Episode 106: The Mighty Pen

Monday, November 21, 1966

My name is Victoria Winters. When I came to Collinwood, months ago, I never dreamt a member of the Collins family would be suspected of murder—or that I would have to testify against him.

Vicki arrives at the sheriff’s office to look at the pen. 

She is surprised to see Frank’s father. 

He tells her he’s representing Roger. 

The sheriff asks him to wait outside, but he says it’s his right to remain as Roger’s attorney. (That seems like it would be witness intimidation.)

Roger is being held, presumably in a cell.

“You almost make me feel responsible for Roger,” Vicki tells the sheriff.

The sheriff says her only responsibility is to tell the truth.

She identifies the pen. Mr. Garner suggests that Roger could have dropped it there in the two or three days between Mr. Malloy’s death and Vicki’s finding it.

She tells about how the pen disappeared. And that Roger had seen it before.

And how she saw the similar pen in the possession of James Blair and that she found out Burke had one like it. But then she found out about his giving it to Carolyn and Roger’s taking it away from her.

Then she tells about the things that have been happening to her. Mr. Garner is warned several times for interrupting with defensive comments. (I don’t think he has any right to be there.)

The sheriff wants to know why she was on the road so late at night. She tells about her meeting with Sam at the Blue Whale.

Mr. Garner wants to ask Vicki some questions. She agrees that she didn’t see who tried to get into her room or run her down.

After all that, he tells her his son is coming to town and wants to see her.

Carolyn comes in, in tears over poor Uncle Roger.

Vicki leaves.

The sheriff shows Carolyn the pen and she identifies it. 

She tells about Roger taking it away and losing it. “On the night Bill Malloy died.”

 He tells her Vicki found the pen, and Carolyn quickly blames Vicki and says she must have a grudge against Roger.

The sheriff says someone tried to kill Vicki last night. He tells his receptionist to send Vicki back in. 

He asks Vicki to take Carolyn home. 

Carolyn asks Vicki to tell them Roger couldn’t have tried to kill her. Vicki just says they should go home. 

Carolyn becomes very upset.

The sheriff interrogates Roger. Roger claims he was meeting Bill to talk to him about how he was running the cannery badly. But then he found the body. He was just trying to protect Liz. He had not reason to kill Bill Malloy.

“I haven’t accused you of killing anybody, have I?” the sheriff asks.

He wants to know whether Roger has a complete set of keys to Collinwood. Or a key to Vicki’s room. Or access to his sister’s keys. What was he doing at eight o’clock last night? Did anyone see him?

Roger wants to know whether that’s where Vicki was almost run down.

The sheriff says just to answer.

Roger claims he stopped for gas in Clearwater, miles away.

Carolyn tells Vicki she’s known Uncle Roger all her life and he wouldn’t try to hurt Vicki.

Roger says he couldn’t hurt his worst enemy, much less some little governess.

George wants to know the purpose of the meeting Bill Malloy called between him, Roger, Burke, and Sam Evans on the night of Bill’s death.

Roger becomes indignant. George asks about the attempted hit and run on Vicki. Roger says if anyone is trying to do away with Vicki, it is not he.

 

        Cast, In Order of Appearance

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

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

Richard Garner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hugh Franklin

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

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