Episode 55: Safekeeping

Friday, September 9, 1966

My name is Victoria Winters. Violent death is not a stranger to Collinwood, where the wind howls in anguish and mourning for departed souls. It seems to asking, “Why are they dead?” And now a policeman is about to ask the same question.

Liz introduces Roger to Sheriff George Patterson. Roger says he remembers the sheriff. (It feels a bit “Twilight Zone,” as they had a completely different sheriff not that long ago—who was a constable at first.) They tell Roger that Bill is dead, but they don’t know where the body is. Liz tells what Matthew did. Roger thinks Matthew’s actions were pretty stupid and will just add to the gawkers.

The sheriff might be able to keep Matthew’s story quiet, but he won’t know until he finds the body.

Sam visits Maggie at the restaurant and tells her Burke canceled his portrait sitting appointment. 

After all his upset about Bill the night before, he nonchalantly says he supposes Bill will be all right and when the conversation goes on, Maggie comments that she didn’t know they were such good friends.

Roger thinks it’s obvious that Bill died, so why do they need an investigation? Would they need to investigate if a man fell out of a twelve-story window? Well, the sheriff says, the man who fell could have been shot first. 

Sam asks Maggie for the letter as if they hadn’t already been over this the night before. She says it’s safely in the hotel safe. She says she doesn’t think she will give it to him. Not until he tells her why.

Liz and Roger fill the sheriff in on what they know of Bill’s movements the night before. Roger is not telling all, of course. But he does tell about the aborted meeting.

The sheriff suggests it could be suicide. Roger thinks that’s possible. Maybe he brooded over Ned’s possible return?

Liz says Bill would be happy to go back to the fishing fleet. And he knew Ned wasn’t coming back anyway.

Burke calls down to have food sent up to his room. Does he have something to do with that letter? Does the letter have anything to do with Bill Malloy being missing? Was there something bad about Bill in it? What did Sam tell Bill anyway?

Sam says he doesn’t even know at this point.

The sheriff wonders if Bill might have gotten drunk and fallen in the water.

After the sheriff leaves, Liz demands to know how much of what Roger told him was the truth.

Roger gets a drink.

Liz says he told her the meeting was supposed to be just him and Bill. She knows Bill had a plan to prove Burke innocent.

Roger says it’s a pack of lies.

“Bill wouldn’t have lied to me.”

Then he’s repeating lies that have been told to him. Liz has to believe Roger.

Yes, she agrees. She does have to.

The sheriff stops for doughnuts at the restaurant and chats with Sam about his Burke Devlin portrait. The sheriff gets a call. Sam tries to leave. The sheriff says the Coast Guard found Bill Malloy.

“He’s dead.”

         Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Written by Francis Swann