#0019/0020: Robservations 05/31/01: Tension Escalates Everywhere

Episode #19 - Vicki: The tension seems endless, so much has happened since I first set foot in Collinwood and faced the woman who hadn't left it's grounds in 18 years--a woman who has been shocked by an attempted murder--a woman who is torn with concern for the one person she loves most in this world.

Liz, dejected, tired, comes downstairs at Collinwood and looks up at the clock for a moment before going into the drawing room. She picks up the phone and dials, then puts it down, deciding against the call. The phone rings; she rushes to answer. It's Bill. She hasn't been able to sleep, she tells him--did he find Carolyn? Not yet, he says, I thought Joe might have brought her home by now. He checked the Blue Whale, he assures her, she and Joe had some kind of argument, and a minute later she left. With Burke Devlin, guesses Liz. Yes, he says, but when he tells her to stop worrying, she orders him to not tell her that, not after...

Just a minute, he says, Carolyn won't do anything foolish and you know it. What about Burke's hotel room? asks Liz. I'm in the lobby now, he hasn't come in yet, either, says Malloy--now look--you just relax and I'll look around more, see if they stopped back in the bar, and you stop worrying now. Yes, she says--if you find out where she is, call me--no matter how late it is, call me. He promises her he will. Liz hangs up and wanders into the foyer. The clock strikes, endlessly bonging, and Liz looks as if she's about to cry.

Bill enters the Blue Whale, where Sam sits drinking and smoking at the bar. No other customers are there. Bill greets Sam and asks the bartender for a beer. How's it going? asks Bill. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, says Sam. Been in here long? asks Bill. Long enough, says Sam--did you know in London they drink warm beer?--you ever been to London? Once, says Malloy, before I started working for Mrs. Stoddard, a long time ago. Rags to riches, says Sam--poor boy starts as a deck hand and ends up manager of the fishing fleet and the whole cannery--how does it feel to be a success? I wouldn't know, says Bill. You looking for someone? Sam asks. Carolyn Stoddard or Burke Devlin, says Bill. Together? asks Sam. Together or separately, replies Bill--come on, sit down, I'll buy you a drink, he offers--and tells the bartender to bring over whatever Sam is drinking to his table. Evans drains his drink and joins Malloy at a table--why would they be going out together? asks Sam. Didn't say they were together, says Malloy, just asked if you saw 'em. There isn't anything going on between those two, is there? asks Sam. Malloy looks at him with raised eyebrows and asks if he's been doing much painting lately. Why would you expect them to be together? asks Sam, ignoring the deliberate change of subject. I asked you if you saw them and you told me no, says Malloy, that's all I wanted to know, so drink up! The bartender puts down Sam's drink. Malloy suggests they talk about something else. You're a hard man, Bill, smiles Sam. I like you too much, says Malloy, to think you're just plain nosy--might even let you do my portrait, someday. Listen, says Sam, you know as well as I do that Burke Devlin has no use for those people up on the hill. Maybe, nods Bill. And they have no use for him, either, says Sam--don't give me one of your Down-easterner answers--maybe--a fact is a fact--Devlin went to prison, and he blames the people in Collinwood. What's that got to do with my portrait? asks Bill. It's got to do with why you're telling me you think for one minute that Carolyn Stoddard and Burke Devlin would be getting cozy together, answers Sam.

Carolyn and Joe enter the Collinsport Inn coffee shop. Carolyn complains to Joe that all she can say is that she doesn't like the way he "put that". You did everything but hold his hand and tell him how great he is, gripes says Joe--let's sit down and get some hamburgers. I'm not sure if I'm interested in having hamburgers with you, she says. For Pete's sake, says Joe, annoyed, don't you think I have the right to be sore? You'd think I'd committed some sort of crime, she bitches. Come on, let's sit down, he says, you want a cheeseburger? Remember, she reminds him, you were the one who walked out on me. OK, let's forget it, he says. All I know is, when you ask a girl out on a date, says Carolyn, you don't walk out on her and leave her in a bar. You were in pretty good shape, says Joe, Mr. Devlin was with you. Let me tell you something, she says, he was the one who insisted we go out and find you. OK! says Joe, trying to smooth things over. All I did was suggest we go to the Blue Whale and have a few laughs, and look at you, she says

--you'd think it was the end of the world. Maybe it is, says Joe seriously, maybe it is.

Blue Whale - Sam, alone at the table, drains his drink. The bartender brings over another round for him and Bill, which Sam says to put on his tab. Sam checks his watch. Bill returns and asks Sam if he's going somewhere. A little while, says Sam, I have to get over to the restaurant and pick up my daughter when she's off-duty. When are they going to make Maggie manager of that place? asks Malloy. She's thinking about buying the place, says Sam--I took the liberty of ordering another drink, on me this time--did you make your phone call? Yup, says Bill. Any news? Asks Sam. You're snooping again, says Malloy. Ye-ah, says Sam. Well don't, says Bill. I bought you a beer, says Sam, that entitles me to something. Yup, says Bill--fifteen cents. (!--those were the good old days!) Enough is enough, insists Sam--I happen to know that Carolyn took Burke over to the Big House this evening. You have change for a quarter? asks Bill, ignoring him, but Sam goes on--she went up to his room, spent a little time there, and they walked out arm in arm--and she took him up to Collinwood! Malloy says he doesn't like gossip, never did. Don't talk to me, says Sam, the hotel clerk told me--why, by this time whole town is probably talking about it. They'll have a lot more to talk about tomorrow, predicts Bill. What happened up at the house? asks Sam casually. Bill leans forward and asks him why he's so interested in this. You know me, says Sam, I'm interested in human nature--it isn't often I get the chance to see a real live drama unfolding right in front of my very own eyes. You'll see one here, all right, says Bill. What will the town be talking about tomorrow? asks Sam--when Malloy just looks at him, Sam says, oh, come on, you've dropped one shoe, let go of the other one. Roger Collins was almost killed, says Bill--he was driving down the hill from Collinwood when his brakes failed--the car went over the edge. What happened to him? asks Sam. He was lucky, says Bill, he wasn't badly hurt. Where is he? asks Sam. Home, in bed, I hope, replies Malloy. Did he say, I mean, where was Burke Devlin when this happened? asks Sam. What difference does that make? asks Bill. Answer my question, says Sam, was Burke Devlin anywhere near that car? What's eatin' you, Sam?--Roger was in that accident, not you! Sure, says Sam, that's true--look, it's gettin' late, I'd better go pick up Maggie. He tells the bartender, "see ya" and leaves.

Joe brings over a burger to Carolyn, explaining that they're short-handed (I think he cooked them himself)--Maggie went home sick--he thinks this is the rare one. She thanks him diffidently. He salts his burger and tells her he loves her--she knows that, but he can't go on playing this game with her. I never thought you'd get so angry about it, she says quietly. If it isn't Burke Devlin, says Joe, it's somebody else, anybody--always seems to happen when I talk about getting married. That has nothing to...oh, that has nothing to do with it, says Carolyn. Then what does? he demands--when you insisted we go to the Blue Whale tonight, you knew Burke would be there, didn't you? She looks at him and admits, "Yes." Sweetheart, I can't keep on being good old Joe, he says, hanging around the sidelines, waiting for you to come bounding back to me--I've got a little too much pride for that. She surveys him seriously and gulps. Could you bring me a cup of coffee? she asks. He looks up at her, dismayed at this callous response, and asks if that's all she has to say. What do you want me to say? she asks--that I'm sorry?--maybe I am sorry if I hurt your pride, but I have to live my life my own way. I'll get the coffee, he says. We can almost hear the sound of the death knell of their relationship. Sam enters the restaurant.

Collinwood drawing room - Liz answers the phone. It's Malloy, assuring her Carolyn is on her way home now. Thank the Lord, says Liz, where did you find her? I didn't, says Malloy, speaking from the Inn's phone booth, her friend did, and he phoned me--she's in the hotel restaurant with Joe--he's bringing her home--I told you there was nothing to worry about. What about Burke? asks Liz. He wasn't here, says Bill, and I didn't ask any questions 'cause what was the point? Did you tell her about Roger's accident? asks Liz. Ay-yuh, says Bill, and she was pretty upset about it, so take it easy on her, will ya?--and then you get yourself some sleep. I will, promises Liz, thank you, Bill, for everything. Sure thing, he says, good night. They hang up. He leaves the booth and joins Sam at a table in the restaurant. The least you can do is let me pay for your coffee, says Malloy. Everything settled? inquires Sam. All settled, says Bill, thanks to your phone call--are you still waiting for Maggie? No, she went home early, headache, says Sam--look, Bill, about that accident... No more about that, the other man insists, stirring his coffee. I want to explain, says Sam--I know I sounded pretty upset at the bar, and I'm sure you wondered why. Not at all, says Bill, I thought you figured Burke fooled with Roger's car and he'd be coming after you next.

Why do you say that? asks Sam nervously. Take it easy, says Malloy, I was only kidding. Why would Burke want to hurt me? demands Sam--why would anybody want to hurt me? It was only a joke, Bill assures him. Well it wasn't very funny! says Sam. I'm sorry, very sorry, says Bill, wondering at Sam's overreaction. I was upset because Roger is a friend of mine, says Sam--he bought some of my paintings--he had a rough time lately that I'd hoped, for his sake, was over. You knew Burke pretty well, too, didn't ya--before he went to prison, I mean, asks Bill. He used to model for me, that's all! says Sam--adding venomously--I wish he'd never come back.

Joe and Carolyn return to Collinwood. You really don't have to stay, she assures him, slipping off he coat. I just want to make sure everything's all right, he says. She tells him she's sorry about tonight--he's a great guy. Just try and remember that tomorrow, he says. Liz exits the drawing room, telling Carolyn she was very worried about her. What about Uncle Roger, how is he? asks Carolyn. He wasn't badly hurt, just a sprained arm and a cut on his forehead, says Liz. I want to see him, says Carolyn, running for the stairs. I'm sure he's asleep, says Liz. I'll just peek in the door, says Carolyn, disappearing upstairs. Joe tells Liz if there's nothing he can do, he'll just get on home. Liz asks him to stay--she wants to talk to him. He pulls off his coat and joins her in the drawing room.

I really don't like talking about Carolyn like this, protests Joe. Believe me, you don't know how important this is, she says--are you sure Carolyn went to the Blue Whale because she knew Devlin was there? Yes, he says, pacing. And how did she act towards him? Liz queries. I'd rather you ask her, says Joe, uncomfortable. I'm asking you, says Liz. I'm sorry, says Joe. I'm not playing games, says Liz--I asked you a question! She's home now, isn't she? he says. Was she very friendly towards him? asks Liz. I guess so, yes, he says reluctantly. You and Carolyn had a fight and you walked out, that's true, isn't it? she asks. Yes, admits Joe. Why--because of the way she was acting towards Devlin? asks Liz.

He's a pretty interesting guy, points out Joe, and you know how Carolyn is--she likes to be friendly with people. And what happened after you left? asks Liz. She came out of the bar with Mr. Devlin and then we went for a ride, says Joe. (He defends his lady no matter what--such a nice guy.) All three of you? asks Liz. Yes, says Joe--then I dropped Mr. Devlin off and Carolyn and I took a walk and went for hamburgers--there's nothing to be so upset about. Yes, I know, says Liz sarcastically, he's an interesting guy--well, he's more than that--tonight he was almost a murderer. Joe looks at her, startled. Carolyn comes in and reports that Roger isn't in his room--he hasn't been to bed at all. That can't be, says Liz, then it hits her--Joe, would you do me a favor, please--go out to the garage and see if his convertible is there? Joe nods and races out. Was he well enough to go out tonight? asks Carolyn. The doctor told him to rest, says Liz. Then where could he have gone? asks Carolyn. Where I was hoping he wouldn't go, says Liz--to see Burke Devlin. At this time of night? asks Carolyn--why? Because he's as foolish as you are! cries Liz--you think he's interesting, charming and delightful, don't you? What does that have to do with Uncle Roger? asks Carolyn. You weren't satisfied going to his room, rails Liz, that wasn't enough--you had to drag Joe to the Blue Whale because you knew HE was there! Where did you get that idea? Carolyn asks, smiling. Don't lie to me, I'm in no mood, believe me! says Liz. All right, her daughter says, so I did want to see Burke again, what's wrong with that?--I'm no baby, mother, I know how to take care of myself! You don't know as much as you think you do, insists Liz. I know you're upset about the accident, says Carolyn, but that's no reason to get angry with me--look, if it weren't for me, Burke would never have come back here and patched things up with Uncle Roger! Patch things up?--he tried to kill him, says Liz--do you call that patching things up? What do you mean? asks Carolyn. Uncle Roger's brakes failed, and it was no accident, says Liz. You think Burke had anything to do with that? asks Carolyn in disbelief--I don't believe it. Joe comes in and tells them the convertible isn't there. Liz thanks him. Mother, how can you say such a thing? asks Carolyn--do you have proof? Liz thanks Joe for his kindness and for all intents and purposes, dismisses him. Sure you'll he all right? he asks. We'll be fine--thank you again, says Liz. Joe tells Carolyn he'll call her tomorrow, and he leaves. Carolyn closes the double doors. Liz sits down. I want you to tell me why you think Burke would try to kill Uncle Roger, demands Carolyn. I wanted to forget about it, says Liz--you were just a baby--all the unpleasantness--I was hoping it would be over with--10 years ago, there was a trial--manslaughter--Burke was convicted. He went to prison? asks Carolyn. Yes, says Liz--your uncle was a witness, and Burke swore he would come back here someday and destroy him--destroy all of us--I felt sorry for him then, I knew how terrible it must have been for him. Why didn't you ever tell me? asks Carolyn. You were just a child, says Liz, and I wanted it to be forgotten--and then Burke came back. Is that where you think Uncle Roger went--to accuse Burke of tampering with his car? asks Carolyn--he couldn't! Don't protect him, not even in your mind, says Liz--he's not worth it--believe me, he's not worth it.

NOTES: So, Liz finally told Carolyn the story about why Burke and Roger went from being friends to enemies. How much more is there to this tale? I think it would have been wiser to clue Carolyn in sooner. But we know that Burke isn't the one responsible for Roger's accident--all evidence we've seen clearly points to David. But even back then, the idea that a kid only a few years younger than I was would attempt to kill his father was unthinkable, and sick. I still think so!

I love the conversations between Malloy and Evans. They're filled with their apparent affection for each other, but the wariness you find amongst small-town folk was right there at the tables with them, both in the bar and the coffee shop. Was Bill right? Does Sam fear he will be next on Burke's imaginary hit list? What was Sam's involvement in what happened 10 years ago? He's too concerned not to be part of it.

Sounds to me like Joe and Carolyn's relationship all but broke up in this ep. As much as I think Joe is a hottie, I still think she's too young to be settling down for one guy. The restlessness that Burke's presence arouses in her is proof of that. She still has wild oats to sow.

Episode #20 - Vicki: The road that leads down from Collinwood is steep and winding. It twists and turns like the hidden secrets of my past. And now it has brought a man close to death--a man who is searching for answers of his own.

Roger's Mustang pulls up in front of the pillars of the Collinsport Inn. Roger and Vicki climb out of the car and walk inside. In the restaurant, Roger tells Miss Winters that she should wait there and have a cup of coffee. If she sits in the lobby, Burke might know that she's around--and he is counting on the element of surprise. How would he know she's even there, Vicki asks, considering that Burke just went upstairs. She is clearly unhappy at being dragged into this situation. Sarcastically, Roger points out that five dollars to the hotel clerk will glean any information one wants. "I KNOW," Roger says, something he apparently learned from first-hand experience. "I want you to be a surprise to Mr. Devlin." Vicki urges him to let the police handle this, but Roger asks her to please let him handle it his way. "You're making a mistake," she says, looking worried. Roger points out that he was the one nearly killed: "Let me be the judge of how to approach the man who tried to do it!" When Vicki asks him if he's sure it was Burke, Roger says sternly, "You had better make up your mind about that right now, Miss Winters! I'll call the desk when I'm ready for you to come upstairs." And with that parting shot, he heads up to Burke's room alone.

Vicki sits in the coffee shop, mindlessly stirring a cup of coffee. A grinning Sam Evans greets her: Does she remember him?--can he join her? When she seems unsure, he sits down anyway and assures her he's harmless--an old man who came by the hotel for a cup of coffee. He asks how she's enjoying her stay at Collinwood. She indicates it's "all right." Sam expresses concern that perhaps he said something the other day to upset her. "It frightened me a little," she admits, humorous reproach in her tone. "It's not exactly pleasant to hear about people jumping from cliffs." Sam says suicide has occurred many times at Collinwood. He asks where Roger went, then, as she looks at him tellingly, admits he wasn't truthful--he was about to leave the hotel when he saw Roger and Vicki come in, and returned for that reason. He admits he has a bad habit of glancing back--one should always look ahead, shouldn't one? That can't always be done, Vicki says ruefully. The past, Sam says, can sometimes be a mockery to the future. He wants to know where she said Roger went, and she says she never did say--and if Sam is looking for him, she begins suspiciously... Did he desert her, or is he coming back? Sam queries. Vicki sees no reason to tell him. Sam chuckles and says, "You don't have to explain anything to me, Miss Winters--but I would appreciate your telling me." "Why does it matter to you?" she asks. He's curious, that's all--Roger was almost killed tonight. Yes, he was in a car accident, Vicki allows. Sam: Isn't it strange that he shows up at the hotel with his son's tutor and then suddenly vanishes? "I don't think it's any of your business," Vicki says.

Realization hits Sam--"He went up to see Burke Devlin, didn't he?"

In his room, Burke reads the Collinsport Star. He rubs his hand over his face and rises, stretches and clicks off the light on the dresser. At the sound of a knock, he turns the light back on and opens the door. "Roger!" he says, surprised. Roger, lounging in the doorway, retorts, "Not a ghost, Burke--very much alive. May I come in?" Burke ushers him in, seeming almost stunned to see him. "What the devil happened to you?" Burke asks, gazing at the bandage on Roger's forehead and the sling supporting his injured arm. Giving nothing away, Roger expresses a hope that Burke didn't wait long for him at the bar. Roger explains that he had "a slight accident," to which Burke comments, "You look like you ran into a windmill!" Roger plays it cool, and with a slight smile, says, significantly, "I survived--that's what counts." Burke suggests Roger sit down and offers him a drink. Roger refuses. Burke asks if the arm is broken and Roger, seating himself in a chair, says it's only a sprain--but it could have been a lot worse. "What about that business deal?" Roger asks. When Burke asks what he's referring to, Roger squints and reminds him of their discussion of a business deal when they talked at Collinwood. They were supposed to continue the discussion in town, at the Blue Whale. "Perhaps there wasn't any business deal at all," Roger suggests craftily. Perhaps they should talk about it tomorrow, Burke says, but Roger wants to discuss it now--after all, he made him wait at the Blue Whale. It's not important, Burke assures him. He's going to have a drink--would Roger like to join him? "You did expect me to come to the Blue Whale, didn't you?" Roger persists. Burke admits he waited for him, and when asked how long, Burke wants to know what difference it makes. Roger implies that he didn't wait at all, and Burke, not catching on to Roger's implication, says he waited an hour and a half--OK? What is he driving at? "What about the business deal?" Roger persists. Burke, exasperated, smacks the sofa and says, "Forget about the business deal! Roger, if something's on your mind, I want to know what it is!" Roger wants to know what happened to Burke's smile--he thought the two of them were going to be friends again--let bygones be bygones, isn't that what Burke said? Burke points out that it's after midnight; Roger didn't come up to discuss a business deal that could wait until morning.

"Let's have that drink," Roger suggests, "and you can tell me all about it." Roger's face expresses barely contained anger and contempt as Burke turns to prepare the drinks.

Crickets chirp a greeting outside the Evans cottage as Sam returns home. Maggie, wig gone now, calls out, "Pop, is that you?" He removes his jacket, asks how she's feeling and suggests she go back to sleep. The phone rings. Sam checks his watch and answers it. It's Mr. Wells, Maggie's boss. "You must be joking," Sam says, "it's after midnight! Yes, I'll tell her, but next time, will you please send a get-well card?" Sam, none-too-pleased, slams down the phone. "Idiots!" he shouts. Maggie trails out, slipping into her robe, wanting to know who was on the phone. "Our idiot friend, the hotel clerk," Sam sniffs. "He calls here, wakes you up and wants to know how you are." Sam's quite riled, and when Maggie encourages him to forget it, he refuses. Evasive, Maggie says it's not the hotel clerk's fault. They go back and forth about the man's lack of sense--Maggie came home with a headache, after all--but she finally stops her father's tirade by admitting Mr. Wells called because she asked him to--and when Sam answered the phone, said the first thing that came into his mind. He was probably embarrassed, Maggie says, because...and she stops, looking uncomfortable. "Oh, I see," Sam says, catching on. "So now you're getting reports on me, huh?" Maggie looks discomfited as her father asks who else she has checking on his comings and goings. Only personnel at the Blue Whale and the hotel, admits Maggie. How long has this been doing on? She says she never did it before. Sam laments that it's awful that his own daughter can't trust him, and she counters that when she came home and found him gone, she checked for his suitcase. Why?--he promised her he wouldn't run away, and he won't. She knows, but she just got scared. She rubs her neck and gazes earnestly at her father, explaining how she kept thinking about this mystery surrounding Burke, Roger, and Sam--she just wants it to end! He responds, "You might get your wish--tonight."

In Burke's hotel room, Burke explains to Roger that he thought if Roger spoke to Liz, he could talk her into selling Devlin the cannery. Did Burke really believe that? asks Roger incredulously. Sure--Burke is always looking for new investments. "And that's why you wanted me to drive into town--to discuss this?" "That's it," Burke says. Roger rises from his seat and says, "Burke, you're a liar!" Am I?" Burke asks. "My sister would never dream of selling that cannery and you know it!" "Do I?" "Why don't you admit it, Burke--there wasn't any business deal, you didn't expect me to show up at the Blue Whale--tonight, tomorrow, or anytime." Burke protests that he waited for him, and Roger retorts, "Sure you did, to make it look good!" Roger accuses him of putting on a big show, pretending to wonder where he was. Burke wants to know what he's getting at. Roger asks where did Burke go after he left Collinwood, after suggesting they meet in town? He returned to the hotel, Burke says. Wasn't there something else? What about his personal inspection of his car? Burke demands he get to the point. "You tried to kill me," Roger says evenly. Burke rises. "I tried WHAT?" "I got halfway down the hill before the brakes stopped working," Roger informs him. "And you think that I..." Burke sputters. "I don't think anything, I know it!" Roger blares. Burke starts to protest, but Roger insists that he knows he went to the garage, lifted the hood of the car, and removed the valve from the brake cylinder. Then he went to the Blue Whale to sit and wait, thinking Roger wasn't going to show up. Burke lifts his glass towards Roger as if in a half-hearted toast, and says, "You're out of your mind!" Roger knocks the glass from Burke's hand and it clatters to the floor. "You're not going to get away with it!" Roger shouts. Burke suggests Roger get out, go home and get some rest "Not until you tell me the truth!" Roger demands. He didn't touch Roger's car, Burke insists. Never taking his eyes off Burke, Roger picks up the phone and tells the desk clerk to send up the person waiting in the restaurant. Burke's brow wrinkles with puzzlement. What now?

At the Evans cottage, Maggie carries in a tray laden with tea and cookies and tells Sam that as long as Roger wasn't hurt badly, there's no reason to get upset. "Let's face it--that family can afford to buy a new car," she says. Sam is searching for something amongst his paintings. He asks if she's seem his sketch board anywhere. Is he going to work tonight? No, but he wants to get up early in the morning and catch the sun from the cliffs. "Which cliffs. Not Widow's Hill?" she asks miserably. He finds what he was looking for and gazes at it happily. "Pop, do me a favor--stay away from there," Maggie asks. He wants to know if she will be checking on him in the daytime, too, and shows her a sketch he made of Collinwood. "Isn't that great?" he asks. She makes a face and tells him she's beginning to hate that place. He wants to know why. "It's just a nice, respectable house filled with nice, respectable horrors," he chuckles. "One of which seems to have trapped my nice, respectable father," Maggie says ruefully, taking his hand. He suggests they have their tea, and while she pours, he nibbles a cookie. She wants to know why he has suddenly decided to get up early to paint--he hasn't done that in years. Doesn't she think it's about time? Everything is happening at once, Maggie muses--Burke Devlin comes back to town, Roger Collins has a car accident, and her father gets up early to paint the sunrise. Perhaps it's a secret meeting, he teases--he's seeing Burke on the hill to decide how next to kill Roger. She orders him not to be so ridiculous, and Sam says that's no more ridiculous than the fact that she won't trust him no matter what he does! "I don't want this tea!" he whines, belligerently dropping his cup onto the tray. She accuses him of acting like a baby. "A baby?" he asks. "Why not? You practically got a halter on me--you got sitters watching my every move! My intention tomorrow morning, my dear Miss Evans, is to PAINT--and right now I'm going to go to bed! " He invites her to check his room every half hour and kisses her on the cheek.

She laughs and gazes with dread at the drawing of Collinwood on the coffee table.

Back at the Collinsport Inn, Roger hotly accuses Burke of wanting to rip Collinwood apart. He doesn't know what he's talking about, Burke insists. Roger calls him a hypocrite who came to Collinwood professing friendship for the Collins family, but in truth, his visit was only a prelude to Roger's accident. Again, Burke says he had nothing to do with his car. "I'd like to hear you say that again," Roger says, as a knock sounds at the door; he goes to admit Vicki, "right now."

Vicki walks in, staring at Burke, who gazes back, confused, a deep crease in his forehead. Burke wants to know what Vicki's doing there, what does she have to do with this? "Suppose we find out," Roger says. Burke has had it with this business. He asks Vicki if she knows what Roger has been accusing him of, and at Roger's prompting, looking uncomfortable, Vicki acknowledges that she does. Roger asks Burke if he still denies tampering with the brakes on his car. "Are you here to witness my confession?" Burke demands of Vicki. Roger asks when Burke last saw Miss Winters. Burke wants to know why, then sarcastically replies, "When I was removing the whatchamcallit from your brake cylinder, naturally!" To Vicki: "Remember, you handed me a tool, and I..." Vicki doesn't appreciate the joke and looks away. "All right, Roger," Burke says, "I've had enough of this." "Why?" asks Roger superciliously, "did you remember something?" Again he asks Vicki the last time she saw Burke, and she says in his garage. Burke, exasperated, says again he was looking over Roger's car, deciding if he should buy one like it. LOOKING at it, not tampering with it. Roger says the valve could have been removed with a pair of pliers--or a wrench. Roger asks Vicki if Burke had any tools in his hand. He did, right, a wrench? Yes, Vicki says. Burke again denies accusations of tampering--he found the wrench on the front sear of the Mustang, and he asks Vicki if he didn't tell her that. Vicki agrees. He was merely looking over the upholstery and dashboard; when Vicki came along and he threw it on the workbench. Roger protests that he drove the car earlier--there was no wrench on the front seat! "Then someone must have put it there!" barks Burke. He again asks Vicki if she saw him fool with the brakes, and she shakes her head and says no. She also agrees that she didn't see him do anything with the wrench beside hold it and toss it aside. "Of course she didn't," Roger says, "by the time she arrived, you were already through!" Burke: "Miss Winters, get him out of here!" Roger asks if Burke is going to throw him out, and Burke steps in close and says to Roger, "You're not dealing with a kid you railroaded 10 years ago!" No one railroaded him, Roger says. Burke threatens, "If you start pushing me around, you'll wish you had never gotten up from that car! I'm a big boy now--I don't get scared when the people up at Collinwood start making noise! " Roger asks if he's through, and Burke says no, not quite. He faces Vicki and, as Roger listens stonily, advises, as he did the night she arrived, "Get on the train. Go home. Get away from here while you can. "

Roger and Vicki return to Collinwood. He thanks her for everything and bids her a tired goodnight. Tamping her hands deeply into her coat pockets, Vicki asks if he's still sure of Devlin's guilt. Yes, he says. "What if you're wrong?" she asks. He wants to know if Burke frightened her into running home, and says he needs her now, she must stay, whether she likes it or

NOTES - I so enjoy the real outdoor scenes of Vicki and Roger pulling up in front of the Collinsport Inn. It gives the concept "town of Collinsport" a sense of reality. Roger's demanding loyalty from Vicki struck me as unfair. Roger does not come across as a very likable man in these episodes, and he treats Vicki like a servant girl, both in tone and content. "You'd better make up your mind," he tells her. He needs her a great deal more than she needs him, but he treats her with very little respect, and you can tell she resents it.

Sam's conversation with Vicki was fascinating. He figures out that Roger is there to see Burke, and why, too--the accident--but he doesn't understand where Vicki fits in, and she, much to her credit, basically tells him to mind his own business. This is the chutzpah that I enjoyed seeing in the original Vicki, before she became a secondary character, a silly ingenue without a mind of her own.

I enjoyed the scene in the cottage with Sam and Maggie, too, which had glimmers of humor that came across as very real between them. She is concerned about "Pop," so much so, she has spies from the Blue Whale and the hotel reporting to her. This Sam, with his poetic bent, is really a nice, fun guy and loving father, and you can understand his anger at his daughter siccing spies on him. On the other hand, Maggie is a smart gal, and she knows her father is mixed up in the Roger/Burke mess and wants to at least make sure he comes to no harm as a result of his drinking. She fears he will flee, leaving her behind, and that prospect is upsetting her, despite his reassurances. When he drops the tea like the baby she accuses him of, then they kiss goodnight, it's a sweet father/daughter scene. Considering her dislike of Collinwood, it's ironic that she will eventually go to work there in a couple of years, becoming very entwined with the Collins family!

I found the cat and mouse game that Roger played with Burke very trying after a while. They went back and forth, back and forth, with Roger making veiled hints and accusations. He finally had to outright accuse Burke of tampering with his car. Burke's reaction of incredulity rang true for me, despite evidence to the contrary. I felt sorry for Vicki, being dragged into the middle of this ugly war by Roger, even though circumstantial evidence points to Burke's guilt, Vicki is far more objective and tries to convince Roger that, old feelings aside, Burke may not be guilty of his attempted murder. Vicki comes across as a fair, intelligent young woman, far more in control than Roger. Burke's tease to Vicki was ill-placed, and he should have realized, even though he barely knows her, that she wouldn't have appreciated his joke about the wrench--or asking her if she remembered handing it to him before tampering with Roger's car. I guess Burke uses humor in situations like this, but Roger and Vicki were deadly serious, and it was ill-timed. On the other hand, if Burke is innocent, and it sounded that way to me, I'd be annoyed at being falsely accused, too, especially by an old enemy.

Generally speaking, the ladies in this episode outweigh the men in the sense and logic departments. One facet of DARK SHADOWS I always liked was that it had strong female characters, a rarity in the Sixties. Of course, this was before Julia Hoffman or Angelique Bouchard, two ladies who really made DS sizzle!

I feel this was another pivotal episode. Roger accuses Burke of trying to murder him, which Burke denies; Sam's "curiosity" about Vicki's involvement with Roger and Burke affects his daughter, Maggie, who wishes it would all end--whatever it is; Roger tells Vicki that she cannot leave Collinwood even if she wishes too, she is far too embroiled as a key witness in what happened and he "needs" her. A lot happened and, like an iceburg, we know there is much more below the surface to be revealed.

Love, Robin