The Shadow of the Eagle

Gregory is suspected because he bears a strong vendetta against Evans Aero Co., which once stole his plans for a radio-piloted aircraft. Additionally, his background as a former WWI ace and his piloting skills make him a logical suspect for the skywriting saboteur. The fact that the Eagle's messages appeared after Gregory's grievance was known added to the suspicion.

Earlier mentions of Gregory's grudge against the company planted the seed for this suspicion.

The Eagle was a mysterious pilot who flew over Evans Aero Co. and wrote threatening messages in the sky. The first message was the ominous date May 23, 1918, which created fear among the company's employees and drew attention to the ongoing sabotage plot.

Craig McCoy became a suspect because he possessed skywriting skills similar to those used by the Eagle, and he had previously left a skywritten message after receiving payment from an anonymous source. This raised questions about whether he was working as a proxy for the real Eagle.

Mr. Green was a director at Evans Aero Co. who had flown in the same WWI squadron as the Eagle. Craig deduced that Green may have stolen Gregory's radio-piloted aircraft plans and was using the Eagle persona to cover his crimes while framing Gregory for the sabotage.

Craig's investigation into Green's past squadron connection revealed this link.

Gregory was kidnapped because the real Eagle (Mr. Green) wanted to silence him and prevent him from proving his innocence. With Gregory out of the way, Green could continue his scheme to frame Gregory for the crimes while covering his own tracks as the true mastermind.

The increasing pressure on Gregory and the conspiracy widening pointed to this kidnapping.

The stolen plans were Gregory's original blueprints for a radio-piloted aircraft, which Evans Aero Co. had illegally taken from him. This theft was the root of Gregory's vendetta against the company. Mr. Green had stolen these plans to use the technology for his own criminal purposes while framing Gregory as the saboteur.

Craig McCoy proved Gregory's innocence by investigating the conspiracy, identifying Mr. Green as the true villain, and recovering the stolen plans. He confronted Green and exposed him as the mastermind behind the Eagle's plot, which cleared Gregory's name and ended the threat to the carnival.

Craig's earlier confrontation with Green and recovery of the plans set up this resolution.

May 23, 1918 was the date the Eagle wrote in the sky above Evans Aero Co. as part of his threatening messages. This specific date was significant because it tied the sabotage plot to events from World War I, when both the Eagle and Gregory served as pilots, adding to the mystery of the saboteur's identity.

Mr. Green framed Gregory because Gregory had a known grudge against Evans Aero Co., making him the perfect patsy. By framing Gregory, Green could continue his sabotage operation while concealing his own theft of the radio-piloted aircraft plans and deflect suspicion away from himself as the true culprit.

Gregory's vendetta against the company made him an easy target for framing.

Craig enlisted the carnival's unusual trio - the midget, the strongman, and the ventriloquist - to aid in tracking down the mastermind. These unconventional helpers provided essential assistance in the pursuit, helping to close in on Mr. Green and bring the conspiracy to light.

The recruitment of these characters was set up earlier as a plot development.

A murder occurred at Evans Aero Co. offices during the investigation, which further implicated Gregory as a suspect in the crimes. This event deepened the mystery and added urgency to Craig and Jean's quest to find the real culprit and prove Gregory's innocence before more harm was done.