656 - December 29, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[Maggie narrating] - Morning at Collinwood,

but there's no joy in this morning,

for the mistress of the great house died

on the previous night.

There's considerable mystery surrounding her death,

mystery that can only increase before its ultimate resolution

and at this moment,

two innocent children are about to be drawn tighter

into a web of terror neither can understand.

- Come on, David.

- What for?

- Quentin wants to see you.

- I don't want to see Quentin.

I don't want to see anybody.

- I wish you'd stop crying.

- I can't help it.

- I keep telling you.

Your Aunt Elizabeth isn't dead.

- She is.

- Everybody thinks she is, but she isn't,

not really.

- How do you know that?

- I just know.

- You're just making that up.

- I am not!

I'm telling you the truth!

- I don't believe you.

- Quentin knows. He'll tell you.

- Then, why isn't he here?

- But he will be here.

All we have to do is wait.

- I don't feel like waiting.

I don't feel like playing up here today.

- Quentin?

- Amy.

- Tell David not to cry anymore.

Tell him everything is going to be all right.

Give us some sign.

[record playing] ♪♪

[sinister laugh]

[eerie music] ♪♪

Do you feel better now? - Yes.

- I told you you'd feel better after you saw Quentin.

- I was stupid to cry!

Only babies cry.

- Aren't you glad we came here? - Yes.

But we better go back downstairs now.

We better do what Quentin asked us to.

- Why do you suppose he wants us to do it?

- We're not supposed to ask questions.

- All right, David. - Come on.

- Mr. Collins.

- Mrs. Johnson, how's Carolyn?

- Well, she's resting.

Dr. Hoffman gave her a sedative.

I talked to her about a moment before she went to sleep.

She's much calmer than she was last night.

- And David?

- Oh, he was still crying the last time I saw him.

- Poor fellow.

- Should Maggie Evans have left the children alone?

- She had to go into town to get the rest of her things.

- But couldn't that wait?

Should children be left alone at a time like this?

- But David wanted to be left alone.

There was nothing that Maggie could do for him.

- Vicki Winters would have known what to do.

- Now, that's not being fair to Maggie, Mrs. Johnson.

- I am sorry. My nerves are just on edge.

It's all I can do to keep breaking down myself.

- I know.

I am sorry.

- Oh. Have you been able to contact Mr. Roger?

- No. They've been trying to get him in London,

but they haven't had any success.

- Oh, it's going to be a terrible shock to him.

- I realize that.

- Mr. Collins, maybe I shouldn't mention this,

but have the arrangements been made?

- The arrangements?

- I mean, the burial arrangements.

- Yes.

- You phoned about them?

- No.

- Maybe it's not my place, but shouldn't you?

- Perhaps you should know about this, Mrs. Johnson,

but Mrs. Stoddard is not going to have an ordinary burial.

- She isn't? - No.

Mrs. Stoddard didn't want an ordinary burial.

Her will specifically states that in the case of death,

she is to be placed in a special casket

and to be buried in her own mausoleum

and there has to be no services.

- That's odd.

- But that's what she wanted

and we should carry out her wishes.

- I see.

- She told us that no one outside of the family

was to know about this.

- Well, I won't tell anyone.

But I wonder why she wanted it.

- She just wanted it

and we shouldn't be asking questions.

- Then I won't.

[knocking on door]

Oh, excuse me. I'll get that.

- Is Mr. Jonathan here?

- Yes.

- I am Mr. Jarret.

Would you please tell him I'm here?

- Well, is he expecting you?

- Yes, I think he is. - Oh, come in.

Mr. Collins, Mr. Jarret is here to see you to see you.

- How do you do, Mr. Collins?

- How do you do?

- I'm sorry to meet you under these circumstances.

- I don't understand.

- I was shocked to learn of Mrs. Stoddard's death.

The entire town of Collinsport would be equally shocked

and bereaved when the news gets out.

- But I'm sorry, may I ask who you are?

- Why, the man from the home.

- The home?

- The funeral home.

- What?

- You seem surprised. Didn't you call me?

- No.

- Well, someone did.

Or is it a practical joke?

Isn't Mrs. Stoddard dead?

- Yes. Mrs. Stoddard is dead,

but I didn't make the call

and I can't imagine who else could have made it.

- That's odd.

My wife got a message.

- What was the message?

- Simply to come here.

- But who did your wife talk to, a man or a woman?

- She said it sounded like a man.

- It sounded -- - That's what my wife said.

- Well.

- Can I assume that you need my services?

- No. I'm afraid we've made other arrangements.

- Oh.

- This has been a mistake on someone's part,

but you must have come here unnecessarily.

- In that case, there's no point in my staying.

- I'm afraid not. I'm sorry.

- So am I.

Goodbye.

- Mr. Collins, I know no one in this house

would have made that phone call except you.

I'm certain of it.

- And I didn't.

- Then who did make it and why?

- I don't know.

I just don't know.

- Don't be angry, Quentin.

David did what you told him to do.

- I made the phone call and the man came,

but Cousin Barnabas sent him away.

- We tried, Quentin.

[squeaking]

- Oh.

- Did you find out anything yet?

- I have talked to everyone in the house

and no one knows anything about that phone call.

- I don't understand it.

- Neither do I.

- Cousin Barnabas?

- Oh, hello, David.

Are you all right?

- Yes. I guess so.

May we go outside? - Of course.

But, David, you didn't make a phone call, did you?

- A phone call?

- Yes. To a man in town,

about your Aunt Elizabeth?

- No, Cousin Barnabas.

I don't want to talk about Aunt Elizabeth.

I don't even want to think about her.

- Don't cry, David.

- I'm not going to cry.

- All right, David.

You can go out and play now.

- OK.

- Poor little fellow.

- Yes.

I'm sorry I asked him about the phone call,

sorry I even mentioned Elizabeth's name.

- We're getting good at fooling them, aren't we?

- Yes.

But we've got to do what Quentin told us to do.

We've got to be very careful.

We can't make any mistakes.

- We won't.

They'll never find out the truth.

♪♪

[clock chiming]

- Mrs. Johnson is out looking for the children.

- What are you going to tell them?

- Only that I'm going to take them away for a while.

- You're not going to tell them about boarding school?

- I don't know yet.

It all depends on how they feel about leaving Collinwood.

- Barnabas, are you sure you're going to need me in Boston?

- Well, I need someone to look after the children

until I placed them at schools.

- I'd be glad to take care of them as long as you want me to.

- I'm very grateful to you.

- Actually, it's good for me, too.

It takes my mind off a lot of things I'd like to forget.

- Well, here they are.

- You wanted to see us, Cousin Barnabas?

- Yes, come in to the drawing room, both of you.

- Oh, your room is almost ready.

I just have to finish clearing it out.

I'll go do that now.

- Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I'll help you.

- What did you want to see us about, Cousin Barnabas?

- How would the two of you like to go to Boston for a while?

- Boston? - Yes, for a visit.

- I've never been to Boston.

- I have. Lots of times.

- You liked it there, don't you?

- Yes. There's so much to do.

- Then you wouldn't mind leaving Collinwood for a while?

- No. - Amy?

- If David thinks it would be fun to go,

then I want to go.

I like taking trips,

especially to places I've never been.

- Fine. Then it's settled.

- When will we be leaving?

- Oh, in a few days,

but Maggie will be going with us.

- Oh, good!

I was hoping you'd say that.

Maggie is so nice.

- Then you are happy about this?

- Very happy. - So am I.

- Well, perhaps, if you like Boston,

you might want to go to school there.

- School?

- You wouldn't mind the idea, would you?

Either of you?

- No. - No, Barnabas.

- Good. Then I'll start making the plans.

I'll tell Maggie.

- Do we have a lesson tonight?

- No. But stay in the house.

It's getting late.

I don't want you to go out again.

- David, we can't leave the house!

Quentin told us we could never leave!

- I know.

- What are we going to do?

- We'll have to find Quentin. - Now?

- Yes. Come on.

- This was Vicki's favorite dress.

I always remember how pretty she looked in it.

- So do I.

- Maggie, I talked to the children

and they're delighted about leaving.

- They are? - Yes.

So, be ready to leave in a few days.

- Whatever you say, Barnabas.

- Oh, Mr. Collins.

Oh, what do you want me to do with Vicki's things?

- Get rid of them. Destroy them.

Isn't that, I mean, that would be a shame.

Couldn't I give them away?

- Do whatever you want with them, but get rid of them.

- Well, here, I found this.

- The music box.

- I remembered that you gave it to her,

so I thought that you might want it.

- No. Take it away.

- Are you sure?

- Get rid of it. Get rid of everything.

- Well, just as you say.

[music box playing] ♪♪

- Barnabas? - Yes?

- I'm sorry about Vicki.

I mean, everything.

- It's getting late, you better go and find the children.

- Yes. All right.

[thinking] - Vicki, I've got to forget you.

I've got to. I've got to.

- Quentin!

- Quentin, appear to us! - We need you!

- You've got to help us!

They're going to send us away!

We don't know what to do.

- You've got to tell us!

- You told us we couldn't leave.

Appear to us, Quentin!

Help us!

- Quentin?

Quentin?

♪♪

- Amy?

David?

Oh, Mrs. Johnson.

- I stored Vicki's things in the basement.

I just couldn't bring myself to destroy them.

I - I hate to think about her being lost to us forever.

- I don't think like to think about it either.

- This house is cursed

and everyone who is under its roof.

I'm glad the children will be leaving.

- Have you seen them?

- No.

- That's odd.

I've looked everywhere for them and I can't find them.

- Well, maybe they're outside.

- Barnabas told them to stay in the house.

- Well, knowing them, they could be anywhere.

- It's getting late.

I'm getting to worry about them.

[piano playing] ♪♪

David? Amy?

- Hello, Maggie. - Hi.

- How did you get in here?

You weren't here a moment ago.

I looked.

- You did?

- Yes.

And you couldn't possibly have gotten in here

without my seeing you.

- I guess we fooled you.

- You fooled me?

- Yes. We were in here all the time.

- How is that possible?

- Well, we were playing Hide and Go Seek

and we were just hiding.

- That's right.

We both found good hiding places.

- Well, where did you hide?

- I can't tell you. - Why not?

- Because that spoils the game.

- Are you telling me the truth?

- We wouldn't lie to you.

Besides, how could we be in here now

if we weren't in here before?

- I don't know.

- Is it time for us to go to our rooms?

- Yes. It's past time.

- I thought it would be.

- Come on, David. - Good night, Amy.

- Good night.

- Good night, Maggie. - Good night, David.

♪♪

[dog howling]

- Mrs. Johnson!

Mrs. Johnson!

- Yes?

- Mrs. Johnson, did you bring Vicki's things back up here?

- Of course not.

I took them down to the basement.

You saw me take them out.

- Look.

- [gasps]

It can't be.

- Who could have brought them back up to this room?

- Nobody.

- I don't understand.

- I do. - What?

- No human hand

has touched these clothes since I took them away.

It's a sign. It's a sign.

- What are you talking about?

- What's going on?

- Mrs. Johnson brought Vicki's things down to the basement.

Now, somehow, they're back in this room.

- What?

- It's a sign.

It's a sign from Vicki!

She's trying to reach us, to contact us,

to tell us -- - Tell us what?

- That she's coming back.

Vicki's coming back!

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪