Episode 68: Arson and High Treason

Wednesday, September 28, 1966

My name is Victoria Winters. An unexplained death has added more mystery to Widow’s Hill, and Collinwood, the great, gloomy house on its crest. And it affects everyone in Collinsport. There is always the one question: Was it an accidental death.

Carolyn comes to visit Roger at his office. She tells him she must have been wrong about Burke. He was saying horrible things about Roger, and he does want to harm him. He thinks Roger killed Bill Malloy.

Roger says he can’t even get angry about it anymore.

Carolyn asks if he did it, accidentally?

Roger says no, not accidentally or any other way.

Carolyn tells him Burke thinks his motive was that Bill was going to reveal that Roger was guilty of the crime Burke was found guilty of.

“I see. I’m not only a murderer, but a perjurer and a hit and run driver, as well. I’m surprised he didn’t add arson and high treason.”

Carolyn wants to know why Burke would say those things. Roger says it’s because his conscience has tortured him all these years.

Carolyn offers to swear she was home with Roger the night of Bill’s death if he needs an alibi. Roger says that isn’t necessary. Vicki can prove he was at home. Carolyn suggests he should be nicer to her then.

David is looking at the Collins family history, but leaves when he hears Vicki coming. 

She gets him to come out, and they discuss his father. 

When he says he was afraid his father would kill his mother, she says he’s exaggerating and that he shouldn’t have been listening. 

Maybe it sounded worse than it was. He says he heard furniture breaking and all kinds of things. 

When she asks what it was about, David answers, “Burke Devlin.”

George comes to see Roger and tells him Burke isn’t going to prefer charges against Matthew for attacking him. This is the first Roger has heard about it.

“Well, I’ll tell you one thing, George. If I do hire anyone to kill Burke Devlin, it’ll be someone with more sense than Matthew. I’ll pick someone I can trust to complete the job.”

George wonders if he has anyone in mind to complete the job.

“No, George, but I rather at the moment prefer doing it myself.”

“That’s what I figured.”

Roger tells his secretary that he’ll be at home.

David tells Vicki that when he met Burke, he remembered all the arguments about Burke. It isn’t long before David decides she’s trying to cause trouble for Burke. He knocks a lot of things over.

Roger came home. David claims Vicki was trying to hurt him. Roger’s just on Vicki’s side. Roger asks how he can be on anybody’s side when he doesn’t know what’s going on. David runs away angrily. Roger tells Vicki to let him go and cool off.

Roger says he hasn’t been nice enough to Vicki, and he’d like to take her out to dinner to make it up to her. David eavesdrops. Vicki tells him about some of what David said. Roger is surprised that David remembers that.

David comes to talk to Roger, who says he’s sorry he treated David badly. David says he never said those things about him and Mother.

Roger pretends to believe him

David would like Vicki to be fired. Maybe if Aunt Elizabeth thought she did something wrong.

“Don’t tell me about it, David. Just don’t tell me about it.”

Carolyn comes home and tells Vicki that she fell out with Burke and then Joe wasn’t available. She doesn’t care if she sees Joe again. He’s such a square.

Vicki says she thought Carolyn was going to marry him.

Carolyn says everyone thinks that except her.

Vicki points out that most of the time she thinks so too.

Joe calls. He just got Carolyn’s message and wants to take her out to dinner. She’s happy again.

Roger asks David who he would rather be rid of—Roger or Miss Winters.

        Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

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

David Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  David Henesy

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

Fashion by Ohrbach’s

Directed by Lela Swift

Written by Francis Swann