The Deadenders
Page 32
* * *
Wichita Falls Tribune, Monday, August 25, 2009
--of the story. Although police in the Kansas Capitol are keeping the details of the death of Topeka resident Dr. Peter Maser under official scrutiny, it now appears there is a fourth associate perhaps indirectly involved in the incident in the form of coma patient John Scruge, also a resident of the area, and friend of the other three individuals involved since childhood. Just how Mr. Scruge, in his fifth day as a comatose patient and the St. Joseph Medical Facility, is directly related to the case officials aren’t saying pending further investigation. The result is that—
* * *
WDAH TV newsroom, Wednesday, August 28th (excerpt)
“—both mystery and speculation deepen almost daily around the Topeka, Kansas death of Dr. Robert Maser, three former associates who phoned in what police are now officially stating was a homicide, and the unconscious, comatose patient Dr. Maser was treating at the time police identified his body, a Mr. John Scruge, an apparent childhood friend of all three associates. Reporter Nancy Carrington is standing by at the scene of the crime…or was it a crime? Nancy--?”
“Tom, I’m standing here in the cathedral hush of Myer’s Woods just south of the 434 in Topeka, not twenty feet from where the incident occurred, and that’s just what the people, the press and everyone but the police are asking, ‘was it indeed a crime?’ Officials won’t say, in fact, beyond the participants involved in this growing drama, they won’t even speculate to the media…”
* * *
Yahoo News (Reuters, Kans. 30, Aug. 2009)
--the specifics of the incident, although rumor has it that one of the principles, Peter Chevalier, the man who reportedly phoned the discovery of the body to police, is being held and perhaps even charged with everything from manslaughter to first degree murder. The witness won’t talk nor will his attorney Myron Croft. In fact, Judge Randolf Mongomery has placed what amounts to a gag order on the entire proceedings, the reasons for which remain as mysterious—
* * *
New York Times, Friday, August 30, 2009
--as anything to ever leave the cornfields of America’s Breadbasket. What is known is that all four individuals are linked to the incident via their association as childhood acquaintances. There is some speculation that the males in the group, at least, may have been members of some kind of private gang or club identifying itself as the Death Adders, an apparently exclusive order of both murder suspect Peter Chevalier, victim Dr. Robert Maser, comatose patient John Scruge (pronounced Scrooge) and former film and TV writer Richard Denning of Hollywood, now living in Topeka and—
* * *
The Hollywood Reporter, Monday, Sept. 2nd, 2009
--recently separated from screenwriting partner and wife Allie Denning, who now resides here in the Los Angeles area as a staff writer for the ABC’s Alan Grant sitcom, Who’s my Pop? Mrs. Denning has not been available for comment, though the attendant publicity surrounding the bizarre case in Kansas has done little to hurt her career and, in fact, the ratings of the heretofore sinking Pop. ABC recently announced it was picking up the show for—
* * *
Good Morning America, ABC, Tuesday, Sept. 3rd, 2009 (excerpt)
“--the past weeks one of the news stories—“
“The top news story, Mike!”
“—that’s right, Cindy, the top news story in the country has been the media blitz surrounding the death of a doctor in Kansas this past August, and those suspects, slash, associates involved.”
“Right, Mike, and we have with us this morning Dr. Seymour Moran, Professor Emeritus at UCLA with some personal and professional thoughts on gang activity both here in Los Angeles with the Crips and Bloods and those in the Midwest with these so-called…Deadheaders—is that it? Dead Letters--?”
“I believe it’s Dead Hatters, Cindy.”
“Thank you, Mike. Dr. Moran, what’s your sense of this very unusual crime in the so-called Heart of America, if crime it indeed is?”
“Well, Cindy, most gang related criminal activity in what we call the non-traditional or rogue gangs stem from some sort of childhood trauma that—“
“Dr. Moran, Cindy, excuse me for interrupting, we’ve just gotten news of an important development in this case from our correspondent in Topeka, Jeffrey Winemen! Jeffrey, can you hear me? I understand that one of the these members involved in the case, murder suspect Peter
* * *
Topeka Daily Capitol Sept. 4th, 2009
--Chevalier, known by his associates in the incident as “Shivers,” was found dead yesterday morning in his Garnet Hills home from what police believe is a clear case of suicide. Mr. Chevalier, who was single, was discovered by the cleaning lady at approximately 8:26 Tuesday morning in his bedroom closet, the apparent victim of self-strangulation by hanging. Mr. Chevalier left no note. There was no comment, as has been usual with this case, from the other members of the so-called “Deadenders”, named after a loosely associated childhood club or relationship among the male members of the group. In a related incident, one of the group’s members, John Scruge, a comatose patient at St. Josephs originally described by murder victim and the patient’s own physician Dr. Robert Maser as in “a probable permanent vegetable state” has shown initial signs of partial recovery over the weekend. His wife Sally and their two daughters are said to be elated at the news, which comes as “an answer to our continual prayers” during their stay with the patient here in Topeka. Furthering the drama surrounding the unusual case, former TV and screenwriter—
* * *
The Hollywood Reader, Thursday, September 5th, 2009
--Richard Denning has purportedly been courted by both the television and motion picture studios to write his version of the alleged mums-the-word murder incident in his hometown of Topeka if and when Kansas Judge Montgomery lifts the so-called gag order now pinning down the story. Insider information, which The Reader is not privileged to confirm, has it that Denning was at the center of now-world famous Midwest incident and that romantic affiliations between Denning and childhood sweetheart Laurie Seasons, suspected but not yet charged in the murder, has continued past childhood, making an already scorching headline scandal that much hotter and possibly placing scribe Denning in the catbird’s seat of the Oscar limo. ‘I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto’? So far, the usual non-reply from Denning to the media, but sources claim it is well known that the former screenwriter retired to his native village to write novels, not screenplays and that—
* * *
The Writer’s Digest Magazine, October 2009 Issue
--at least one major publishing group whose initials are “Random House” has already proffered a six figure offer Denning’s way. Undisclosed sources near the author have hinted about a “Capote-like” approach to the material told not from the outside in, but the other way around. Meanwhile, in a private hearing among much speculation, both Denning and Ms. Seasons have been cleared of any alleged charges in the murder of Dr. Maser and foreknowledge of the suicide of fellow Deadender Peter Chevalier. It is hoped that the condition of comatose patient and fellow “gang” (read: Our Gang) member John Scruge will continue to improve and that despite the diagnosis of a diabetic coma and possible vegetative state some time during the course of his illness, he will eventually be able to contribute valuable information to police on a still largely mysterious crime. Presently, Mr. Scruge experiences brief moments of wakefulness and apparent recognition of his family, though he remains unable to vocalize or write at this juncture--
AFTER THE END
Richard and Laurie were cleared of all charges.
By the end of the fall, Richard had begun work in earnest on a new book he called a “non-fiction novel”, a term Truman Capote had coined in the sixties.
When he wasn’t working long, exhausting days and nights on the book—which wasn’t often—he spend time with Laurie at Lake Shawnee or dinner or just walking. They sometimes slept at his
place, sometimes hers, but they never spent the night together. Richard said it was because he never knew when he’d jump up and attack the book at all hours of the day or night and he didn’t want to disturb her. Laurie let it stand without complaint or comment. He refused to discuss the book with anyone, even Laurie, and turned down all offers for interviews. It was well-known, however, that he was working on the book and that it probably included at least some of the events surrounding his childhood. Perhaps this was due to Richard’s newly hired New York agent Dale Simon, generally considered the shrewdest in town, who also contracted a half-million dollar deal with Random House and a million point five deal for the movie rights with Time Warner.
Allie’s first show with ABC under Alan Grant Productions was cancelled after the fourth airing but they immediately sold another show, “The Devil You Know!” to CBS, which prospered.
Strangely, almost all the physical improvements Richard noticed over the months preceding the incident had reversed themselves.
One day when he was talking to his first agent on the phone, the hearing in his formerly bad ear went out again. Just like that.
Dr. Reynolds, who had taken over Maser’s practice, had no explanation. “Unless it was psychosomatic in the first place,” he’d stated cryptically.
The new molar fell out before it was even all the way in, and Richard noticed his bald spot returning, as noticeable as ever if not more so…
Scroogie continued to improve at St. Joseph’s to the point that he could comprehend both others’ and his own situation from a wheelchair, though he didn’t regain—due to a severe stroke during coma—the use of his legs, his voice nor enough dexterity in either hand to write letters. He had many visitors at the Topeka Summerbreeze Nursing Home where he was moved, including Laurie Seasons and a host of childhood friends, many of whom he could not remember; but not one visit from Richard Denning.
Allie came to stay in Topeka in a motel during the second week of February 2010 and had lunch with Richard twice, dinner once and spent an evening listening to jazz at a Kansas City nightclub. Their divorce became final five days later.
Allie returned to Los Angeles and moved into her own apartment. She became pregnant in April and married Alan Grant on June 16th of that year. Richard and Laurie became engaged the same month. It was also the month Sally Scruge divorced her invalid husband John and moved, with their daughters, to Wyoming with a man in the ranching business. The day of her wedding the checks stopped coming to pay for Scroogie’s stay at the nursing home. When he caught wind of this, Richard began making the payments out of his own pocket. He also paid for Andy’s long delayed funeral, because, since Shivers’ suicide, Andy had no living relatives.
Richard’s novel was published in June in time for the summer beach season. It received lukewarm reactions from the critics and no reaction at all from local Topeka citizenry. Sales of the novel were steady but less enthusiastic than the publisher had anticipated and dropped off even less expectantly, leaving them with a warehouse of unsold books. Richard’s new agent blamed it on the theory that, despite the book’s being rushed to publication in near-record time, too much of that time had lapsed in the public’s mind, the Topeka Scandal was old news, they had moved on to other things. It was also the reason he suggested Richard seek new representation. Richard became despondent and spent weeks shut up in his parents’ home, not answering phone calls or knocks. Zelda Maser sued Richard over defamation of character upon publication of the book. The case was tied up in court for over two years before Zelda’s team of lawyers dwindled to just one local attorney who finally caved in to a weak settlement.
In early July, Richard and Laurie bought a house in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. The house was still occupied until September when Richard and Laurie, still unmarried, could move in. In the interim, Richard sold his parents’ home and all the furniture including his father’s basement library for a modest profit.
In August Nurse Carla Thompson agreed to do a piece on the Meyer’s Woods Incident for 60 Minutes and give her slant on her relationship with the principals. The day after the show’s airing both Borders and Barnes and Noble book stores experienced a rejuvenation of interest in Richard’s book. By the end of the week both companies were sold out of the hard cover copies. By the beginning of the next week nearly every retail store in America including Wal-Mart was sold out and a second media blitz had begun. By the middle of the following week, Random House had renegotiated sales of the mass market edition--still not due for another eight months--for an additional five million dollars. Despite this the publisher was unable to keep stores supplied with paperback copies that winter. Both the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times ran photos of long lines around their city’s bookstores before the doors even opened in the morning. In the case of Chicago this occurred in five-degree-below weather. The novel, Promises To Keep, remained at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for the remainder of the year and beyond. Richard’s new new agent Charlotte Wilcox renegotiated the film rights for an undisclosed figure. The day before he and Laurie were to leave Topeka for the new house in L.A., Richard finally paid Scroogie a visit at the nursing home.
* * *
It was a nice nursing home.
In fact, it was one of Topeka’s best. And for a town that had once boasted proudly of the Menninger Clinic, that was saying something. Once his book had taken off—once he’d become rich—Richard had seen to it that Scroogie was taken from the relative dump Sally had stuck him in and made sure Scroogie was a contented patient of a spacious private room with tasteful oak appointments at an elegant “nursing care facility” and all the latest technological gadgets, including a wall-mounted plasma TV, as well as a low-slung, pine-enshrouded cafeteria with individually prepared cuisine from a generous menu, rolling manicured lawns laced with colorful vegetation and sparkling fountains, a staff of nurses and doctors who wore business suits, not hospital whites, three golf courses, and five saunas, all of which overlooked a sweeping emerald lake with private docks and fishing the local gentry stood in grinding envy of.
The Colonies, as it was called, looked even more inviting in real life, Richard was thinking on a winding path to a lovely lake vista, than it did in the brochure. It should: it was costing him enough. And his fellow Deadender was worth every penny. It was just so great to have his old friend free of that coma, even though he couldn’t walk and still didn’t speak.
He approached Scroogie’s wheelchair from behind just before sunset. A willowy nurse in a form fitting business suit was attending him, her ash blonde tresses flowing above tailored tweed cut high to show legs to die for. She was talking quietly to Scroogie as they faced the sunset’s bloody waters; no, she was doting on him. Richard felt a brief stab of envy.
“Some guys have all the luck!”
Scroogie turned grinning in his chair and beamed at Richard under the sun’s last filtered rays. The first evening bat chased a crazily jinking miller in the sky behind his head. Scroogie held out a hand to the nurse, whose face was as uptown gorgeous as the rest of her as she turned, took the hand, squeezed once and nodded hello at the same time to Richard with gray cat eyes. Richard nodded back and the nurse moved obediently away across the thick lawn. Richard came to Scroogie’s chair, grabbed Scroggie’s hand in both of his, held it tight for a moment and just smiled. Then, still holding his hand, he wiggled his eyebrows and tilted his head at the revolving backside of the retreating nurse. “Is it always this drab and lonely around here? If I known what a setup you have, I’d have booked myself a room!”
The nurse craned back once over her shoulder, gave Scroogie a secret smile and went on her way. Richard watched with amusement. “You didn’t have to send her away, really.”
Scroogie shrugged silently, waved an indifferent hand at the air. Then he sat there awhile and appraised Richard, the smile never leaving his face, almost like it was painted there. It’s good to see you, that’s what Richard thought the smile said.
Scroogie smiled wider. He certainly appeared contented enough.
Was he great, though? Was anyone bound to a wheelchair ever really contented? Richard supposed some of them must be. But Scroogie, he was one of those people that, despite his girth, seemed always to be in motion. The chair didn’t fit him somehow; it seemed nearly an illusion that would vanish if Richard blinked. Wouldn’t that be great if he could blink the chair away, blink all troubles away just like that?