329 - September 28, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Dr. Hoffman narrating] - Tonight, a dangerous and terrifying secret

may be disclosed, for a man, presumed to be dying,

has suddenly rallied, and when he speaks,

he may expose one whose very existence

has depended on his silence.

- If there's anything I can do for you or your daughter

at a time like this, please feel free to call on me.

- Thank you very much. That's very kind of you.

[knocking at door]

- That's odd, I wasn't expecting visitors.

- I'll get it. It must be my deputy.

I told him to contact me here

if there was any change in Willie.

- Sheriff. - What is it?

- They want you down at the hospital right away.

- Is it Willie?

- Yes, he's coming out of the coma.

- Is he going to be able to talk?

- They think so.

- Well, then I'll get the truth out of him.

By the time tonight is over, we'll know everything.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

- Well, let's go.

Sam, are you coming along?

- No, I think I'd better, uh, check on Maggie.

Let me know if Loomis says anything.

- Sheriff. - Yes?

- May I come with you?

- If you like.

- I'm anxious to talk with poor Willie.

I'm sure that he can prove he's innocent.

- What was he doing with Maggie's ring?

- I don't know.

- Well, he's got to be guilty.

Still, there's an awful lot of unanswered questions,

and you know there are.

- I don't want to believe that. I want to believe that

Willie has an explanation for everything.

- Well, we'll know soon enough. Let's go.

♪♪

- It's amazing.

- He's still improving?

- His heartbeat's almost back to normal.

He must have the constitution of an ox.

- Or else he wasn't hurt as badly as we thought he was.

- Oh, no, when I brought him out of that operating room,

I wouldn't given him one chance in a hundred.

It must have been the transfusions that did the trick.

- But you definitely think he'll live?

- Well, it looks that way, Julia...

as long as he continues to respond to the transfusions.

- That's... wonderful, Dave.

- I wish it hadn't been necessary

to give him that sedative.

- But you had to. He was in terrible pain.

- Well, I know, but he's gonna be knocked out

for a couple of more hours now.

Be just that much longer

before we know what he has to say.

- Mm, well...

Of course, he-- he may not confess.

He may try to lie his way out of it.

There's no telling what he might say.

- You know something, Julia? - What?

- I'm beginning to think the sheriff is right.

- About what?

- He doesn't think that Willie was the kidnapper.

- He doesn't? - No.

The more I think about it,

the more I'm inclined to agree with him.

- Why?

- Well, if Willie did kidnap Maggie,

where did he keep her? And why did he do it?

- Why does an insane man do anything?

- If he is insane.

- He must be.

- Possibly.

I'd give a great deal to know

what he's gonna say when he is able to talk.

- Yes, so would I.

- Julia, will you stay with him for a minute or two?

I have another patient down the hall that I have to look in on.

- Of course. - Oh, and if you have to go out

for any reason, will you send the nurse in?

Willie has to be watched every minute to make sure that

he doesn't move and detach that needle in his arm.

- I understand. I'll watch. - All right, thanks.

I'll be back as soon as I can.

[thinking] - When he talks, he'll tell them everything!

Barnabas will be exposed and destroyed.

I'll never be allowed to practice medicine again.

Perhaps he won't talk.

No... he will. He must, to save himself.

Oh...

it would be so easy to silence him permanently.

No one would ever know.

It would be so easy.

So easy.

♪♪

[door opening]

- What are you doing?

- Uh... he moved.

I was afraid he might have dislodged the hypodermic needle.

- But he hadn't. - No.

- He's stopped perspiring.

He's not nearly as pale as he was.

- I know. I'm convinced you're right.

He is going to live.

- You can wait here, Mr. Collins.

- Here?

- Yes. I'm afraid I can't allow you

to come into Willie's room with me.

- But, why not?

- Because when he's able to talk, I want to question him.

You can see him afterwards.

- But can't I be present during the questioning?

- No, Mr. Collins, I'm afraid that's not possible.

- But why?

- Because I prefer to question him alone.

I don't want him confused or distracted.

- But, Sheriff... - Yes?

- You might get more information out of him

if I were to see him first.

- Why do you say that?

- Because I'm his employer,

and I know him better than most people.

He trusts me and he feels at ease with me.

And I'm sure that he will be easier with his answers

after I've seen him first.

- Possibly, he might.

- Then you will let me see him first?

You'll let me talk to him?

- No, Mr. Collins, that's impossible.

- But you just said that--

- I just said that you might possibly put Willie at his ease.

It's also possible that you might say something

that would influence his answers.

- What do you mean?

- I mean that nobody talks to Willie before I do-- nobody!

If he has anything to say, he's going to say it to me first.

♪♪

[knocking at door]

- Come in.

Hello, George.

- How is he?

- He's much better. It's practically a miracle,

but it looks like he's going to live.

- My deputy said that he was coming out of the coma.

- Well, he was, but he was in so much pain

I had to give him a sedative.

He'll probably be unconscious for...

well, a couple more hours now.

- That long? - Well, I'm afraid so.

It's conceivable he could come out of it sooner,

but there's no telling.

- Well, I'll wait.

- Well, it's up to you.

- What are you doing here, Doctor?

- Doctor?

- Yes, Dave told me who you really are.

- Oh, I-- I see.

- Well, I had to, Julia.

It just didn't make sense to hide anything from the sheriff.

- No, no, of course not.

- You still haven't answered my question.

What are you doing here?

- Oh, I came to see if there was anything I could do to help.

- And she's been a great deal of help.

I could hardly ask for more experienced assistance.

- Dave tells me that... you're not sure

that Willie was the kidnapper.

- I've had my doubts... but not anymore.

He's our man, all right.

- Really? Why-- why do you say that?

- We found this... in his room.

- Oh. That ring?

- Yes. Sam Evans identified it.

It belongs to Maggie.

She was wearing it when she disappeared,

and it was gone when we found her.

- And you found it in Willie's room?

- Yes, very carefully concealed in a candlestick.

- Then, he is guilty.

- Yes, he is, unless he can explain

how this ring got in his room.

- Oh, that must come as a terrible blow to Mr. Collins.

He was so certain that Willie was innocent.

- Oh, he still is.

He insisted on coming down here with me.

- He's-- he's here? - Yes.

He's waiting outside in the waiting room.

He wanted to come into Willie's room with me,

but I told him that was impossible.

Nobody talks to Willie

until I have had a chance to question him.

- Oh, I'd better go and tell him about how Willie is.

I'm sure he is very curious. Excuse me.

- How long before he wakes?

- Oh...

it'll probably be, uh, oh, maybe three hours, even four.

- Four hours.

♪♪

- What's going on?

- Well, Willie's under sedation.

The sheriff's with him. But what are you doing here?

- I came to find you. - Why?

- You must see to it that Willie is silenced!

- How can I do that?

- If necessary, you must k*ll him.

♪♪

- I can't.

- You must!

- I-- I-- I can't. I couldn't now, anyway,

because the sheriff and Dr. Woodard are both with him.

- You should have arranged to be alone with him

before the sheriff got here.

You should have done it then!

- I-- I couldn't.

- You bungling fool!

- Look, I...

I had the opportunity to do it before but...

I couldn't.

I-- I just couldn't do it!

- I've got to do something now!

- There's nothing you can do but wait

and hope that Willie takes a turn for the worse.

- I cannot wait. - You must.

There is nothing you or I can do.

- [exhaling]

- [moaning]

- He's coming out of it.

♪♪

- Willie.

- Willie, how are you?

- Hurts...

everything hurts.

- Willie, I know you're in pain.

I'll give you something for it right away.

But first, listen to us and try to answer what we ask you.

- Who are you?

- Don't you recognize me?

- No.

- I'm your doctor.

I'm Dr. Woodard.

- Doctor?

- You're in the hospital, Willie. You were...

well, you were hurt, but you're gonna be all right.

- It hurts! Everything hurts!

- Willie, I'm gonna have to ask you some questions.

- Questions?

- Why were you trying to

get into Maggie Evans' bedroom last night?

- Maggie? - Yes, Maggie Evans.

Why were you trying to get into her room last night?

Why, Willie?

- Don't! - Don't what?

- Don't hurt me!

- No one's going to hurt you, Willie.

I just want you to answer my question.

Why were you trying to get into Maggie Evans' room last night?

- Is it dark?

- What?

- Is it dark outside?

- Yes, it's nighttime, Willie. Why?

- Dark. I'm afraid of the night.

Don't let it be dark. Please, don't let it be dark!

- What's he talking about? - I don't know, I don't know.

- I'm afraid. I'm afraid.

- There's nothing to be afraid of.

- Don't hurt me! Please, don't hurt me!

- No one is gonna hurt you, Willie.

Now, calm down.

- You won't hurt me? - Of course not.

- Just lie still, Willie, and relax.

There's something I want to show you.

- Show me what?

- Can you identify this ring, Willie?

- Ring?

- You've seen it before, haven't you?

Whose is it?

- Whose?

- Yeah. Who does it belong to?

- It's mine. It's my ring.

- Where did you get it, Willie?

- It's mine! It's mine!

- You stole it, didn't you, Willie?

You stole it from Maggie Evans!

- Maggie?

Maggie Evans...

and the ring.

I'm afraid...

and I know why.

I know!

♪♪

- In another half-hour, the sun will rise.

- I know.

- I cannot wait! I cannot wait!

- Barnabas, why don't you return to Collinwood now?

- How can I?

If they discover what I am,

they'll come after me and I will be defenseless.

- But don't panic, Barnabas.

If Willie had told them anything,

we would have known it by now.

- He might have told them something.

I cannot risk my entire existence.

- Barnabas, wait, they're coming.

- Well?

- Well, we know something we didn't know before.

- What is that?

- The truth about Willie.

- Well, what is the truth?

- Willie Loomis is hopelessly insane.

- What?

- Insane?

- His mind snapped.

You were right about him, Julia.

He's obviously been deranged all along,

but he was able to maintain the outward appearance of sanity.

Now, even that's gone.

All he manages to do is just babble incoherently.

- What did he say?

- Well, nothing of significance.

He just goes on, over and over and over,

saying he's afraid, he's afraid!

And then, at one point, he told us what he was afraid of.

- Which was?

- A voice from a grave,

and nothing else that he said made any more sense.

- Then, you think Willie is the one responsible for everything?

- Oh, he must be.

All the evidence points that way.

- And, then, do you consider the case as closed?

- For now, yes.

- What-- what will happen to Willie?

- Well, as soon as he's able to be moved,

he'll probably be transferred to some institution

for the criminally insane.

- Poor Willie. - Yes. Poor Willie.

- May I see him?

- Well, I don't see why not. Do you, Sheriff?

- No, but be prepared for what you see.

He's a pitiful sight.

- I'm prepared.

Would you like to go with me?

- Yes. Yes, I would.

- Willie.

- Who are you?

- Don't you recognize me?

- No.

- Are you certain you don't recognize me?

- No.

Who are you, a doctor?

- That's right.

I am a doctor.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

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