Episode #71 - The morning mist has formed a lace curtain around Collinwood, almost like the haze that surround the ghosts which live within its walls, ghosts which haunt a family which lives with fear.

Roger comes downstairs at Collinwood as the clock strikes, and he compares his watch to its time. He goes into the drawing room and dials the phone, asking for the sheriff. Good morning, he greets Patterson, you're quite an early bird. I have to be, says Patterson, to keep up with what's happening in this town--what can I do for you? I thought I might catch you before I went to the office, says Roger, I was wondering when you might complete your investigation. It's a funny thing, says George, I've just been sitting here looking at the papers on my desk, wondering the same thing--I don't think Bill Malloy had half as many words written about him when he was alive. Then you are getting a written report ready for the coroner, says Roger. Yes, I'm getting it ready to dress up in a nice, red ribbon and drop it in his lap, says Patterson. When do you think it will be decided? asks Roger. I won't be through with this until 11, says Patterson, writing, then I've still got to get it over to him. It shouldn't take him long to decide Bill's death was accidental, says Roger--that he simply fell in the water and drowned. If that's the answer, probably not, agrees George, there are other possibilities, you know--suicide, maybe. You think that will be the decision? asks Roger. No, says Patterson, in my mind, it will be either accident or homicide, by person or persons yet unknown--if it's accident, the case will be dropped, if it's the other, you and I will be talking about it again. When do you expect to know? asks Roger. Stop worrying, says the sheriff, you'll get the answer soon enough. I'm not worried, says Roger, Malloy was our plant manager, this is of interest to me.I'm sure it is, says Patterson--well, if I ever get back to this report, we should find out which way we're going to go sometime today--is that soon enough for you? Roger nods.

Roger stands gazing out the drawing room window. He checks his watch again, then goes back to the phone. (Love those dialing sounds.) He asks to speak to Patterson again--tell him I have some additional...never mind, forget it. Roger enters the foyer and spies Vicki on the landing. He greets her good morning and says she's saved him several unnecessary steps. Good for me, says Vicki. I was on my way upstairs to find you, he says. Complaints so early in the morning? asks Vicki, heading downstairs. A dozen, he teases, how could we start our day without our battles? Vicki meets him at the bottom and says more pleasantly than usual--Mr. Collins. You see, you've already forgotten to call me Roger, he says. I'm sorry, Roger, she says, what did you want to see me about? I was just wondering how well you're getting along with David, he says, we had a talk about you yesterday, you know. I think he's trusting me a little more, says Vicki, as Roger leads her into the drawing room and seats her in a chair--he'd even be willing to introduce me to his friends. Friends? asks Roger--I didn't know he had any friends. Ghosts, says Vicki--he took me to the Old House last night to have me meet them--that's a scary place. Yes, and a good place to stay away from, says Roger--did you meet any ghosts? No, but I dreamt about them all night long, she says--I must have awakened 20 times thinking there was something in my room. What you need is a change, an excursion away from all our gloom, he says. David's lessons start at nine, she tells him. You've never seen our cannery, have you? he asks. I haven't had time, she says. Today I'm going to conduct you myself on a personal tour, he says. What about David? she asks. Let's be extravagant and give him the day off, says Roger. That sounds marvelous, but I don't think Mrs. Stoddard would approve, says Vicki. I'll phone her from the office and tell her I have spirited you away, he says, and don't worry, any blame will fall on my well-accustomed shoulders. In that case, I'll do it, she agrees. Good girl--and to celebrate your holiday, I'll buy you breakfast at the hotel cafe, he promises--orange juice, pancakes, bacon and eggs, milk, coffee, toast, anything else you want. All I want is just two minutes, she says. After breakfast, says Roger, there might be one stop I must make, but you don't mind do you? You're the excursion director, she says--two minutes--and she goes upstairs, smiling. Roger looks very pleased with himself--and calculating.

Burke visits Patterson at his office. Doesn't anybody sleep late in this town?--what do you want, Burke, asks the sheriff. I thought I might buy you breakfast, says Burke. I've had my breakfast, says Patterson. Oh you shouldn't eat and work at the same time--bad for your digestion, says Burke. So are interruptions when I'm trying to get something done, says Patterson. That the report for the coroner? Asks Burke. Patterson turns over the paper he's working on and asks Burke what he wants. Cup of coffee if you've got another one brewing, says Burke. Go to the hotel restaurant, says Patterson, I'm the worst cook in the world--my coffee would make you sick. Then we'll just skip it, says Burke, sitting in a chair in front of his desk--we'll talk about those papers--you have finished your investigation, haven't you? Yup, says Patterson. How do things add up to you? asks Burke. I knew I'd be sorry if I let you sit down, says Patterson. You talked to a lot of people about Malloy's death, says Burke, how does it look to you? Patterson closes the file and offers to get him the coffee. I thought you said it might make me sick, says Burke. Maybe that's exactly what I want to do, says Patterson, and Burke laughs.

Burke makes a face as he drinks the coffee, pronouncing it lousy. Just like my mood, says Patterson. When do you expect the coroner's findings? Asks Burke. Sometime today, says Patterson, sitting on his desk. How do you think it will go?--you must have some idea--it's your report he'll be reading. What's your guess? asks Patterson. I think it depends on how much weight the Collins family carries, says Burke. They own the biggest house, says Patterson, the biggest fishing fleet, cannery--but they don't own me or the coroner! I'd like to believe that, says Burke. You'd better believe it, advises Patterson, annoyed--no matter how this decision goes, it's going to be an honest decision, and I don't want any trouble from you! Burke rises and asks if he's expecting a finding of accidental death by drowning. Maybe, maybe not, I wouldn't know, says Patterson. Case closed, forget all about it, Roger goes walking around, free and easy, says Burke. If that's how the decision goes, that's right, we will forget about it, says Patterson, all of us, including you! Malloy was murdered, says Burke.Maybe, maybe not, I wouldn't know, says Patterson. What is the answer going to be? demands Burke. I told you, says Patterson, I'll probably get the answer sometime today, but no matter how it goes, accident or homicide, I'm warning you, hands off! He sits back down at his desk and Burke leaves.

And how do they get the sardines out of the boats? Vicki asks Roger. They are having breakfast at the hotel restaurant. By suction through a large tube, he says, like a giant vacuum cleaner. I can't wait to see it, says Vicki. You will, ever bit of it, he promises. It's funny your family should start with whales and end up with sardines, says Vicki. They've all contributed, he says, all helped build the house on Widows' Hill. And Bill Malloy, says Vicki. Roger looks at her. It must be very hard for you now that he's gone, remarks Vicki. At the cannery or personally? Asks Roger. Both, she says--actually, I was thinking about the cannery, you must have an awful lot of work now without any manager. Yes, I miss Bill's help a lot, says Roger--he was an extremely effective worker--poor man. Vicki apologizes for bringing it up--how do the fishing boats know where to find the sardines? From experience, he says, you know, Vicki, I'm sure you'll agree with me that the best thing that could happen to any of us would be if all the questions about Bill's death were completely answered and finished. Of course, she agrees. The sheriff is working right this minute on a report to hand over to the coroner, he says, it's based on his investigations. Will that settle it? she asks. I hope so, says Roger, providing he gets all the necessary information that he needs--if he does, I'm sure that the findings will prove that Bill's death was accidental due to drowning. Burke enters the restaurant and says "I don't think you'll be quite that lucky, Roger." He goes over to the counter.

Doughnuts and coffee, Burke orders from the waitress. What were we talking about? Roger asks Vicki after an awkward pause. Mr. Malloy, says Vicki. No, before that, says Roger--oh, I know--how the fishing boats find out where the sardines are. And you said it was by experience and luck, says Vicki. There's much more to it than that, says Roger, looking where Vicki is looking, at Burke. It's really quite interesting, says Roger. Vicki apologizes. Occasionally, we hire plans to fly over the areas where there might be sardines, he explains, and they radio back to us and we tells the boat where the fish are. The sardines don't stand a chance, says Vicki.The Collins cannery isn't a sporting enterprise but a business--not a vendetta whose sole aim is destruction--he looks at Burke as he says this. Roger, please don't, says Vicki. Would you like some more coffee? Offers Roger. No thank you, says Vicki. Roger says he's going to make a phone call to the cannery, saying he'll be a little late--excuse me. He gives Burke a dirty look as he passes. Burke goes over to asks Vicki if she's playing hooky. Roger...Mr. Collins was planning to show me the cannery, she says. How nice for you, he says--they're really taking you into the family, aren't they? I think it will be very interesting, she says, uncomfortable. Oh, it is, he assures her, I have a special interest in the Collins canneries myself. About the other night, I'm sorry, she says. You don't have to apologize to me, he says--you helped Roger out of a tight jam, that's all. That's what I wanted to talk to you about, she says. You're guide is coming back, he says, I'm afraid it's time for the next activity. Where will you be later? she asks. If you really do want to talk to me, he says, I'll be here, waiting. Shall we go? asks roger, hat in hand. All right, says Vicki. I'll be right here, Burke tells Vicki, and Roger leads her away, saying he has one more place to stop. They leave the restaurant. The waitress passes by Burke, then brings coffee and doughnut to his table.

We see Vicki and Roger strolling down the sidewalks of Collinsport, smiling at each other. He leads her across the street and into the sheriff's office. Patterson works at his desk. Vicki and Roger enter, and Patterson rises and asks if there's anything he can do for them.Is there anything I can do for you? says Roger, and says he hopes he doesn't mind his bringing Miss Winters along, he's taking her to the cannery to show her around--then he had an idea he might be able to add something to the report he's sending to the coroner. Well, can you? asks Patterson hopefully. I don't know, says Roger. It seemed to me we went over all the ground, says Patterson. I suppose we did, says Roger, I just wanted to show Miss Winters what the inside of a sheriff's office looked like. You're getting the grand tour today, Patterson tells Vicki. It looks like it, she agrees. This is it, he says, wanted posters, filing cabinet, desk, water cooler, coffee pot and lots of paperwork--which I really should get done in the next couple of hours. I think the sheriff wants us to leave, says Vicki. Unless you do have something to add to the report, says Patterson. I'm not sure, says Roger...we know that Bill died at a quarter of 11. Patterson pours coffee. I assume that is in the report, says Roger. Naturally, says Patterson. And, says Roger, I assume that you also have my statement to the effect I didn't leave the house until 10 of 11, so I couldn't have had anything to do with Bill's death. I have that statement, yes, agrees Patterson. I assume the report will list that statement as unsubstantiated, will it not? asks Roger. Yes, agrees Patterson. Suppose there were someone who could corroborate that, says Roger, my alibi, so to speak--would that be of any help to you? It would be of help to YOU, says Patterson (get him, George). Then we are fortunate we happened to come this way, says Roger to Vicki, pushing her into a chair--you can help bring the sheriff's report up to date--Miss Winters was on he way to bed when I left--I forgot to mention it to you earlier. You saw Mr. Collins leave the house? asks Patterson. Not exactly, replies Vicki, I came downstairs to speak to him, we talked for a while, then I went upstairs to bed--I heard him leave. What time did he leave the house? asks Patterson. I can't exactly say for sure, says Vicki, but I have every reason to believe it was 10 minutes of 11. There are quite a few qualifying words in that statement, says Patterson. I'm sorry, but I can't be any more accurate, she says. No, but it is a help, isn't it? asks Roger. Anything is a help, agrees Patterson. And it will go into the report, says Roger. Yes, it will, says Patterson. Fine, says Roger, I guess we'd better run along now and let the sheriff get back to his work--I'm sorry to break into your day like this, George. Not at all, says Patterson, clearly knowing the reason for this visit. They all say goodbye, and as they're leaving, Roger assures Vicki she really has a nice experience ahead of her now. Patterson sits back down with a sigh, shaking his head.

Vicki thanks Roger for showing her around the cannery as they leave the fleet office (lots of wonderful outdoor shots today). My pleasure, he assures her, and she leaves. He watches her walk away, leaning against a can on the boardwalk.

Collinsport Inn - Vicki enters and finds Burke drinking coffee in the restaurant. She apologizes to him for being late. Did you enjoy the tour? He asks. It was very interesting, she says. Did Roger show you the place where they cut the heads off the fish? He asks. I don't want to talk about the cannery, she says--I want you to know I'm not taking sides in this. Look, the other night I went up to Collinwood to have it out with Roger, says Burke--we went around and around about Bill Malloy's death--and then he brought you into the room, and you gave him a solid gold alibi. I told the truth, she insists. He leans forward. I think Roger killed Malloy, says Burke, but if what you say is true, he couldn't have done it--and I am wrong--and I know I'm not wrong. if you remember, I said I wasn't sure, she tells him. He stands. You were sure enough the other night, says Burke, to get him off the hook! She stops him before he leaves, calling his name. That's the way life is, says Burke, sometimes there's nothing to do but sit around and wait--things even themselves out sooner or later. I'm working at Collinwood for one reason, she reminds him, and you know what that is. Don't you understand? he asks--if you're working there and lose sight of what you are, trying to find out who you are or who you think you are. And what do you think I am? she asks. You're a decent, honest girl, he says--and a very attractive one, too. Patterson enters and greets them. Burke asks if the report went in? Yes, says Patterson, then tells Vicki that she can inform Roger that he included what she told him today about the time he left the house. You certainly do get around, says Burke, pissed off, don't you? Vicki looks away. DO you expect a finding today? Asks Burke. The coroner will probably call me in for additional questioning, says Patterson, but yes, it will probably be sometime today--how about some of your good coffee? He ask the waitress. Then I guess I have time to take you home, says Burke. You can't go back to Collinwood, she protests. Why not? he asks--because they threw me out the other night?--look at me, I'm trembling--come on. They leave. Patterson watches them go. You know something, Suzie, he says to the waitress, there are two kinds of fools in the world--the ones who know they're making fools of themselves and the ones who are sure they're not--it's the second kind that makes the most trouble for me. He goes to the counter and sits down.

Vicki enters Collinwood, but tells Burke she really doesn't think he should be here. How would you have gotten home, walk? He asks. I could have taken a taxi or bus, she says. I don't understand why Roger didn't see you home, says Burke, after that favor you've done him not once, but twice. I told you, I had no India we were going to the sheriff's office, she says. He chuckles--and you still think you can stay uninvolved, idea? he asks, entering Collinwood--poor little governess--the world's crashing in about her head and she doesn't even know it. If Mrs. Stoddard finds you here, says Vicki nervously, she's going to be furious. Me?--an old, trusted member of the family? quips Burke. Don't be an idiot, she says. Oh, no, he tells her, I'm not--I'm the only sane one in this mess, except maybe you--I'm not afraid of them--I never have been and never will be! You didn't have to come back to the house, she says. I came back because I wanted to, he says, and it won't be the last time, either--I'll be here again, and I'll be seeing you again--and maybe when the world does crash, I'll be able to save a small piece for you to stand on. And he looks around, says, "Say hello to Mrs. Stoddard for me," then leaves. Vicki enters Collinwood and closes the doors.

NOTES: Once again, Roger is being super-sneaky. He only took Vicki out for the day to make sure she told Patterson about seeing Roger before he left that night. Roger is slimy and coming across as an untrustworthy, evil man. Burke, by comparison, seems kinder, more honest and much more likable. I sense Vicki likes him a lot and wants to be seen in a positive way in his eyes. Patterson and Vicki herself saw through Roger today, and his pathetic efforts to ensure that he isn't blamed for Malloy's murder. The question is, is he to blame?


Episode #72 - Collinwood is a cauldron of tension; desperately as I have tried, I have been unable to avoid involvement in the mystery of a man's death--a mystery that reveals hidden emotions and brings unexpected hatred s to the surface.

Vicki gazes from her bedroom window. She opens her closet and takes out a dress, then takes scissors from a box on her dresser. Carolyn knocks and enters. I was just going to take up the hem on this dress, explains Vicki--do you want to help me? I don't think you need any help, says Carolyn, her tone angry.. I'm not all that good, says Vicki, back in the foundling home... Look, I'm sick and tired of your endless stories about the foundling home, says Carolyn meanly--Little Orphan Annie does pretty week for herself. What's hit you? asks Vicki. that's a pretty dress, observes Carolyn--planning on wearing it for a big date tonight? No, says Vicki, I've been meaning to pick up the hem for a long time but never got around to it--I decided today I might as well. I'll be you did, says Carolyn sarcastically. What IS this? asks Vicki. You are really something, says Carolyn, arms crossed, you know that--walking around with that innocent smile and sweet stares--poor little Vicki Winters, who only wants to do the right thing--I've just about had it with you! I think you'd better tell me what you're talking about, says Vicki. Why don't you go home--pack your bags and go back to that precious foundling home? Hurt, Vicki stares at her. (Carolyn gets down-and-dirty vicious!)

I don't understand you--what have I done? asks Vicki. What has she done, mocks Carolyn--you think nothing's been happening around here--for your information, Miss Winters, a good friend of our family has just died, and someone has been going around and accusing my uncle of murdering him. Oh, says Vicki. that's right--oh, mocks Carolyn--the other night, Burke Devlin came to this house and stuck knives into my Uncle Roger--and don't tell me you don't know about it, because I know you were there. Yes, says Vicki, helping and giving him an alibi. Sure, that was that night, says Carolyn, then suddenly you switch--you decide to play the other side of the fence--whose side are you on, Vicki? No one's, replies Vicki, I'm just trying to do my job, that's all! don't play innocent with me, orders Carolyn, not 10 minutes ago, I saw you and Burke Devlin driving up to this house! I saw him in town, he insisted on driving me home, says Vicki. You KNEW my mother didn't want him up here anymore! storms Carolyn, or my uncle! I tried to talk him out of it, explains Vicki. What were you doing talking to him at all? demands Carolyn--you were hired to give my nephew his school lessons--not to play footsy with the man who wants to put my uncle in prison! She walks away. I've had enough of this, says Vicki. What's the big plan for tonight--dinner, a few dances, a little more talk? asks Carolyn. I think you'd better leave, advises Vicki. Carolyn whirls on her--you and Burke Devlin--I never would have believed it! There is nothing to believe, can't you understand that? asks Vicki. what did you talk about--the price of sardines? Asks Carolyn--or maybe you both had a big laugh over what a silly kid I am. You're being ridiculous, says Vicki. I suppose he told you I was chasing after him--well, I'm not--you can have him, Vicki, with my blessing--but I think you'll have the decency to quit your job and leave! You're talking nonsense, says Vicki, Burke means nothing to me. He drove you home, didn't he? asks Carolyn. Why are you angry, asks Vicki--because I brought him to the house--or because he drove me home? You're talking in riddles, says Carolyn. For the past five minutes, you've been ranting and raving, says Vicki, not because I met an enemy of your family, but because I met Burke Devlin. You think I'm jealous, is that it? asks Carolyn. I hope you're not, says Vicki, because you're right about him--he can be very dangerous to your family. Oh I get it! says Carolyn, now comes the big speech telling me to stay away from him and ;leave the field clear for you. Not that speech, says Vicki--just one question, one you asked me just a little while ago--whose side are you on? Carolyn glares at her, and leaves the room, slamming the door behind her.

Sarah Johnson sits in the Inn's phone booth, asking Burke if he heard anything about the coroner's decision on Malloy's death--no, I haven't heard a word from Collinwood--I guess they decided they don't want a housekeeper up there--oh, of course I'll let you know--we're in this together, aren't you?--that's right. She exits the booth and Maggie greets her from behind the counter--we don't see you in here very often. Is your roast beef well-cooked? asks Sarah. Any way you want it, says Maggie. I'll have a well-done roast beef sandwich, orders Sarah. Anything on it? asks Maggie. Is your lettuce well-washed? Asks Sarah. Maggie smiles crookedly and says she did it herself this morning in the Laundromat--mayonnaise, too? Is it fresh? asks Sarah. As a baby, promises Maggie--coming right up. I always made my own mayonnaise says Sarah. I bet it was good, too, says Maggie. Mr. Malloy liked it, says Sarah, and you've been a man's housekeeper as long as I did, you learn to know what he likes. I'm sure you do, agrees Maggie. He was a wonderful man, finest that walked this earth, says Sarah--his death was a terrible thing. Making the sandwich, Maggie agrees it was. It's not easy, I'm not a young woman anymore, says Sarah, to find myself with nothing to do. Here you are, says Maggie--you want coffee, too? Later? says Sarah. Pie? Asks Maggie--baked fresh this morning. what I need is something to keep me busy, to keep my mind off what happened, says Sarah. What about your daughter? asks Maggie--couldn't you go live with her? And spend the rest of my life sitting in a rocking chair? asks Sarah--no, I have more important things to do. She sniffs the sandwich and tells Maggie it doesn't smell fresh. I just opened the jar this morning, says Maggie. You should complain to the firm that made it, says Sarah--fix me another sandwich, without mayonnaise, please--and she says she'll move to a table, since the stools give her a backache. Yes, ma'am, says Maggie, taking back the rejected sandwich, making a face. I'm sorry to make you fix that sandwich again, says Sarah, but I have no desire to get sick--not while evil walks the streets of this town. Yes, ma'am, says Maggie, gazing at the sad-faced woman.

Liz is in the drawing room when Carolyn comes downstairs and nastily tells her mother she's going to town--is that all right with you? No need to snap at me, I jut asked a question, says Liz. I'm sorry, says Carolyn. Have you seen Vicki? asks Liz. Why? asks Carolyn. You have a terrible habit of answering a question with a question--it's most annoying, says Liz. I'm sorry, says Carolyn--why did you want to know about Vicki. She disappeared this morning without a word, says Liz--David hasn't had his lessons all day. (So Roger didn't cover her butt, huh?) I'm sure he's not kicking, says Carolyn. When I want him to have a holiday, I'll say so, says Liz. Vicki's had her holiday, why shouldn't David--she spent the day with an old friend of the family--I think you might have met him--Burke Devlin? Angry, Liz asks where Vicki is. Upstairs in her room, shortening a hem, tattles Carolyn. Liz thanks her and heads upstairs. Carolyn calls to her mother and says she was just wondering--when she was in town, she might run into Mrs. Johnson--should she say anything to her?--has she given any more thought to hiring a housekeeper? I'm giving all my thoughts to firing a governess! says Liz. Carolyn, looking smug, picks up the phone and calls the Inn, asking for Burke, but he isn't there--she leaves no message, then exits the house.

Up in her room, Vicki assures Liz she had no intention of breaking rules, hurting anyone or anything else. But you did bring Burke back to this house, accuses Liz. I explained to Carolyn, says Vicki. I'd ask you to explain it to me, but I don't think any explanations would do any good--have you no idea how I feel about this man? demands Liz. I'm sorry, says Vicki. Just what did you expect to gain? Asks Liz. Why did you need driving home? asks Liz--why weren't you here attending to your duties? I thought you knew, says Vicki. All I know is that you were engaged to help my nephew with his schoolwork, says Vicki--on your arrival, we agreed on the number of hours to be devoted to his lessons each day--and I don't expect those hours to be spent with Burke Devlin. Did Carolyn say I was with Burke the whole time? asks Vicki. What you do with your time is none of my business, says Liz, unless it conflicts with David's schoolwork. You were supposed to have been told, says Vicki, by Mr. Collins--he said he was going to call and tell you where I was. Where were you? asks Liz. This morning, he asked me to visit the cannery with him, explains Vicki. MY brother told you to take the day off? demands Liz. Yes, says Vicki, we went to the hotel for breakfast this morning, then the cannery--but he said he was going to call you. Then your meeting with Burke was just a matter of chance? asks Liz. Yes, says Vicki. Liz looks chastened. All right, she says, but in future, please check with me before going off on a school day. I would have, says Vicki, but Mr. Collins said he was going to. I pay for your services, not my brother, says Liz, displeased--now go see if you can find David--and in the future, if you should meet Burke again, please do me the courtesy of not bringing him back to this house. She leaves. Vicki looks really upset.

Maggie brings Sarah a cup of coffee and asks if she enjoyed the pie. Sarah asks her to sit down with her, please. Maggie says she can't, really, she's got loads of cleaning up to do. Just for a minute, please, begs Sarah. Maggie sits down. It's a funny thing, I've been eating my lunches alone for years, says Sarah, there's just such an emptiness about it all of a sudden. It's a terrible thing being lonely, says Maggie. You're young, says Sarah, you haven't spent years knowing a man was coming home to supper, trying to fix what he likes--thinking up ways to make him smile. I guess in a lot of ways, says Maggie, being a housekeeper for one man for so many years is almost like being a wife. We never shared the same bed, says Sarah, and I didn't have his name or wear his ring, but I was as close to Mr. Malloy as anyone would have been--she clenches a fist and says he should have lived another 30 years! You've just got to accept it, says Maggie, unfortunate accidents do happen. Accident! scoffs Sarah, if it's an accident--but there's no sense in Mr. Malloy falling into the water and drowning. There's no sense to a lot of things, says Maggie. But there are answers to some, says Sarah--you just read your bible--an eye for an eye--Mr. Malloy died in violence, and some people are going to pay for that! Like who, asks Maggie, upset, whose eye are you after? Oh, I'm not after anyone, says Sarah, I'm just a bitter old woman, unaccustomed to loneliness. Carolyn enters, giving Maggie an excuse to leave the table. Carolyn! Maggie greets her, I was wondering when you'd be dropping by! I didn't think it would be such an occasion, says Carolyn. Why don't you come to the counter and try some of our fresh baked apple pie? Invites Maggie, uncovering the pie and gesturing toward Mrs. Johnson for Carolyn's benefit. Carolyn looks and smiles--that's Mrs. Johnson, she says. I know who it is! says Maggie--(loudly)--how about a nice, hot cup of fresh coffee? Sure, says Carolyn, I guess so. How are things up on the hill? Asks Maggie, cutting a large slice of pie. Do me a favor, asks Carolyn, bring the coffee and pie over to Mrs. Johnson's table. Maggie looks astounded at request. Carolyn greets Sarah and asks to join her. Of course, dear, says Sarah--how are you and your mother? Well enough, says Carolyn offering her condolences. You're a good girl, says Sarah, Mr. Malloy was always very fond of you. I was fond of him, says Carolyn, that's why I'd like to do something for you. What might that be? asks Sarah. Maggie brings over Carolyn's order. You haven't seen Burke Devlin around today, have you? asks Carolyn. Sarah looks disturbed. Uh-uh, but I just got here a little while ago, says Maggie. That's OK, I'll catch him later, says Carolyn, sipping her coffee. Sarah asks if Carolyn and Burke are friendly. I don't know exactly what we are--he's a strange man, says Carolyn. I wouldn't know, says Mrs. Johnson, I haven't seen or spoken to him since he's come back to Collinsport. Oh?--he had mentioned talking to you, says Carolyn. That's right, says Sarah, yes I did, just once, you'll have to forgive me, ever since Mr. Malloy's death, I don't know what's going on in the world. Carolyn tells her she needs something to keep her busy. A young girl like you understanding an old woman's problems? Asks Sarah approvingly. Carolyn grins and says she's been thinking about her--and she just might have an answer for those problems.I sincerely hope so, says Sarah.

It just seemed like a perfect idea to me, explains Carolyn, you'd be doing the kind of work you've always done, and you'd be with people all the time. Have you spoken to your mother about this? asks Sarah eagerly. Yes, says Carolyn, but then I thought maybe I might have taken too much for granted--I never even thought to ask if you'd be interested. Well, uh, says Sarah, I suppose it would be what Mr. Malloy would have liked. I know, it seems like a very big house, says Carolyn, but most of the rooms have been closed off--and there aren't too many people--just my mother and me, Uncle Roger and his son--and Vicki Winters--David's governess--sounds like a lot, doesn't it? What does your mother say? asks Sarah. She hasn't really made up her mind yet, says Carolyn--until Vicki Winters came up there, we never really had anyone but the family living in the house. Then why would she want a housekeeper now? asks Sarah. You just leave that to me, Carolyn assures her, smiling, I think it would be very good for both you and mother--if you want the job. I do, I certainly do, says Sarah eagerly, clasping Carolyn's hand--and you tell your mother that. Wonderful! says Carolyn. If she offers me the job, says Mrs. Johnson, I'll be delighted to accept. Oh, she will--if I have anything to say about it, says Carolyn. I'd better leave before I burst into tears, says Sarah, rising from the table. Carolyn does, too. Sarah thanks her and blesses her for being so thoughtful. Is everything OK here, folks? Asks Maggie. Yes, the pie was delicious, says Sarah--she points to Carolyn--and this young lady made me feel good--and here is a dime for you--good bye and bless you again. Don't worry, you'll hear from my mother! Calls Carolyn. Ecstatic, Carolyn tells Maggie, "We're going to have a housekeeper up at Collinwood!" Maggie, money in hand, asks, "Her?" She's a very nice lady, just very upset right now, says Carolyn. She's also very creepy, opines Maggie--gives me the willies, always has. You just don't like her because she's a 10-cent tipper, says Carolyn. I don't like her because she makes me nervous, says Maggie--don't ask me why!--she always has. If I can talk my mother into it, she's coming to0 work for us, says Carolyn. Good luck, says Maggie--just ask yourself one little question--whose eye is she after? Carolyn gives her a face and leaves.

Liz is on the drawing room phone, asking Roger if he told Vicki she could skip David's lessons today. Vicki, passing by, overhears. Don't you think I ought to have been told? demands Liz--I see--you put me in a very embarrassing position, I said a great many things... Spotting Vicki, she stops talking, then says, in the future, please check with me first--goodbye. Vicki reports that David is no where to be found. Liz tells her she owes her an apology--she's sorry for what she said. Hurt and angry, Vicki says she's sorry Liz found it necessary to call her brother and check on the story. I called Roger to tell him to stop interfering with the order of this house, says Liz. And check on me, accuses Vicki. I beg your pardon, says Liz. Ever since I came to this house, says Vicki, I've been badgered and bullied and most of the time I've taken it!--but there comes a limit, even for me--when I came in here and heard you on the phone, that was the last straw--I don't lie, Mrs. Stoddard--I don't snoop or pry or steal other peoples' boyfriends! And I don't like being shouted at! says Liz calmly. I was a fool, says Vicki--I should have packed up my first night here--but I'm going to stay and not sit by and take all this nonsense! I think you're forgetting you're still in my employ, says Liz. Then fire me if you want to, orders Vicki, which takes Liz aback--either that or begin trusting me--one or the other! Liz looks at her a moment, then walks to the fireplace. She stands before it, silent, motionless. Vicki appears beside her and apologizes, saying it was the only way she could convince her. I know, says Liz, and I'm truly sorry--will you forgive me? Forgive me for shouting at you, says Vicki. Oh, Vicki, Vicki, chides Liz, pulling her down beside her on the fireplace seat--I don't think you realize how fond of you I've become--I know it's lonely and difficult for you here. I haven't had much chance to be lonely, says Vicki. When I asked you to come live here, says Liz, I had no idea there would be so many difficulties and pressures. I'm sure they won't last forever, says Vicki. I hope not, says Liz--sometimes I feel as if I were buried here, as if there were no outside world at all. There is, Vicki assures her. Maybe I should bring some of it here to Collinwood, for you and Carolyn, says Liz--Carolyn's been talking to me about getting a housekeeper. I think that would be a wonderful idea! says Vicki. I know, says Liz, but it would be so difficult--other than you, only the family has lived here for years! A housekeeper would be such a help to you, says Vicki. Yes, and maybe I could be of help to her, says Liz.

Sarah Johnson is back on the Inn's telephone, telling Burke that she just spoke to Carolyn Stoddard--yes, uh huh, I think it's gonna work out--yes, Mr. Devlin--bye. She hangs up, looking smug.

NOTES: So everyone thinks having Mrs. Johnson at Collinwood would be a great idea, but would they feel the same if they knew she was a spy for the enemy?

Bravo, Vicki! Good for you, finally not turning the other cheek to these nasty, overbearing, lying people! I was so glad to hear her fight back with Carolyn, and then later with Liz. She's been taking it right on the chin from just about all of them, and Carolyn was especially bitchy here--and she IS jealous. Carolyn wants Burke herself, her family's feelings (and her own) notwithstanding. I also hope Vicki gives Roger a piece of her mind for not telling Liz she was spending the day with him, as he promised he would. Boo, Roger, another strike against you!

Sarah doesn't seem the type to engage in lying, either, but to her, this is justified--she has to find out what happened to her beloved Bill. Her scenes with Carolyn and Maggie were priceless. I can understand why Sarah scares Maggie. She seems so much like Abigail Collins, LOL, ready to accuse someone of witchcraft! And her grilling of Maggie re: fresh mayo, clean lettuce, then forcing her to re-make the sandwich, was delicious to watch! Clarice Blackburn is fabulous as Sarah Johnson, and under that dark, ugly wig is a headful of red hair, and she's many years younger than Mrs. Johnson is supposed to be.

Vicki gave as good as she got here--it was fun to watch, too!

Love, Robin

Episode #67 - Even daylight cannot dispel the dark suspicions that constantly hover over Collinwood--and over all of Collinsport.

Collinsport Inn, restaurant - Maggie replenishes the sugar in the dispensers. Carolyn enters and tells her she's looking for Burke Devlin--the clerk said he's not up in his room. I haven't seen him, says Maggie resentfully, and that makes my day just about perfect--I'll be just as happy if I never see him again. Mother told me what Burke said to you, says Carolyn, I mean about my uncle and your father allowing him to go to prison for a crime he didn't commit. How about that? asks Maggie--you know, maybe I do want to see him--the more I think about it, the madder I get--I just might slip a touch of rat poison into his coffee. Did he mean all those things he said? asks Carolyn. He sure did, replies Maggie. I don't see how your father could have been mixed up in his it, says Carolyn. He couldn't, says Maggie, he sticks to himself and never gets involved in anything. Wasn't he there when Burke was making all these wild explanations? asks Carolyn. He had an errand to do, says Maggie hesitantly, he left--but believe me, if he had been there, Burke wouldn't have been shooting off his mouth the way he was! Mother says Burke is simply a bitter man who'll stop at nothing to get back at the Collins family, says Carolyn. She also said he was capable of murder, Maggie informs Carolyn, who looks perturbed to hear this.

Mother didn't mean that, says Carolyn--after you left, she said she had spoken without thinking. Sometimes that's when people say the truth, says Maggie, wiping off the tops of the sugar shakers. No, she said she didn't know what Burke WAS capable of, explains Carolyn and she took back the part about committing murder--and then she said all the talk about murder was nonsense, and that Mr. Malloy must have fallen, accidentally. Is that what you think? asks Maggie. I don't know what to think, says Carolyn. If it was just an accident, asks Maggie, why is Burke stirring up such a fuss? According to Mother, it's because he hates us poor Collinses, explains Carolyn--he says we're responsible for him going to prison 10 years ago. Ten years ago, muses Maggie--everything seems to have started then--that's when Burke went to prison, Roger got married and left--even my Pop seemed to have changed then. In what way? asks Carolyn. I don't know, I guess he was upset about Burke going away to prison, says Maggie, they really were good friends. From what my mother said, they aren't anymore, says Carolyn. No, agrees Maggie. Why should they be enemies now? asks Carolyn. I don't know, admits Maggie. You don't suppose there's any truth in what Burke says? suggests Carolyn. If there is, it means my pop and your Uncle Roger both lied--do you want to believe that? asks Maggie. No, I don't, says Carolyn. Well either Burke lied or Pop and your uncle lied--one or the other, says Maggie. It's very confusing, isn't it? asks Carolyn. Sure is, says Maggie. Burke comes in and greets them. Speak of the devil, says Maggie. Were you? asks Burke, immaculate in a three piece suit. We were just talking about you, says Carolyn. You couldn't have chosen a more fascinating subject! declares Burke.

What about Burke Devlin? Sam, seated in a chair in the police station, asks Sheriff Patterson. From he said, I gather he came to see you for a specific reason, says Patterson. I don't know why he should have thought that...anyhow, he should be satisfied now, and you should be, too, says Sam. No one has to satisfy me, says Patterson, all I'm doing is collecting information to present to the coroner so he can decide if there should be a further investigation. The man slipped and fell in the water and drowned, says Sam--why does it have to be investigated? He wanders to the window and gazes out through the chain link fence covering it. Just to make sure someone didn't happen to help him slip, says Patterson. Ridiculous! insists Sam--Malloy was well liked--a fine man, good friend. Agreed, says Patterson--now, let's go over your statement again, shall we? If' I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times, complains Sam. Tell me 101, orders Patterson--we know Bill fell into the water at 10:45, that's the time his watch was stopped, and you say you left your house 10:30. 10:30 or so, maybe later, says Sam. That's what I want to know, says Patterson, as close as you can, the exact time. I said 10:30, it could have been 10:40, 10:50, says Sam, annoyed--I don't know! How long would it normally take you to walk from the Collins cannery to your house? asks Patterson. Ten minutes, five minutes, it depends, says Sam. On what? asks Patterson. On whether or not I saw something along the way, says Sam, again peering out the window--something that attracted my fancy--I'm an artist, George, sometimes, I stop and look at cloud formations--anything! Let's get one thing straight, says Patterson, I'm not trying to trap you into admitting something you shouldn't, I'm trying to help you.I know you are, says Sam, and you have to excuse me for the way I was talking, I was upset--Malloy was a good friend of mine and of everyone in Collinsport. Yeah, except for possibly one person, says Patterson--what about Maggie, was she home?--would she remember what time you left? Maggie? says Sam--she might. It would be a help if she did, says Patterson, who answers the buzzer on his desk--oh, ask Mrs. Johnson to come in, will you? He hangs up. Bill Malloy's housekeeper? asks Sam--are you through with me now? You sound relieved, remarks Patterson. Shouldn't I be? asks Sam. Ask yourself that, Sam, not me, advises the sheriff, and Sam heads for the door. Mrs. Sarah Johnson, hat on her head, her hair in a tight bun in the back, a sour look on her face, passes Sam, and they silently exchange looks. Sam leaves. Thank you for coming in, Sarah, says Patterson. Never mind that, George, she says, a sneer on her face--I only want to know one thing from you--who killed Mr. Malloy?

Maggie wipes down the counter, sneaking glances at Burke, who is seated at a table with Carolyn. I understand you almost had dinner with Vicki Winters again, says Carolyn. News certainly gets around in Collinsport, says Burke--you don't begrudge my eating, do you?--how about you--would you care for something? No, thanks, she says--I hear you were at Collinwood last night. Having a little late tea, says Burke. Can't you forget about food? she asks. I'm hungry, he says. That is not why you came to see Uncle Roger, says Carolyn. Hardly, says Burke. Did you get the information you came for? asks Carolyn. Not exactly, says Burke--but I did learn one thing--that you are possibly the only completely honest person living at Collinwood. She grins. What does that mean? she asks. Let's take them in order, suggests Burke--there's your cousin, David--he's not exactly George Washington. I know, David lies all the time, says Carolyn. Probably gets it from his father, says Burke. Mother says she's never... begins Carolyn. Ah, yes, your mother, interrupts Burke--I think she believes only what she wants to believe--which is what she accused me of doing--(Burke has a cold)--and then there's Vicki Winters. What does she have to do with it? asks Carolyn--she's not a Collins. But she lives at Collinwood, says Burke--apparently, that's enough--some of the Annais must have rubbed off on her, too. Annais? Repeats Carolyn. If you read your bible, says Burke, you'd know he was the first great liar--I hope what happened to him doesn't happen to her. What did happen to him? asks Carolyn. He was struck dead, says Burke. More coffee, offers Maggie. No, thank you, says Burke, rising--I'm surprised I survived the last cup. I was fresh out of arsenic, says Maggie nastily. Carolyn tells him she wants to talk to him. I've got to make some phone calls now, he says, dropping money on the table. She starts to insists, but he barks, "Later!" and goes on his way. I know I ought to hate him, Carolyn tells Maggie, but I don't. I know, Maggie replies, sitting at the table with her, it's the same with me.

Patterson explains to Mrs. Johnson that the autopsy report states Bill died by drowning--there were signs of blows on his head, but they were probably caused by the water against the rocks (or his head). Probably, says Sarah, then you don't know for sure. All I know for sure is what the doctor told me, says Patterson, that the death coincided with the time on his watch--and it stopped 10:45. That was right after I left the house, murmurs Sarah. Now, about the time, says Patterson, you said that Bill received a phone call at 10:30--do you have any idea who that was from? Not the slightest, she says. Nothing he said gave you any hint as to whether it was a man or a woman? asks the sheriff. I'm not in the habit of eavesdropping, George, she says. I didn't mean that, he says, chastened. How did you expect me to hear anything, then? she asks. I guess I didn't, he says. Must have been a man, says Sarah--Mr. Malloy was shouting, you could hear even without listening. Shouting, was he? asks Patterson--then it must have been something he didn't like. Or someone he didn't like, says Sarah--he had a temper, you know. Do you think it could have been something that upset him so much, he went out and killed himself? asks Patterson. I should say not! she says--he no more killed himself than he had an accident--Mr. Malloy wasn't the type. You don't have to be any special type to have an accident, says Patterson. That's your opinion, she says, it's my opinion that accidents just don't happen to people like Mr. Malloy--and a man who's going to kill himself doesn't take the time to order breakfast early for the morning after he's done it. He ordered a special breakfast? asks Patterson. The last thing he said to me, begins Sarah, her voice thick with tears, just before I left, was that he wanted breakfast half an hour early. Did he say why? asks Patterson. Just that he had a lot of things to do, she says--now a man doesn't talk like that, then go out and kill himself 10 minutes later! He puts a comforting hand on her shoulder as she breaks down, and tells her he's sorry. He's all set to get her a cup of water, but finds there are no cups. He again puts a hand on her shoulder and apologizes for being out of cups for the water--who do you think would have wanted to kill Bill Malloy? he asks her. Go up to Collinwood and ask your questions there, she says, wiping her eyes with a tissue. I did, he says, it could be that I didn't ask the right questions--did you have anything specific in mind? No, she says, a tear glittering beneath her eye, just a feeling that his death was somehow connected to the Collins family--or the boats or the cannery--that was his whole life--the Collins family--the Collins fishing fleet--the Collins cannery--it's all he ever thought about. And you resented that a little bit, I suppose? asks Patterson.Like I say, they had a right to--they were his whole life--I think they were his death, too, she adds bitterly, wiping her eyes viciously. (Did Sarah love Bill?)

A hand grabs Maggie's shoulder, and she turns around, scared. It's Sam; he wants to talk to her. Before you start in, she says, you'd better answer my question--I had a talk with Mr. Wells this morning--he said you were in here last night trying to get back that letter you had me put in the safe. It wasn't important, says Sam. It wasn't? she says, incredulous, you made me swear that...open it unless something happened to you--you said it was life insurance, well that sounds pretty important to me--I thought we agreed to leave it where it was. I meant, says Sam, my reason for asking Mr. Wells to give me that letter wasn't important, it's just that I wanted to add a postscript, that's all. Maggie looks doubtful. OK, she says, so write another letter if you want to, and I'll put it with the one I already have, OK? Sure, he says, anything you say. it's already been said, she tells him--what's on your mind? I was wondering if you happened to remember the time I left the house the other night? asks Sam--the night Bill Malloy died. You know I have enough trouble keeping track of you when you're at home, chuckles Maggie, not when you leave. Try to think, he asks--was I home at, say, 10:45? Who wants to know?--Burke? asks Maggie, her face angry. No, says Sam, George Patterson was asking. The sheriff? asks Maggie--Pop, what does that mean?--what time did Malloy die? 10:45, says Sam. The sheriff thinksm begins Maggie...now, Pop, that's plain silly--why should you need an alibi? He doesn't think anything, says Sam, he was just asking--and I just wondered if you happened to know what time if was, if you noticed it. If the sheriff wants to know, he can ask me, she says sternly. All right, Maggie, says Patterson, entering the shop, what time did your father leave the house? At 10:45! replies Maggie belligerently--I happened to check my watch--and then I called the Naval Observatory to send a balloon just be make sure. George looks at her, pursing his lips, and Sam looks guilty.

That's fine, says Burke into the phone, get all those papers together and be prepared to come back here at a moment's notice--right--we can expect action soon. He answers his door to Carolyn and invites her in. To what do I owe the honor? he asks. I'm not sure you'll think it is such an honor, she says. Try me, he suggests. All right, she says, Mother said you accused Uncle Roger of knowing something about Bill Malloy's death. I don't think I put it just like that, says Burke. I don't care how you put it, says Carolyn impatiently, is that what you meant? I've had many conversations at a lot of different times, and say a lot of different things, says Burke. It was at Maggie Evans', says Carolyn, when Vicki was there for dinner. Oh, yes, says Burke, I suppose Miss Winters ran right up to Collinwood to repeat everything verbatim. No, she didn't, says Carolyn, she didn't say anything about it. Maybe I've misjudged her, says Burke. It was Maggie, says Carolyn, she came up to Collinwood looking for Uncle Roger; he wasn't at home, so she spoke to Mother. Yes, says Burke, that's something Maggie would do. Did you really think Uncle Roger was involved in Mr. Malloy's death? asks Carolyn. I may have, admits Burke. But how could he have been? asks Carolyn, and why?--I just don't believe it. I wish somebody would have felt this strongly about me 10 years ago, says Burke. Does it all go back to that accident? she asks. Yes it does, he says. But that was settled when the jury convicted you! says Carolyn. I thought the jury was wrong, says Burke--so did Bill Malloy, that's why he was killed. He was not murdered, says Carolyn, he slipped and fell. There was no reason for him to slip and fall, says Burke--there was a good reason for him to be killed!

Say what you like, Maggie tells Patterson, but if anybody asks me what time my Pop left the house the other night, I'll tell them 10:45.Would you be willing to get up in a court of law and swear that under oath? asks Patterson. No, says Sam, she wouldn't, she doesn't really know. How can you say that? demands Maggie--you don't know how I check up on you all the time! You don't have to perjure yourself for me, insists Sam, besides, I don't need it--I didn't do anything I can't account for. Then you don't know what time your father left the house? asks Patterson. No, she doesn't, responds Sam--but I do--it was 10:30--I walked around for a while, trying to make up my mind whether or not I should go to the meeting. And then you finally decided? asks Patterson. Obviously--I was there, points out Sam. But Malloy wasn't, says the sheriff. He had an accident on the way, that's all, says Maggie defensively. Patterson explains that all he's trying to do is collect all the facts he can to present to the coroner. Yes, sir, she says, you have the facts, sir, so present them! (This gal's a pistol!) Don't be fresh, darling, says Sam. I'm not being fresh, says Maggie, I'm scared! There's nothing to be scared of, says Patterson. No, she says, then maybe it's not you I'm scared of. Burke Devlin? asks Patterson--don't let that worry you--he talks a lot, but I'm still the law in Collinsport--he checks his watch--and I'd better get back to my job--he leaves. Sam sits at a table. Maggie sits with him, asking what it's all about. I can't tell you, he says. Can't or won't? she asks. I don't know anymore about it than you do, he says. Would I know more if I read that letter you put in the safe? she asks. No, says Sam, the letter has nothing to do with it. It must say something that would help you, she says. Help me? he asks, what are you thinking could help me? Pop, that's what I want to know--what sort of help you do need, she asks. None, he says, the letter was nothing more than my last will and testament, that's why I said it should be opened if anything happened to me--it's my will, leaving you all my worldly possessions. You said it was life insurance for you, she reminds him. That's the same thing, he says, I should have said it's life insurance for you. She goes over to him and puts her hands on his shoulders. You know that I love you, don't you? she asks him. I hope so, he says. Then you don't mind if I don't believe you? she asks. No, I don't mind, he says---no reason why you should (a very touching scene).

Carolyn is seated on the sofa in his suite as Burke relates his version of what happened 10 years ago--something I didn't do--something your uncle was responsible for but for which I went to prison. Carolyn plays with her necklace and shakes her head, saying she just doesn't believe it. No one else did, obviously, says Burke. I mean I don't believe Uncle Roger would do such a thing, she says, sickened.You don't believe your DEAR UNCLE would allow an innocent man to go to prison for something your DEAR UNCLE was guilty of? asks Burke. I know he wouldn't, says Carolyn--Burke, you said you don't remember--you said you were drunk at the time. My sweet Carolyn, he says--have you ever been drunk enough to...no, of course you haven't--well, I was drunk enough to know very little of what was going on that night--but I do remember I was not driving the car at the time. And you think Uncle Roger... Yes, I think he was driving, says Burke. What would that have to do with Mr. Malloy? wonders Carolyn. He found out, says Burke, and was going to expose the whole thing--that's why he was killed. No! cries Carolyn--I know you're wrong, can't you just forget all about it?--Uncle Roger couldn't...he wouldn't have done anything like that! I don't say he did it out of malice aforethought, says Burke, maybe be went to see Mr. Malloy--maybe they argued, maybe there was a struggle and Malloy fell into the water and drowned--I don't know--but I think your Uncle Roger knows. All right, says Carolyn, I'll ask him. You do that, says Burke--ask him. I wish it didn't have to be this way, she says. This is the way it has to be, he replies, and she leaves his hotel room. He gazes out the window at the main street below.

NOTES: We meet the delightful, righteous, God-fearing Sarah Johnson, who will end up at Collinwood and provide comic relief for us all. She was sad here, vehement; she believes, as Burke does, that Bill was murdered--and I think she has a crush on him, too! I felt sorry for her. Besides Liz, she seemed the only one who cared about his death without an ulterior motive.

So now Carolyn has been told the whole story, and plans to ask her uncle about it. Roger won't tell her the truth anymore than he has told Liz or anyone else. He is determined to save himself, no matter what the cost or how many lives he has to ruin.

Maggie, who had several lovely, touching scenes with her father today, doesn't believe him when he tells her his insurance policy is merely a will. But they love each other, and that's the only important thing. Unlike the Collinses, the Evans understand what's really important in life--but will Sam's liver hold out?

Burke is going ahead with his plans against the Collins family, probably financial ruination. Bad stuff.

So it appears Roger and Sam both had plenty of time to do away with Malloy before the meeting--did they?


Episode #68 - An unexplained death has added more mystery to Widows' Hill and Collinwood, the great, gloomy house on its crest--and it affects everyone in Collinsport--there is always the one question--was it an accidental death?

Roger, jacket slung over his shoulder, strolls across the boardwalk, waves to someone, then enters his office. On the phone, his glasses on, he orders something referred to billing--that's their job, he says--then hangs up. Carolyn comes to visit, and he assures her she isn't disturbing him--he's delighted to see her--and she can tell her mother that she actually caught him working. I'll do that, she promises, kissing his cheek. I...came in town for a reason, she says. Oh, you're not here just to spy on me? he teases, doing paperwork. No, she says--I had a talk with Burke Devlin. He takes off his glasses, looks up and asks her why. I had to, she insists, he was saying terrible things about you--I've sort of defended him, you and Mother were so bitter about him, and he's never been anything but nice to me--I guess I was wrong about him. Burke is a very plausible liar, Roger assures her, he's fooled people much more experienced than you, my dear. I don't know about that, she says, but I do know you were right about Burke's wanting to harm you--any way he could! You sound very serious, he says. I am, she says, Uncle Roger, he actually thinks you killed Bill Malloy. He sits back in his chair, looking especially porcine.

I can't even get angry about it, says Roger--I knew Burke had it in for me, but I didn't know he could be so stupid. You didn't, did you? asks Carolyn--I mean, even accidentally? How could you even ask a thing like that? her uncle asks. I couldn't help worrying, she says. I'm glad you worried, but there was never any need to, Roger assures her--I did NOT kill Bill Malloy--I did not kill him accidentally or any other way. She looks relieved and sits down in a chair in front of him, saying she was sure, but she needed to hear him say it. I'd shout it from the housetops if I thought it would help, says Roger--I suppose Devlin gave you all the gory details how I managed to accomplish this feat when I was somewhere else at the same time. You were somewhere else? asks Carolyn hopefully. Of course, says Roger, I was home, and he knew it very well--did he say how I did this?--did he have some valid reason for me to commit this murder? He said it was because Mr. Malloy discovered something that proved you guilty of the accident Burke was sentenced for, she says. I see, says Roger--I'm not only a murderer, but a perjurer, and a hit and run driver as well!--I'm surprised he didn't add arson and high treason! But why? asks Carolyn, why would he say all these things? My dear child, says Roger, Burke is a man who's been tortured by a conscience for 10 years--he admits he didn't even remember what happened the night of the accident. I know, says Carolyn, he said that--but he also says he's very sure he was not driving that car. He was too drunk to remember anything, insists Roger, I was there, Kitten, I was there, I wasn't drunk--Laura was there--believe me!--it was the most difficult thing in my life--to testify against him on that witness stand--but of course, I had to tell the truth. She smiles. Naturally, she says, rising, and if you need an alibi for...the other night, I'll swear I was home with you. He slides an arm around her and thanks her, but that won't be necessary--our good Miss Winters knows I didn't leave the house until 10 of 11, too late to have accomplished this feat. She straightens his tie, saying in that case, he ought to be a little nicer to Vicki--you've been giving her a rough time at Collinwood. In what way? he asks. You can be one of the most charming men in the world, if you want to, she says.I never thought about it that way, says Roger--maybe it would be a good idea to charm Miss Winters. Might even be fun, says Carolyn--now I'm going to see if I can have some fun--I'm going to steal Joe away from the Collins factory long enough for lunch. Then I've set your mind at rest, he says, so you don't think old Uncle Roger is a murderer, do you? I think you're wonderful, she says, kissing his cheek, and she blows him another kiss, which he returns, when she leaves. Roger bites his lip, no longer looking happy.

David lies on the floor in the drawing room, looking at Josette's pages in the family history book. When Vicki calls to him, he runs around the sofa and hides. She enters and finds him gone, and picks up the book from the floor. (Her hair is elegantly swept up.) Where are you? she calls--all right, David, come out, come out wherever you are! She smiles. He exits his hiding place behind the drapes and assures her that if he really wanted to hide, she never would have found him. It's still lesson time, she says, reaching out to smooth his hair. He ducks away from her touch and says at school, they had recess (so he DID attend real school). He goes over to sit at the piano, explaining that they used to play stupid games. Was this when you were living in Augusta? She asks. He hits a few sours notes, asking, "When else would it be?" Did you like living there? asks Vicki. No, he says, hitting more discordant notes--my parents were fighting all the time, and it was mainly his fault--he was always picking on her. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it, says Vicki. One time I actually thought he was going to kill her! says David. Vicki orders him not to exaggerate so. I'm not, he says, it's the truth--I was in the next room and could hear the whole thing! You shouldn't have been listening, she tells him. You couldn't help it! cries David--you could hear it a block away--breaking furniture, throwing things around--it's a wonder he didn't get arrested. Maybe it just sounded worse than it was, suggests Vicki. Couldn't have, he says. What was it about? asks Vicki. Burke Devlin, replies the boy.

Roger paces his office. His secretary buzzes him--Sheriff Patterson wants to see him. Of course, send him in, instructs Roger. He sits at his desk, biting his lip, puts on his glasses, and takes out a company report, writing busily away, pretending to work. When Patterson enters, he heartily asks him if this is an official visit. Sort of, replies the sheriff. Sit down, invites Roger--has Burke been shooting off his mouth some more? No, as a matter of fact, he's willing to forget the whole thing, says Patterson--he won't prefer charges against Matthew. What's Matthew done? demands Roger. You mean to say you haven't heard about the fracas at the Blue Whale? queries Patterson. Nobody ever bothers to tell me anything, says Roger--what happened? Matthew picked a fight with Devlin, says Patterson. What was it about? asks Roger. I was hoping you could tell me, says the sheriff. This is the first I've heard of it, says Roger. You have no idea why Matthew would want to pick a fight with Devlin? asks Patterson. He didn't like him, I guess, suggests Roger. He and Burke are interested in just one thing--Bill Malloy's murder, says Patterson--Burke has already gone so far as to suggest you killed Malloy. So I've heard, says Roger--this is the most ridiculous thing I've heard him say since he got out of prison. I can't disregard it, says the sheriff. Now I suppose he's accused me of hiring Matthew to stop these accusations, says Roger. No, he didn't say that in so many words, but the thought did occur to me, admits Patterson. I'll tell you one thing, George, says Roger, if I do hire anyone to kill Burke Devlin, it will be someone with more sense than Matthew--I'll pick someone who will complete the job. I think that impresses me about as much as anything you said, Patterson tells him, I'm sorry to have troubled you. No trouble at all, Roger assures him. By the way, did you have anyone in mind? asks the sheriff. In mind for what? asks Roger. If you should choose someone to finish the job for you, says Patterson.Roger says no, but I rather at the moment prefer doing it myself. That's what I figured, says Patterson, and leaves the office. Roger looks as if he's averted another catastrophe; he walks around his office, shakes his head, and picks up the phone--if anyone needs me urgently, he says, I'll be at home. He leaves the office.

You must be mistaken, Vicki tells David, dropping the history book on the sofa--why would your parents be arguing about Burke Devlin? They weren't arguing, David impatiently explains, they were fighting! That was a long time ago, she says. I was six years old, he says, old enough to remember--it's like it just happened--from the minute I met Burke, I remembered the whole thing! I don't want you to repeat what you just told me, says Vicki, to anyone else--it could make serious trouble for Burke--and you like him, don't you? I sure do, says David with enthusiasm, he's my only friend in the whole world--do you like Burke? Yes I do, she says. Does he like you? asks David. Vicki says you'd have to ask him that--right now, I don't think he thinks very much of me. Why, what did you say? he asks her. I had to say something he didn't like, she says--because it was the truth. So you had to go and make trouble for Burke, accuses David--why couldn't you just keep quiet? Because it could have hurt your father, she says. Who cares? he asks. You don't really mean that, she says. I do, too! he says--you know what you've got?--a big mouth! (Nervy little SOB, but I still feel sorry for him). Don't be rude! she orders. I'm not being rude, it's the truth! he says. David, I'm getting sick and tired of your nonsense! She reaches out for him, and he backs away, ordering her not to touch him--I was wrong before, you ARE a stranger, a stranger trying to make trouble for me and Burke! That's not true, protests Vicki. It is, too, he insists--if Burke hadn't stood up for me, I'd have gotten into a lot of trouble!--that's all you want to do is get me in trouble.I could help you if you let me, she assures him. A lot of help you are, he says--you try and blame me for trying to kill my father--well I didn't!--I DIDN'T!--and he knocks over a chair, breaking it, probably much the way he saw his father did. Vicki calls his name and David, enraged, wreaks a path of destruction, knocking books off the table. He dashes out of the room and runs smack into his father, who glares at him.

Roger grabs hold of his son and demands to know what's going on. She tried to hurt me! says David. That's not true, says Vicki. How could a girl like Miss Winters hurt a big boy like you? asks Roger. She did! cries David--I knew you'd be on her side. How can I be on anyone's side when I don't know what it's all about? asks Roger. You don't have to--you're always ganging up on me, accuses David--just like in school! He runs off. Vicki calls his name and Roger advises her to let him go and cool off--actually, it was you I wanted to talk to. Whatever you say, she tells him. I was sitting in my office twiddling my thumbs, says Roger, and all of a sudden, a thought occurred to me--I haven't been very fair to you. I haven't complained, she assures him. That was part of my thought--here you are in a strange place, a strange situation, and I haven't done anything at all to make it easier for you--and that's what was bothering me. David comes downstairs and listens from this point on. Roger adds that if he had only met her Halfway, things might have been much more pleasant in their relationship. Mr. Collins, protests Vicki. Don't argue, says Roger, as David creeps closer to the drawing room, I'm the one to blame, not you. I don't think anyone's to blame, says Vicki. I insist, says Roger, as David listens at the half-closed door--as long as I'm being noble about it, at least let me go first class--I must confess that part of the fact was that I never knew how to handle David and I suppose I resented that my sister felt a young girl could succeed where I failed--perhaps you'll let me make it up to you and take you out to dinner one night. Well, says Vicki, beginning to pick up the downed chair. There are some wonderful places along the coast, says Roger, where the lobster is delicious. I've been waiting to have some of that ever since I got up there, she says as they right the chair together. Good, then it's agreed? asks Roger. Agreed, says Vicki, and he asks her to call him Roger--I think it would be nice for David to have some happy people around this place for a change, she says, placing the books back on the table. I don't know what you mean by that, he says, I think we manage, everything considered. Perhaps I shouldn't say this, she says, but I'll do anything I can to try and understand David better--he told me that you and your wife had been arguing. That's nonsense, says Roger--you know how he exaggerates everything. He had one very vivid memory, she explains--he said when he was six years old, that he heard you and your wife fighting--arguing--about Burke Devlin. Well, says Roger, we may have had words occasionally, certainly when she insisted on bringing Devlin into it, the words might have become louder than was prudent--I had no idea that David remembered--he was only a child. He remembers, all right, she says, and it may be the reason for the hostility he shows. Vicki, he says, even if we were old, old friends, I don't think I would go into a long discussion about the troubles that beset Laura and me. I wasn't trying to pry or be nosy, she assures him. Now you reminding me of something I accused you of, he says, I'm afraid you'll have to forgive me, too--I hope your memory isn't as long as David's.Vicki smiles and says it's completely forgotten--she excuses herself to find David, heading upstairs. He's no where to be seen, but when she enters the landing door, he exits a corner and stands in the foyer, thinking hard.

David sneaks into the drawing room where Roger is drinking and closes the door behind him. Did you know Miss Winters was looking for you? Roger asks his son. Yes, he replies--I thought you were going to call her Vicki. Oh, my, you do have keen ears, don't you? Roger asks gently. I thought you didn't like Miss Winters, says David. There's an old saying, Roger tells him, sitting in a chair--you can catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. What's that have to do with Miss Winters? asks David. Nothing, my boy, says Roger kindly, I'm just being nice to her in hopes that in return, she'll be nicer to you! Why should you care? Demands David--you never did before. It was only because I've had so much on my mind, admits Roger--I've treated you badly, and I hope I can make up for it. I didn't say those things about you and Mother, says David. Of course you didn't, says Roger, I didn't believe it for a minute! (What's this?--taking his side, but making Vicki the villain in David's eyes, undermining her?) People are always blaming me for things I never did, says David belligerently. It's because you're small and can't fight back, says Roger. Miss Winters is always making up stories about me, says David. I don't doubt it, Roger assures him, people usually lie when they have inadequacies of their own. What's that supposed to mean? asks David. If a person is at fault, explains Roger, he or she, as the case may be, will lie to cover that fault. That must be what Miss Winters does! says David excitedly--why don't you fire her? Oh but Aunt Elizabeth likes her here, says Roger. What if she did something Aunt Elizabeth didn't like? asks David. I don't see how she could do that, says Roger--she's a paragon of virtue, she can do nothing wrong. But Aunt Elizabeth might THINK she did! says David. Don't tell me about it, says Roger, putting his hand on his son's shoulder--just don't tell me about it.

Carolyn returns home and meets Vicki as she heads upstairs. You look like you just lost your last friend, remarks Vicki. Maybe I have, says Carolyn. It can't be that bad, soothes Vicki. Can't it? asks Carolyn, sitting on the steps, first I quarreled with Burke Devlin, so I figured Joe could cheer me up. Sounds like a good remedy, says Vicki. I wanted him to take me to lunch, but he wasn't at the cannery, complains Carolyn--he had to go on some stupid errand. You're not blaming him for that, aren't you? asks Vicki. He might have known I wanted to see him, pouts Carolyn. Vicki grins and tells Carolyn she's funny. If I'm so funny, why aren't I laughing? asks Carolyn--I'd just as soon never see Joe again--he's such a square! I thought you were going to marry him, says Vicki. You think I'm going to marry him, repeats Carolyn, so does Mother, and Joe--everybody thinks I'm going to marry him--except me. And most of the time you do, too, points out Vicki. This is NOT one of those times, complains Carolyn. The phone rings and Vicki answers--it's Joe--oh, you just got back and got Carolyn's message?--I'll tell her--Carolyn runs downstairs, and Vicki tells Joe to wait a minute--she just got in the door. Carolyn takes the phone and asks Joe if he wants something--dinner?--I'd love it--yes--I do, too. Vicki smiles. Carolyn hangs up and saucily asks Vicki, a girl has a right to change her mind, doesn't she?--I'll go change my dress. She almost skips upstairs. I thought your date was for dinner, says Vicki. I think we'll have dinner in the middle of the day! says Carolyn airily, disappearing upstairs. Vicki heads into the kitchen.

Roger sits beside David in front of the fire, explaining that when all these personal matters are cleared up, you'll find I'm quite a different person, really easy to get along with. It was bad enough before Miss Winters came, says David. I know, says Roger, and I was to blame for that--I haven't paid you much attention--but you'll have to understand it was because of the new job, and new surroundings and suspicious people.. Like Miss Winters! pops up David. Exactly, agrees Roger--I know you don't care very much for me, David, as I said, it was my fault--but if you had a choice, who would you rather be rid of--me or Miss winters. David considers this. It's a difficult question, isn't it? Roger asks him, but just think it over--if you had your choice, who would it be--me or Miss Winters?

NOTES: WHAT is Roger up to here? He's kind to David for the first time ever, and I was even touched for a few moments, until he ulterior motive popped up! Was he trying to lull David into a false sense of love and security so he can get rid of Vicki without appearing to be to blame? That scene in which he told David to handle it but not tell him about it gave me the creeps. You can tell at this point that David is definitely Roger's kid--they are cut from the same cloth! Roger charms Vicki, too, promising her a lobster dinner, apologizing for his nasty behavior to lull HER into the idea that he wants to be friends, to make up for his past behavior. He convinces Carolyn of his innocence, too, not just in the matter of Burke Devlin's manslaughter trial, but as a suspect in Bill Malloy's murder. He disarmed Sheriff Patterson, too, in this ep. Roger is, to put it mildly, a snake, manipulative and evil--and Edmonds plays him with cool, charming relish!

This was a Roger/Edmonds tour de force, and I absolutely HATE him!

Love, Robin

Episode #63 - Once again it is quiet in Collinwood--there is no sound but the ticking of the great clock in the entrance hall--and the lonely footsteps of a woman who hasn't left its grounds in 18 years--a woman whose life is limited to musty corridors, and the endless beat of a grandfather clock--a beat that seems to ignore the vitality of the world around it.

Liz comes downstairs at Collinwood and glances at the clock before entering the drawing room.

Joe and Carolyn enter the crowded Blue Whale, where she tells him she'll have a double champagne on the rocks--if he promises to drink it out of her slipper. Joe looks down at her feet and says it would be kind of hard with those little strappy things she's wearing. Practical Joe Haskell, the man with the literal mind, she teases. The bartender comes over and Joe orders a beer. Carolyn settles for ginger ale instead of champagne. Joe asks her if she wants to dance, he needs the exercise, but she says no, and seems depressed. The music is awfully loud tonight, she complains. No louder than usual, says Joe. Can't you get somebody to turn it down? she asks him. It's not the jukebox, says Joe. I'm not making all that noise, she says. It's not the music, either, he says. Then what's banging in my head--would you mind telling me? she asks, whining. A dead man, he says, Bill Malloy. She looks dejected, restless, unhappy.

The bartender brings over the drinks. Joe returns to the table and assures her they're going to turn down the volume. Hurray for my side, she says. I'm a flop, a complete failure, he says. Aren't we all? she asks. I went up to Collinwood, says Joe, took you out for the day, and you know why? Sure, because you love me, she says. That I do everyday, he says, but today was something different--I was going to try to get you to stop thinking about Malloy. That's easy, she says, snapping her fingers--I stopped. We had a few laughs, we even had dinner, says Joe, now look at us--we're trying like crazy, nothing works. You're sweet guy, she says. Oh, yeah, sure, he says, I wish just once I could see you smile. She smiles, falsely, then frowns. Is that the best you can do? he asks. I can't stop thinking about it, she says, I still can't understand how it could have happened! He fell in the water and drowned, says Joe. Do you really believe that? she asks. He did drown, everybody knows that, says Joe--why don't we just be smart and stop talking about it? It just seems so strange! says Carolyn. Nothing strange about it, says Joe, he just slipped on the rocks somewhere and he fell, it could happen to anybody. I suppose, she says. What do you think it could be--you don't think somebody pushed him in, do you? asks Joe. No, she says, smiling, of course not, that's ridiculous--all right, you wanted to dance--let's do it! They get up and begin to dance, joining another couple on the floor.

9:10 - Matthew enters the drawing room with an armload of wood and finds Liz sitting in a chair. He puts down the logs by the fireplace and asks if she's all right. I guess so, she says, thank you. Thinking about Mr. Malloy won't bring him back, he tells her. I know that, she says. I guess it's hard not to think about it, ain't it? he asks. Yes, she agrees, sighing. If there's anything I can do, anything at all, he says, about to leave, but she asks him a question: When you found Bill's body at the foot of the cliff, before you pushed him out to sea again, you said there were no marks on him--you're sure of that? There were no marks on him, none at all, says Matthew. Thank you, says Liz, wandering to the window and opening it. She looks out, her face sad. Matthew asks her if somebody said different. The sheriff, says Liz, he was here again today. I wish they'd never found that body again! says Matthew hotly. Liz looks at him. It's true, they'll never stop hounding you now, he adds. The sheriff is only doing his job, says Liz. Bill Malloy was always real nice to me, says Matthew, but that's why I pushed him back into the water, to keep people from pesterin' ya--is that what they're saying, somebody killed him or something like that? No, says Liz. Then why would you be asking me about marks on his body? asks Matthew. There was an autopsy report, says Liz, he did die of drowning, but there was also evidence of a blow on his dead. Must have happened later, says Matthew, after I pushed him off Widows' Hill, the current must have banged him up against the rocks. That's what the sheriff thought, says Liz. Why are you so worried about it? Matthew asks--poor Mr. Malloy will be buried and everything will go on like it was. I wish it were that simple, says Liz. I don't understand, says Matthew, if the sheriff thinks he died a natural death, wouldn't that be the end of anymore questions?. From the sheriff, possibly, says Liz. Are you sayin' someone else will still be hounding you? asks Matthew. I don't think it will ever stop, she says, ever.

Blue Whale - The bartender gives out drinks to the patrons, shmoozes and laughs. Maggie, hair up, wearing a conservative suit, looking pretty, enters the bar. Joe is telling Carolyn that no one would have any reason to hurt Mr. Malloy. I know, says Carolyn. Then just stop thinking that way, says Joe. Hi, kids, Maggie greets them. What brings you to this den? asks Carolyn. What do you mean? asks Maggie, this den is my father's exclusive club--do you mind if I join you? No, says Joe, standing, pulling out the chair for her, how is your dad? That's just what I was going to ask you, says Maggie, I was wondering if you'd seen him around. We haven't been around, says Carolyn mock-dreamily, we've been roaming the countryside in a hopeless search for peace and tranquillity--what happened to your dad, did he run away from home? Have you seen Burke Devlin? Maggie asks Joe, ignoring Carolyn's levity. No, says Joe. I was sure my dad was here, says Maggie desperately. What's happened? asks Carolyn--is anything wrong? Nothing much, replies Maggie, standing--if you do see him, or Burke, would you let me know? Sure, says Carolyn, but is there anything we can do? Yes, if you see Burke Devlin, says Maggie sourly, tell him to pack his bags and go back to wherever he came from. Oh, that would be a real pleasure, says Joe. What do you have against Burke? asks Carolyn. The end of the world, says Maggie, things were pretty nice around here for my dad and me until he showed up. I don't know what you're talking about, says Carolyn. You will, Maggie assures her--in a little while, it will be all over town--everybody will know--but the thing is, it's not true, I know it's not. Has Devlin been hounding your father? asks Joe. That's what gets me, says Maggie--it's your family he's after, not mine! Burke's not after anybody's family, says Carolyn. You live in Collinwood and can still say that? asks Maggie. Maggie...begins Carolyn, annoyed, then adds, I wish I knew what you were talking about. Maybe nothing, says Maggie, but I think it's about time I found out for sure--if you do see my dad, you can tell him I've decided to pay a visit to his comrade in crime. She leaves. Joe and Carolyn looks at each other, perplexed.

Collinwood drawing room - Matthew asks Liz if Burke Devlin will still be bothering her with this Malloy business. I'm afraid so, yes, says Liz. He's got no right to be digging up everything that happens around here and making trouble out of it, grumbles Matthew. Liz turns to him and says he knows the situation as well as she does. I know, says Matthew, he's no good, that one--no good at all. He's an unhappy man, says Liz--he thinks he's been wrongly treated. What do you think he'll do? asks Matthew. I don't know, sighs Liz, I imagine he'll use Bill Malloy's death to make accusations--and there's nothing any of us could do to stop him. His face ugly, Matthew asks why he ever came back--why didn't he stay where he was?--you're worried about him, aren't you? Yes I am, she admits, but don't you worry, we'll survive and will continue to survive. Yes, ma'am, he says. Thank you for your concern, she says, you're a good friend. He smiles and says yes, ma'am again, then leaves, first looking back at her one more time. She leaves the widow and walks to the foyer, checking the ticking clock. She is about to go upstairs when someone knocks. It's Maggie, who asks to come in.

Maggie, clutching a pair of gloves and a purse, asks if Mr. Collins is home. Liz asks if her brother is expecting you, Miss...? Evans, Maggie Evans, supplies the young woman--no, he wasn't expecting me--but it's very important, I'm very anxious to talk to him. Wait inside, says Liz, I'll see if he's upstairs. Maggie thanks her and enters the foyer. Liz closes the doors. Liz directs Maggie to the drawing room, and Maggie again thanks her. (I guess the conservative dress was for Collinwood/Roger's benefit.) Liz, about to go upstairs, instead joins Maggie in the drawing room. Miss Evans, she says, startling Maggie, who said she thought Liz had gone upstairs. Are you Sam Evans' daughter? asks Liz. Yes I am, says Maggie. Then perhaps you had better tell me what you wanted to tell Mr. Collins, says Liz. I wanted to talk to him, says Maggie. About your father? asks Liz. Yes, says Maggie. Does it also involve Burke Devlin? asks Liz. It took a little courage to come up, here, says Maggie--I've lived in Collinsport all my life, but I've never been within a quarter mile of this place--now that I am here, I want to talk to the man I came to see. You haven't answered my question, says Liz--you didn't tell me whether it involves Burke Devlin. Liz sits on the sofa. Yes it does, says Maggie, sitting next to her, Mrs. Stoddard, he made certain accusations about my father--I want to find out if they're true. Why come here, why not asks your father? queries Liz. Did you know that there was a meeting in your brother's office the night Bill Malloy died? asks Maggie. Yes, says Liz, your father was there, my brother, and Burke Devlin. Do you know why Mr. Malloy asked my father to come to that meeting? asks Maggie. No I don't, says Liz. Do you know why Burke says that my father was asked to be there? Maggie asks. Yes I do, says Liz. Well? demands Maggie. What would you like me to say? asks Liz. Maggie stands and says, I always wondered what it was like in here--it seemed so cold and dark on the outside, well, it's no different in this room!--Burke accused my father of withholding evidence, allowing him to go to prison for a crime your brother committed. I know, says Liz--I'm aware he's been saying that. How can you stand there so calmly? asks Maggie--I don't know how you feel about your brother, but my father's very important to me, I love him and can't believe that he... I'm sorry if I seem unconcerned, interrupts Liz, but frankly, I didn't know what the motive was for your coming here. I've got to find out the truth, can't you see that? asks Maggie gently. Yes I can, says Liz, but I'd think your father would be able to answer your questions. But Mrs. Stod...I'm so confused, I don't know what is and isn't true anymore. What does your father say? asks Liz. I don't know, replies Maggie, I haven't seen him since Burke told me--I've got to see Mr. Collins, please! I'll see if he's in his room, promises Liz. She leaves. Maggie hears the clock ticking, and she stands in the foyer, a prim, properly dressed, very upset young woman. The camera pans back, making her look smaller and smaller.

Blue Whale - Joe tells Carolyn to wait while he pays the bill. Make it quick, she says, I'm kind of anxious to get home. I'll be right with you, Joe assures her. Matthew enters and Carolyn cheerily greets him. He grins at her, saying good evening. She says she didn't know he ever came in here. I don't, he says, this is something special--you didn't happen to see Burke Devlin around here, did ya? No, she says, what do you want with him? Nothin' for you to worry about, Miss, he says--guess he'll be in sooner or later--you going back up to Collinwood from here? Yes, she says. When you see your mother, he instructs, tell her something for me--tell her I said everything is going to be all right--she'll know what I mean. Carolyn says she would like to know what he means. Bill Malloy, Miss, he says, the whole business. He walks away. OK, all set, says Joe. Carolyn tells Joe that Matthew just came in and is waiting for Burke--he seemed so strange. You let him wait for his friends, suggests Joe, holding her in his arms, and you stay with yours, OK?--he kisses her. They leave the bar. Matthew, frowning, sits at a table.

The bartender sets a beer in front of Matthew. Carolyn and Joe return to the bar; he's complaining that she first wanted to get home, then insisted he bring her back. I'm sorry, but I'm worried, she says. About what? he asks. She says she doesn't know, and sits with Matthew and says she has to ask him something. I thought you went home, he says. That's where I thought we were going, agrees Joe--hello, Matthew. Why do you want to see Burke? Carolyn asks the handyman. Why not? asks Joe, he's such a charming fella, everybody likes him. Cut it out, orders Carolyn--to Matthew, she says, you said something about Bill Malloy--what does it have to do with Burke? Nothing you or your mother will have to worry about, says Matthew. What are you going to do? asks Carolyn. Keep trouble from your mother, he replies--take her home, Joe. What kind of trouble do you mean? asks Carolyn. Your mother's all upset about Bill Malloy, says Matthew, that's bad enough, but Devlin's trying to make it worse. Why, asks Joe, sitting in a chair, what's he doing? Same thing he's always doing since he came back to Collinsport, says Matthew, I warned him once, told him to stay away from your family, to stop digging up things that were none of his business. But you're wrong about him! insists Carolyn. Please, says Matthew, let Joe take you home. Burke doesn't want to hurt anybody, says Carolyn. He's done it, says Matthew, Mr. Malloy is dead only because of him. But he had nothing...begins Carolyn, but Joe tells her to wait a minute--you think Devlin had something to do with Mr. Malloy's death? That's ridiculous, proclaims Carolyn--he drowned accidentally! You weren't so sure a few minutes ago, Joe reminds her, the way you were talking to me. I know, says Carolyn, but... Matthew, is that what you think?--that Burke killed Mr. Malloy? Just do as I ask, please, says Matthew--tell your mother everything will be straightened out.

Liz returns to Maggie in the drawing room and tells her Roger isn't at home. I suppose I'll have to come back some other time, then, says Maggie. You certainly can come back if you want to, says Liz, but I see no reason for it. How can you say that? demands Maggie. I know how distressed you are, believe me, says Liz--when I first heard Burke's accusations, I was just as upset as you--but they're absolutely false-- not one word of truth to them. How can I be sure of that? asks Maggie. Because I tell you so, says Liz gently--you say you love your father--then believe him and have faith in him. I want to, says Maggie. Burke Devlin is a destructive man, says Liz, he's angry and bitter, don't forget that. But why would he lie about my father? asks Maggie. I don't know, perhaps for some strange reason, it suits his purpose to do so, suggests Liz. But that doesn't make sense! says Maggie--your brother testified against Burke in court--I can see why he would want to get even--but why implicate my father? Burke has absolutely no reason to get even, as you put it, says Liz--my brother testified under oath and told the truth. But that still doesn't explain about my father, says Maggie. I've answered your questions as best I can, says Liz, starting to lose patience, I have nothing more to add, I'm sorry. All right, says Maggie, beaten, and she takes her gloves and purse from the sofa--thank you, she says coolly. Miss Evans, do you know what kind of man you're dealing with? asks Liz.All I know, says Maggie, is that my father and Burke used to be good friends. Do you think that matters to him now? asks Liz (Carolyn comes in)--do you think he'd let friendship stand in the way?--Burke Devlin's goals are set for him--what they are, heaven knows, and I don't know how he expected to achieve them, but I do know this--nothing's going to stop him--he'd lie, cheat, and even slander an innocent man. What about murder? asks Carolyn--Mother, I asked you question--do you think Burke is capable of committing murder? Yes I do, says Liz firmly. Carolyn walks past her without another word. Liz goes to the door to let Maggie out.

NOTES: So now BURKE is a suspect in Malloy's murder? That makes no sense, given that Bill promised to clear Devlin of the manslaughter charges. Burke had every reason to want to see Bill Malloy stay alive, and he's been bothering the sheriff to find out the truth about what happened. I think Liz wants Carolyn to think badly about Burke, but nothing seems to shake that girl's liking for him.

Poor Maggie, getting all dressed up in big girl's clothing and trying to find out what's going on with her father--the truth about this entire mess. Liz believes Roger completely, foolish, loving sister that she is, but Carolyn stubbornly holds onto her belief that Burke is a good guy in spite of everything. Odd thing is, Carolyn is right--but Burke has no finesse at all in dealing with people. I guess he lost his finesse in prison.

What is Matthew up to? Is he planning to warn Burke--or more? Is he considering pushing him off Widows' Hill to his death? Matthew's adoration for Liz is obsessive, and I think he'd do anything for her--anything!


Episode #64 - When I first arrived at Collinwood, it was with hope and fear--hope that the secrets of my past would be unlocked for me, fear of the unknown that lay ahead--and now that fear has been centered on a man's death--and the endless ripples of tension it has produced.

Liz joins Carolyn in the drawing room. Is Maggie gone? asks Carolyn. Yes, says Liz--what did you do all day, dear? Why did she come here? demands Carolyn. She was upset about something, says Liz. Does Maggie Evans usually come up to Collinwood to talk to you when she's upset? asks Carolyn resentfully. It needn't concern you, says Liz. Oh, sure, says Carolyn, taking off her coat, the waitress from the hotel restaurant comes up here for the first time in her life--you give her a big earful about Burke Devlin--and all you want to talk about now is how I spent my day--I had a lousy time, trying to forget about this place, but it didn't work--why did she come up here, Mother? She was worried about her father, says Liz. And what does that have to do with Burke? asks Carolyn. Darling, I'd rather not talk about it, says Liz. I'm sorry! says Carolyn, arms crossed, but you can't tell me what I just heard you saying to Maggie, then just ask me to drop it--let me see, what were the golden words--"Burke's capable of anything--lying, cheating, even the slander of an innocent man," whatever that means--do you really believe all that? I think so, yes, says Liz. And the rest of it? asks Carolyn--you said you thought Burke capable of murder--do you believe that, too? Carolyn, please, says Liz. I know what's on your mind, says Carolyn, and it's horrible--you think Burke killed Bill Malloy, don't you? Liz looks at Carolyn, frowning.

Why don't you tell me? says Carolyn--that is what you think, isn't it?--that Burke hit Bill over the head, then pushed his body into the water? I never said that, insists Liz. You said he was capable of murder, Carolyn reminds her, what other deaths have we had around Collinsport since he came back? Bill was an accident, nobody killed him, says Liz. Then why did you say what you did? asks Carolyn. Because I was angry--I see no reason to account to you for every word I say! says Liz angrily. You also said that Burke was capable of slandering an innocent man--when I walked in here just now, what do you think you were doing? asks Carolyn. I was trying to help a troubled girl, says Liz. How?--by calling Burke a murderer, asks Carolyn, how does that help Maggie? Perhaps I did go too far, agrees Liz. But you did mean the rest of it, says Carolyn. I don't know what I mean, says Liz, irritated--I told you I was angry, and now I'm angry with you! Why? asks Carolyn, because I'm defending a man who's never done a thing to harm us? You don't know Burke as well as I do, says Liz--I'm tired of warning you about that man! Oh, yes, says Carolyn, furious, and you've warned me, all right, when the brakes failed on Uncle Roger's car, you warned me--even when we knew Burke had nothing to do with it, you still warned me--when's it going to stop--when will you accept the fact that Burke hasn't done one single thing to hurt any of us? Liz turns away and says that isn't true--then goes over to open the window. Then you do think Burke was involved with Bill Malloy's death, says Carolyn. There are many ways to be involved, points out Liz, and I believe Burke plans to use poor Bill's death to create as much difficulty for us as he can. How? asks Carolyn, what can he possibly do? I just want you to realize he's not a friend of ours, insists Liz. That doesn't answer my question--the manager of our fishing fleet drowned--how could Burke possibly use that to create problems for us? He can and will, just take my word for it, says Liz. Carolyn sighs and asks if she had said anything about this to Matthew. About what? asks Liz. All this nonsense about Burke--did you mention it to him? asks Carolyn. Why? asks Liz. I ran into Matthew at the Blue Whale just before I left to come home--he was looking for Burke, explains Carolyn. Matthew was looking for Burke? asks Liz. Yes, says Carolyn, and he asked me to give you a message--I didn't know what it meant at the time--but I think I do now--he said to tell you everything is going to be all right--that there wouldn't be anymore trouble.

Blue Whale, crowded - Matthew still sits at the same table. Burke enters and asks him what he's doing here--has he seen Collins in here tonight? Nope, says Matthew. How long since you came down from the hill? asks Burke. Half an hour, replies Matthew. He hadn't come home by the time you left? asks Burke. No, says Matthew. OK, thanks, says Burke, and starts to walk away, but Matthew grabs his wrist and orders him to stay here. Sorry, I haven't got the time, says Burke. I want you to stay, says Matthew. Let go of my arm, demands Burke. I've been sittin' here waitin' for you, says Matthew, now you and me are going to have a talk. Look, I've got nothing to say to you, says Burke. Maybe I've got a little something to tell you, says Matthew, not releasing Burke--sit down. Get your hand off my arm, commands Burke. Matthew lets him go. Now, what's all this about? asks Burke. Bill Malloy, says Matthew--you and Bill Malloy. Burke sits down--what have you got on your mind? he asks.

Are you sure he's not there? asks Liz, annoyed--but my daughter saw him there about--how long ago since you left the Blue Whale? she asks Carolyn, who tells her 20 minutes, half an hour ago--he was there about half an hour ago, says Liz into the phone--if he does come in, will you ask him to call Mrs. Stoddard?--thank you. Maybe he's changed his mind, decided not to be your avenging angel, says Carolyn. In had no idea he would do a thing like this, says Liz. What did you say to him? asks Carolyn. I rally don't know, says Liz, we were talking about Bill Malloy, and I said I thought Burke would continue trying to find reasons for Bill's death. And I suppose you said that worried and upset you, that kind of thing, says Carolyn, rolling her eyes. I can't believe he intends to harm Burke, says Liz. Why should that worry you? asks Carolyn--he's an enemy of our family, isn't he? Foolish of me, I should have known, says Liz. Maybe he is on the way home, suggests Carolyn. What did he say to you? asks Liz. I told you--that he wanted to keep trouble away from you, he wanted to see Burke, because if it weren't for Burke, Bill Malloy would still be alive. I never said anything like that, Liz assures her, believe me. So he decided it for himself from what you did tell him, says Carolyn--what difference does it make? He's a fine, loyal man, says Liz, but I know he wouldn't hurt anyone. Don't kid yourself, says Carolyn, shaking her head--if Matthew thought anyone wanted to harm you, I think he'd tear them apart. The phone rings. Liz answers. It's Sheriff Patterson, apologizing for bothering her, but he was wondering if she'd seen or heard anything of Burke tonight. No, says Liz, why? He's on a kind of a rampage and I thought he might have headed your way to talk to your brother, says Patterson. He hasn't been here, says Liz. If he does show up, says Patterson, do yourself a favor and let me know?What do you expect he might do? asks Liz. You can never tell with a fellow like Burke, says the sheriff, but you never know--maybe nothing, but I'm just trying to keep the peace as much as I can. I'm not afraid of him, says Liz. Sometimes being afraid is a lot better than being hurt, says Patterson--if he does show up, be sure to call me. Liz assures him she will, then says there's something else she thinks she'd better discuss with him. Something new about Bill Malloy? asks Patterson. It's connected with it, says Liz--it's about my caretaker, Matthew Morgan.

Up at Collinwood, do ya know what Mr. Stoddard is going through, on account of Bill Malloy dying? Matthew asks Burke. Why don't you tell me? suggests Burke. It's something a person wants to forget, says Matthew--an old friend dies like that, you don't want to keep thinkin' about it. Who's doing the thinking? asks Burke--Roger Collins? You'd better leave that family alone, Devlin, says Matthew--I warned you once what would happen to you if you didn't. Who sent you, Roger Collins? asks Burke. Nobody had to send me here, says Matthew. Or maybe it was Mrs. Stoddard? says Burke--she decided to protect her baby brother, is that it? She don't know I'm here, says Matthew, you heard what I told that waiter when he said she was calling and asked me to call her--first time I ever lied to her in my life (I'm more surprised the bartender lied to Liz!)--do you know why, Devlin?--because she wouldn't like what I'm going to do--she'd try to stop me. What are you gonna do? asks Burke. Kill you, says Matthew, just like I said I would if you don't stop houndin' that family. You're out of your mind, accuses Burke. No I ain't, that woman's been real good to me, and I ain't gonna stand around watchin' her sufferin' because of you, says Matthew. Look, I didn't push Bill Malloy in the water, says Burke. Maybe you didn't, says Matthew, maybe nobody did, but I know what you're after now--you want to stir it up, keep after it, make all kinds of trouble for 'em! What I want to do is find a murderer, says Burke--if it makes trouble for Mrs. Stoddard, then that's her problem, not mine. I'm warnin' ya, says Matthew, pack up your bags and get out of Collinsport and never come back! Burke rises and says he'll think about it. Matthew rises, too, lumbering, and says he doesn't want him thinkin' about it, he wants him goin'--tonight. Get off my back, orders Burke, I got troubles enough without... Don't you tell me about your troubles, commands Matthew, after what you're doin' to Mz. Stoddard. What the devil do you think she is, an angel or something? asks Burke--well she's not!--she's a neurotic woman who buried herself in a tomb for 18 years, and she likes it that way. Don't you talk about her like that! cries Matthew. And you tell her her problems are just beginning! shouts Burke--you tell her that, Matthew!--and he pokes Matthew in the chest for emphasis. You come back here! yells Matthew, again grabbing Burke's wrist, but Burke wrenches free. Matthew pursues him and the two men get into a bar brawl, Matthew pushing Burke into the bar.Bob Rooney and another patron try to separate the two men, but the sheriff comes in at that moment and drags Matthew off Burke, who falls against the bar. Everyone is watching as Patterson orders them to break it up. He faces Matthew and Burke and tells them, "Let's get out of here." Why don't you let me catch my breath? asks Burke, fixing his tie. You'll catch it, in my office, says Patterson angrily--you, too, he tells Matthew--now move, you two! Burke leaves first, then Matthew, then Patterson. Rooney looks at the other patrons and closes the door, shaking his head.

Patterson brings the two men to his office, ordering them to sit, Burke in his own chair behind the desk, Matthew across from him. Patterson crosses his arms and says he ought to book both of them. You'd book him?--he lives at Collinwood, says Burke sarcastically. I hope that was a joke, says Patterson--all right, what started it? I warned him, says Matthew, but he wouldn't listen. You warned him about what? asks Patterson. He thinks I ought to be a good boy, says Burke, forget about Malloy's murder, pack my bags and leave town. Is that what you told him to do? Patterson asks Matthew. He's a trouble maker, gripes Morgan, ever since he came to Collinsport, he's been diggin' into things that are none of his business. Do you think these things are my business? asks Patterson angrily. No, replies Matthew. Well you're trying to choke someone is my business, says Patterson--who told you to chase Burke out of town? Nobody, insists Matthew. Do you believe that? Burke asks the sheriff, do you believe Roger Collins had nothing to do with this? Matthew slams his hand on he desk and says, "I told you it was m'own idea, nobody knew I was coming to see ya, nobody!" Just take it easy, says Patterson, calm down now! Mrs. Stoddard told me he'd be makin' trouble, says Matthew, askin' questions about Bill Malloy's drowning. And why do those questions bother you so much? asks Patterson. It ain't me--it's them, he says, the people in the big house--he don't care about Bill, he's just tryin' to upset Mz. Stoddard and the rest of 'em!--well I told him t'was bad enough Bill dyin' like that without even givin' her a chance to forget about it. And I suppose you told him that you weren't going to let Mrs. Stoddard and the rest forget about it, says Patterson to Burke. Something like that, replies Devlin. Patterson sighs and tells Matthew to sit outside on a bench and wait until he calls him back in here. Matthew rises and asks if he's going to be arrested--he thinks Mrs. Stoddard ought to know about this. I'm going to think about it, says Patterson, now go on! Matthew leaves the office, but gives Burke a nasty look before he does. Collinwood breeds murderers, remarks Burke--he almost killed me. Where have you been tonight? asks Patterson. Around, says Burke. I thought I told you to leave the police work to me, says the sheriff. I thought you hauled me in here because of a fight in a bar, says Burke. I did, but you just now told me you weren't going to let the people up at Collinwood forget about Malloy's death, says Patterson. Murder!--Malloy's murder! says Burke, standing. I have no evidence of a murder, says Patterson, and you know it. What are you going to do, tell me the same thing as Matthew? asks Burke--pack my bags and get out of town? Don't you try it, says Patterson, not until I've got a coroner's verdict--now you listen to me--this is a police investigation, and I don't want you going around acting judge, jury and executioner! Of course not, says Burke, we'll leave that to the big slob out there on the bench. (Cold, Burke!) I don't understand you--that's a dangerous man, he tried to kill me, and you're lecturing me--now what are you going to do about him? Don't you worry about Matthew, I can handle him, says Patterson--the person I'm not so sure of is you. Burke looks at him steadily, a slight smile on his face.

Carolyn and Liz are seated on the sofa in the drawing room. Carolyn tells her mother she wishes she had told the sheriff to call her back if he found Matthew. Nothing is going to happen, Liz assures her daughter, I'm sure of that. If Matthew does anything to Burke, it will be your fault, says Carolyn, no one else's. Will you stop worrying about Burke Devlin? asks Liz imperiously. You'd like that, wouldn't you? asks Carolyn--then you could have the whole family lined up in a row, aiming their guns at him--I'm not going to be on that firing squad, tonight or ever. I hadn't intended to tell you this, says Liz, but if you're going to continue defending Burke, I'll suppose I'll have to--you asked me why Maggie Evans had come here tonight--it was because he accused her father and Uncle Roger of being involved in Bill's death. That's ridiculous, says Carolyn. I agree, says Liz, but Burke did make the accusation--not only to Miss Evans, but the sheriff as well. What did he say? asks Carolyn. Simply that Uncle Roger knowingly allowed him to go to prison for a crime he claims Uncle Roger committed. The manslaughter charge? asks Carolyn. Yes, says Liz, he also said that Mr. Evans knew Uncle Roger was guilty and didn't come forward at the time of the trial. How terrible, says Carolyn--no wonder Maggie was so upset! He said that Bill Malloy learned the facts and was going to reveal them shortly before he died, says Liz. Burke told all this to Maggie? asks Carolyn. Yes, says Liz. And was tonight the first time you'd heard about it? asks Carolyn. No, says Liz. But how could he...I mean WHY should he say these things? asks Carolyn. The fact is, he did say them, says Liz, and they're untrue. It's just so hard to believe, says Carolyn. What would you rather believe? asks her mother--that Burke is a vicious liar or that Uncle Roger knowingly permitted an innocent man to go to jail?

Tell me that again, Burke, says Patterson, I'm not sure I heard you right. I said I went to see Sam Evans tonight, says Burke. I did hear you, says Patterson, what did you do that for? I told you, I was going to get to the bottom of this Malloy business, says Burke. And I told you this "Malloy business" is MY business, says Patterson--what did you think you were going to do, beat a confession out of him for a non-existent murder? I expected to do a lot more than sit behind a desk and play nursemaid to a half-crazy caretaker! Says Burke. Patterson rises from his chair and approaches Burke, saying, "I've about had it with you--I don't want to lock you up, but you're just asking for it--what happened with Evans?" Nothing, says Burke, he ran out on me--but an hour later he came to my hotel room--I don't think he killed Bill Malloy. I don't know that ANYBODY killed him! says the sheriff--when are you going to get that through your thick head? He looks out the window. If it wasn't Evans, it has to be Collins, says Burke. I don't seem to be getting through to you, says Patterson, holding out his badge--this is a badge, and I wear it, not you--I represent the law around here, not you! Well then do something about it, says Burke. If there's one thing I don't like, it's a vigilante, says Patterson, and that's what you're trying to be--I'm going to give you a piece of advice, and it's the last time I'm going to warn you--you go back up to your hotel room and stay there!--stay away from Roger and Collinwood, is that clear? Burke rises, coat over his arm, and says, "Why don't you tell them to keep their goons away from me?" The sheriff opens the door and orders him to get out of here before he loses his temper. He picks up the phone and orders Matthew sent in to him. Go on! says Patterson to Burke--go to your hotel room. Treat him nice and easy, says Burke--remember, that family has influence in this town. Burke leaves, but he and Matthew pass by each other before he does. Matthew comes in and tells Patterson that he was thinking. You've been thinking too much lately, says Patterson--sit down! Matthew does so. Patterson sits on his desk in front of him and says, "You said you wanted to keep trouble away from Collinwood? Matthew nods and says yes, sir. Then stay up there, orders Patterson--you work their farm for them, you carry their firewood, but keep away from Devlin. I was only tryin'... protests Matthew. Don't tell me what you were trying to do, orders Patterson, I'm telling you what you're going to do. What if Devlin won't stay away from Collinwood? asks Matthew. You worry about yourself, says Patterson, not Devlin--and just consider yourself lucky I didn't put you in one of these cells here! What if he does come up there? persists Matthew. He won't, says Patterson, not after tonight--not if he knows what's good for him.

I've only been concerned about what's best for you, Liz tells Carolyn, how I wish you could have gone away from here before all this started. It wouldn't have changed anything, insists Carolyn. For you it would have, says Liz--I know what you've been going through. Mother, says Carolyn, I've always liked Burke. Always? asks Liz, you've known him such a short time. I know, but...why did he have to do it? asks Carolyn--why did he have to say those horrible things about Uncle Roger? Because he's bitter and angry, says Liz. He always seems so...I don't know, so different, says Carolyn--how can you ever know anything about anybody? I've never learned the answer to that question, says Liz, smiling, I suppose you have to put faith in someone you love and hope they'll be honest with you. Yes, agrees Carolyn, if I could only talk to Burke and asks him how he could say these things. I suppose you should, if you feel you must, says Liz You wouldn't object? asks Carolyn. Would it make any difference if I did? asks Liz. No, I suppose not, says Carolyn. I can't say I'd be happy about your talking to him, or even seeing him, for that matter, says Liz, but there comes a time when you have to make your own decision. I love you, says Carolyn. I love you, too, darling, says Liz, rising from the sofa--now why don't you go upstairs to bed, and try to put all this out of your mind and get a good night's sleep? She leads her daughter to the door and gives her a kiss. They bid each other good night. Liz picks up the phone and dials the sheriff's office, asking about her caretaker--oh, never mind, she says, hearing a knock at the door--I think he's here now. She opens the door, saying, "Matthew, I..."--but it's Burke. Good evening, Mrs. Stoddard, he says. She looks at him, stunned.

NOTES: Nice scenes between Carolyn and Liz. I enjoy these, but they become scarce once Barnabas shows up. There must have been real affection between Bennett and Barrett.

Matthew is like a faithful old dog, and you've got to love his dogged determination to protect Liz from all evil, especially Burke Devlin. Their scene in the bar was tense, very well played out, and shocking when they got into a physical fight that had to be broken up. Timely intervention by Patterson.

Patterson is right--Burke is trying to take the law into his own hands, but he is understandably frustrated over what he sees as inaction by the sheriff. His sarcastic remarks about how Matthew would get treated better than he, because Matthew comes from the "big house", are untrue, really, since I believe Patterson is a man of integrity, but you can't blame Burke for feeling the way he does. I just adore Dana Elcar as Patterson, who, while he doesn't have the down-home charms of Mr. Carter, still has a strong personality, a sense of humor and knows what's right and wrong. I don't envy him Collinsport right now!

Thayer David is wonderful, as always, and downright scary as Matthew. I got chills when he told Burke he was going to kill him, as easily as he might crush a fly. And he would definitely have gotten the better of Burke if that fight had continued. Fascinating contrast in rough-hewn men, Burke and Matthew, both fierce, loyal and sure they are right.

Have a great week! Remember, no DS Wednesday through Friday this week!  

Love, Robin

Episode #59 - Death has come to Collinwood, forcing the hidden secrets of the past closer to the light--secrets that might provide answers for a man whose probing has but one goal--the truth.

Roger comes downstairs and joins Sheriff Patterson in Collinwood's foyer. Nice painting, remarks Patterson--who is he? Roger stops on the stairs and says it's his great uncle. That would be Benjamin, then, Benjamin Collins, says Patterson (how does he know so much history of the family)? My son told me you were down here waiting to see me, says Roger--it wasn't to discuss my genealogy, was it? I sure wish we had time, says Patterson--the history of your family has always fascinated me--the way they built this town, this house--they knew what they wanted and went after it. Maybe you'd better tell me what it is you want, suggests Roger. Just a little information, it won't take long, says Patterson. I told you all I knew this morning, says Roger. That's the trouble with my job, says Patterson--I see a man in the morning, fill my head with facts, and then something happens and I have to go over the whole thing again. What do you mean, something happens? asks Roger. Well, says the sheriff, for one thing, we fished Malloy's body out of the water, but then you knew that--then with this and that, I just figured maybe you and I had better have another talk--I hope you don't mind, I know you've had a trying day. Not at all, says Roger--I'll be only too glad to help in any way I can--shall we go inside? Fine, says Patterson. They head into the drawing room, where Roger looks perturbed to be doing this all over again.

Roger closes the double doors and offers the Patterson a drink. I sure would like one, but I'm on duty, says the sheriff, but you go ahead. Roger pours a drink, but decides not to drink it (afraid to mess up his head and loosen his tongue)--what was it you want to know? How Malloy died, says Patterson. You've got the autopsy report, what does that show? asks Roger. Asphyxiation due to water entering the lungs, says Patterson--drowning, in other words, but there was more than that--Bill had also received a severe blow to the head. Before he drowned? asks Roger. We can't tell that, and that's one of the problems, says Patterson--you know what the waters are like around here and Bill's body was in the water more than 24 hours, banging up against the rocks. That blow on his head could have come from hitting the rocks, says Roger, sitting on the sofa. Until I know otherwise, says Patterson, that's just what I'm going to have to figure. Poor Bill, says Roger. He wasn't a pretty sight, says Patterson, sitting down, I can tell you that. It's just so horrible, says Roger, to know a man for that long and to think of him ending up that way--how could a thing like that have happened? There are several possibilities--he could have slipped on a rock and fallen into the water, suggests Patterson, he might have been drunk, he could have jumped for some reason or other--or pushed. Pushed?--that's ridiculous, says Roger.I know it sounds strange, says Patterson, knowing Bill and how well liked he was in this town, but you know how it is, I can't close the file drawer until I've gone over every possibility. Now you're talking about murder, says Roger. It's just talk, says Patterson--all I really know is that Bill died in the water--how he got there is what I have to work out. I'll be glad to do anything I can to help you, says Roger, rising from the sofa. I'm glad to hear you say that, says Patterson, because it just might be you can help me a great deal. Roger looks at him. Your sister, too, perhaps, says Patterson.

Liz comes downstairs just as Vicki returns, arms loaded with wrapped packages. I thought you were spending the day in town, says Liz. I spent all my money, so I had to come back, says Vicki--actually, I came back to get change, I'm going out again. We're going to have dinner early tonight, says Liz. That's what I wanted to tell you, says Vicki--I won't be here for dinner--I'm meeting a friend. The doors open and Roger tells Liz he was just coming out to fetch her. Is it all right? Vicki asks Liz. Of course, says the older woman, I'm glad you've been able to make some friends in Collinsport. Vicki goes upstairs. Liz asks Roger what's going on. Something rather personal and private, he tells her, watching Vicki heading upstairs. What friends was she talking about? he asks his sister. I don't know, says Liz, someone she's having dinner out--what is it you wanted? Roger, still watching Vicki on the landing, doesn't answer at first, and Liz repeats his name. We have a visitor, says Roger--the sheriff--I told him you were resting, but he was rather insistent. What does he want, he was here this morning, says Liz. I gather he wants to ask more questions, says Roger. Let's go inside, she says. Liz, before you go in, he says, I want you to be sure you remember one thing--I'm your brother. (And all this is said within Patterson's hearing.)

And, as I told your brother, says Patterson to Liz, the blow on Bill's head was probably caused by his being thrown up against the rocks--the action of the water, I mean. What do you mean, probably, asks Liz--what other explanation could there be? The sheriff thinks Bill could have been murdered, says Roger. You can't mean that, protests Liz. I only mentioned it as a vague possibility I'd be only too happy to cross off my list, says Patterson--Mr. Collins, this morning when you were talking about the last time you saw Bill Malloy alive, you said it was about 10 o'clock on the night he died. That's right, says Roger. And it was then he asked you to go to your office at 11 for a meeting. What's the point in going over all this again? asks Liz. I'm just trying to fill in the blank spaces, says Patterson, like what your brother was doing between 10 and 11 that night. Liz looks at Roger--surely you aren't considering Roger a suspect in your imaginary murder? Asks Liz. That's all right, says Roger, I can answer these questions, I have nothing to hide--Bill and I talked here in this room until about 10 after 10--then he left--he said he went home. Which he did, says Patterson, because his housekeeper said he got home at 20 after--after he left, what did you do? I don't know, says Roger, I had a drink, I think, then I went to this ridiculous meeting. Did you happen to make any phone calls before you left? asks Patterson. Yes, says Roger, hedging, I called the Coast Guard for a weather report. Any other calls? asks Patterson. No, says Roger. You're sure of that? persists the sheriff. Look, says Roger impatiently, you asked me a question and I answered it! So you did, chuckles Patterson. What difference does it make whether Roger made a phone call or not? asks Liz. None, probably, just another loose end, says Patterson--Bill's housekeeper said he received a phone call about 10:30, and I was wondering who it was. It wasn't me, says Roger, walking away. (Couldn't they trace phone calls in those days?) Let's get back to the meeting, suggests Patterson, flipping through his notes--you got back to the office at what time? Eleven o'clock, says Roger--well, to be more precise, one minute after 11. And what time did you leave your house? questions Patterson. I left this house at 10 of 11, says Roger, irritated. You're sure of that, says Patterson. Yes, replies Roger. Did anyone see you leave? asks Patterson. Just a minute, says Liz, rising from the sofa--I see no reason why my brother should be subjected to this kind of interrogation by you or anyone else. When Bill's body hit the water, says Patterson, his watch bumped up against something--a rock, probably--and it stopped--at exactly 10:45. Roger looks uncomfortable. And you think that Roger...begins Liz. I'm not thinking anything, ma'am, says Patterson, these are just loose ends and I've got to clear them up. Did anyone see you leave the house? Liz asks her brother. No, says Roger. But you were still here at 10:45? asks Liz. Yes, responds Roger--it's exactly a 10 minute drive to my office--I left here at 10 of 11 and drove directly there. I see, says Patterson--then, you, Burke Devlin and Sam Evans all went to your office at 11 at Malloy's request. Yes, says Roger. And you didn't have any idea what this meeting was to be about, says Patterson. Malloy said he would explain when he got there, says Roger. But he never did because he died 15 minutes before the meeting was supposed to begin, says Patterson--Mrs. Stoddard, this morning when you were telling me about Bill's state of mind, that he was upset because--and I think these were your words--he had something important to do--am I right? I believe that's what I said, Liz agrees. Would you mind telling me what that important matter was? asks Patterson. Yes I would mind, says Liz, it's an entirely personal matter. Did it have anything to do with Burke Devlin? asks Patterson. Liz doesn't reply. Did Malloy tell you that he was planning to clear Burke Devlin of the murder charge that sent him to prison 10 years ago? demands Patterson. He was WHAT? bursts out Roger. I'm asking your sister, says Patterson, holding out a warning hand. He said he was going to try to keep Burke from harassing our family, says Liz. Did he say how? asks Patterson. No, says Liz. You realize, of course, that clearing Burke Devlin of that charge would incriminate someone else, says Patterson. Sheriff, says Roger, I think you'd better come right out and say what you mean. I spoke to Burke earlier today, says Patterson, he said that meeting had a very definite purpose--to clear him of that manslaughter charge. He said THAT? demands Roger--Liz, did you hear that?--did you hear what Burke told the sheriff? Yes I did, says Liz significantly. What else did he tell you? asks Roger--did he tell you that Malloy was trying to say that I was responsible for this crime? Something like that, yes, says Patterson. And what about Sam Evans, asks Roger--I suppose Burke said he was possibly a mystery witness. Burke said he didn't know why Evans was there, says the sheriff, but he figured it was probably something like that, yes. Listen very well, orders Roger, because now I'm going to tell you something--there is not one shred of truth to Burke's story--none at all!Then he lied, says Patterson. Yes, agrees Roger. Is that what you think? Patterson asks Liz. You heard my brother, didn't you? asks Liz, giving him one of her most imperious looks. (And so Liz supports her brother, as he asked her to in the first place.)

David cheerily greets Vicki as he enters her room. She's getting ready for dinner at the Evans'. You're certainly in a good mood, aren't you? she asks him, grinning. He's wearing a suit and tie, a crest on the jacket, and carrying some large pieces of paper. Yes, he says--want to know a secret?--after today, I'm not going to see my father anymore--he's going to prison. The smile fades from Vicki's face. That's not a very good joke, she chides him.It's true, says David--the sheriff is downstairs right now, arresting him for murder--and I have evidence that will help send him to prison. Vicki asks what evidence. The sheriff came here a little while ago and asked to see my father, explains David, and it's about Mr. Malloy. And he said he was going to arrest him for murder? asks Vicki. Why else would he come? asks David. You're terrible! says Vicki, smiling. I'm not as bad as my father--I never killed anyone, says David (no, you just tried). Neither did he, says Vicki--the sheriff probably came to ask him some questions, and it's very wrong to say the things you do. Mr. Malloy was murdered and my father murdered him, states David--when Vicki turns away, dismissing him, he says, all right, don't believe me--but it's true. Then you're the only one who thinks so, says Vicki--Mr. Malloy drowned, no one killed him, not your father or anyone else. You're just saying that because you're scared it will happen to you, says David--my father doesn't like you, either, and you're scared he'll do the same thing to you he did to Mr. Malloy--he'll push you--and you'll fall and scream, and no one will hear you because you'll be dead--maybe that's just what you deserve! He starts to leave in a huff, but she stops him and asks him how he knows his father killed Mr. Malloy. I know, that's all, he says. Did you see anything? she asks. No, he says. Did you hear anything? she asks. Of course not--he wouldn't talk about it! says David. Then how can you say you know? asks Vicki. The widows told me, he says, and they never lie--I also saw it in my crystal ball, and that doesn't lie to me, either--I even figured out on charts just where it happened, using tides and ocean currents--and I know just where it happened--you want to see? He places the papers on her bed and starts flipping through the pages. She tells him she doesn't want to talk about it. But if I show you the spot, you'll know where to stay away from, he says. I'm not interested, she insists--now please, I've got to get ready to go out. She opens her door, making is clear she wants him to go. You know, he says, I don't care if he DOES kill you! (And here I thought they were making progress.)

Liz and Roger are seated in the drawing room. Patterson says the one thing he doesn't understand is what Burke Devlin would have to gain by lying about the purpose of that meeting--would you know, Mrs. Stoddard? I have no idea, she says. Well, says Patterson, I have two stories here, Burke's and your brother's--each exactly the opposite. There's a third man involved, says Roger. That's true, says Liz, have you questioned him? Yes, says Patterson, and he said exactly the same as Roger--he had no idea what the meeting was about. That should settle it, insists Roger, wouldn't you say? I wish it were that easy, says Patterson--poor Bill, if he knew what his drowning was stirring up. Nothing is being stirred up, says Roger, rising from his chair--don't you see that?--it's only what Burke is doing. It's enough, opines Patterson. Burke has never forgiven me for testifying at his trial, insists Roger--he would do anything to cause me as much anguish as possible--his story is completely false! All right, says Patterson, thanking them--I'll be in touch, he says. Roger volunteers to see him to the door. Liz tells her brother she wants to see him, and Roger says in a minute--to Patterson, he says, you were involved in that investigation that led to Burke's trial--don't you know whether he's guilty or not? (Was it Patterson or Carter? They are two different lawmen, right?) That's part of my problem, says Patterson. David joins them in the foyer and asks the sheriff, "Aren't you taking him with you?" Patterson chuckles and asks who. Go upstairs, Roger orders his son. That's all right, says Patterson, a hand on David's shoulder--did you think I was going to arrest your father? Yes, says David. I was thinking of it, says Patterson, but he kind of talked me out of it--what have you got there? A chart, says David--it shows exactly where Mr. Malloy's body went into the water--here, I made it for you. He hands it over to the sheriff, who thanks him and says he'll take it along to the office and study it--that's quite a boy you have there, Mr. Collins. Yes, agrees Roger. Patterson says he'll be in touch and suggests to David that he keep up the detective work, then leaves. Roger and David exchange ugly looks, walking in opposite directions, and the father turns back to gaze at his son, who looks back stoically.

David listens at the closed drawing room doors as Roger protests to Liz that, for the love of heaven, they went through the same conversation this morning. He pours a drink. Not the same, corrects Liz, not at all--I hadn't lied for you this morning. Lied? he asks. You were right here when George asked me why Bill was upset, says Liz, and if it had anything to do with Burke's manslaughter conviction. All right and you said no, you lied, what else could you say, what good would it do to rake up all that old nonsense? asks Roger. Was it nonsense? asks Liz, as Roger takes a slug from his glass, or was Burke telling the truth? You heard what I told the sheriff, didn't you? asks Roger. I'm not the sheriff, Liz reminds him, didn't Bill call that meeting because he thought he could clear Burke? Roger puts down his glass and says he isn't going to answer that question. You'd better answer it, says Liz severely--did you or didn't you know why Bill called that meeting? I did not! says Roger. I'm not sure I believe you, says Liz. Fine, believe Burke, says Roger--forget his threats and believe him! Should I also forget that Bill came to see me the day he died, asks Liz, and said that he could prove you were responsible for the crime that sent Burke to prison?--should I forget that Mr. Evans had come to see me, a man I hadn't seen in almost 20 years came to see me that very same day? Do you know why he was here? asks Roger, sinking down onto the sofa. No, says Liz, but he was here, he was also in your office with you and Mr. Evans at Bill's request--putting these facts together seems to lend some credence to Burke's story. All right, says Roger, I'll tell you the truth. Yes? asks Liz. David listens outside the door. I'm afraid all your suspicions are absolutely correct, every one of them, says Roger--Bill learned a fact that I have been trying to hide for 10 years--the fact that I testified falsely against Burke, because I was responsible for the crime that he was charged with--it was either him or me, Liz--I had to choose, so I chose to save myself--Bill threatened to expose me, and called this meeting to do so--again, I had a choice--and again I chose--so I killed Bill Malloy--I hit him over the head with a rock, and threw his body into the water. Liz, breathing heavily, insists she doesn't believe him--it can't be true! Roger rises and gets right in her face. Of course it isn't true! he cries, not one ugly word of it is true! Then how could you. .why? asks Liz. Because I was being your mirror, he says, saying out loud what you were saying in your mind--and that's the way it sounds--that's the way those unspoken accusations in your mind sound--it's pretty, isn't it? Horrible! says Liz. Believe me, he says, and realize that those suspicions were planted in your mind by the mouthings of a neurotic man who's bent on trying to destroy me!Liz rises and faces him, saying how deeply sorry she is. On the other side of the door, Vicki catches a disappointed David eavesdropping and tells him that isn't very nice. I heard it! says David excitedly, I heard him say he killed Mr. Malloy! David! chides Vicki. But it's true! insists David--I heard him! Roger and Liz exit the drawing room. Roger asks his son if he's still playing detective. They'll get you, you wait and see! warns David, and runs off. The three adults look after him as he pounds his way upstairs. What's wrong with him? asks Liz. Just his imagination, says Vicki--I'd better get going. I hear you have a dinner appointment this evening, says Roger. Yes, says Vicki, with Maggie Evans and her father--good night. She leaves. Roger looks unhappy. Maggie Evans' father, repeats Liz--is that Sam Evans? Roger says yes. Why should it brother you that Miss Winters was seeing him? asks Liz. It doesn't concern me in the least, says Roger, heading upstairs, but Liz doesn't looks as if she quite believes this.

NOTES: For a second there, it sounded like Roger really was confessing, didn't it? The thing is, we know he's guilty of framing Burke, with Sam's help--but what about Malloy's murder--did he do that, too, for real? What tight, intense acting in these shows, and the writing, while repetitive sometimes, is top-notch.

David is such a hoot, unabashed in his hatred for Roger, who becomes more of a bastard every day. He was SO hoping he could help the sheriff lock up his father, but was disappointed when it didn't come to pass. However, he did hear the entire conversation that took place between Roger and Liz, so didn't he hear the last part, where Roger tells Liz it's all untrue? Or did David just hear what he wanted to?

Patterson is very methodical, and it's fun to watch him put this case together, like a puzzle, fitting in as many pieces as he can. Problem is, he's got Liz obstructing justice by lying for her brother. Roger hit her in her most vulnerable spot--family--and he knew she would lie for him. Then again, he lied to Vicki for her, so it must be a family thing all around. And Patterson has no evidence anyone murdered Malloy.

For a few moments, it looked like David was getting along better with Vicki, wanting to show her his research--but he should know already that she won't listen to bad stories abut his father. David figures HE was ready to murder his father, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree--Roger could have killed Malloy, too, and it would get him out of David's life, which is what the kid really wants.


Episode #60 - Collinwood at night, its towers a dark mass against a threatening sky, a symbol of a mystery I cannot solve--that brings me to a cottage not far from the waterfront--that might hold the answers I've been waiting so long to hear.

Maggie, Vicki holding the door open, enters the cottage, arms laden with packages. She warns Vicki that he father's an artist, so don't expect everything to be neat. Vicki promises to be prepared for the worst. Maggie looks around and decides it's neither the best nor the worst, but somewhere in-between. She sets the packages down on the art table and calls to Pop. It's charming, says Vicki. It's all right if you like palettes in your chairs, laughs Maggie, removing one--and an occasional paintbrush in your soup--make yourself comfortable--I'm going to rouse Pop and tell him we have company for dinner She exits. Vicki takes off her coat and hangs it on a hook by the door. She glances at a painting on the easel. Maggie comes out and says he's not home--they'll just have to surprise him. Did your father do all these paintings? asks Vicki. Every blessed one of them, says Maggie--he's pretty good, isn't he?--you'd better say yes. I think he's wonderful, says Vicki. Now I know we're going to be friends, chuckles Maggie. Vicki grins at her. There's a pile more over here, says Maggie, why don't you look through them, while I unpack these groceries. Let me help you, says Vicki, and Maggie, lifting up both bags, says she won't keep her from admiring her father's paintings--he'd kill her! She returns to the kitchen as Vicki looks through the paintings. She picks one out and holds it in better light, then at her own reflection in the mirror. She begs Maggie to come out now--this is really important!
What's all the excitement? asks Maggie. Did your father do this painting? asks Vicki. He painted everything in this house, Maggie says--including the walls, if you really want to know--why? Take a look at it, says Vicki, holding out a framed picture of a woman who looks just like her, dark hair piled on top of her head. That's an oldie, says Maggie--where did you ever find that--it's been here as long as I can remember. In that stack over there, says Vicki, pointing--I want you to look at it very carefully, then look at me. What am I supposed to be seeing? asks Maggie. Gesturing to the picture, Vicki says around the nose and mouth--don't you think it looks like me? Yes, a little, agrees Maggie--she could pass for your sister. Do you know who she is? asks Vicki eagerly. No, says Maggie, I told you, my father could have done it 30 years ago. Do you think he'd know? asks Vicki anxiously. He might, says Maggie. I hope he does, says Vicki--this could be so important! Maggie tells her not to get so excited--it could just be a coincidence. Vicki sits down with the painting, saying I know--but I really can't afford to pass up something like this--something that might be the answer to everything I've been looking for. I agree, says Maggie, when my father gets here, we'll ask him--maybe he can remember--you really hang on, don't you? Every night in the foundling home, says Vicki, I used to lie in bed and stare at the dark and pray that when I woke up in the morning, I'd know who I really was--it's a common disease for all the others there, too--looking for answers. Have you ever thought what would happen if you found the answers and they weren't what you wanted to hear? asks Maggie kindly. Anything would be better than not knowing, says Vicki. I wonder, says Maggie. How can you say that? demands Vicki--every night when your father comes home, he's real, a person you've known your whole life! Is he? asks Maggie--you be in your dreams--I'm going to start supper. Vicki gazes at the painting, which so closely resembles her, it appears she could have sat for it. (Good points on both sides. Maggie probably thinks her father is someone she doesn't know anymore).

Patterson, in his office, answers the phone. He's here again? he asks--OK, send him in--and what about that tide chart--isn't it finished yet?--all right, I'll come out in a couple of minutes then. Burke bursts in and Patterson suggests they ought to give him a desk around here. What's happening with Bill Malloy? asks Burke. If there are any reports to make, you'll hear about it, says Patterson. Have you questioned Roger and Sam yet? Yup, says Patterson. Well what did they say? asks Burke impatiently. I haven't had a chance to do much eating today, warns Patterson--don't make me spoil my digestion by getting angry at you. He takes a cup of water from the cooler. It's been some time now since Malloy's body was fished out of the water, Burke reminds him. You'll just have to be as patient as I am, say the sheriff. I suppose you don't know anything about what's caused his death? asks Burke. The autopsy report said he drowned, says Patterson. That report also said he was hit on the head, Burke reminds him. That could have happened after he was in the water, bumping up against the rocks. You still believe that, after talking to Collins and Evans, you still believe that! says Burke, incredulous. You're pretty hot about this, aren't you? asks Patterson. If Malloy was murdered, says Burke, I was the person responsible put away. Roger or Sam, you mean, says Patterson, picking up his sandwich. Yes, says Burke. What about Burke Devlin? asks the sheriff. I had no reason to want him dead--but they did! says Burke--and if you don't do something about it, so help me, I will. Patterson takes a big bite of his sandwich.

When I write my autobiography, jokes Maggie, I'm going to name you the champion potato peeler of all time. You ought to see me mince onions--I'm ever better at that! says Vicki. The two women sit on the sofa. Tears and all? asks Maggie. By the bucket, says Vicki, smiling. You can take that apron off now, says Maggie, there's nothing to do but sit back and let it cook--I hope you're hungry. I will be, don't you worry, says Vicki, removing the apron. What's a kitchen like up at Collinwood? asks Maggie. Spooky and scary, like the rest of the house, says Vicki. A spooky kitchen, that's one I've never heard of! says Maggie excitedly. Every time you open the door of the oven, you have to be really careful, because there's an old witch getting ready to push you in and make a meal out of you, jokes Vicki--and on top of the stove, they have open fires and huge cauldrons on top, and you have to stir and stir. Maggie laughs as Vicki imitates stirring, and both women quote "double, double, toil and trouble," giggling. It's just a kitchen, says Vicki, bigger than yours--haven't you ever been up there? Are you kidding? Asks Maggie--that first night you landed here and I told you I'd never set foot near that place, I meant it--there are enough spooks around here without going up to Widows' Hill to look for more. Spooks in this place? Asks Vicki. Sure, says Maggie, pointing to the painting Vicki found--there's one, maybe--there are others--have you ever seen a ghost up there. Once, maybe, says Vicki, during a thunderstorm, all the lights went out, I was down in the drawing room, and suddenly there was a flash of lightning, and in the doorway was this black, hooded figure--I called out, but it didn't answer--and then there was another lightning flash, and it was gone. Weren't you scared? Asks Maggie. Terrified, what do you think? asks Vicki. I think you're nuts to stay there, that's what I think, says Maggie, and begins adding silverware to the elegantly set table. Vicki explains that it might not have been a ghost, but Mr. Collins. Even so, says Maggie, the things that are digging at that family came along long before you ever got there--search or no search, I wouldn't stay up at Collinwood. All big houses have stories and legends attached to them, says Vicki, but I just can't let them drag me away until I've found the answers I'm looking for. Answers, says Maggie--I wasn't talking about any 200 year old ghost story--you've got strong nerves, maybe you can stand that kind of thing--I know I couldn't--the trouble started about 10 years ago--believe me, I think they've just hit the boiling point. Are you talking about Burke Devlin's trial? Asks Vicki. Yes, says Maggie. It's funny, says Vicki, ever since I've come here, that's all anyone's ever talked about--but no one will tell me what really happened. Maybe no one knows or wants to tell, suggests Maggie, as Sam returns home. No one wants to tell what? asks Sam, removing his hat. Vicki greets Sam, who asks if she isn't a long way from the hill. Vicki's going to be our dinner guest, says Maggie, go get washed up, Vicki and I have all sorts of things we want to ask you about. Sam nods, but doesn't look thrilled. He goes into what we presume is the bathroom, first giving both women an odd glance. Maggie shrugs her shoulders. Not exactly a bundle of cheer, is he? she asks Vicki.

Burke is sitting on top of the sheriff's desk, looking over a paper in his hand. Patterson apologizes for having to walk out on him like that, but he had to get something--of course, if you're in a hurry, there isn't much sense in hanging around. I'm not leaving here until I get some kind of answer, insists Burke. this seems to be your day for making threats, says Patterson--first you threaten to do something about Evans and Collins, now you're pulling a sit down strike in my office--my advice to you is to slow down, boy, right now--he snatches away the paper Burke's been reading--and stay away from the papers on my desk! Is that part of the official report? Asks Burke--it looks like something a 10 year old kid might have drawn up. Nine, says Patterson--David Collins tried to figure out where Malloy's body landed in the water--he wasn't too far off, either. You've got that figured? Asks Burke. Yes, roughly, based on tides, ocean currents and so on, says Patterson, gazing at the paper--his body could have hit the water in three different spots. Where are they? asks Burke, coming around to look over Patterson's shoulder---but the sheriff turns it over so he can't see it. Come on, what difference does it make? asks Burke. Patterson relents and shows Burke the drawing--Malloy's house is on the water, it could have been there, says Patterson--Simms Cove, too, about two miles north of the cannery--and at Lookout Point. That's halfway between Bill's house and the cannery, says Burke. I know, says Patterson. Do you also know Bill was in the habit of walking to the cannery from his house? Uh huh, says Patterson. Doesn't that mean anything to you? asks Burke. What do you think it should mean? asks Patterson. That he was murdered on the way to the meeting! says Burke. If he was murdered, says Patterson. What do you mean, if? Asks Burke--I told you about the motive and the meeting! Yup, says the sheriff. You've seen Roger and Sam and talked to them about it, haven't you? asks Burke. Yup, says the sheriff tiredly.Doesn't that suggest something to you? demands Burke. Nope--somebody's lying, says Patterson.

What do you mean, somebody's lying? asks Burke, sitting on the sheriff's desk--Malloy invited me, Collins and Evans to the meeting--he knew that if I wasn't guilty, Roger had to be. And Evans was going to help prove that? asks Patterson. Yes, says Burke. How? asks Patterson. I thought you would have figured that out by now, says Burke--you spoke to Evans, didn't you? Yes, says Patterson, and Collins, I went over your whole story with them, sentence by sentence, they didn't agree with it--both said you were lying--according to them, Malloy never said anything about your manslaughter trial. And according to me, THEY lied--both of them, says Burke. Patterson gives him a look and says somebody lied, that's for sure. So, this is where it ends, says Burke--Malloy dies and nothing happens! I don't have any proof, none whatsoever, says Patterson, that Malloy was murdered! I gave you proof and motive! Says Burke. You gave me a story that's been contradicted by two other men, points out Patterson. Aren't you forgetting that Roger Collins is a pretty good liar? asks Burke. Aren't you forgetting that a jury didn't seem to think so? counters Patterson. What do you want me to do? asks Burke--say that he's so good he fooled everybody with it?--he was lying then and he's lying now--and Evan is lying--and one of them murdered Bill Malloy--and if you want to sit around here playing Truth or Consequences--not me!--I'm not about to let them get away with it! He starts to leave, and Patterson orders him to come back. No! blares Burke, you can tell me not to play detective. You listen to me, commands the sheriff, if you get any ideas about taking this into your own hands, I'm going to pull you in here, put you in a cell, and forget there ever was a key! They stare each other down, and Burke angrily leaves. Patterson looks pissed, too.

Cottage - Sam smokes his pipe, telling Vicki what an interesting story that is--he had no idea she was searching for a family. Yes indeed, says Vicki. How do you like that? asks Maggie, carrying in a tray, she doesn't know when she's well off! I trust you were joking, says Sam, and Maggie laughs and kisses him--dinner will be ready in 15 minutes, she tells them, and returns to the kitchen. I'm glad you're here, says Sam to Vicki, it's been rather trying here for her these past times--she hasn't been laughing like she used to lately--how can I be of help to you? It's about this painting, says Vicki, handing it to him--do you remember who the model was? He takes it and gazes at it, then says it is an old one--not bad, pretty good, he remarks--amazing how your brush stroke changes in 25 years. Is that how old it is? asks Vicki. Far as I can recall, somewhere in the vicinity of...you know something, she looks a bit like you--or rather you look a bit like her, especially around the nose and mouth. That's why I want to know who she is, says Vicki. I know she was a local girl, says Sam--Hansen--no, Betty Hanscomb--she was a lovely girl. Do you know anything about her? asks Vicki. I knew a great deal about her in those days, says Sam, sucking on his pipe. I heard that, Pop, says Maggie, returning to the room. That was before I married your mother, he says--I'm afraid this has no connection with you, because Betty left town about six months after I painted this--then I heard she had died about five or six months later--so you weren't even born then. Does she have any family? asks Vicki hopefully. Sam thinks and says her parents are both dead--no other relatives--sorry. Vicki looks dejected and says, "So am I." Wait a minute, says Maggie--Hansen--wasn't that the fella that Burke killed? No, Hanscomb, with a "C", says Sam. Sorry, says Maggie, I was in the kitchen, I thought you said Hansen. You were wrong, he says, rising from the chair. Before you came in, says Maggie, Vicki and I were talking about Burke--she said she never really knew about the accident--we thought maybe you'd tell her about it. I don't think it would be of any interest to her, remarks Sam. Oh, but it would, says Vicki. All ancient history, says Sam--Maggie, why did you have to bring this up? Why not? asks Maggie, is there any reason you don't want to talk about it? I can think of far better ways to entertain a guest? Says Sam. Maggie asks Vicki if she wants to hear about it. I've been hearing so much about it, says Vicki, exactly what did happen. Sam looks miserable as he sucks on his pipe.

This is a local incident of very little importance, says Sam, smoking his pipe. It seemed pretty important to Burke and Roger Collins, says Maggie. I haven't learned a thing about myself, says Vicki, I might as well learn something about Burke. Very cut and dried, says Sam--Burke was driving a car at night, hit someone in the road, killed him, kept on going, tried for manslaughter and convicted, that's the whole story. Pop! chastises Maggie--what about Roger Collins and his wife? His wife was involved? Asks Vicki. Sam pours a drink. She was in the car, says Vicki--tell her all about it, Pop! What are you trying to do--make me the local historian? Asks Sam. I don't want to make you anything, says Maggie, I just want to learn the story. It started in a tavern, says Sam, on a Bangor road--the name of the place doesn't matter, I don't remember--Roger and Burke were there, and Roger's wife, Laura. She wasn't his wife then, was she? asks Maggie. No, agrees Sam, drinking, Collins and Burke were very good friends then, they used to run around together--that's how Laura met Collins--she's been Burke's girl at first, then he introduced her to Collins and you know how these things are--they were at this tavern and had a lot to drink, and they left--together--Burke was so drunk that one of the men in the tavern had to help him out to the car--all three of them, Collins, Burke and Laura, came in Burke's car--Burke insisted on driving, that's the way it was--he got behind the wheel and they all drove off, then...then... Is that when he hit the man? asks Vicki. Yes, says Sam, tightly wound, Maggie, I just don't think there's any point in going on with this story. You have to take the shoe off the other foot, insists Maggie, can't leave it right there. Man was hit, and killed, says Sam, the car kept going, the police were able to trace the car to Burke--he insisted he hadn't been driving but was too drunk to be absolutely positive. What about Mr. Collins and his wife? asks Vicki--wouldn't they know? They seemed to, says Maggie, they both testified at the trial and swore Burke was driving--they were married a week later. And Burke says they were both lying, says Vicki--is that where the trouble is? Burke doesn't know absolutely anything! says Sam. Are you sure of that? Asks Maggie. No, he goes around screaming about something he doesn't know anything about, says Sam--he was drunk at the time!--Collins testified to that--Collins ought to know! The phone rings, and Sam angrily says if they're going to have dinner, they should eat it right now. He answers the phone--it's Patterson, asking if Burke Devlin has been up your way tonight. No, why? asks Sam. Just checking, says Patterson--if he does show up, maybe you should call my office and let me know. Why? asks Sam--what are you expecting to do? Probably nothing, says Patterson, but he's a pretty hot-headed young man, and I've got enough trouble on my hands right now, so if he does come around, just be careful--and don't be afraid to call me if you need me. Sure, agrees Sam, hanging up. Maggie asks who it was. Just a friend, says Sam, nothing important--lock the door and we'll sit down and have food. Sure, says Maggie. Sam directs Vicki where to sit. There's a loud knock at the door. Sam starts to order Maggie not to open it, but Burke is already inside, greeting Maggie and asking if he's disturbing them. We were just sitting down to dinner, she tells him.Burke steps into the room and faces Sam, asking if there's room for one more.

NOTES: Betty Hanscomb? Is she supposed to be Vicki's mother at this point in the story? Seems like it, but I stick with the concept that Liz is Mama. I consider this a red herring.

Burke is in Sam's home, will he actually do anything rash, angry as he is? Now we know the whole story, but we also know that Roger WAS driving, and that Sam was paid off to lie--and perhaps Laura, too, in the form of marriage to Roger.

Burke has his own ways of getting at the truth, much like a bull in a china shop, and he just wants justice brought against the men who sinned against him--will he do what the sheriff is refusing to do for lack of evidence? We shall see!

Love, Robin

Episode #55 - "My name is Victoria Winters. Violent death is not a stranger to Collinwood, where the wind howls in anguish and mourning for departed souls. It seems to be asking, 'Why are they dead?'--and now a policeman is about to ask the same question."

Sheriff George Patterson stands in Collinwood's foyer, earnestly facing Liz and Roger. Liz introduces Roger to the sheriff, and Roger smiles and says he remembers him. "Is this visit in your official capacity?" Roger asks heartily. The sheriff indicates that it is, and Liz explains to Roger that she couldn't tell him over the phone--"It's about Bill Malloy," she said, voice shaking. Still full of bluster, Roger turns to the sheriff and asks, "Where was he hiding out?" "He wasn't," Liz sobs, throwing herself into her brother's arms. Roger, concerned, pats her back and says, "There, there, Liz, it can't be that bad." "I'm afraid it is, Mr. Collins," Patterson says seriously. "the thing is, we haven't found Mr. Malloy yet." Roger is puzzled; he doesn't understand. "Well, we're looking for him," the sheriff explains, "but now we know where to look." "Oh?" Roger asks. "Bill is dead," Liz tells her brother. "He drowned." "Really? Dead?" Roger asks, but doesn't sound particularly shocked or surprised. Sheriff Patterson says they are taking Liz' word for that--and Matthew Morgan's. "But you said you haven't found him," Roger says, and Patterson agrees they haven't--yet. "Then how do you know he's dead?" Roger persists. Liz explains that last night, after Carolyn and Vicki came screaming back into the house, they had seen a dead body--Bill Malloy's. "Matthew said it was nothing!" Roger protests. He was lying to protect them, Liz says. "Well surely you don't think we had anything to do with it!" Roger demands of Patterson, who quickly assures him of course not. He wants to question them, however, if they don't mind, and he ushers Liz and Roger into the drawing room and closes the doors.

Roger downs a drink as Sheriff Patterson stands by the fireplace, flipping through a notebook. Liz tells Roger, "You can see why I didn't want to tell you a thing like that over the telephone." Roger asks if anyone knows about this, and Liz says just Matthew and the police. Roger asked who notified the police, and Liz says, "I did, as soon as Matthew told me what he'd done." Roger asked what Morgan did, and Liz describes how Matthew, not wanting Malloy's body found at Collinwood, pushed it back into the water and let the tide carry it away. Roger asks why Matthew would do such a stupid thing, and she said he did it for them, to save them from the curiosity seekers, the reporters and photographers. Roger remarks scathingly, "Well, all he's done is add to the mystery...there'll be twice as many." Patterson, wide brow furrowed, bald pate gleaming, listens to this exchange with interest. He walks over and says perhaps not, it's not general knowledge that the body floated ashore at Collinwood. Liz, voice trembling, murmurs if he could possibly keep it former becoming general knowledge, they'd be awfully grateful. "Well, that depends," Patterson says. Sharply, Roger asks, "What does it depend on?" "Well, first of all, whether or not we find the body, and then, second if we do find it, whether or not Bill actually drowned or if something else happened."Roger asks what he's suggesting, and Patterson assures him he's not suggesting anything; once he finds the body, he can determine what course of action to take. Roger nods and take a sip of his drink, deep in thought.

At the Collinsport restaurant, Maggie buses a table. Sam comes in and she greets her father warmly, asking if he wants something. No, he just thought he'd stop by. She wipes down the counter and Sam sits down in one of the tall seats. She teases him that she thought he'd be home painting a masterpiece. He said Burke called and canceled his sitting again. Maggie grins, cleaning out an ashtray, and suggests Burke wants a few gray hairs before Sam does his portrait. Sam says Burke said he was going to be busy, and Maggie says, "He's always busy!" Sam pops a cigarette into his mouth and lights it, then says it's just as well, he didn't feel like painting today, anyway. Maggie says he didn't get much sleep last night. Sam holds out a trembling hand to his daughter and tells her that's not the problem--"Look at that. I couldn't hold a brush even if I wanted to, it's shaking so much." He takes a deep drag of his cigarette. Maggie caresses the back of his trembling hand and says, "You used to want to." Yes, he knows. She offers him a cup of coffee, cheerfully saying, "It's good for what ails you!" She pours. She grins and suggests perhaps she does know what ails him--a hangover? He says that has nothing to do with the way he feels, and leans over, anxiously asking if she's heard anything about Bill Malloy. She says she hasn't heard a thing--but everyone's been asking about him. Sam continues to take deep puffs of his cigarette, asking who's been asking. The customers, she says, she hears them talking. He takes a sip of coffee, blows smoke from his nostrils and asks what they're saying. "They say it's strange," she says. "He's not the type to go off like that." She comes out from behind the counter, a fistful of napkins in hand, and begins to fill a napkin holder on one of the tables. "I suppose he had his reasons," Sam muses. "That's what they're wondering about," she says. Falsely casual, Sam asks if Burke's been in this morning. "Nope," Maggie says. "Collins?" Sam asks. No, not him, either, Maggie says. Sam rises from his seat and fishes in his pocket for a dime, saying he'd better try calling him at his office. Maggie stares at her father. "But why? You said that all Roger cared about was that you didn't do Burke's portrait." "So I did," Sam says. "I forgot. I'd better call and tell him I haven't been able to reach Burke." "But Pop," Maggie says, confused, "you just said that Burke had called and canceled the sitting!" Sam puts his hand on Maggie's shoulder and says distractedly, "I--I'm not myself, Maggie, it's Bill Malloy...not knowing." Maggie says she didn't realize he was such close friends with him, and Sam says, "We had a great deal in common." "HAD?" Maggie says. "You mean HAVE, don't you?" "Yes, yes, yes, of course," Sam agrees. He puffs on his cigarette, looking like he wonders himself what the right choice of tense is, and Maggie observes him soberly.

Back at Collinwood, Liz serves the sheriff a cup of coffee. Roger refuses any libations, sounding irritated. He paces around the sofa and asks, "Liz, why didn't you call me immediately?" She said she tried and was told he wasn't there. He insists he was there, where else would he be? Liz explains she left word for him to call her, but he says he never got the message. He paces. "Where is Matthew?" he asks. "There are some questions I'd like to ask him myself." Sheriff Patterson says he's showing his deputy, Harry Shaw, where he found the body. "I also notified the Coast Guard so they'll know approximately where to look," Patterson reveals. Roger asks if it's possible that the body might not be recovered, and Patterson says, "Well, anything is possible, but I hope they do find it--it'll be a help." Roger wants to know in what way, and Patterson says, "Autopsy!" Why would an autopsy be necessary, he thought it was proven Malloy drowned, or at least that the sheriff agreed he had drowned? Roger asks, almost too anxiously. It's the law, Patterson says. Sarcastically Roger says, "I suppose if you see a man fall off a 12 story building, you have to have an autopsy to determine the cause of his death." Yes, we do, the sheriff says. Roger says he never heard of anything so ridiculous, and Patterson says, significantly, "Well, for one thing, the party on the 12th story may have been shot before he fell." Roger looks sharply at the sheriff, his mouth a thin angry line.

Maggie carries a cup of coffee and an order of buttered toast from behind the restaurant counter and embraces her father as she places both in front of him. She asks him what he had on his mind when he came in. He asks about the letter he gave her--she put it in the hotel safe, right? Yes, she did: "You told me to keep it in a safe place, what's safer than a safe?" He says he was thinking about it and has decided the latter itself isn't that necessary. Why not, she asks, and he explains that it's served it's purpose whether it's there or not--the important thing is, somebody knows that letter exists. "Who?" soberly asks Maggie, and Sam sucks on his cigarette, turns away from her, and says, "It doesn't matter." Shaking her head, Maggie walks over and sits down opposite her father. She leans forward earnestly, puts her hand on his arm and asks, "Pop, now who would want to harm you?" He can't tell her, it involves others. Maggie asks if this person knows SHE has the letter, and Sam replies, "Of course not, if he did, why..." He stops, seems to suddenly remember who he's talking to. "No, no," he continues, "I didn't mention you at all, but just to be sure, you go and ask the clerk to give it to you, and then you give it to me--you'll do that for me, will you, Maggie?" "I don't think I will," Maggie says defiantly, shaking her head. "Maggie," I'm asking you," Sam says--"Go to the lobby and get me that letter!" Maggie orders, "First you tell me why." He says he told her why. "You haven't told me one single thing!" Maggie says shrilly. "You're in some kind of a mess--what kind, I don't know!" "You don't have to know," Sam insists, "give it back to me and forget all about it!" Brow furrowed, Maggie says. "Forget it? Forget the way you've been acting since Burke Devlin came back to Collinsport?" Face softening, she adds, "Forget that you're my father, that I love you?" Rubbing his forehead as if it hurts, Sam says, "Just get me the letter." Maggie rises, stands behind Sam and gently places her hands on his shoulders, saying, "Pop, you said you were afraid that something might happen to you. Well if it did, and something happened to you, I'd never know what it was all about! I'd never know who" (she hesitates as if afraid to say exactly what she was thinking and lamely finishes)...who might want something to happen to you." "Maggie, you're holding a pistol to my head," Sam protests. She gently tells him not to worry--SHE isn't going to pull the trigger. "You might trip and pull it by accident," Sam predicts morosely, glancing up at her.

Back at Collinwood, the gentle grilling goes on. Sheriff Patterson asks Roger when he last saw Bill Malloy "Mmmm, ten o'clock," Roger says, "right here in this room." The sheriff, scribbling in his little pad, asks if Malloy seemed like himself, and Roger says yes, neither worried nor upset. They discussed business. Patterson says Roger may have been the last one to see Bill alive. "No, George," Liz says, and she describes how she spoke to Mrs. Johnson, Malloy's housekeeper, yesterday. Bill was home at 10:30 last night, he got a phone call. Patterson says he'll verify that with Mrs. Johnson. Roger stands between them, back to the fireplace, his hands behind his back. Did she know who it was who called, he asks Liz, and she says no. Patterson says at least they know Malloy was still alive at 10:30. "Probably dead before 11:00," Liz says somberly, and Patterson asks, "Why do you say that?" "Roger?" Liz says, as though dumping the whole thing in his lap. Roger, pacing anxiously around the room, explains that he was supposed to meet him at 11 o'clock at his office to continue the business discussion. He went to the office and waited for an hour; when Malloy didn't show up, he went home. Patterson, rising from his chair, asks Roger if there was anyone at the plant who could verify those times, such as a night watchman. Roger says there are two other people who can verify the whole thing--Burke Devlin and Sam Evans. Liz looks taken aback--and suspicious--to hear this information. Patterson asks what those two were doing at this meeting, "I don't know," says Roger. "They said that Malloy had insisted that they meet in my office." Patterson remarks on what a strange combination THAT is: "I didn't think that you and Burke would..." the sheriff clears his throat uncomfortably and finishes, "Well, are you friendly?" "We are not," Roger says, his voice tinged with contempt. Patterson recalls that Bill thought a lot of Burke, but...Evans? "Any reason why he should be at a business meeting with you and Bill?" "None at all," Roger says, moving away from the sheriff. "I was honestly surprised to see him there." Patterson asked if he didn't say why he was there, and Roger replies, "He said Malloy called him and told him to be there--and he said he didn't know anymore than that." And what did Burke say, queries Patterson, and Roger promptly says, "The same thing. He knew NOTHING about it." So, the three of them just sat there for an hour and waited, observes Patterson. Roger explains that at one point, Burke went to Roger's house to see what was keeping him, and when he came back, he said the house was dark and no one answered the doorbell. Patterson says that means they can pinpoint the time of death sometime between 10:30 and 11:00. "Not necessarily," Liz says. "Why not?" Patterson asks. As Roger listens intently, Liz answers, "He might have decided not to go to this strange meeting and gone somewhere else instead." That's true, Patterson agrees, but you would think that if Malloy had gone to all the trouble of setting up this meeting, he would have at least called to explain. "Oh, I don't know," Liz says thoughtfully. "I saw Bill that afternoon. He may have seemed perfectly normal to Roger, but I knew he was upset." About what? Patterson asks. Liz couldn't say, but it worried her at the time. Did she ask Malloy? Yes, she did, but all he would say is that he had an important decision to make later. Roger, forefinger touched to his chin, turns to look at the other two as Patterson says, "Maybe he made it." "Made what?" barks Roger. "That decision," Patterson says. "We can't overlook the possibility of suicide." Roger and Liz exchange distressed, disbelieving looks at this statement, and Liz looks especially sad.

"Malloy a suicide?" Roger asks, crossing his arms and looking almost jolly. "Well, I must say, that never occurred to me." Liz says she doesn't think so, and Patterson agrees he doesn't think Bill the type to take his own life--but as he said, they can't overlook the possibility. Roger says the more he thinks about it, the more possible it seems. What reason? Liz asks, and Roger points out that Bill knew she was trying to get Ned Calder back into the company. Liz insists Bill was delighted at the prospect. "But that isn't necessarily what he thought," Roger theorizes. "He had given his whole life to the Collins enterprise, he might very well have been depressed at the thought of being demoted after all the years of faithful service. He may have brooded over it until, well, his mind snapped." Liz says Bill was much more interested in the fishing fleet than he was in the business end of the company," Liz insists. "If Ned Calder had come back as general manager, he would have had more time to spend with what he really liked--the boats." Peterson wants to know if Ned Calder is coming back, and Liz says, briefly no, which is something Malloy already knew, since he was there when she called Ned. She rises from the sofa and tells Patterson Bill was sorry to hear Ned wasn't going to come back. "I see," says Patterson. "But you did say he seemed terribly upset," Roger reminds her. "Yes, but not about Ned Calder--he was upset because he had a decision to make," Liz says, sounding irritated and angry. "So I refuse to believe the possibility that he might have killed himself." Patterson says he's inclined to go along with that--Bill was a careful, methodical man, not the type to have left any loose strings lying around. "Well," says Roger, "you seem to have known him pretty well." Patterson points out it's s small town and he knows everyone in it quite well--"some people a great deal better than they like to think."

Back at the restaurant, Maggie, pad and pen in hand, stands behind the counter, taking an order over the phone. Sam sits at the same table, looking miserable, smoking away. He gives a start when he realizes who Maggie is speaking to. "I know," she says cheerily, "lots of mayo! Coffee? OK, I'll have it sent right up, Mr. Devlin. Well, thank you! Who? No, I haven't seen Bill Malloy...OK." She hangs up. Sam rubs his fingers around his lips, goes to the counter, coffee cup in hand, and asks, "That was Burke?" Yes, Maggie says, and she guesses Burke is busy--he just sent out for food. "Say, does Burke have anything to do with that letter?" she asks her father. "Why should he?" he asks cagily. "Well, process of elimination, I guess," she says, spreading mayo on bread. "I mean, it has to have something to do with Roger Collins or Burke." "Maggie..." Sam says, and she adds, "Or both." Sam asks her to stop making all these wild guesses--he would hate to have to think she would ever learn what's in that letter. "If I'd wanted you to know," he says, voice rising, "I would have TOLD you instead of writing it!" She says he can't blame her for being curious--grinning, she says, "Maybe you have a girlfriend hidden someplace and you're afraid her husband will find out." "What?" he asks, disturbed. She says she was only kidding. This can't be that serious, or he'd let her in on it. He nervously takes a drag of his cigarette. Maggie, her tone suspicious, asks, "Pop, you wrote that letter before Bill Malloy vanished, and you said that you'd let it be known that that letter existed--does that have anything to do with Bill Malloy being missing?" "Maggie, I told you to stop all this guessing," Sam insists, refusing to answer any of her theoretical questions. Maggie persists, "But did the information have anything that was BAD about Mr. Malloy?" About him? Sam asks. He doesn't know anything bad about him. "I mean bad enough that if he thought that you would blab it around town, or that you'd written about it in a letter, that he might have decided the best thing to do would be to leave town. What DID you tell him, anyway?"Sam, wandering away from the counter, admits he had a few drinks, a few too many, "Heaven only knows what I told him." His face crumples and he looks upset and frightened at the thought of the answer to Maggie's question.

Sheriff Patterson, leaving Collinwood, thanks Liz for the coffee. She walks him out to the foyer and thanks him for coming so promptly. Roger hovers in the background as Liz asks, "You will let us know the minute you hear anything from the Coast Guard, won't you?" He says he'll call her, then asks if Bill Malloy was, perchance, a secret drinker to her knowledge. "You should know better than that," chides Liz, and he says he thought he did, but he heard he was seen alone at the Blue Whale, uncharacteristically knocking back a few the day before yesterday. "He may have had a few drinks," Liz admits, "but not enough to...well, why do you bring that up?" Patterson says he wondered if Malloy might have had enough to explain his falling in the water accidentally. Roger jumps in and Liz stares at him as he says, "Now that you mention it, he DID seem a bit under the weather--and that was at 10 o'clock, you know." Patterson says he'll ask Malloy's housekeeper, a teetotaler, who would surely have noticed something like that. Patterson says there are several other people he wants to question as well, including Burke and Sam. Fingering his hat, he promises he'll be in touch, and Liz walks him to the door. Liz closes the door and faces down Roger. "Well," she says darkly, "how much of what you told him was the truth?" He regards her with glaring, beady little eyes, his face betraying nothing.

"You lied to me, didn't you?" she reminds him coldly. He asks if they have to stand in the hallway discussing this. She says she doesn't care where they discuss it, and he says, gesturing to the stairs, "There are ears in this house, primed to pick up tidbits of information." They're alone, she says, unless he is including the ghosts from his past, of course. "Very well," he says harshly, "I and my ghosts want a drink! My nerves are shot" He turns around and marches into the drawing room. Liz, shrugging her shoulders, follows. Roger quaffs his drink. Liz clasps her hands together and said, "You distinctly led me to believe that you were to meet Bill Malloy on a business matter alone." Roger, his mouth working, looking very uncomfortable, asks if he denied anyone else was present. "Omitting the truth is the same as lying," Liz asserts. Why must she jump on every little thing so vehemently? he asks. He had reasons for not revealing that Burke and Sam were at the meeting. Explain these reasons, she demands, and he says, "I did it because of you." "Because of me?" Liz asks incredulously. He knew she would be upset by it and didn't see any point in bringing it up until he learned from Malloy the purpose of the meeting and why he didn't appear at it. Liz finds it hard to believe that Bill called a meeting consisting of himself and the others and neither Roger nor the others were aware of what it was for. That's precisely right, Roger insists. Liz wants to know what Burke and Sam thought, and Roger says they were as mystified as he was. "Oh, Burke exploded all over the place," says Roger disdainfully, "he pretended to think the meeting was supposed to reveal something about his manslaughter charge." Perhaps that's what the meeting was about, Liz suggests. "Bill told me that even though I disapproved, he was going ahead with some plan to prove Burke innocent." Roger, irritated, voice rising, says, "Liz, I have told you again and again that all the evidence was brought out in the trial!" That's what she told Bill, Liz says, but he seemed to think he thought he could uncover something new. Shouts Roger, "I'm tired of defending myself! I will tell you now, outright, that it was a pack of lies!" Bill wouldn't lie to her, insists Liz, and Roger claims, "Then he's been repeating lies that have been told to him. Don't you see that Burke Devlin is out to murder me--he's out to DESTROY me!" "Bill said he had some evidence that could set aside Bill's conviction," Liz says. "LIES, all LIES!" Roger cries, his features a twisted mask of fury as he gets right into his sister's face. "If you can ever accept that premise, then you will believe me! You've GOT to believe me!"Liz steps away and says, "Yes, I have to. I have to believe you." You can see the despair on her face--yes, she has to believe her brother--but she doesn't.

Maggie and Sam sit at a table in the restaurant, holding hands. Maggie is saying, "Pop, Mr. Malloy is a fair man, maybe he can help you." "Yes, yes," Sam says, almost to himself, "maybe he is the one man who can help me." At that very moment, the door opens and Sheriff Patterson comes in. He greets Sam and Maggie, who rises from her chair and offers him coffee. He accepts and asks for a donut to go with it, then sits in one of the tall counter chairs. Maggie heads behind the counter and Patterson asks Sam how he's been. Sam says he's been keeping pretty much to himself lately. Pattterson asks about his artwork, and Sam says business is slow; he gets an occasional commission. Patterson says someone told him Sam's doing Burke's portrait, and Sam wants to know who told him. "You know what Collinsport is like, Sam," says Patterson good-naturedly, "rumors fly around like moths around a candle--but being sheriff, I'm always the last one to hear anything." The phone rings, and Maggie comes around from behind the counter to the booth to answer it: "Collinsport Restaurant." Sam asks Patterson if there's any reason he shouldn't do Burke's portrait? "Not that I can think of," replies Patterson. Maggie tells him the phone is for him, and he goes into the booth and closes the door. Sam nervously rises and tells Maggie he can't stay there; tell the sheriff he had to leave. "What's the matter?" Maggie demands, and Sam says, "I can't tell you," and starts to head out the door. Patterson emerges from the phone booth, picks up his hat from the chair and says he has to skip the coffee. "That was the Coast Guard," he tells Sam and Maggie. "They found Bill Malloy--he's dead."He hurriedly leaves. Maggie, hand clutching her mouth, looks stricken with horror; Sam wears the stunned expression of a man whose his last hope for living a normal life has just been stolen right out from under him.

NOTES: First of all, I always loved Sheriff Patterson's character. He seemed like a real cop and he delivered his lines with total professionalism. He fit in really well with the small town mentality, too, and displayed impressive intelligence. I also liked the fact that he didn't seem intimidated by either Liz or Roger. Dana Elcar really turned in a terrific performance in this role. He was, by far, the best of Collinsport's sheriffs.

Now--who did away with Bill Malloy? Roger, who seems almost thrilled at the possibility that Malloy killed himself? This episode certainly makes him seem guilty. Sam? Doubtful, but his trembling hands, concern about what others are saying and reference to Bill in the past tense say otherwise. Also, his sudden urge to get back the letter he gave Maggie make you wonder just what is going on in Sam's tortured mind. Speaking of tortured minds, it's also obvious that Liz doesn't believe her brother and feels he is implicated somehow in Malloy's death. Of course, he's her brother and she's determined to protect him, but she cared about Bill, too. What is she going to do about this dilemma? Roger seems to hope the body isn't recovered, disparages the sheriff's claim that they need to do an autopsy...why? Is there evidence linking him to this crime he fears will be uncovered? Sure sounds that way.

In any case, Bill Malloy is dead and we have a murder mystery on our hands. Possible suspects at this point are Sam and Roger, at least that's how it seems.

Now, we wait for the repercussions as everyone in Collinsport learns of Bill Malloy's death, and like the waves that wash endlessly to shore down on Widows' Hill, we know that those repercussions will be equally without end. Bill Malloy was a good man.


Episode #56 - Barely 12 hours have passed since Carolyn Stoddard and I have thought the tragic legend of Collinwood had become a reality--and that we had seen a dead body lying at the foot of Widows' Hill--12 hours that have brought no answers--either to me or to her.

Carolyn, in a nightgown, exits the kitchen area, a cup in her hand. She is heading upstairs when Liz asks her to come into the drawing room, she has something for her. I hope it's not a lecture for sleeping this late, says Carolyn, padding into the drawing room--I haven't done it for years. Of course not, says Liz, I'm glad you could--last night wasn't easy for you. What makes you think it's easy now? complains Carolyn--warmed over coffee--sleep till noon and your punishment shall be the dregs of the coffee. Liz gives her the watch, explaining that it was found by Joe on the cliff. Good old Joe, says Carolyn--holding it up to her ear and noting that, crazy as it sounds, it's still running--after being out all night on that spooky ledge--you, the cause of all that trouble, she tells the watch. About last night, says Liz. I know, Vicki and I were a couple of idiots, says Carolyn, and I'm sorry--the next time we think we'll see a dead body, we'll keep it to ourselves instead of scaring everyone half to death--including me--I'd better call Joe and thank him. You and Miss Winters were right, says Liz--you did see a dead body. We what? asks Carolyn. There was a dead body at the foot of the cliff, says Liz. The phone rings. Last night you said. . .begins Carolyn, and goes to answer the phone--she's right here--whose?--I'll put her right on--it's the Sheriff's office--they just found Bill Malloy's body--is that who it was last night? Liz, horrified, covers her mouth with her hand and turns away.

I see, says Liz into the phone, voice quivering--I see--yes, I suppose it is necessary--are you absolutely certain of that?--I mean, I suppose there's no question about who it is?--yes, of course, thank you very much for calling. Carolyn asks how it happened--are they sure it's Bill? Yes, says Liz. But he can't be dead! wails Carolyn. Liz puts her arms around her daughter. Last night, when Matthew went down to look, he said there was nothing there, says Carolyn--why did he lie? It wasn't exactly a lie, says Liz--there was no body there--Matthew pushed Bill back into the water. How horrible, says Carolyn--why? He thought he was protecting me from the notoriety of finding a dead man at the foot of Widows' Hill, explains Liz. He knew who it was, didn't he? asks Carolyn. It doesn't matter now, it's over, says Liz--he told me what he'd done and I called the sheriff. How could he do such a thing? repeats Carolyn--suppose the body had never been found again? But it WAS found! says Liz--all right, Matthew did a foolish thing, but he thought he was helping me--he thought it would keep people from talking--from saying that a third person had fallen from Widows' Hill, as the legend says. Is this where Bill died--at Collinwood? asks Carolyn hesitantly, distressed. The sheriff doesn't think so, says Liz--I can't talk about it anymore, not now. What did they say on the phone just now? asks Carolyn. They found Bill's body two miles down the coast--they said they couldn't determined the cause of death until an autopsy was performed, says Liz.But he drowned, didn't he? asks Carolyn. You asked me what they said, Liz reminds her, upset, and I told you, now please, let that be an end to it. Does Uncle Roger know about this? asks Carolyn. I don't know, says Liz. Don't you think someone ought to tell him? asks Carolyn--do you want me to call him? No, says Liz, her hands on Carolyn's shoulders--I want you to take your coffee back to the kitchen where it belongs--and I want you to get dressed--and don't forget your watch. They hug. Carolyn picks up her cup and leaves. Liz dials the phone--I'd like to speak to Mr. Collins, please, she says--do you know where I might find him?

Blue Whale - Roger enters. He looks balefully around and spots Sam at a table, a pipe in his hand. I thought I might find you here, says Roger. Are you passing judgment on me? asks Sam--I happen to find this place very comforting at the moment--an oasis in a world of horror. He is drinking a boilermaker. You should have been a poet, says Roger, smirking, sitting at his table. I should have been other things than what I am, says Sam--do you know about Malloy? That he's presumed to be dead, yes, says Roger. Presumed?--you needn't be so delicate, remarks Sam, the poor man's dead--dead and gone--may his soul rest in peace--he drinks. Why are you so sure? asks Roger. You said you knew, says Sam. All I know--all anyone knows, says Roger, is that my caretaker found a body at the foot of Widows' Hill last night and pushed it out to sea--the fact that the body looked like Bill Malloy means nothing--unless the body shows up again for definite identification. It seems I've got news for you, says Sam, drinking--the same news that gave me this sudden, overpowering thirst. Roger leans forward eagerly.

Vicki makes her bed. Carolyn enters, looking sad, watching her for a moment, and offers to help. The two young women make the bed. Last night was quite a night, wasn't it? asks Vicki. Carolyn, working on the sheet, says yes. How soon did you get up? asks Vicki. Sooner than I wished I had, replies Carolyn--you're pulling too hard--there isn't enough to cover the mattress over here. Sorry, says Vicki--hey, now there's nothing here. Oh, why don't I let you make your bed by yourself? asks Carolyn, annoyed. She wanders away. I'm quite an expert at this, says Vicki--you know how many beds there were in the foundling home?--130--seemed like a thousand--of course, I didn't make all of them--I only helped some of the littler children--do you know what I think they did, I think they pretended they didn't know how to make beds so... Carolyn begins to weep. Vicki goes over to her and asks what's wrong. I hate this world, says Carolyn--nothing seems to go right, ever--ever! What's happened? asks Vicki. Do you know what Matthew did last night? asks Carolyn--he tried to keep people from saying the legends about this house are real. Which legends, you've got so many, says Vicki. Oh, we've got dozens, says Carolyn bitterly, one for every night in the year--step right up and see the haunted house--see the old witch and her daughter--shiver and quake as you walk along Widows' Hill and look over the edge--and for only s light extra charge we'll take you to the very spot where... She clings to the bedpost, unable to go on, crying. Vicki, says Carolyn, Bill Malloy is dead. Vicki shakes her head--oh, no, she says. One of the nicest, sweetest men I've ever known, says Carolyn. I'm so sorry, says Vicki. I do hate this world, says Carolyn. How did it happen? asks Vicki. I don't know, says Carolyn--why does life have to be like that--why? .

Roger nods and hangs up the phone at the Blue Whale. He sits back down with Sam and reports that the police found Malloy's body two miles south of Collinwood. Sam nods. The sheriff is holding an autopsy, says Roger. Why should they do that? asks Sam anxiously. I just spoke with his office, that's what they told me, says Roger. Why an autopsy? Asks Sam--the man was found in the water, wasn't he?--surely they know he was drowned. They know he's dead, corrects Roger, nothing more, but in a little while, they're going to want to know much more--I want you to understand one thing--if there's any possibility that Malloy was murdered, I'm going to do everything in my power to help find the man responsible. He drinks his beer. Why tell me? asks Sam. I just want that point absolutely clear, says Roger. Did anyone say he was murdered? asks Sam. Not directly, says Roger, but the question is there. What did you tell the sheriff? asks Sam. He wanted to know when I'd last seen Malloy, says Roger, what his general attitude was, that sort of thing? You didn't tell about the meeting the night he disappeared, did you? asks Sam. As a matter of fact, says Roger, I did. You're not serious! says Sam. Of course I'm serious, corrects Roger--just think a minute--on the night of his disappearance, Malloy called a meeting to which he invited you, me and Burke Devlin--now if I hadn't said anything about it, surely Burke would have and you know it. You mentioned my name, told them I was there? asks Sam. Well you were, Roger reminds him. Think what that will mean, says Sam--the sheriff will call me to the office, ask questions, what am I supposed to say?Precisely what I tell you to say, says Roger. Sam takes a hit from both of the glasses in front of him. How's your drink? asks Roger--shall we order another? Sam rises and goes to the window, looking back distractedly at Roger.

That's how Bill's life ended, Carolyn sadly tells Vicki--fished out of the water--it's terrible--just terrible! she sobs. It is, agrees Vicki. And it makes you think, doesn't it? asks Carolyn--I mean there's so much you want to do in this life, and you never know when it's going to come to an end. I suppose that's true, says Vicki. Haven't you ever thought...? begins Carolyn--I mean you can be crossing the street!--just that--even right here in Collinsport--and suddenly along comes a car and that's it--it's over. I think it would be better if we talked about something else, says Vicki, rubbing her hands up and down her pillow. Do you know what Bill's dream was, what he once told me, says Carolyn--to spend one single, uninterrupted month sitting on a tropical island somewhere--looking up at the sky--he never got to do it--if you have a dream, there's only one thing to do--go after it--chase it down while you still have the time. Liz enters the room and says she thought Carolyn would be dressed by now. Vicki and I were just talking about life and death. Vicki tells Liz she's very sorry. Liz thanks her and says they all are--darling, she tells Carolyn--get dressed, go into town and see if you can find Uncle Roger. (Cell phone/beeper, where art thou?) Do I have to? asks Carolyn, I'd so much rather stay here with you. I think he ought to know about Bill, says Liz. But he must know by now, objects Carolyn--it's probably all over town! Do if for me, begs Liz, please? Carolyn nods and gives her mother a hug before she goes--did I ever tell you that I love you? she asks her mother. Where's David? Liz asks Vicki. In the kitchen, says the latter, he wanted to make his own sandwich. I think it's best to forget about his lessons for the rest of the day, says Liz, I'd rather he played outside. I'll tell him, says Vicki. Don't say anything about Mr. Malloy, Liz tells her, and if there's anything you want to do, there's no reason for you to stay here. There is something I've been meaning to do, but I've been putting it off, says Vicki, taking her pillow into her hands--it's about a man named Sam Evans. Liz just looks at her, then leaves the room.

Blue Whale - How long can we go on telling lies? Sam asks Roger--they are now standing by the window--how long can we continue building a wall with bricks that have no substance? Those bricks will be real as long as we say they are, says Roger. It won't work, insists Sam, What would you prefer? Asks Roger--telling the sheriff that Malloy called that meeting to clear Burke's name manslaughter conviction--that you had information that would prove me guilty of that crime? But to pile lie upon lie, says Sam, can't you see--it build up like an inverted pyramid that sooner of later must topple of its own weight! Not if we stand together, points out Roger as they both sit down at the table--I'd better point out something to you--if Malloy had shown up at that meeting and proved his accusation, you wouldn't be sitting here today--you'd be in prison, awaiting trial, as an accessory after the fact--you know that, don't you? Yes, says Sam, rubbing his beard. That would be better than a life sentence for murder, says Roger--yes, Evans, you have a lot to gain by Malloy's death, and don't think the police aren't going to wonder about it. Sam shakes his head--I didn't kill him, he says. Do you think a simple statement like that will satisfy the sheriff? Asks Roger--you've got to protect yourself, say just what I said--that you didn't have the faintest idea what that meeting was about or why Malloy asked you to be there. I did not kill him! insists Sam. He's dead, says Roger, you had motive. No more than you, says Sam. That's right, agrees Roger, that's why we must stand together. Sam rubs his beard--what about Burke? he asks--do you think he'll tell the truth? I'm sure he will, says Roger, but it's his word against ours--his word without a shred of truth to back it up--don't you see?--if we go on saying he was lying, no one can prove otherwise. No one, says Sam, but one man--and he's dead. Roger looks as if that means case closed.

Carolyn, in the drawing room, has the Collins family history book open to Josette Collins' page. Vicki enters, coat over her arm. Carolyn asks her if she's seen her mother. I think she's in her room, lying down, says Vicki. Poor Mother, says Carolyn, I wonder if she's going to put Bill's name in this book. That's only for your family, isn't it? asks Vicki. I suppose so, says Carolyn--only qualified, bonafide members of the Collins clan--the holy and the damned--have you looked through here recently?--you might find someone you know. I'm looking for someone who knows me, says Vicki--if you're still going into town, could you give me a lift? Sure, says Carolyn, you want to get away from this gloom for a while. It's not that, it's what you said upstairs, says Vicki. The fatalistic philosophy of Carolyn Stoddard, the blonde says--forget it--I was just feeling very low. I know, says Vicki, but it's true--if you want to get something done, it's foolish to keep putting it off--I don't expect to get hit by a truck today. I wish you wouldn't joke about it, says Carolyn. How much do you know about a man called Sam Evans? asks Vicki. Nothing, really, says Carolyn--I've met him once or twice--he's an artist--why? You know his daughter, Maggie, don't you? asks Vicki. Sure, she works in the hotel restaurant, says Carolyn--what about her? The other day we got to talking and became friendly, says Vicki, and she asked me to come to her house for dinner sometime to meet he father. That might be kind of fun for you, says Carolyn. Your uncle didn't seem to think so, says Vicki--when I mentioned it to him, he got very upset, tried to talk me out of going. Why should Uncle Roger care? Asks Carolyn. I don't know, says Vicki, could it be that Sam Evans knows something about me that your uncle doesn't want me to learn? Oh, Vicki, chides Carolyn, that is ridiculous. Maybe, agrees Vicki, but it could be. I'll tell you, says Carolyn, as far as I know, he's just an artist who drinks too much--what could he possibly know about you?I don't know, says Vicki, but I won't find out unless I ask, will I? Carolyn shakes her head. Roger returns to Collinwood. Liz comes downstairs, saying she tried to reach him--did he hear the news about Bill? He nods--yes, terribly sad, isn't it? he asks. Just horrible, says Liz--have you been to the plant at all? No, I was in town, he says, but I came home directly when I heard the news--it's a funny thing, Liz, I've been hoping Matthew had made a mistake. That's what we all hoped, says Liz. The girls exit the room, and Carolyn hugs her uncle, saying she's so glad he's home. Roger hugs her back. Now, Kitten, he says. About the plant, says Roger--don't you think we should close down for the rest of the day--that's the least we can do for Bill, wouldn't you say? Of course, says Liz, I'll call right away--and she heads into the drawing room. Carolyn looks up at Roger. We've lost a good friend, haven't we? he asks her. Vicki, now in her coat, watches. Yes, agrees Vicki. Looks like I won't be going into town, says Carolyn--you're welcome to take my car--and she hands Vicki the keys. Thank you, says Vicki. Happy hunting, says Carolyn. Vicki leaves. Where is she off to? asks Roger. Some nonsense about Sam Evans, says Carolyn.Is she going to see him? asks Roger, perturbed. Yes, says Carolyn--why, do you care? Of course not, he says, I hardly know the man. That's just what I told her, says Carolyn teasingly, and goes back into the drawing room while Roger looks quite upset.

NOTES: Vicki is on her way to see Sam--does he, as he hopes, know anything about her? Now the news is spreading through town. Roger and Sam have made a pact not to incriminate each other, much as they did 10 years ago. They don't want to go to jail, so they must stick together--or hang separately, I suppose. They are reprehensible, Roger especially. But Sam is right--their shabbily constructed lies can't hold up for long.

Vicki is now determined to delve into her past again. Will she learn anything pertinent from Sam?

Liz and Carolyn seemed genuinely depressed about Bill, but Roger really doesn't. I think he was jealous of him, and whether or not he killed him, doesn't want to see him return. To Carolyn, he was a father figure, to Liz, a right-hand man and perhaps more. He loved her, and she might have known it. When he was about to make his move, Paul Stoddard intervened and he lost her. Apparently, he stayed single and childless his entire life--and now no tropical island, either. Sad, sad, sad.

Love, Robin

Episode #51 - Collinwood mansion, situated atop Widows' Hill, has a long history of sudden and violent death, and once again it strikes, this time under my very eyes.

Back in the drawing room, Roger pours another drink. Liz asks him if Carolyn and Miss Winters have come back yet. Roger says he wasn't aware they had gone out. Go outside and look, she suggests. You worry too much, he says, they're perfectly capable of looking out for themselves. Liz gazes out the window. I thought you'd gone up to bed, he says. I don't feel sleepy, she says--I do worry too much--right now I'm concerned about Bill Malloy--something has happened to him, I know it. You know nothing of the sort, insists Roger, does he have to ask permission every time he wants to stay in Bangor or with a friend? Of course not, says Liz, but he usually lets me know, especially since he's become manager of the entire plant--it's only natural in case I have to reach him. It's natural for you to be concerned about your daughter's behavior, but Bill Malloy is something else again, says Roger. Yes he is, says Liz, he's the most reliable man I've ever known--this is more than spending the night away--it's the first day he's ever missed at the office--I know he would have notified me if he could have. Do you think he's marooned somewhere where there's no phone or post office? asks Roger. I don't know, says Liz--I wonder if we should ask the police to make inquiries. Certainly not, says Roger--I'm sure he had a valid reason for disappearing. I should think you'd show more concern than you do, says Liz. Malloy's personal life is of no interest to me whatsoever, says Roger--however, he was away a whole day, and I think he did it deliberately. Roger downs more of his drink. What if something happened to him? asks Liz. Carolyn and Vicki race in, Carolyn launching herself into her mother's arms. They're both babbling at once. Roger asks what's the matter. Out there, at the bottom of the cliff, says Vicki--there's a dead man! Roger appears shocked; Liz asks what they're talking about. Carolyn assures her it's true--they did find a dead man out there. Out where? asks Roger. On the rocks at the foot of Widows' Hill, says Vicki. It was terrible! wails Carolyn. Liz orders both girls to calm down--she leads Carolyn to the sofa and asks exactly what they saw. We were on the ledge just below the top of Widows' Hill, looking for Carolyn's watch, explains Vicki--I looked over at the waves and just then the moon came out and that's when I saw it. What did you see? asks Roger. (How many times do they have to repeat the same questions?) A dead man! says Vicki. I saw it, too, says Carolyn, just as clearly! It's unbelievable! exclaims Liz. Who was it? asks Roger. You don't think we went down there and looked, do you? asks Carolyn, her voice ragged. Liz tells Roger to get a flashlight and go down there and look.Why should I? asks Roger--it's ridiculous. It's not ridiculous! insists Vicki--there was a dead man, half in and half out of the water--won't you please go and look? It's the only way to settle the matter, says Liz. Why ask me? says Roger, what do we have Matthew for? (Coward, Roger!) He sits down (he isn't going anywhere!) Liz calls Matthew's cottage and tells him Carolyn and Vicki just had a bad scare--they were standing on the ledge of Widows' Hill just now. Why would they be doing a darn fool thing like that? he asks. It doesn't matter why they were there, says Liz, but they looked down and thought they saw a dead man--they're both terribly upset and I know they won't be able to sleep until we make sure--would you go check?--take a flashlight and be careful of the path. I'll do that, he promises. Then come to the house and tell me what they thought they saw, says Liz (what they THOUGHT they saw?--how will Matthew tell her that?). She hangs up. Mother, says Carolyn, you keep thinking it was something we THOUGHT we saw--it was REAL, horribly real! I know dear, says Liz, the light plays strange tricks with the water, and sometimes rocks appear to float. It wasn't a rock, says Vicki, it moved with the waves, back and forth. Like seaweed, perhaps, suggests Roger. I've lived here all my life, says Carolyn, kneeling beside Roger, I know what seaweed looks like! Then you should know that it can bunch up and take all sorts of shapes, says Roger--and move with the waves, as Miss Winters aptly suggested, back and forth. You don't suppose this is some trick of David's, do you? asks Vicki. Liz asks what she means. Vicki says he seems to have death on his mind. It sounds exactly like the type of joke that would appeal to my good-natured son, says Roger sourly--incorrigible monster. He pours another drink. This is no time for your sarcasm, Liz crisply informs him.

Matthew, flashlight in hand, looks over the edge of the cliff, carefully working his way down the slope.

I don't care what you think, cries Carolyn, what we saw was a dead man! Couldn't it have been a dead woman? suggests Roger--isn't that what our cliff is noted for?--don't we know that way back in time, a bride left, fell or was pushed to he death from Widows' Hill? That's what I told Vicki, says Carolyn. And sometime later, adds Roger, a young girl did the same thing--this one a governess who had come to tutor the son of the household. He directs this last to Vicki, who tells him she knows all about that, and that a third death has been prophesied. It's nothing but a local superstition, says Liz. They have a bad habit of coming true at Collinwood, remarks Roger. Why don't you girls go on up to bed? suggests Liz. I'd rather wait and hear that Matthew has to say, says Vicki. He did say he'd go look? asks Carolyn. Yes, Liz assures her. I couldn't sleep, anyway, insists Carolyn, I'd keep seeing that...thing down there. At least we've made some progress, says Roger--this corpse of yours has turned into a thing. It wasn't a very pretty sight, Vicki says--and I know it was a dead man! Go into the kitchen and make some cocoa, says Liz, it might make you sleepy. How can anybody sleep when there's a body floating around down there? asks Carolyn--Vicki, can I bunk in with you?--I know it's the only way I'll get any sleep. Sure, agrees Vicki--how about the cocoa? The girls go into the foyer. Carolyn wipes her eyes with her hand, asking Vicki, "You did see the same thing I saw, didn't you?" I'm afraid I did, says Vicki. Who do you suppose it was? asks Carolyn. A stranger, I hope, says Vicki. They go into the kitchen.

I won't even venture a guess as to the identity of this mysterious corpse, says Liz. Perhaps Burke Devlin drowned himself in a pit of depression, suggests Roger. (You WISH, Roger!) I hardly think so, says Liz--until Matthew tells us otherwise, I'd prefer to think Carolyn and Miss Winters are mistaken. She sits down. What if they should turn out now to be mistaken? he queries, sitting on the sofa across from her. Can't we change the subject? asks Liz--before they came bursting in here, we were discussing your meeting with Bill Malloy. Don't be tiresome, he says, I thought we'd finished that discussion. You said he disapproved, she says. He's old-fashioned and hide bound, says Roger--he wouldn't recognize an idea if it were formally introduced to him. I realize he lacks initiative, says Liz, and intuition--I suppose you ought to know, I asked Ned Calder to take back his old job. Calder? asks Roger, what for?--if I were given free reign around here... If you were given free reign, says Liz, the Collins Fishing Fleet and Cannery would disappear forever! (Ouch, Liz, that's cold!) Roger looks at her and asks how she knows--he's never been given a chance to prove one idea--"And now with Calder breathing down my neck..." He won't be, says Liz. Oh yes he will, says Roger, I know his type. He refused the offer, she says. Oh, he refused, did he, says Roger--maybe I'll have an opportunity after all. If Bill Malloy approves, says Liz. If you think he's so great, says Roger, why did you call Calder in the first place?--or did you call him for some personal satisfaction of your own? (Hmm, a candidate for Vicki's papa?) Why should I? asks Liz, don't be silly. There's loud, insistent knocking at the door. They both rise and Liz answers and asks Matthew to come in. I went to the ledge and looked down at the water, he says, shined my flash down on the rocks--there wasn't much moon to see. Speak up, orders Roger--what did you see? Just to make sure, I climbed down the path all the way to the rocks and walked along the water's edge. (This guy tells it in his own sweet time.) Carolyn and Vicki come running in. Did you find what we saw? asks Carolyn anxiously. I walked from one end of the property to the other and back again, he says--there was nothing there. But we SAW it! wails Carolyn--didn't we, Vicki? Yes we did, says Vicki. You don't suppose all those old wives' tales about ghosts aren't tales at all? suggests Carolyn--that they're true? Roger looks shocked and relieved, somehow (because he had something to do with this)?

Matthew says he's heard tales about Collinwood all his life--he's heard people laugh, but he's seen too much to laugh. Liz says she's sure he has and thanks him for his trouble. Are you absolutely positive there was nothing down there? asks Carolyn. Positive, says Matthew. Then your corpse was nothing more than your overactive imaginations after all, says Roger, putting a hand on Carolyn's shoulder. Vicki asks if it couldn't have been washed out to sea. Impossible, says Roger, not in the few minutes it took Matthew to get down there. Around Collinwood, says Matthew, nothing is impossible. Liz tells Matthew that will be all--thank you. Yes, Mrs. Stoddard, he says, and leaves the house. Now that your mystery has been solved, says Liz to the girls, why don't you both try and get some sleep--Roger, I want to talk to you--and she goes into the drawing room. Roger follows. Vicki asks Carolyn if she did see what she saw. Carolyn shakes her head and says she isn't sure anymore. Would Matthew have any reason to lie? asks Vicki. (An excellent question.)

Do you think Matthew is telling the truth? Liz asks Roger from behind the closed drawing room doors. Why on earth should he lie? asks Roger. I don't know, she says, he acted very strangely. Nonsense, says Roger, I tell you, they saw a bunch of seaweed or perhaps an old sail--you know the kind of flotsam and jetsam that washes up around here! He drinks.It's not usually human, says Liz. You heard what Matthew said, Roger reminds her. I heard what he said, she agrees, but I don't know what he thought. Probably that we were insane for waking him up this hour of the night, says Roger--did I say the girls had an overactive imagination?--I should have included you with them--why don't you follow your own prescription and go up to bed? Liz gives him a dirty look and opens the double doors. Roger, very upset, and finishes his drink. He goes to the phone and dials, calling Evans--I know you're a night owl so I won't apologize for calling you so late, he says quietly--I wanted to know if you had any word from our friend, Malloy?--no?--neither have I--and he hangs up. (What the heck?)

Matthew sips tea or coffee in his cottage. He has just turned off the light when Liz comes to the door. He invites her in and turns the light back on. Is there something wrong? he asks. I don't know, she says, is there? Not that I know of, he says. She sits in a rocking chair and says it seems odd--Carolyn and Miss Winters were so positive. It's tricky light, says Matthew, at first glance, I thought I saw what they were taking about--even with the flashlight, I couldn't tell from the top of the hill--that's why I went all the way down--t'wasn't easy, not knowing what I'd find there. What did you expect to find? asks Liz. To tell you the truth, says Matthew, I expected to find Mr. Malloy. Liz sits up in he chair--why? she asks. His disappearance isn't exactly a family secret, says Matthew, siting across from her--he has lots of friends in Collinsport--all of them wondering. What are they saying? she asks. Not much of anything, just wondering, says Matthew. Don't they simply assume he's away on business? asks Liz. No, says Matthew, they don't, he was a man of habits--one of them was to drive into Bangor in his own car, yet it's sitting in front of his house. Where do you imagine he might have gone? asks Liz. I couldn't say, says Matthew. It doesn't make sense, she says, he was looking into something very important for me--he wouldn't just walk off without saying anything. No, he wouldn't, agrees Matthew. Then what do you think what has happened to him? she asks. I'd like to know that myself, he says, I'd like to find out before they start making a lot of inquiries at the house, tromping on the grounds and takin' pictures and messing around with things that don't concern them. I suppose we have to expect that if Mr. Malloy doesn't come back soon, says Liz--he must have known his absence would cause people to wonder--why do you suppose he's staying away like this? Maybe he was kept away by something he couldn't help, suggests Matthew. Maybe, says Liz--would you mind very much showing me what it was you saw, so I can at least get rid of Carolyn's fears? He goes to find the flashlight and they leave the cottage.

Vicki and Carolyn come downstairs. Come on, says Vicki, who is already in her coat. Do we have to go there and look? asks Carolyn. You said you couldn't sleep until we were doubly sure, says Vicki. I didn't mean for us to go, says Carolyn, holding her coat over her arm. Who else? asks Vicki. I thought maybe Uncle Roger, says Carolyn. He thought it was a waste of time before, Vicki reminds her, he'd think so even more now. Carolyn goes into the drawing room, Vicki behind her. I thought you'd gone up to bed, says Roger. What would be the sense of that? asks Carolyn, I wouldn't sleep a wink. Afraid of the dark? he teases. No, of what I might dream about, she says. You, too, Miss Winters? Roger asks her. We thought it might set our minds at ease, says Vicki, if we went back and looked at the water--we might see what we saw before, but think it perfectly natural. Well, says Roger, wouldn't it be perfectly natural if a body was washed ashore on our property? Carolyn asks him to please not talk like that. He says he's sorry. We thought perhaps you'd come with us, says Vicki. I told you before, he says, I have no interest in going out to Widows' Hill and staring out at the water--are you intimating I would be afraid something?--of what? Of nothing, says Carolyn, sitting beside him on the sofa, so would you please come with us? If you'll give me one good reason, he says.

Matthew and Liz have arrived at the edge of the cliff. This is where they were standing when they looked down, he says--down there--he points. Liz gasps. No wonder they were frightened, she says. To tell you the truth, I was startled myself, he says--there was more light then, and it was plainer to see--I couldn't be sure until I got all the way down. That's settled, says Liz, and I can tell the girls they don't have to worry anymore--just a clump of seaweed. You can tell 'em they needn't talk anymore, too, says Matthew--few words dropped in the wrong place and another superstition is added to the legends of Collinwood--before the week's out, it will spread all over the county--another ghost seen at Collinwood. I imagine it would draw more attention to us, agrees Liz.The newspapers rehash every little thing that every happened in a lifetime, something I wouldn't like to see, says Matthew. Nor would I, agrees Liz--I'll go put the girls' minds at ease. They leave the cliff's edge.

Do you want us to have this doubt in our minds? Vicki asks Roger--not being sure? Well I'm sure, he says, my sister is sure, as is Matthew--isn't that enough? Why don't you come with us? asks Carolyn, an arm around her uncle, it will only take a moment. It will only be admitting there's a slight chance that what you say is true, says Roger, and that I will absolutely refuse to believe--I would prefer this be forgotten--I don't want any of this mysterious death getting back to David--as his governess, you are certainly aware it could cause irreparable harm. You're perfectly right, says Vicki, he is preoccupied with death, earlier this evening, when I went back up to my room, I found he'd written death all over my mirror. I hope you didn't let him get away with it, says Roger. I didn't, Vicki assures him. Carolyn begs her uncle to please come with them. You're beginning to annoy me--run along, he says. I have to go myself, I guess, says Vicki. Merely to satisfy a morbid curiosity? asks Roger. No, says Vicki, merely to reassure myself. No need to go to Widows' Hill and look, says Liz, joining them--I've just been there. By yourself? asks Carolyn. No, says Liz, with Matthew--he took me to the same spot on the ledge where you stood--I stood on the rocks and looked down--there was nothing to see--absolutely nothing--just a clump of seaweed, as Uncle Roger suggested. I'm glad you give me credit, he smirks, it's the first time we've agreed on anything in years.That's a relief, says Carolyn--I could have sworn...but if it wasn't there, we didn't see it! I'm sorry, says Vicki--I guess if I'd stayed a little longer little longer, I would have seen--I guess I had death on my mind. Of course you did, says Roger, my delightful son had warned them they were about to meet death, he tells Liz--my son, the crystal ball gazer. It wasn't just what he wrong on my mirror, says Vicki. What did he write? asks Liz. The word death, says Vicki. I'll speak to him in the morning, says Liz. I wish you wouldn't, says Vicki, I don't want him to have any reason to think I'd told on him--but it was more than that--when we were doing his lessons, he stopped and looked in his crystal ball--and he said that he could see Bill Malloy was dead--and that you (Roger) had killed him. Roger, stone-faced, doesn't says anything, but the women turn all stare at him.

NOTES: It sounds like Sam and Roger had something to do with getting rid of Bill. Is this just a red herring? Matthew is acting oddly, too.

Sometimes scenes in these early shows just seem to go on and on, with everyone rehashing what they said before. How many times did Vicki and Carolyn have to tell Liz and Roger that they saw a dead man down in the water? It was making me crazy, typing that over and over!

The mysterious call Roger made to Sam was certainly odd. They robbed Burke of five years of his life; did they steal away the rest of Bill Malloy's life? It's all very odd.

I don't blame the girls for being skittish. WE saw what lay on the shore, and it certainly did look like a dead man. What did Matthew see? He is determined to keep scandal away from the Collins family--did he think Bill some sort of danger to them in that way? Did he perhaps get rid of him?


Episode #52 - I originally came to Collinwood hoping to solve the mystery of my past--but the mystery of the present has overshadowed that for the moment.

Carolyn knocks at Vicki's door. Once inside, Carolyn asks if Vicki doesn't lock her door--and locks it herself. Sometimes I forget, says Vicki. If I were in here alone, says Carolyn, I'd lock it, put a chain on it and shove the dresser up against it--and still be shaking. I thought ghosts could get through anything, teases Vicki, brushing her hair. You can laugh all you want, says Carolyn, you haven't lived in this house as long as I have. I know, says Vicki, it's funny, so much has happens here, it's hard for me to realize I've only been here a short while--has it always been like this? No, it was always strange, the way my mother never goes anywhere, she says, and sometimes people drive by and stop at the haunted house, hoping to get a look at the witch and her daughter--but things didn't really start to hum until you...until Burke Devlin came back. You were gong to say until I arrived, weren't you? asks Vicki. You arrived and he came back the same day, says Carolyn. True, says Vicki. Had you ever met him before? asks Carolyn. Nope, says Vicki, I met him at the Collinsport station for the first time--I saw him there and asked him how to get a taxi into town--and he told me I should get back on the train and go home. I bet you wish you had, says Carolyn. Nope, says Vicki, no matter what happens, I'm staying right here until I find out what I came here for,. How can you stand it? asks Carolyn--you can leave anytime you want to--I can't--and no matter what my mother says, or Matthew, or Uncle Roger, what we saw out there tonight was the body of a dead man.

What we saw did look like the body of a dead man, agrees Vicki. Yes it did, says Carolyn. But Matthew said he walked up and down the shore and there was nothing there, replies Vicki. It could have been there, then washed away again before Matthew went to look, says Carolyn. He didn't seem to think so, says Vicki. If the tide brought it in, then the tide could carry it out again, says Carolyn. I don't know anything about tides, says Vicki. They're fierce along this coast, explains Carolyn, coming in very fast--but they go out just as fast. Fast enough to carry a body away? asks Vicki. Sure, says Carolyn, gazing out the window, especially down along this coast--that's why mother would never let me swim here--because of the tide and the undertow--she always said it was too dangerous. That might be it, says Vicki--if it was a dead man we saw. You just don't want to think it was, says Carolyn. I guess I don't, admits Vicki. I wonder who he was? asks Carolyn. Maybe we'll never know, says Vicki. I bet we will, says Carolyn, somebody has to report him missing. There's only one person I know of missing from Collinsport, says Vicki. He doesn't have to be from here, says Carolyn--he could have been from way down the coast, or fallen off a boat at sea. But it could be, starts Vicki. No it couldn't! cries Carolyn--you do think it was Mr. Malloy, don't you? All I've heard for the past 24 hours, says Vicki, is where's Bill Malloy? I'd have known if it was! says Carolyn. We could hardly see the body, much less recognize it, says Vicki. I still would have known, says Carolyn--Bill Malloy is the closest thing to a father I ever had--it wasn't Bill--it couldn't have been. Of course, you are right, says Vicki. I guess that'll be just one more ghost to add to our collection here, jokes Carolyn. Don't be so morbid, says Vicki. Isn't that why ghosts haunt places? asks Carolyn--because they're looking for something? There's no such thing as a ghost, says Vicki. You just wait until you've lived here a little bit longer, says Carolyn, they you'll change your...did you hear that? What? asks Vicki. I could have sworn I heard something, says Carolyn.

Evans cottage - Did you hear me?--Pop? says Maggie, shaking her father by the arm. He's lying on the sofa and he asks what it is. It's almost one in the morning, she says. I didn't know it was that late, says Sam. Why don't you go to bed? she asks him. For what? he asks--to toss and turn?--it's no use, I've got too much on my mind. What's bugging you? she asks, sitting on the sofa beside him--do you want to talk to me about it? I don't want to worry you, he says, with my petty little problems. It would be worse if you didn't, says Maggie. All right, if you're so inquisitive, he says--I'm worried about Bill Malloy. He's a big fella, he can take care of himself, points out Maggie. Normally, agrees Sam, I'd say yes, but these aren't normal times--there are forces loose in Collinsport that frighten me to think of--evil forces--you can smell it in the very atmosphere. Maggie laughs--this must be the purest atmosphere in the country, she says--why do you think all those summer people come up here every year?--to get away from the air pollution, that's why. This pollution lies in the souls of men, not the air, says Sam. I've never seen you so gloomy, she says. I've never had as much to be gloomy about before, he says. Is it money? she asks. No, he says. What then? she asks. I told you--Bill Malloy--this man made an appointment with me and never showed up, says Sam--I went to the meeting, even though I didn't want to--went to meet him--he just never appeared--he pours a drink. Where was this? asks Maggie. At his office, says Sam, almost saying Roger's office--something must have happened to keep him from meeting me. He drinks. Are you afraid for yourself? she asks. No, he says, nothing could hurt me worse than what I've done to myself--besides I've got a safeguard against it--that letter I have you--you put it in a safe place? The safest, she assures him--it's in the safe at the hotel. Good, he says, I've let it known such a letter exists--it won't be opened unless something happens to me. What do you think could happen? she asks fearfully.I don't know, says Sam, downing his drink, just like I don't know what happened to Bill Malloy.

Carolyn and Vicki are turning down the bed. (Vicki's wearing a nightgown, not PJ's.) I heard it again! says Carolyn. Must have been one of the shutters, says Vicki--the wind's come up. Carolyn shakes her head--it wasn't a shutter. She says--I know the sound every single shutter in this house makes. There's a banging sound. There it is again, says Carolyn. Sounded like it came from the drawing room, says Vicki--has your uncle come upstairs yet? I heard them come up not long after we did, says Carolyn. Then it must have been David, says Vicki, unlocking the door. Don't unlock the door! says Carolyn; however, Vicki says she's going to catch a live little ghost. Carolyn watches her go into David's room, but Vicki reports he's sound asleep--poor David gets blamed for everything that happens in this house. They return to Vicki's room and Carolyn locks the door. That's usually right, says Carolyn, David usually is to blame--but if it wasn't David, who was it? I don't know, says Vicki, grinning, but I'm not going into your mother's room or your uncle's room and ask if they happened to knock over something downstairs. I can, says Carolyn--if you go with me. I don't know, says Vicki--they already think we're seeing things, now they're going to think we're hearing them. We ARE hearing things! says Carolyn--and we did see a dead man at the foot of Widows' Hill tonight--nobody can convince me differently. Well, says Vicki, climbing on the bed, you're going to have a hard time convincing someone else. Oh I wish I'd never lost that watch, says Carolyn, sitting on the bed beside Vicki, then we never would have gone out, seen what we did. What are you going to do when Joe sees you're not wearing it? asks Vicki. He won't, she says, I'll find it in the morning--anyway, I'm not sure any birthday present is worth this! I think it would have been to me, says Vicki, I've never had a birthday. Carolyn laughs--you had to be born! she says. I don't know on what day, says Vicki--the foundling home gave me a birthday, but nobody knows if it's right. (How sad!) When you haven't had something, adds Vicki, it becomes important. (They really do paint a sorrowful picture of sad orphan Vicki. No birthday? How awful!--but do any of the Collinses celebrate birthdays, except in bizarre dreams?)

Maggie points out to her father that he's not doing himself any good just sitting here worrying--go to bed and rest, even if you can't sleep. Never mind me, says Sam--you're the one with a job--you go to bed. What good is sitting here worrying? she asks. None, he admits. You're just borrowing trouble, she says--you don't know if anything happened to Bill Malloy--he probably had to leave town for a few days-he'll be back. Will he? asks Sam. Of course, she says. Burke Devlin's a harsh man, says Sam. I like him, says Maggie, besides, what does he have to do with Malloy's disappearance? Burke's not a one to forgive and forget, says Sam, sounding far away. You're holding something back from me, says Maggie--remember the other day when you said you could see death staring you in the face?--was it his death? I don't remember saying it, says Sam. Or your death? asks Maggie. If I did say it, I don't know what I meant, insists Sam--I'm just so confused, I don't know what I do from one day to the next (the booze doesn't help)--why don't you go to bed--please. OK, she says, kissing his head. He drinks, then rises from the chair and picks up the phone.

Vicki and Carolyn are lying side by side in bed, listening to the wind. They hear the phone ring. Vicki rises, turns on a light, and goes into the hallway, grabbing her robe on the way. Carolyn, left alone, hears a window banging. She walks over to close it, then follows Vicki--wait for me! she cries. Vicki answers the phone down in the foyer. Collins? asks Sam. Who is this? asks Vicki. Sam hangs up. Hello? calls Vicki. Carolyn asks who it was, but Vicki says she doesn't know--he hung up. They hear a banging sound coming from the drawing room and look fearfully at each other, frozen.

This is silly, says Vicki, I'm going in there to find out what it is. I know there are no such things as ghosts, says Carolyn, but what if there are? Then, says Vicki bravely, I'll see something I've never seen before. She enters the dark drawing room and turns on a lamp. Carolyn has followed her in. Who's in here? asks Vicki, then strides over to the open window and closes it. Must have been the wind, she says with a nervous chuckle. Carolyn spots something on the floor--a book. She picks it up and drops it, and they both hear the odd sound they'd heard upstairs. That's it, says Vicki. Yes, it is, agrees Carolyn--but who did it? It must have fallen off the table, says Vicki--she observes the distance from the table to where it was located on the floor and remarks that she guesses it couldn't have gotten all the way over here, though. Not by itself, says Carolyn--now do you believe what I was saying? No, says Vicki, placing the book on the desk--there has to be a logical explanation! Yes, agrees Carolyn. Maybe a cat got in the window and knocked it off, suggests Vicki. In all my life in this house, I have never seen a cat in here, says Carolyn--anyway, a cat couldn't get that book from that table to here--it's very heavy. You're right, says Vicki. So if there isn't a logical explanation, says Carolyn, there's only one other possible explanation, and I don't even like to think about that one--please, let's go back upstairs--I feel a lot safer there--at least we can lock the door. Vicki agrees. She turns off the lamp and they exit the drawing room. The book opens by itself to a page with a bookmark.The bookmark slides off to reveal a page. JOSETTE COLLINS, it says, Born 1810, died 1834.

Evans cottage - Maggie stands looking at her father. She puts her hands on his shoulders and asks him to stop kidding around--what is it? I thought I told you to go back to bed, he reminds her. You did, but I'm not a child, she says, sitting on the sofa, so stop treating me like one--I heard you on the phone and you asked for Collins--the only Collins I know is Roger--why did you ask for him? It wasn't anything important, says Sam--he's been after me, trying to get me to change my mind about doing Burke's portrait. What does Roger have to do with Burke's portrait? asks Maggie. He just doesn't want me to do it, that's all, says Sam. But why? demands Maggie shrilly--does he want to hire you on an exclusive basis for the Collins family? No, says Sam, he's only anxious that nothing keep Devlin in Collinsport--doesn't want anything to keep him here--you know how long it takes to do a portrait--the sittings and all, I haven't done one in years--maybe he's just worried about that--see? He's gazing at a canvas. Maggie rises from the sofa and says he's not a very good liar. No, I'm not, he agrees. We used to trust each other and confide, she says, taking the same picture into her hands. That was before, he says. Before what? she asks. A long time ago, he says--things were different then. What changed them? she asks. Yesterday Burke said he wasn't going to pose, says Maggie, yet he was here--he was here to ask questions--did he get all his answers?--you've got to tell me!

Carolyn and Vicki return to the latter's bedroom. If only that telephone hadn't rung, says Carolyn, locking the door--then we wouldn't have had to go down there. What about the sound you heard? asks Vicki. I would have been very happy to go on pretending it was a shutter banging somewhere, says Carolyn. They once again sit on the bed. You never did tell me who it was that called, Carolyn says. I did tell you--I don't know, says Vicki. Did you recognize the voice? asks Carolyn. No, it was kind of muffled, like a whisper, says Vicki--he just said Collins. Uncle Roger? says Carolyn. I guess so, says Vicki--that's all he said, then the phone went dead. Could it possibly have been Bill Malloy? asks Carolyn hopefully. That's what I've been trying to think, because I want it to be, says Vicki--but I think I would have known his voice. If it had been Malloy, he would have asked for Mother, says Carolyn--and he wouldn't have hung up. Hey, says Vicki, this sounds like the kind of thing a drunk would do--calling from some bar, then forgetting why he was calling. Did you hear music in the background? asks Carolyn. No, says Vicki--dead silence. You know, says Carolyn, that's the second time you've used that word--I wish you wouldn't. All right, says Vicki, smiling--COMPLETE silence. It couldn't have been Bill Malloy, says Carolyn--he usually shouts a lot. I know, agrees Vicki. He shouts at Uncle Roger a lot, says Carolyn. He certainly was doing a lot of that last night, says Vicki. Don't let that scare you, says Carolyn--he's a softy under those whiskers--he's really soft as far as Mother is concerned--I think he's always had a crush on her. Why shouldn't he? asks Vicki. (Why would she say that?) What I mean is, says Carolyn, that's why it's so strange he hasn't called--it's not like him to do anything to hurt her or even make her worry--he's really a very nice man. You're not the only one that thinks that, says Vicki--Burke Devlin was here the other day asking about him. Why didn't you tell me Burke was here? demands Carolyn. Because he came to see your uncle, says Vicki. As long as he didn't come just to see you, says Carolyn. (Still so jealous!) No, he had a lot of other things on his mind, says Vicki, turning off the light--I think he's very anxious about Mr. Malloy. Old chin and whiskers, says Carolyn--I wonder where he is right now?

Then where is Bill Malloy? Maggie asks Sam. I wish I knew, says Sam, I wish he were right in this room, there are so many things I want to ask him. Not nearly so many things as he wants to ask you, she says--he tried to put me through the third degree yesterday. What did he say? asks Sam. He seemed to think you had some important information, says Maggie. Did he say what kind of information? asks Sam. No, that's what I've been waiting for you to tell me, she says. I tried, he says, believe me I tried, I wanted to tell him a thousand times, but I just can't. You can't say it, Maggie reminds him, but you did write it down, didn't you? Yes, I did, he says. You wrote it in that letter you gave me, she says--then I'm going to read that letter! No, I forbid it! says Sam. It's addressed to me, she says. That doesn't matter, he says, growing agitated, it's my personal property and you have no right to go prying into it. If it will get you out of the trouble you're in, I have every right in the world, she asserts. I want that letter, insists Sam, where is it--you give it back to me so I can destroy it. I told you, she says, it was in the safe at the hotel. Then you get it tomorrow, he says--en empty envelope is just as good as a letter. Puzzled, Maggie looks at him. It will do the same thing, rants Sam, nobody will know there's a letter in there I destroyed. That isn't why you wrote it, says Maggie. No, I wrote it so if anything happened to me, it would at least be told, says Sam. What would? she asks--so help me, Pop, I'm just going to read it myself! He grabs hold of her and demands she swear she won't do that. Pop, you're hurting me! she cries. Swear on your mother's name! he shouts, still holding her in a painful grip. I won't read it, she says. SWEAR! he insists. I don't have to, she says, I've never lied to you in my life, Pop, never broken a promise, either.He releases her and sits down, head in hands, absolutely miserable.

NOTES: So Josette's spirit has made a ghostly appearance here! How exciting! We've heard about her, and of course her dates of birth and death are wrong in light of what happens later, but this is her ghost paying a visit to Collinwood. Was she trying to introduce herself to Vicki? That was actually creepy, and gave me chills! Everything that happened to Vicki and Carolyn in this ep was frightening, except their teasing each other.

This whole business is destroying Sam's once-wonderful relationship with Maggie. How sad for both of them! You wish he would just come out and confess and make it right. Somehow, you know she would forgive him anything.

Also scary was the scene in which Vicki and Carolyn spotted a body. It sure did look like a body, even to Liz, and we wonder--was it? Did Matthew actually find a body, perhaps Bill Malloy's, and dispose of it for some bizarre reason of his own?

Ned Calder loved Liz and proposed. Bill Malloy loved Liz but apparently didn't get to her in time because Paul Stoddard beat him to the punch. Matthew Morgan appears to have an almost worshipful attitude toward the great lady. And yet, she's alone, chained to the house--why?

Have a great week!

Love, Robin

Episode #47 - I can still remember the words I heard the night I arrived at Collinwood: "Welcome to the beginning and the of the world"--they had no meaning for me then, but now they seem terribly real--as real as the mysteries of this strange, dark house and the troubled souls that live within its walls--as real as the passing minutes and the growing fear they bring.

Carolyn, in a flowing nightgown, drifts downstairs to the strains of piano playing. She enters the drawing room to find her mother playing a melancholy tune. Is this the late concert? asks Carolyn. You startled me, says Liz. Then neighbors have been complaining for hours, teases Carolyn--go on, play some more. What about Uncle Roger and David--I don't want to disturb them, says Liz. I was only kidding, says Carolyn, I couldn't hear them until I got just outside the door--go on, I love to listen to you, I always have. I think it's probably too late, says Liz, rising from the bench. It's only 10 past 11, says Carolyn, not even the witching hour. The witching hour, repeats Liz--oh, Carolyn, I something think I'm losing my mind! What's the matter? asks Carolyn. I'm frightened, says Liz. Of what? asks Carolyn. I don't know, replies Liz, but I have this awful feeling of impending disaster. The clock strikes and Liz does look very afraid.

Liz goes to the phone and dials. There's no answer. She hangs up, disturbed. Who are you calling? Asks Carolyn. Bill Malloy, says Liz. At this hour? asks her daughter. He didn't answer, anyway, says Liz. You don't usually make phone calls at 20 minutes pass 11, points out Carolyn. Liz, agitated, says she wanted to discuss a business matter with him. Liz looks out the window. Does Bill have anything to do with your premonition? Asks Carolyn. Forget what I said before, Liz asks her--it was silly of me. Are you afraid something might have happened to him? demands Carolyn. Of course not, says Liz, why do you ask that? Because he seemed pretty upset today, says Carolyn--because he came up here and had a private talk with you--and because when he walked out of here, he didn't seem like a very happy man. Bill Malloy is our fleet manager, says Liz, shrugging--why shouldn't we have a private talk? Why shouldn't you be able to sleep tonight? asks Carolyn. Darling, says Liz, Bill and I discuss things relating to the business and they were disturbing--nothing that need concern you. But it can't wait until morning, says Carolyn. Please, begs Liz. Just answer the question, says Carolyn--does it have anything to do with Uncle Roger. Why do you ask that? queries Liz. It is Uncle Roger, isn't it? asks Carolyn--we had a terrible row earlier this evening, did you know that?--something silly--a pen!--You know how fond of Uncle Roger I am, but tonight--I guess that's why I couldn't sleep--the strange way he behaved--that is what you and Bill were talking about, Uncle Roger?What do you mean, strange? asks Liz. I don't know, says Carolyn, there was this pen business, and later on, we were talking about the family--you know, different things that had been done to keep the family together--and Uncle Roger said something about self-protection--about how sometimes a person has to do terrible things to protect himself. He said that? asks Liz--Uncle Roger?--Uncle Roger used those words? Carolyn nods--words like that, she says, and then later he said, and I can even remember his exact words--I refuse to be anyone's sacrificial lamb--Mother, where are you going? Liz, opening the double doors, says she's going upstairs to talk to Uncle Roger. Liz heads upstairs. The clock strikes 11:30.

Roger's office - Roger is on the phone, Burke sitting across the desk from him. Still no answer? asks Burke. Roger, his forehead still dimpled from the cut he received in the accident, doesn't reply, and Burke asks again--still no answer? Sam sits beside Burke, further back. No, says Roger. Let it ring, says Burke. Why, Malloy obviously is not home, says Roger. Sam rises from his chair, tucking his hands in his pockets. He has a housekeeper, doesn't he? asks Burke--at least she should answer it--let it ring. You sure he said he'd be here at 11? Asks Sam. That's what he said, agrees Burke, be here at 11 sharp--isn't that what he said to you, Roger? I guess he changed his mind, says Roger, hanging up--this is a waste of time, he's obviously not there. Look, says Sam, it's 11:30, if he were going to be here, he would have been here half an hour ago, so let's just forget the whole thing. Sit down, Sam, orders Burke--Malloy set up this meeting, and he told us to be here--well, we're here, and staying here until he gets here--unless you want to get into the matter right now. I don't know what he wanted, says Sam. I see, says Burke--what about you, Roger? Bill came to my house and asked me to come down here, that's all I know, says Roger. You're a great pair, aren't you? asks Burke--let me tell you what I know--Malloy said he had some information on my manslaughter conviction. Oh, come off it, will you? asks Roger disdainfully. Who do you think you're talking to? demands Burke. If you're going to be obnoxious, begins Roger, rising in his chair. Burke stands, too--obnoxious? He says--we've been sitting here for half an hour, talking about the weather and the price of sardines--well let's stop sitting around and get down to facts. Sam wanders around near the dart board, silent. What facts? Asks Roger. Ten years ago, says Burke, you were a witness at my murder trial--but you knew I was innocent, didn't you? That's not true! says Roger. And you, Sam, says Burke, turning to the other man, you know something about it, too, don't you? Sorry, Burke, you're wrong, says Sam. Am I? asks Burke--Bill Malloy wouldn't have asked you over here if he didn't think you were involved. Evans wasn't at your trial, points out Roger, how could he be involved. I don't know--suppose you tell me, Burke says to Sam. There's nothing to tell, insists Sam. Burke picks up the phone and dials Malloy. You're wasting your time, insists Roger, he didn't answer a couple of minutes ago, why should he be home now?All right, says Burke, hanging up, but if either of you are gone when I get back, so help me I'm coming back here and drag you back! He goes to the door, telling Sam he's going to Malloy's house--he's going to get him up if he has to break the door down--and remember, be here when I get back! He leaves. Sam and Roger survey each other, unnerved.

Drawing room, Collinwood - Carolyn, pouring tea, asks her mother what her uncle meant by "sacrificial lamb"? I don't know, says Liz, complaining that it seems cold in here. The chill of doom, of course, teases Carolyn, sipping her tea. Don't say that, begs Liz. I was only joking, says Carolyn. Please don't, says Liz, sitting down--I think you ought to go back to bed. Carolyn rises from the sofa and goes to her mother, kneeling in front of her. I'm sorry, says Carolyn, it wasn't a very good joke. I'm so worried, says Liz, you have no idea how worried I am. About what? Carolyn asks. I wish I knew, says Liz, it happened once a long long time ago, this fear... I love you, Carolyn assures her, and I want to help if there's anything I can do. Darling, says Liz, smoothing back her daughter's hair, for your own happiness, you can walk out that front door and never look back--that's what you can do for me. I don't want to, says Carolyn. Why do I feel this way? asks Liz--it's as if death had walked into this house. That's silly, and you know it, says Carolyn. did you hear a car pull up? asks Liz, on edge. No, says Carolyn. Liz glances out the window--I'm sure I--nothing, she says, twisting her hands together. Carolyn puts an arm around her mother and begs her to please not do this to herself. Where could Roger have gone? worries Liz. I'm sure nothing has happened to him--if that's what you're worried about, says Carolyn. The altar, murmurs Liz, perhaps the lamb has gone to the sacrificial altar. . .

Absolutely not! says Roger--I have no intention of playing into Burke's hands, not even for a second. It's ridiculous, says Sam--why should we sit here and wait? Burke will come back, says Roger--I don't want him to think you have any reason to be afraid of him--you'll wait here just as I will and face him just as I will. There's no point in it, says Sam, he'll find that Bill's not at home. How do you know that? asks Roger. Because I... begins Sam, because I know Bill, if he were at home, he'd answer the phone. Is that the only reason? asks Roger. Of course, says Sam--I mean look, his phone is right in the bedroom, if he were there, he couldn't have helped hearing it. Then where do you think he is? asks Roger. How should I know? asks Sam, all I know is he was supposed to be here at 11 o'clock--Sam rises from his chair--what are you driving at, Collins? You would feel a lot safer, wouldn't you, if Malloy never showed up? asks Roger, smiling. You think I'd, begins Sam...he grabs Roger by the lapels of his suit jacket--Collins, I could kill you! That wouldn't solve your problem, says Roger dryly, glancing own at Sam's fists grasping his lapels--it would only add to it. Sam releases him.Tell me, says Roger, if Malloy does show up, what are you going to say to him. Tell him what a fool I was 10 years ago, says Sam, and tell him how I let you talk me into... Into what? demands Roger--being an accessory after the fact?--that's the legal term for it, you know--and it does carry a prison sentence--you know that, don't you? Yes, yes, says Sam, distracted rubbing his hair and face. Maybe Malloy will be here, and maybe he won't, says Roger, but should Burke bring Malloy back with him, I want you to do exactly what you've done for 10 years--keep your mouth shut! It's endless! Cries Sam. That's right, says Roger, that's what I want it to be--neither Burke not Bill Malloy can touch us if we stand together--and that means no statements, no facts, no information--is that clear? Sam doesn't have a chance to respond when Burke returns and says, "He's either out or dead." What do you mean by that? asks Sam. I rang his bell a couple of dozen times, says Burke, banged on the door. It's as I told you, Roger reminds him, no one's home. His car was parked in front of the house, says Burke. Doesn't mean a thing, says Roger, Bill likes to walk, he often walks here from his house. Maybe he got lost, suggests Burke with a grim smile. Look, says Sam, we know he's not at home--what are we gonna do? Just what we've been doing, says Burke--wait--and he sits back down in the chair opposite Roger. It's 11:40.

11:55 - The clock ticks audibly in Roger's office as the three men wait, and wait, sometimes looking at each other, sometimes not, lost in their own private thoughts. I think we've given Bill enough time, don't you? asks Roger. No, says Burke. This is ridiculous, it's almost 12, I'm tired, complains Roger. So am I, insists Sam, rising from his chair, let's go. Sit down, Sam! orders Burke. We've been here almost an hour, points out Sam. We'll wait another hour if we have to! says Burke. Maybe you will, but not I, says Roger. Bill Malloy said he would be here, says Burke. Then he obviously has realized that there's no point to this big meeting of his, says Roger. I don't believe that, says Burke. I have no intention of sitting here waiting for someone who has apparently decided there is no basis for whatever charges he was going to make. Burke stands and gets right in Roger's face--then you do know what was on his mind? he says. I know nothing, says Roger--only that I'm going home and to bed. Roger, says Burke, Malloy knows there's something between you and Evans, and you know it! Roger has taken his coat from the coat tree, and he turns to Burke and says, "Do I?--do I indeed?--do you know anything about that?" he asks Sam. Not a thing, says the latter. Unless of course, Bill Malloy chooses to have another meeting of the board, says Roger smugly. So that's it, is it? asks Burke angrily. Yes, says Roger--oh, there's one more thing--you had lunch today in Bangor with my niece, didn't you? Yes, says Burke. You gave her a present, didn't you--a fountain pen? Oh--yes, says Burke, as if he's forgotten. Roger reaches in his pocket and takes out the pen--Carolyn asked me to return it to you--you see, there's some people from whom we choose not to accept presents. Forget the pen! Orders Burke. I seem to have left it at home, says Roger, but I'll find it and return it to you.All right, you find it and return it to me, agrees Burke brusquely. And just stay away from my family, says Roger, and that includes Carolyn--do you have your car, Evans? No, says Sam, I walked. I'll drop you at home, Roger tells him--good night, Burke. Listen, says Burke, rubbing his face distractedly, I'm going to try Malloy one more time. Go right ahead, says Roger, and if you get him, don't hesitate to call me, and Evans--you'll be home, won't you? he asks Sam. Yes, says Evans. You see, Burke, says Roger, we've neither of us anything to hide. The phone rings and rings at the other end as Sam and Roger leave the office. Answer, Bill! cries Burke desperately, answer!

Carolyn is laughing riotously, telling Liz, "You never answered--I remember the phone rang and rang and you refused to answer!" Could you blame me? asks Liz, in a much better frame of mind--Halloween, midnight, three calls for the ghost of Collinwood were not for me--I suppose all your friends were very angry with me." Still laughing, Carolyn covers her mouth with he hand and says, oh, no, Mother, no one could ever be angry with you--you've always been very kind--a bit of a kook, maybe, but kind. A bit of a kook? Says Liz, grinning--is that any way to speak to your mother? If it makes you laugh, it is, says Carolyn--I wish you'd laugh more often--it sounds so marvelous in this gloomy house. We have had some wonderful times together, haven't we, darling? Asks Liz. Yes, agrees Carolyn, and we'll have them again, right? Right, agrees Liz--if you'll go upstairs and get your beauty sleep--it's almost midnight! The witching hour, says Carolyn--why don't you come up to bed yourself? I want to wait for Uncle Roger, says Liz, there's something I want to discuss with him. Will you smile? asks Carolyn. I'll try to, promises Liz--now scoot! A smile's the best thing to chase the goblins away, says Carolyn--how long will you wait--suppose Uncle Roger's out all night? Then I'll be up all night, says Liz--now go to bed. Carolyn kisses Liz on the cheek and says, "I love you, Mother--please don't worry!" I'll try not to, agrees Liz--and thank you for being so sweet. Carolyn blows her a kiss and leaves. The clock strikes midnight. Liz goes to the window, nervous, and just stands there.

Roger returns home, whistling. He slips off his coat and tosses it on the foyer table, then enters the drawing room and pours himself a drink. You're feeling pretty good, aren't you? asks his sister, coming up behind him, causing him to spill a bit. Liz, what are you doing up this hour of night? he asks. Waiting for you, she says. I thought you'd stopped waiting up for me, he says--care for a nightcap. (I lose sound here in several spots.) Where were you tonight? she asks. . . .personal, as a matter of fact, says Roger. Did it have anything to do with Bill Malloy? asks Liz. What makes you ask that? Roger queries, uncomfortable. I've been trying to reach him all evening, she says. Unsuccessfully, I gather, he says. Yes, she admits--he came to see me this afternoon--did you know that? No, says Roger. He said some extremely unpleasant things about you, she says--things I chose to ignore at the time. But you've had second thought? Says Roger. He said you were responsible for the accident that sent Burke Devlin to prison, says Liz--he said that you knowingly allowed Burke to pay for a crime you committed.Liz! says Roger reproachfully, are you serious? Do you think I'd joke about a thing like this? she demands angrily--he said he could prove it and that's what he intended to do. And did you ask him to bring his proof to you? asks Roger. What I asked him to bring me was not important, she says--what you say to me is--did he speak to you about this? Last time I saw him was this afternoon, says Roger--no, he didn't say anything to me about it. (Liar, liar, pants on fire!) Then you deny his story? she asks. Deny it? he asks, amazed, what do you want me to say? I want you to tell the truth, says Liz--were you or were you not responsible for Burke going to prison? Yes, I was, he admits. Roger! she says. But not the way you think, he says, I was responsible because I was on the witness stand--I was responsible because I testified against Burke--and every word of my testimony was true--Liz, that's where you'll find the answer--in the jury's verdict--not in the ravings of Bill Malloy! Why would he say all those things? asks Liz. Why don't we find out?--let's call him, shall we? suggests Roger. He stands. I tried, there's no answer, says Liz. Then we'll try again tomorrow, says Roger--arrange for you, me and Bill to sit down together and I'll answer any questions you put to me--I can't do anymore than that, can I? NO, says Liz. Fine, says Roger--you just arrange the meeting and I'll e there--now you go to bed. He leads her out of the drawing room. They bid each other good night. Pleasant dreams, he tells her. She goes upstairs. He looks pensive, and takes a sip of his drink.

NOTES: What have we here--a murder mystery? Bill Malloy was very determined to bring this whole sordid business out in the open, and for him to not show up was highly uncharacteristic. When Sam snapped that brush in half, had he already made his plan to do away with Bill--and went ahead with it? Or did Roger cleverly suggest this meeting with Liz, himself and Malloy, knowing the latter won't show up because he, Roger, made sure he couldn't?

I loved the scenes between Carolyn and Liz. You really do sense love between these two, and I understand Barrett and Bennett (sounds like a law firm) had a wonderful rapport off-screen too. When Carolyn kneels like a little girl at Liz' feet and speaks so earnestly to her, you see a wonderful mother-daughter relationship. I love the way they joke about the ghosts, too.

Poor Burke--he felt vindication close enough to touch, and now it's been taken away from him. What will he do? Return to his original plan to take down ALL the Collins family. Roger was so smug and nasty, I wanted to smack him, and Sam is so spineless, despite his burgeoning conscience, I want to smack him, too!

Liz is apparently psychic, sensing doom--and she mentions feeling this only on one other occasion--what could that have been? Her illegitimate daughter's birth, perhaps?

Roger is reprehensible, a coward and liar. I wish Bill Malloy had shown up and exposed him for what he is!


Episode #48 - "I can hardly remember how long I've been here at Collinwood, how long I've been exposed to the fears that seem to pulse through the halls of the great house on Widows' Hill, and now another day has begun, not only for me, but for a troubled boy." During the voice-over, David has been diligently searching his room, culling through stacks of papers, trying to find something. He looks on his desk (where the popular Robbie the Robot toy from LOST IN SPACE stands perched atop a bunch of books), on his night table, in his night table, and apparently hasn't found what he's looking for. He's puzzled and perturbed--where is it?

There's a knock at his door. A cheerful Vicki, his drawing of Collinwood in her hand, greets him good morning and asks if he's ready for a hard day's schoolwork. David pulls the drawing out of her hand and asks, defensively, where she got it. She admits she "borrowed" it from him last night. David examines the drawing--he's been looking all over for it. She apologizes; she knows she should have asked first, but she was so excited when she saw it. "It's a wonderful drawing, David, do you know that?" she asks, an enthusiastic grin on her face. He protests that it's "all right," but she says it's much more than that, proclaiming him a very talented boy. He smiles self-consciously: "It's not that good," he insists, but it's obvious that her praise truly pleases him. She says it's good enough so that she would like to show it to a real artist someday--how would he like that? He carries the drawing over to his night stand and stares at it. Smiling, he says he supposes it would be all right, but remarks the she probably doesn't even know any artists. She glances at the drawing over his shoulder and admits, "Not yet, but I'm going to--so you take very good care of it, because I want to show it to him." Upset, he points out that there's a smudge on it. Vicki spots it and offers to erase it. No, he'll do it, he says, and pulls out a pencil to repair the damage. She agrees that only the artist himself should touch his own work. They both survey his handiwork and agree it looks much better. "All right, Michaelangelo," Vicki says, "let's get down to history." She heads for the desk, pencil in hand. David glances over his shoulder at the picture on his night stand before sitting down at the desk with Vicki. She observes how proud he is of the drawing, and he agrees. She says his father was proud, too, when she showed it to him. David's countenance changes, reflecting horror and anger. "You showed it to my father?" he demands, eyes blazing. "Yes, last night," she says. David immediately races over to the night stand, picks up the drawing, and savagely tears it into pieces. Vicki, seeing the uncontrolled fury on his face, asks him what's the matter. Seeing him destroying his picture, she cries out, "David!"

Vicki has the torn picture pieces on the desk and is trying to fit them back together. Sighing, she asks him why he did it. "Because I wanted to," he says petulantly. Because she showed it to his father? "It was my drawing, I can do anything I wanted with it," he says, lower lip thrust out. She wonders if she should put some tape on the back, and David races from his defensive post by the door. "Leave it alone!" he insists, "I don't want it anymore!" He deliberately wrecks the pieces she had so carefully laid out on the desk and tosses them onto the floor. Resigned, Vicki tells him his father only looked at it, he didn't contaminate it. "I drew it for somebody else, not for him," David says furiously, and Vicki tells him his father thought it was pretty wonderful. David says he doesn't care what his father thinks of his drawing, or anything else. "All right, David, it's over," Vicki sighs, knowing their tenuous relationship has moved one step forward, two steps back. She suggests they get back to work. David stands behind his chair and spits out, "I hate him!" Again, Vicki tells him they should get down to history, but David blathers on, accusingly, "If I'd wanted him to see it, I would have shown him myself!" Vicki says she didn't know that and apologizes for her mistake, she's sorry, what more can she say to him? He says she had no right to steal it out of his room. She tells him that's ridiculous, she only borrowed it to show it to his father. "You took it without asking, and that's the same as stealing," insists, David. "You told me that when I borrowed your letter." Vicki protests that's different, but he insists she has different rules for grown-ups and kids..."sure!" He thrusts out his lower lip angrily. "You're a thief, just like you called me," he cries, "and I wish you'd go away and never come back!" She says they've had enough of this talk, and he plows on--"I bet you can't wait to tell Aunt Elizabeth what I said!" Vicki ignores him and opens the history book. "We were studying American history," she reminds him. "Just because Aunt Elizabeth told me to be nice to you doesn't mean I REALLY like you," he says. Annoyed, she orders him to sit down and do his work. He sits, then says, "I hate you just like I hate him, just because you got me in trouble doesn't mean I'm gonna forget...I'm NEVER gonna forget!" Vicki tries to capture his attention, but he continues, "And if you want to tell Aunt Elizabeth, go ahead and tell her--I don't care!" "Tell me what, David?" queries his aunt's cultured voice, and Liz herself, carrying a silver and white striped gift box with a ribbon on top, walks into his room. "What do you want Miss Winters to tell me, David?" He turns away and walks over to his bookcase, avoiding everyone and everything. Liz asks Vicki if David is being rude again. Vicki assures her no, that they were discussing the American Revolution and had a disagreement. "I see," Liz says, disbelieving. She walks over to David and says, "I hope you haven't forgotten our talk--I don't want any reports of trouble between you and Miss Winters--is that clear?" "Yes," David agrees. Liz suggests her open the gift that came for him, delivered from Collinsport. David is delighted and excited when she points out that it's addressed to him, David Collins, at Collinwood. He takes the package over to his bed and opens it. Amidst a lot of tissue paper he lifts out a crystal ball. When Liz asks Vicki what's going on, she explains to Liz that she borrowed a drawing of David's without asking, and that he has every right to be angry. "Wow!" David cries, holding the crystal ball up to his face. Liz asks what it is while David is gushing over what a beauty it is. "It's a crystal ball, like the fortunetellers use," he says, and turns it over to glance at the base. "It's even got a stand on it!" Vicki agrees it's great, and asks if there's a note saying who it's from. David looks through the box and finds a note: "'Now you can tell us all where we're going. Your friend, Burke.' It's from Mr. Devlin!" David exclaims. He rises from the bed and says it's great, he has to thank him. Liz comments that it's a strange present, grabs David's shoulder and tells him not so fast. He insists he must thank him for the gift. Liz says she isn't sure he should keep it. He stares at her, open-mouthed, horrified. "Mr. Devlin really isn't a friend of our family," Liz points out diplomatically. David says, "I don't care. He's a friend of mine and he sent it to me and it's mine." Liz says she realizes that, and David immediate goes into wheedle mode, begging to be allowed to keep it. "Please, Aunt Elizabeth, he sent it to me, please don't make me send it back! It's not fair."Liz is forced to agree that he's right, reluctantly. "All right," she says, frowning, "go make your phone call." He races downstairs and Liz gazes after him, unhappy. She plucks the note out of the box and glances at it, obviously wishing Burke had never sent it.

David, one possessive hand on the crystal ball on the table beside him, is on the phone with Burke, gushing over the gift. "It just came--and thank you very much. Of course I know what it is...you bet I will. I'll look into it real hard, and I'll tell you what I see. . .anytime it's important, OK? Burke, I made a drawing for you and something happened to it...well, it tore...of this house, Collinwood..." There's a knock at the door. "I'll make another one, only this time I'll hide it until I can give it to you. You promise?!?! OK, 'bye." David hangs up and runs to the door. He lets in Joe, who is clutching a portfolio of papers, and bubbles, "Wanna see what I just got?" Joe says sure, then asks if his Aunt Elizabeth is around. David carefully lifts the crystal ball from the table, explaining that his aunt is upstairs. He proudly holds up the crystal ball for Joe's inspection and says, "Bet you can't guess what it is!" Joe guesses the biggest marble in the world. "A crystal ball," David corrects. "Haven't you ever seen one? You look into it and you can tell the future." "Just what you need in this house," Joe humorously remarks. David says he'll have a lot of fun with it and says he bets Joe never had one when he was a kid. Joe concedes no, but he has some other things. "Better than this?" David persists, and Joe ruffles David's hair and says, "I guess not," and suggests he go tell his aunt that he's here. David comments that he thought Joe only came to see Carolyn. Not this time, Joe says. David suggests Carolyn never had a crystal ball, either, and Joe, glancing around, agrees that all Carolyn ever had was this old damp, dark house. "I hope you grow up with a little more than that," Joe tells David. The door at the top of the stairs opens and Liz appears. "I thought I heard the door," she says, hurrying down the steps. She wonders what he's doing here this time of day, and Joe explains that Mr. Collins sent him with some papers for her signature, contracts that had to be in the mail today. Liz walks around David and tells Joe to go into the drawing room. Liz asks David if he called and thanked Burke for the toy. David indicates yes, sounding distracted as he gazes into the crystal ball. Liz orders David to get back to Vicki and his studies, then goes into the drawing room and shuts the doors behind her. "It isn't a toy," says David defensively.

In the drawing room, Liz is seated on the sofa, and Joe shows her the contracts. He wants to take them right to the post office after she signs them. Liz asks why Mr. Malloy didn't bring them, as he always does, and Joe explains that Mr. Malloy hasn't been into work at all today. He doesn't know why--he didn't phone. "I thought you might know what had happened to him," Joe suggests. "What makes you think something's happened to him?" Liz counters, concerned. Joe indicates that was just a word, and she gets up and heads for the phone, murmuring, "I'd better find him." Malloy isn't home; he stopped by there on his way to Collinwood, Joe explains. He saw Mrs. Johnson, Malloy's housekeeper, she hadn't seen him since about 10:30 last night. "That's impossible," Liz says, "she fixes his breakfast every morning! When did she last see Mr. Malloy?" Joe says, according to Mrs. Johnson, Malloy came home about ten o'clock last night and had some supper. About 10:30, he received a phone call. Mrs. Johnson had to leave to visit her daughter, but Malloy was still there when she left. "What happened this morning?" asks Liz. Joe says Mrs. Johnson came back to the house, around 6:30 to fix his breakfast. He never came down, so she went upstairs to look. He wasn't there, and his bed appeared not to have been slept in. Liz rises from the sofa, rubbing her hands nervously together. "He must have left sometime between 10:30 and 11:00, she muses. Why does she says that?" Joe asks, and she describes how she tried to reach him several times after eleven, with no answer.She asks if Mrs. Johnson knew who phoned Malloy, and Joe says no, all she said was Malloy seemed very upset. "You don't suppose something really did happen to him, do you?" Joe asks. Liz says, "I don't know, Joe, I don't know."

With Joe standing worriedly by, Liz calls Mrs. Johnson and asks her if Mr. Malloy said anything about visiting friends or his cousins. "I see," Liz says, "no, I can't check with them, they have no phone. Oh, Mrs. Johnson, if you hear anything, please call me immediately. Yes, thank you. Goodbye." Liz hangs up and says to Joe, "Still no word on him. I hope nothing's gone wrong." Vicki comes in, looking for David. Mrs. Stoddard said she sent him up to Vicki, but he apparently never got there. Liz turns to Joe and suggests they check the hospitals in case Malloy got hurt. She also asks him to inquire around in town and see if anyone has seen Malloy since last night. Joe agrees. "A man doesn't just vanish into thin air," Liz comments, and Vicki drops a bombshell--"He was here last night." "In this house?" Liz asks, looking totally perplexed. "What time was that?" A little bit before 10, Vicki says--he came to see Roger. "Mr. Collins saw Mr. Malloy last night?" Liz persists, again startled. Yes, Vicki says. Liz tells Joe she'll get to the contracts in a few minutes, and asks him if he'd mind waiting outside. Not at all, Joe says, and closes the double doors behind him. Liz turns to Vicki. "You said Mr. Malloy came here to see my brother a little before 10 last night?" "Yes." Vicki doesn't know what Malloy came to see Roger about, however, but she volunteers that, on her way upstairs, she let Malloy, who seemed very upset, into Collinwood. In what way, Liz inquires. Vicki asks if something had happened to Mr. Malloy, and Liz explains that she doesn't know. In what way did he seem upset, she asks Vicki, what did he say. Vicki explains that he was very anxious to see Roger, and when she told him Roger was busy, she said Malloy told her to go disturb him or HE would. Malloy seemed very distraught. Liz asks why Vicki didn't mention all this before, and Vicki says she didn't think it her business. Liz asks if she told Roger Malloy had stopped by, but Vicki says she didn't--just at that moment, Roger came in and saw Mr. Malloy. He asked him into the drawing room and closed the doors. Then she didn't hear what they were discussing, Liz asks,and Vicki tells her, "I did hear...Mrs. Stoddard, I don't want Mr. Collins..." Liz interrupts and says she has every intention of discussing this with her brother, so Vicki can go ahead and tell her what happened. Tilting her head, speaking slowly and carefully, Vicki says, "Well, as they were going in, before Mr. Collins had shut the door, Mr. Malloy said something about coming to extend an invitation. Mr. Collins seemed to know what he was talking about, and he was furious at the idea." "Invitation to WHAT?" Liz persists, but Vicki says, "Some kind of meeting--that's all I know." Liz walks and stares into the fire. Vicki asks if Mr. Malloy hasn't ever gone off before, and Liz says soberly, "No--this is the first time."

Joe waits in the foyer, staring at the clock , which reads 11:30. He paces, wandering over to an ancestor's portrait on the wall, holding the sheath of contracts loosely in his hands. From the landing, David intones, in a deep, teasing voice, ""Your time is up--the crystal ball has spoken!" Joe jumps and says, "David, don't creep up behind me like that, not in this house." He asks David if he isn't supposed to be studying, but David starts walking downstairs, asking, "Aw, who likes to do schoolwork anyway?" Joe reminds him it isn't what we like to do, it's what we have to do. David, balancing the crystal ball in his hands, carefully walks downstairs. Joe asks if Carolyn is home, and David rests the crystal ball on the flat part of the banister, gazes into it and says, "Carolyn, huh? Hmm. Let me see. Uh uh, she went into town." Joe asks David to check and see if he can figure out where Bill Malloy went, while he's checking the crystal ball. David asks, "What happened to him?" "Nobody knows, he just disappeared," Joe explains, and David asks where to. Somewhat exasperated, Joe points out that if they knew WHERE, they wouldn't be saying he's disappeared. He suggests David's crystal ball is a fake. David lifts it protectively into his hands and protests, "It is not!" Joe asks why it can't tell them where to find Mr. Malloy, then, and David retorts, "It can! It tells other things, too!" Joe teasingly brushes the sheath of papers over David's hair and calls him a phony. "I am not!" David scowls. "I can see other things, too! You think you're going to marry Carolyn, don't you?" "Well, sure," Joe says. David petulantly informs him, "Well you're not! You're never going to marry her, never! The crystal ball told me!" Joe, chuckling uncertainly, looks at the boy and says, "It did? Did it tell you who she would marry?" "Yes, and it never lies--she's going to marry a friend of mine." Joe asks who that is, and David says, defiantly, "Burke Devlin," then pounds upstairs. Joe frowns unhappily around him as Liz and Vicki emerge from the drawing room. Liz says, "Thank you very much, Miss Winters, you've been more helpful than you know." Vicki says she's sure nothing has happened to him, and Liz says she hopes not. Liz tells Joe to come inside; she's ready to sign the contracts. Joe tells Vicki, "Your student is back upstairs." "Good," Vicki says, smiling crookedly. "Vicki," Joe says, "give him a swat for me, will ya?" He follows Liz into the drawing room. She reminds him to make inquiries about Malloy after he mails them at the post office, and he assures her he will. He promises to phone her if he learns anything, and she says goodbye. He says goodbye and leaves. She makes sure he's gone, then closes the double doors and picks up the phone. "I'd like to speak to Mr. Collins, please," she says, her tone clipped. "Well, then cut in, this is his sister and it's important. Hello, Roger, I'd like to see you at once...I don't care what you're doing at the moment, this is more important...all right. Hadn't you told me you hadn't seen Bill Malloy since early yesterday afternoon? Well, I've just learned differently, and I'd like an explanation from you. No, I have no intention of discussing it on the telephone! I want you here and now!" She hangs up, looking very upset indeed.

We see one of David's blinking eyes reflected eerily through his crystal ball. Vicki says, impatiently, "David, stop playing with that thing or you'll never get through with your lessons!" "I want to see what's going to happen," he says. Vicki, seated at the desk, predicts direly, "Well, you won't learn a thing, that's what's going to happen. Now come on, sit down" He reluctantly sits next to Vicki, who points to a paper on the desk and says she wants him to do these math problems. David takes pen in hand and works for half a second, then looks up and asked, "Everyone's wondering about Mr. Malloy, aren't they/" Vicki taps the paper and says, "We're doing math!" David works another two seconds and asks, "When did he disappear?" "Last night," Vicki supplies. "Now come on, David." He writes a bit more, then offers, "I bet nobody really knows what happened to him." "I don't think anything happened to him," Vicki says. "He probably had some sort of emergency and had to leave town unexpectedly. Now come on, finish that." "If they would ask me, I could tell them," David boasts, his eyes bright. Vicki crosses one hand over the other, giving in. "All right, David," she says, "go and look in your crystal ball and tell me where Mr. Malloy is--then let's get this finished." "I don't have to have to look, I looked already," David admits. "He's DEAD!" David rises from his seat and Vicki chastises, "David, that's a terrible thing to say!" "And that's not all," David continues ignoring her, "it told me something else--he was killed by someone!" "David, stop it!" Vicki admonishes. "And do you want to know who he was killed by?" David asks, walking over towards the crystal ball and gazing at it triumphantly, "I bet you do!" "All right, tell me," Vicki asks.David looks into the round glass ball and announces, gleefully, grinning triumphantly, "My father!"

Marginalia: Poor David. He's angry at Vicki for "borrowing" his drawing (and excited or not, she really had no right to just take it without asking; she's not setting a good example for the kind of behavior she expects from him), yet he's pathetically pleased to learn she liked his drawing that much. Of course, once he learns she showed it to his father, the drawing becomes, in Vicki's words, tainted in David's mind and he feels compelled to tear it up. We learn why when we find out who he intended the drawing for--his father's hated enemy, Burke Devlin. One wonders if David ever overheard Laura and Roger arguing over his paternity; undoubtedly, David would prefer to be Burke's son to Roger's. You can see the potential in David to be a good, mannerly boy; upon his receipt of Burke's wondrous gift, David immediately wanted to phone and thank him. There is much potential in David, for love, for gratitude, but Roger never bothered to seek it or give it, which is sad for both of them. Also, it seemed that Vicki was making progress in her relationship with David, but once she betrayed him, in his mind at least, by showing his artwork to his hated father, she was immediately back in the same untrusted, despised position as before in David's ledger.

Cute scene between David and Joe, who seems like David's big brother, almost, or at least displays that much concern. Of course, if he thinks David sees his crystal ball as a toy, he doesn't know David all that well! Then again, Joe has other things on his mind. It takes him aback when David says his crystal ball reveals he'll never marry Carolyn (something we know is truth, although she does not, as he predicts, marry Burke--that's wishful thinking on David's part). As for Joe, perhaps he senses there is more truth than he'd like to think in what David is saying, and it annoys him enough to ask Vicki to "give him a swat" for him.

What happened to Bill Malloy? Whatever else we know about him, we KNOW damn well he would always call if he didn't show up at work. That's the kind of man he is. Liz tells Vicki he's never "gone off" before. He never showed up for the meeting HE called at the plant the previous night, and now he hasn't shown up and there's been no phone call. Uh oh--where is he? David has a bombshell response to this--he's not only dead, he was murdered by his father, Roger Collins! Is this truth, or more wishful thinking on David's part?

Liz is beginning to learn more about Roger than she wants to know. Vicki's revelations about his meeting with Bill Malloy and that there was obviously a serious disagreement between them must surely have pricked Liz' intuition. What did Roger want with Bill? Liz calls Roger and demands he come home, and she's going to expect answers.

One more observation--David seems to have attention deficit disorder; he can't focus on his schoolwork longer than a second or two at a time! I don't envy Vicki

Love, Robin