the show. Welcome to search engine.

No question too big, no question too small.

This week's story began with a call from a listener named Alex. He was talking to me from his home in Chicago. Check 1-2. Hello. Hey, hey. Hello. How's it going? Hi. I'm doing well,

thanks. How are you, PJ? I'm okay. What are the posters behind you? Oh, so this is my home office

slash studio where it's just a bunch of random kind of music posters.

I've got his royal badness right here, Prince, one of my heroes.

It's mostly music-related stuff.

...