The No-Show

Just as I figured: At 11:00 pm, Burke, Roger, and Sam meet at the fishing fleet office, but the man responsible for their gathering, one Bill Malloy, doesn’t show up. Where is Bill? Dialogue implies when Burke goes to Bill’s house to attempt to find him, between Roger and Sam that perhaps something happened to him (Roger smugly goads Sam when the alcoholic artist opens a door regarding Bill’s absence). It is more for our benefit than anything else. I think Bill’s fate was sealed when he pushed head-long about calling those out in the open who wrongly sent Burke to prison. Carolyn and Elizabeth are up as the Witching Hour approaches because Mama Collins Stoddard is worried about Roger. Burke is really anxious and angry (as he should be) as Roger and Sam get antsy about leaving. Dark Shadows Creative make it a matter of importance to establish time, pointing out the grandfather clock in the Collinwood mansion and the wall clock in the fishing fleet office. Malloy’s car is parked at his house, but Burke says no one answered. Elizabeth has an overbearing sense of impending disaster and that, if Malloy’s absence from the meeting wasn’t enough, is DSC’s way of saying that Mr. Fishing Fleet Manager’s time is up. Elizabeth confronts Roger when he returns (you can see that he’s more than a bit sure-footed and relaxed than the previous episodes) and he flat lies to her face that his testimony on the stand during Burke’s trial was true. He also (unwisely) tells Elizabeth that he hadn’t talked with Malloy since the afternoon (Vicky was right there when Malloy insisted on speaking with Roger! He knew this; just dumb). Will these lies come back to haunt him? You betcha.