First of an alternate universe series.
I spent the weekof the 4th of July re-watching the earlier episodes, and had this idea while watching *In The WENN Hours.*
Rupert Holmes, Howard Meltzer, and AMC own the rights to this wonderful series. I promise to return the characters where I found them.
Betty looked up at the knock at the door and smiled. "Mr. Medwick. How nice to see you." She put her pencil down on top of the account books. Victor or Scott could deal with them later.
The older man looked nervously around the room. "I just stopped by to see for myself."
"What?"
"That Victor Comstock has returned from the dead."
"It's true, trust me." Betty stood. "He and Mr. Sherwood are having dinner with a potential sponsor."
Medwick sighed. "It's incredible. He must have some interesting stories to tell."
"If you only knew. They should be back in an hour."
"That will be fine. Mr. Cutter Dunlap...You remember him?
Betty's smile grew. "Yes, I remember." She hoped everybody had forgotten that night. She'd felt guilty for making the man look like an imbecile--so Dunlap had done a weekly show for three months, before he'd vanished into the South American jungles.
"He is returning this evening from Brazil, and I was hoping he could appear on the *A Book at Bedtime.*" Medwick fidgeted slightly. "If he can assure me that there won't be the lapse in...Well, if he doesn't discuss talking with ghosts..." Betty controlled the urge to laugh--and watched Mr. Medwick's growing confusion. "Curious. It really is strange that he claims to have talked with Mr. Comstock at a time when we all thought he was dead...Considering...It must have been a sign."
"Stranger things have happened." She briefly wondered if anybody had made the connection. Outside of Scott. She was sure Scott had guessed.
She tried to reassure him with a smile--and noticed it wasn't working. "We would be delighted to have Mr. Dunlap appear on the show. And I'm sure nothing strange will happen." Famous last words, she told herself.
#
#
"We did it, Betty." Scott grinned as she walked into Victor's office about an hour later.
"Drummond's Department store has agreed to sponsor *Dearly, Drummond's*...We'll work on the title." Victor sat in his chair, opened a drawer and put the papers he was holding away.
"*A Woman's World*?" Scott suggested.
"And who will host this new show?" Betty asked with a quick glance at both men.
"Hilary Booth," both said together.
"Two fifteen minute segments. One after *Bedside Manor,* the second before *Colonel Moore.*" Scott leaned against the bookcase.
Victor smiled. "It will include tips from Miss Booth."
"And the news," Scott's grin grew. "I always knew I would find a way to get Hilary to read the news."
"Oh. And which one of you will tell her?" Betty asked.
"She's already planning it," Victor said.
"Very exciting."
She shook her head. "Exciting? Mr. Medwick will be returning in a few minutes with Cutter Dunlap. You remember Mr. Dunlap?"
"This could be interesting, Oh, would you look at the time." Scott didn't even bother to look at his watch, before he left.
"A curious conundrum," Victor said while leaning back in his chair.
"He saw you...He will ask why you were here?"
"I'll talk to him; Cutter won't say anything."
"There won't be any time."
"This is radio. We have a studio full of actors--we'll think of something."
Optimism. "I'll send him in when he gets here."
#
#
Cutter Dunlap was late.
Betty stood by Gertie's desk and watched Mr. Medwick pace the hallway. She ignored him as she shuffled through the papers on the desk.
"Hey, Betty," Maple said as she exited the greenroom and walked toward the writer. "I've been going over these questions you gave me."
Mr. Medwick stopped by Betty, "I was hoping you would be doing the interview, Miss Roberts."
She shook her head as Maple continued speaking. "I knew a guy from Brazil. Good looking, wealthy...It just didn't work out. I don't speak portraiture and he didn't speak enough English. And the language of armor wasn't enough..."
Mr. Medwick frowned and walked away.
"That's amore," Betty said with a slight grin.
Maple laughed. "Not the way we fought." She thumbed through the cards. "I hope he gets here soon. Hilary and Jeff are at each other's throats."
Betty shrugged, then smiled as Cutter Dunlap entered. "Good, you're here. How was Brazil? Come with us..."
Maple took his arm. "I'm Maple Lemarsh." She was beaming. "I will be conducting the interview." She guided him down the hall and into the studio.
"But...Victor wanted...Oh well." Betty shrugged in resignation.
"Hanging was too good for him," Hilary said as Betty entered the control room. Jeff smiled with relief as Maple nodded she was ready. Cutter looked nervous--Betty couldn't blame him.
"It is with great pleasure, Jeff said, then mouthed *relief,* "that WENN presents a conversation with the world renowned explorer, Cutter Dunlap. You don't know how glad I...we are to see you this evening..."
Hilary glared at him and muttered something about intrepid explorers with itinerant intelligence before Jeff herded her out the room.
Betty watched as Cutter smiled at her, then at Maple who started to speak.
"Cup-of-comfort and WENN are proud to present an evening with Cutter Dunlap. Welcome back, Mr. Dunlap."
Thank-you, it's great to be back." He poured himself a glass of water.
Betty turned toward the door as Victor entered the control room "Mr. Medwick is very nervous about this interview," he whispered. "He feels my prior endeavors as a radio broadcaster for the BBC make me more suited for this enterprise." He smiled at Betty, then walked into the studio.
Victor sat down next to Maple with a smile, Cutter frowned slightly and stared at his glass.
Betty shook her head and sat down by Lester--then pushed her chair away from the engineer. He had wandering hands--not that he'd bothered her after their first meeting. She'd seen to that.
"Why is no one talking?" She asked after several seconds of silence.
Lester shrugged and returned his attention to the console.
Scott walked in just as Betty started to stand. "I've learned a few things about radio--silence isn't golden."
Betty ignored him as she watched Victor ask his question again. Cutter Dunlap never shifted his eyes from Maple. "He's ignoring Victor?"
"Looks that way," Scott said as Lester muttered some noncommittal answer.
They watched as Maple took the card from a puzzled looking Victor and repeated the question. "Mr. Dunlap, where in Brazil did your adventures take you?"
Cutter smiled at her and described his travels in the Brazilian Rainforest.
Betty took a deep breath as she waited for Mr. Medwick to storm in and complain about his ulcer. She wondered where he was. Scott smiled slightly and answered her unasked question. "Medwick's in the greenroom trying to convince Hilary to do a show about his new chocolate bar."
They all jumped and Lester almost dropped his headset when the explorer mimicked the call of a howler monkey. The entire interview, Betty decided, ranked as the strangest...second strangest she corrected herself, remembering Mr. Dunlap's first visit to the station. Victor would ask a question and after several seconds of silence Maple would repeat the question and *then* Dunlap would reply.
"Tell us, Mr. Dunlap," Maple said. "When you were in Brazil, did you meet any Amazons?"
"I traveled extensively along the Amazon, and if you mean people who live along--"
Betty watched in surprise as this conversation wasn't part of the script.
"No," Maple continued. "I mean the women warriors...I once did a show..." Maple looked at Victor then Cutter. "But that is a different story."
"No," Cutter said slowly. "Amazons are a part of Greek mythology. Outside of the name of the river, they have nothing to do with South America." He stared at Maple. "Why?"
Betty stood and would have run to the studio door--but her curiosity got the better of her--and she stood there waiting (and dreading) Maple's response.
"For the past fifteen minutes, you have ignored my friend and colleague Victor Comstock. I thought perhaps you had spent..."
Betty waved her hands wildly--trying to signal Maple not to continue. Dunlap didn't see her, and was answering the question when Betty rushed into the studio.
"Victor Comstock is dead," he said in a slightly irritated voice. "I'm not going to be made a fool of again. He is dead, I do not see him sitting at this table. OUCH!!! Why the Hell did you kick me Victor?"
Betty sighed with relief when Scott showed her the pulled-plugs through the window.
Cutter sat in stunned silence and stared at Victor. The place was absolutely quiet--not a good thing on radio. She motioned playing a piano. Maple smiled and nodded while moving to the organ. Victor stood and practically dragged Dunlap out of the studio.
"Due to technical difficulties," Betty said into the microphone a few seconds later. "We are unable to complete our fascinating interview with the famed explorer Cutter Dunlap. We now bring you a selection of organ works played by our own Maple Lemarsh."
She took a deep breath as the sounds of the organ filled the studio. She quietly walked into the hallway.
"Betty, Betty, Betty." Scott was leaning against the wall.
"Thanks for pulling the plug."
"My pleasure." He took her elbow. "Come..." He escorted her across the hall and started to knock at the door.
"No, you can't go in there--" she started to say.
"I already know--guessed. Victor had been here that night." He shrugged. "It was the only solution that fit the evidence. Once I had all the evidence that is." He leaned toward her. "I'm right?"
She nodded and moved away, feeling a bit uncomfortable at his nearness. "When did you guess?"
Scott's smile grew bigger. "About five to ten minutes after I'd tied up Pruitt." There was a wicked gleam in his eyes at that memory.
"Oh." She stopped talking when Mr. Medwick walked out of green room, mopping his brow with a handkerchief.
"This station will be the death of me yet." He glanced at Scott.
"It was just one of those things," Betty said weakly. He was right--strange things did tend to occur on his shows.
"Considering where the interview stopped," Scott said while trying to guide a reluctant Mr. Medwick back into the green room. "All we have to do is announce that we will be completing the interview tomorrow evening and we'll have an even larger audience. Very exciting."
"But Amazons...And why was Cutter ignoring Victor?"
The door to Victor's office opened and Cutter stopped in the doorway. "...And I thought my life was exciting. Amnesia--and you spent all that time in a hospital?"
Victor gently guided Cutter out the door. "Yes, I did."
Cutter grinned. "Were the English nurses pretty?"
Victor shook his head. "I don't remember." He winked at Betty.
Mr. Medwick frowned. "Mr. Sherwood has suggested that we complete the interview tomorrow. This evening's was a cliffhanger."
"Yes," Scott said in low, smooth tones. "Cup-of-Comfort presents the continuing adventures of Cutter Dunlap." He paused. "A new series--the story of an explorer who...explores."
Victor smiled, his face animated. "An archaeologist."
"Nah," Scott said. "It will have adventure, excitement, booby-traps...Nerve-tingling, spine chilling adventure. The perfect show for Agitato Coffee to sponsor."
Betty shook her head as she watched the four men walk toward the entrance, still discussing the idea. "It will never sell fellows," she said to no one.
She walked by the open door to the green room. From the radio came Maple's voice. "And this completes our broadcast day. This is WENN signing off. Goodnight."