Episode 197 - 3/28/67

Jason makes himself comfortable in Collinwood. Liz tells him he may think of himself as a guest, but the truth is that he's an intruder. She demands to know how long he plans to stay. He says he might stay for some time, and if she did anything to make his stay difficult, he might have to do something to retaliate. He tells her that she was in trouble, and he helped her. She takes him into the drawing room. She asks if he has a conscience. He tells her that if he did, he'd run right down and talk to the police. He asks her why she hasn't been to see the police in the last 18 years. He tells her that they're stuck with what happened 18 years ago. She says that doesn't make them partners, and he tells her he just wants a little consideration. She says that he had quite enough to take care of him, and suggests that now he's come back for more. He admits that he's broke. All he has is what he's wearing. He asks her to call the local haberdashery to let them know he'll be by to charge a few things.

Sam Evans picks up the phone and calls Collinwood. Roger answers, and Sam asks if he's found the paintings yet. He tells Roger that if he doesn't find them, he's going to blow the whistle on him.

Roger explores the basement with a flashlight. There are plenty of antiques, but no sign of any paintings. He finds his way to the padlocked door, and rattles it. As he wanders deeper into the basement, Jason makes his way into the basement. He goes right to the door, and lights a match before the padlock. Roger then shines his flashlight on him and asks if that helps. He asks what Jason is doing. He says he was lost. Roger asks why he was looking at the lock. Jason tells him he used to collect old padlocks. He also explains that he's curious what lies behind the door. Roger says that if he accepts his story that he's just a tourist in the basement, why is he in Collinwood? He  then asks if he left with Paul Stoddard 18 years ago. Jason explains that he last saw Paul in Collinwood, 18 years ago. He asks Roger about Liz having become a recluse 18 years ago. He does confirm that she hasn't left the house in 18 years. Jason points out how that coincides with when Paul disappeared. And then he asks Roger what he was doing in the basement.

Liz clutches the key to the padlock when Roger walks in. He asks if she's seen a dozen paintings that he had picked up 10 years ago. He says he's looked everywhere but the locked room in the basement. She says they're not there. Those are personal belongings that she doesn't want anyone poking around. He tells her that her house guest was exploring that lock, which shocks her.

Roger meets Sam in The Blue Whale, and explains that he can't find the paintings. He says they must be around unless someone threw them out. Sam scolds him, explaining that some of them took months to finish. Roger says he shouldn't have given them away so readily, and Sam says that he needed to give them to make their transaction look legitimate. He says if Roger doesn't find them, he's going to Burke Devlin. Roger says there's one more place they might be.

Jason prepares to visit the haberdashery, and Liz asks to speak with him first. She asks what he was doing in the basement. He says he was socializing with Roger. She claims he was trying to open a lock. He says that he probably could pick it, and says he has a rather large stake down there. He says that Roger doesn't seem to know anything. He tells her that he hopes the door never gets opened.

In the basement, Roger tries to break the padlock.

Our thoughts

John: It's amusing how they call upon the fact that Liz hasn't left the house in 18 years, just days after she returns from being out of the house for what might be the longest stretch since Paul's disappearance.

Christine: It seems that something was edited out of this Take #2 episode. When Jason is talking to Roger in the basement about how Liz becoming a recluse coincides with Paul Stoddard's departure, it suddenly jumps to them in a new position with Roger saying, "Shall we go?"

John: So once again we're led to believe that it might be the remains of Paul Stoddard behind the locked basement door. The fact that both Roger AND Jason have been poking around down there has got to be freaking Liz out.

Christine: If so, then how did Paul Stoddard die, and why is she keeping his remains in the basement instead of having him buried somewhere out on the large estate?

John: Where, oh where could Sam's paintings be? It would seem more likely they would be in one of the closed off areas of the house than behind the locked basement door, but curiosity may be getting the best of Roger as well. The only question is, who will be the one to find him trying to break in—Liz? David? Mrs. Johnson? I guess we'll find out tomorrow.