A common live wide shot of Collinwood and an excellent opening voiceover start this riveting episode.
David creeps out of the east (?) wing with Vicki's letter in hand. He takes six steps before encountering Vicki exiting his room. She pityingly admonishes him. He thinks it's in regard to his stealing her letter (again). Vicki asks him how he could try and hurt his father, David feigns confusion and focuses on the letter until she opens her hand to reveal the bleeder valve. He uses every childish verbal trick in the book to deny any guilt. Vicki intends to show it to his aunt. With fierce and desperate determination he grabs her hand trying to get the valve from her. Struggling to get away from him she runs to her room but David forces his way in. Vicki finally manages to get the valve safely locked away in a drawer. David demands she give it back. She talks him down long enough to get him locked out of her room. David futilely pounds on the door, "Let me in! Let me in!!"
Roger visits Sheriff Carter. He demands to know why Burke hasn't been arrested. Carter puts him on hold while he orders lunch. Carter explains that he doesn't have sufficient evidence to charge and hold Burke.
Back at Collinwood. Vicki, from behind her locked door, reminds David that his father will be home soon. David contemplates his next move.
Carter unpacks his lunch to find mustard on his ham sandwich. This doesn't bode well for Roger - Carter doesn't like mustard on ham. A sarcastic Roger is told to calm down by a mustard maddened Carter. In an effort to sway him into action, Roger threatens the sheriff with his job throwing the weight of the Collins name in his face, hinting that without their backing he may not win re-election. The sheriff isn't impressed and throws all of Roger's threats back in face telling him that he won't manufacture evidence against Burke to suit him. He will follow the law to the letter from barking dogs to murder (my words, not his). Roger asks if Burke's suite has been searched yet. Carter dismisses him claiming that anyone would be a fool or a psychotic to keep the bleeder valve in their possession.
We see David at Vicki's door. He tries the doorknob one more time before exiting the hallway. Vicki opens her door, looks for David, then walks to David's door.
Liz enters the foyer from outdoors. The clock strikes three as Liz removes her shawl. At the sound of heavy and hurried footsteps, she looks up toward the landing to find David bolting from the the hallway and down the steps. Liz grabs him preventing his escape. He pleads to be let go of. Liz insists he tell her what is going on. He proceeds to set up a defense against what he knows is coming - Vicki spilling the beans about finding the bleeder valve in his room. He really pours it on. He claims she hit him, dragged him to her room, and predicts she will blame him for his father's accident. Liz does her best to read between David's lines. Vicki enters the drawing room. Liz states that David has informed her about some trouble between them. Vicki asks if he's stated the cause. Liz says it involves the letter. Vicki asks to speak to her alone. Liz: "David says you tried to hit him. Is that true?" Vicki: "I'd rather discuss that with you in private." On his way out, David tells Vicki that his aunt won't believe her. He again invokes the letter as the reason Vicki has it out for him. Liz says, "We'll see." She closes the drawing room doors for privacy, strikes a (deliciously) dramatic pose and shoots Vicki a glowering look (worthy of a gif).
Roger paces for time as the sheriff enters with a search warrant in hand. Roger asks how soon the search will start. Carter promises to start as soon as he's done with his stale sandwich and suggests Roger go back to his office and wait to hear back from him if he's needed. Roger states that he hopes the search will be extremely thorough. Carter replies, "Just as if tomorrow was election day." Roger smirks then lingers while the sheriff makes a call to the hotel regarding Burke and takes a call about a stolen dog. Roger wants in on the search of Devlin's room. Cater turns him down on legal grounds. Roger leaves with an insulting parting shot. Fed up, Carter makes a call regarding his NY investigation on Burke. Unhappy with it's progress, he snaps at his coworker, demanding results, then apologizes stating he is under pressure and having a lousy day. He grumbles about the mustard, dumping his sandwich in disgust and heads out the door, search warrant in hand.
In the foyer, David listens in as Vicki explains the details of their confrontation to Liz. She tells of finding her letter missing and going to David's room to search for it. Before she can get to the bleeder valve, Liz interrupts asking if she tried to hurt David. Vicki says that it was David who tried to hurt her. Liz can't believe it. Vicki speaks of David's recent obsession about his father sending him away. Liz asks for the bottom line and Vicki gives it to her in all it's ugliness. She mentions the accident and Liz says with suspicion that he told her she'd try and blame it on him. Liz defends David by exclaiming that both she and Roger know that Burke caused the accident. The phone rings. It's Roger. David picks up the receiver in the foyer to listen in. Roger whines about Carter, Liz defends Carter's integrity and ends the call. Liz tells Vicki that Carter is going to search Burke's suite. If he finds the valve, their discussion should be over. Vicki says he won't find because she has it. She found it in David's dresser drawer. Liz is stunned with disbelief. Vicki sympathizes with her but explains that she found it while looking for her letter. Liz asks why he would have it and Vicki slays her with her reply, "Why did you think Burke Devlin had it?" Vicki reminds her of how easy it would be to remove the valve, "I remember Mr. Collins saying even a child could do it." Liz is wrecked, "Stop it, Miss Winters!" Liz can't handle the truth. Vicki offers to show her the valve. Liz continues to doubt the obvious. Vicki unlocks her drawer and finds the valve missing. Liz doubts Vicki more now than ever.
Has there ever been as awful a young child in daytime soaps before or since David Collins?! Too bad Liz stopped him from jumping out the window a few episodes back.
I got a kick out of Roger and Carter's smart remarks to each other.
I was disappointed with Liz. But I guess it couldn't have gone any other way considering her fondness for David and the fact that Vicki really hasn't been in house long enough to be fully trusted.
Is it the east wing or the west wing at the end of the hallway?
