Tuesday, July 5,
1966
My name is
Victoria Winters. The dead past drifts through the corridors of Collinwood, and
settles like dust into its corners. Spurred by hope and surrounded by fear, my
search continues, as life itself continues. Not only for me, but for everyone
else in this strange corner of the world. People who live with their own fear,
their own hopes.
Sam Evans returns home. His
watch has stopped, so he calls to get the correct time. “Don't rob me of my
hours. They’re all too few, or perhaps too many.”
Roger surprises him. He says
he knocked and waited. Roger attempts to stop Sam from drinking while they have
their talk; he is not successful. Sam, as usual, waxes poetic. Something in the
Collinsport water supply seems to bring this out in people, although Sam
doesn’t seem to be imbibing much from that source.
“To life, Collins. The long,
unhappy, and miserable life that lies ahead for both of us . . . Sustenance of
my soul, provider of my courage, destroyer of my talents.” Sam is toasting to his drink.
Roger has about had it with
this, but his inquiries about where Sam was last night are met with more of the
same. “Well, the fact of the matter is that even when I’m here, nobody’s home.”
Roger finally brings the
conversation round to Burke Devlin, whose return to town is worrying him. Sam
says he wept for himself and Burke and Roger. Roger doesn’t think Burke—a very
wealthy man now—needs Sam’s tears. He doesn’t say whether he does. Sam thinks
money can’t make up for years in prison. Roger thinks Burke is going to try to
hurt him in some way. Sam agrees that’s probably so.
Roger says, oddly, “I can
handle all the problems that come to me directly, but not those over which I
have no control.” Sam assures him, longwindedly, that he will do nothing.
Maggie recognizes Burke. She
asks if he wants his coffee black with four sugars. He doesn’t recognize her.
She tells him he used to pose for her father. They are friendly, but Burke
isn’t quite as friendly as she’d like.
Vicki comes in. To get away
from the ghosts and goblins? Maggie wants to know. “Partly. And to make a phone
call.” She goes to do so.
Could Burke imagine anyone
wanting to live in Collinwood? He could. She wouldn’t take a hundred bucks a
day to work there. Nobody asked her to. “But they did ask Miss Winters.” He
asks Maggie to keep his coffee hot; he’ll be right back. Maggie asks him what
her name was again. “Winters. Victoria Winters.” The scene ends on Maggie’s
face. Could Maggie know something about Victoria Winters?
Roger is angry that Sam talked
to Vicki. He calls the house and finds she’s out, so he decides to go find her
before she finds Burke.
Burke gets Vicki to join him
for coffee. He reasons that he’s the oldest friend she has in Collinsport. He
tells her how he spends his days, rattling off a facetious list of bad deeds.
Vicki thinks he’s a strange man. He thinks she’s strange too. “All the
attractive young girls are just dying to [go to] the big city to find
love—romance—fortune. But you—you leave—New
York—bury yourself in a small town that wouldn’t fill four square blocks in
Manhattan.”
“So did you.”
But he had a reason. What’s
hers? He isn’t convinced its being the job. She tries to go back to try her
call again, but he apologizes. He promises not to mention it again. They’ll talk
about the weather. Clam chowder. Maine clam chowder is the best in the world.
Maggie tells Vicki if Burke
gives her any trouble to “let me know.” Burke interrupts and asks Maggie to get
him the local paper. It comes out once a week, Maggie notes, “in this thriving
metropolis.” Burke pushes. Maggie goes, saying, “Hint, hint, hint.”
Burke tells Vicki he used to
pose for Maggie’s father, who’s a great guy.
Roger comes into the lobby
looking for Vicki. When Maggie tells him she’s in the restaurant having coffee
with Burke Devlin, Roger turns and leaves.
Burke is regaling Vicki with a
story about how he got spanked for ghost hunting at Collinwood as a kid. (Where
are Burke’s parents? Did they die? When? The story doesn’t seem to address
this.) Burke suggests Collinwood is still haunted.
Maggie arrives with the paper
and tells Vicki that Roger came looking for her—but left. “Too bad,” Burke says
ominously. “I’m always anxious to see old friends.”
Vicki thanks him for the
coffee and goes to try her phone call again.
Maggie asks Burke to keep an
eye out for her father if he goes out looking for Roger. She thinks her pop was
on an all-night binge. When did Sam start drinking (apparently, Burke
disregarded her earlier “hundred and ninety proof” remark). A lot changes in
ten years. Burke says he planned to drop by and say hello to Sam.
He quickly makes good on this,
but doesn’t get the friendly reception he hoped for (because Sam is drunk, and
drunkenness erases brain cells). Sam says he’s tired, and Burke agrees to come
back later. Sam breaks the glass in his hand after Burke leaves. Burke has that
effect on men.
Vicki makes her phone call.
Cast,
In Order of Appearance
Victoria Winters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alexandra Moltke
Sam Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Allen
Roger Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louis Edmonds
Maggie Evans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn Leigh Scott
Burke Devlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mitchell Ryan
Fashion by Ohrbach’s
Directed by Lela Swift
Story created
and written by
Art Wallace
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