A calm, clear day dawns at the great estate of Collinwood. It is a day which seems to bring bright hopes and fruitful days to come. But elsewhere on the Collins estate, events are taking shape that brings only the promise of dark and dreadful days to come.
Willie Loomis stands at the window still looking puzzled as he turns from
the window. "What was Haskell doin' heah?" his thoughts pondered. Julia said
he was getting outta Windcliff. I wunda what he wanted heah?" The phone on
the desk rang interrupting Willie's thoughts. He picked up the phone and
answered. "Collins residence. Oh hi Julia. No. Barnabas ain't heah. No he
didn't say when he'd be heah. Yeah, I'll let him know you called. No I ain't
nervous. It's just that Joe Haskell was heah a minute ago. He didn't say
what he wanted cause I pretended nobody was home. You know me and Joe
Haskell; we ain't on such good terms. I never liked him too much. Yeah, I'll
be sure to tell Barnabas he came by. Ok Julia." Willie placed the receiver
back on the phone and turned to the foyer. Taking the dust cloth from his
back pocket he walked up the stairs. From inside the bookshelf in the
drawing room a pair of green disembodied eyes had witnessed the entire
event. A low evil chuckle emanated from the place where they were
positioned.
(Long dramatic strains of music build to a crescendo)
(Roll Opening Theme)
(Place Commercials Here)
(Dramatic strains of music)
Chuckling emanates from the bookcase in the old house. The eyes emerge from
the top of the books where they had been concealed and floated to the front
window. There was a brief pause, and then they passed through the glass pane
and then they set out to follow Joe Haskell. In short time they caught up
with him, staying far enough back so he would not be aware of them. As he
reached the gate, a car came around the bend from Collinwood. Behind the
wheel was Carolyn Stoddard. She rolls the window down and speaks. "Hello
Joe. Do you need a ride into town?" Joe walked to the window and bent over
to meet her at eye level. "Uhh, yeah. That would be great, Carolyn." She
motioned him to get in the passenger side of the car. Once inside, the car
rolled out past the gate onto the main road. Carolyn turned and asked, "So
where to Joe?" Joe looked over at her and replied. "I was going to the
Collinwood shipyards to see about getting a job on the boats again." Carolyn
looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said. "I was going in to have lunch
with Uncle Roger. I know he would put a good word in for you." Joe rubbed
his fingers over his chin and said, "I remember a time when I would have
turned down an offer like that. I'm not much of one to accept handouts, but
I'm afraid I'm not in a position to turn down any kind of help." Carolyn
frowned slightly and replied, "Now Joe, this is hardly a handout. You put in
plenty of years of hard work for us, and you deserve the consideration of
your past loyalty. I can promise you Uncle Roger will feel the same"
Joe smiled and said, "Thank you, Carolyn. Your confidence in me means a
lot."
Barnabas Collins walked in the front door of the old house. He walked to the doorway of the drawing room and looked inside. Willie wasn't there. He turned as if to walk toward the back of the house when Willie came down the stairs. Reaching the bottom he said, "Hey Barnabas. You left early. Where'd ya go?" Barnabas walked into the drawing room and sat in the arm chair in front of the French doors, his hands folded in front of his shoulders. "I went for a walk on the beach, Willie. I looked out over the ocean, and all I could think of was Angelique" Willie looked puzzled and repeated after him, "Angelique?" Pursing his lips slightly, Barnabas looked up at Willie and replied, "Yes, Angelique. For so many years I hated her. All I wanted was to destroy her. Now that she's gone forever, I truly grieve her loss." Willie scratched his head, not quite understanding. Then he said, "But Barnabas, Ah you forgettin that she made ya what ya wuh? That she hurt ya whole family?" Barnabas rose from the chair and walked to the window staring out. "No Willie, I haven't forgotten. "He said, then turning back to Willie. He continued on. "The last few days she was with me, she redeemed herself, Willie. She took away my curse; she gave damning testimony that could have resulted in her own execution to save the first Quentin Collins because of her love for me. I realized in a moment, that she always did mean more to me than I was willing to admit, even to myself. Then Lamar Trask shot her down in cold blood. I never thought it possible that I could ever grieve for her, but as she lay there, completely mortal, and dying, well I can never fully explain the sorrow I felt. I want you to drive me into Collinsport, Willie. I want to take some flowers to her final resting place. She was to be buried in the Collins family crypt. I want to bestow this last act, small as it is. I would ask Julia, but she is still in Rockport." Willie then remembered and said, "Yeah, she called this morning, Barnabas. She said her research was takin' longa than she thought it would, but she should be back by evenin'." Barnabas nodded. "I see", he said pensively. Then Willie continued, "I don't know what he wanted, but Joe Haskell came by the house this mornin' too." Barnabas looked puzzled, and asked, "He came all the way out here and then wouldn't tell you why?" Willie's eyes dropped to the floor as he said, "I didn't ansa the door. I didn't wanna see him, so I acted like nobody was heah." Barnabas turned to the fireplace pondering. He then turned back to Willie and said, "Willie, Haskell has been through a great ordeal. He was robbed of his sanity when he saw his own cousin become a monster before his very eyes. He witnessed his cousin Tom as something equally loathsome, he lost Maggie Evans, his job, his whole world was taken from him, and he did nothing to deserve it. Then he was confined to a mental institution as insane. All because he saw things that were impossible to the rest of the world. But we know they are possible, don't we Willie?" Willie looked ashamed and said, "Yeah, Barnabas." Then Barnabas added, "Willie, if he should come back here again, I want you to forget your differences and invite him in. He needs our understanding, not our rejection." Willie looked at Barnabas and replied, "I undastand Barnabas." Barnabas then took his cane from the hall table and said, "Come now Willie, let's go into Collinsport, I want to be back when Julia arrives. They exited the door closing it behind them.
(Place Commercials Here)
Joe Haskell sat across the desk from Roger Collins. Roger's hands were
folded in front of him on the desk. "It's good to have you back with us,
Haskell. Things weren't the same since you left. The man that replaced you
wasn't nearly as capable as you are. We've only kept him around because we
didn't have anyone to replace him with. We've wanted to replace him for a
long time." Joe looked dazed in unbelief at his good fortune, then looked at
Roger and asked, "Mr. Collins, how will the men feel about working for a man
who's been in an asylum? I'm afraid they won't like answering to a nut
case." Roger stood up and walked around the office. He turned again to look
at Joe, and said. They don't know, Haskell. We explained your strange
behavior as a prolonged illness. Then when you left town, we explained that
we had moved you to our Boston office to oversee operations there. The only
one's that know any different are the personnel director. He already knows
that nobody else is to know anything different. He doesn't know the truth
himself." Joe shook his head in amazement. "I don't know what to say, Mr.
Collins" he said in total disbelief. Roger smiled, Say that you'll be here
first thing in the morning. A memo will go out later this afternoon
announcing your return, right after I give Sanders his walking papers." Joe
stood up, shook Roger's hand and said, "You can count on me, Mr. Collins, I'll
be here." Roger walked back behind the desk as Joe walked to the door. He
opened the desk drawer and removed a set of keys and said, "Oh Haskell,
before you go, I'm going to give you an advance on your salary. I'm sure you
could use some extra clothes and other things." He unlocked the safe and
handed a $1000 stack of bills. "It isn't charity Haskell; consider it a loan
that will be paid back in installments from your salary." Joe could not
believe his good fortune. He shook Roger's hand again. "Thank you, Mr.
Collins, Thank you!" Joe walked out the office door closing it behind him.
Roger sat down at the desk, and began sorting through the papers on his
desk. The intercom sounded and a female voice came across. "Mr. Collins,
there is a Mr. Halliburton here to see you." Roger looked puzzled, and said
"I don't know anyone named Halliburton, what does he want?" The voice came
over the intercom again, "He says it involves a legal matter." Roger was
more curious now than before, and replied, "Alright send him in". Roger sat
down, wondering what this man wanted. The door opened and Trevor Halliburton
stepped inside. He walked over to the desk and said, "Are you Roger
Collins?" Roger replied that he was. Halliburton continued. "I represent
Gerald Fenton; we are taking legal action against you for public humiliation
and slander, and also for wrongful dismissal. Here is your summons. I
suggest you obtain legal counsel, Mr. Collins, Good day." He placed the
summons on Roger's desk then turned back to the door. As he closed it he
added. "See you in court." Roger looked incredulously at the document the
attorney left behind. As he read it in disbelief, the eyes that had been
concealed watching everything vanished through the door. (Long dramatic
drumbeats build to frenzied climax)
Silently, Barnabas and Willie stand before the sealed crypt marked Valerie
Collins. "She was buried under a false name, Willie. It couldn't be revealed
that her name was Angelique. At least, that was the name I knew her by. Her
real name was Miranda Duvall. She was born in the 17th century. It was Judah
Zachary who taught her the ways of witchcraft. She was the chief witness
against him in his trial. He was beheaded as a result of her testimony. She
lived on. I met her almost 100 years later. She was a servant to the DuPres
family. I was in Martinique on a business trip to establish a trade
relationship with them. I had too much to drink and when Angelique first saw
me, she fell in love with me. She came to my room that night, and I was so
intoxicated I didn't know or care what I was doing. When I awoke the next
morning, she was there beside me. I felt so very ashamed for what I'd done.
That very evening, Josette and her aunt, the countess,
had returned from a trip to France. I was immediately smitten with her, and
I spurned Angelique. As the days grew near for me to leave the island, I
knew I had to have Josette for my wife. I asked her to come to America and
be my wife. That was the beginning of my sorrows, for it never was to be. I
treated Angelique shamefully, and for that, I will be eternally sorry. I let
my one chance for happiness slip through my fingers." He looked at the
marble plate with the name Valerie Collins engraved in it and cried out,
"Forgive me Angelique, Forgive me." (Slow sad strains of music fade out)
(Place Commercials Here)
Trevor Halliburton sat behind his desk talking on the phone. "Yes, it's too
bad you missed it. If you could have only seen the look on Roger Collins'
face when I served him with the papers! He could have almost swallowed his
own tongue." He said leaning back in the chair smiling "Now, here's what I
need you to do. I want you to get a pen and paper and I need you to document
every single thing you can remember. I mean everything! This is for my eyes
only, and I don't want you to leave anything out. If I'm to help you, I need
to know everything possible. There is something in there that's going to win
this for us. I just have to find it. Take about a week. I want it to be as
complete and thorough as possible. Yes. That's right. I'll see you here in
my office next Friday. Alright Gerald. Goodbye"
Halliburton hung up the phone with a grin on his face. He opened the desk
drawer and took out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth. He closed the
drawer and brought the lighter up to his face. Suddenly his eyes grew wide.
The cigarette dropped from his lips on the floor. Across the desk from him,
floating in mid air, were the ghostly green eyes.
Laughter bellowed from the spot where they were suspended. Then they began
to move toward Halliburton. He backed up in the chair until he was pinned
against the back wall.
His head shaking back and forth as he screamed out, "No, Noo, Noooooooooo!
(Three dramatic notes sound and fade)
(Place Commercials Here)
(Roll Closing Theme)
Barnabas Collins…
JONATHAN FRID
Roger Collins…
LOUIS EDMONDS
Carolyn Stoddard…
NANCY BARRETT
Willie Loomis…
JOHN KARLEN
Joe Haskell…
CHRIS BERNAU
Trevor Halliburton…
KEITH PRENTICE
Written by RUSS WILLIAMS
Directed by RUSS WILLIAMS
Story created and Developed by ART WALLACE
Fashions courtesy of ORBACH'S
Costumes by MOSTOLLER
Music composed by ROBERT COBERT
Series created by DAN CURTIS Executive Producer
Dan Curtis Productions Copyright 1971