Just when it looks as if Chris's time is up, Bruno returns and tells the sheriff not to shoot him, but he doesn't explain why not to a mere zombie. Bruno is pleased that he was right about Chris and even more pleased that the werewolf is angry.
Barnabas sends out his bat-signal to Megan, who is at the carriage house with Jeb, snidely wondering why Jeb isn’t with Carolyn. He is upset, and Megan knows why. Tauntingly she recites the famous poem from Lon Chaney’s classic movie The Wolf Man:
Even the man who is pure in heart
And says his prayers at night
Can become a werewolf when the wolfbane blooms
And the moon is full and bright.
Jeb doesn't seem to care for poetry. He frets about the werewolf, but Megan becomes increasingly distracted by Barnabas's call. She says she has something to do at Collinwood and prepares to leave. Jeb notes that her mood has changed completely, but she insists she's never kept anything from him.
For a zombie, and despite his existential angst, the sheriff is quite curious. What are you going to do with him? he asks Bruno about the werewolf. I have to get him into a proper frame of mind, Bruno says. He takes off the unfortunate rabbit-fur coat and gets a whip that has unaccountably been hanging on the wall, perhaps to beat off angry ghosts. The whip has a silver handle, and Bruno torments the werewolf by waving the silver in his face. Wait outside, Bruno tells the sheriff. He tells the werewolf, I want you to be angry enough to rip a man to shreds. The man’s name is Jeb Hawkes, and you’re going to kill him for me. The creature howls in pain as Bruno strikes it again and again with the whip.
It turns out that Barnabas merely wants Megan to help him find the missing Chris and tells her to find out where Bruno has been. Megan pouts that she only wants to be with Barnabas and undoes her scarf with a slow, sinuous gesture. I just want to be here with you, she says. I don’t want you to make me force you to leave, Barnabas warns, but Megan is all too eager. Oh, but I want you to, she insists. Go on, Barnabas! Go on. I want you to! She tilts her head to expose her throat. Barnabas realizes that he has to get her to cooperate, and anyway by now he can’t help himself, so he bares his fangs and bites her.
Bruno has taken off his jacket so we can see he wears a shoulder holster. He's worked himself into a sweat beating the helpless werewolf. The werewolf collapses to its knees, but its arms are still held up cruelly by the manacles. The sheriff returns. I’ve shown him who is the master, Bruno says--he’ll be plenty mad when he wakes up. Loosen the chains, he orders the sheriff, but keep him in the crypt. Is that what Jeb wants? the sheriff wonders. It is, Bruno replies. Wait till I get outside, then loosen the chains, then come out. Bruno exits, listens from outside as the sheriff undoes the chains--and then locks the sheriff in with the werewolf. The sheriff rattles the doorknob just as the werewolf revives. The sheriff goes for the silver-handled whip, but the werewolf is too quick for him, and the short posthumous career of Sheriff Davenport soon comes to a tattered end. Twice-dead zombies tell no tales.
Bruno returns to the carriage house and tells Jeb that he didn't find the werewolf. Oh, man, Jeb says, if we don’t find it, that means we will have to wait another whole month! Jeb notes that he hasn't heard the werewolf howling, and he has a bad case of cabin fever, so he goes to visit Carolyn. He orders Bruno to phone him if anything happens, then leaves. I’ll do that, Bruno tells the absent Jeb as he helps himself to a drink. Yes, Jeb, I’ll do that.
Megan returns to the carriage house, disoriented and faint, and collapses into a chair. Bruno undoes her scarf and quickly discovers why. He tells the unconscious Megan, You have nothing to worry about from Jeb, Megan. I won't tell him. This is going to be our secret. Yes, my dear Megan, you may be able to help me. In the unlikely event that my plan fails, you can give me the protection I need. Between the two windows on the far wall is a table with a drawer in it. Bruno gets something out of the drawer that we can’t see at first, then takes out his gun. He removes the silver bullets and replaces them with the objects that he took out, which turn out to be ordinary, definitely non-silver bullets. He thinks to himself, Without silver bullets in the pistol, Jeb won't stand a chance. That animal will tear him to pieces!
Once Bruno has finished reloading the gun, he revives Megan. You passed out, he tells her. You gave me quite a scare. Jeb will be awfully upset when he hears about it. Please don’t tell him, Megan instantly begs him. A person doesn’t just pass out for no reason, Bruno says, enjoying himself. It was just fatigue, Megan pleads. I have so many things on my mind, what with Philip in jail and Jeb feeling he is in constant danger. I haven’t slept much, that’s all. I won’t tell Jeb, Bruno agrees--as long as you go back to Collinwood and get some rest. Obviously nervous, she thanks him and leaves. Bruno picks up the phone and dials Collinwood. I’ve captured the werewolf by a stroke of pure luck, he tells Jeb. I have the creature trapped in the crypt at Eagle Hill. I’ll be waiting for you there.
Megan returns to the Old House to tell Barnabas, I couldn’t find out anything, but Bruno almost found out about me. Bruno could be lying, Barnabas speculates. I’m sure Bruno still thinks I’m one of the Leviathans, Megan assures him. Nonetheless, Barnabas says, I’m beginning to fear that something terrible has happened to Chris.
Jeb can scarcely believe his luck when he arrives at the crypt. He wonders who the werewolf will turn out to be, and Bruno reminds him that he'll find out when it's dead. Yeah--right, Jeb says, never too bright. I want you to finish the creature off. If I thought it was my job, I would already have done it and then called you, Bruno replies. You are the one he has been after. I thought you should have the honor of killing your principal enemy. Besides, after that little misunderstanding that we had earlier this evening, I am not about to do anything without consulting you first. Remember, I lead--you lead and I follow? [Actually, Michael Stroka says, Remember, I lead--you lead and I follow.] Jeb smiles as he remembers. Bruno hands him the pistol and tells him, The honor is really yours. While Jeb examines the pistol, Bruno makes sure of his patsy: After you go inside, I will close the door after you so that he can't get away--unless of course you want me to do it for you. I’ll do it myself, Jeb snaps and enters the crypt. Bruno closes the door after him.
Not much is left of the doubly late Sheriff Davenport. The werewolf spots Jeb and starts toward him. Jeb fires the revolver, but naturally the ordinary bullets have no effect. The werewolf staggers a bit but keeps on coming. Jeb tries to get away, but the werewolf jumps him and pins him to the wall. Jeb shouts, Bruno, the gun! Bruno, the gun didn’t work! Help! Bruno waits quietly outside, smiling at the success of his plan. Jeb continues to call for help, but Bruno doesn’t reply or move. Bruno smiles triumphantly when from inside comes Jeb’s bloodcurdling scream as the werewolf closes in on him..........
