Mary Beth was a bright and energetic Midwest student who caught the eye of Navy Recruiters. Before her college senior year, she was relocated to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center on the East Coast. She immediately became embroiled in an intensive work study program focused upon using her brilliant mathematical and simulation abilities to address Submarine applications. Mary Beth goes to sea to assist in sea trials and meets and falls in love with the Captain John Forester. They soon get married and set up two residences, one in New London, New England and the other in Soquel, California. After twenty years they retire from their respective careers and happily settle in the community of Soquel. They do not just sit around but become actively involved with community activities including the revitalization of the Soquel Movie Theatre. Mary Beth’s husband the Captain dies tragically and Mary Beth throws herself completely into the theatre project. A suitor enters the picture and Mary Beth is pleasant but not willing to turn over her affection to this dandy-come-lately. She becomes suspicious when Stewart seems intently interested in her collection of art and her husband’s collection of ancient Grecian coinage. Mary Beth hires an investigator and he soon ferrets out six other women who have been swindled by Stewart to the tune of several million dollars of personal items. Mary Beth uses the planned reopening of the Soquel Movie Theatre to stage a play; a play which will slowly take apart Stewart right there in front of the entire community as the seven jilted women strike terror in his heart, totally emasculating him, and resulting in a puddling mess suitable only for a strait jacket short tour of the insane asylum before a long term stay in the Graybar hotel.
Robert Lanphar
8 October 2015