Episode 144 - 1/12/67

Vicki swears the locket the police lieutenant brought from Phoenix is the one that she saw Laura wearing. Liz offers to take him to Laura, and Vicki asks to tag along. The detective asks Laura to see if she can identify the items he brought from Phoenix as her personal property. She does, confirming all of the items are hers, including the locket. He has her sign a release, and then asks her a few questions. He asks if she had given anyone a key. The woman who died was locked in the room from the inside. She says that someone did have a key; her old cleaning woman. She explains that she let her go two months ago. He asks her to describe the woman. She provides a description that could easily pass for her. She doesn't know the woman's last name, and can't confirm if she worked for anyone else in the building. He asks if she's sure no one else could have accessed the apartment, and she says no. Liz offers to take the detective back to the house, and Vicki stays behind.

She asks Laura about the locket. Laura agrees that they discussed the locket, but she wasn't wearing it at the time.

Vicki returns to the house and runs into the detective. She asks if he saw the body, and he indicates that it wasn't pretty, but he did. She asks about identifying the body, and if it's known if the body was dead before the fire. He indicates that they don't know yet, and leaves.

Inside, Frank has stopped in to see Liz. Vicki enters and she and Frank sit by the fire while Liz reviews some documents. Vicki tells Frank about the locket, and how Laura lied about it. He downplays it, and Liz does, too. Liz goes upstairs to check on David. Vicki tells Frank that she's had several instances of being compelled to do things against her will. Frank suggests that the old house is getting to her, and offers to take her to dinner. As they leave the drawing room, the book of family photos opens on its own again.

Vicki starts upstairs to check on David. Liz notices the family album is open, and is surprised to find Vicki re-entering the drawing room. Vicki says she doesn't know why she was compelled to come back in, and Liz suggests it was the locket, as Vicki had been looking at the portrait of Josette wearing it in the family album. Vicki explains that she wasn't looking at the album, and Liz says that someone was. Vicki says the book was closed when she and Frank left the room minutes ago. Vicki asks why the book would open to that page, and asks Liz if it's a sign from Josette. She says that she felt Josette was watching over her in the old house. Vicki decides that she needs some fresh air and goes for a walk.

Laura watches as Vicki leaves the house and walks along the shore.

Our thoughts

John: Another Collins lying to Vicki. Surprising that Laura thinks she can convince Vicki that they talked about a locket she wasn't wearing. I hope for Vicki's sake that Laura doesn't see her as a threat, or she's going to be right back where she started.

Christine: How interesting that she knew to remove it from her chain before the detective showed up. Laura watching Vicki walk on the beach does not bode well. Incidentally, this was the same footage of Vicki finding Burke Devlin's pen on the beach in Episode 75.

John: Frank is a pretty accommodating suitor; he doesn't let Vicki's strange ramblings deter him. Maybe they'll actually have that dinner date. Maybe.
 
Christine: Perhaps her strange ramblings are what he finds attractive.

John: It's been a while since the haunted family album made an appearance. We'll soon find out if it is a sign of Josette trying to protect her...

Christine: The first time the book opened on its own was in Episode 52, though the picture of Josette Collins was a different one.