Episode #103 - Sitting in the drawing room of Collinwood is a man who may or may not be a murderer. I still have no way of knowing whether or not he might want to make me his next victim. In spite of the plausible story he told, Roger Collins is a man driven by fear.

Roger goes upstairs at Collinwood. He knocks on Vicki's bedroom door--it's Roger, he says, I want to talk to you. Receiving no answer, he opens the door, but she isn't there, and her bed is still made. He closes the door and slowly walks away, perturbed. Vicki! He calls--Miss Winters, where are you?--Vicki? He goes back downstairs, calling her, and checks the kitchen. Are you out there? he asks.He looks in the empty drawing room, then opens the double doors and frantically calls her name outside. "VICKI!"

Burke is sitting in the Blue Whale when Vicki comes in, and he ushers her to a table and asks her if everything is all right. I'm not sure, I have a feeling everything is all wrong, she tells him--Roger just told me the most incredible story--he said the night Bill Malloy died, he called Malloy and arranged to see him before the meeting. Roger said that? asks Burke. Yes, says Vicki, and when he got there, Malloy was already dead, he was so shocked, he didn't know what to do, so he did nothing--he knew how badly it would look for him, seeing he had motive and opportunity, and who would believe him. No one, says Burke. Maybe I believe him, says Vicki. You can't be serious, insists Burke. I'm not as sure as I was, says Vicki--he could have been telling the truth. Then who killed Bill Malloy? asks Burke. No one killed him, says Vicki, the coroner's report could have been right, it could have been an accident. Accidents don't happen that conveniently unless he helped it to happen, says Burke. I want to believe Roger, I really do, says Vicki. That's exactly what he wants! says Burke--he'd like nothing more than to have the whole thing forgotten. He doesn't want to cause Mrs. Stoddard anymore grief or trouble. Burke runs his hands over his face--oh boy, he says, he sure pulled out all the stops, didn't he? I know you think I'm an idiot, but I can't help it, she says. Burke pats her hand comfortingly--if only that fountain pen hadn't disappeared so conveniently, he says--wait a minute, you said Roger was in the house the afternoon the pen disappeared. Yes, says Vicki. Then obviously, be took it, says Burke. I know, agrees Vicki. If he had any sense at all, says Roger, he'd have thrown is as far as he could into the ocean--but maybe he didn't. What do you mean? asks Vicki. I think we could go to the police with what we know, says Burke. Roger could deny the whole thing, couldn't he? asks Vicki. Yes, of course he could, says Burke, just the way he denied knowing anything about the meeting that night--what we need is some tangible proof. The fountain pen, says Vicki. I have a crazy idea it just might work, says Burke--I'm going to Bangor tonight--would you like to come along? I can't, how could I explain it? she asks him. You still feel you owe them something, don't you? he asks. Yes I do, she replies. You'd make a very good girl scout, he says--you can stay here, he says, but I don't think you should go back up to Collinwood tonight. Why not, asks Vicki as long as Roger thinks I believe his story, I'm perfectly safe. You're not a very good liar, he says ruefully. Maybe I believe him, she says, it's perfectly possible that he is telling the truth. It's also possible he called Malloy that night, met him at Lookout point, hit him over the head and threw him into the ocean! insists Burke. Please, begs Vicki. It's also possible that if he gets the slightest inkling that you don't believe his story, he may do the same thing to you, warns Burke--he might even consider it a strong enough motive knowing you were here talking to me. I know you're exaggerating, she says. He can only be convicted of one murder, says Burke, he can only serve one life sentence, no matter how many people he kills. Please don't talk like that! pleads Vicki. You just refuse to face facts, don't you, says Burke, growing angry. What are the facts? she asks--a missing fountain pen?--Roger's story makes as much sense to me as your theory does. You're wrong, says Burke, there's one fact you've overlooked--Bill Malloy is dead.Vicki looks uncomfortable, and Burke takes her hand in both of his for a moment and tells her he'll drive her back as far as the gate. They leave the bar.

Blue Whale - Sam, pipe in mouth, hat on his head, enters the bar and goes in. Maggie sits at a table. He comes in and they greet each other. He asks if she's been waiting long. I was beginning to think I'd been stood up by my own father, she teases--now that would have been the ultimate rejection. He chuckles and tells her she knows better, and he kisses her cheek. What can I do for you? asks Sam. I have something to tell you, says Maggie. That sounds ominous, says Sam--that's why you invited me to the Blue Whale. I thought it wouldn't sound so bad in here, she says. The bartender brings Sam a drink. All right, what is it? Sam asks, rubbing his hands together. Vicki Winters says she has proof that Bill Malloy did not die accidentally. Proof? Asks Sam, laughing in disbelief--what proof? She wouldn't tell me that--she said it wouldn't be enough to convince a jury, but it was enough to convince her--I'll tell you something, Pop, I was afraid for her--I even asked her to come stay with us. Why didn't she? asks Sam. She just didn't want to, replies Maggie. Surely she didn't think I had anything to do with it, says Sam. I'm sure she doesn't, says Maggie. Did she say that? asks Sam. Not in so many words, says Maggie, but she did tell me that if she told me anymore, I'd be in as much danger as she was--the killer might find out that I knew--so of course I realized it wasn't you she was talking about. Sam rubs his face--who is it? he asks--did she give any indication at all? Not directly, says Maggie, but who had the motive?--who else could she be talking about except Roger? Collins, eh? asks Sam, sipping his drink--I wouldn't put it past him--he had every reason in the world--did she say what she intended to do? I gather she'd already discussed it with someone, says Maggie. George Patterson, the sheriff? Asks Sam. No, Burke Devlin, says Maggie. Burke? asks Sam--I'd rather she'd gone directly to the police. If Vicki really does have proof that roger killed Malloy, says, Maggie, it doesn't involve you in any way, does it? You mean does it implicate me in any way? asks Sam--of course it doesn't--I had nothing to do with it and no knowledge about it--I didn't know Malloy was dead until the sheriff told the both of us that day in the coffee shop. That seems like years ago, remarks Maggie. I thought the whole thing was over and done with, sighs Sam. It was, says Maggie, until Vicki found out whatever it was she found out. Maybe she'll never go to the police, says Sam. But Burke will if she told him the whole story, says Maggie. The whole thing starts all over again, frets Sam, waving to the bartender for another drink. Does that mean the letter you had me put in the hotel safe is still important? asks Maggie. It might be, says Sam. And you still won't tell me what was in that letter, she says. I told you, he says, it's a life insurance policy. Haven't you been able to think of something better than that in all this time? she asks. I'd just forgotten about it, he says. So had I, until Vicki reminded me of the whole thing again, she says. The bartender brings over Sam's drink. Why couldn't she have just kept quiet? says Sam. I said the same thing, Maggie tells him, only I said it to her. What did she say? asks Sam. You know Vicki--she has a sense of duty about the whole thing, says Maggie. Yeah, says Sam, slugging down his drink. Come on, Pop, she chastises him, the Blue Whale isn't going to suddenly run out of booze, you don't have to drink them dry. I know what I'm doing, Sam assures her. Right now you do, but I want you to stay that way, she says. Don't worry about me! says Sam. You keep saying that and I keep worrying, she says--besides, I haven't told you the whole thing yet. What more is there? queries Sam. Vicki also said that Malloy's murder is tied in with that accident 10 years ago. Did she tell Burke that? asks Sam, upset. I suppose so, says Maggie. The bartender brings over another drink for Sam. It does involve you, doesn't it? asks Maggie, watching him take another slug.She looks at him, but he doesn't reply.

The clock strikes. Roger paces the drawing room, checks his watch. He goes into the foyer and dials the phone, asking to ring Burke's room--oh, did he say when he'd be back?--I see, thank you. He hangs up, dismay on his face.

Blue Whale - What's the matter? Maggie asks her Pop, are you OK? He takes her hands, and, voice slurring, asks if she's on pretty good terms with Vicki. Sure, says Maggie. Call her up, he says. Why? she asks. I want to find out if she knows anything that could prove that Roger killed Malloy, says Sam. I did ask her that, says Maggie, and she wouldn't tell me. Try it again, he says, you're good at that sort of thing--you can always get anything from me you want. Not always, she says. Anything, he assures her, just ask, anything. All right, she says what about that letter in the hotel safe? I told you all about that! he insists--why don't you call Collinwood right now and ask Vicki. it's too late to call now, she says. No, you go on and call her, he urges, his hand on her shoulder--do that for me, Maggie, please--he gives her a dime. She goes to the phone and dials. Roger answers. Maggie says she hopes she didn't disturb him and asks to speak to Vicki. Not at all, he assures her, but she doesn't seem to be here at the moment--I called your house a little while ago, to see if she was there. No, Pop and I have been here some time now, says Maggie--at the Blue Whale. Then you haven't seen Vicki at all, says Roger.That's why I called, says Maggie. Is there any message I can give her? asks Roger. Ask her to call me tomorrow, says Maggie. I'll do that, promises Roger, good night. Good night, she says, and both hang up. Maggie returns to the table, but Sam is gone. She looks around, then sits down, distressed.

Collinwood - Vicki comes out of the kitchen, quietly closing the door. She sneaks upstairs, but Roger calls her from the drawing room. You startled me, she says, coming back down. I'm sorry, says Roger. I didn't know anyone was up this late, she says. I was worried about you, he says--won't you come in for a moment. She joins him, walking slowly--you knew I'd gone out? she says. Please don't think I was spying on you, he says--I thought of something else that you ought to know--he prepares another drink--I went up and knocked on your door, and to my surprise, no Vicki! I couldn't sleep, she says, I went for a walk. You must be exhausted if you've been walking all this time, he chuckles grimly. I wasn't walking all the time, she says, I went to Maggie Evans' house. (uh oh) Did you? he asks--and how is Maggie Evans? She's fine, says Vicki--you remember, she called me earlier this evening. Yes, I seem to remember, you spoke at some length, says Roger--something to do with the portrait of the Hanscomb girl? That's right, nods Vicki. Then is that what you discussed this evening? asks Roger, knowing she's lying. Yes, says Vicki, she said she found out something new about it, but apparently she was wrong. What a shame, says Roger--then your visit was entirely wasted. Not really, says Vicki, I like talking to Maggie. So do I, he says, I must really get to know her better. She's lots of fun, says Vicki, it's nice to talk to someone who has no big problems to solve. Yes, says Roger, sipping his drink, I can imagine. He drains the glass. You said you wanted to see me, she says. It's not important, he assures her. What was it about? she asks. Out minds run in the same channels, I was about to suggest to you that you call Maggie Evans. What for? asks Vicki. To see if she can throw any light on the portrait of the Hanscomb girl.That is a coincidence, agrees Vicki. I told you, laughs Roger, our minds seem to work alike. I think I'll go to bed tonight, says Vicki--I'm quite tired. You should be tired, agrees Roger, after that long walk. She nods and bids him good night. He watches her go upstairs. Pleasant dreams, Miss winters he says, taking another slug of his drink.

Vicki, wearing a nightgown, sits on her bed brushing her hair. She locks her door and turns out the light, then gets into bed.

Down in the drawing room, Roger calls the Blue Whale, asking if Sam Evans is there--oh, he did?--how long ago?--I see, but he was there earlier?--with his daughter?--did you happen to notice if there was anyone else with them?--quite alone--thank you very much--oh, no, I'll try at home. He hangs up.

Vicki hears someone unlocking her door. Who is it? she cries--who's there? But the door closes. Who's out there? demands Vicki, scrambling out of bed and putting on her robe. We hear scurrying footsteps. It's Roger--are you all right? he calls. Yes, I'm all right, she says. May I come in? he asks. Yes, she says hesitantly. He enters and turns on her light. I heard you call out, he says. Yes, she tells him--I screamed. Why, what happened? he asks. Somebody tried to get into my room, she says. What do you mean, tried to get into you room, he asks--the door wasn't locked. It was, I know it was, she says. But I opened the door, it wasn't locked, he insists. It was locked, she says--someone unlocked it and tried to get into my room!--I screamed and scared them away. Were you asleep? He asks. Yes, she says, the sound of the lock woke me up, and I saw the door opening. Are you sure it was the noise that awakened you? he asks. Yes, she says, I heard something, it terrified me. What I mean is, are you sure you were actually awake? He persists. Of course I'm sure, she says, angry, someone was outside there! But I ran upstairs, he says, I didn't see or hear anyone. You think it was my imagination, she accuses, well that door opened and it didn't open by itself. You know what I think, he says, I think you were so sleepy after that long walk, that you meant to lock the door but you didn't, you had every intention to, but just didn't get around to it--you forgot. That isn't true, she says. Did you see anyone? he asks,. No, it was dark, she says. And you were still asleep, he says. No I wasn't! she retorts. Well, don't be frightened, he says, I'm just a short way down the hall, and a light sleeper--if you hear someone skulking about, just sing out, and I'll be here before you know it. Thank you, she says. Good night, he says--oh, Vicki, I have a message for you--Maggie Evans phoned--she's been with he father all evening--I suggest you call her in the morning and get your stories straight--good night. (uh oh!) He closes her door, and she immediately rushes over and locks it, testing the lock. She looks scared witless.

NOTES: Roger knows Vicki is lying. Will he do something to her? Was it he who unlocked her door and tried to get into her room? They are playing a little cat and mouse game here. If he knew she had been with Burke at the Blue Whale, what would he have done? Is he telling Vicki the truth about finding Malloy already dead, or is Burke right, and he's leading the innocent Vicki down a garden path of lies?

And what's with Sam? Why is he so anxious to learn what Vicki knows, if he had nothing to do with Malloy's death. The writers have made it appear that either Sam or Roger murdered Malloy to protect their 10 year old secret, making both look and sound guilty, but if neither did it, who did, if anyone? Why did Sam desert his daughter at the Blue Whale?

Burke, of course, is clinging stubbornly to the idea that Roger is the murderer; he's after revenge, and the idea of turning Roger in as a murderer would be turnabout is fair play irony to Burke.


Episode #104 - Instead of being a home, Collinwood had turned into a chamber of horrors for me--at least I expect it to be safe inside my locked room--but at Collinwood, locks don't seem to fulfill the function for which they were designed--last night, someone definitely entered my room--only my screams frightened away the intruder.

Vicki joins Liz in the drawing room. Did you sleep well? asks Liz. No, I didn't, says Vicki. Aren't you feeling well? asks Liz. Let me ask you a question--if you'd gone to bed and locked your door, then was awakened in the middle of the night to find your door being opened, would you have slept well after that? I think you'd better explain, says Liz. Someone tried to get into my room last night, says Vicki. What time was this? asks Liz. I don't know, but Roger could tell you, he heard me scream. Roger heard you? asks Liz, rising from the sofa. Yes, and apparently no one else did; he came rushing into my room almost immediately--don't look at me like that, I didn't imagine it, or dream the whole thing up like Roger suggests--there was a person trying to get into my room, and that person had a key to my room. I'm sorry that such a thing happened, and I can understand your being upset, says Liz, but it won't happen again. How do you know it won't? demands Vicki. I'll have Matthew put an additional lock on your door, and you'll have the only key, says Liz. I would feel a lot safer, says Vicki. Have you any idea what someone might want in your room? asks Vicki. No, I don't, says Vicki, I have nothing worth stealing. Then you don't think it was a prowler? Asks Liz. Why would a prowler pick one room in the house where there isn't anything of value? Asks Vicki. Perhaps he didn't know the house well, suggests Liz (leave a map at the front door). Or perhaps he knew it very well, says Vicki significantly.

Liz comes downstairs, walks into the drawing room and tells Vicki, who is drinking coffee, that she spoke to David, and he didn't know anything about it--I know he isn't always the most trustworthy person, but this time I believe him. Whoever it was tried to get into my room wasn't a prowler or burglar, says Vicki, he was after me. Matthew enters and asks, "What about a prowler?" Liz stands and thanks him for coming right away--Miss Winters thinks someone tried to force his way into her room last night. That doesn't seem likely, says Matthew, the house was locked up good, I saw to it before I went to my cottage. Couldn't the window have been locked? Asks Vicki.Not unless twas unlocked after I made my rounds, says Matthew evenly. Do you always check the house every night? asks Vicki. Part of my job, says Matthew. Well, says Vicki then it must have been someone already in the house. That doesn't include many people, says Liz. I don't think it was anyone who lives here, says Vicki--someone could have gotten in during the day or earlier in the evening and hidden in any one of a dozen rooms. That's possible, says Liz, but it still doesn't explain why--take a look at Miss Winters' door and see what the best kind of lock would be to put on it. Safest thing would be just an inside bolt, he says, I'll see to it today--anything else? Check with me before going into town, says Liz, Mrs. Johnson might want to go with you and do some marketing. Yes, ma'am, he says, and leaves. Liz asks Vicki if she knows if Roger checked the door to the closed-off part of the house last night. No, I don't, says Vicki, but that could explain where he disappeared to. I'll go look and see, says Liz, excuse me. She heads upstairs. Vicki watches her, then picks up the phone and dials Burke, still looking around. I forgot, he said he was going to Bangor today--no, I'll call back later, says Vicki. She dials another number--Sam's--and asks for Maggie. She's not here, says Sam. Oh, she wanted me to call he, I said I would anyway--I guess I'll try the coffee shop. Actually, Maggie called you because I asked her to, says Sam, smoking and playing with the phone wire--I was the one who wanted to talk to you--it could be very important. What's it about? asks Vicki. I just might have some information for you about that portrait of Betty Hanscomb, says Sam. Can you tell me about it now? asks Vicki anxiously. Telephones have extensions, Sam reminds her, I would much rather see you alone--could you meet me this evening? Wherever you say, says Vicki. The Blue Whale, suggests Sam--no one will think it odd because I'm there almost any night anyway. Do you think you can really tell me something about myself? asks Vicki hopefully. I can't guarantee anything, says Sam, but try to make it if you can. All right, says Vicki, it will be a little bit after dark. I'll be waiting, says Sam. If you're in touch with Maggie, would you tell her I found out something more about what we were talking about yesterday, says Vicki. Something more? Asks Sam--what. Just tell her that, she'll understand, says Vicki, and hearing Liz returning, tells Sam she has to go now and quickly hangs up and walks toward the fireplace. Liz tells her that the closed off section is locked and she, Liz, has the only key, so you're mysterious visitor couldn't have escaped that way. I guess I'll have to put it out of my mind, says Vicki--when you were talking to David, you didn't give him any idea of what had happened? Of course not, says Liz, I was most discrete. That's good, says Vicki, because if he had that on his mind, might as well forget about his lessons for today--as it is, we have to make up for one already--excuse me. Of course, says Liz, and Vicki exits. Liz picks up the phone and calls the plant, looking for Roger, who isn't there--if he should come in or call in, tell him to contact me right away, she says--it's quite urgent--thank you. Concerned, she hangs up, hands clasped together.

We see a car parking. Roger gets out and enters Collinwood. He removes his hat and coat, leaving them on the foyer table. Did you get my message? Asks Liz. I got home as early as I could, says Roger. I asked you to call immediately, she says. This is as immediate as I could make it, says Roger, a bit testily--I was already on my way home when I got the message--what in the world was so urgent about it? Why didn't you speak to me before leaving the house this morning? she asks. Why Liz, I didn't think you cared that much, he says sarcastically. Don't be facetious, she says, you know perfectly well what I'm talking about--Vicki make it quite clear. Roger pours a drink. Oh, you mean her nocturnal visitation? asks Roger. This is not time for joking, she says. Did you take it seriously? He asks. Certainly, says Liz, didn't you? I honestly don't know what to believe about Vicki, he says, shaking his head--let's examine the record--first she insists that she was held prisoner in a locked room by a small nine year old boy--then she claims to have seen the ghost of Bill Malloy, of all people--now she says a supernatural creature walks through a locked door of hers and is presumably about to attack her--she's either got a very over active imagination or she's got hold of information that's dangerous for her to have. What sort of information? demands Liz. Roger drinks. That of course you should ask Vicki, not me, he says. What information could it possibly be? she asks him. The only dangerous information I can think of would be some knowledge of Bill Malloy's death. That was ruled an accident, says Liz. Burke Devlin didn't think so, says Roger. I don't care what Burke Devlin thinks, says Liz. From my talks with Vicki, says Roger, I'm sure that she also thinks Malloy was murdered. Where in the world would she get that idea? asks Liz. The same she found out about these ghosts and people walking in prowling at night--her vivid imagination!--she also thinks she has a vital clue as to who murdered him. Matthew enters. Beg your pardon, Mz. Stoddard, he says, I fixed the bolt on Miss winters' door--is there anything else? I don't think so, says Liz, when you looked at the door, were there any signs of it having been forced. No, not any signs, says Matthew. Matthew exits. What does Vicki intend to do, barricade herself in her room forever? asks Roger. The says she feels safer with a bolt inside her door, says Liz. Perhaps that's what we should all do, says Roger--you know, Liz, I think I was right all along--Vicki knows too much for her own good in this house--I think for her ultimate safety she should leave Collinwood--and I'm going to have another talk with her about it. You can't right now, she's not here, says Liz. Where is she off to this time? asks Roger. She didn't say, Liz tells him--she said she had an appointment in town--cab came and got her and she drove off. You don't have any idea who she had this appointment with? asks Roger. No, I haven't, says Liz--why should it concern you? My dear sister, it only concerns me because I'm worried about the welfare of Miss Winters--I think I'll run into town and see if I can find her. Why are you so anxious about where she went? Asks Liz. I told you, I'm afraid something will happen to her, says Roger. Wouldn't it be a little less obvious if you waited until she got back and then asked her? asks Liz.But Liz--what if she doesn't come back? queries Roger--I'll see you later. Liz, amazed, watches him leave, wondering, as I do, what he means by that.

Blue Whale - Sam is talking at the bar with a couple of other guys when Vicki comes in. It was nice of you to come, he says. Nice of you to ask me, she says. He seats her at a table and offers her a drink. No, I don't think so, thank you, she says. You sure you don't want something, says Sam--coffee or a ginger ale? Vicki accepts the latter. Sam tells the bartender to bring him his usual and Vicki a ginger ale. How are things at Collinwood? smiles Sam. About the same, says Vicki. that's good, he says. When I say about the same, says Vicki, I mean the same sort of strange things keep happening--last night, somebody tried to get into my room. You don't say! says Sam. I'm convinced it's part of the same thing, says Vicki. Part of what thing? asks Sam. Did you give Maggie my message? Asks Vicki. No, says Sam, I haven't seen her since I spoke with you. He lights a cigarette. She'll be awfully worried, says Vicki. She's very worried, he says--that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I thought you wanted to tell me something more about the portrait of Betty Hanscomb, says Vicki. The bartender brings over the drinks. You have every right to get up and walk out of here right now, says Sam--but please don't--there's something I've got to talk to you about, and that was the only excuse I could think of. Vicki shakes her head--then you don't know anymore about B. Hanscomb? She asks. I'll be honest with you, I never even gave it a thought, says Sam (not nice!). Do you remember anything about him? she asks. I never met the gentleman, he says--see, the Collins family and I hardly traveled in the same circle--you see, what I wanted to find out that thing you told Maggie. I don't want to talk about it, says Vicki--I told her something and I'm not at all sure that I was right, so I'd rather wait until I know more about it. She said you had definite proof Malloy was killed, that it wasn't an accident at all, says Sam. that's what I thought, she says, but I've learned something more since then. You mean you were wrong, says Sam. I don't know, says Vicki, but that's all I want to say. Don't you think you've said a little too much to suddenly stop? He asks. I just want to explain it to Maggie, says Vicki. Explain it to me and I'll tell Maggie later, tonight, coaxes Sam. I don't want to go through it all again, says Vicki--please tell Maggie what I told you, forget about our conversation. I'm afraid it's a little too late for that, says Sam. Why--has she told someone? asks Vicki. Only if you consider me someone, says Sam--she said you not only had proof Bill Malloy was killed, says Sam, there was a definite connection between his death and Burke Devlin's accident 10 years ago. That's what I thought, says Vicki. Sam smokes. Listen to me, he says, since Malloy died, there have been all sorts of whispers and unspoken accusations floating around Collinsport--don't you realize that I was under suspicion myself?--now, if you know anything about it that might bring this issue back again, you've got to tell me what it is! I'm sorry, says Vicki, standing. Sam rises, too, and says you can't walk out like that. She looks into his eyes and sits down again. I think you should discuss it with Burke Devlin, suggests Vicki. Burke?--what's he got to do with it--did you tell him the whole thing? asks Sam. Not all of it, no, says Vicki. Please, Sam begs, you've got to tell me what you told Burke--I can't go through this whole thing again! I promised him I wouldn't say anything until he came back from Bangor, says Vicki. When will he be back? asks Sam, agitated. I don't know, but I expect he'll call me, says Vicki. Then you'll tell him the rest, says Sam--how I acted just now--that will fit in beautifully.The only way to clear this thing up is to bring everything out into the open, says Vicki. At least I tried, says Sam, tamping out his cigarette--I have Maggie's car--can I drive you back to Collinwood? No, thank you, but I think I'd rather walk, she says--good night. She gives him a long look before he leaves. He bids her good night. She exits. He goes to the phone and dials four numbers, looking for Burke at the Inn--but Burke isn't back, and they have no idea at all when he will be. No message, says Sam, and he goes to the bar and quickly downs a shot, like desperately-needed medicine--before leaving.

Vicki stands at a sign that says "Collinsport 2". A car approaches her, heading straight for her. She tries to sidestep, blinking her eyes against the glare of the headlights.She screams as the car comes right at her, intent on running her down.

Liz sits in the drawing room. Someone frantically pounds at the door, over and over. Liz answers, it's Vicki. What's the matter? asks Liz. Somebody tried to kill me! cries Vicki, I swear, and it wasn't an accident this time! Liz leads her into the drawing room, telling her to calm down. I can't be calm, I don't feel calm, I feel like screaming! Vicki wails. Liz, sitting beside her on the sofa, tells her to go ahead and scream if it will help--suppose you try to tell me what happened. I was walking back from town, says Vicki, and this car was coming toward me, I didn't notice at first, but then it was coming quite fast and the headlights blinded me--there was plenty of room for it to pass, but suddenly I realized it was trying to run me down!Where was this? asks Liz. Half a mile from here, says Vicki, I ran the rest of the way--who's doing this to me--who wants to kill me? I can't believe anyone would want to kill you, says Liz, did you see what kind of car it was? I couldn't because of the headlights, says Vicki. Do you think I should call the sheriff? Asks Liz. What good would it do?--I can't tell him anything--I can't tell anyone anything, laments Vicki. If you really think you're in danger, says Liz, you shouldn't be walking home alone this time of night--it's too bad roger didn't see you in town, he could have driven you home. He isn't here? Asks Vicki. He drove off more than an hour ago, says Liz. Where did he go? asks Vicki. I don't know, he said he was going to look for you, says Liz. Vicki swallows hard. Maybe he found me, says Vicki. I'm going to get something to quiet you down, says Liz, leaving the room. Vicki picks up the phone and dials the Inn, asking for Burke--he's in this time, and she tells him they have to do something now--when I was coming back from town tonight, a car tried to run me down...no, I didn't...she holds her coat closed as if cold...Mrs. Stoddard is here...no, Roger left about an hour ago...of course in his car!. . .no, I couldn't see it because the headlights almost blinded me--all right--Burke, please hurry. She hangs up, then unbuttons her coat and sits on the sofa. Here, says Liz--take this--I take them frequently, they can't possibly hurt you. (Hmm, sharing prescription drugs, Liz?) She holds out a pill on a spoon and a glass of water. Vicki reaches for the pills, but doesn't take them. You're not afraid of me, are you? asks Liz. I don't want to take anything, says Vicki. I think you'd better, says Liz. Vicki reluctantly takes the pill, swallowing water. Now, says Liz, come upstairs and lie down--I'm sure you'll sleep soundly. Liz, her eyes filled with concern, watches Vicki walk upstairs.

NOTES: So, did Roger attempt to run Vicki down, to shut her up and protect his non-secret? He didn't kill Malloy, so why would he be upset enough to try to kill her? He's trying hard to discredit her, which is more his style. If he casts aspersions on her, making it sound like she's all imagination and no sense, no one will believe her, anyway.

Now she's allowed Liz to give her a sedative, or at least a valium, but Burke is apparently on his way to get her--why would she make herself sleepy at this time? Shouldn't she be awake and waiting for him to rescue her?

Sam, too, is acting oddly--did he also find Malloy's dead body after he'd been killed, as Roger did? Why would innocent men behave so desperately? I also think it was cruel of him to lure Vicki to the bar with his made up story about Hanscomb, knowing how anxious she would be to hear it. Bad Sam!

Love, Robin

Episode #99 - A stranger has come to the gloomy old mansion called Collinwood., determined to uncover secrets hidden inside its walls--but her first night has been filled with terror.

Mrs. Johnson, now wearing the familiar neck to dress hem apron, carries a tray into the drawing room and closes the doors. She dials Burke at the Inn. He walks sleepily into the living room, ties the belt on his robe, wipes his face with both hands, and answers. This is Sarah Johnson, she says. What is it? he asks. Sorry if I woke you, she says, but I couldn't afford to wait until later, I thought I'd better call you when everybody is asleep. Never mind that, says Burke--have you got some information? Something's happened here I think you ought to know about, she says--I don't want to talk about it here, someone might come in or pick up the extension--when can I come see you? I'll be here all morning and part of the afternoon--pick your time, he says. It will have to be in the afternoon before I can get away, she says, I have a lot of duties this morning. Can't you give me some idea of what's going on? her asks. I can only tell you that I have been frightened, and in a way I've never been frightened before, she tells him. Of what? he asks. This house! she says--I'm not a superstitious woman, but something happened here that there is only one explanation for--this house is haunted! Burke is shocked.

Haunted? asks Burke--but what are you talking about? I don't want to go into it now, insists Sarah. Carolyn flings open the drawing room doors. Sarah hurriedly says, "I have arthritis, Doctor." Is there someone there with you? asks Burke. That's right, says Mrs. J. Then hang up--I'll see you later, says Burke. Carolyn (in pants!) sits on the sofa and greets Sarah with a good morning. I hope you didn't mind my using the telephone, says Sarah. Not at all, Carolyn assures her--aren't you feeling well? I have a touch of arthritis, I guess I'm just getting old, says Sarah, but I would like to go in to see the doctor this afternoon if you're sure it will be OK with your mother. I'm sure it will be, says Carolyn. That's hot coffee for you over there, says Sarah. I'm not used to such service! exclaims Carolyn. Vicki comes in and greets both women good morning. Hello, says Carolyn coolly--you want some coffee? Yes, please, says Vicki. Have you two met? asks Carolyn. We met yesterday, replies Vicki. Could I fix either of you some breakfast? Asks Mrs. J. The coffee's fine for me, says Carolyn. I'll fix something for myself later, says Vicki, thank you. All right, then, I'll just go on with my dusting, if it's all right with you, says Sarah. She commences to dust, and Vicki asks Carolyn where she disappeared to last night. I went into town, says Carolyn, to a movie. With Joe? asks Vicki. No, I went alone, says Carolyn. Did you like the movie? asks Vicki. As much as I could like any movie I saw alone, says Carolyn resentfully. They sip their coffee. I'd have gone with you if I'd known you were going, says Vicki. I know that, says Carolyn bitchily, getting up from the sofa and walking toward the piano. Vicki follows her. Carolyn takes the paper and opens it on top of the piano. You have no reason in the world to be mad at me, says Vicki. Haven't I? asks Carolyn. I haven't done anything for you to be mad at! insists Vicki. I'm not mad, exactly, says Carolyn, I just thought we were better friends than we are, that's all. Why aren't we friends? asks Vicki--because I accepted that ride to Bangor with Burke Devlin? Sarah dusts, listening. What else could I do? continues Vicki--he was going to Bangor anyway and offered me a lift--what reason would I have for turning him down? None, I suppose, says Carolyn, relenting. It wasn't as though we planned it, it was just a coincidence, says Vicki. I know, you told me that already, says Carolyn. Don't you believe me? asks Vicki. Are you sure nothing went on between you and Burke in Bangor? asks Carolyn, facing her. Of course I'm sure, says Vicki. Something must have happened! says Carolyn. (Why?--because something would have happened if you had been with Burke in Bangor?) That's silly, says Vicki, I ran into Burke a couple of times while I was there--but you know why I made that trip--and it had nothing to do with Burke. I don't know why you called Uncle Roger late a night and had him come all the way to Bangor to get you! says Carolyn. Because I had no way of getting back, says Vicki, the last bus had left. Why didn't you ride with Burke? the blonde asks--you told me he offered you a ride. Because I didn't want to ride with him, says Vicki. Why not? persists Carolyn, as Sarah dusts, and listens--you were perfectly willing to accept a ride up there with him. Vicki walks to the window. That was a mistake I didn't want to repeat, she says. Why? asks Carolyn. Please don't ask me to explain, says Vicki, I can't, at least not right now. All right, says Carolyn coldly, but you can't stop me from coming to my own conclusions. Then they're wrong conclusions, Vicki tells her, believe me, there is nothing between Burke and myself--never has been and never will be--as a matter of fact, he is the last man in the world I want to be involved with. The last man in the world--isn't that going a bit overboard? asks Carolyn. I mean it, says Vicki, I don't want to contact him, see him, or have anything to do with him--and someday, you'll feel the same way. You sound almost as if you're afraid of Burke, says Carolyn, surprised. If I am, says Vicki, I have a reason to be--a good reason.Sarah listens closely, preparing her report.

I called you to remind you I'm waiting for your answer, says Burke from his room phone--what is there to think about?--you know I'm offering you and your men more money than you'll ever make working for Elizabeth Stoddard--better job, shorter hours--what else do you want?--what is it a question of?--all right, think it over, but I want a decision and soon--the deadline is Thursday, I'll have to know by then--I'll be expecting to hear from you. There's a knock at the door. Burke hangs up and invites Sarah in. She assures him no one saw her come up here. What's all this about a haunted house? he asks. If you'd been with me last night, you'd have seen, she says--I'll tell you, I'm so frightened, I don't know if I can stay in that house--I mean it--I didn't count on an experience like I had last night, never. Calm down, he says, sit down. She sits on the sofa and he sits beside her and asks her to tell him about it. There was sobbing coming from a padlocked room in the cellar, says Sarah--nobody in that house could have been in that room, nor any human being--it had to be something inhuman. Come on, says Burke, you're a sensible woman, surely you don't believe that! Yes I do, she says, I was there, you weren't, I know what happened! And it frightened you enough to give out on everything we've been working on? he asks. Of course I'm frightened, wouldn't you be? she asks. It could be the ventilating system, he says--systems in old houses like Collinwood--miles and miles of pipe--connecting the rooms--if someone made a sound in one of the rooms, it would be heard in another room--or maybe even the basement. And you think what I heard must have come from another room? she asks. It's the only logical explanation I can think of, he says. Why would anybody be sobbing in the middle of the night like that? she asks. I don't know, says Burke, what do I know from sobbing women and females? I guess it could have happened that way, she admits. Could have and probably did, says Burke convincingly--now, you don't believe in the bogeyman, do you? You make me sound foolish, she says, smiling slightly. I don't mean to, he says, patting her arm, I just don't want you to give up. I won't give up, she vows. Good, he says. I know, whatever happens, I have to stay in that house--I owe it to Mr. Malloy--you know I feel more than ever that the key to his murderer is somewhere in Collinwood. I know, says Burke--it's somewhere in that house--by the way, don't call me from Collinwood, it's too risky--no one must know there's ever been any connection between you and me. Somebody in that house already does know, she tells him. What? asks Burke. It's only David, she says--he caught me snooping around earlier in the basement--and he asked me if I was spying for Mr. Devlin. How did he make that connection? asks Burke. I think that day you made him apologize to me, he decided we liked each other better than we pretend, she says. If he tells his Aunt Elizabeth what he saw... frets Burke--if he saw you in the basement, the ball game's over. I don't think he'll tell her, says Sarah, he likes you--and hates his father--he'll do anything for you--he said he wouldn't tell and I think he meant it. I guess I'll just have to keep in his good graces, says Burke, lighting a cigarette, and that goes for some other people who live in that house. If you're talking about young Carolyn Stoddard, you don't have to worry about her, says Sarah, but you'd better keep your eye on and watch out for that Miss Winters--I overheard her this morning telling Carolyn--came out and practically said she was afraid of you.Why should she say that? asks Burke. I don't know, says Sarah, but it has something to do with a trip to Bangor. That's ridiculous, he says, I gave her no reason in the world to be afraid of me. I don't know, says Sarah, that's what I overheard, she said she was afraid--I couldn't tell you why. A strange thing did happen, says Burke, one minute she was going to ride back to Collinsport with me, and next she decided to stay in Bangor overnight--I thought it odd at the time. She didn't stay in Bangor overnight--she called Roger Collins to come get her that night, and he did. Roger? asks Burke, stupefied--she called Roger?--I don't understand--she was willing to ride with me a half hour before we were supposed to leave, then she changed her mind--if I frightened her, it must have happened in that half hour--I spent most of the time in a business meeting and didn't speak to her, except to tell her we were going to leave--it doesn't make any sense at all! Well, says Sarah, just the same you... There's a knock at the door. Burke isn't expecting anyone, and he approaches the door with trepidation.

Burke asks who it is, tamping out his cigarette in the ashtray on the table by the door. Ezra Hurd, says the man. Burke tells him to wait a minute and hustles Sarah into the kitchen and closes the door. Burke invites Ezra in. I know I told you I wanted fast action, says Burke, but I didn't expect to see you so soon. I talked to the men, we made a decision, says Ezra, thought we shouldn't waste time letting you know what it is. I feel the same way, says Burke, grinning. We're turning down your offer, says Ezra, sticking to our old jobs. Why? asks Burke. Because that's what we want, says Ezra. Name your price, insists Burke, I mean it. We haven't got a price, says Ezra. Then you're the first men I've met who don't. Could be, the other man says, but that's how it is. Are you staying with Elizabeth Stoddard out of some misguided sense of loyalty? Not misguided, says Ezra. What is Mrs. Stoddard to you, a patron saint? Demands Burke, truly pissed off. No, says Ezra passionately, just a woman who's fed us and provided for us most of our lives!--we figure we owe her something in return--we're not stupid, at least not as stupid as you must think. What's that supposed to mean? asks Burke. We know what you're trying to do to Mrs. Stoddard, says Ezra--we know you're trying to run her out of business. What's wrong with a little honest competition? Asks Burke. Nothing, says Ezra, but we don't want to be a part of what you're trying to do! Do you have any idea what you're throwing away? asks Burke. Yup, says Ezra, more money than any of us will ever see. And that doesn't matter to you? asks Burke. It matters, but not enough, replies Ezra. You've made a fast decision, says Burke, and a fast decision can be a sentimental decision--think over what I told you, and come back. We thought it over, says Ezra, we made a decision--it isn't likely we'll change our minds--the answer is no. All right, says Burke, furious, I'll get other men! Fishermen, maybe, says Ezra, but not men who can run a cannery--they don't exist in these parts--if they did, you wouldn't have made us the offer that you did! Get out of here! barks Burke. Why not, says Ezra calmly--we've said everything we've got to say to each other--and he goes. Burke slams the door after him, wipes his face with both hands, lights another cigarette. Sarah comes out of the kitchen. I overheard, she says--I'm sorry. Don't be, says Burke, there's more than one way to skin a cat, or drop a bombshell on the Collins house. What do you mean? asks Sarah. Watch, says Burke, and picks up the phone.

At Collinwood, Carolyn answers. Hello? She asks. Hello yourself, he replies. Who is this? she asks. You don't recognize my voice, that's not very flattering, he complains. Burke? she asks, delighted. Hand that lady a cupie doll and a big black cigar! Says Burke. Carolyn laughs. This is a surprise, she says. Why? he asks--don't tell me your phone isn't worn out from all those calls you get from admirers? Is that what you are? she asks flirtatiously. I might be placed in that category--what are you doing tonight? Nothing, she says--why? If you're free, says Burke, how about having dinner with me. I'm free as a breeze, she says, and I'd love to have dinner with you! Let's make it seven o'clock, he says, at the Blue Whale. Great, I'll see you then! she says, thrilled. I'll be waiting, says Burke, hanging up. Sarah smiles at nods in approval.

Carolyn stands by the phone, ecstatic. She exits the drawing room and meets Vicki in the foyer, nearly running into her. What's the hurry? asks Vicki, smiling. I'm sorry for the way I behaved this morning, chirps Carolyn, I was silly, suspicious and a dope! What brought this on? asks Vicki. I just realized I was wrong, says Carolyn, I'm apologizing--will you accept? Of course I will, says Vicki. We're friends again? asks Carolyn. Friends, Vicki agrees, pleased the feud is over. Good, says Carolyn, as long as we're friends, could I borrow your blue scarf to wear tonight? Sure, says Vicki. What's the occasion, do you have a date? Asks Vicki. Oh, I very definitely have a date! Says Carolyn dreamily. With Joe? asks Vicki. Nope, says Carolyn. Who with? asks Vicki. An admirer, says Carolyn, grinning joyously. I thought we were friends again, Vicki reminds her. We are friends, says Carolyn--I have a date with Burke Devlin. Burke? asks Vicki, perturbed. Carolyn nods--I have hours to get ready, but I want to decide what I'm going to wear. She starts to dash upstairs, but Vicki tells her to wait--I want to talk to you. I'm in a rush, can't it wait? Asks Carolyn. No, it's important, says Vicki, pleased. All right, says Carolyn, and the two girls go into the drawing room. If you're going to tell me not to go out with Burke, save your breath, advises Carolyn. You can't go out with him, says Vicki. Name me one good reason why I can't, insists Carolyn. You know what he's doing to your family, says Vicki. That's business, says Carolyn, Mother can handle competition, she always has. It isn't just business, says Vicki--you know about him and your Uncle Roger. All right, Burke has a grudge against Uncle Roger, says Carolyn--maybe he has good reason to! You're blinding yourself against so much! says Vicki. I'm not blinding myself to anything, says Carolyn, I know Burke--and he's not as black as he's painted in this house. That's just it, says Vicki seriously--you don't know him. And you do? asks Carolyn. I know he can be very dangerous, says Vicki. Dangerous--how? asks Carolyn. He can hurt you, badly, says Vicki. Why would Burke want to hurt me? asks Carolyn. Because you're a Collins, says Vicki. You mean you think he's trying to use me, says Carolyn. Isn't it possible? asks Vicki. No, says Carolyn, and I'll tell you why--because Burke likes ME--as a person, as a girl! Carolyn! chastises Vicki. The trouble with you is, says Carolyn, you don't want to admit Burke likes me! That isn't it at all, says Vicki. I think it is, says Carolyn, and I have proof of what I'm talking about--remember the day I had lunch with Burke in Bangor? Yes, says Vicki. He gave me a present, says Carolyn--men don't give presents to girls they don't like. You let him buy your loyalty with a simple presents, accuses Vicki. It wasn't a simple present, says Carolyn, it was very expensive--a beautiful silver filigreed fountain pen, worth a lot of money. A fountain pen? Asks Vicki, making a connection. Burke's pen, says Carolyn--he said there were only a few like it in the world and he wanted me to have it--I guess that proves something. Where is it? asks Vicki--I haven't seen you use it? Uncle Roger found out about it and took it away from me, explains Carolyn--he said he was gong to give it back to Burke. And that's what happened to it, asks Vicki--your uncle gave it to Burke? No, says Carolyn, he lost it! Lost it? asks Vicki, upset. Yes, I was furious, says Carolyn. When did he lose it? asks Vicki. A few weeks ago, says Carolyn--as a matter of fact, I can tell you the exact night--because something terrible happened that night--Bill Malloy was killed.

NOTES: So now Vicki realizes she drove home with the wrong man the previous night. It was Roger who lost the pen, not Burke. What will she do with this information? How terror-stricken she must feel!

Carolyn is such a child. She always thinks an apology smoothes everything over, but it doesn't always--not with Joe, certainly, and this is the zillionth time she's apologized to Vicki. How sincere could she be? She's as excited as a little girl over her date with Burke, but so smitten she won't listen to Vicki. And it was clear from what Burke said to Sarah that he plans to hurt Carolyn--and Mrs. Johnson seems to approve of the plan.

Burke convinced Sarah to stay at Collinwood despite her fear--it's only the ductwork, he assured her--what will happen when she hears that sobbing again? Duct work doesn't cry like that!

I suspect that the men from the Collins cannery would stick with the business they'd known for years. Loyalty means something in the workplace, and Liz is damn lucky Burke couldn't pay her employees enough to desert her. She must be very special indeed.


Episode #100 - Long weeks ago, a sudden death occurred near Collinwood, a death I now suspect was murder. I thought I knew the identity of the murderer, only to find new evidence that points to a member of the Collins family.

Drawing room - What's wrong? Carolyn asks Vicki. Nothing, the other girl replies. You look strange, remarks Carolyn. I was just thinking about the pen Burke Devlin gave you, says Vicki--it's a shame, you said it was valuable, it's a shame you lost it. I didn't, says Carolyn, Uncle Roger lost it. That's what I mean, says Vicki. I was so annoyed with him, says Carolyn--if he wouldn't let me keep the pen, the least he could have done was gotten it back to Burke without losing it--it was so careless of him! Has he searched for it? asks Vicki. He's turned the house upside-down looking for it, says Carolyn, but hasn't found it--it just seems to have vanished. Are you sure he lost it the night Bill Malloy died? asks Vicki. Yes, says Carolyn, positive--I wouldn't be very likely to forget anything that happened that night. I suppose you wouldn't, agrees Vicki. Why? asks Carolyn, what difference does it make to you? I thought if he lost it more recently, I might be able to find it, lies Vicki. You wouldn't be very likely to find it, says Carolyn, it's been missing for weeks--ever since that terrible night--the night poor Mr. Malloy was killed. Vicki looks quite upset--did she let the REAL murderer bring her home last night?

You seem awfully interested in that pen, says Carolyn. I know it meant a lot to you, says Vicki, and I'd like to help you find it. Thanks, but forget it, advises Carolyn--it's gone, and it's not likely to turn up at this late date. I suppose not, says Vicki. Anyway, Burke gave it to me, says Carolyn, and it was an expensive gift--doesn't that prove something? Maybe, says Vicki. Don't you believe he gave it to me? asks Carolyn accusingly. Oh, yes, says Vicki, I believe you! Well? asks Carolyn. What do you want me to say? asks Vicki. I don't care what you says, Burke wouldn't have given me an expensive gift like that if he didn't like me--whether you want to admit it or not. I admit it, says Vicki--I'm sure Burke likes you, there's no reason why he shouldn't--you're a very attractive girl. That's a switch, says Carolyn. Why, I never said Burke wasn't attracted to you, says Vicki. You said he was only using me to hurt Mother and Uncle Roger, says Carolyn. I never said that--you did, says Vicki. You implied it, says Carolyn. Maybe I did--and maybe I was wrong, admits Vicki--maybe I've been unfair to Burke--I know how he feels about your Uncle Roger, but I don't know how much of that feeling transfers to you--maybe none of it does. I don't understand you at all, says Carolyn, shocked at this change in her friend. I just don't want to be unfair to Burke, says Vicki, whatever I think of him, I don't think he's a monster. But just a minute ago, says Carolyn, you were telling me how dangerous he is--you even seemed frightened of him. Why should I be frightened of him? asks Vicki, hedging. That's what I'd like to know! says Carolyn. I'm not frightened of him, I have no reason to be, says Vicki. You had me wondering, says Carolyn. You misunderstood me, says Vicki. Then why all this fuss about my date with Burke? asks Carolyn. I didn't mean to make a big fuss over it, says Vicki, I just didn't want you to get into trouble with your family. The camera reveals that David has been standing outside the drawing room, listening to their conversation. I won't get into trouble, says Carolyn. You know what your mother is going to say, not to mention your Uncle Roger, says Vicki. They won't say anything about it if they don't know about it, says Carolyn. Aren't you planning to tell them? asks Vicki. Why should I? asks Carolyn, to listen to them scream? This is a small town, Vicki reminds her, and news travels fast--they're bound to find out. Maybe they will and maybe they won't, says Carolyn, if they do, I'll face that problem when the time comes--in the meantime, why borrow trouble? That's for you to decide, Vicki says, I'm not going to tell you what you should do. You won't tell them, will you? asks Carolyn--I don't mean you should lie to them, just don't tell them--especially Uncle Roger, please--for my sake. (A lie by omission.) I won't make an announcement of it, if that's what you mean, says Vicki. Thanks! Says Carolyn--we are friends again! I hope so, says Vicki--where are you meeting Burke? At the Blue Whale, says Carolyn. What time? asks Vicki. Seven o'clock, Carolyn tells her, grinning. You just think you have a date with Burke Devlin, says David, hands on hips--wait till my father finds out. Carolyn rushes over and demands to know how long he's been eavesdropping. Long enough, he replies--I'm not gong to let you see Burke--it isn't fair--you seeing Burke when I'm not allowed to--and I'm going to stop you. you are, are you? asks Carolyn--how do you plan to do that?--are you going to call Burke and tell him to cancel our date. I'm going to tell my father, says David calmly, and he'll stop you. All right, she says, you just go ahead and do that. I will! he promises. It really couldn't matter less to me, says Carolyn--no one can stop me from doing what I want to do--especially nasty little boys. My father will stop you, says David--he'll tell you you can't go, and make you stay in the house--you wait and see. And he leaves. He really is a little monster, Carolyn tells Vicki--I really wish my mother had never let him come to live here. You won't be using your car for the next few hours, will you? asks Vicki. Why, do you want to borrow it? asks Carolyn. if you don't mind, says Vicki, I've got a couple of errands to run in town. I don't mind, Carolyn assures her, just please have it back in time for me to meet Burke. I will, says Vicki. (No school today?) Carolyn paces the drawing room, probably wondering how she can legally kill her cousin.

Vicki drives up in front of the Collinsport Inn, parks and enters. She goes up to Burke's suite and knocks. Who is it? asks Burke. Vicki Winters, she says. He rises from the desk and goes to answer the door. This is a surprise, he says, come in--to what do I owe this unexpected honor? I have to talk to you, it's very important, she says. His flippant demeanor changes at the serious look on her face. What's going on? he asks. Something I found out this afternoon, something that terrifies me, she says. What's happened? he asks. I found out Roger's been lying, says Vicki, he said he wasn't at Widows' Hill...Lookout Point the night Bill Malloy was killed--but he was--and I think he murdered Bill Malloy. Burke gazes at her in astonishment.

Would you please repeat that last statement? Asks Burke. I think Roger murdered Bill Malloy, says Vicki--or I should say I think it's very possible. Why? asks Burke. He had a motive if the things you say about that accident 10 years ago are true. They're true, all right, says Burke--Roger was guilty of that manslaughter charge--Malloy must have found out, Roger had to keep him quiet--but how do you know Roger was at Lookout Point that night? I found the pen he lost that night, says Vicki, it was on the beach at Lookout Point. A silver filigreed fountain pen, with a fancy design on it? asks Burke. Yes, says Vicki. That was my pen, says Burke, I gave it to Carolyn--Roger took it away from her and lost it. I know, says Vicki. Did you know that pen was originally mine? he asks. Yes, she says. How, did Carolyn tell you? asks Burke. No, I saw one exactly like it, says Vicki, and found out you had a duplicate. Blair's pen, says Burke--so that was it--you saw that pen at a restaurant in Bangor--that's why you wouldn't drive back to Collinsport with me--you actually thought... What else could I think? she asks. No wonder you couldn't ride back with me, he says--you thought I murdered Malloy. I didn't know you'd given the pen to Carolyn until this afternoon, says Vicki. Well, says Burke, now you know who lost the pen, and in five seconds, the sheriff is going to know--have you got the pen? No, says Vicki. You'll have to get it, says Burke--we'll need it for solid evidence for the sheriff. I can't find it anywhere, I think it was stolen! Says Vicki--it must have been stolen, it disappeared shortly after I'd found it. Did Roger see you with it? asks Burke. Yes, she says, but that was before I found out what it was--then it disappeared, I thought David took it. Of course Roger took it, says Burke viciously, he took it to conceal the only evidence there is against him. It is possible, says Vicki, he was in the house that afternoon--there were only three of us there, David, Roger and myself. If only Roger hadn't seen that pen, frets Burke--he's probably destroyed it by now. Maybe he has, says Vicki, sitting beside Burke on the sofa--when I think back, he was very anxious about that pen--he didn't want me to mention it to anyone. At least you've seen the pen, says Burke, and you know when Roger left the house that night--I mean I assume you're willing to change you testimony. I don't think I can! she says. Why not, knowing what you now know? asks Burke. I'm still not sure what time he left the house, says Vicki--I know he was downstairs at 10:30--and when I went up to my room, it was a little after that, and he was still in the drawing room. When you went up to your room, Roger walked right out the front door, says Burke. He said he had some paperwork, says Vicki, some contracts to sign--that would have taken 10 or 15 minutes. IF he was telling the truth, says Burke--obviously, he wasn't. It isn't obvious to me! says Vicki. HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? demands Burke, standing. I'm saying that I cannot swear to the time he left the house because I didn't see him leave! cries Vicki. He had a strong motive to kill Bill Malloy, says Burke, who else did? Vicki stands beside him--he had a motive if the things you say are true, she reminds him. Of course they're true, says Burke, Malloy found out what happened 10 year ago--Roger killed him to keep him quiet. That may have been what happened, but we can't be sure, says Vicki, because Bill Malloy died before he could tell what he knew. Gazing her straight in the eyes, Burke says, "You know Roger Collins is guilty, or you wouldn't be here." I don't know, says Vicki, I'm frightened and I don't know what to think, and I had to talk to somebody. Burke smiles. All right, you came to the right place, he says gently, holding her shoulder, because I do know what to think--everything I suspected is true--Roger Collins is a murderer!

Roger returns to Collinwood. Hello, Father, says David, who's been waiting on the steps. Hello, David, says Roger, not very warmly--what devilment have you been up to today? Why don't you ask Carolyn that same question? David asks. I'm in no mood for your riddles tonight, says Roger, fixing himself a drink. David follows him in. Father? he asks. What is it, David? asks Roger, annoyed. What is the worst thing anyone could do to you? queries David. Please, says Roger, I told you I'm in no mood for your riddles, and I meant it. Take me--what if I joined your enemies, and was plotting against you? asks David. You haven't always been the most loyal son in the world, says Roger. I'm not making secret plans with Burke Devlin the way some people are, says David mysteriously. What's this all about? asks Roger. Carolyn, says David--she made secret plans to meet Burke Devlin tonight--you're not supposed to know this, but she's meeting Burke at the Blue Whale tonight--I heard her tell Miss Winters. Furious, Roger puts down his glass and grabs David's arm--are you lying to me? he demands.Ask Carolyn, suggests David. I fully intend to, Roger assures him--where is she? In her room, says David. Roger immediately goes upstairs, David watching him, smiling.

Does Carolyn have any idea what she told you? Burke asks Vicki, who is pouring coffee in his kitchenette. No, says Vicki, none. You're sure? asks Burke. Yes, she was quite curious as to why I was asking so many questions about the pen, says Vicki, but I told her I just wanted to help her find it--she seemed to believe that. Black, please, says Burke, as Vicki picks up the creamer--there's no chance she'll go to Roger and tell him you were asking questions? I don't see why she would, says Vicki, handing him a mug of coffee--she doesn't know I was at Lookout Point and found the pen, and she doesn't know that Roger lost it there--so I don't see why she'd want to tell him that. I guess she wouldn't, agrees Burke--what about Roger?--does he suspect anything. No, says Vicki, pouring cream in her coffee, he couldn't, because I haven't seen him since I found out. Good, says Burke--when you see him, be cagey, I don't want him to know you suspect a thing. You don't have to tell me that, Vicki assures him. Our next step it to decide what we're going to do, says Burke as they head back into the living room. That's why I came here, she says, because I don't know what to do. I'm for going to the sheriff and telling him everything, says Burke. And then what? she asks. He'll question Roger, says Burke. And? asks Vicki. If we're lucky, we'll get a confession out of him, says Burke. Isn't that wishful thinking? says Vicki. Yeah, says Burke, you saw the pen, I could get the duplicate from Blair, and you could swear that the one you found at Lookout Point was exactly like it. But the pen itself doesn't exist, says Vicki, I could only testify from memory, and that wouldn't be good enough for the sheriff. (You're a smart gal, Vicki.) You're a reliable witness, says Burke, sitting in a chair, I'm sure he'll take your word for anything. I'm still not sure that roger killed Malloy, says Vicki. I don't understand you, says Burke, exasperated, you know the facts, how can you doubt it. All I know is that Roger was at Lookout Point the night Malloy was killed, says Vicki--I can't be anymore sure of things than that--he could have had a motive to kill him, and he could have left the house earlier than he said he did, but I cannot be certain of these things! You sound like you're trying to protect him, says Burke. Vicki rises and walks over to him. No, she says, I'm not--I'm frightened, but I think there is a very good chance he did kill Malloy. Well? asks Burke. I'm still not positive, says Vicki, and if I'm not positive, how can the sheriff be? You're right about that, agrees Burke--the sheriff wouldn't believe Roger killed Malloy if he saw him do it on Main Street with a butcher knife at high noon. I can't stand by and do nothing, either, she says, that's not right. there must be some answer, insists Burke, balling his fist in frustration.

Burke smokes a cigarette and ponders what to do. Vicki sits on the sofa, thinking hard. We'll have to forget about going to the sheriff, at least for the time being, says Burke--you were right what you said a while ago, we haven't enough evidence to convict Roger of jaywalking, let alone murder. What are we going to do? she asks. Find more evidence, he says--there's the pen, if we could find it, we'd have tangible proof of your story. You said Roger had probably gotten rid of it, says Vicki. I have a pretty good idea Roger has stashed that pen somewhere, says Burke. Vicki stands. Then we'll just have to find it, she says. Would you? he asks her. Supposing it is in Collinwood? asks Vicki--that's a huge house--Roger could have hidden it in a hundred different places--and it could stay hidden. We could try, says Burke. What if we never find the pen? She asks. Roger might inadvertently drop some little piece of information, says Burke, and you're in the house, you can find it, until then, we just have to sit tight and pretend everything is all right until we have something to go on. Vicki sighs. All right, she says, I'll do whatever you think I should do. Burke puts his hand on Vicki's shoulder. I know you're afraid of Roger, he tells her, but you said yourself there's no reason for you to be afraid. I'm afraid he might find out what I know, she says. How could he do that, unless you tip your hand, and you won't, Burke assures her, admiring her courage. I'm afraid he might find out some other way, says Vicki. How could he? asks Burke, you said Carolyn won't tell him anything--is there any other person who might tell him? No, says Vicki. Then for the time being, you're perfectly safe in that house, says Burke--if you weren't, I wouldn't let you go back there.And he gently caresses her cheek.

Carolyn, I forbid you to se Burke Devlin tonight or any other night! Roger rails at his niece. I'm sorry, says Carolyn, but you can't forbid me to do anything--Burke has asked me to have dinner with him and I'm going to have dinner with him! How can you think of associating with that man? demands Roger--you know what he's trying to do to us, to the whole family. Carolyn, wearing a nightgown, stands before her mirror. All right, she says, you don't have to like Burke! It's more than not liking him, says Roger, this is a man who is out to destroy the whole Collins family! He's not out to destroy me! says Carolyn. You don't know him the way I do, says Roger, you don't know how insidious, what a dangerous enemy he can be. You sound like Vicki, says Carolyn. Vicki? asks Roger. She said the same thing about Burke, as a matter of fact, she used that same word to describe him--dangerous--but I didn't listen to her, and I'm not going to listen to you. When and why did Vicki says that? asks Roger. For the same reason you're telling me, says Carolyn--she was trying to talk me out of going out with Burke--she thinks he's only trying to use me. She's right, says Roger. You may think so, says Carolyn, but Vicki's not so sure anymore--she opens her dresser drawer--as a matter of fact, she was very surprised to learn that Burke had given me a very expensive present. Present, what present? asks Roger. You know very well what present, says Carolyn--the silver filigreed pen, the one you wouldn't let me keep. You told Vicki about the pen? Asks Roger. Why not? asks Carolyn. Did you tell her what happened to the pen? Asks Roger. I told her you took it away from me, then promptly lost it, says Carolyn. I see, says Roger, turning pale. Why? asks Carolyn, is there any reason I shouldn't have told her. Oh no, says Roger, no reason at all--but he has that tight-lipped, murderous look on his face.

NOTES: How much danger is Vicki in now? The story has come full circle, and, even though Vicki was sure Carolyn wouldn't squeal, it's all come out, and now Roger knows that Vicki knows who REALLY had the pen when it was lost--him! Will he invite Vicki for a deadly walk on Widows' Hill or Lookout Point? Is Vicki in far more danger than Burke believes her to be?

Vicki is sensible about all this, pointing out to Burke why they can't go to the sheriff, and although he is disappointed on not being able to nail Roger right away, he realizes she's right--they don't have enough evidence.

Burke gave me an expensive present, Carolyn whines, more than once--that means he likes me! There are times she sounds just like her little cousin, and just as mature! Vicki points out all the reasons Carolyn shouldn't go out with Burke, but they fly right over the blonde's head--she wants him, she'll go out with him, no matter what her cousin, mother or uncle think. Have we ever heard Carolyn sound this thrilled over a date with Joe? Carolyn wants a bad boy--who can give her expensive presents. Carolyn has seriously severe tunnel vision where Burke is concerned, and now that he's decided to hurt her because of who she is, she's going to be truly saddened--and lose far more than she bargained for. In a way, I'm surprised Mrs. Johnson supported Burke in this turn of events. It's Roger he should be targeting, but he's going about his revenge by bringing the entire family into the picture, which isn't right.

I do love how David kept his promise to tattle on Carolyn--and even waited on the stairs so he'd see his father as soon as he came in! Carolyn will do what she wants, but the question is, will Burke still take her out with everything else he has on his mind? And is he falling for the dark-haired governess? Looks that way. He touches her cheek with a special tenderness.

Love, Robin

Episode #95 - For a few short days, I have left the nameless terrors of Collinwood behind me. Now I am about to return to them--without accomplishing the purpose of my mission--without discovering the secret of my identity.

Vicki dines with Frank in the Bangor hotel restaurant. He tells her he hopes her trip to Bangor wasn't a total dud. Not really, she says. I'll dive into those files first thing in the morning, I promise, I'll find out about B. Hanscomb if I have to go through miles of files! We'll track down that woman in the portrait somehow. If you don't find her, says Vicki, or you do and she turns out not to be my mother, I still won't be sorry I came to Bangor. I'd like to take that personally, he says. What I meant was, I needed to get away from Collinwood for a while, says Vicki, (aw, don't shoot the guy down). Why? he asks. If I told you the real reason, you'd think I was out of my mind, she predicts. I doubt that, he says. Yes you would, she says, I've even been doubting my own sanity. That's a pretty strong statement, he says, you'd better tell me what you're talking about. I saw a ghost, she confesses. He stares at her.

You saw a ghost? he asks--are you serious? I told you you'd think I'd lost my mind, says Vicki. I don't think that for a minute, he says, but I do think you'd better explain. How can I explain something that defies description, something that was unreal, something I KNOW couldn't exist? asks Vicki--I saw the ghost of Bill Malloy--he ran the cannery for Mrs. Stoddard--he was killed on Lookout Point, and he fell from the rocks. I know all about him, my dad told me, says Frank--this thing you saw, it looked like Malloy. It was Mr. Malloy, says Vicki, it even sang his favorite song, "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor"--and it spoke to me. It SPOKE to you? he asks. Yes, he told me he'd been killed by someone in Collinsport, and I must leave because I'm in danger, explains Vicki. Where did you see this whatever it was you saw? he asks. In a locked up room in the closed-off section of the house, she says--it appeared from no where. Let-s back up--how did you happen to get into a locked up room? he asks. It's a long story, she says. You have my undivided attention, he assures her. David locked me up in there--he's Roger Collins' little boy, says Vicki. Why did he lock you up? he asks. He wanted to scare me, she says--he lured me in there, then he ran out and locked the door. How did you let yourself get lured into a room, he asks. I thought David had stolen my pen, says Vicki, we went to look for it--it was very valuable--I had found it on the beach a couple of days before--as a matter of fact, I found it right at the very point where Mr. Malloy had died. Tell me what happened after you were locked in this room, he says. I tried to get out, she says, I banged on the door, pleaded with David, but it wasn't any use--then it started to rain, there was thunder and lightning, I was terrified. I can believe it, says Frank. There was a cot in the room, she says, I lay down on it and went to sleep for a while, then I heard the sounds of singing. You fell asleep? He asks. For a while, she says, then I heard the sounds of singing. Frank chuckles--don't you see--you dreamed the whole thing! It couldn't have been a dream, she insists--it just wasn't, I remember being wide awake. Haven't you ever had a dream that seemed real? He asks. Yes, she says. I've had dreams that seemed so real that even after I woke up I believed in them--it's not at all uncommon. I know I wasn't dreaming, says Vicki--this may sound strange to you, but I KNOW I saw Bill Malloy. Vicki, he says--look, listen to me--he sits beside her--let's think about this thing logically--there you are, trapped in a room in the shut off section of this gloomy house, frightened out of your wits--there's a storm that frightens you even more--you've got Malloy's death on your mind, plus all the legends and superstitions that have grown up around Collinwood--wouldn't it be the most logical thing in the world, give those circumstances, that you fall asleep and dream you saw Malloy's ghost? It would be logical, she admits--I don't know, it seemed so real. You're an intelligent girl, he says, surely your intelligence tells you it had to be a dream. Well, she says, it could have been a dream--but that doesn't explain the seaweed--right where Malloy was standing, I found strands of wet seaweed. Did you go back to look for it? he asks. She nods--yes, and it was gone--we can sit here and be very logical because we're miles from Collinwood, but when you're back there, it's different--you find yourself believing things you scoffed at before. You're frightened of that house, aren't you? he asks. Terrified of it, confesses Vicki--there's something sinister about it--I can't explain it--but it's in the air. Why go back there? he asks--you can find other jobs. No, I have to go back, she says, David pleaded with me. David couldn't be very fond of you if he goes around locking you in deserted rooms, says Frank. He's a strange boy, she says, but I think I can help him. The Collins family can find another tutor, says Frank, think about yourself for a change, about what might happen to you if you went back to that house, what it might do to you. I am thinking about myself, she says, and I have a very good, selfish reason for going back--I'm embarrassed to tell you. Why should you? he asks. Because you have a logical mind, says Vicki, and my reason for going back to Collinwood is not logical. What is it? he asks. I feel that I belong there, she says. Why should you feel that way? he asks.That's just it--I don't know, says Vicki--I told you it wasn't logical--I've been searching for myself for so long, I feel I might find the answer at Collinwood.

And you really think there's some connection between you and the Collins family? asks Frank. I said I wasn't sure, she says. Do you want to be a Collins? he asks. It's not a matter of wanting to be, says Vicki, it's just finding out who I am. He smiles. Is something funny? she demands, amused. I was just thinking how lucky I am, he says, to meet you--a beautiful girl, searching for her identity, a mysterious house, complete with ghosts in the attic, what armchair detective could ask for more? Are you making fun of me? asks Vicki. No, he says, definitely not, that's the last thing in the world I want to do. Burke enters the restaurant with Blair, who takes a table. Burke comes over to Vicki and Frank, who tells him he hopes he isn't here for his cheese sandwich--that's just a memory now. Burke grins. Easy come, easy go, he says--I'll be leaving for Collinsport in half an hour, he tells Vicki, I have a business meeting, but I shouldn't be longer than that. I'll be ready, she says. Good, says Burke, and goes to join Blair. I didn't know you had a ride back to Collinsport, says Frank, looking none too happy about it. Yes, I'm glad Burke is driving me back, I've missed the last bus, says Vicki. I know, says Frank, I'm disappointed--I was planning to drive you back myself. It's a long drive, says Vicki, that would be putting you out. My loss is Devlin's gain, says Frank. I'd better go pay the bill, says Vicki. Would you mind if I asked you a very nosy, personal question? Asks Frank. That depends on the question, says Vicki. Is there anything between you and Devlin? he asks--are you more than friends? No, she says. I was just wondering, you did come to Bangor together, and you are leaving together, he says. That's just coincidence, she says. I was hoping you'd say that, says Frank. I don't know Burke very well, says Vicki, but he's a strange man. They look across the restaurant at Blair and Burke, who appear to be going over legal briefs. Five years in prison is apt to make any man a little bit strange, says Frank. Sometimes, he seems so gentle and kind, says Vicki, other times, he seems capable of cruelty and violence, and he frightens me. You sound intrigued, says Frank (wise man). I'm not intrigued, says Vicki, I just don't understand him very well. In any case, we've established one point, says Frank--that is that Burke Devlin doesn't qualify as a boyfriend--is there a boyfriend in the picture? You do ask blunt question, says Vicki. As a lawyer I find it's the best way to get straight answers, he says--what is the answer? The answer is no, says Vicki. He smiles--I'm surprised, he says, I'd have thought half the male population of Collinsport would have been be beating a path to your door. Not at all, she grins. There must be something wrong with the male population of Collinsport, he says. They look at each other a moment, and Vicki says, I guess I should go. Are you sure you won't take me up on my offer of a ride? That would be foolish, she says, I already have a ride with Burke. They stand. I guess I'll just have to settle for walking you to the lobby, he says. Vicki thanks him again for everything. My pleasure, he assures her as the maitre'd helps him on with his coat, I'll get to those files first thing in the morning--you may have to be patient, we have miles of records that go all the way back to 1879, so it might take a little while before I can come up with something. I'll understand, Vicki says. Would you mind just one more blunt question? He asks--I'd very much like to see you again, and not in my professional capacity. She smiles shyly. I didn't mean to embarrass you, he says, a simple yes or no would do. Yes, she says, and they leave the restaurant. Burke is going through legal briefs and tells Blair all he wants is action--action! These things take time, says Blair. I haven't got time, says Burke, what's holding up the works? The Logansport people want to consider all the bids on the cannery, says Blair, before they come to any decision. Has anyone else made a bid? asks Burke. Not up to this point, says Blair. Do they seriously expect Mrs. Elizabeth Stoddard to come up with some money for a bid? asks Burke. I don't know what they think, I just know they aren't considering closing out a deal at this point, says Blair. Is it a question of money? asks Burke. In business it always is, says Blair. Raise my bid 10 percent, says Burke. Are you serious? asks Blair. I'm always serious when it comes to money, Burke says. I think you ought to think this over, says Blair--I don't think the cannery is worth that much. It is to me, Burke tells him, if it means putting Collinsport Enterprises out of business!

I brought these contracts along, says Blair, they need your signature. Where do I sign? asks Burke. I'd better glance over them for a minute, says Blair, make sure they're nice and legal. You do that, says Burke, because that's the way we want it. Vicki enters. All set? Asks Burke. Yes, my bag is in the lobby, she says. Have a seat, invites Burke. I don't want to intrude, says Vicki. You're not intruding, Burke assures her, a hand on her shoulder, we were just about finished, right Blair? Right, Blair agrees. I don't think you two have been introduced, says Burke, and introduces Blair to Vicki. She shakes his hand and says how do you do? Look over the contracts while I go and check out and get my bags, instructs Burke--sit right here, Vicki, I won't be a moment. He leaves. Blair asks Vicki if she's from Collinwood. No, I'm not from Collinsport, she says, but I work there--at a house called Collinwood. (He made a blooper.) Collinwood? he asks--I didn't know Mr. Devlin was friendly with anyone from that house--I only know Mr. Devlin in a business way. What business are you in? she asks. I have an interest in several business--jack of all trades, he says--would you excuse me if I sign some of these contracts. Vicki notices that he's signing with an exact replica of the pen she lost. Noticing she's staring, he asks if anything is wrong. No, I was looking at your pen, she says. It's a beauty, isn't it? asks Blair. Yes, agrees Vicki. Mr. Devlin gave it to me, says Blair--noting the way she's staring at it, Blair remarks that she must have a fondness for fountain pens--you've hardly taken your eyes off it. It's strange, I found one just like it, she says, at a place called Lookout Point. I don't think that's possible, he says--there are only six of these in existence, and four are in South America. South American? Asks a surprised Vicki. Yes, that's where Mr. Devlin bought it, says Blair, including the one he has--I don't think there's another like it in this country. I found an exact duplicate of that, says Vicki. Maybe you found Mr. Devlin's pen--he could have lost it, suggests Blair.Oh no, I'm sure it's not Burke's, it couldn't be--because... Don't you think you'd better mention it to him, just in case? Asks Blair--if he has lost it, I'm sure he'll want it back--these pens are expensive. May I see it? asks Vicki. Of course, he says, and hands it to her. I must have been mistaken, she says, this isn't anything like the pen I found. But you were so sure it was, says Blair, just a moment ago. I thought so until I looked at it closely, she says--the pattern is entirely different. She hands it back to him. I thought you might be mistaken, he says. Vicki looks uncomfortable. All set? asks Burke, returning to the table--have you finished looking over the contracts? Everything is in order, ready for your signature, says Blair. Burke sits down and pats his pockets for his pen, but says I forgot, my pen is among the missing--I'll have to borrow yours. Blair hands him the pen. Be my guest, he says. Vicki watches Burke sign the paperwork.

Thunder rolls as Burke hands back the contracts and tells Blair to call him the minute a decision is reached. I will, promises Blair, locking the papers in his briefcase--nice to meet you, Miss winters, he says. Distracted, she looks up at him and asks him what he said. I said it was nice meeting you, repeats Blair. It was nice meeting you, too, says Vicki. I'll be in touch, says Blair. You do that, says Burke, and Blair exits. Shall we get going? asks Burke--where did you say your bags were--the lobby? Yes, says Vicki. Do you have a scarf? He asks. No, she says. Too bad, he says, it's started to rain--we're going to have to make a run for it. He rises. Burke? she asks. Aren't you coming? he asks. I have to make a telephone call, she says. Now?--can't it was? asks Burke--we're getting a late start as it is. It can't wait insists Vicki, it's very important. All right, he says, there's a phone in the lobby, but hurry, Vicki. I won't take long, she says. She enters the phone booth and dials operator, then asks to talk to Frank Garner in Bangor--I don't know the number--please keep ringing, she begs--no, never mind, cancel the call--I'd like to make one more call--to Collinsport. Thunder rumbles.

At Collinwood, Roger comes downstairs and answers the phone, checking his watch along the way. It's Vicki, she says. We've been expecting to hear from you, he says coldly. I'm in Bangor, says Vicki, could you please come up and bring me home? You want me to drive all the way to Bangor on a night like this? Roger asks. I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't so frightened, says Vicki--I think I'm in danger--Burke Devlin--I think he's connected with Malloy's death. What? asks Roger. Do you remember that pen I found on the beach near where Mr. Malloy died? asks Vicki. Yes, says Roger, vaguely. It was Burke's pen, says Vicki. How do you know that? asks Roger. I just found one identical to it, says Vicki, don't you see what this means?--Burke must have lost it on the beach--he could have been there with Mr. Malloy, he could have killed him! Calm down, orders Roger--is Burke there with you now? Yes, says Vicki, he wants to drive me home--I don't want to go with him!--I'm afraid and I don't know what to do! Tell Devlin you can't go back with him, says Roger, make some excuse but get out of it--and I'll come and get you. You will? she asks. Yes, he says, where are you now? The lobby of the hotel, she says. Wait right there, he says, I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you, Roger, she says. And Vicki, he says--don't mention the pen to Devlin under any circumstances--you wouldn't want to arouse his suspicions. That's the last thing I'd want to do, says Vicki. I'll leave now and get there as soon as I can, he assures her, just wait for me.I'll be here, she says. She hangs up, scared, then exits the phone booth and slowly returns to Burke, who is sitting at a table, smoking. Did you make your phone call? he asks, smiling. Yes, she says. Shall we be going? he asks. I don't think I'm going back to Collinsport tonight, she says--Mrs. Stoddard doesn't need me there until tomorrow night, and I thought I might see something of Bangor. What's so special about Bangor? he asks. It's a change, she says. I thought you'd already checked out of the hotel, he reminds her--I thought your bags were already packed and in the lobby. I'm sure I can get my room back, she says. Why did you hang around all evening, waiting for me to take you back? he asks. I just changed my mind, she says. Burke grins. Well, all right little miss governess, have it your own way--I'll see you back at Collinsport.Vicki walks away from him and sits at a table.

At Collinwood, Roger opens the double front doors and, pulling up his collar against the storm, leaves.

NOTES: Oh, Vicki, have you called the real murderer to pick you up? Shiver. It looks that way, doesn't it? Roger was the original possessor of that pen, and it seems HE must have lost it on the beach!

Burke proceeds with his plans to buy the cannery in Logansport. He's utterly determined to destroy the Collinses--no matter how much money it takes.

Frank is smitten with Vicki, has even asked to court her. They make a nice couple. He reminds me of my Ken doll, but he's sweet, cute, smart and caring. Go for it, Vicki, even if you are attracted to Burke!


Episode #96 - Collinwood seems a thousand miles away tonight, yet my only hope is that someone is driving from there to pick me up in Bangor--and rescue me.

Vicki sits at a table, biting her nails. When Roger enters, she tells him she was never so glad to see anyone in her whole life. Is Burke still here? asks Roger. No, she says, he left shortly after I called you--I told him I was staying overnight here. Has he any idea what you suspect? Asks Roger. No, she says, but I just couldn't face that long drive back to Collinsport with him, knowing perhaps he was a murderer. I don't blame you a bit, Roger assures her. I just couldn't believe that. . she says. Don't worry, says Roger, we have a long time to talk about everything--where's your luggage? The lobby, she says. We'd better get ready, he says--now, all you all right?--he pats her shoulders--you don't have anything to worry about with me. He watches her walk away, putting on his hat, looking like the big bag wolf.

Roger and Vicki are in his car, the rain lashing the windows. Feeling better? He asks. Much, she says. Tell me about it, he says. It was in the restaurant where you met me, says Vicki--Burke came in there with a business associate of his, a Mr. Blair--Mr. Blair sat down to look at some papers and he took out a pen identical to the one I'd found. That sounds odd, says Roger--what was so special about it? It had all that silver filigree work on it, says Vicki--I'd have recognized it anywhere. Was it like the one you thought David had stolen? Asks Roger. Exactly like it, says Vicki, and when I asked Mr. Blair about it, he said there were only 6 in the whole world, four in South America--he has one, and Burke the other--and that must have been the one I found on Lookout Point--exactly on the spot where Malloy was killed.You mean where he had his accident, don't you? asks Roger. I don't know what I mean anymore, says Vicki. Roger smirks and gives her an arch look. Did Burke overheard your conversation with Blair? Asks Roger. No, he was out of the room, says Vicki. You didn't make such a big thing about it that Blair might have said something to Burke about that pen? Asks Roger. I don't think so, he had his mind on the contracts, says Vicki. Then the question of this pen might never come up, says Roger. Don't you understand? asks Vicki--the fact that I found it where I did places Burke at the scene of the...accident. If I were you, I wouldn't mention the pen to anyone, says Roger. I have to, protests Vicki. It's such a flimsy piece of evidence, says Roger, he might have lost it several days before that sad event--or afterwards. I don't believe that for one minutes, says Vicki, and I don't think you do, either. Well, says Roger, perhaps not--I would hate to ask that the case be re-opened on such a weak claim--you know that Burke is a vindictive man, all it will do is make an enemy for you. On the other hand, something has to be done, insists Vicki--perhaps I should talk to Mrs. Stoddard. I would much prefer you didn't! says Roger. At the harsh tone in his voice, Vicki tells him he's a bit of a mystery himself--Burke is out to destroy you--I should think you'd leap at an opportunity to discredit him. Oh, I would, Roger assures her, I'd love it, but I don't think this is quite the right time--I can't think of any motive Burke would have for wanting to harm Malloy. That's true, they were friends, weren't they? asks Vicki. The whole thing is just so inadequate, says Roger, besides, there's one very important thing you're overlooking--you no longer have the pen. I could describe Mr. Blair's pen, suggests Vicki, and Mr. Blair said his was identical to Burke's. Blair works for Burke, Roger says, you think he would stick to that story, once he knew Burke was of the questions? I suppose he wouldn't, agrees Vicki--the other one must be somewhere at Collinwood, we'll just have to look and find where David hid it. Knowing my son, if he wanted to hide something, says Roger, he'd hide it where it could never be found. Thunder rolls. Why are you turning off the main road? asks Vicki as Roger makes a turn. When I drove up, there were a couple of places where the road was almost washed out, says Roger--I think this back road is going to be safer. (Ah, but Vicki, are YOU?) It's so desolate, says Vicki, I don't se any lights.

Collinwood - Liz hears someone knocking and comes downstairs to answer the door. It's Sheriff Patterson, who enters, soaking wet, apologizing for the lateness of the house, and asks to use the phone--his car stalled, and the battery shorted so he can't use the radio. Liz tells him to take off his wet things and leave them by the door--go into the drawing room, there's a fire there. Sorry to drag all this water in here, says Patterson. Don't give it a second thought, says Liz, opening the doors and turning on lights. She rubs her hands together and tells Patterson it's a worse storm than she thought. It's pretty bad, he agrees. Make all the phone calls you want, says Liz. He goes to the phone, asking if everyone else is here at home. Miss Winters is in Bangor, says Liz, everyone else is home. That's good, says Patterson--they'd never get up that hill--the rain has caused a washout on the road--we'll fix it as soon as it dies out a bit. I'll get you some coffee, offers Liz. Please don't bother, he says. No bother, she assures him, and leaves the room. Patterson calls Cal--I sure hate to get you up on a night like this, but my car is stalled on the Valley Road, about half a mile from Collinwood--that's where I'm calling from--get someone to call it in, then bring the other car up to me--you can't abandon state property, can you, it wouldn't look good--if there's any other news, call me up here--year--right--he dials again, this time calling Trooper Chuck Woodard--on the road south of the Oak Crossing, there's a blocked culvert, and the water's coming over the road like a river--you ought to notify the barracks, so they can broadcast a warning--that's the place--and if you want me, I'm up at Collinwood--he hangs up and dials again. (Two car town?--wow!)

On that desolate road, Roger continues to drive, eyeing Vicki.

Liz brings out coffee for the sheriff, and he helps her with the tray and thanks her for letting him make his calls. They sit, she pours. What amazed me on a night like this is that we don't have more accidents than we do, says Patterson. That's one thing I don't have to worry about, says Liz, I haven't driven a car in 18 years. The sheriff laughs, saying that they've changed a little in that time--of course, so have a lot of things. Yes they have, agrees Liz. You know that it's all around town that Burke is trying to buy the Logansport Cannery, Patterson says--and trying to get some of your key men away from you. Bad news travels faster than good, says Liz. There are a lot of people around town who would like to help you if they could, Patterson says, it would be a sad day for Collinsport if anything happened to Collins Enterprises,--it's the backbone of the town. I know, says Liz, that's why my father was disappointed when I came along--he wanted a boy, of course. You've done right well, praises Patterson, he'd be proud of you. The phone rings. Liz gets up to answer. It's for you, George, she says, and he takes the phone, thanking her--hello?--yes, Cal--the back road to Bangor?--I see--as soon as you can get up here with the other car, we'll get back out there and put some flares up--hurry it up, will ya? He hangs up and tells Liz the back road to Bangor is completely impassable--it's like a flash flood. No one in their right mind would use that road anyway, says Liz, sipping her coffee. There are still a few houses up there, he says, but it is lonely country, all right.

Can't you see anything? Vicki asks Roger as he tries to peer through the downpour. Barely, he says. I wish you hadn't turned off the main road, onto this back road, she says. I told you, he says, it looked as though it might be washed out. Do you think this looks any better? She asks. Not at the moment, no, he says. I haven't seen a light in miles, she says. I don't believe I've seen the road in miles, says Roger. (Comforting!) She looks at him and, upset, says, you don't think we're lost, do you? Of course not, he says, I've been on this road hundreds of times. How long do you think this is going to last? She asks. A Nor'easter usually last three days, says Roger. Is that what this is? she asks. If not, it's remarkably like one, says Roger, stopping short. What is it? asks Vicki. It looks like I was about to drive right into the Atlantic Ocean, he replies. There's a pond there, she says. I'd better get out and take a look, he says, reaching in the back seat for his hat--you stay right here. Where do you think I'd go? she asks sarcastically. I have to see if that water is too deep to go through, he insists. Couldn't we just turn around and go back? she asks. I'm sure it would be much worse than that behind us, he says. Please don't be long, she says. There's nothing to be afraid of, he assures her--you said yourself you haven't seen a light around for miles. I know, she says, but please hurry. I'll be back as quickly as I can, he promises. She hugs her coat more closely to herself, shivering.

Roger returns to the car, sopping wet,. What took you so long? she asks. There isn't the faintest chance of getting through that water--it's much too deep, he says. What are we going to do? she asks, fearful. I scouted around and found an abandoned shack down the road, he says--the door wasn't locked and it looked like it had been abandoned for years--and there was a stove. That sounds wonderful, exults Vicki. But Roger tries to re-start the car and can't. It's not so wonderful, he says, I think the battery has short-circuited. Was their any firewood in the place? Asks Vicki. No, he says, but there were some crates and barrels, we could burn them if necessary--I think you'd better get out on this side--wait a minute--I'll leave a note first, in case anyone comes along, they'll know where to look for us. Who's going to come along this road? asks Vicki. You never know, he says, maybe even Bill Malloy's ghost. Please don't joke about things like that, she protests. I'm sorry, he chuckles, writing--there--put it right--he inserts it into the dashboard. When you get out, keep your head down, he instructs, I'll try to cover you with the umbrella. He starts to exit the car, remarking, "It's really coming down!"

Sheriff Patterson is leaving Collinwood. He thanks Liz for the use of the phone--and the coffee. Not at all, she assures him--would your men like some coffee? I'm sure they would, thanks anyway, he says, but I don't think we'd better take the time--oh, by the way, you're sure everyone is asleep here now? Of course, she says. He opens the door into the storm and she advises him to be careful. She returns to the drawing room and turns off the light, then walks back through the lightning streaked room, turns off the foyer lights, then heads upstairs.

Vicki and Roger run through the storm into the abandoned shack. Roger shakes out his wet hat and asks what she thinks--let's see if we can get this lamp to work. He finds matches and lights the lamp. That's luck, he says, there was some kerosene in it--let's start this fire--you want to bring over some of this paper. She gathers newspapers and Roger finds kindling on the stove, fortunately dry. He rips of the paper and tosses it and kindling into the stove, then tosses in a match--there, I think it's going to catch, he says--well, it's not exactly cozy, is it. Vicki, shaking, says it looks like the bridal suite at the Waldorff Astoria to me! I should have carried you over the threshold, he teases. (Don't go there, Vicki, it will give him some other honeymoon night ideas!) Smiling, she says you forget, you're already married. If you can call it that, he says, unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. He opens his drenched trench coat. David told me you and Laura didn't get along too well, says Vicki. That's an understatement, says Roger--I think we an find many more pleasure things to talk about--let's sit down. She sits on top of a barrel and he sits down on one next to her. I wonder why David would admit he stole the pen, muses Vicki, and then lied about where he'd hidden it. I can't answer that, he says--there's very little about David I can answer--anymore than I can account for his friendship with Burke. Isn't it strange that those two should become friends, says Vicki. Not at all, he says, they're very much alike--they would both go to any extremes to get what they want. You're not like that at all, she says, you seem very confident, he must have gotten that from his mother. I hope he didn't inherit any of her other tendencies, remarks Roger. Thunder booms. I know so little about you, she says--you know everything about me, not that there's much to know--tell me, what do you want out of life? Right now, there are two things I want very much, he says, hugging himself against the cold--I want someone to rescue us from this dank and ill-smelling shack. Vicki agrees with him, and asks what the other one is. I want you to leave Collinwood, he says, startling her.

I know I must sound like a broken record, he says, but I seriously think you're in personal danger. But you yourself said that the pen wasn't very strong evidence, she says. I know Burke better than you do, he says, I know what he's capable of--he's absolutely determined to have himself absolved from that manslaughter charge--he still insists he's innocent. You were in the car with him, points out Vicki, you ought to know. So was Laura, we both were, says Roger--Burke was the only one so drunk he didn't remember anything. But now he said that Malloy was going to clear him of that charge, says Vicki--why would he kill him?Malloy was jealous of me, says Roger, before I came back to Collinsport, he was entirely in charge of the Collins Enterprises, but naturally when I came back, he had to be demoted--he'd have done anything to get rid of me--even if it meant siding with Burke and getting someone to testify falsely against me. But I still don't see why Burke would have killed him, says Vicki. I believe at the last minute his hired witness just wouldn't go through with it, says Roger, and Burke got mad, you know he has a vile temper--they quarreled, he and Malloy, and I think that was the end of Malloy. But you don't think it was deliberate? Asks Vicki. No, says Roger, I think it was probably accidental, but a judge and jury might not believe it. And then, when you said you wanted to get me out of Collinwood... I was thinking only of your own personal safety, says Roger sincerely--if Burke ever discovered you found that pen, I shudder to think of the consequences--are you positive he didn't see or overhear anything you said to Blair about that pen business? I'm sure of it, says Vicki. What did he say when you told him you wouldn't go back to Collinsport with him? asks Roger. Nothing much, she replies--he seemed annoyed. Annoyed at not having those long hours to question you more, he says. (Bangor is 50 miles away; why would it take hours?) No, I imagine he thought how like a woman, always changing her mind, says Vicki. Roger checks the stove and adds more kindling. I want you to promise me never to mention that pen to anyone at all, he says firmly. But why? she asks. Because I think that it would be sure to get back to Burke--and then your life would just not be worth very much, he warns. I just can't believe that Burke would... Evidently Malloy didn't believe it, either, says Roger. I still think I should go to the police, says Vicki. No, you mustn't, says Roger pleadingly--you mustn't say anything--to Carolyn, David, my sister or the police! But it's withholding evidence! cries Vicki. He grabs her arms. "Then withhold it, you little idiot!" he says. Vicki, stung, looks up at him. Don't you see, I'm the one Burke is trying to pin that on, says Roger desperately--I'm the one he was trying to pin that manslaughter charge on--so in a sense I'm more in the middle of this than anyone could possibly he. He releases her. I realize that, she says. You mention that pen, he says, it will get back to Burke, and he'll call Blair and tell him to dispose of that duplicate pen--then we haven't got a shred of evidence. I hadn't thought of that, says Vicki. It's time you think of it! says Roger.Sheriff Patterson comes in, laughing--well, I bet you're glad to see me! he says heartily--I'll bet you're glad to see me!--we found the note on your car. Thank heavens! says Roger, how did you find us? We were setting flares along the road because of the washout, and we saw the car, explains Patterson. Vicki stands silent. The sheriff tells her he hopes she wasn't too worried. I wasn't, sure assures him, and he asks her if anything is wrong. Vicki exchanges looks with Roger and replies, "No, nothing at all." Roger looks relieved. Patterson suggests they get them out of here. Roger blows out the lamp's flame as Vicki precedes Patterson out the door.

NOTES: Doesn't it seem odd to Vicki that Roger is harping so much on this pen business, as he calls it? Doesn't his behavior strikes her as being a bit odd? It would me! I think it does her, too, but she's going to ignore it. And Burke won't have a clue when she starts avoiding him. He's pushing her to break the law by withholding evidence (and calls her stupid!), plus he touches her in a way that borders on violence. She asks him all the right questions, but he has responses for everything--and he's convinced her, yet again, to lie for him. Who feared something bad would happen to Vicki in that shack before the sheriff showed up? Murder, perhaps, especially if she refused to stand by him and keep silent. I was expecting something to happen.

I wondered if anything would happen in the shack--it sounded like Roger was angling for a little piece, didn't it? That bridal suite talk--but Vicki did start it, which I thought unwise of her.

Lucky for Vicki that Patterson showed up. Roger is showing signs of desperation, covering up something, and if he didn't kill Malloy, I can't figure out the way he's acting this way at all.

Nice of Liz to greet the sheriff at such a late hour, but she's the consummate hostess, always. Good lady, Liz, and well-liked by mostly everyone, even, I suspect, Burke.

So what happens next in the Saga of the Pen? And how will Carolyn and Liz react to Vicki on her return?

Love, Robin

Episode #91 - Up until last night, I had thought of this great house of Collinwood as a home. Then, one night, it became a prison, yet that one night of imprisonment might have given me a clue to my identity--the real reason why I was at Collinwood.

Vicki and Carolyn come downstairs. Vicki carries the ledger page she found upstairs. They enter the drawing room, and Vicki wonders aloud why the name B. Hanscomb on is so important to her. It's just a list of names with amounts of money opposite each one, points out Carolyn. Have you ever heard of any of these names? Questions Vicki, handing the sheet to her. Carolyn looks it over, mumbling the names and says nope. But you do know of Garner and Garner? Asks Vicki. They handle all Mother's legal affairs, says Carolyn. Betty Hanscomb, remembers Vicki--it's the name of the girl in the portrait at Sam Evans' house--she looked so much like me--even Maggie said so. Do you think there might be some connection? Asks Carolyn hopefully. There might be, agrees Vicki, equally hopeful--this could be what I've been searching for--it might even tell me who I am!

I don't understand, says Carolyn, sitting on the sofa--how can a name on an old ledger sheet tell you who you are? Vicki walks behind the sofa and says she doesn't know, but it's the only lead I've ever had. You saw a portrait that Sam Evans painted of a girl--and the girl looked like you, outlines Carolyn--and you think the name of the model was Betty Hanscomb--that doesn't add up to very much. Maybe you're right, agrees Vicki, but there's one way to verify part of it--call Sam Evans. She dials the phone. What can he tell you? asks Carolyn. Vicki has gotten Sam on the phone, and asks if he remembers the portrait of the girl who looks so much like her--would you happen to know her name--uh huh--would you happen to know if that's a nickname or a...good...no, that's all I wanted to know--thank you very much--goodbye. She hangs up and excitedly tells Carolyn, I was right--her name is Betty Hanscomb. And you think that's the same name that's on the ledger sheet? Asks Carolyn. It has to be, says Vicki--how many B. Hanscomb's can there be in Collinsport? What does that prove? Asks Carolyn. Don't you see? asks Vicki, sitting beside her on the sofa--she and I look so much alike, there must be some connection. You mean you think she might be your mother?--is that what you're trying to tell me? asks Carolyn. I don't know, admits Vicki, all I do know is there is a possibility that I have or did have some family here in Collinsport. Wouldn't that be wonderful? asks Carolyn. Yes, it would, says Vicki. Why don't you ask my mother? Carolyn suggests. It begins to thunder. No, whenever I ask her anything about my past, says Vicki, she becomes evasive.Why? asks Carolyn. I don't know, says Vicki, but promise me you won't say anything about this Betty Hanscomb or anything. I promise, says Carolyn, but I still think you ought to ask mother. Ask me what? says Liz, entering the drawing room. Vicki stands and asks if she could have a couple of days off. Does that mean you've decided to stay on as David's tutor? Asks Liz, smiling. Yes, Mother, says Carolyn exultantly, grinning up at Vicki, isn't that great? I can't tell you how pleased I am, says Liz. So am I, says Vicki--he apologized to me and said he hadn't meant anything by it, (And you bought that?--remember the drowned kitten)--and he even asked me to stay--but I would like a few days off to try and forget about what happened. I don't blame you, says Liz. And I've got some shopping I'd like to do, too, says Vicki--I thought I'd go to Bangor, it's the nearest place. We have friends there, says Liz, I'm sure they'd be delighted to have you stay with them. Oh, no, says Vicki, thank you very much, but I'd rather stay in a hotel, be by myself. When would you go? asks Liz. If it's all right with you, I'd like to take a bus this afternoon. I'd be happy to drive you into town when you're ready to go, chimes in Carolyn. Vicki thanks her and says she'd better hurry, then leaves. It's wonderful that David convinced her not to leave? Carolyn tells her mother. Yes, it is, agrees Liz--it's also a little odd. Carolyn grins at her mother, then runs upstairs, calling to Vicki that she'll give her hand. Liz, alone in the drawing room, sits by the fire, looking uncertain and unhappy.

Collinsport - Carolyn and Vicki exit the convertible and go into the In restaurant. Vicki asks Carolyn to order her coffee; she wants to go into the lobby to check the bus schedule. Carolyn removes her coat and says sure, then asks Suzie for a couple of cups of coffee. Carolyn picks up the house phone and asks them to ring Burke's room, checking to make sure Vicki is busy elsewhere. Hello, she says, who did you expect to call--I'm downstairs in the hotel coffee shop--will you?--no, don't worry about that--I'll be glad to wait--bye. She hangs up, grinning, hangs her coat on a peg on the wall and asks Suzie to bring the coffee to the table. Vicki joins her and the waitress brings the coffee. The next bus doesn't leave for an hour, Vicki reports. Carolyn tells her she mustn't be too disappointed if nothing happens--it's a pretty slim lead. It might be slim, but it's the only lead I've ever had, points out Vicki. Wouldn't it be great if you found out you were from a very wealthy Bangor family speculates Carolyn romantically. Stop it, says Vicki, I went through all that in the foundling home--we used to dream about that the way other people dream about a fairy godmother. That's exactly what it would be like, says Carolyn--one wave of the magic wand, and presto change-o, you're rich and happy! She glances at the door and licks her lips. What will you do when you get to Bangor? Asks Carolyn--it will be dark by then. I'm going to check into a hotel, says Vicki, and first thing in the morning I'll call Garner and Garner for an appointment--do you know them? Carolyn drinks her coffee and says she's only met Richard Garner once--he's a very nice old man--I'm sure if he can help you, he'll be glad to. We'll see what happens, says Vicki. Will you call and let me know, either way? asks Carolyn. Vicki assures her she will--if she can. She sips her coffee. Burke enters the drawing room (he's in a turtleneck and jacket), and says this is a nice surprise. What do you mean? asks Carolyn. Finding two lovely young ladies in the coffee shop, says Burke. Quite a coincidence, isn't it? asks Vicki. Quite, agrees Burke--may I sit down? Please do, says Carolyn. What are you two girls doing in town? he asks, sitting. Vicki is on her way to Bangor to check out a slim clue about herself--she has no real evidence, says Carolyn. So, why are you going? asks Burke. Because there's a faint chance, says Vicki. As long as there's a faint chance, says Burke, you'll keep trying. Yes, says Vicki. Noting the connection between Vicki and Burke, Carolyn asks him if he knew that Vicki had seen Malloy's ghost. (She can be mean sometimes.) You saw what? asks Burke. I don't know what I saw, says Vicki uncomfortably, buy I did see something. You're going to Bangor today, says Burke, how are you going? By bus, says Vicki. Nonsense, insists Burke, I'm going there myself--why don't you drive along with me? Oh, no, demurs Vicki. The bus will be along in a few minutes, says Carolyn hastily. I insist, where is your luggage? Asks Burke. No, really, objects Vicki. I'm going there on business, anyway, he says. But, Burke, protests Carolyn. You must know that business always comes before pleasure, Burke tells Carolyn. I know, she says, upset, but I... Business first, then pleasure, says Burke firmly, and asks Vicki where her luggage is, so he can put it in his car. It's in Carolyn's car, says Vicki. I see, says Burke, taking Carolyn's key from the table, I'll have someone transfer it--if you've no objections. How can I? asks Vicki. Good, says Burke, taking his coat and leaving. I certainly never thought you'd do a thing like that to me, says Carolyn spitefully--you must have known that I expected to see Burke this evening. I didn't know you had a date, says Vicki. I didn't have a date, says Carolyn, I just hoped...no you've spoiled the whole thing. Vicki puts a placating hand on Carolyn's wrist, but the latter pulls away. Never mind! she says angrily, go on to Bangor with him. Carolyn... says Vicki. Stop it! orders the blonde, I don't want your sympathy--do whatever you want to do.Vicki gazes at her, unsure of what to do in the face of her friend's discontent and jealousy.

Vicki and Burke silently are driving in the storm to Bangor. He looks at her. So you think you might learn something about yourself in Bangor? asks Burke. I hope so, she says. Are you counting on it? he asks. Not too much, she says. Good, that's being sensible, he says--it would be kind of silly to get your hopes up over such a flimsy thing. How do you know it's flimsy? She asks. I didn't, he says, I'm only going by what you say. I didn't say anything, she says, sounding resentful. OK, he says, so I'm wrong. She apologizes, saying he's very kind to drive her all this distance, and she does appreciate it--it's just that... You don't trust me, he finishes. Oh, no, it's not that, she assures him. He smiles--well, at least that's encouraging, he says. She smiles back. I think we're in for a bad storm, he says--so what's all this about Bill Malloy's ghost? I'd rather not talk about it, she says. Why not? he asks. Some things are difficult to explain, she says, bit it doesn't mean you can't explain them--I know I saw Bill Malloy. She doesn't say anything else, and he looks at her.

The clock in Collinwood chimes, and Liz is playing the piano in the drawing room. The music stops when Carolyn comes rushing in and runs right upstairs, not even removing her coat. Carolyn? calls Liz. Carolyn angrily removes her coat and throws it on the sofa. What's the matter? asks Liz. It's a terrible night out, notes Carolyn--it looks like it's going to rain any minute. I don't think you're worried about whether it's going to rain or not, says Liz. No I'm not, admits Carolyn. Would you like to tell me what it is? asks Liz. It's really nothing, says Carolyn. You never act this way unless something's bothering you, says Liz. All right, says Carolyn, sitting on the bench beside her mother--I think I made a mistake about Vicki Winters, what's all. What sort of mistake? asks Liz. I'm not at all sure she ought to stay here at Collinwood, says Carolyn. Liz says, "Carolyn!", surprised. I don't care, says Carolyn, I know I said I was deliriously happy at her staying, but I could have made a mistake, couldn't I? In what way? asks Liz. I thought she was part of us, says Carolyn, almost one of the family. I still think so, says Liz. Well I don't, pouts Carolyn. Isn't this rather a sudden reversal on your part? asks Liz. I guess it is, says Carolyn, but when you find out something more about a person, you have a right to change your mind. You mean you learned something about Vicki that made you change your mind? asks Liz. (Yeah--that Burke likes Vicki more than he likes me.) Carolyn nods--yes, she says. If it's something that concerns the family, I think you ought to tell me, says Liz. Do I have to give a reason for the way I feel? demands Carolyn. Yes, I think you should, insists Liz--have you a valid reason for your sudden about-face that you don't want Vicki to stay at Collinwood? Carolyn rises and says, I just told you I have. As valid a reason as David has for deciding exactly the opposite? Asks Liz. Carolyn, playing with her hair, nods. To me it is, she tells her mother. I tried to question David, says Liz, and he was evasive--are you going to be the same way? Carolyn, heartbroken, turns and throws herself into her mother's embrace. Liz pats her shoulder.

Liz runs her fingers over Carolyn's chin and asks, "Darling, what in the world happened to upset you so?" She leads her daughter to the sofa--when you left here to drive Vicki into town, you were as happy as a lark. I know, says Carolyn, I was. Then something must have happened, says Liz, sitting next to her. I just want to just forget about it! says Carolyn. Can you forget about it? asks Liz. No, says Carolyn, tears in her voice, I can't. Then I think you'd better tell me what it is, says Liz. Thunder rolls. All right, I'll tell you, says Carolyn, it's about Miss Victoria Winters. I don't understand, says Liz. Of course you don't, says Carolyn, I don't, either--all I know is that this girl you trusted so much, that you practically begged to stay here at Collinwood--right now, she's with Burke Devlin. Vicki is with Burke? asks Liz, surprised. That's what I said, Carolyn tells her. I thought she went to Bangor for a few days. So did he, says Carolyn resentfully, and he's driving her there--and right this minute, she's probably sitting in his car, telling him everything she knows about the Collins family! (That is SO unfair, Carolyn!)Liz looks perturbed.

Burke's car - The wipers lash rain off windows as Burke asks Vicki to tell him something. If I can, she says. Not if you can, if you will, he says. What is it? she asks. A long time ago, he says, I asked you where you stood in this mess--you told me you stood on your own two feet. I still do, she says. No false feeling of gratitude to the Collins family for rescuing you from that foundling home in New York? He asks. Some, but it's not false, she says. Fair enough, he says--what did Carolyn mean when she said you'd seen Bill Malloy's ghost? It all seems so silly now, says Vicki. When did it happen? asks Burke. David locked me in a room in the closed-off section of the house, she explains. He did what? he asks, amazed. He was trying to scare me, she says, it's not important except that I WAS scared. I know that house--I can imagine you were, says Burke--what about the ghost? Do you believe in ghosts? she asks him. No, he says. Neither do I, admits Vicki--that's why I was so scared--because I saw one, I swear I did. It looked like Bill Malloy? asks Burke. It WAS Bill Malloy, says Vicki. He's dead, says Burke. I know, she says--Burke, have you ever heard a song called "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?" Burke nods--it was one of Bill's favorite songs. Well, this apparition or whatever you want to call it, started out by singing that song, she says. Then what? asks Burke. Then he warned me to leave Collinwood before I was killed the way he was. Bill Malloy told you he was killed? asks Burke. I don't know, says Vicki, maybe I dreamt the whole thing, I was asleep for a little while. Naturally, I don't believe in things like that, says Burke. Neither do I, says Vicki. But I believe you saw something, says Burke--and I think whatever you saw was trying to tell you the truth--someone was trying to tell you that Malloy was murdered by someone in Collinwood. It didn't say Collinwood, says Vicki, it said Collinsport--that includes quite a few many more people. Even me? he asks. I didn't mean that, she says. But it could, says Burke--why don't you get out of there?--get out of there and run away as fast and far as you can. I don't want to, she protests. Of course you don't, he says, you want to keep sticking your nose into other people's affairs until you can't pull it out--you want to bury yourself just like Roger--just like Sam Evans--sometimes I think it would be simpler to end the whole thing by taking the two of them and banging their heads together. You don't mean that, she says. I never meant anything more in my life! he says angrily. You couldn't! she says. Couldn't I? he asks--it might even give me more pleasure than trying to ruin the Collins family--no matter how I do it, you'd better pull your pretty little neck in before it gets snapped off, along with the rest of them.Vicki stares at him, and he pushes his foot down more firmly on the accelerator. We'll be in Bangor in a few minutes, notes Vicki, gazing out the window--would you drop me off at the hotel? Sure, he says--and it'll be the safest landing you going to have in a long time. Vicki turns to look at his harsh profile.

NOTES: Carolyn calls Burke to come down and meet her in the coffee shop, and when he instead takes off with Vicki to Bangor, she's pissed--and tells her mother Vicki is consorting with the enemy. How childish--and lying by omission, too, since she didn't tell her mother SHE was the one who called Burke down to hang out with them. Carolyn really is selfish, and disloyal. Vicki needs better, more dependable friends.

Burke has warned Vicki about his evil intentions more than once. Now that she has verified that Malloy was probably murdered, something he already believes, he's ready to go great guns against the family. I actually prefer his idea of going after Roger and Sam, the true objects of his wrath. They sent him to prison and he suspects one of them killed Malloy. It would be a lot more fair to blame those directly responsible than to go after the entire family.

There is a definite spark between Vicki and Burke. They like each other a lot. Will it go further than friendship, and if so, what will it mean for the future of the family? Will Vicki learn anything more about B. Hanscomb and her possible connection to her?


Episode #92 - For the first time since I have come to live at Collinwood, I am away from the gloomy mansion I now call home, waiting to see a man who might be able to help me in my search for my identity.

Vicki, hair up, sits demurely on a sofa, waiting to get into the office of Richard Garner. The lawyer himself (who will one day portray Dr. Charles Tyler on ALL MY CHILDREN) sits at his desk, looking at a folder that says, "Collins-Stoddard." He hits his intercom and asks his secretary, Miss Partridge, to send in Miss Winters now. (Shirley Partridge, perhaps?) He opens the door to Vicki's knock and welcome her to Bangor, telling her this is an expected pleasure. You know who I am? she asks. Of course, he assures her. Then please tell me who am I? she asks anxiously. You're Victoria Winters, he replies, puzzled, the young lady Elizabeth Stoddard engaged to tutor her nephew, David. I mean who am I really? she asks. Sit down, he says, I'm sorry if I gave you a false impression--I know who you are now, but as to your past, I'm afraid I know as little about it as you do. Vicki looks downcast at this latest bit of bad news.

Garner sits down at his desk, explaining that Mrs. Stoddard has spoken to him about Vicki a number of times--she's very fond of you. I'm pleased to hear that, says Vicki. Now, he says, folding his hands on his desk, exactly what brings you to my office. I expect you know I was brought up in a foundling home in New York, says Vicki. Yes, he says, and to save you from having to repeat it, I can tell you I know everything about you that Mrs. Stoddard does. I wonder, she says, removing her coat--sometimes I get the feeling that Mrs. Stoddard knows more about me than she admits to. You mean that she's keeping something from you? he asks. It's just a feeling, she says. Why should she do anything like that? he asks. I don't know, she says, I'm probably making the whole thing up--but suppose my father turned out to be a convicted murderer, or insane? You're borrowing trouble, says Garner, it doesn't exist. You asked for a motive, says Vicki, and there's a perfectly good one--you said yourself she was fond of me. It's true I know she wouldn't willingly see you hurt, he says, on the other hand, I don't think she'd willingly keep information from you--you're entitled to any and all information that you want--that is, of course providing I can supply it. Vicki unfolds the ledger sheet she found. Where did you get this? he asks, guarded. I found it in Collinwood, she says. I see, he says. It has your firm's name on it, says Vicki. One of our firm's old ledger sheets, obviously, says Garner--will you tell me why it interest you? Well, says Vicki, walking around to stand beside him, there is a name on it--right there, B. Hanscomb. This is a very old ledger sheet, he says, was it in a book? No, says Vicki, it was in a pile of papers in a box. Did you notice if the box had a date on it? asks Garner. I'm afraid I didn't, says Vicki. It would have helped, he says. Do you know her name? asks Vicki. HER name? asks Garner. I know that at one point, there was a girl named Betty Hanscomb who lived in Collinsport. In that case, I'm afraid I can't be of any help after all, he says, the only Hanscomb I recall is the Collins' butler. The butler? Asks Vicki. You mustn't think Collinwood was always the way it is now, says Garner--it once took a large staff to run the place. Do you remember his name? asks Vicki. I haven't the vaguest notion, says Garner, he was always called Hanscomb. It began with a B, points out Vicki. Yes, so I see, says Garner, but I don't think I can remember--Burt, Ben, Brad?--no, no use. What is that list of names and the amounts of money opposite? Asks Vicki, sitting back down. Seems to be an old monthly wage list of the employees at Collinwood, he says. Were there that many? Asks Vicki. A large staff, he says, two chauffeurs, three cooks, upstairs maid, butler, housekeeper, gardeners, handyman--and on special occasions, they'd bring in a dozen extras to help--this must have been one of those times. It's hard to believe there was ever any real gaiety at Collinwood, remarks Vicki. Believe me, there was, he says, even after Elizabeth married Paul Stoddard--he rises. And it all stopped when he disappeared? Asks Vicki. Yes, says Garner, hands in pockets, I believe it was about that time. (Sounds evasive to me.) And that's when the servants were discharged? Asks Vicki. Approximately, he says, I told you, that was an old sheet. 18 years old? Asks Vicki. Could have been much more than that, he says, 20, 25 years--in those days, when an employee had a job at Collinwood, it was a job for life. Apparently not, seeing as they were all discharged, observes Vicki. I meant before then, he says. Do you think any of the others on that list might know about B. Hanscomb? Asks Vicki. Possibly, says Garner, but before you get your hopes up, I believe I should tell you all of them left Collinsport. All of them? asks Vicki, surprised.To the best of my knowledge, he says. Do you know where any of them went? Asks Vicki. No, there was no reason to keep in touch, he says. Do you think your partner might know? asks Vicki--the other half of Garner and Garner? He smiles and tells her he rather doubts it. Could I ask him anyway? Requests Vicki. Garner hits the intercom and asks Frank to step in here a minute. Right away, says Frank. You seemed to indicate that all was not quite well at Collinwood, says Garner. You heard about Mr. Malloy's death, says Vicki. Yes, he very sad, he was a fine man, says Garner--how Elizabeth taking it? She was very upset, says Vicki, but I think she's accepted the fact that it was an accident. Frank enters, and Garner introduces him to Vicki--"My son, the other half of Garner and Garner." Vicki shakes his hand and young Frank smiles at her. Miss Winter comes from Collinwood, Garner tells his son, where she teaches young David. Frank says if there had been teachers like Miss Winters when he went to school, he might still be there. Thank you very much, she says, grinning, then tells Garner, Sr., that of course he couldn't know anything about it. On a 20-30 year old ledger, hardly, agrees Garner. But it did say Garner and Garner, says Vicki. At that time, the other half was my brother, says Garner, he died 5 years ago. Is there anything I can do to help? Frank asks Vicki, who replies that she's afraid there isn't anything anyone can do. Try me, invites Frank. (Is that like fly me?) He helps her to sit back down and sits in a chair across from her, clearly smitten already.

Richard Garner tells Frank that Miss Winters came to Bangor on a wild goose chase. How do you mean? Frank asks. Does he know about me? Vicki asks Richard. No, I don't believe he does, says Richard. It's a very long story, Mr. Garner, says Vicki. My father is Mr. Garner, my name's Frank, says junior. Frank, repeats Vicki, smiling. And I don't have anything in particular to do for the next 24 hours, says Frank. Unfortunately, I do, says Richard--I've got to be in court--how long do you expect to be in Bangor, Miss Winters? There doesn't seem to be much more point in my staying here, so I think I'll go back tonight, she says. In case I don't see you again, let me tell you what a great pleasure it's been to meet you, says Garner, shaking her hand--I can report to Mrs. Stoddard that she was most fortunate in her selection of a tutor for her nephew. Vicki thanks him very much. If you leave the office, Garner tells his son, tell Miss Partridge where I can reach you, hm? Garner, junior, moves his chair closer to Vicki's and asks what's all the mystery. It's very complicated, she says. OK, says Frank, would you care to tell me about it. It's about this sheet I found in Collinwood, she says, showing it to him. He looks it over. I see the firm's name is on it, he says, but it doesn't mean a thing to me. It was made out a little before your time, grins Vicki. What did Dad say about it? asks Frank. He said it was a monthly wage list from Collinwood when they had a lot of servants, she says. You're not kidding, says Frank, it looks like the Christmas list for the Waldorff Astoria. That was a long time ago, she says--since then, all the servants were dismissed and most of the rooms closed off--now there's only one caretaker to do the heavy work, that's all. I don't get it, he says, sitting in his father's chair. Neither do I, agrees Vicki. Does Dad know all this? Frank asks. Yes, she says, but that's not why I came here. OK, tell me, he says. I'm trying to find out who I am, says Vicki--when I was a baby, I was left on the steps of a foundling home, and I grew up there, always hoping to find out who my parents were--a short while ago, I came across the name B. Hanscomb, and I felt that I had some connection with her, and then it popped up here on this list. You asked Dad about it? queries Frank. Yes, he said it was the Collins butler, says Vicki. Anything more? He asks. Nope--he didn't know his first name or where he is now, says Vicki. He sighs and says this is a monthly wage list, so it shouldn't be too tough--there are still only 12 months in a year, aren't there?--even if we have to cover say, 20 years, that's only 240 lists--we go through the files. And you think there might be a record of this? she asks anxiously. The firm of Garner and Garner never throws anything away, he says. But how did you know you'd have something like that? she asks. He takes the paper and says this is a copy, so they must have the original stashed away someplace. And it might tell you something more? Asks Vicki. What you want to do is find out where B. Hanscomb is, right? he asks--all I have to do is look at the last list with his name on it and see if there is an address where that last check was sent--simple? You certainly make it sound simple, smiles Vicki. Where are you staying, the hotel? He asks. Yes, she says. Go back there and rest up, he advises, looking through the files of Garner and Garner is a dusty job--I'll let you know if I find anything. (He's a clean-cut sweetheart of a guy.) And if you don't find anything? she asks. I'd like to let you know anyway, if that's all right, he says, leading her to the door. I'd appreciate that, she says. I'd appreciate the opportunity, he says, and she gives him a flirtatious glance over her shoulder in reply. Frank hits the intercom and tells Miss Partridge to tell Emil Jones he's going to be tied up for lunch--and listen, see if you can't get the rest of the afternoon clear for me, too. He takes the ledger sheet in hand, smiles at the closed door, and puts his feet up on the desk.

Bangor Pine Hotel - Vicki enters the same fancy restaurant that once saw Carolyn lunching with Burke. She orders a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of coffee from the waiter. Certainly, he says. She removes her coat. Burke Devlin enters and asks if might join her. You seem to have made up your mind to do it already, she says, how can I stop you? He tosses his coat in on the booth's seat and replies that she could say no and he would slink away, properly chastised. Sit down, she says, unfolding her napkin in her lap. No luck, huih? He asks. What do you mean? she asks. You told me you were coming to Bangor hoping to find some clue to your true identity, he reminds her--either you had no luck or you found it and don't like what you found. How can you tell? she asks. By looking into your eyes, he says--your eyes are a dead giveaway--one look and you know everything there is to know about you. I wish that were true, says Vicki--sometimes, I think there's a conspiracy against me every finding out who I am. Burke smiles--how can that be? he asks--surely you don't suspect the Collins family of keeping anything from you? I didn't, she says, until today. What happened today? He asks. Can I trust you? she asks. Why not? he asks, I trust me, and I'm a pretty tough guy to convince. You were making all sorts of threats on our drive up here, she says. I guess it might have sounded like a threat, he says gently, I didn't mean it to. What did you mean it to sound like? she asks. A warning, he says. A warning about what? she asks. If I tell you that, then it's going to sound like a threat again, he says. What is it you want it to sound like? asks Vicki. A friendly warning, he says. Why? she asks. Because I'd like to think we're friends, he says. I don't pretend to understand you for a minute, she says. Good, says Burke, that makes us even. Don't you understand yourself? she asks. No, but that isn't what I meant, he says--I understand myself very well, the person I don't understand is you. I don't see why it's so difficult to understand me, she says. You came up to Bangor on the flimsiest excuse in the world, says Burke, and it obviously didn't work out, isn't that right? Yes, she admits. You still can't bring yourself to admit the Collins family has anything to do with it, he says, with your disappointment. Why should they? asks Vicki, annoyed. You came here hoping to find some relationship between the unknown Victoria Winters and the Collins family, he says. No, that's not true, she insists. When eventually you do find out who you are, and I'm convinced you will, says Burke, I'm sure you'll find out you belong to people a lot finer than the Collins family could ever hope to be. Why do you say that? asks Vicki. Because you're a finer person than anyone in that family, he says. I suppose I should thank you for that, she says, a small grin on her face. No, you shouldn't, says Burke, because it's true. The waiter brings over Vicki's lunch, and she thanks him. I'll have a double... Burke starts to tell the waiter, then points to Vicki's plate and says he'll have the same thing--I was going to order a double drink, says Burke. Don't let me stop you, says Vicki. I thought I might drive back to Collinsport tonight, he says, can I give you a lift? You're very kind, she says. Not at all, he assures her, not anymore than I would be to a little stray kitten--because that's what you remind me of--a little stray kitten who can't find out who her mother and father might be--but there's one big difference--a kitten usually doesn't care. Is it so terrible I care? She asks. No, it's not, he says, and no matter how I sound, I care, too. She smiles. I'll be very happy to have you drive me back to Collinsport, she says. I've got a little business to attend to, he says, taking her hand on top of the table--I'll come get you later, where will you be--here at the hotel?I have no place else to go, she says, staring down at his hand holding hers.

I think I'll be finished with my business about five or six, says Burke--will you be ready by then? As far as I'm concerned, she says, I'm ready to leave right now. I'm sorry that your trip wasn't successful, says Burke. Frank Garner has entered the restaurant. Burke still holds Vicki's hand. I should be used to it by now, says Vicki, drawing her hand out of his. Burke stands and Frank comes over and asks Vicki if he's interrupting. Not at all, she says, and introduces Burke to Frank. Garner and Garner, says Burke, shaking his hand. Legal and accounting, says Frank. Must be your father that I know, says Burke. Yes, says Frank, Richard Garner. Yes, he's the one, says Burke--good to meet you. Pleasure, says Frank, starting to apologize for interrupting. Burke assures him he's not, he was just leaving, and he was just telling Vicki that he has some business to take care of and was just going--see you later? he asks Vicki. Thank you, she says. My pleasure, he says--I'll be seeing you again, too, Burke tells Frank--I hope you like grilled cheese sandwiches--and he leaves. Frank, puzzled, sits beside Vicki, not across from her, as Burke had. He asks Vicki where he knows Devlin's name from. Burke Devlin, from Collinsport, says Vicki, and not exactly on friendly terms with Roger Collins and Mrs. Stoddard (she does talk a lot, doesn't she)? I know the story, he says, rubbing his chin. That was 10 years ago, she says, surprised. I wasn't personally involved, he says, Dad was the attorney for Roger Collins in that manslaughter case--he's told me about it. Did he tell you that Burke insists that he was innocent? asks Vicki. They always do, says Frank--sometimes it helps with the parole board--how long did he serve, do you know? Five years, says Vicki. That was 10 years ago, he says--he must have done very well since then. From what I've heard, he's made a fortune, agrees Vicki. Good for him, says Frank. Do you mean that? asks Vicki. Of course, says Frank, I've always envied people like that--you know me, I've had it handed to me, born with a silver spoon in my mouth, all that. It doesn't show, says Vicki. It doesn't, huh? he asks--I think that statement has made me happier than any I've heard since I passed the board exam. Your sandwich, sir? Asks the waiter, bringing over Burke's lunch. Oh, says Frank, thank you--to Vicki, he says--I'm going to eat this sandwich in honor of my new acquaintance with Miss Victoria Winters. You didn't find out anything about B. Hanscomb, did you? she asks. Look, he says, don't let it worry you--we have cases of files in our warehouse, and I'm going to look through them first chance I get. But you didn't find anything? she asks. Not yet, he says, believe me, I'm going to dig until I come up with some sort of answer--I'm going to do everything in the world I can to help you.

Garner's office - Hello, Roger, says Richard into the phone, let me speak to Elizabeth, please? Elizabeth, I've been tied up in court all day, or I would have called you earlier--I think you ought to know that Victoria winters paid me a visit this morning and asked me a lot of questions...she was in Bangor and called for an appointment; I couldn't very well refuse, could I?--no, you're not to worry--everything is completely under control--you just leave everything to me--I'll let you know--we see the old ledger sheet sitting on top of the Collins-Stoddard file we saw earlier.

NOTES: Cover up! It actually surprises me that Vicki has gone to the present Collins family lawyers for help. Doesn't it occur to her that if someone at Collinwood IS covering up something (which, of course, Liz is), the faithful Garner retainers won't lift a finger to show her the way to the truth about herself? I am already anticipating a discussion/confrontation between Garners junior and senior--Richard will order his son not to reveal anything to Vicki. Poor guy already seems half in love with her, and he's going to have to lie to her as everyone else is doing--and if she finds out, she's going to hate him for it, and that's the last thing Frank will want. What a sweet, clean-cut fellow!

Vicki apparently has two interested suitors now, and despite Burke's threats, she really likes him, you can tell. Some gals have all the luck--two handsome, rich men chasing her. Spare one for me, huh, Vicki?

This episode was very slow to Robservise, once again, back to piles of dialogue! The plot was definitely advanced, though--Vicki is very close to learning something with this ledger page, but she's fighting a battle she can't possibly win.

Love, Robin

Episode #87 - Collinwood is a mansion of more than 80 rooms, but most of them have been closed off for years, and their only visitors have been ghosts and specters that locked doors cannot keep out, or in--and I have been kept a prisoner by the treachery of a small boy who has told no one where I am. Time has seemed endless, and all I can do is sit and wonder if anyone will come to my rescue.

Vicki sits dejectedly in her prison, wondering if there is any hope of rescue.

Roger looks at the grandfather clock in the foyer and checks his watch against it.

Vicki leans against a wall, hair a mess, depressed and fearful.

1 AM - Carolyn comes into the drawing room to warm up, and Roger, sitting on the sofa, asks her what kept her out so late on a night like this. Not fit for man or beast, she says, but kids love it. Your mother was worried, says Roger--she was about to send a posse out to look for you. She never would have found me, says Carolyn. Are you as clever at hiding as Vicki is? asks Roger. Vicki? asks Carolyn, rubbing her shoulders--what do you mean? She wasn't here for dinner and no one's seen her around anywhere, says Roger. That's funny--I wonder where she could be? muses Carolyn. What about that artist friend--could she be at Evans' house? asks Roger. No, says Carolyn bitterly, that's one place I'm sure she wouldn't be tonight. Why is tonight so special? asks Roger. I believe Maggie Evans had other plans this evening, says Carolyn. Oh, you sound a little vehement, he says. Why shouldn't I be? she asks, unless I'm mistaken, she's very busy entertaining a certain person who used to be a friend of mine. Oh, and may one inquire as to the identity of this ex-friend? inquires her uncle. Joe Haskell, replies Carolyn, that's who--and she marches from the room, takes her coat and umbrella, and hurries upstairs.

Candles gutter on Maggie's table, which was elegantly set for dinner. She sits beside Joe on the sofa, coffee cup in hand, legs tucked under her, and says, "That sounds like a Joseph Conrad story--how did you get back?" We didn't, not that night, he explains--they cut the engines off and we just drifted--some of us sang songs, the old men told their favorite stories--everyone had heard them a million times before, except me. I wish I'd been there, she says admiringly.Then we all realized the silence had sort of crept up on us--the sea was calm, it was starting to get light, with the sun rising, we got our bearings back, he says, and returned to port about five in the afternoon--it had been quite a night. What a great adventure! she says, offering him another cup of coffee. Sounds great, he says. She takes his cup and her own and tells him they have one thing in common--boats. What do you know about boats? he asks--if I even start to talk to Carolyn about them, she gets seasick. Try me, she says. All right, he agrees--why is a boat always called a she? That's easy, she says, because we're so unpredictable--like hurricanes, you never know which way we're going to turn. She hands him a cup of coffee. The scene looks very domestic.

Very good, Miss Evans, praises Joe, I've got to say you seem like quite an expert on diesel engines. She smiles proudly. But, he says, now we get to something a little more difficult. Proceed, Professor, she says. Describe to me, if you can, says Joe, the rigging of a schooner's sails. First of all, the inner and outer gyps are sometimes fitted instead of a single gyp--in that case, we have--she counts on her fingers--one flying jib, two jibs, three four topsail--and she goes on in this vein, rapidly, and Joe, amazed, tells her she's right. Did I leave anything out? she asks. I don't know, to be sure, I'd have to look it up myself, he says. Oh, says Maggie, what about your boat, the one you want to buy? Most of the time, I just dream of buying, he says, I've got a year and a half yet before I can even make the down payment. I thought you were going into partnership with someone to get the boat, she says. That fell through, he says. Sometimes I could just kick my Pop in the pants, she says--about 10 years ago, he sold a bunch of paintings for 15 thousand dollars--and blew every cent of it (I thought he spent it on Marie's illness)--just think, if he'd saved even a part of that money, we could have gone into partnership with you. I've got to admit, you're a lot prettier than my ex-partner, he says. You know what I'm going to do? asks Maggie--just because of what Pop did--snitch some of that fine old brandy he's been saving and lace this coffee the way it should be laced--that is, if you'll join me? I'll join you, all right, he says, there's only one small problem--(he sings, three times) what do you do with a drunken sailor, early in the morning, as she pours the brandy into glasses.

Roger pours himself a drink. You promise you won't tell Mother? asks Carolyn. I promise with reservations, says Roger. I was with Burke tonight, she tells him. How did you run into Burke? asks Roger. I went into the Blue Whale, looking for excitement, says Carolyn, brushing her hair, and there he was, sitting and drinking with Sam Evans. This displeases Roger--Burke was with Sam Evans? he asks. Yes, she says, I couldn't have been more surprised. And I couldn't be more surprised that you're learning to deal with Burke--you know how he hates us. I don't think he hates me, says Carolyn. You say you care for me, says Roger, and yet you make every effort to be friendly with the very man who's sworn he's out to get me. Burke was entirely different this evening, she says, friendly with everybody, especially Sam Evans. I can imagine, says Roger, did you by any chance find out how they got so friendly? They just said this was a night no man had any enemies, says Carolyn--everyone was a friend. What a shame I wasn't invited to your little party, says Roger. They were singing in the memory of a good friend, says Carolyn, whose ghost was seeking vengeance. Roger drinks. Bill Malloy, he guesses--did they elaborate on the theory of this ghost seeking vengeance? No, says Carolyn, but Burke did ask me why Vicki hadn't come along, and that's how I know he hasn't seen her. And that brings us back to the mystery of Vicki Winters--what in the world do you suppose has happened to her? he asks. I haven't the faintest, says Carolyn. It's odd, says Roger, she really came to us out of nowhere. She came to us from that foundling home she worked in, says Carolyn, annoyed--you know that. But neither she nor they knew who she really was, says Roger, and so as I say, she came to us from nowhere, and now it seems she's disappeared into nowhere.Carolyn looks worried.

You don't mean that, says Carolyn, Vicki couldn't really have just disappeared. If a person is there one minute and then not there the next, what do you call it? he asks. I know, says Carolyn, sitting beside him in front of the fire, but you yourself said there had to be some logical explanation. It's very true, he says, you remember how not long ago, people got upset when Bill Malloy disappeared--but there was a logical explanation for it. Yes, he was dead, she says--you don't think anything might have happened... Of course not, Kitten, he says reassuringly, I didn't mean to put such an idea into your head--if I thought any harm had come to Vicki, I'd be scouring the countryside. (LIAR!) Then what do you think did happen to her? asks Carolyn. I imagine for reasons of her own, she just wanted to be by herself, he says--I don't think she's very far away. Carolyn rises to her feet and asks him if he doesn't think he should just look. Are you that upset about her? he asks. Yes, she says vehemently, I'd hate to think anything happened to her. He stands, too, and advises her not to worry her pretty little head about a thing--I promised your mother I'd sit down here and wait for Vicki--but I didn't promise you'd sit and wait with me--now you just bundle yourself off to bed. Then you think she's all right? asks Carolyn. I've always been honest with you, Kitten, he says, I really don't know. You let me know the minute you find out anything? she asks. Of course, he promises, and he kisses her cheek. She leaves the room, banging the brush against her hand. Roger paces the drawing room, looking out at the storm.

2:15 - Wow, says Joe to Maggie, where did the time ever get to? I think someone got into that brandy bottle, says Maggie. I've got to get home and hit the sack, he says. Me, too, she says, but I'm already home. Before I go, let me prove I still have some manners, he says--thank you, Miss Evans, for a very great dinner. Thank you, sir, she giggles, shaking his hand. I do have to be getting home, he says, and I have to thank you for the education you've given me on the rigging of sailing vessels. My pleasure, she says. I bet it was a great pleasure showing off all that knowledge to an ignorant lout like me, he says, taking his coat. Stop knocking yourself, she says, you're not an ignorant lout and you know it--any man that know what he wants and goes after it isn't ignorant--it's us poor slobs that don't know what we want who are ignorant! Now who's knocking himself? asks Joe. I'm allowed two minutes of self-pity a day, she says. They agree it's past their bedtime. Thanks again, for everything, says Joe. Maybe another night? asks Maggie. You bet, he says. Good night, she says. Good night, he says, and kisses her cheek. He leaves.She grins. Good night--pal, she says.

Roger listens to the rain falling outside. He exits the drawing room and looks upstairs, then checks the clock--nearly 3:30. He turns off a lamp in the drawing room, opens a drawer and pulls out a flashlight. He opens the secret panel in the wall by pressing a button underneath the rim of the armoire,then goes in, closing the panel behind him. Carolyn, wearing a nightgown, comes downstairs to find the room dark and her uncle gone. She calls to him, but receives no reply, and wanders back into the foyer.

Roger, now walking in the wing where David tricked Vicki into the room, opens a door and follows the beam of the flashlight through the dark hallways. His shoes gleam. He walks up a carpeted flight of stairs and through another door, closing it behind him. He continues to walk, through cob-web strewn corridors, to the accompaniment of creepy music and thunder. He walks down a carpeted flight of steps which looks like the same one he walked up, then stops by a window where lightning flashes.

Vicki lies on the cot, covered by a filthy blanket, trying to find a comfortable position in which to sleep. Roger finds a winding staircase (this set is marvelous!) and climbs up.

Vicki twists and turns on the cot, finally giving up her attempts to sleep. She draws her sweater more securely around herself, then hears a noise and goes to the door to investigate. David, is that you? she asks. Roger walks past a chimney, a column. He hears Vicki calling to David and spots the key on the floor. He picks it up and shines the flashlight on it. Who is it? calls Vicki, near tears. Roger walks away from the door, then, smiling, deliberately knocks a metal vase off a table. Who is it? sobs Vicki. Roger takes a cane and bangs it against the door, sending Vicki falling backwards in fear. (WHY is Roger doing this to her?) He covers his mouth with a handkerchief and, disguising his voice, says, "Victoria Winters, leave Collinwood!--you are in danger here!--go home!--go home!" Vicki, terrified, screams, "Who is it?" Roger replaces the handkerchief in his pocket, then finally unlocks the door.Vicki is sobbing, terror-stricken, pleading, "Who is it? Roger pulls her into his arms. Vicki, thank God! he cries. She's crying, hysterical, so grateful to see him. It was David! she says--he's a monster, you're right! There, there, you're all right now, dear, he assures her. How did you know where to find me? she asks. Something David said, Roger tells her--I put two and two together and thought you might be up here. Vicki sobs out how David got her up here by admitting he stole the pen--but it wasn't here, and then he left me alone and he ran out and locked the door. Let's get out of here, he says soothingly, still holding her. He did it deliberately, she sobs, he tried to kill you and now he tried to kill me. Let's get out of this dismal place, he says. That's not all, says Vicki--there ARE ghosts in Collinwood! Ghosts? he asks. I never believed it before, she says, but I do now--I saw a ghost--it was here, in this room, it was tall and shimmering and covered with water and dripping with seaweed--I know it was a ghost--he spoke to me--it warned me to leave Collinwood! Who was it? asks Roger. It was Bill Malloy! she wails, and falls into his arms again.

NOTES: I never realized before how desperately Roger wants Vicki out of Collinwood. But why? She seemed to be getting through to David, is willing to love him. It's what he needs. Why does Roger want to get rid of one of the two people who really seem to care about his son, especially since he doesn't. That he felt it necessary to scare the already-terrified young woman is beyond me. Looks to me like she's ready to go now, after seeing Bill's ghost. And does Roger believe she saw a ghost? Is he afraid that Bill Malloy might be haunting him?

You can already see a bond forming between Joe and Maggie. They really do look great together, with their dark looks. Plus she understand about boats, appreciates what he wants and really likes listening to him. She is a much better companion for him than Carolyn, and I really want to see them together.

Roger is understandably upset about Carolyn seeing Burke. Even though she doesn't realize it, that's going to spell disaster for everyone, especially Carolyn herself.


Episode #88 - Collinwood has a reputation for ghosts and specters and the unseen widows who weep for their men missing at sea--I had always scoffed at these ghost stories--until last night.

Carolyn sits on the sofa, drinking coffee, while Vicki paces the drawing room. If you don't sit down, warns Carolyn, I'll lose my mind. That's just about what your charming little cousin did to me last night, says Vicki. Are you positive you saw a ghost? asks Carolyn. Yes, I saw a ghost, says Vicki. But you've always been the one who didn't believe in things like that, says Carolyn. I've changed my mind, says Vicki--or else I've lost it--she resumes pacing--I'd been asleep for a few minutes when I heard Bill Malloy's voice, telling me to leave Collinwood before I was killed--there was only one door in that room, and it was locked--my mind tells me not to believe it, but every instinct in my body tells me that what I saw last night was the ghost of Bill Malloy.Liz has come into the foyer, and her mouth drops open at Vicki's last statement.

What did I just hear you say? asks Liz. Last night when I was locked up in that room, explains Vicki, I saw the ghost of Bill Malloy. That's nonsense! says Liz. I'd like to agree with you, says Vicki, but it seemed very real to me. Liz laces her fingers and says Roger did mention something to her about David playing a prank on her, but he didn't say anything about a ghost. It wasn't any prank, says Vicki--David was very angry at me and I think he wanted to kill me. Vicki! says Liz reproachfully, he's only a child. (Who has attempted murder once before.) So he is, agrees Vicki, and considering the events of the past few days, I've decided it would be best if I left Collinwood. That isn't fair, says Carolyn, running from the sofa to join them. Fair to whom? asks Vicki. To any of us, says Carolyn. David has been urging me to leave Collinwood, says Vicki, and I think this should make him very happy. I don't think you should make a decision in a hurry, says Liz. I didn't make it in a hurry, says Liz, I had quite enough time to think in that room last night--and I finally decided the best thing to do would be for me to leave Collinwood. Roger, wearing a robe over his shirt and tie, enters. I quite agree, says Roger. Roger! says Liz. In fact, says Roger, I think it would be very unwise for Vicki to stay on in a place where she is obviously in danger. Liz asks Carolyn and Vicki to leave them alone. The girls exit. Liz closes the doors and faces her brother. Well? he says. Would you please tell me why you want Vicki to leave? demands Liz. Because I think it would be in Vicki's best interest, says Roger, if she were to move as far away from Collinwood as she possibly could. What exactly was David trying to do? asks Liz. It was a childish prank that backfired, says Roger, and he became frightened, so obviously, I didn't know--actually, when you were questioning him, something he said led me to suspect what had happened. Why on earth didn't you go let her out of the room at once? asks Liz. (Get him, Liz!) I had to have a little time to put the pieces together, he says, and when I did, I went up to look for her. How were you able to get into the locked wing? she asks--the door is locked--where did you get a key? The door wasn't locked, I passed through it, he says, otherwise, I'd have had to waken you. Did you ask David what they were doing there in the first place? asks Liz. Of course I did, says Roger, but you didn't expect him to tell me the truth, did you?--he said he happened to press against this door and it opened--he was curious and so was Vicki--Roger sits on the sofa with a cup of coffee--they decided to explore so they ended up in that section of the house above the eaves there--and then they went into one of the rooms--after a while, they came out and he locked the door, thinking Vicki had gone on ahead of him. A moment ago, says Liz, you said it was a prank. Oh, he's confused, says Roger--we'll never know the truth of it. I wonder, says Liz--if he's as confused as he'd like us to believe. You're always defending him, Roger reminds her. Yes, when you call him a little monster, she says. I think I had good reason to, says Roger, I hope you're not forgetting the fact that he almost tried to kill me. I thought we agreed that was an accident, says Liz. Yes, says Roger, so we did. There's only one thing, says Liz--has it occurred to you lately there have been too many accidents at Collinwood? Roger nods. (Duh!)

Vicki, in her room, brushes her hair. Obviously troubled, she lies down in bed. Carolyn comes in and asks if she's napping. No, come on in, says Vicki. You simply can't leave Collinwood, says Carolyn. I don't see how I can stay, says Vicki. What about the reason you came to Collinwood in the first place? asks Carolyn. I haven't found one thing that has the remotest connection with my past, says Vicki. But you might, points out Carolyn. I might and I might not, says Vicki, and I could stay here for the rest of my life and not come any closer to the solution. Isn't it worth it to stay if there's even a chance of finding out? asks Carolyn. I don't know, says Vicki, but if I don't get out of here, I may lose my mind--you don't know what it was like in that room last night. I'm so sorry, says Carolyn. Didn't anybody miss me? asks Vicki. Now you make me feel guilty, says Carolyn--I was out, with Burke Devlin. I thought you were never going to see him again, says Vicki, surprised. I ran into him by accident, says Carolyn, at the Blue Whale--if I hadn't been so angry with Joe for breaking that date, I never would have gone out. So now Joe is the culprit, says Vicki. Don't you know what he was doing? asks Carolyn--he was having dinner with Maggie Evans! If you would forgive me for butting into your private affairs, says Vicki, I'd like to remind you that yesterday, Joe came to the house looking for you, and you were out. He could have waited for me, couldn't he? asks Carolyn. I wouldn't have thought very much of him if he had, says Vicki. But why? asks Carolyn, I was just taking a walk. From some of the things you've told me, says Vicki, you've kept Joe waiting for quite a while. What if I have? she asks, that still doesn't give him the right to have a dinner date with Maggie Evans. And does it give you the right to have a date with Burke Devlin? asks Vicki. I didn't have a date with him, says Carolyn, I told you, I didn't know he was going to be there! But he was, says Vicki, and so were you, and that's all that mattered at the moment--am I right? Carolyn nods. I suppose so, she says--I was so glad to see him without all that hatred in him, when he wasn't accusing anybody of anything--can't you understand that? I think so, says Vicki. He was so charming, says Carolyn, I simply lost track of the time--but when I did get home and found out you'd been missing, I was terribly worried about you--we all care about you, we're not demonstrative or anything, but we care, all of us! Including David? asks Vicki. How can I explain what David thinks? asks Carolyn--he's a nut!--but Mother and I care about you, and so does Uncle Roger. This may sound very strange, says Vicki, but the person I'm most concerned about is David. I thought you said he's the one that locked you in that room, says Carolyn. That's why I'm so concerned about him, says Vicki. I don't get it, says Carolyn, I would think you'd hate him. No, I feel very sorry for him, says Vicki. Then you must have the most generous nature I've ever heard of, says Carolyn. It doesn't have anything to do with that, says Vicki, I feel so sorry for him because Collinwood has become his whole world, and there's nothing he can do to get away from it. Oh, says Carolyn, and there is something you can do to get away. Of course, says Vicki, sitting on her bed, all I have to do is walk out that door and turn my back. Carolyn sits beside her and begs her to please don't. Come on, you managed perfectly well before I came along, says Vicki. No, says Carolyn, not perfectly well, let's just say we managed. And you'll continue to manage, says Vicki. I'm not so sure, says Carolyn--the day you arrived was the same day Burke came back to Collinsport. What's that got to do with me? asks Vicki. Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with you, but it has everything to do with me--don't you see--that's why I'm so confused!

Drawing room - No matter how many times you explain what happened to Vicki last night, says Liz to Roger, I'm still confused and upset. I've told you all I know, he insists. Did Vicki actually say she saw the figure of Bill Malloy? asks Liz. We have only her word for that, says Roger. I've never had any reason to doubt her word, says Liz. Of course there's some way we might satisfy our curiosity, says Roger. It's not just curiosity, says Liz, I'm really worried--as long as you've lived in this house, even when you were a child, have you ever seen anything you could actually call a ghost? I'm not sure, admits Roger--I've seen and felt things I couldn't explain--but you can't tell me that hasn't happened to you, because I know better. You said there was a way we could satisfy our curiosity, says Liz--what were you going to suggest? I think we should go to the closed section of the house, says Roger, back to that room, and see if there's any evidence of what Vicki claimed to have seen. He rises from the sofa and takes a flashlight out of a drawer. She precedes him as they head upstairs.

What does my leaving have to do with you and Burke Devlin? Vicki asks Carolyn. You're the only person I can talk to about him, says Carolyn--can you imagine the mess I'd have been in without your advice? Would it be any worse than the mess you got in with it? Absolutely nothing happened between Burke and me, Carolyn assures her. Was it your fault nothing happened? asks Vicki. I never thought about it that way, admits Carolyn--do you always have to be so honest? Yup, says Vicki. In that case, says Carolyn, if Burke hadn't been drinking so much, oh, how can I say what might have happened? Did you want to happen? asks Vicki. I don't know, admits Carolyn, I told you I was confused, didn't I? It's funny, says Vicki, I've seen Burke drink, but I've never seen him drunk. I didn't say he was drunk, says Carolyn, I said he'd been drinking, like he was celebrating something.I wonder what he was celebrating? Muses Vicki.

Roger and Liz enter the closed off wing where David imprisoned Vicki. We see the door through a hole in a cobweb (nice effect). This is the room, says Roger, I found the key on the floor, picked it up and unlocked the door, and as you see, I left the key in the door. He unlocks the room and they enter and look around. Liz makes a face as she surveys the awful room, and asks her brother how he knew which room to look for. I didn't, at first, he says, I walked along miles of corridor until I came to this one here, and I heard her scream--when I came in the room, she was cowered there in that corner. I don't blame her, I'd have been terrified, says Liz. That's the one thing that makes me wonder about this story of ghosts, says Roger--the fact that she was so frightened--then she said she fell asleep, probably here on the bed--it could all have been a bad dream. Liz looks around, spots David's toys, and asks what all these things are doing here? I can't imagine, says Roger. One of David's drawings, his toy, his books, says Liz--David's been in this room before--he brought Vicki here deliberately! All right, says Roger, suppose he did all of this deliberately, and intended to come get Vicki out--now, by the enormity of what he'd done, it must have scared him off and he said nothing. Poor Vicki, remarks Liz, and Roger echoes her sentiments--he's done a very dangerous thing, and if I know David, he's going to twist it so it seems to be Vicki's fault. Is that why you're afraid for her? asks Liz. Yes, he says, I suppose it's a horrible thing for a father to say about his son, but I think David is an incipient psychopath--there's no telling what he might or might not do. And that's why you think she must leave? asks Liz. To be perfectly candid, yes, says Roger. Liz walks across the room and asks Roger if Vicki's claim that she saw Bill Malloy's ghost have any effect on his decision. Why should it? he asks--anyway, it's utter nonsense--when I found her, she was babbling and I saw nothing at all to substantiate what she said. Then you didn't look very closely, says Liz--she points to the floor, where the seaweed sits in a pile. She picks up a piece and says it's just as she described it--wet seaweed.Roger gazes at it, his face twisted with disbelief.

Liz and Roger return to the drawing room. There's no doubt ion your mind what it is? asks Liz, holding up the seaweed. Of course not, it's a strand of seaweed, he says. Still damp, adds Liz, and throws it into the fireplace. Roger puts the flashlight back into he drawer and joins Liz by the fireplace. What do you suppose it all means? asks Roger. It was your idea to go to that room and see if there was any evidence of the ghost Vicki said she saw, Liz reminds him, as the seaweed crackles and burns in the fireplace--I think we saw the evidence we were meant to. Meant to see? asks Roger--by whom?--Liz, he's dead and buried! His body is dead and buried, agrees Liz, walking to the window--I've heard that ghosts are restless souls that never stop wandering until a wrong has been righted. Are you trying to tell me you actually think there was a ghost in that room? demands Roger. Something was there, says Liz--how do you account for the seaweed? I don't know! says Roger--perhaps David put it there. Didn't Vicki tell you the ghost was dripping wet and covered with seaweed? Quizzes Liz. Well, yes, says Roger reluctantly, but...I don't know! He walks away. Liz closes the window, rubbing her hands together.

Carolyn rushes into the drawing room, Vicki behind her, and tells her mother she simply must convince Vicki to change her mind about leaving Collinwood. I don't think I have the right to, objects Liz. Oh, Mother! pouts Carolyn. Well, now, says Roger, it doesn't have to be something that's decided right away, does it? :Liz goes to Vicki and, for the first time calls her by her first name--Vicki, dear, I want you to understand one thing, she says--I don't want you to leave Collinwood--I'd be much happier if you stayed, but I think the decision is entirely up to you. I understand, says Vicki, at least I think I do. Mrs. Johnson could never begin to take you place here, says Liz, and there's not the slightest chance she could get through to David. I don't seem to have done a very good job myself, says Vicki. You mustn't blame yourself, says Liz. But I do blame myself, insists Vicki--or rather, I did until last night. Even though he behaved strangely, says Liz, I think David does respect you. He's got a funny way of showing it, says Vicki. I'm sure you and David can work things out! says Carolyn. I don't agree, says Roger--I think Vicki should leave Collinwood. Don't listen to him! says Carolyn, shaking her head. It's for her own good, says Roger. The decision is up to Vicki, says Liz. I don't think it is at all, counters Vicki. What do you mean by that? queries Roger. All along, even when I was most determined to leave, says Vicki, I knew the final decision would have to rest with David--he's the one with the most concern about it, and I don't want to decide anything until I speak to him. But why? asks Carolyn--why must you ask David?Because he hates me more than I ever guessed, explains Vicki, and I want to know why!

NOTES: I actually think Vicki is smart to want to elicit David's opinion about whether she should go or stay. He's in her charge, and if he's going to keep on trying to do away with her, I makes sense for her to leave. I suspect Roger's reasons for wanting her to go are different--perhaps now he sees her as a magnet for Bill Malloy, whom he might have killed. Or does Bill Malloy think she should go because of David--or someone else? Mysteries abound! For someone with very little experience, Vicki knows a lot about the ways of love--at least as far as Carolyn is concerned. She understands that Carolyn is very much attracted to Burke, but still doesn't want to free Joe from her romantic clutches. Vicki believes in doing the right thing, and even Liz chastised her daughter about her treatment of Joe.

Incipient psychopath, Roger? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! You encouraged David to do this to Vicki, then went out of your way to terrify her further, and now you want to push her out of a house where Liz and Carolyn, at least, adore her and David truly needs her! Bad Roger!

Both Roger and Liz have apparently seen ghosts before, even if they are reluctant to admit it, but now that Bill Malloy's ghost has made an appearance, does Roger really have reason to worry?

Will Vicki leave Collinwood? We know she doesn't, at least not now, but how does it come about that she sticks around another two years? Stay tuned!

Love, Robin

Episode #83 - Kinescope - Despite the surface calm that fills the great house on Widows' Hill, the undercurrents of tension can still be felt--tensions that continually seem to affect everyone in Collinwood--tensions that I seem unable to avoid.

Roger leaves the houseand stands looking out over the grounds.

Meanwhile, Vicki can't find her pen in David's room. I thought I was through with my homework, he whines. You are, she says, scrabbling through the books on the desk, I just came up here to get my notebook and pen, but the pen's gone. No it's not, it's right over there, insists David. Where? she asks, looking. Can't you see anything? he asks--I put it right here...he looks, but the pen is not there--I'm sure that's right where I put it! You must be mistaken, she says. But I know I put it right there, he says, pointing to the spot--I think I did. Nobody would just walk in here and take it, she says, so it must be right here--help me look for it. They begin to search. David opens a drawer..
Meantime, Roger has taken the pen and buried it in the dirt outside Collinwood, then covered the spot with a large, heavy stone.

It's not in there, says David, searching a drawer. Vicki goes to his dresser and suggests maybe it got mixed up in his things over here. David goes over and sits on his bed. She asks him to please help her look. Why, it's not here, he says. It has to be somewhere, she points out--it was a very expensive pen. Who cares? He asks, you didn't pay for it, you found it. That's not important, she says, I'd like to have it back--try to remember where you were the last time you saw it. I think you left it over there on the desk, he says, and I picked it up--I wanted to look in the crystal ball to see if I could see where you found it--then I picked it up and I put it there by the crystal ball--as soon as I saw you found it at Lookout Point, I went downstairs to tell you. And the pen was on the desk when you left the room? she asks. I think so, he says--maybe they took it. Don't start talking about ghosts and widows again, she says. Why not? he asks, it disappeared, didn't it--why couldn't they have taken it? Because they don't have any use for a fountain pen--but little boys do, she says. You think I took it? he asks. I don't think so, she says, I think you might have borrowed it. I didn't steal your pen, he says resentfully. He looks out the window. I didn't say steal, I said borrow, she says--we both know you have a habit of borrowing things. I didn't take it! he insists. Then who did? she asks. What about my father?--why not blame him while you're at it, says David. He was in the drawing room with me, says Vicki. He wasn't there all the time, says David--when I came up to tell you, he went out--probably came up here, took it, I bet that's who did it. You're terrible, you really are! says Vicki--you'll blame anybody but yourself. I don't care--it wasn't me! he says. It certainly wasn't your father, let's get that straight, she says.

Roger returns to the house, wearing a capelike coat. He overhears David saying, "You think you can blame me for everything that happens here--well you can't." I can blame you for the things you do, says Vicki. That's all you ever like to do, is get me in trouble! Accuses David, crossing his arms over his chest. He and Vicki are in the hallway now. Roger heads upstairs. I'd like to get my pen back, she says, if you just show it to me, I'll forget the whole thing. Why don't you look in there, he says, pointing to the door at the end of the hallway. That's closed off, says Vicki. That's where the ghosts live, he says--that's where they must have taken it. Roger comes over and asks what's going on. A private affair between David and me, she explains. It didn't sound private from downstairs, says Roger--what's wrong. She's trying to blame me for stealing her pen, and I didn't! says David. Your pen? Asks Roger. Yes, it was in David's room when I went downstairs, and when I came up, it was gone, she explains. I can't help if it disappeared, says David. Things just don't disappear, she tells him. Roger says he's tired of this continuous bickering with David. So am I, she says. If it's simply a matter of a pen, he says, I'll be delighted to buy you another one, just to get the whole matter settled. That's not the point, she says. Did you take that pen? Roger asks David. No! says David. that's good enough for me, son, Roger assures him. (SOB!) I should think it would be good enough for you--when you have a chance, I'd like to see you in the drawing room. Roger leaves.He...he stuck up for me, says David, amazed. Yes I know, says Vicki. See, says David triumphantly, you thought he was your friend--but he isn't!--he is NOT! He goes into his room, closing the door. Vicki stands there, unsure of what to do.

Collinsport Inn - Maggie enters the restaurant, sits at the counter and begins reading the newspaper. Joe comes in and goes behind the counter, offering her coffee. If it isn't Joe Haskell, the big fish tycoon, she teases as he pours coffee--all right, the little fish tycoon, I forget that the Collins Cannery deals only in sardines. Little fish from which big money is made, says Joe, and it's all poured into a dead castle on a dead hill. This is one of your bitter days, she observes, something's missing. Common sense, says Joe. No, from this, she says, holding up her cup of coffee--coffee cup without a saucer--it's impossible. I'm a terrible waiter, he says, handing her a saucer--Joe Haskell at your service. You'd better not let Carolyn hear you say that, she warns. At this moment, she couldn't care less, he says, pouring coffee for himself. Then she's the one without any common sense, insists Maggie. You know what she said to me? asks Joe--she said don't ever speak to me again--she meant it. Sure, for about 5 or 10 minutes, says Maggie. He sits beside her at the counter. How's the job coming along? she asks. OK, he says, I was offered a promotion today. You were?--that's great! says Maggie. Turned it down, says Joe. I guess you had your reasons, she says--let me guess, Mrs. Stoddard offered you a better job at the cannery and you turned it down because you want to buy your own fishing boat and be independent, right? You think I'm crazy? he asks. Not if it's what you really want, she says. You'd think after all this time, Carolyn would understand how I really feel, he says, I've been talking of this boat for years--now it's like some brand new thing to her. She angry because you turned down the job? asks Maggie. He sips his coffee. That's what she said, he says, if you want to be independent, be independent without me--or something like that--I just don't think Carolyn and I are ever going to understand each other--maybe I'm better off recognizing it now. But you love her, says Maggie wistfully. How can I love her, I don't even know what she is, from one day to the next--what do you think I ought to do? She giggles and says there are a couple of things you can do--beat her over the head and force her to marry you, sit in your room and sulk, or find a new girl. (I think she's voting for the latter.) How about a donut to go with the coffee, suggests Maggie, gazing at him fondly.

Vicki comes downstairs and goes into the drawing room. You said you wanted to talk to me, she says. Yes, it's about that silly business with the pen, he says, I wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you. It did seem a little strange, she says--David steals my property and I'm accuse of bickering. Are you quite certain David took your pen? He asks. It was gone when I got back to the room, she says, no one else could have done it. Besides me, of course, he says. We can't let him go on like this, she insists. You told me not so long ago, says Roger, that you wanted to have David's confidence, are you quite sure that accusing him of stealing is the best way to go about it. But he did take it, says Vicki. Even so, says Roger, perhaps this is one time you should overlook it. I want David to like me, she says, but I'm not going to overlook this kind of behavior. Come on, says Roger, why make so much fuss over a pen, it's not as if you went out and bought it yourself. That was David's argument, she says, just because I found it at Lookout Point, it didn't make any difference whether I lost it--that's just plain nonsense. Would you accept the idea, says Roger, that what we need around this house is peace and quiet? Of course, she agrees. Then do this for me, he says--forget about the pen, and about the incident with David--forget that the pen and the argument never happened. I don't think I can do that, she says. Why not? he asks, believe me, that pen is never going to show up again--because after this fuss, I know David will never bring it back. (Doesn't any of this seem odd to her?) I suppose so, she says. And I'll be more than happy to replace it for you, he says. That's not necessary, she says--it's not the pen, can't you understand that?--it's the problem of not being able to trust David. Roger assures her he does understand that--that's why he wants her to do it his way--see how David reacts if neither the pen nor the incident is mentioned again--not only to David, but anyone else--would you do that for me? All right, says Vicki. Good, I'm sure you'll find that best--for everybody, says Roger, relieved.

You know what you are? asks Maggie--the while knight of Collinsport, determined to save the beautiful princess from the dungeon. Only trouble is, she doesn't want to be saved, says Joe, rubbing his face. Then the beautiful princess is, if you'll excuse the expression, says Maggie, off her rocker! Confused, says Joe. Off her rocker, says Maggie--she wants to stay up at Collinwood--that's not confused--the one time I went up there, I felt like there were a hundred ghosts all around me--and all I saw was the entrance hall and the drawing room. You ought to see the other parts, says Joe, especially those that are closed off. Have you ever been in there? she asks. No, says Joe, nobody goes in there, but I have heard it's full of ghosts. You know I believe you, she says. Musty and spooky, says Joe, filled with little blind alleys and dark corridors and rooms that are closed up--and dead people that never speak. Hey, cut it out there, Joe, she says, you're gonna make me nervous. They laugh together at her poor Mae West imitation. I'll tell you something, she says, if I had my choice between that big house and the little cottage Pop and I have, I'd take the little cottage. A customer comes in and Joe says he has to be going. She offers him pot luck with her and Sam tonight--if he doesn't have anything better planned. He thanks her, but says he doesn't know if he'll be free. I'll be cooking dinner anyway, she says, so if you change your mind, just give me a call. Maybe I'll do that, he says. Good, she says. Thanks for the use of the hall! He says, and leaves.She grins, pleased.

Roger returns to David's room. David sits at his desk, looking into the crystal. What will you have? Roger asks his son--a million dollars or a brand new bike? I was looking for the pen, he says. Will this one do? he asks, handing David a pen from his pocket. That isn't it, says David--this one is silver. Wouldn't you accept this one in its place? Asks Roger. You mean you're giving it to me, it's yours! Says David. Not any longer--it's yours, says Roger, handing it to him. David takes it, smiling. Gee! he says. Grownups make mistakes, says Roger, sometimes as often as children do--and in this case I think Miss Winters was a bit too hasty in accusing you of stealing her pen--that's why I want you to have this-to make up for the annoyance she must have caused you. Thanks says David. I'd like you to do something for me in return, says Roger. what? asks David. It's not going to be terrible, says Roger, I simply want to keep peace in this house--I want you to forget about Miss Winters' pen, forget she found it and that it disappeared--would you do that for me? How can I do that? asks David. Simply by promising not to mention it to anyone, says Roger, that way it will never come up again and will be all over and done with. No it won't, says David--because Miss Winters will tell everybody I stole her stupid pen. No she won't, Roger assures him, she promised she wouldn't--she's not going to say anything about it--and I want you to make me the same promise--will you? Sure, he says--cross my heart--but I'm still mad at her. I can't help that, says Roger--I hope you enjoy your gift. Father, says David--do you know what happened to her pen?--it was right here when I left, and when I came back, it was gone. Well, says Roger, I have a theory--I think it was one of those ghost friends you have. That's what I told Miss Winters, says David, but she wouldn't believe me. It's all over now, says Roger. No it's not, says David, maybe I won't tell anybody, but I'm going to get even--and nobody's going to stop me.Why should I stop you? asks Roger--I think this matter should be settled between you and Miss Winters. (SOB!!!) He leaves David's room, first giving him a look.

Night, Collinwood - Vicki looks out the drawing room window, listening to the wind and thunder. David comes in and she asks him what's the matter. Where's my father? asks David, sounding odd. He's left the house, says Vicki. Is anyone else here in the house? asks David. No, just you and me, says Vicki . David suddenly takes off, running toward the stairs. David? calls Vicki, chasing after him. What's the matter? she calls to him, and is about to follow him upstairs when someone knocks. It's Joe, and she tells him she's glad to see him. That's a welcome I didn't expect, he says. You don't know what it's like to be alone in this house with David, she says. I was wondering if Carolyn was here? asks Joe, but obviously she's not. She's not back yet, says Vicki. Did she say anything about me before she left? asks Joe. No, says Vicki, she was very upset, said a lot of things, some she did mean, some she didn't--she's very confused. Amen, says Joe. She says she told me she never wanted to see you again, says Vicki--that's one thing I know she didn't mean. (Something that sounds like a big pot crashes in the background.) Do you think I'm an idiot, hanging around here, coming back to get my face slapped every 10 minutes? He asks. If you put it that way, yes, says Vicki teasingly. That's what I thought--thanks, he says. Please don't go, she says, I think Carolyn should be back pretty soon, and I know she'll be happy to see you. Sorry, he says, I resign from the Idiot's Union. I was only kidding, she says. I wasn't, he says, besides I've got to get home and shave and change my clothes--I've got a dinner date tonight. He leaves. Vicki slowly heads upstairs. David is in his room, staring out the window. I'm going to get even, he vows! He hears Vicki outside in the hallway and opens his door and calls to her. Why did you run off like that? she asks. Who was at the door? asks David. Joe, she says. Is he still there? asks David. No, she says. I lied to you before, says David, about the pen. David! she chastises. You can have it back if you want it, he says. Of course I want it, says Vicki, go and get it for me. It's in there, he says, pointing to the door at the end of the hall. That's the closed off section of the house, she says. I know what it is, he says, I have a secret place in there and that's where the pen is. Go and get it, she insists. Not unless you go in there with me, he says.You're making all this up, says Vicki--I want you to go and get it--that section of the house is locked off--no one can get in there. Except for me, says David, holding up a key. He unlocks the door and opens it. See, he says, if you want your pen, you have to come with me. Ridiculous, she says. It's the only way you'll get your pen, he warns. He tells her to follow him, and closes the door behind them.

NOTES: Oh, no! Is David planning to do something icky to Vicki? Get her lost in the closed-off wing, which Maggie and Joe were discussing, and scare her to death?

Roger has once again proved himself a total bastard. He steals the pen and charms David and Vicki into dropping the matter. I wondered why only David asked his father if he took the pen. Allowing the enmity to go on between his son and his governess, taking David's side against her when he knew he'd stolen the pen himself, was just plain wrong!

Sounds like Joe is finally getting Carolyn's message, and the fact that he's going to Maggie's tells me the Joe-Carolyn relationship is officially on the skids. I don't blame him. Carolyn hasn't been very nice to him, and he's always good to her.


Episode #84 - The last rays of sunlight are fading behind the great house on Widows' Hill, and one can almost feel the ghosts of the dead past stirring to life, once again making the legends that surround the hidden corners of this odd mansion seem much too real.

David leads Vicki down a corridor strewn with furniture and other debris. I thought I heard something, says Vicki. It was just a mouse, says David--come on, we're practically there. (oh, good!) I want to go back, says Vicki. You want your pen, don't you? he asks her. Not this badly, she insists. There's nothing to be scared of, he says, I go here all the time. Why? she asks, this section of the house has been closed off for 50 years. Why do you want to come here for? she asks. Because nobody bothers me here, he says, come on, let's go. They hear a strange outer-space sound, which David says is the wind--what else did she think it was?--he didn't think a grownup would be scared of a thing like that. Where are we? asks Vicki, we've been walking up and down stairs, in and out corridors, for the last 10 minutes. I know, he says, I've been taking you around in circles. You've been what? she demands. You don't think I'd want you to find it by yourself, do you? he asks. They hear that sound again. Vicki asks where they're going now, and David unlocks another door. In here, he says. She precedes him in, and he closes the door.

David locks the door behind them. Do you like it? David asks Vicki. This room is gross, dark, filled with garbage. I can't really say I do, she replies. Wait until I light the candle, he says, can't really see what it's like. He takes out a match. I don't really think I want to, she says, I just want to get my pen and go back. Next time I'd rather bring another candle, he says, this is the last one. Next time? she asks, how often do you come here? Whenever I want to be alone, he says. Let me help you with that, she says, pointing to the matches. No, this is my place! He says. I thought your secret place was at the Old House, she says. This place is special, he tells her, nobody ever comes here, not even Matthew, it's so secret I could sit here for ten hundred years--nobody would ever find me. What a horrible thought, remarks Vicki. I've got everything I need, he says, chest, bed, drawing paper--I can keep it as messy as I want, he brags, balling up a piece of paper and tossing it on the floor--because nobody tells me to clean it up. That's very nice, says Vicki, but I'd just like to get my pen and leave. Gee, he asks, why did you come if you're not even going to stay for 10 minutes? Because you insisted, she says, you said I couldn't get my pen back unless I did come! David sits on the dresser. I'm sorry I did, says Vicki. I thought you were going to be my friend, he says reproachfully. I am, she assures him. then sit down, he says, you're the only person I ever showed this to. I'm sure you're very proud of it, she says, but I'm sure I'd rather come back and see it by daylight--to be quite honest with you, it makes me nervous. What does? asks David--the mice--don't worry, they won't hurt you--sometimes, I even feed them--I have all sorts of cans, can opener--he shows her his stash--paper plates and even some forks. You're very well equipped, she says. You bet I am, he assures her--when my friends come by to visit, I sit down and have something to eat--it's just great. Friends?--I thought you said nobody ever came here, says Vicki. Oh, I don't mean people, I mean my friends, the ones that live in this part of the house, says David--the ones that never really die! Lightning highlights his grinning face.

Carolyn returns home, takes off her coat, drops it on the foyer table. Liz comes downstairs in a flowing, shapeless dress, and asks her where she's been all afternoon. Walking, says Carolyn. You didn't happen to see David, did you? asks Liz. I didn't see anybody, says Carolyn. It's getting dark, he's disappeared, frets Liz. I really couldn't care less, says Carolyn. Oh darling, says Liz, there's no need for you to be so upset. (But a little compassion for your cousin would be nice.) How can you say that? asks Carolyn, after the things I said to you and Joe?--I went out and walked, and thought--I don't like myself, that's the plain, honest truth, not at all. Liz sits beside her on the sofa and tells her there are times she isn't proud of her--she doesn't mean what she said to her, there's probably a lot of truth in that. I was horrible! Says Carolyn. Yes you were, agrees Liz, but when I offered Joe a promotion, I was thinking of you--I thought you and he could get married--so when you said you weren't something to be bought and sold, I deserved it. It was a terrible thing for me to say, says Carolyn--you were only thinking of me. Perhaps that's where I was unfair to Joe, says Liz--that's the wonderful thing about him, his independence, wanting a boat of his own--his desire to make his own way--and we have no right to take that away from him. I know that, says Carolyn. Then why did you say you never wanted to speak to him again? asks Liz. Maybe this is going to sound crazy to you, says Carolyn, I don't think I was angry because Joe didn't accept the promotion, I was just scared that he might--so, now what do I do? That all depends on how you feel about him, says Liz.I love him, says Carolyn, at least I think I do. Then I think you ought to call him up and tell him so, says Liz--I'm going upstairs to see if Vicki knows where David is. What would I ever do without you? Carolyn asks her mother, smiling up at her. You're a Collins, says Liz--you'd survive. Liz leaves.

Liz comes downstairs to find Carolyn on the phone in the drawing room. I have to see you, Joe, says Carolyn--how many chances do you have to hear your best girl tell you what an idiot she's been?--great!--how soon can you be here?--I'll see you then. From now on, everything is going to be marvelous! Exults Carolyn--Joe is climbing into his jalopy and rushing up to the castle on the hill--she kisses Liz--I love you, she says, I love everyone, including David!--by the way, did Vicki know where he'd gone? She wasn't in her room, says Liz. Oh, you mean we have two disappearances in one day--how exciting! Says Carolyn. I wonder where they went? Asks Liz. This is silly, says Carolyn--David likes to roam around and Vicki's a big girl--they probably went for a walk together. I suppose, says Liz doubtfully. Don't go getting one of your premonitions, says Carolyn, this is much too happy a day for that--you know what I'm going to get Joe to do?--it's not going to be any Blue Whale tonight--we are gong to the fanciest place in town, and we're going to dance and have a great dinner--and maybe even some champagne! I think Joe might have some trouble saving up for that boat he wants, jokes Liz, if he's going to have to spend his money like that! Carolyn giggles and tells her mother it's a big night--who knows, I might even tell Joe I'll marry him! Just because you never said you'd speak to him again? asks Liz. Don't be so logical, says Carolyn, that's the trouble with this place--everyone is so logical and gloomy and full of premonitions of doom!--I wonder what it would be like if we ever had a real party in this place? We used to have parties, reminisces Liz--many of them--I remember when I was a little girl sitting on those stairs out there, watching all the girls in their beautiful clothes--and one time we had a treasure hunt, all through the house--that was before so many rooms were closed off. I wish someday we could open all those rooms and fill them with flowers, says Carolyn. It's too late for that, says Liz--there's nothing left in any of those rooms anymore, nothing but memories of a past that won't come back. Thunder rolls. Liz looks sad.

Lightning flashes in the small, grated window of the room in which David is yelling for help. Stop it! orders Vicki. HELP, HELP, HELP! shouts David. Someone will think you've been hurt, cautions Vicki. No they won't, he assures her, this place is so secret--that's what I was trying to show you--you could yell as loud as you want and no one could hear you. I have no intention of yelling or anything else, says Vicki. I didn't exactly mean you, says David, I meant anybody. It's dark now, she says, and I've seen your room--I'd like to go back now. But there's much more to tell, he says. I don't want to hear anymore, she says. He sits down and tells her sometimes dead people come here to visit him--sometimes when it gets dark--they stand in that corner--he points--and they look at me--and they talk! That's nonsense, says Vicki, sounding scared. Once they told me about a girl, says David, who went into a room--the door was locked behind her, and she tried to get out and couldn't--and 50 years later, they came back and when they found her, she was nothing but dead bones! Forget about the pen, says Vicki, nervous--let's go. But it was only a story! protests David. I don't like your stories, she says. OK, says David, I'll find your old pen--if I can remember where I put it. He pretends to look around for a few seconds, and smiles at her when her back is turned.

Carolyn comes downstairs at Collinwood to answers Joe's knock. Joe Haskell, what a surprise! She says. Hi, Carolyn, he says dispiritedly. Is that all you have to say? she asks--kissing him--you can do better than that--and he gives her a warmer kiss--better than that, too, she says.He takes her hands off his arm and says he came over as soon as he could. You sure must have been expecting my call, she says admiringly, observing his suit and tie--all spiffed up and ready to go out on the town! You see, says Joe hesitantly, I...Carolyn--hello, Mrs. Stoddard, he greets Liz, who has exited the kitchen. I see you've decided to speak to each other again, she observes with a grin. I never said I wouldn't, says Joe--I was here earlier, looking for you. I was out, says Carolyn--walking off my idiotic mood. That's what Vicki told me, says Joe. You saw Vicki? asks Liz--how long ago was that? About an hour, says Joe--why? Joe came to take me out to dinner, chides Carolyn, not to worry about David and Vicki. Did she say anything about going out? asks Liz anxiously. No, says Joe. David and Vicki aren't here, says Carolyn. Was David here when you stopped by? Asks Liz. Yes, says Joe, Vicki said something about she and David being alone in the house--she acted a little uncomfortable about it--I got the impression she wanted me to stick around until someone else got home. Why didn't you? asks Carolyn. I really couldn't, says Joe, I had things to do and I had to leave. Frankly, I'm a little worried, says Liz. That's enough about that, says Carolyn--David and Vicki are perfectly all right and will turn up any minute--you'll see--now Joe and I have things to talk about--much more important than David and Vicki--and she leads Joe into the drawing room.

David tells Vicki it's funny, he can't seem to find it. This is ridiculous, says Vicki--you couldn't have brought it up here more than an hour ago. I know, says David--maybe one of my friends moved it--they're always doing things like that. Oh, David! says Vicki. You know what I think? he asks--I think we're going to have a storm. I think I'm going to leave! says Vicki. OK, says David--but she finds the door locked. Sure I did, I always lock it when I come in here, he says. Please unlock it, she says. It doesn't matter, he says--my friends don't need doors--they can just come in anyway. (The chilling way he talks of his ghost-friends is so casual, it makes me cold all over!)--especially tonight--they love it when there's thunder and lightning! Stop trying to frighten me and unlock that door! orders Vicki. Why should I want to frighten you? he asks--just because I called you a thief?--and just because you said I was a liar and I stole your pen? Why did you bring my up here? asks Vicki. To get the pen, he says, isn't that what I said--to get the pen I stole. I don't think that pen is up here, she says--I don't think it ever was here. You also think you're so smart, he says, think you know everything, when all you know how to do is get me in trouble! Unlock that door! she says. Why?--are you afraid to meet my friends? he taunts her--you know what they'll do to you--come into this room, yell and scream at you--make you wish you never said I stole your pen! Unlock that door! she cries. Say please! he says. Please, David, she says quietly. He takes the key from his pocket and unlocks the door. Thank you, she says--let's go. David points to the candle and asks her to blow it out--the house could catch on fire. As soon as she turns to do so, he closes the door and locks her in. David! she calls--unlock that door--please!She bangs furiously at the door. You can bang and bang and bang but it won't do you any good! yells David--you can stay here for the rest of your life! Please let me out! pleads Vicki. And you can scream and scream and scream! Shouts David, but no one will ever hear you! And he leaves her there, Vicki pounding frantically at the door and screaming his name.

David exits the wing from which he imprisoned Vicki, locks the door, pockets the key, looks around, and goes into his own room, closing the door behind him.

In the drawing room, Carolyn tells Joe she was a fool--she should have known better than to be angry at him for wanting to be an independent human being. Why don't we just forget it? he asks. Let me finish my speech, she says, you see, I got to thinking that your ideas and the way you want to live, are exactly the kind of things my ancestors would have understood--they didn't build this town and this house by marrying the boss' daughter--they did it with their own hands and their own... I've listened to enough of this, says Joe, do me a favor, honey, and turn it off, will you? OK, no more speech, she says--she listens to the thunder and says it sounds like they're in for a big one--I'd better change my clothes if I want to beat the rain--see you in 10 minutes. Carolyn, wait, he says, standing up, and she tells him it's going to rain--she doesn't want to get her sexiest dress soaking wet. Stay here and listen to me, he says seriously. What's the matter? she asks, don't you want to celebrate? It's not that, he says, look, I came here tonight because you insisted, you said you wanted to talk to me. I did, she says, her hands on his arms, I wanted to make the big apology. That's great, he says, I'm glad you're not sore at me or anything like that... But--you don't want to take me out tonight--is that what you're trying to say? she asks. It's not that I don't want to, he says, but when you weren't around today, fact is, I made other plans, I'm sorry. They must be pretty special plans, she says jealously, the way you're all dressed up tonight. It's nothing special, he says, I was invited to dinner by a friend. I see, she says--I don't want to interfere with your evening. It's just too late to call it off, he says, it isn't fair--he checks his watch--I'm 10 minutes late already, she's probably wondering what happened. SHE? asks Carolyn--your friend is a she? It's nothing, he says, you know her, she's a good friend. I don't care who it is, insists Carolyn--I certainly wouldn't want you to keep her waiting! I just couldn't get in touch with you, can't you understand that? he demands. I understand! says Carolyn, perfectly--Joe Haskell, the sailor with a girl in every port--go on and have your fun--don't let me spoil your good time! You're making a big deal out of nothing, says Joe. Don't tell me what I'm making! She says, I had big plans for us tonight, for both of us--I even thought I might...do me a favor--get out of here. You're acting like a kid, he says. You don't know where the front door is, she says--suppose I show you. I'm just going to have dinner with someone, he says, not getting married! You bet you're not getting married! She assures him--not to me, anyway! Maybe that's the best thing that could ever happen to me, says Joe, and she grabs his arm, turns him around to face her and tells him she never wants to see him again--and this time, I mean it--now get out of here, go on to your dinner party.Liz exits the kitchen, asking what all the shouting it for. Good night, Mrs. Stoddard, says Joe, and leaves the house. What happened? Liz asks Carolyn. Nothing, replies Carolyn, nothing at all--and she goes upstairs, forced to go around David. Why do you always have to be in everybody's way? wails Carolyn, running across the landing. What's the matter with her? David asks his aunt. Where have you been? asks Liz--I've been worried about you. Oh, I was outside, he says, I came in the back way. Where are you going now? she asks him. For a glass of milk, he says. David, she says, do you know where Miss Winters is? Isn't she in her room? he asks. No, she isn't, says Liz. I guess she must have taken a walk or something, says David--I think I'll have a piece of pie, too--I'm starved! Liz looks perplexed--and concerned.
Vicki continues to call to David to open the door, unaware that he's long gone. She gazes with fear at the lightning, hears creepy sounds, and clings to the door.

NOTES: Wow, it's hard to decide which is the worse SOB, Roger or David! What an awful thing to do to Vicki--and with his father's blessing, too! The way David baited Vicki about ghosts and death before finally locking her in was particularly vicious, truly the act of a psychopath in training.

It sure sounds as if Joe and Carolyn are finished this time. Perhaps it's for the best. Carolyn played too many head games with Joe, and he's a simple guy who deserves a simple gal--I always felt Maggie was a much better match for him than Carolyn. He and Maggie look good together, too, and she is already smitten with him and moving in on Carolyn's territory--without any guilt at all! How sad that Carolyn seemed willing to marry Joe (why the change, we wonder?), but now he's the one who is disenchanted. I understand his feelings, I really do!

Will Vicki escape her prison? Who will hear her there? (Notice the pains David took to show her how, no matter how much she screams, no one will hear.) The sad part is, David did NOT steal the pen, Roger did, and Collins, senior, has no compunctions about ruining the tentative relationship Vicki and David have forged with such difficulty. Now David hates Vicki so much for accusing him when he doesn't deserve it, he's decided to kill her--because that, after all, is what he figures will happen if she isn't found--50 years later?

Love, Robin

Episode #79 - Even though the coroner has given an official opinion in the unexplained death of a man, the mystery of that death still creates dissension in our town, and not everyone agrees with the verdict.

Burke gazes out the window of his room at the Inn and greets Mrs. Johnson at the door. No one saw you come up? he asks. Oh, no, she says, that Mr. Wells at the desk wouldn't see the nose on his face. I'm sorry to have to ask you to come here, he says, but it's a little risky at your house. Not my house, she says, Mr. Malloy's, I only worked for him. No matter, says Burke. So, the coroner decided to call Mr. Malloy's death accidental, she says, I can't tell you how shocked I was by that. I know, he says, I felt the same and still do--but I think you should soft-pedal how you feel about it. How can I? she asks, when I know someone killed him and that someone is walking around free, and Mr. Malloy is dead? I know, sympathizes Burke, but if that someone found out how you really felt about it, he wouldn't want you to come up to work at Collinwood. I suppose not, she says, if we're talking about the same person. Yes, no need to mention names, says Burke--I have two goals in this life--one, to get Collinwood and all it represents--the other is to avenge Bill Malloy's death.

I hope I'll be able to help you with your plans, says Sarah, but you understand I'm only interested in solving this mystery. According to the coroner, there is no mystery, says Burke--Bill died accidentally. There are three people that know better than that, says Sarah--you, me and the person who killed him. Very true, says Burke. The phone rings and he excuses himself--yes, this is Burke Devlin--oh, yes, I'm always glad to hear from you--when was this?--last night?--I see--sure thing, thanks very much--right--he hangs up. Well, Burke says, that's very interesting--Roger brought Victoria Winters to the Blue Whale last night. Is that so unusual? asks Sarah. No, not really, says Burke, but Sam Evans was there with his daughter, and it seems Sam and Roger were arguing about something--what they were quarreling about has to be connected with Malloy's death--so evidently his death didn't solve their little problems--how did Mr. Malloy feel about Roger coming back to live at Collinwood? Very upset, replies Sarah, he had no use for Roger. How did Bill feel about Sam Evans? asks Burke. They were friend, she says, not close friends, but I often heard Mr. Malloy say what a shame it was the way Sam Evans had let himself go to seed. Did he ever mention anything about why he thought Sam had gone to seed? asks Burke. Not to me, he didn't, she says. If we can find the answer to that question, says Burke, we might find the answer to the big one--the big question--who killed Bill Malloy?

Sam sits at the counter in the Inn restaurant, reading the paper. Maggie offers him more coffee, which he refuses. Busy this morning? he asks. Same as usual, she says. Customers still talking about Malloy's death? he asks. She sets up a cup for herself. Not so much, she says, the coroner's report seems to have stopped most of it--now they're back to fishing and football. She pours coffee for herself. They forget so easily, he says. You should forget about it, too, she says, it's not going to do you any good to keep thinking about it. I know, he agrees. I thought once we got that report, she says, your worries would be over. He looks at her, guarded--what do you mean by that? he asks--what makes you think I was worried about the report? No reason, but you were, she says. Well I'm not now! he says, I never really gave it a thought--not a thought. OK, she says, sipping her coffee--she asks if his meeting with Roger at the Blue Whale had anything to do with his being "not so nervous." No, of course not, he says. What were the two of you talking about? she asks, you looked as thick as thieves. Nothing important, he murmurs, still reading the paper. Come on, when Roger came over to our table, she says, he looked like he'd been stung by a bee. You're imagining things, insists Sam. I know what it was, she teases--you and Rog robbed and bank and now you're arguing about how to split the loot. Sam slams the paper down on the counter. None of your business! he yells--he calms down and says he didn't mean that--I haven't been myself lately. He touches her face, trying to erase the hurt in her eyes. That's what I've been wondering about, she says, if you're not yourself, who are you? Sam looks like he wonders the answer to that himself.

Burke's suite - Burke tells Sarah what he's interested in at Collinwood is anything and everything about Roger--where he goes, who he talks to on the phone, who comes to see him, things like that. And you think that will add up to proof he killed Bill Malloy, she says. That's what I want to believe, says Burke. Of course we don't know for sure I'll be hired as housekeeper at Collinwood, says Sarah. Carolyn said she was in favor of it, didn't she? asks Burke. Oh, yes, says Sarah, indeed she did. But it's Mrs. Stoddard who makes the decisions in that house, says Burke, not Carolyn, David or Roger. You mentioned this Victoria Winters, says Sarah, I heard Mr. Malloy speak about her a few times, but I'm not sure what her real connection with the family is. She's an orphan raised in a foundling home in New York, explains Burke--mysteriously, she was offered a position at Collinwood to tutor David. You say mysteriously, why? asks Sarah. I had a private investigator check her background, says Burke, he didn't come up with anything--isn't it strange that Mrs. Stoddard would hire some girl she didn't know anything about? Sarah thinks it over and says no, not when you think about it--they had that large staff at Collinwood 18 years ago, and when Paul Stoddard left, Mrs. Stoddard fired all of them--the cooks, the maids, the butler, the chauffeur, all of them--they haven't had anybody else there since old Matthew the caretaker--when Mrs. Stoddard decided she had to get help to take charge of that boy, that's exactly what she would do--get an outsider who knows nothing about them. What are they trying to hide? wonders Burke. I don't know, she says, but if I get into Collinwood, I'll do my best to find out. Good, says Burke, that reminds me, on the days Maggie works at the coffee shop, her father usually has breakfast, he should be there about now--I'd like to know what he and Collins were talking about last night. I haven't had my breakfast yet, she says. Neither have I, says Burke--you go on down, I'll come down in a few minutes--Mrs. Johnson--we don't particularly care for each other--right?If it will find out who helped kill Mr. Malloy, I'll hate you, she vows--in public! (I love that!) She leaves. Burke smiles and closes the door. His phone rings. He answers. It's Blair, and he tells him I want to be in a position to put up an offer for the mortgage on Collinwood--yes, on the home and estate--now, are you known to either Frank or Richard Garner, their lawyers in Bangor?--good, in that case, if you approached them, they wouldn't be able to connect you with me, would they--fine, no, just contact them as a representative of money people from New York--you know, an interest in providing mortgage money, that's it--I'm going to se if I can't arrange is so Mrs. Stoddard or her brother might not suddenly have a need for a large sum of money.

Coffee shop - Maggie drinks her coffee and watches her father, telling him that if he doesn't start talking to her, she's going to start making him pay for his breakfast. I'll pay, he says, how much? I was kidding! she says--you used to be able to see through my jokes before I even made them! Maybe I'm getting old, he says. You're still a young man, she says, you just act childish. Mrs. Johnson comes in and sits at a table. Maggie bids her good morning and offers her a menu. No, thanks, she says. That's too bad, she says, I type these up myself and I'm kind of proud of them--not one typographical error! I'll have vegetable juice and whole wheat toast, well done, she says--I'll butter it myself--and coffee. Coming right up, says Maggie. She goes behind the counter and quietly tells Sam, "She's a bundle of laughs!" Why should she be? asks Sam. Do you think I ought to mention anything to her about Carolyn wanting Mrs. Stoddard to hire her as a housekeeper? asks Maggie. No, says Sam, I don't, what goes on up at Collinwood is none of our business. Right, says Maggie--I don't trust her. Why not? asks Sam. Female intuition, I think, says Maggie. Burke walks past Sarah and goes to the counter. He accepts coffee from Maggie and he and Sam greet each other almost as if they were strangers. How are you? asks Burke. Fine, says Sam, how are you? Couldn't be better, says Burke--I suppose you're happy about the verdict our coroner arrived at? It was the only possible one, says Sam. Maybe you're right, says Burke, but I don't think so. Nobody had anything to do with Bill Malloy's death, says Sam. Sarah jumps from her chair. Oh, yes! she cries, someone had something to do with it, and that someone is standing right there--Burke Devlin! Maggie, Burke and Sam all goggle at her, stunned.
I'm saying that Burke Devlin is responsible for Mr. Malloy being dead, insists Sarah. Now wait a minute, says Burke. I didn't say you drowned him, she says, but if you hadn't come back to Collinsport, Mr. Malloy would still be alive--you come back here stirring up all that mess about an accident 10 years ago, got Mr. Malloy so upset, he didn't know whether he was coming or going. He was my friend! says Burke. David enters the restaurant, listening. That's a fine friend, rails Sarah--come to town and do everything you can to throw doubt and suspicion on everyone--it was YOU caused Mr. Malloy to have that accident and drown!--and in your heart, you know it! David runs over and stands before Mrs. Johnson. That's not true! he cries, Burke didn't have anything to do with it! Wait a minute, says Burke, taking hold of David, keeping him from leaping at Mrs. Johnson. She doesn't know what she's talking about! insists David, agitated. OK, all right, I appreciate your concern, says Burke--I want to talk to you a minute, out here--and he leads David into the Inn foyer. Mrs. Johnson grabs her heart and moans.

All right, says Burke, what are you doing here, anyway? She doesn't know what she's talking about, says David--you didn't have anything to do with it. I know that, says Burke, his hands on David's shoulders, and I'm glad you took up for me in there--now tell me, what are you doing here? I was looking for you, he says. What do you want to talk about? asks Burke. There's something wrong, says David, I'm sick, the way everybody's blaming you for everything--it's just the way they treat me, too. We'll just have to take it, says Burke, OK? I'd like to kill them all! says David. That would be a pretty drastic solution, don't you think? asks Burke--now please, tell me, why did you come into town? To talk to you, privately, says David. Maybe we'd better go upstairs in my room, suggests Burke, OK? They head up. (The dialogue exchange here was awkward, and I suspect Henesy was helping to fill in Ryan's lines.)

Back in the coffee shop, Sam asks Sarah if she really meant it when she said Burke was responsible for Malloy's death. Not directly, she says, but until Devlin came to town, Mr. Malloy was a different man, until Burke showed on the scene, and began digging into all that past history. But Bill Malloy wasn't involved in all that, says Maggie. Sarah drinks water and says it distressed Mrs. Stoddard, and that was enough to get Mr. Malloy involved--and he was determined to stop Burke. And you think that Burke stopped him? asks Sam. Not directly, we have to accept the coroner's verdict on that, she says, but I know Mr. Malloy knew that shortcut by Lookout Point as well as he knew the back of his hand--if his mind hadn't been so distracted by Burke Devlin, he would never have lost his footing the way they say.

Burke leads David into his hotel room and locks the door. He checks the kitchen and bedroom, making sure they're alone. OK, he says, now, what's on your mind? Is it true you want to take Collinwood and everything away from my Aunt Elizabeth? asks David (such a pathetic face)! Who on earth told you that? asks Burke. That's what she said, David tells him--you said you wanted to get it in any way you could--and that I wasn't to see you ever again. Burke leans down and asks him if she said he offered to buy it--did she say that? All she said was I could never could see you again, because you wanted to get it in any way you could, says David. Ah, Davy, says Burke, his hands on the boy's shoulders, sit down. They sit on the sofa and Burke reminds him of the last time he was here--you suggested that I buy it then, remember, so we could have fun? And SHE thinks you're doing it just to be mean! says David, vastly relieved. (Ah, innocence!) I couldn't be mean to you, my friend, Burke assures him. And I couldn't be mean to you, says David. Exactly, says Burke. David stands, still looking disturbed--they all say I can't have divided loyalties, he says. Who is "they all"? asks Burke. Aunt Elizabeth, Matthew, it's a hard decision, says David. I'm sure it is, agrees Burke, but I know you'll come up with the right answer. Miss Winters has been teaching me about the Civil War, says David, and they had divided loyalties then. Yes, they did, says Burke. Sometimes brother was fighting brother and friend against friend, says David. That's very true, says Burke. That's the kind of decision I have to make, explains David--like you're General Grant and Aunt Elizabeth is General Lee. Burke smiles and says he's flattered if she is. That's it, says David, they were both great, but one of them had to lose. And one of them had to win, says Burke. I don't want either of you to win, says David, because I don't want either of you to lose. (Such a dilemma for one so young!) What do you say we have a truce? asks Burke--no more fighting--you don't fight me and I don't fight you. But we weren't fighting, points out David. That's right, says Burke, then you and I don't need a truce, do we? No, we don't, replies David--what about Grant and Lee? Well, says Burke, I guess we'll just have to re-write history so nobody loses. Wouldn't that be great? asks David. Yeah, says Burke, wouldn't it, though? David says that he expects when he gets home, if they find out he's been here, they'll beat him. He takes the photo of Burke that he "borrowed" and surreptitiously places it on the table, under an ashtray, figuring Burke can't see him. I hope not, says Burke. I expect they will, says David, they do it all the time--it will be even worse if they hire that old Mrs. Johnson to be my jailer. She's a good old soul, says Burke. It doesn't matter anyway, says David. Burke calls him over and says he wants to talk to him about Mrs. Johnson. David nods.

They're back sitting on the sofa, and Burke explains to David that he really shouldn't resent what he heard Mrs. Johnson say in the restaurant--she didn't mean a word of it. It sure sounded like she did, says David. She's very upset, says Burke, about Mr. Malloy. I liked him, too, says David, but I don't go around blaming people for things they never did. I guess she acts that way because she suddenly has nothing to care about in this world, nothing to look forward to, says Burke.Maybe she has, says David--my Aunt Elizabeth was thinking about hiring her as a housekeeper. Was she? asks Burke, feigning surprise. Yeah, says David, and I thought it was just going to be one more person to watch me. Burke smiles--you see, Davy, he says, you don't think things through--that's a big house, and your aunt needs somebody else to take care of it--not to watch you. I guess I was all wrong about her, says David--maybe I should apologize. It takes a man to admit he's wrong, says Burke. Carolyn apologized to me for something yesterday, says David, only she wasn't wrong, she was right--she said I stole something of yours, but I didn't really steal it, I just borrowed it to look at. What was that? asks Burke. That picture of you, says David, showing him the photo he tucked under the ashtray. How could you have stolen that when it's been here all the time? asks Burke--it wouldn't be stealing it because it belongs to you, anyway--I meant for you to have it. Delighted, David says, you did? Sure, says Burke, that's why I put it down there, for you to take it. Can I take it? asks David. You don't have to ask for something when it's already yours, says Burke. David takes the photo and is so excited, he drops it while trying to slip it into his pocket. He picks it up and slides pockets it. Gee, I'm glad I came to see you, says David. So am I, says Burke--let's go. David opens the door, but the chain lock is on, and Burke unfastens it. They go. (this is humorous, because they apparently forgot the chain link was on.)

Sarah, sitting next to Sam at the counter, tells him and Maggie she thinks it's Burke Devlin's nature to pry around ad upset people. Maybe Burke was upset, too, suggests Maggie. He'll have to learn to forget, says Sam--live and let live. That's exactly what I say, agrees Sarah--I'd like another piece of this toast. You like my cooking! Says Maggie. I'll have it over at this table, says Sarah, I'm just not built for these stools. She moves her coffee to the table and sits down. Sam tells Maggie to watch her manners with Mrs. Johnson--she's been through a lot. OK, agrees Maggie, I guess I was a little harsh on her--she's all right. I have to make a phone call, says Sam. Who are you going to...I'm sorry I said that, Pop. He pats her hand. Burke brings David into the restaurant and quietly points to Sarah. David goes over to her and tells her he wants to apologize for the way he acted. That's perfectly all right, she says. Speaking as if doing a recitation, David says, "I wish you'd accept, in the spirit in which it was tended." I do, says Sarah, and perhaps I was harsh about Mr. Devlin. You mean you apologize? asks David excitedly. I suppose so, she says. Burke! says David--she apologizes to you! That's fine, says Burke, and thanks Mrs. Johnson. She nods at him silently. David jumps onto a stool and Burke says this calls for a little celebration. Yes, sir, says Maggie. Hot chocolate? offers Burke. Yeah! Says David enthusiastically, great! Burke smiles at David, and Mrs. Johnson looks proud and smug.

NOTES: Burke and Mrs. Johnson have managed to get both Carolyn and David on their side in this plot to hire Mrs. J as a housekeeper. Burke is one smooth man, working his charm on a needy kid like that, but how morally right is it? David is so desperate for love, for friendship, he believes everything Burke tells him. It's kind of sad for the child, but I believe Burke feels real affection for him. It's very complex, well written by Francis Swann.

Sam is still upset and not telling Maggie anything, but she's learning not to ask--she stopped herself from wanting to know who he was planning to call.

Burke is still plotting to buy Collinwood, and it sounds like he has a plan afoot to make either Roger or Liz needy enough to sell Collinwood. I wonder what form this plan will take?

Touching the way Burke gives David his photo after learning he stole it. Loved their Civil War discussion. Burke really knows how to manipulate David, who is a master manipulator himself. Is it possible that the writers were planning to reveal down the line that David is really Burke's son?


Episode #80 - The death of a friend of the Collins family has been written off as accidental, but in this great and gloomy house, there is still one man searching for something---something he fears might connect him with the death that is thought to be accidental.

Roger searches the drawing room, looking for the pen. He's clearly upset about it, muttering to himself--I was standing just about here--Carolyn offered me the pen--then left--then later she came back by the fireplace, here--and I offered her the pen and she refused--he walks toward the window--I put the pen in my pocket--maybe I changed my jacket--no, no, I didn't!--he feels his forehead as if it hurts, then looks up to see Vicki staring at him. You do move about silently, don't you? he asks. Perhaps I could wear wooden shoes, she suggests archly. I suppose you wonder what I was doing? he asks. Not at all, she says, I know what you were doing. He eyes her with distrust.

Just what do you think I was doing? he asks guiltily. Practicing a new dance step, she says. Oh, he says, pleased and relieved, unfortunately, not--I was trying to remember something, but it wasn't very important--are you looking for something? Not something, someone, she says, I can't find David anywhere, he seems to have vanished into thin air. Not exactly, he tells her. You know where he is? she asks, sitting on the sofa. I received a call that he was at the Collinsport Inn with Burke Devlin, reports Roger. This surprises Vicki, who suggests she go get him. By the time I got there, says Roger, he had already left, alone, and I didn't see him on the road as I drove home. He's probably gone to his favorite haunt, the Old House, says Vicki. Just the sort of hideout my son would choose, smiles Roger. He'll probably come home when he gets hungry, she says. Oh, Vicki, says Roger, have you heard anymore about my sister hiring Mrs. Johnson to work here? As far as I know, she replies, no more has been done about it. I hope that you can dissuade her from bringing her on here, says Roger, because I dislike having strangers around the house. Not so very long ago, I was a stranger myself, she reminds him. That's quite different, says Roger, you have come from out of town without local connections--if we bring Mrs. Johnson here, I'm sure she'll want to bring all her friends here, and the place will be flooded with local curiosity seekers--I'm not too keen on Mrs. Johnson hovering about. Roger, says Liz from the doorway--will you stop interfering with the running of my house?--the responsibility is mine! Really, Liz, begins Roger, and Vicki hastily excuses herself, saying she has something to do. Of course, says Liz, and Vicki exits. Liz closes the doors and says, "Now, Roger..." I know Collinwood belongs to you, my dear sister, says Roger sourly, but since David and I are living here, it seems like we could be consulted before you bring strangers in off the street. Mrs. Johnson can hardly be considered a stranger, says Liz, she was Bill Malloy's housekeeper. She will be a constant reminder of Malloy's death, says Roger. You're being ridiculous, she says. I don't want to think of the way he died, says Roger--he was practically brought in on our very doorstep. I want to spend less time in the house and more on other things, says Liz--like David--since you never have any time to devote to your own son. What's Vicki for? asks Roger--that's her job. She's his tutor, not a constant companion, says Liz--I want her to spend more time with Carolyn. I see, all right, says Roger nastily--if you, Carolyn, David and Vicki are satisfied, then I suppose I have nothing to complain about! No you haven't! says Liz. If you're so concerned about my son's choice of companions, says Roger sarcastically, how is it he's gotten so chummy with Burke Devlin? Liz, sitting on the sofa, looks up at him.

Vicki is dusting her furniture when Carolyn comes in, asking if anyone's home--I have a problem. Ignore it and it will go away, advises Vicki. That's my problem, says Carolyn--it already isn't there--what should I do about Joe--just because I broke that date with him, he hasn't even called me. It's early still, says Vicki. I know, but I usually hear from him, says Carolyn. Why don't you break down and call him? suggests Vicki. Then he'll think I'm the one in the wrong, says Carolyn. Aren't you? asks Vicki. Of course, agrees Carolyn, but I don't want him to know that. Vicki chuckles and asks what are you going to do, then? Carolyn shrugs and says I guess I'll call him--I can always say it was your idea. (LOL!)

I have no idea why David was in town, says Roger--I only know he was having something to eat with Burke Devlin at the Inn--Mrs. Johnson was there, too. Both of them? asks Liz. Apparently not, says Roger. I'll certainly speak to David about it, says Liz. I wish you would, says Roger. Carolyn is on the foyer phone when Roger exits, telling Joe, "That's marvelous"--get here as soon as you can. She giggles and dances in a circle. Nice to see one happy face around here, says Roger. I am happy, says Carolyn. Good, says Roger--Kitten, are you positive you gave Burke's pen back to me? Of course, she says. What makes you so positive? asks Roger. Because it was the night Mr. Malloy died, she says, you don't think I'd forget a thing like that, do you?--and then later, you told me you went right from here to the office, so if you haven't found the pen around the house, you must have lost it along the way. She runs off, and Roger, unhappy, says yes, I could have.

Roger, garbed in his trench coat, is down on the beach,looking in the sand. He tosses a rock into the sea, then walks on.

Vicki reads over a letter on her bed. Carolyn bursts in. "You're marvelous!" exults Carolyn. What happened? asks Vicki. I did exactly what you told me to do, explains Carolyn, and Joe acted as if that argument was all his fault, not mine--he's coming right up here--have you got a scarf I could wear with this? I think so, says Vicki, searching her dresser. Oh, my hair, complains Carolyn, running fingers through perfectly-coiffed locks, what should I do with it? Brush it, says Vicki, handing her a brush. (Isn't that unsanitary?) Carolyn brushes her hair. Liz comes in asking Vicki if she's seen David. Mr. Collins said he was in town, Vicki tells her, he's probably back by now. Did he tell you he was with Burke Devlin? asks Liz. Yes, says Vicki, he did. This can't continue, says Liz, we've got to get some help here. How about Mrs. Johnson? asks Carolyn. I don't know, says Liz. Call her, says Carolyn, it would be such a nice thing to do for Mr. Malloy. A car pulls up. That sounds like Joe, says Carolyn--be a lamb, Vicki, and go let him in. Sure, says Vicki, leaving the room. You were with David the other day in Burke's hotel room, says Liz as Carolyn continues to brush her hair--what was his attitude toward David? I don't know, I think he just sort of tolerates him, says Carolyn. What is David's attitude toward Burke? asks Liz. He seems to like him very much, says Carolyn--David says he's his friend--is my hair all right? Liz takes the brush and works on Carolyn's hair, saying she wishes everything in the house was as all right as her hair.

Vicki answers the door and greets Joe. Carolyn will be down in a minute, she says. Doe Carolyn know I saw you last night? Joe asks her, taking off his jacket. Not as far as I know, says Vicki. I mean does she know you saw me? asks Joe--as far as my being at the Blue Whale? Not from me, she doesn't, says Vicki. Good, says Joe, she might not understand me dancing with Maggie. I haven't said anything to her and I promise you I won't, says Vicki. If I weren't in love with Carolyn, says Joe, I think I'd be in love with you, grateful for her understanding. Liz comes down and asks Joe to come into the drawing room--she wants to talk to him. Sure, he says. I'll tell Carolyn she needn't hurry, says Vicki, taking his jacket from the table and dropping it on a chair. Roger comes in. Vicki asks him if he was able to find David. No, I wasn't, he says. He asks her if anyone's in the drawing room, and she says that Joe and Mrs. Stoddard are in there. Joe? Says Roger, what's he doing here? He came to see Carolyn, says Vicki. Does Carolyn know about last night? asks Roger. Not if you haven't told her, says Vicki. That sounds like a slight reprimand to me, says Roger. Try and be nice to him, says Vicki, you know how much Carolyn thinks of him. She goes upstairs as Roger shrugs off his coat.

Liz tells Joe she wants to talk about his plans for the future. I don't have any special plans, he says, I would like to have my own fishing boat and be my own boss, but that's a long way off. Am I such a bad boss to work for? she asks, smiling. Not at all, he says, I've just always wanted to be an independent and own my own boat, strike out for success on my own. A sound answer, says Liz approvingly. Roger knocks and enters, saying he hopes he isn't interrupting anything of vital importance. Come in, Roger, says Liz, I was just about to try and persuade Joe to give up his idea of becoming an independent. Are you afraid the Collins fishing fleet can't stand the competition? teases Roger. No, but I'd rather have Joe working for us, says Liz. I thought if I had my own boat, I could still work for you on a contract basis, says Joe. Of course that's possible, says Liz, but I'd rather you stay on with us, I think you'd do better, and now with Mr. Malloy gone, we might be able to give you a better job. I thought those kinds of decisions were my responsibility, says Roger. Liz makes a face and says, I'm sure you'll agree with me, Roger. Yes, I suppose so, he says reluctantly. I don't think it's going to be necessary for either of you to decide anything, says Joe uncomfortably. Of course it's up to you, but I hope you'll give it more thought, says Liz--and to be in a position to ask Carolyn to marry you... Looking down, Joe says he's already asked her. Perhaps without the necessary inducements, says Liz--you do want to marry her? Of course, says Joe. Perhaps she doesn't want to marry you, suggests Roger. I think it would be better if I talked to Joe alone, says Liz, her tone tinged with annoyance. As you wish, my dear, says Roger, exiting the room and closing the doors behind him. (Liz really likes to "decapitate" Roger in the southern region, doesn't she?--ouch!) Carolyn comes downstairs, coat over her arm, beaming. You don't want to go in there, warns Roger, your Mr. Haskell and my sister are having a frightfully important conference. Really? asks Carolyn--what about? I believe your mother is offering Joe some great bribe to take you off her hands, says Roger. Uncle Roger, says Carolyn reproachfully, then looks at his angry face and adds, "You are joking?" She wouldn't say it in so many words, he says, but that's what it sounded like to me--oh, Kitten, you can't be serious about marrying an ordinary fisherman--that's the extent of his ambition. What's wrong with being a fisherman? asks Carolyn defensively. Nothing, says Roger, except as with all fishermen, he must feel there are more fish in the sea. What is that supposed to mean? asks Carolyn, irritated. Well, you might ask Joe if he enjoyed his date last night at the Blue Whale. What date? asks Carolyn quietly. I'm not one to talk out of school, says Roger, (get a switch and hit yourself, liar!) but Vicki and I happened to be there and we saw him with Maggie Evans.

Ask him, suggests Roger--or better yet, ask Vicki. I'll do just that, says Carolyn, and marches upstairs. His evil work done here, Roger heads into the kitchen. Don't be hasty, Liz advises Joe as they exit the drawing room, a promotion would get you what you want much sooner than if you wait to get your own boat. I know, says Joe, but if Carolyn wants to marry me, it's going to have to be on my own terms. Think it over, suggests Liz. I don't think there's any need to, says Joe. Carolyn, upset, comes downstairs, calling to Liz, angrily warning her mother--if you think I'm something that can simply be bought and sold, you are very much mistaken! That isn't what I meant, protests Liz. And you, with your precious independence, says Carolyn turning on Joe--well you can be independent, but without me!--and she runs upstairs, leaving Joe gazing at Liz, startled.

Vicki sits at her desk, writing with the silver filigree pen she found on the beach. Carolyn, dejected, comes in and tosses herself on the bed. I don't know whether I hate you or not, says Carolyn. Why me? asks Vicki, sitting on the bed next to her. Why didn't you tell me you saw Joe last night at the Blue Whale with Maggie Evans? asks Carolyn. Would that have made you happy? asks Vicki wisely. You're supposed to be my friend! Carolyn reminds her. I think I am, says Vicki. Then why didn't you tell me? demands Carolyn. Because there wasn't anything to it, says Vicki--Maggie was there with her father. If my Uncle Roger hadn't told me, says Carolyn, I never would have known. And you wouldn't have been so unhappy, says Vicki--is that what you came wailing up here about? Partly, says Carolyn--my mother just offered Joe a perfectly wonderful opportunity for advancement in our company, and he turned her down--he still wants to own his own boat. Isn't that what you want? asks Vicki. Yes, says Carolyn, because that's what he wanted--it would have meant we could get married. That's what you're afraid of, isn't it? asks Vicki. I don't know, admits Carolyn--I think I'll take a long walk and see if the sea air doesn't blow some sense into my head. You want some company? asks Vicki. No thanks, says Carolyn, I think I'll go to Lookout Point--who knows, maybe I'll fall in the water and drown like Mr. Malloy--then no more problems. You do that, quips Vicki--only don't get washed up on Widows' Hill. Carolyn smiles weakly. Vicki goes back to writing her letter with the fountain pen, which seems to have run out of ink.

Downstairs, Joe tells Liz to tell Carolyn he'll call her--if she'll still talk to him. She'll get over it, Liz assures him. There always seems to be something for her to get over, says Joe. I know, says Liz--I want you to seriously consider what I suggested before you turned it down. I'm late, he says, I'd better be getting back to work. They say their good-byes. Roger exits the kitchen and Liz asks him if he'd mind going upstairs to tell Carolyn she wants to speak to her. As you wish, my dear sister, says Roger. I think she's in her room, says Liz. Roger goes upstairs. Liz dials the phone--hello, Mrs. Johnson, Elizabeth Stoddard--I wonder if you'd come out to Collinwood at your earliest convenience?--it's about a job.

Vicki shakes the pen vigorously, trying to get more ink out of it. Roger comes in, apologizing for bothering her, and asks if she's seen Carolyn. She said something about going for a walk on Lookout Point, says Vicki. That's where Malloy drowned, says Roger, disturbed. It's not always so unlucky, points out Vicki, holding up the pen--I found this fountain pen there. Stunned, Roger takes it from her. You found this pen at Lookout Point? he asks, his voice cracking. Yes, says Vicki, it's pretty, isn't it?But it's not much good without any ink--excuse me--and she takes the pen from his hand and leaves the room.

NOTES: IF Roger is unhappy, EVERYONE'S unhappy! What a nasty pill he is. He just had to tattle on Joe, making not just him and Carolyn miserable, but Vicki and Liz, too. He's a cruel SOB, isn't he?

So now the mysterious pen as been found. Roger seems taken aback. He must have lost it on Lookout Point, so it seems that they're trying to make us believe he did away with Malloy despite his lies and deception. What is the truth here? And if Roger didn't kill Bill, why is he acting so oddly, searching wildly for that pen? Why didn't he lay claim to the pen?--was it because it would focus suspicion on him? Now that Vicki has found the pen, what will ensue?

Sounds like Liz has decided to hire Mrs. Johnson. What changes will her presence wreak on the household, especially since WE know she's coming in as Burke's spy?

Poor Joe. He's offered a great job but wants to be his own man, so he turns it down. Carolyn fears he'll accept it, thus opening the door for her being forced to make a decision about marrying him. Roger was right about one thing--perhaps his niece doesn't want to marry Joe. Maggie certainly seems to want him, so he already has somewhere else to go, but how long will it take him to give up on the flighty blonde? And will Carolyn regret giving up such a sweet, ambitious guy? And would Liz offer him that promotion if he weren't semi-engaged to her only child?

Love, Robin

Episode #75 - I am no longer a stranger at Collinwood--whether I want it or not, the people who live in this great mansion on Widows' Hill, have become part of my life, and now I can only hope for the day when the tension around me will no longer exist.

Matthew joins Roger on Widows' Hill and asks him if he's bringing back the boats this early. Simply enjoying the view, says Roger--it's a lovely spot. Widows' Hill--ain't nothin' nice about it, says Matthew. You have no soul, says Roger--can't you see the play of sunlight on the water?--those low clouds dipping over the horizon? Look like rain clouds to me, says Matthew. (Such a downer!) You're incorrigible, accuses Roger, an eternal pessimist--how long have you been caretaker here--15 years? 18, says Matthew. And you mean to tell me in all this time you've never once stood on this crest and admired the beauties of nature? Asks Roger. Ocean and sky, says Matthew, they're always there. But today is a very special day, says Roger (expelling a bit of extra spit)--today the earth is spinning with joy and good will--and I have never felt better in my life! Matthew gives him a sour, doubting look.

Collinwood - Vicki, wearing a coat, starts to exit the house, but goes into the drawing room. Hey, governess, where are you going? asks Carolyn. Out for a walk, says Vicki. How about stepping into my private office for a little talk first? asks Carolyn, in good spirits Please, no more arguments, begs Vicki. Arguments?--I couldn't argue with a fly on a day like this, says Carolyn. You managed quite well a few hours ago, says Vicki. Oh, well, says Carolyn airily--that was in my last incarnation, the meek but happy lamb--come on in. Vicki warily sits on the sofa and Carolyn stands in front of the fireplace, explaining, it's the strange thing about this room--sometimes I just hate it, other times I just plain love it--the core of Collinwood, the holy of holies, and the place for important announcements. I know, you're getting married! exclaims Vicki. You're not even warm, says Carolyn--she sits beside her--remember who we were arguing about earlier today? How could I forget? asks Vicki. Well, says Carolyn, Mr. Burke Devlin has had his answer from on high, and all the pressures are faded and gone forever! What are you talking about? asks Vicki. I'm talking about the coroner, replies Carolyn, that fine public servant who has just made a fine public pronouncement--you know what's been going on around here, all the talk and questions--did Mr. Malloy drown or was he murdered?--and if he was murdered, who did it--it's all over--accidental death due to drowning, period, finished! That is good news, agrees Vicki--when did you hear? Just a little while ago, says Carolyn. I'm glad for all of you, says Vicki. All of us are glad for us too, says Carolyn, it's like a huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders--I bet my Uncle Roger is really relieved about it. You haven't seen him yet? asks Vicki. No, says Carolyn, but when I do, I'm going to give him the biggest hug he ever had in his life! Vicki grins. Can you imagine anyone thinking for even five minutes that anyone could have killed Mr. Malloy? asks Carolyn. Vicki rises and says she hopes that person will stop thinking that now. Me, too, agrees Carolyn. The coroner's verdict is final, isn't it? asks Vicki. Of course, says Carolyn. Do you believe it will really satisfy Burke Devlin? asks Vicki.

I couldn't care less whether Devlin is satisfied or not, Roger tells Matthew, the coroner's verdict is legal and binding, there's not a thing he can do about it. He could make trouble just the same, couldn't he? asks Matthew. You could always handle that for us, says Roger--if Devlin turns out to be too much of a nuisance, all you need do is twist his neck a bit. Don't talk that way, Mr. Collins! says Matthew harshly. All right, says Roger, don't twist his neck, simply invite him out here to admire the view and give him a push--problem solved, either way. I hope you're jokin' with me, I don't like talk about killin' people, says Matthew. Even an enemy of the family? asks Roger. Anybody, I don't care who it is--poor Mr. Malloy is enough, says the caretaker. (Does that comment have two implications?) Yes, I suppose it is, agrees Roger--actually, I was pulling your leg--I'm sure the coroner's finding has removed Devlin's sting quite successfully. Matthew asks him if the coroner's decision means there will be no more talk of murder. That's precisely what it means, says Roger. But suppose the sheriff thinks the coroner made a mistake, asks Matthew, won't be still be coming up to Collinwood, botherin' people? Why Matthew, you're not thinking of pushing HIM off a cliff, are you? Mr. Collins, says Matthew, you talk too lightly about pushin' people off cliffs--I wouldn't speak about it if I were you!IS that intended as a warning? asks Roger. There are some people who don't understand your kind of joke, says Matthew, you wouldn't want them to start thinkin' wrong things about you. Such as? asks Roger--be more specific. Like maybe you lied to the sheriff, like that, says Matthew. I didn't lie to the sheriff, Roger assures him, when the coroner studied the reports, he undoubtedly looked for evidence of foul play, but obviously found none, and the case is closed! Then the sheriff won't be back, says Matthew. Only to sell tickets to the annual bazaar, says Roger.

Collinwood - Carolyn, scarf in hand, troops downstairs, a bounce in her step. She hands Vicki the scarf "to keep the wind from ruffling your dark and gorgeous hair". Vicki takes the scarf and thanks her. Don't mention it, I have a closet full--where are you off to? asks Carolyn. I don't know, says Vicki, I haven't taken a walk since I've been here--I thought I might take a walk along the beach. Carolyn makes a face and says she wishes she'd stick around--there are so few happy days around this dungeon, it's a shame to miss even five minutes of one of them. Maybe this is just the first in a long string of happy days, suggests Vicki. You're right, says Carolyn, from now on, it's champagne every night and caviar for breakfast--songs and dances by Stoddard and Winters. Vicki clears her throat, and Carolyn amends it to Winters and Stoddard. While Matthew Morgan accompanies us on the harp, says Vicki, and both girls burst into laughter. The only trouble is, says Carolyn, it won't last--Burke Devlin is not going to be satisfied with the coroner's verdict. Even so, what can he do about it? asks Vicki. I don't know, says Carolyn, but you know where I was when I heard the news--Burke Devlin's hotel room (Vicki gives her a WHAT? look)--it wasn't what you think, David was with me--but when he heard what the coroner had decided, he practically threw us both out of the room--he got so angry, I thought he was going to tear the furniture apart. Have you told your mother this? asks Vicki. No, I haven't, says Carolyn, I guess I didn't want to think about it. Why don't you walk on the beach with me? asks Vicki, clear out the cobwebs? No, thanks, I really do want to wait for Uncle Roger, says Carolyn. Keep your mind on the caviar and champagne, says Vicki, slipping into her coat. As long as you're going for a walk, says Carolyn, go to Lookout Point--a beach, nice view, lots of pretty seashells. I think I'll do that, says Vicki. And if you do run into Uncle Roger, please tell him I'm dying to see him, says Carolyn. Matthew comes in and tells Carolyn that her uncle is on Widows' Hill--do you want me to get him? Don't bother, says Vicki, I'll go give him the message. Matthew smiles. Carolyn thanks her. Vicki leaves. Matthew asks Carolyn where her mother is. Somewhere around the house, says Carolyn, I'm not sure--why? I just wanted to tell her how pleased I am about the news, says Matthew--the coroner's decision, I mean.

Vicki leaves the house,a scarf tied around her head.

Roger tosses a rock into the water. Vicki joins him and teasingly asks, "Not planning to jump, are you?" Startled, he tells her she shouldn't creep up on him like that. It's exactly what you did to me my very first day here, she reminds him, taking off her scarf. So I did, he says--please accept my belated apologies. Apology accepted, she says. Oh, Vicki, he says, I can scarcely believe it--all the trials and tribulations and pressure we've been living with are finally at an end, and one by one, we will toss them into the sea. He sits down, shaking rocks in his fist. Who's the big one? asks Vicki. I don't know, perhaps it should have a name, he says--how does Burke Devlin sound? Are you sure it's big enough? asks Vicki. On the contrary, says Roger, it's much too big for him. He stands and tosses it--here you go, Mr. Devlin, into the sea, under the waves--and never to be heard from again. We see the waves crashing against the rocks down below, over and over again.

Do you believe in fate? Roger asks Vicki. You mean on the day I was born, I was destined to be standing here at this very moment? she asks. He nods--weren't you? I've never really thought about it, she says. Neither have I, he tells her, but now, I'm so certain of my survival, that... It's getting late, says Vicki--I'd better get down to lookout point--how do you get there? Why are you interested in Lookout Point? he asks. When I told Carolyn I was taking a walk, says Vicki, she told me it would be a good place to head toward. Did she tell you that Bill Malloy may have died there? asks Roger. I didn't know it was decided where he died, says Vicki.Specifically, no, but probably somewhere in the area of Lookout Point, he says--He checks his watch and says that if she's going to go, the tide comes in in about three quarters of an hour--just follow that path and you'll find it--I'm going back to the house. Carolyn said she wanted to see you, says Vicki. All right, says Roger, saluting her--but the smile fades from his face as he watches her go.

On the phone in the drawing room with Joe, Carolyn waxes rhapsodic--it's all over, no more pressures...why does everyone talk about Burke Devlin, he's not going to do anything? The front door slams and Carolyn tells Joe her Uncle Roger just came in--I'll talk to you later. Hello, Kitten! greets Roger, and she gives him a big, hard hug--Vicki said you wanted to see me. I sure did, to give you this, she says, pressing a kiss on his cheek. What are we celebrating? he asks. Peace and contentment, she tells him--the end of gloom, isn't that enough? Amen to that, he agrees. Were you ever really worried? she asks. Not for a moment, he says. Not even when the sheriff came around asking all those questions? she asks. I had nothing to be worried about, he says, Bill died at 10:45 at night, and the last time I saw him was 10:15. I was sure worried, she says. Why--did you think I was involved? he asks. Heavens, no, she says, but there is something you're involved in. Oh, what? he asks. The theft of an extremely valuable piece of property belonging to another man, she says teasingly. And to whom does this valuable piece of property belong? He asks. Burke Devlin, she says. Roger looks unhappy at the mention of that name.

On the beach, Vicki picks up things that interest her. She strolls through the wet sand, enjoying her walk.

You think I stole a fountain pen? Roger asks Carolyn. I was only kidding about the stealing part of it, says Carolyn, but you did say you'd return it. I honestly don't know what you're talking about, he says, sipping a drink. Burke gave me the pen the day we had lunch together in Bangor--don't you remember? Vaguely, yes, says Roger. You certainly weren't very vague about it when I came home that night and told you I'd accepted a gift from Burke. Of course, the pen! Says Roger--it was kind of silver, wasn't it? Filigreed silver, and quite expensive, too, says Carolyn. Yes, I recall, very intricate work, says Roger, and I was quite right in insisting that you give it back to Burke. Then why didn't you? she asks--it was the night you were going to the meeting at the office--the night Bill Malloy died--we were in here, about nine, I guess, I showed you the pen and you took it from me and put it in your pocket--you said you were going to give it back to Burke. And you were furious with me, he says--I remember that very well. I saw Burke today--he looks at her--I did see him, I had to talk to him about something. I wish you would stay away from that man, says Roger. I mentioned the pen to him and he said you hadn't given it back to him, says Carolyn. So much happened that night, I suppose it's entirely possible, says Roger. He said when you came to the office, says Carolyn, you were going to give it back to him, but when you reached into your pocket, you said you didn't have it with you. I believe he's telling you the truth, says Roger, I remember something like that. Oh, I hope you haven't lost it, she says, it was so valuable. I'll be happy to buy you another, he says. It was from South America, she says. I'll fly to Rio first thing in the morning and pick one up for you, how's that? he asks. I wish you wouldn't joke about it, she says, it really is my responsibility. For goodness sake, Kitten, it must be here in the house somewhere, he says, it's bound to turn up sooner or later. Hands on hips, Carolyn insists she wants it to turn up NOW! Shall I call the sheriff and tell him to mount a full investigation? asks Roger mockingly. Please! she says, exasperated. Yes, Kitten? he asks mockingly. She giggles, and he chuckles. Look, you put your pen in the pocket the same night you went to the meeting in your office, she reminds him, but when you got there, you didn't have it with you--right? Right, he says. Now, since you went directly from the house to the meeting, you couldn't have lost it along the way, right? she asks.He thinks that over--Yes, he says. So you must have left it somewhere here in the house, she says. Yes, I suppose so, he says, but he sounds concerned nevertheless.

Vicki is still picking up items from the beach, and she finds something really interesting--a filigreed silver pen exactly like the one Burke gave Carolyn! She takes it into her hand, then looks around at the water and the rocks.
Roger searches the couch cushions for the pen. Carolyn is looking, too, in the foyer, and when Matthew exits the kitchen, asks if he's seen a pen around the house. She describes it. No, he says. If you do see it, let me know, she asks, and he says of course. Carolyn joins Roger, who is now searching a chair cushion. Any luck? She asks. No, he says. She tells him she just asked Matthew, he'll look for it, too. Why the devil did you ask him? demands Roger, annoyed. I thought he might have seen it, she says. This is between you and me, says Roger, and I want to keep it that way. What difference does it make? she asks, all I want to do is find the pen! Not half as much as I do, says Roger, searching the sofa again. Carolyn asks him why he's so upset that she mentioned it to Matthew. You keep looking around here, he says, irritated, I've got to go right up. But I'd like you to help me, she says. Just do as I say! commands Roger. Matthew comes in through the front door and wants to talk to Roger, but the latter insists he doesn't have time. It's Mr. Devlin, says Matthew, his car just came up the drive. Roger stands there, frozen. There's a loud knock at the door. You want me to get Mz. Stoddard? asks Matthew. Yes, says Roger, frightened, I think you'd better. Carolyn puts her hand on her uncle's. It's come, says Roger--the end of our happy day.

NOTES: Vicki found the missing pen on the beach--near where Roger says Bill probably died. What does it mean? Was Roger lying after all? Did he kill Malloy and drop the pen on the beach?

It is fun to see the Collins family a bit happy for once, but now that Burke has knocked at the door, will there ever be happiness for them again?

I'm glad Carolyn made it up with Vicki, too. I imagine Vicki thinks she's living in a house of nuts!


Episode #76 - The Collins family has owned Collinwood for more than 130 years, and the family still wants to keep it in spite of the terror they've known there.

Burke knocks at the door, and both Carolyn and Roger are afraid. Reluctantly, slowly, Roger answers the door. Burke just walks in. I would like to see Mrs. Stoddard, he says. Is she expecting you? demands Roger. Probably not, says Burke, on the other hand, knowing her, she probably did expect me back. I have no idea where she is, insists Roger. She hasn't been off this place for 18 years, so I know she's here somewhere, says Burke--I want to see her, is that clear? Roger asks Carolyn to go find her mother. You already sent Matthew for her, Carolyn reminds him. So I did, says Roger. In that case, I'll wait! Says Burke. What did you come here for? asks Roger.I came here for something I waited 10 years for--I've come for Collinwood!

Roger and Carolyn stare at Burke, shocked. I must have misunderstood you, says Roger--did you actually say you've come for Collinwood?--do you think we would hand it to you? I don't think you would hand me anything, says Burke--besides, the house doesn't belong to you, it belongs to your sister. Be that as it may, says Roger, do you think she would let you have this house. She may not have much choice in the matter, says Burke. Carolyn exchanges looks with Roger, then says to Burke, "You're not serious!" Oh yes, I'm serious, says Burke. You simply can't be thinking of a thing like that, objects Carolyn. I've thought of nothing else for 10 years, he says, his face stony. You said you meant us no harm, she reminds him. That, my dear Carolyn, is what the politician's call campaign oratory, says Burke--it's what you want to hear--but you're not necessarily expected to believe it. And crosses her arms over her chest and says, and I suppose everything else you said was campaign oratory, too? Well, I almost got elected, didn't I? he asks, taking off his coat--not if you'll run along, I have some things to say to Roger that are not for your tender ears. Never mind my tender ears, she says--I want to know if everything you said to me was a lie? I didn't want to lie to you, he says, I tried not to--but you made the temptation irresistible. This is ridiculous, says Roger, Carolyn, go get your mother! She goes upstairs. I can't trust that idiot Matthew to do anything right! rails Roger. That's right, says Burke, closing the drawing room doors behind him, you can't trust Matthew to do anything, can you? I don't know what you mean, says Roger. I mean he nearly killed me the other night in the Blue Whale, says Burke. I had nothing to do with that, says Roger. Or with Bill Malloy's death? asks Burke. Of course not! says Roger. Right in his face, Burke tells him he thinks he's wrong--I think you did have something to do with it, and someday I'll prove it--somehow, some way. It's already been declared accidental death, why can't you let it go at that? demands Roger. Because I don't agree, says Burke. You're acting just as you did when the jury gave the verdict about your manslaughter conviction, says Roger. Yes I am, says Burke, because I still feel the same way.

Carolyn exits the house to find her mother coming to the door. Matthew said I was wanted in the drawing room, says Liz, a shawl over her shoulders. Yes, says Carolyn, I was looking for you--it's Burke--he's in there with Uncle Roger, and terribly angry. What does he want here? asks Liz. He says he wants Collinwood, says Carolyn. He wants Collinwood? asks Liz. Shall I go in with you? asks Carolyn. You stay out of this, orders Liz--I'll take care of Burke Devlin.

Because you don't happen to agree with the jury, accuses Roger, you think you can come here and steal Collinwood! Not steal, says Burke, I've never stolen anything--not even five years out of a man's life. Are you insinuating that I stole five years from your life? asks Roger. I didn't give them away, says Burke--I didn't sell or lend them, therefore, they must have been stolen--by you--you should have served that time, not me. You have not one iota of proof for what you say! says Roger. I will have, says Burke, see, I don't put much faith in the old adage that murder will out--because I don't think it will out by itself, it has to be pried out with some sort of lever. And you think you have found that lever, says Roger. I think Bill Malloy found it, says Burke--and what he can find, I can. It is all dead, buried and forgotten, says Roger. Not forgotten, not for one minute, says Burke, not have I forgotten the reason I came to Collinsport! Liz enters at this moment, asking just why he came back to Collinsport. To raise myself to the status of a Collins, replies Burke. Of all the ridiculous nonsense, fumes Roger. Quiet, Roger, says Liz, and to Burke--do you think all of your money can make you into a Collins? You misunderstand me, he says, I didn't say I wanted to BE a Collins--look at you--a man afraid of his own shadow, and a woman who hasn't been off the grounds in 18 years! That's enough! says Liz, closing the double doors behind them--she bites her lip--my personal life does not concern you. You're quite right, agrees Burke, and for that outburst, I apologize, but I don't apologize for wanting this house, these grounds--for wanting Collinwood. She stares at him, eyes wide.

Why do you want this huge, gloomy house? she asks. Don't you see? asks Roger, he wants to move in here and pretend like he was born to it! Making a silk purse out of a sow's ear, no, says Burke--that's not what I wanted--I think it's better to earn what you have than to be born to it. I'm not interested in your philosophy, says Liz, but I do know why you came back here against my express wishes! I wanted to talk business with you, says Burke, and since the mountain won't come to Mohammed, here I am. State your business, she commands. I already have, I want to buy Collinwood. Why do you want it? she asks. Maybe I want to found a dynasty! He says, walking around the room. That takes more than a house, she reminds him. Granted, he says, well, then, perhaps I want it to hang my portrait here, the one Sam Evans is painting--I think it would look particularly well hanging over this mantel. I think your portrait would look splendid wherever you choose to hang it, says Roger, why must you pick Collinwood for your art gallery? It doesn't matter one way or the other! says Liz--Collinwood is not for sale! Even if I were willing to pay more than it's worth? Asks Burke. Did you say more than it's worth? Asks Roger, going to Liz with hope in his eyes.

Outside in the foyer, Carolyn worries, pacing, playing with the neck of her dress. She goes upstairs. Vicki returns and Carolyn tell her not to go in there--Burke is here! Wait until your mother finds out, says Vicki. She's already found out, says Carolyn--she's in there with him now--and Uncle Roger. Was he invited? Asks Vicki. No, says Carolyn--they were right about him from the very beginning--he's determined to do exactly what they said he would do--destroy us. Don't be so melodramatic, says Vicki, what can he do, bomb the house? I wouldn't put it past him, says Carolyn--he wants to BUY Collinwood! That doesn't surprise me, says Vicki. What are we gonna do? asks Carolyn. I don't know about you, but I'm going upstairs, says Vicki. Oh, Vicki! says Carolyn, stamping her foot. Carolyn follows her up.

You'll never find anyone else who would want to buy this place! Roger argues with Liz. Burke smokes a cigarette. Collinwood is not for sale, says Liz. You yourself have said it's dreary, drafty and desolate, Roger reminds her--why not get rid of it? Sell Collinwood?--you must be joking, insists Liz. I am not joking, says Roger, the money we would get, we could get a place much more practical, a place we would really enjoy. Out of the question, says Liz, I can't imagine this place belonging to anyone but a Collins--this isn't the kind of place you buy and sell--our great-grandfather didn't buy it, he built it himself, for his family--and that's the reason why I kept it--in hopes David would someday feel the same way I do. I'm very sure that David would feel the way I feel about it, says Roger--I would be willing for the place to burn down tomorrow! Burke looks pleased. Then why not sell it to me? asks Burke. Whether Roger likes it or not is beside the point, says Liz, I'm sure you understand MY feelings about Collinwood, and how you must have known I would never consider selling it--I don't even know why you asked! Because I admire you, and always have, and I wanted to give you an opportunity to withdraw gracefully, and if you wouldn't do that, give you a fair warning--because I intend to own Collinwood--and the Collins Canneries--and the fishing fleet, and all the subsidiary enterprises. You realize, of course, that none of these things could happen, says Liz proudly. On the contrary, says Burke, I realize there is no way in the world you can stop me. Very well, says Liz, I think we understand each other. You don't understand this man at all, says Roger, sounding frantic--how could you? Do you understand me, Roger? asks Burke.Maybe not, says Roger, but I think we should talk this over, he tells Liz. Burke smiles.

In Vicki's room, Carolyn impatiently says she wishes they'd finish whatever they're doing. Maybe they're haggling about the price, jokes Vicki, zipping up her dress--are you sure Burke wants to buy Collinwood? Yes! says Carolyn, he said so--she finishes zipping Vicki up--I'm afraid it's only the beginning of what he wants--I wish I didn't care so much. It would be mighty strange if you didn't, says Vicki. I can't imagine living anywhere but Collinwood! says Carolyn. Your mother hasn't folded yet, Vicki reminds her. I know, says Carolyn, but not long ago, she was trying to talk me into leaving--even wanted to send me to Europe. Maybe she wanted to give you a vacation from the place, suggests Vicki, it certainly doesn't mean she wants to sell it. She brushes her hair. No, says Carolyn, I suppose you're right--she never goes anywhere anyway. Then how could she sell it? asks Vicki. Carolyn smiles and says, "Unless she stays here with Burke." I wonder why he wants this place? Asks Vicki--when he could have any place in the world! I suppose it's symbolic of something to him, says Carolyn. If he did get it, muses Vicki... Don't even suggest that, says Carolyn. I just wondered what he'd do with it, says Vicki. It isn't exactly cozy, it is? asks Carolyn. Maybe he just wants to belong somewhere, to have roots, says Vicki. I don't know, but let's go back downstairs, says Carolyn, telling Vicki, who is still brushing her hair, to hurry up. Vicki grins.

Drawing room - Burke circles the brother and sister like a buzzard waiting for the spoils. That has nothing to do with it, Liz, says Roger angrily--I'm not worried about what he THINKS Evans knows or what Evans thinks he knows--I'm thinking about this place, this white elephant, and how wonderful it would be to get rid of it! It's out of the question, insists Liz, just as Burke has his reasons for wanting to live here, I have my personal reasons for wanting to stay, and I assure you, they're just as valid as his. Not only would we be rid of this place, says Roger, we'd be rid of the headaches that that go with staying on this place. Meaning me, says Burke. Yes, meaning Burke Devlin! says Roger. I'm not afraid of Burke Devlin or his plans, says Liz--I'll find a way to take care of things. How? sneers Roger. You think I expect to tell you in front of Burke? asks Liz. I mean business, says Burke, I'd advise you to take this opportunity. When I feel I have to take your advise, I'll be more than willing to give up, says Liz. But I've seen the assessment reports, I assure you I can afford a lot more than that, he says. My evaluation of Collinwood is not based on assessment, says Liz--there are certain things you can't put a value on--Collinwood is one of them. Burke, says Roger, let me talk to Liz for a moment, step out here. He ushers Burke into the foyer. Oh, I'll wait, Burke assures him. Roger returns to Liz and tells her to listen to him. Burke wanders the foyer. Vicki and Carolyn comes downstairs. Carolyn crosses her arms over her chest and asks Burke what changed him so. (He was putting on an act!) I haven't changed, he says, I'm, still the same obnoxious character I've always been. Carolyn tells me you want to buy Collinwood, says Vicki. That's right, says Burke. Buy why? asks Carolyn--what do you want with a house this size? I want plenty of room for my children to grow up in, says Burke. I thought you told me you meant no harm to my family, Carolyn reminds him. I'm not stealing the place, I offered to buy it, cash money, says Burke. What would you do with it if you did get it? asks Vicki. First? asks Burke--get rid of the ghosts. And then what? asks Vicki. Who knows? asks Burke. I think you're doing it all just to be spiteful, says Carolyn. To whom? asks Burke. I don't know, says Carolyn--maybe to Laura. This gets to Burke, but he carefully asks why he should feel spiteful toward Roger's wife. Because she married him instead of you, says Carolyn. You've been hearing a lot of stories, haven't you? asks Burke. I wasn't snooping, says Carolyn, if that's what you mean--everybody knows that story. Then maybe you'd better meet me sometime and tell me all about it, suggests Burke. Do you really want Collinwood, or are you just trying to hurt someone you think has hurt you? asks Vicki. Hurt me? asks Burke--what about Bill Malloy?--he tried to help me and he's dead! What's he got to do with Collinwood? asks Vicki. Because his body was found up here? queries Carolyn. That has nothing to do with it, says Burke. You still think Uncle Roger had something to do with it, accuses Carolyn. I made up my mind to have Collinwood before Bill Malloy entered the case, says Burke. I don't understand you, says Vicki, and I wonder if you do, either. Not always, admits Burke--if I did, I wouldn't offer to buy Collinwood--I'd find some other way to get it--or better yet, I'd just let the family live on this place, until it destroys every one of them (so he sees this as a twisted act of mercy?) This is our home! cries Carolyn desperately. It's more than that, says Burke, it's a house of evil--can't you feel it, oozing out of all the walls? That's not true, says Carolyn, I've read all of the history... Sure you have, interrupts Burke, you've read your own family's book--why don't you ask some of the people in town, who work at the cannery, the men who work the boats?--they'll tell you about the illustrious Collins family. Is that true? asks Vicki, or is this just another expression of hurt feelings? (Good zing, Vicki!) I only know what I've been told, says Burke. And you only believe what you want to believe, adds Carolyn. That's better than believing nothing at all, says Burke. All three of them look solemn.

Drawing room - For heavens sake, Roger tells Liz, it would be worth it to sell it at a loss if it meant getting Burke off our necks! I don't think it's my neck you're concerned with, points out Liz shrewdly. All right, then off my neck, he confesses. What's behind it? asks Liz--why are you so afraid of Burke? There's nothing behind it, he lies, and I'm not afraid of him--he's just an unendurable annoyance! I'm afraid you'll have to put up with it a little longer, insists Liz--I have no intention of selling Collinwood to him or anyone else! Why? demands Roger--why must you hang on to this relic of the past? Perhaps for that very reason--because it is a relic of the past, says Liz. Don't tell me it's because of Paul, says Roger, because I know better than that. She whirls around to look at him. You know nothing at all! she proclaims. I know that this blissful marriage you were supposed to have had was not so blissful at all, says Roger cruelly. You know nothing of the sort, says Liz--you were away at school. Roger gives her a sickly grin--we had holidays from school, he says, I was home then, and saw enough to know I'm right--that's why I could never believe this story about you sitting and waiting and grieving for your long lost husband to show up. I refuse to discuss it anymore, says Liz, and I also refuse to discuss even the remote possibility of selling Collinwood. She opens the doors and tells Burke, Carolyn and Vicki to come in--you might as well all hear what I have to say, Liz says. Why bore Vicki with our private affairs? asks Roger. Vicki's practically a member of the family, insists Liz--she's been through enough of this unpleasantness; there's no reason she shouldn't hear the rest of it. Can't we at least think about it for a little longer? asks Roger. No, says Liz--I'm sure Burke is anxious for an answer. Roger stands beside Vicki and Carolyn by the fireplace. Burke, no matter what you may think, says Liz, I have not up to now used the influence of the Collins or Collins money to hamper you in any way--but now you leave me no choice. All I did was offer to buy a piece of real estate, says Burke. No, you've done more than that, she says, you've stirred up a good deal of suspicion and unrest in Collinsport--you've made several accusations which you may be called upon to prove or face a slander suit. I don't think Roger would like that, says Burke. You're not dealing with Roger now, blares Liz, you're dealing with me, and the best lawyers I can find.So it's out in the open now, says Burke. You want a fight, you'll get one, says Liz, but I promise you one thing--when it's over, you'll know you've been in a fight. Burke grins. Mrs. Stoddard, I'm sure I will, he says, and takes his leave. Carolyn rushes after him, as does Roger, but Liz stops him, telling him to let her make up her own mind. Out in the foyer, her family watching, Carolyn calls, "Burke." Did I forget something? asks Burke, putting on his coat. You forgot to say goodbye, she says. So I did, he agrees--goodbye, Carolyn. Isn't there anything I can say or do, something that will make you stop all this? she begs. No! he says, I'm sorry that you have to be involved--but you happen to be a Collins. MY name is Stoddard, she reminds him, Carolyn Stoddard. Carolyn Collins Stoddard, he corrects.Stung, she runs into the drawing room. Vicki comes out and faces him. I guess that was pretty definite, Burke tells Vicki. Yes, she agrees, it was. Where do you stand in all this? he asks. Right where I've always stood, she assures him--on my own two feet. I see, he says--I hope those pretty feet don't get smeared with mud. Back in the drawing room, Roger listens, standing alone. Liz has a comforting arm around Carolyn. Burke leaves. Roger glares at Vicki, who walks away from him.

NOTES: The velvet gloves have come off; now Liz knows what Burke wants and Burke knows that Liz is prepared to fight. Carolyn is aligned with her family and Vicki stands alone. How all this will turn out is anyone's guess, but Roger wants to sell the house to get Burke off their backs, and doesn't share Liz' interest in keeping it in the family. Rog is still acting suspiciously, and we must wonder what the heck he's hiding, besides the fact that he did let Burke fry for the manslaughter charge he was responsible for.

Very tight, well-written episode. I loved the girls' discussion of what was going on downstairs--Carolyn's concern, given how many times she's claimed to hate Collinwood, seems rather odd. I guess, faced with the real threat of Burke Devlin, she realizes how much she does love the house and family heritage. She is, after all, Carolyn COLLINS Stoddard.

Vicki is still the plucky young woman, telling Burke exactly what she thinks of him and his actions. You get the feeling that if she does end up with mud on her shoes, she'll reach down, wipe off a clump and throat it in Burke's face. I think Burke admires the Collins ladies--Liz and Carolyn, and the probably-Collins lady, Vicki. It's Roger he has no use for, and he wants to hurt him as much as possible--through Liz.

This is good stuff! No mention of that pen, though!

Love, Robin