271 - July 10, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[narrating] - My name is Victoria Winters.

Like a flash of lightning in a sudden summer storm,

the truth is about to strike with its fiery force

into the confines of Collinwood,

shattering the uneasy calm that precedes it.

And sending its thunders

to shake the foundations of the ancient house.

And only time will tell

whether this frightful glare has come to illuminate

or to destroy.

- I'll ask the usual questions,

and you'll give the usual answers.

Then, Jason, you'll slip on the ring

and, after a few minutes, it'll all be over.

[Jason] - Ah, no.

It'll be the beginning of our happiness.

[Elizabeth, distracted] - Happiness...

- Now, if you will just join hands.

Do you, Elizabeth Stoddard,

take this man, Jason McGuire,

to be your lawful husband?

To have and to hold, from this day forward,

in sickness and in health, until death do you part?

- Death?

- Answer "I do," dear.

- Answer?

[Judge] - Say simply, "I do."

- I...

I...

[Jason] - Liz?

- I... No! - Liz!

- No-- No, I can't!

- Get a hold of yourself! - Leave her alone!

- Wait! Elizabeth!

What is it?

- I k*lled Paul Stoddard.

And that man was my accomplice.

♪♪

♪♪

[announcer] The part of Burke Devlin is being played by Anthony George.

- Elizabeth!

You don't know what you're talking about!

- I did it-- You know I did it.

[Jason] - Now then, don't listen to her.

- And you buried him.

- Now, Liz, you're being hysterical.

- Let her talk, Jason. Let her talk.

- Liz, what are you saying?

- I had to tell the truth or I'd have gone mad.

- It's the strain she's been put under--

See what it's done to her?

Now, Liz, let me take you up to your room.

- Don't come near me.

- You heard her, Jason.

- Now, look here, don't you interfere.

- I'm not interfering.

I want Liz to say what she's got to say.

- I've said it.

That's all there is to say.

- But, Liz-- How?

I don't believe you!

- It's true.

It happened right here in this room.

- Liz, please stop it.

- Elizabeth, please-- Just a minute.

- That's right-- you talk to her.

- Before you say anything more,

whether you wish to reconsider it later or not,

I'm afraid that I'll have to leave.

As a judge, I may be called to participate in this.

- But there's nothing to it!

- That may be true, and I certainly hope so,

but, Liz, as your friend, is there anything I can do?

- Before Liz says another word I want Garner called in here.

- Well, now...

The woman doesn't need a lawyer, she needs a doctor.

She's ill. Anyone can see--

- I don't need a lawyer and I don't need a doctor!

I want to tell the truth!

Especially to Carolyn.

Carolyn...

- You k*lled him?

You k*lled my father?

- Elizabeth, I must go before you say anything more,

but if there's anything you want me to do, please call.

Please?

- Well, now, we...

We must all try to be very calm.

- I almost k*lled him.

- What?

- Carolyn, what are you talking about?

- Jason.

I was standing right there...

I was gonna sh**t him.

- You were going to sh**t him?

- I couldn't let you marry him!

I had my finger on the trigger.

- No!

- Liz seems to have done you a favor.

If she hadn't stopped the wedding,

you probably would be dead now.

- But I haven't done anything wrong!

- Wrong?

You said you were going to help me.

And you buried him.

And then came back to blackmail me.

- Can't you see this is hysteria?

She has hysteria.

- Tell them, Mrs. Stoddard, it'll be better that way.

- You k*lled my father.

- I couldn't help it.

- Why?!

- He was going to leave.

No...

No, that wasn't the reason.

- Liz...

Maybe you, Carolyn and I should go up in the study

if you want to talk.

- No.

I want Jason to know I'm telling the truth at last.

Vicki already knows.

- Vicki, that was a secret you had no right to keep!

This man has been blackmailing my sister!

- I swore her to secrecy.

If she'd told, I would have denied it and sent her away.

She had no choice.

- I wanted to tell.

You don't know how often.

- Well, I'm sorry,

but I have no interest in staying here any longer,

listening to these absurdities.

- Jason!

I'm afraid you're gonna have to.

- Now, listen.

Anyone who knows Elizabeth

would know that she's incapable of m*rder.

- That isn't true.

- I was ready to k*ll.

♪♪

- It happened in this very room.

There was a storm...

[Elizabeth continues] I remember the storm...

The lightning crashing around the house

seemed bent on destruction.

Paul was standing by the fireplace.

His bag was packed and beside him.

He was drinking what seemed to be

his final toast to Collinwood.

I'd discovered that he was planning to leave that night.

And never come back.

I also knew something else

that made it necessary for me to stop him.

When I told him...

he only laughed.

A hard, cruel, mocking laugh.

- [laughing]

♪♪

[thunder crashing] [laughing]

[Elizabeth] - How well I knew that laugh.

How often I'd heard it.

Cruel, mocking.

I tried not to hear it that night,

but I couldn't shut it out.

No matter how hard I tried.

- I don't know what you're so angry about.

You should be happy I'm going.

- I'm not trying to stop you from going.

I'm trying to stop what you're doing.

- What exactly am I doing?

- I know what's in this suitcase.

- You do?

What's in the suitcase?

- Bonds, jewelry-- worth a fortune.

- You exaggerate.

- I know what's kept in the safe in the study,

so I know exactly what's in the suitcase.

- Well, let's just call it a settlement.

- I can't let you take it.

You can go if you want to,

but that suitcase stays here.

- You're the one who's always said

that I have an unnatural avarice.

And now you say you'll do anything

for the sake of hanging onto a little bit of money.

- It's far from a little bit.

- Not compared to the Collins fortune.

- It's part of the Collins' family money and you know it.

- But I'm your husband.

I'm only taking what's mine.

- It isn't yours.

- Oh, all right, so some of it's yours.

You were never interested in money, anyway.

At least, that's what you always said.

- You're taking what belongs to Carolyn!

- A parting gift to her father.

She'll never miss it.

- You're right, she'll never miss it,

because I'm not going to let you take it.

- Tell her it's a small payment

for having to put up with her for the past two years.

[thunder crashing]

- You are cruel.

- Liz, it's getting late.

I'd like nothing more than a homey evening by the fireside

discussing domestic matters, but I have an appointment.

- I know.

You're expecting your friend, Jason McGuire.

- Liz, you've been snooping.

- He's found a way to transfer the bonds and sell the jewelry.

- Well, I must admit...

Jason's a very capable man with indispensable connections.

- If I don't stop you, the police will.

- You'll never tell them. - Won't I?

- No.

No, you'll do anything to avoid a scandal.

Anything that might tarnish the family name.

- Don't be too sure of that.

- Even if you did, what would it prove?

I'm your husband.

I'm performing a transaction at your request.

- No one will believe you.

- Liz, dear.

You know better than anyone how...

persuasive I can be.

[thunder crashing]

And now, goodbye.

- Put down that suitcase!

I warn you!

- I'm sorry, I don't have time to listen.

- I'm serious, Paul.

I've never been more serious in my life.

- [chuckling]

And you've never looked more ridiculous.

- I've had more than I can stand.

- So have I.

- Don't come one step nearer.

- If I do, you're going to be very sorry.

- I mean it. - And so do I!

Now, listen,

I don't wanna hurt you our very last night,

so put that thing down.

- I can't take you--

let you take what rightfully belongs to Carolyn!

- I'm not interested in Carolyn.

I'm leaving.

[whacking, Paul grunting]

- No...

No!

♪♪

[thunder rumbling]

Help me.

Somebody help me.

♪♪

[thunder crashing]

[Elizabeth] I saw the blood gushing from the back of his head.

I ran from the room.

I-- I didn't know what to do.

[door opening]

- Mrs. Stoddard.

- Mr. McGuire.

You've got to help me.

In there.

Paul.

Quick.

Please, call a doctor.

- What's happened?

- I didn't mean to do it.

- Wh-- What's happened to Paul?

- He was leaving.

- Oh.

- Please, don't pretend you didn't know.

- But-- - You'll see.

In there-- Please, call a doctor.

- Now, don't come in here.

I'll see what needs to be done.

- What am I going to do?

- Just a minute.

- Now, listen.

Don't call anybody else in the house.

Maybe he's only unconscious.

- Please, yes, let it be that.

- There's no need for anyone to know about it, you see.

Now, wait here.

♪♪

[thunder crashing, rumbling]

Mrs. Stoddard? - Did you...?

Did you call a doctor?

- No.

I'm, uh, sorry to have to tell you this, but, uh...

Well, he's dead.

- He can't be.

- No need for you to go in there.

- But he can't be dead.

- There's nothing in there for you to see.

It was an accident, you see.

- I didn't mean to do it. I hit him on the head.

I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to.

- There's nothing in here now that you want to see.

- Oh, what am I going to do?

- It's not a very pretty sight.

- What am I going to do?

- Well...

Mrs. Stoddard...

Why don't you let me help you?

- Yes, someone...

Someone, please help me.

- Yes, you see...

- Someone--

Call the police.

- Well, now, Mrs. Stoddard,

I'm not sure that's necessary, you see.

- But, he's dead. I k*lled him.

- I know-- It was only an accident now.

See, there's no need for the police to find out.

- What are you saying?

- See, I can fix it so that no one will ever know.

- No one know?

- Well, now, you have a daughter.

And she's just lost her father.

- Carolyn.

- There's no sense in her losing her mother too, is there?

- But I k*lled him.

- Ah, yes, but everyone in town knows now

that he was planning to leave you anyway.

They'll just think he's finally gone.

They won't even suspect.

- No.

No, I... I can't do it.

- Think of your daughter now.

I mean, for her sake, you ought to let me help you.

- I-I don't understand.

You were never my friend.

You were Paul's friend.

You were going to help him.

- A little late to help him now.

- Why do you want to help me?

- Well, I knew Paul didn't care about Carolyn,

but I really thought you always did.

- Oh, yes, I...

I do.

- Well then, for her sake, now, you owe it to her.

Now, here...

Just...

Just let me get rid of the body for you.

For Carolyn's sake.

All right?

- Carolyn's sake?

- Yes, that's right.

- All right.

Then do it.

Please, please do it.

♪♪

[Elizabeth] - Jason decided that Paul would be buried in the basement.

I told him where he could find an old and empty trunk.

He told me, "Stand guard in the foyer."

To make sure no one interrupted his work.

I remember the lightning.

I remember the thunder.

I remember wishing that the whole house would be destroyed.

And me with it.

He took the trunk to the basement

and then the body.

He dug a hole.

He poured ink over the bloodstain on the carpet.

I was to use this as a pretext

for having the carpet removed.

I had old Matthew burn it with some rubbish two weeks later.

But that night, I waited and I watched,

and I wished for the lightning to strike.

But it didn't strike.

Finally, Jason came back upstairs.

- Well, I did it.

[coughing]

Now, no one will ever know.

- No one? - No.

- Now, come with me. - Where?

- Well, I have to show you where it is. - No.

- Well, you have to close up that room and lock it now,

and don't let anyone in there.

Otherwise, they'll find out.

- No, you lock it.

You do it.

And then give me the key.

- No, no, no, I have to show you where it is,

so that you'll know.

You'll know I did my work.

Now, come on. - Must I?

- Yes, ma'am. You must.

[thunder rumbling]

♪♪

[Elizabeth] - I had no choice now, but to obey his commands.

I followed him down the stairs.

Not seeing where I was going.

Not thinking of what I was doing.

Even there, I could hear the storm raging.

- In here.

- I can't.

- You have to, now, so you know where it is

and you can keep people away from it.

There. - No.

- Nobody knows but the two of us.

- Only the two of us? - Mmm-hmm.

And you can just tell people that he ran off-- Went away.

Gone.

- Gone.

He's gone.

Oh, I didn't mean to do it.

I swear I didn't.

- Now, don't worry, don't worry, missus.

You're going to be all right now.

The important thing to remember is that I helped you.

Now, come on.

It's time to lock the door for good.

[thunder crashes]

- Paul.

- Come on.

We have to lock the door.

[thunder crashes]

♪♪

[lock clicking]

[thunder crashing]

- I looked at the key I held in my hand

and I knew, from that moment on,

I was a prisoner of Collinwood forever.

♪♪

♪♪

[announcer] - "Dark Shadows" is a Dan Curtis Production.