Thursday, August 18, 2016

Episode 39: Captain Ahab Rides Again



Thursday, August 18, 1966



My name is Victoria Winters. The strands of fear seem to bind Collinwood to much of the outside world. Fear I don’t quite understand. Fear that reaches down to others and holds them in its grip—a grip that holds more tightly every minute.



Roger comes to visit Sam, and they have their usual round about Burke’s portrait. He says he can’t dissuade Burke. Roger says he doesn’t want Burke connecting the two of them. Sam says Burke’s car just pulled in the driveway.

Roger says he walked there, so Burke won’t see his car. He hides in the bedroom.

Sam lets Burke in. He tells Burke he has a headache and his hand is unsteady. Maybe they could put it off till next week?

“But what if your hand is still shaky next week? Then you’ll put it off again. And again. No dice.” He doesn’t know where he’ll be next week. Or where Sam will be. If there’s nothing going on with him and Roger, why doesn’t he want to earn the $1500 Burke wants to pay him?

Sam gives in.



Bill is telling Liz about a new canning machine. She wants to know how many people it will put out of work. None, he assures her. He also tells her about Burke’s investigation of her business interests. He is like Captain Ahab going after Moby Dick.

Liz says Captain Ahab was a madman.

“Single-minded,” Bill says. He has been having trouble sleeping, worrying about Liz.

The phone rings. It’s Ned Calder. Liz wants him to come back to work for her.

Bill thinks this means she wants extra help to fight Burke. Bill plans to stop Burke cold, and to do it today.



Sam works on the sketches for the portrait. Burke talks about Collinwood and the Collins family. “Them against the world. They don’t care who gets hurt.”

Sam says he always thought Liz was a pretty nice woman.

What about Roger?

Sam says he doesn’t know him that well.

Roger listens.

Burke says Roger played an important part in his life, even helped him into prison.

Sam pours himself a drink. Burke asks if that’s wise, with his headache. Sam starts to say he hasn’t had a headache in years.

Burke wants to wash up. Sam stops him from going to the bathroom, saying Maggie has stockings hanging up in there. He can wash up in the kitchen.

The phone rings. It’s Bill Malloy for Burke. He wants to meet him in the hotel restaurant in ten minutes. Burke leaves, and Roger tells Sam he could quite easily kill him.

They go another round on Burke’s portrait.

Roger wants Sam to leave town. Sam has thought about that, but he’s come to the conclusion that it’s no good. Roger says he’ll give him money. Sam says he won’t take money from Roger. Roger says he wasn’t so picky ten years ago. Sam tells him that part is over now. He wants to know whether he should pack up his conscience along with his paints and easel.



Bill and Burke meet. Burke says maybe when his portrait is finished, he’ll give it to Liz Stoddard. Wouldn’t he look good hanging in Collinwood?

Bill wants to make a deal with Burke. If Burke will leave town, Bill will do his level best to clear Burke, to prove he never committed that crime ten years ago. He just has to promise to stay away from Liz and Carolyn and David.

Burke notices that he omitted Roger.

Bill allows that’s so.


Sam would like Roger to leave his house. Roger says his freedom and future are at stake, and he will take every action to protect himself.

Sam tells him he wrote a letter telling about everything, and if anything happens to him, the letter will be read. It’s his insurance.

Roger wants to know who has the letter.

“That would be like not paying the premium.”

Roger demands to know who has the letter.

Sam says to ask his sister or Bill Malloy or that new woman up on the hill—

Bill Malloy arrives. “Did I hear my name?”







        Cast, In Order of Appearance





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

Roger Collins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louis Edmonds

Sam Evans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Ford

Bill Malloy  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Schofield

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joan Bennett

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





Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by John Sedwick

Story created and written by Art Wallace


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