Homicide by Hamlet (Cozy Mystery) Book #3 (Chubby Chicks Club Cozy Mystery Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

is ballet Hamlet, dubbed Killer Swan Lake. It has been approved. Congratulations.”
    Faint handclapping followed the announcement.
    I felt a sense of amusement at pulling one over on Priscilla. She had stolen our bogus theme. Wilbert and Umika looked at me and shook their heads as if in disbelief.
    “Team three, led by Mr. Smothers, is Zombie Hamlet. It has been approved, congratulations,” Gerald continued.
    A student screamed out, “Walking Dead Hamlet.”
    The audience broke out in hoots.
    “Settle down now.” Gerald motioned to the crowd. “Team Four, with Miss Jones as advisor, you have been approved. Their theme is Fairy Tale Hamlet, or as they call it Once upon a Hamlet. Congratulations.”
    The audience laughed.
    “Congratulations to Mr. Helmsley’s team five who chose “Real Housewives of Denmark, Hamlet. You have been approved.” Gerald smiled.
    “And I’m sorry to say, team six led by Dr. Isenberg, has been disqualified.” Gerald glanced down at the podium.
    The low murmur of chatter came to a standstill. The crowd seemed to hold their breath.
    Dr. Isenberg stood. “Wait a minute.” His round face flushed, as he shook his hand in the air. “Why?”
    Gerald cleared his throat. “There have been objections to your subject matter.”
    “What does that mean?” Dr. Isenberg threw up his arms.
    “It means that your theme is not appropriate, nor politically correct.” Gerald said raking his fingers through his hair. “I’m really sorry.”
    Dr. Isenberg pumped his fist. “Hold on there. You don’t understand. We weren’t trying to say that Hamlet was going to be Hitler. Hitler was the King who Hamlet wanted to kill. It was meant to be a mash up of Valkyrie and Hamlet.”
    Gerald looked at Dr. Isenberg, then at the two other judges.
    Dr. Isenberg continued, “Our theme is completely within the rules. You have to reconsider.”
    Gerald spread his hands. “I understand how you feel. But the judges have deemed that a Hitler theme cannot be done in any way, shape or form.”
    The sound of chatter enveloped the theater.
    Dr. Isenberg animatedly flailed his arms. “We planned on using humor.”
    Gerald raised a hand. “That doesn’t make it any less offensive.”
    The professor’s neck reddened. “You still don’t understand, the theme was meant to be satirical, not impertinent.”
    “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to choose another theme,” Gerald said.
    Priscilla stood. “According to the rules, if a theme is not chosen and approved by five in the afternoon, the first day of camp, that team is removed. They cannot be a part of this competition.”
    Dr. Isenberg’s voice rose. “Are you kidding me? Priscilla, back off.”
    “Please hold your comments, Ms. Woodham,” Gerald said.
    “Rules are rules,” Priscilla said to Dr. Isenberg. “And you just blew your entry into the competition.”
    “You really are a piece of work,” Dr. Isenberg retorted. A long piece of his hair, used to disguise his baldness, slid onto his forehead. “I’m surprised you didn’t do the Wizard of Oz theme and play the wicked witch yourself.”
    The audience members snickered and howled.
    “How dare you.” Priscilla scowled at him.
    Gerald tapped on the microphone for attention. “Everyone, calm down. And, Dr. Isenberg, I would also warn you to watch your tongue and your tone of voice.” Then he waved a hand to the judges. “Give us a minute to sort this out.”
    The judges gathered off stage, and conversed for several minutes. Finally they returned and Gerald went to the podium.
    He adjusted the microphone and spoke, “We are in agreement, and we have decided that within the framework of the rules, we can give a team that had, indeed, made the initial deadline, although the theme was disqualified, ten more minutes to come up with another. As long as this extension is approved by a majority of the team leaders. All of the team leaders in favor of allowing team six another try at their theme please