Episode 24: Betting on Dead Horses

Thursday, July 28, 1966

My name is Victoria Winters. An attempted murder has made the house on Widow's Hill the center of a web of confusion—a web that tugs on many people, and draws them closer to its core. A young girl tormented by increasing doubts and uncertainties. A man, wavering between the opposite poles of instinct and fact.

 Carolyn arrives at the restaurant with many packages. Somebody’s been shopping.

 Jonas asks Maggie if she’s seen Burke.

Carolyn calls Joe to tell him she’s there. She orders burgers for both of them. Maggie asks if she’s eating for two. She tells Carolyn the constable is there, looking for Burke. Carolyn asks what Maggie wants her to do, tell Burke to run? She didn't even know Maggie knew Burke well enough to be concerned about him.

 

 

Burke used to pose for Maggie's pop. He’s going to do a portrait of him now too.

Joe arrives with not much time for lunch—and has to hear about how Burke, even though Carolyn finally seems sick of the subject too.

Jonas catches up with Burke in the lobby. He wants to go up to Burke’s room to have a talk.

Maggie brings Joe and Carolyn their burgers. Carolyn tells Joe that Roger decided to call the police this morning. She’s sick of the whole thing, including Devlin. This perks Joe up. He tells her he’s thinking of going in on a boat with another guy from the cannery. A guy who got to marry his girl. Carolyn asks Joe not to press her right now.

Burke comes in to order a sandwich to take to his interrogation. He asks Carolyn how her uncle is this morning. He also wants to know how long she and Joe will be there. Carolyn says Joe will be going back to the cannery in a half hour. What about her? She’ll be going home.

Burke thinks hard about that half hour. Joe tells Carolyn someday he’ll punch that guy.

Jonas questions Burke while Burke eats his lunch. Burke admits he would have killed Roger ten years ago if he could have. He wouldn't say he has no grudges now, but he no longer wants to kill Roger.

Jonas goes over the invitation for Roger to come to town, meaning Roger had to drive there; how Burke went to the garage; that he was seen with the wrench in his hand.

Burke says he picked the wrench up because he sat on it while he was seeing how the car was. (This doesn't quite match his previous story, but close enough so that he could have just left out the sitting on the wrench.)

Burke notes he’s taken a lot of risks since leaving Collinsport, but he doesn't place bets on dead horses. If he were planning to kill Roger, he wouldn't have gone through with it after being seen in the garage. He would have convinced Roger not to come to town, found a way to put the bleeder valve back before anyone used the car.

Jonas wants to know why Burke came back to town.

Maggie tells Carolyn and Joe that Burke just called and would like Carolyn to come to his hotel room. It’s perfectly fine, though, because the constable is there too.

Carolyn has to admit to Jonas that it was her idea for Burke to come to Collinwood, that he didn't want to come. Carolyn regrets ever asking him. At the moment, so does Burke.

Burke tells Jonas he came to Collinsport for a visit and wishes he could leave now. Jonas advises him not to take any sudden long trips.

Carolyn stays when Jonas leaves, so she can tell Burke how angry she is that he played her. She knows he doesn't plan to leave Collinsport soon. Maggie told her about the portrait. Burke claims his plans have changed, but that everything he told her before was the truth.

She asks if he tried to kill her uncle. He says no, and she leaves.

Bronson calls Burke. Burke tells him to check into a hotel in Bangor and Burke will come there.

Cast, In Order of Appearance

Victoria Winters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexandra Moltke

Carolyn Stoddard . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Barrett

Constable Jonas Carter . . . . . . . .Michael Currie

Maggie Evans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kathryn Leigh Scott

Burke Devlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mitchell Ryan

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Story created and written by Art Wallace