Read Online Wilmington, NC 10 - Much Ado About Murder by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter - Free Book Online
Authors: Ellen Elizabeth Hunter
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appearance.”
Two waiters approached our table and quickly set plates before us. Platters of the Tapas offerings were set down the middle of the table. There was a selection of cheeses and a variety of bruschetta. Sate of Thai chicken, Thai beef, Miso Shrimp, and Sesame Tuna. There were marinated vegetables and a Charcuterie of cold cuts.
“Oh, this looks divine,” Melanie said. We busily passed plates, helping ourselves and each other. And then contentment set in.
Dalton seemed to be in a mellow mood. “Say Binkie , do you remember that actor we had to get out of jail?”
Binkie plunked down his napkin. “Do I? I’ll never forget that experience. We had to go before the judge.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
Dalton answered, “Simon’s little charade the other day made me think of it. The play was The Mousetrap . The actor was a talented young man. As talented as they come. But bi-polar, as I suspect Simon is. Well, he went off his meds and kind of went berserk. Threatening people, stuff like that, until the cops were called. He got into a fight with them and they locked him up.”
Binkie interjected, “And the next night was opening night.” He looked around at all of us, beaming. “Dalton and I had to go down to the courthouse and vouch for this fellow. The judge looked down at us from his bench and told us sternly that he was holding us responsible if anything happened. I’ll never forget that experience.”
Dalton said, “But the show went on without a hitch. Oh, what we do for the theater! Oh, and Binkie do you remember the one about the pair of ducks?”
Binkie started to laugh and couldn’t stop. I’ve never seen him laugh so hard.
“Tell us,” Cam said. “What about ducks?”
Binkie shook his head. “The Thalian Association was presenting The Pirates of Penzance . It was the last night. Well, the chorus was singing along with the character Ruth the lines, ‘A Paradox, a paradox, a most ingenious paradox.’ A couple of the stage crew crept behind the scenery of waves and held up two yellow rubber ducks as if they were swimming along on the waves. The audience roared. But the director didn’t think it was funny. He went back stage and ordered the two pranksters out of the building.”
I was so caught up in the story, I almost didn’t notice when the actors from Oklahoma! arrived until someone’s loud laughter made me look up. I was sitting with my back to the brick wall, facing the front door of the restaurant as they came streaming noisily inside.
“Do you see what I see?” I asked Jon. “How can that be?”
We were both gazing at the group of actors. Taylor Page and Simon LeBeck were holding hands. They seemed to be very much into each other.
“I see them. And I don’t get it. Why, just the other day he was accusing her of stealing his guitar.”
Taylor had changed out of Laurie’s sweet gingham pinafore costume and was wearing one of those stretchy short dresses. And platform heels. She was hanging all over Simon. Certainly making moves on him.
I nudged Jon. “Well, they sure made up fast.”
At our table, Binkie was telling Dalton about his trip to the Washington Monument and his viewing of the back of the Thalian Stone. He told Dalton that only a few letters of the inscription were visible. “Any idea what it means?” Binkie asked. “Your ancestors and mine were involved with raising money for the creation of the stone.”
Dalton looked thoughtful. But before he could respond, Aunt Ruby said, “Dalton, as you’ve known Benjamin all of his life, perhaps you know how he got the nickname of Binkie ? He claims he doesn’t remember.”
Dalton replied, “Oh, I remember. I asked my mother that question when we were boys. It seems Binkie’s mother admired an English actor whose name was Binkie something or other. Binkie was a popular nickname for Englishmen back in the thirties. The name just stuck.”
“For all of his life,” Aunt Ruby said.
Two waiters approached our table and quickly set plates before us. Platters of the Tapas offerings were set down the middle of the table. There was a selection of cheeses and a variety of bruschetta. Sate of Thai chicken, Thai beef, Miso Shrimp, and Sesame Tuna. There were marinated vegetables and a Charcuterie of cold cuts.
“Oh, this looks divine,” Melanie said. We busily passed plates, helping ourselves and each other. And then contentment set in.
Dalton seemed to be in a mellow mood. “Say Binkie , do you remember that actor we had to get out of jail?”
Binkie plunked down his napkin. “Do I? I’ll never forget that experience. We had to go before the judge.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
Dalton answered, “Simon’s little charade the other day made me think of it. The play was The Mousetrap . The actor was a talented young man. As talented as they come. But bi-polar, as I suspect Simon is. Well, he went off his meds and kind of went berserk. Threatening people, stuff like that, until the cops were called. He got into a fight with them and they locked him up.”
Binkie interjected, “And the next night was opening night.” He looked around at all of us, beaming. “Dalton and I had to go down to the courthouse and vouch for this fellow. The judge looked down at us from his bench and told us sternly that he was holding us responsible if anything happened. I’ll never forget that experience.”
Dalton said, “But the show went on without a hitch. Oh, what we do for the theater! Oh, and Binkie do you remember the one about the pair of ducks?”
Binkie started to laugh and couldn’t stop. I’ve never seen him laugh so hard.
“Tell us,” Cam said. “What about ducks?”
Binkie shook his head. “The Thalian Association was presenting The Pirates of Penzance . It was the last night. Well, the chorus was singing along with the character Ruth the lines, ‘A Paradox, a paradox, a most ingenious paradox.’ A couple of the stage crew crept behind the scenery of waves and held up two yellow rubber ducks as if they were swimming along on the waves. The audience roared. But the director didn’t think it was funny. He went back stage and ordered the two pranksters out of the building.”
I was so caught up in the story, I almost didn’t notice when the actors from Oklahoma! arrived until someone’s loud laughter made me look up. I was sitting with my back to the brick wall, facing the front door of the restaurant as they came streaming noisily inside.
“Do you see what I see?” I asked Jon. “How can that be?”
We were both gazing at the group of actors. Taylor Page and Simon LeBeck were holding hands. They seemed to be very much into each other.
“I see them. And I don’t get it. Why, just the other day he was accusing her of stealing his guitar.”
Taylor had changed out of Laurie’s sweet gingham pinafore costume and was wearing one of those stretchy short dresses. And platform heels. She was hanging all over Simon. Certainly making moves on him.
I nudged Jon. “Well, they sure made up fast.”
At our table, Binkie was telling Dalton about his trip to the Washington Monument and his viewing of the back of the Thalian Stone. He told Dalton that only a few letters of the inscription were visible. “Any idea what it means?” Binkie asked. “Your ancestors and mine were involved with raising money for the creation of the stone.”
Dalton looked thoughtful. But before he could respond, Aunt Ruby said, “Dalton, as you’ve known Benjamin all of his life, perhaps you know how he got the nickname of Binkie ? He claims he doesn’t remember.”
Dalton replied, “Oh, I remember. I asked my mother that question when we were boys. It seems Binkie’s mother admired an English actor whose name was Binkie something or other. Binkie was a popular nickname for Englishmen back in the thirties. The name just stuck.”
“For all of his life,” Aunt Ruby said.
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