Jill Churchill: A Midsummer Night's Scream

Jane and Shelley knew a semi-secret way to get back behind the scenes by now without attracting the attention of anyone in the departing audience, though they discovered that quite a few other people also knew the way. The cast was still on stage. Ms. Chance and some of her benefactors were already backstage. So were some of the students of the drama school. A few of the crew members and their families showed up as well.

"We'll just stand around uhtil the crowd clears," Jane said. "Mel will find us when he needs us."

Eventually the crowd thinned. The actors returned to the dressing rooms to remove their costumes and makeup, some with haste because they had a free weekend to enjoy, since the next performance wasn't until Monday night.

Mel finally showed up. "We're having a meeting shortly in the workroom. Go wait in there, if you would," he told Jane and Shelley.

There were three people already there whom Jane and Shelley had never seen. One woman and two men. None of them showed any interest in Jane and Shelley nor each other.

Jane and Shelley took seats at the foot of the table and didn't speak a word. Nor did the two men and the woman. Professor Imry was the first familiar person to show up. He took his usual seat at the head of the table. Five or six minutes later Ms. Bunting came into the room and sat next to Imry.

She said, "What is this about? I'm tired and want to go back to the hotel."

Imry looked past her as Mel and John Bunting entered the room.

John already had found a drink to bring along. "What's going on here?"

Mel closed the door behind him and said, "I'm

here to arrest you for the murder of Dennis Roth."

Bunting spilled his drink. "That's crazy! I did

no such thing." He glared at Mel and asked,

"Who are these strangers?" indicating the two men and the woman.

"The men are plainclothes police officers who are going to escort you to jail. The woman officer will stay with your wife."

Mel read Mr. Bunting his rights as one of the men handcuffed him.

"Take Mr. Bunting away, please."

Shelley and Jane turned to Ms. Bunting. She was pale, but almost as composed as always. "Did he really do it?" she asked Mel in a voice that barely wavered.

"I'm sorry to say he did," he replied.

The policewoman sat down next to Ms. Bunting and offered a tissue, which Ms. Bunting waved away.

"I asked Professor Imry to sit in to assure you that the play will continue," Mel said. "The young man who plays the old butler will take over your husband's role. Professor, please confirm this before you leave."

Imry did so, then left the room after apologizing profusely to Ms. Bunting.

"What is the evidence for this?" Ms. Bunting asked.

Mel pulled up a chair from the table and turned it around to face her. "There is a lot of evidence. Are you sure you want to know all of it?"

"Yes, I do," Ms. Bunting said:

"The missing golf club was found by a well-known Dumpster diver two blocks from your hotel and pawned. There was blood in the grooves on the flat head matching Dennis Roth's DNA."

Ms. Bunting closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Go on."

Twenty-six

I hardly know how to put this in the right order," Mel admitted. "There are a number of confirmations. The Dumpster diver knew what day he found the club and pawned it the day after the janitor was struck. There was a bellman at your hotel the same day who saw your husband walk out with a golf club in his hand and return shortly later without it. The only reason he remembered this is because it was his last day before a short vacation, from which he returned today."

"Anything more?"

"Yes. Sven Turner, the college janitor who was attacked, has recovered his memory. Due only to his sister's determination," Mel said, looking at Jane for a moment. "He was in the audience tonight in a wheelchair in the aisle closest to the stage and clearly remembered that your husband's distinctive voice is,one of the two he overheard just before Denny was murdered."

He went on, glancing at his notes. "In addition,we've seized the recent records of the pharmacy his old friend owns. There's a prescription that was given your husband for the same sleeping pills that were found in Dennis Roth's blood system. The doctor's name was forged by your husband's friend. He's going to be in trouble, too."

Ms. Bunting was quiet for a few minutes, and finally said, "I'm forced to believe you, but I have no idea why John would have done this. He's not a moral man, I've known that for years. But murder? Why would he murder a perfectly innocent stranger?"

As Ms. Bunting spoke, Jane rose and went to sit next to her.

Mel said, "In Denny's wallet, there was a safety-deposit box key, which was unfortunately overlooked by my staff, but found by his adoptive parents. In the box at the bank was Denny's original birth certificate and a copy of it with your husband's fingerprints on it." Mel paused for a long breath before saying, "The birth certificate named his birth parents, Susan Thayer and John Bunting."

Ms. Bunting drew a sharp breath. "Susan Thayer? I know that name. We did a play here in Chicago about twenty years ago. She had a small role in it. She was not a nice young woman. I remember, too, that John claimed he was spending a lot of time with all his old school friends. I sup‑

pose now that was just one of his many lies. He must have been with her."

Gloria Bunting finally broke down. Her voice was clogged with horror and tears poured down her face. "It can't be John. There must be other people with the same name."

"A blood sample will be taken as soon as your husband is booked. Of course, you could be right. However, there was also two thousand dollars in the box. Your husband's fingerprints were on the first and last bill in the stack, and so were the fingerprints of his pharmacist friend. The pharmacist admits to lending the money to him because your husband told him he was being blackmailed by an illegitimate son."

The woman officer offered Ms. Bunting a tissue again. Gloria took it this time and dabbed away the tears and blew her nose. "Thank you, miss. Detective VanDyne, I hope you're wrong. But I know in my heart that you're right."

She turned to Jane and threw herself into Jane's arms.

Jane was sniffling as well. "Ms. Bunting, I wish there were some way to help you."

A long moment went by, and Gloria Bunting mumbled into the collar of Jane's blouse, "You girls find out who is the best divorce attorney in town and make me an appointment for Monday morning."

She straightened up and the officer handed heranother tissue. Ms. Bunting's nose and eyes were red, but she was back in control. "Detective Van-Dyne, I have our only checkbook in my purse. I'm not making bail. Tell John that. I'm not paying his legal fees either. He's going to have to try to get those from his golfing pals."

Shelley said, "We'll take you back to the hotel, Ms. Bunting, and stay as long as you want us to."

Mel said, "That's a nice thought, Mrs. Nowack, but Officer Tanner here is prepared to take you to the hotel, if you like."

Ms. Bunting said, "I'll accept that offer, thank you, Detective VanDyne. I don't want to impose more than I have to on Jane and Shelley."

"What about the play?" Shelley suddenly said in spite of herself. "Oh, what a trivial thing to ask. I'm sorry," she said.

"It will go on," Mel said. "I warned Professor Imry in advance what was going to happen and swore him to secrecy. The young man who plays the elderly butler will take over Mr. Bunting's role. And someone else will fill in as the butler, which is a minor part of the play without many lines to learn. Of course, you won't be expected to perform on Monday night—" Mel started to say to Ms. Bunting but was cut off.