Wilmington, NC 10 - Much Ado About Murder, page 1
part #10 of Wilmington, N.C. Series
ELLEN ELIZABETH HUNTER
MUCH ADO ABOUT MURDER
A Magnolia Mystery featuring The Thalian Association
Published by:
Magnolia Mysteries
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction
in whole or in part in any form.
This is a work of fiction that features a very real organization: the Thalian Association, the Official Community Theater of North Carolina as enacted by The General Assembly of North Carolina, May 29, 2007.
Copyright 2012 by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter
ISBN 978-0-9755404-9-7
Cover and book design by Tim Doby
Also by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter
MAGNOLIA MYSTERIES
Murder on the Ghost Walk
Murder on the Candlelight Tour
Murder at the Azalea Festival
Murder at Wrightsville Beach
Murder on the ICW
Murder on the Cape Fear
Christmas Wedding
Murder at the Bellamy Mansion
Murder at the Holiday Flotilla
Much Ado About Murder
SUSPENSE THRILLERS
Lady Justice
Dead Ringer
Visit Ellen’s website:
www.ellenhunter.com
A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO
Our Wilmington actors who gift us with their extraordinary acting, singing, and dancing in Thalian Association productions. You bring us to our feet with applause at every performance!
Vivian Parlier-Burnett, chairman of the 225th anniversary celebration, for inviting me to write a mystery featuring the outstanding, historic Thalian Association.
Dr. Curt Stiles for sharing his research of the Thalian Association’s history.
Phoebe and Terry Bragg for giving me a tour of their beautifully restored home on South Front Street and for permitting me to use their home as the inspiration for Dalton Montjoy’s home. Before the Braggs restored their house, it had served as a B&B. The age of the house has been changed to further the plot.
Captain Doug Springer of Wilmington Water Tours for sharing Colonel Thomas Bludworth’s story with me.
Taylor Council, R.N., for sharing his medical knowledge about comatose patients.
The Canady family for their donation to the Cape Fear Museum in honor of their relative, Major Canady, whose name is included in this book.
Bouquets to the dedicated Thalian Association Board of Directors who work tirelessly year after year to give us outstanding productions. Visit their website: www.thalian.org.
As always, thank you to my talented designer, Tim Doby of Doby Designs.
2012-2013 THALIAN ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
H. E. “HANK” MILLER III, President
JERRY FLAKE, Vice President
DANNY BROCK, Treasurer
SALLY HOWE, Secretary
VIVIAN PARLIER-BURNETT
DON BETZ
DEBBIE ELLIOTT
DONNA FLAKE
TORI JONES
TINA LEAK
S. FRANK MCNEILL
MELYNDA MCNEIL
JIM PRIDEMORE
JUSTIN SORRELLS
CURT H. STILES, Ph.D.
FRED WINE
SUSAN HABAS, Managing Director
TOM BRIGGS, Artistic Director
JASON AYCOCK, TACT Artistic Director
1
Jon and I had front row seats at the Hannah Block Second Street Stage theater. My sister Melanie sat beside me with her husband Cameron Jordan on her left.
On stage, our half-sister Scarlett Barrett sang a Cole Porter tune, Begin the Beguine. The audience swayed, finding it impossible to resist the rhythm. Scarlett is a talented and famous Broadway star. Most recently, she played the lead female role of Miss Adelaide in the revival of Guys and Dolls at the Nederlander Theater. But Scarlett had not signed on for the national tour so when the show went on the road, Scarlett remained in New York with her husband Ray. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving Ray to go on tour,” she had told our Aunt Ruby during a telephone conversation in the spring.
And clever Aunt Ruby had suggested that as they owned a house at Wrightsville Beach, she and Ray should consider spending more time “down home with kin folks.” Scarlett and Ray stayed through the summer, loving Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach so much they decided to make the move permanent. Ray could easily direct his financial investments from here and Scarlett was ready for a break.
Now Ray accompanied her on the piano along with a small orchestra that included an alto sax. Scarlett’s Cabaret Night was sold out with an audience of about two hundred filling the historic auditorium. In addition to members of the Thalian Association along with actors, directors, choreographers, producers, and tech crews, members of the local and national press were present. There was Marimar McNaughton representing Lumina News and Wrightsville Beach Magazine. Francis Weller from WECT-TV. A reporter from WHQR. A couple of journalists from the Star-News. And because of his friendship with Scarlett, Patrick Healy of the New York Times had flown in to cover the event.
Scarlett sang the best of Cole Porter, including my favorite You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To. Jon and I held hands and I had to stop myself from humming along. She sang Rodgers and Hart’s Blue Moon and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific, my favorite musical ever.
During a brief intermission, we stretched our legs and wandered out into the lobby, restored to its 1943 appearance along with furniture from the period. “This must have been the hottest place in town when it was the USO,” I said to Jon and Melanie. Cam had been dragged off by someone wanting to talk television business.
Melanie, too, was working the crowd with her eyes. Honing in on her target, she told me, “There’s Dalton Montjoy. My sources tell me he’s putting his house on the market. I’ve got to snag him.”
And she was gone. Off to talk to Mr. Montjoy who I knew from the neighborhood and who tonight was leaning on a cane.
I laughed up at Jon. “He hasn’t got a prayer. Don’t you run off too.”
He gave me a squeeze. “Not a chance.”
“Why do I love those old songs so much?” I’ve often wondered why the music of my parents’ day was so absolutely splendid and lyrical. Almost as if the best in music had already been written.
“They’re classics,” he replied. “They’ll always be popular.”
“You’re so smart,” I praised him which pleases him no end. Hey, if you’ve got a wonderful husband you’ve got to keep him happy.
After the intermission, Scarlett moved on to the greatest songs of Irving Berlin and I was in heaven. “I love his music,” I whispered to Jon as my amazing half-sister sang They Say It’s Wonderful.
Jon whispered back, “He is America’s greatest song writer.”
At the end of the concert, Scarlett rose to take bow after bow as the audience cheered and gave her a standing ovation. Scarlett looks just like our mama. Favors her just as Melanie does. Creamy ivory complexion, auburn hair, yellow-green eyes. Long luxurious black eyelashes that make me ill with envy. Scarlett wore a white evening gown and on stage she appeared to glow.
Cries of “Encore, encore,” rose from the audience. Scarlett moved closer to the piano to sing one more tune by Berlin, Always.
Taking her final bow, Scarlett left the stage and the cheering audience to join us in the front row in the seat we had saved for her.
Then Susan Habas, the Thalian Association’s Managing Director, came onto the stage.
“Doesn’t she look stunning in that sequined sheath dress?” Melanie whispered to me as Susan’s dress shimmered in the spotlights.
“That’s an impossible act to follow,” Susan said with a big smile. “We are most grateful to Scarlett Barrett for her performance tonight with all funds raised going to the Thalian Association. The association was established in 1788 for the purpose of bringing arts education and performing arts to Wilmington and southeastern North Carolina. Today, we continue to preserve that tradition, enriching the artistic environment of the Cape Fear region. Revenue from ticket sales funds only a portion of our operating costs and community projects and we depend upon the generosity of patrons to bridge that crucial gap. Our membership table is set up in the lobby and we invite you to join our Thalian family today and let the community know you support the performing arts in the Port City.
“Now I have the great pleasure to introduce Mr. Cameron Jordan and Mr. Ray Barrett, who have an immensely important announcement to make. Everyone in Wilmington knows who Cam Jordan is, having produced two hit television series. He’s been a big supporter of the Thalian Association, devoting hours and hours of his free time as a volunteer in just about every capacity. Cam’s got a day job, as they say. He’s the founder and CEO of Gem Star Studios, one of our local television and motion picture production companies.
“But Mr. Ray Barrett is new to us here in Wilmington. He’s an investment financier and we hope to see more of him in the future. I give you Cameron and Ray!”
Susan stepped off as Cam ascended to the stage where Ray waited at the podium. Cam was laughing. “You can say all you want about my credentials, Susan, but truth be told I am best known as Melanie Wilkes’s husband. Everyone knows Melanie. She’s sold houses to half the town. But not everyone knows me.”
There was laughter and a sprinkling of applause.
“And I,” Ray said with a broad smile, “am best known as Scarlett Barrett’s husband. In fact, I’ve been called Mr. Barrett so often I gave up and changed my last name to Barrett. It’s not the name I was born with but hey! you girls change your last names to your husband’s all the time. Why can’t a man do the same thing for his wife?”
The audience was totally charmed. Totally disarmed. They loved Ray and Cam.
Cam is long and rangy with thick sandy hair and bushy eyebrows. He looks like just what he is: a nice guy. Unassuming and humble, despite his worldly position. Likeable. Everyone’s favorite big brother. And he’s been a good influence on my often-times head-strong and irrepressible sister Melanie.
“In all seriousness, folks, we do have an important announcement to make,” Cam said.
I whispered to Jon, “Don’t you just love how Cam has picked up our Southern style of speech.” Cam is originally a sunny California boy. But this summer, he’s been in a deep funk. Now, Cam is a really good guy, a prince of a fellow. And ordinarily in good spirits. Always patient. Always giving and forgiving. The only man who’s been able to lead Melanie to the altar although many have tried.
Why has Cam been in such a bummer state of mind? It’s all because of his leadership in the film and TV industry here in Wilmington where he’s piled on one credit after another. That is until his production studio, Gem Star Studios, lost the bidding war to produce Iron Man 3 to EUE Screen Gems Studios. Iron Man 3 was filmed right here over the summer and will be back next month to wrap up the filming. Everywhere Cam goes, everyone he talks to, every time he opens the Star-News, he is reminded that he lost out on the chance to produce something big – really, really BIG.
Ray too has had a bad case of the mean reds. Ray is a successful Wall Street investor with his own seat on the Stock Exchange. But these days he’s been chewing his nails down to the quick and rolling his big beautiful brown eyes heavenward as he moans and groans about the threat to the Euro zone with the collapse of Greece’s and Spain’s economies requiring gigantic bail-outs. Then there’s Italy’s debt, and riots in the streets over there. If the euro collapses, he worries, will Wall Street be far behind?
So it was to my utter amazement when that very afternoon, my two brothers-in-law came strolling into my house with faces all aglow. Positively radiant, grinning from ear to ear, arms dangling around each other’s necks, they looked like two ten-year-olds who’d just gotten off a Ferris wheel. They couldn’t be happier. What had happened? What had changed?
I invited them back to the library which is the hub of my home, the official gathering place for family and friends. I am Ashley Wilkes, historic preservationist. Together with my husband, architect Jon Campbell, I restore old houses in the historic port city of Wilmington, North Carolina. And my own house, although rather small, is a historic treasure: antebellum, Queen Anne style, lovingly restored.
Jon jumped up from the computer as they entered the room, gave them both quick hugs, then asked, “What are you guys up to? You look like you just won the lottery. Come on in and sit down.”
“How about some iced tea?” I asked. “I just made a pitcher of my favorite herbal tea, lemon ginger. And the boys are down for a nap so we’ve got about an hour of sanity before all hell breaks loose again.”
“We’ve got fantastic news,” Ray said with a grin.
“But you’ll have to wait till tonight,” Cam said. “We’re breaking the news after Scarlett’s show. We have a big announcement to make. Don’t we, Ray?”
“Way big,” Ray replied.
“Can’t you give us a hint?” Jon asked.
“You can tell me,” I said. “I won’t tell. Cross my heart. Does Melanie know?”
“No one knows. Just us.” Cam was tormenting us.
“Later,” Ray teased.
Cam shot Ray a look of pure brotherly love and admiration. “We don’t know why we didn’t think of this sooner. You may not have noticed, but I’ve been at loose ends since the filming of Iron Man 3 began and I’m not involved.”
Oh, we noticed, all right, I wanted to say but did not.
“Seeing the cast around town - you know, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Scarlett Johansson – hearing exciting progress reports from just about everyone in town about the filming on the city streets or at the back lot at Screen Gems – well, it’s been hard on me.”
“It has to be,” I commiserated.
Ray added, “And with the stock market just holding its breath waiting for the other shoe to drop over there in Spain and Greece. And then Scarlett and I here all summer, well, I’ve been at loose ends too. So we’ve come up with a plan. But we can’t tell until later.”
So now it was later. Now the big news would be revealed. What were these two up to? What was their plan?
“Do you know what this is about?” I asked Melanie.
She shook her head. “He won’t tell me. But whatever it is has got him in a better mood. Thank goodness.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Cam began formally. “We have exciting news. Scarlett and Ray have formed Barrett Enterprises and together with my studio, Gem Star, we have formed a partnership. We . . .”
“We’re going to make a movie,” Ray blurted out with more enthusiasm than I’ve heard in his voice in a long time.
Cam stepped back and stared at him, then laughed. “Well, heck, Ray, don’t hold back.” Then he turned to the audience. “Yes, friends, we’re going to make a movie. Now, as you may remember, my TV series had a successful run. But a full-length feature film of my own? Well, I’ve never attempted that. But now the time is right.
“For years, I’ve been producing Hollywood motion pictures. They come here to film, bringing their cast and crews. And while we’re all grateful to them for the boost they give the local economy, Ray and I feel we can do more for our town. We can create our own motion picture.”
“I’ll manage the business side,” Ray interjected. “Line up other investors, handle the distribution, that sort of thing. And Cam will manage the creative side. Scarlett will be involved too.” Ray extended his arm to our row where Scarlett had taken the seat next to Melanie. “With her experience as a Broadway star, she’ll be indispensable.”
“And here’s the best part,” Cam interjected. “We’re going to keep this local. There’s so much talent in this little town, we don’t have to go outside. We’ve decided on a musical. A big production type musical. Scarlett can have the lead role if she wants it. And with all the singers, dancers, actors, directors, choreographers and tech crews we’ve got right here, we don’t need to bring talent in from out of state. Scarlett Barrett’s name is big enough to carry the show.”
I turned to Jon. “I love musicals. I don’t understand why Hollywood stopped making them.”
Ray leaned forward over the podium. He was so wound up, he waved his hands as he spoke. “I’ve been doing some research. Audiences have gone ballistic over those talent shows on TV. You know, the Dancing With the Stars type shows that are being imitated on all the channels. And the most popular shows put on by our own Thalian Association are the musicals. Yes, we’ve got plenty of talent to draw upon.”
“I’ve done some research too,” Cam said. “Remember those big musical productions that were so popular? Oklahoma!, Carousel, Brigadoon? They started out as Broadway shows but not everyone could travel to New York to see a Broadway show. So they got made into movies. And that is just what we have in mind.
“And here’s the exciting part,” Cam said. “You’re gonna love this. Writers flock here from all over for a chance to get hired on a motion picture or television production.”
He paused, then said dramatically, “We’re going to have a contest. We’ll offer $250,000 in cash plus ten percent of the royalties. Plus a promise of future work, to the writer who can turn in the best musical score with lyrics and script for a big production musical.”
Ray added, “We realize there might have to be collaboration. Two creators, one for the music, the other for the script. We’ll have to see what we get. But collaborations are just fine and dandy with us.”
