The threat that hung over Collinsport has gone. Elmer Urrey with a new identity can now leave Collinsport. But the problem with the newly arrived Philip Todd remains. Declared dead after falling off Widow's Hill in 1970 he has mysteriously reappeared, leaving his wife, and her friend, the sheriff with the problem of how to clear him of Paul Stoddard's murder. Chris Jennings has had a bad episode where he went berserk and destroyed a herd of sheep, but few know yet that the reason was that he was drugged by David.,
The return of Phillip Todd
Chapter 1
"How are you doing today?" the nurse asked Phillip Todd.
"What do you think? I've been shot. I have lost my memory of the past nine years. I am going to be tried for a murder I didn't commit. My wife...well, you know what she is. Except for that, I am doing fine.'
"It is not as bad as that. The sheriff knows that you didn't kill Paul Stoddard, and is trying to prove it. Your memory will clear up on its own."
"Which leaves my wife."
"You still don't want to see her?"
Phillip paled. "You know what...what she is... and what she does.
"There is no harm in her. Of course, I don't like the way she carries with all available men, but that doesn't mean you are in danger,"
Phillip stared at her throat.
"What are you doing?" she cocked her head. " Are you t trying to see when was the last time that Barnabas visited me?
"You talk as if... as if that didn't matter.'
"It doesn't, really.. The only problem is that I can't convince him to give me a roll in the hay afterwards."
"If it had not been for him" Phillip gritted his teeth. 'Megan.."
"I know. He's felt lousy about that for a long while. But it's all in the past now."
"I can't forgive him for it."
"He understands. He says that there is a chance to prove your innocence, and that your wife is working on it."
"Why? Why can't he leave me alone?"
"You really want to go to jail?"
"At least there I would be... safe." Phillip turned his face away.
"But you are safe now." the nurse sat on the bed. "your wife won't come unless I tell her that you want her to? Do you want it?"
"Why should I want to?"
"So that I can get a good night's rest. It isn't enough that I work staggered hours. I also have to put up with her pestering me night after night."
Carolyn smiled as she went over her accounts. If she kept dumping unemployed people on Barnabas' lap, sooner or later the townspeople would figure that he was more trouble for them than he was worth. Him and Maggie...
She rubbed her neck. It felt as if something filthy clung to her. But no rubbing would erase the memory of his teeth.
She would make him pay for it. She would see him crawl in the dirt.
Roger came in. He acted more subdued since that time when Sabrina had knocked the gun off his hand. I fact, she had not heard him lately sprouting theories about the missing eighteen minutes in Nixon's tape.. It was a good sign.
Sabrina had been making noises about having him committed. Sabrina would be sorry she had said that when the contract for plant security wasn't renewed.
"How are you doing?" She asked him.
"Much better, thank you." Roger sat down and stared ahead. "David's in town again. And again he didn't even bother to ask whether I was still alive."
"Forget him. He's no good. We only have each other now." she took his hand "no one else wants us."
"I know. Only you and me, now." David was a stranger to him, he thought, like Elizabeth...
"We are going to be all right, we two."
Suddenly Roger straightened up and stared at Carolyn "You think I'm crazy?"
"No" a shiver ran down Carolyn's spine.
"You do. Everybody does. I can hear what people say behind my back. 'crazy Roger, he should be put away'"
"I won't let them"
"I shouldn't have pulled that gun on Sabrina. I only wanted to protect you, and I failed."
"There are better ways to deal with them than guns. Specially Chris and Barnabas."
"I know, but I thought that by threatening Sabrina..."
"It is easier to stop Barnabas than Sabrina... Funny what happened to her. She managed to catch pneumonia, And Chris is in the hospital, half-conscious. They are going to have a lot of medical bills. And then they will find out they lost my account's"
"What about Megan?"
"What about her?"
"See? You think that not only I am crazy, I am also stupid. I know that the Jennings agency is just a front for Megan. She will not allow it to go broke. And you say nothing about not hiring Megan anymore."
"I can't afford to." Carolyn admitted. "But Sabrina wants to buy her off. She would if she got the money."
"If you offered her the money, she'd be suspicious. But if it was me hiring her..."
"That's an idea" Carolyn was pleased, not only at the suggestion, but because it gave him something besides Nixon to worry about. "Why would you hire her?"
"To prove Maggie's and Barnabas' involvement in the framing of Nixon."
Carolyn could barely suppress a moan at this.
"Not that I expect her to tell the truth. She was in it too, you know. But if I say I believe her, that will throw her of f the track. And the false report she will give me will contain certain clues. Sometimes a false report tells you more than a true one. You just have to know where to look. You have to start asking yourself why these red herrings and no others...Have to study every word, and then compare it with all the other evidence I have... It is only a question of finding the right clues."
"I see" Carolyn winced inwardly.
"You don't believe me. You think I'm crazy, you too. But tell me, how could Kennedy and Johnson get away with much worse and nobody ever said a word? Why was Nixon the one who got it? They had it in for him since the day he defeated Humphrey."
"I know" Carolyn sighed "But why do you think that Barnabas is involved?"
"After they kicked Nixon out there were new faces in Congress. Like Maggie. And Barnabas ran her campaign.. And he has a built-in alibi."
"What do you mean?"
"What does he do in the daytime?"
"He lies on his back."
"Suppose he doesn't." Suppose he can get away without that for two or three days. Plenty of time to frame Nixon, right?"
"Maybe" Carolyn tightened her fists.
"Don't agree with me as if I was a child! It is true! And what they did to Nixon they can do to you!"
"They won't. Unlike Nixon I know two or three things about Barnabas. Enough to make a lot of trouble for you and Maggie."
"But you won't use them. If you expose Barnabas you expose Megan. And if you expose her, she'll make public what she knows about you."
"I could pay her well, and let her get out of town."
"If she wants to, and it is not very likely with Phillip here. And she also works for Maggie, basically keeping Barnabas out of trouble.. She will not cooperate with you."
"I'll figure out something."
"How about my plan? Do I go out and hire Sabrina?"
"I'm not sure. I cannot give you much money" Carolyn tried to find an excuse to deny it to Roger "We are short of money now."
"Save that lie for the people you lay off." Roger rose, angry. "You have the money. You just don't want to give it to me. I know what you want. You want to buy my shares of the company. And once you got them, you'll put me away."
"Why would I do that?"
"So that I cannot leave anything to David. So that you'll have enough shares to control the company in spite of your mother."
"Suppose you are right, why should David get anything? Or Adam? All they've done is hurt us."
"I don't care about Adam. But I don't want David to be left out in the cold. When I die, if you want to wrest control from your mother, you'll have to deal with David."
"What for? He manages nicely without us.
"I won't disinherit him, and that's final."
Elmer Urrey looked at the papers Angelique had given him. Now his name was Derek Pearce. He tried to memorize the name. From now on, he should answer to that, and ignore the name Elmer Urrey.
He studied the signature on his driver's license. He should practice that handwriting too.
He looked at the photo of his new face. He wondered if he really looked like that?
Suppose Angelique had double-crossed him. Given him a different face. Since he could not use a mirror...
But he could use the photo machine at the shopping center...
Suppose his new face and fingerprints were on the Ten Most Wanted of the FBI...