Episode 54: St. Elmo's Broken Promise

Thursday, September 8, 1966

My name is Victoria Winters. At night, ghosts from the past haunt this doomed house at the top of Widow’s Hill, howling for revenge. In the morning, although they cannot be seen, they’re still there, waiting.

Roger receives a phone call from Burke. 

He doesn’t want to play games anymore. He’s really worried about Bill.

Roger says he’s been making inquiries. Maybe Burke should look in his crystal ball. He says Burke must have gone to extra trouble to pick out a present in such poor taste for David.

After a little more back and forth, Roger hangs up. The phone begins ringing again, but he doesn’t answer.

Liz says Roger doesn’t answer. She wants to talk with Matthew before the police get there. She can’t understand why Matthew did what he did. He’s known Bill all his life.

Matthew notes that it’s strange that Bill couldn’t swim, being around boats so much. But there are lots like that. They trust in St. Elmo to bring them home safely. Liz says that St. Elmo brought him home, but not safely.

Matthew examined the body carefully. He was drowned. He was in the water at least twenty-four hours. (Matthew missed his calling as a medical examiner, apparently.) There are ways to tell.

He wants to know what he should tell the police. Liz says the truth. She notes that it won’t be just the police asking questions. There’s also Mr. Devlin.

Matthew says maybe he will have some questions to ask Mr. Devlin.

Roger is on the phone telling someone they’re going to do something his new way now. It doesn’t matter what Mr. Malloy says.

After Roger hangs up, Burke comes in for more questions about Bill Malloy. Roger finds him even more objectionable in person and he could call the guards. Good idea, Burke thinks. They can help the search. Roger says Burke can’t tell him how to run his business.

“Is searching for Malloy part of your business? Is he just another item on your books?”

Roger says he’s a friend. Burke says not of Roger’s. Roger says he should ask Sam Evans. Burke says he already has.

The sheriff (not Jonas Carter—maybe he lost the election?), George, arrives. Matthew tells him about Bill’s dead body.

Burke tells Roger he went to Collinwood looking for Bill. He makes use of Roger’s dartboard during the conversation. 

Roger wonders why Sam didn’t tell his story if there was a story to tell. Burke thinks Roger got to him when Bill didn’t show up.

He says Roger owes him plenty, since he spent five years in prison because of Roger.

George asks Matthew some questions. Matthew says he would push the body back in the water again if he had it to do over, which seems like bad judgment on his part all the way round. George says a smart detective would think Matthew was being too smart, pushing the body into the sea. He can’t think of a good charge. Improper burial without a license? (How about interfering with a body?)

Roger and Burke go back and forth. Roger notes that Bill was drinking that day. 

Burke thinks that means he was faced with a tremendous decision—just the way Sam Evans was.

He tells Roger about Bill’s proposition—to leave Elizabeth alone. In return for Roger “on a silver platter.”

Matthew tells about how he took twenty minutes to decide to “ease” Bill back in the water. The sheriff tells Matthew to go with his deputy, Harry Shaw, to show him where he found Bill’s body. The sheriff wants to make sure that Matthew didn’t do anything more than he says.

Does Elizabeth know anyone who would like to see Bill dead?

Burke says the only people who would profit from Bill Malloy’s death were Roger and Sam.

Liz calls, and Roger tells Burke he has to go. Weirdly, Roger leaves Burke in his office, instead of locking the door. 

At least Burke gets to throw one last dart.

Roger arrives home and is told the police want to question him.

        Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

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

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

Matthew Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thayer David

Sheriff George Patterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dana Elcar

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Written by Francis Swann