Subj: Collinwood 2001 Part 36
Date: 8/4/01 3:41:02 PM Central Daylight Time
From: N.E. Collins

Fred Hairebairn sped up the driveway to Collinwood. He hated coming all the way out here, but he had his job to do and he had found in the past that face to face confrontation paid off better when it came to a student's continual absence. He parked in the drive and made his way reluctantly to the front doors. He wasn't used to dealing with people with so much money. It intimidated him and it reminded him of his own family's gone by glory days. There had been a time when the Hairebairn name had stood up to the Collins name in community status and stature. But through years of deceit they had toppled from their thrones and he was the last official in their once glorified dynasty. Uncle Amos had been a politician and he had been caught embezzling town funds red-handed. The weight of the scandal still pressed heavily on Fred and he did his appointed duty as the truant officer with a sad resignation.

Mrs. Johnson answered the door. She recognized Fred and immediately started bemoaning her wayward son, Harry. "I try and I try to beat some sense into that thick head of his, but what good does it do me? It takes a man's hand to wield that strap right! Oh, Mr. Hairebairn! What is going to become of my Harry? Will we have to send him to the reform school?"

Fred finally got a word in edgewise. "Mrs. Johnson, I am not here about Harry this time. I need to speak with Mrs. Stoddard. Carolyn Stoddard has been absent from class for the last two weeks and something must be done about it!"

Sarah Johnson breathed a sigh of relief. "Not my Harry? Well, that is good news, but I'm afraid you can't speak with Mrs. Stoddard. She is away, and Miss Stoddard has been very involved in her mother's absence and I'm sure that an excuse can be made under the circumstances."

Fred got a little hot under the collar. "Just because the Collins' family has a lot of money don't think that they have the right to call all the shots in this town."

A disembodied voice spoke up from the drawing room. "Oh? Really?" Roger Collins followed with a drink in hand. "Perhaps you would care to join me in here, Hairebairn, instead of bellowing in the foyer? That will be all, Mrs. Johnson."

"Should I bring in some tea and coffee?"

Roger smirked. "No, Mr. Hairebairn isn't a guest and he won't be staying that long."

Mrs. Johnson started to go about her business when there was another knock on the front door. Fred went into the drawing room with Roger and Roger shut the doors. Mrs. Johnson opened the front doors of the great house to find a UPS delivery man smiling a big toothy grin at her. "Special delivery for a Mr. David Collins!" The package was about the size of a serving tray and it wasn't very heavy. "Sign here, please!" Sarah signed for the parcel. "Thank you, ma'am. Have a nice day!"

She closed the door and gave the package a shake to try and determine what was inside. It didn't really move. She looked at the return address and saw that it had come from Burke Devlin. What was he doing sending Davey a package? She set the whole thing down on the long table in the foyer and went about her business.

David Collins got off the school bus and had to walk the length of the driveway to get to the house. He didn't understand why they couldn't just drop him off at the front door, but the driver had said that he wouldn't be caught dead near that haunted house daytime or night. So the little prince had to put miles on his shoe leather. He grumbled and kicked stones all the way home. Why did he have go to public school anyway? Why did Miss Winters have to work for Aunt Nora? He didn't have any good answers for his queries. He was just complaining. He opened the front door of Collinwood and flung his books down on the table and that is when he saw the package. It was addressed to him! A package for him. He greedily grabbed it up and ran off to his room to see what it was. Once he got in his room he put the package on his desk and then he went back to lock the door. He retrieved some scissors from the desk drawer and made short work of the wrappings. He looked at the contraption puzzled. "What is this thing? The letters of the alphabet? Why would Burke Devlin send me the alphabet?" He wondered about it and he checked to see if there was a card. He found one with a note.

"I hope this makes it easier to talk to your "friends" up there on Widow's Hill." And it was signed by Burke and that was all it said.

David got excited all over again. This was some kind of spirit board. He shook the box one more time and the pointer came out. "Oh, boy! This is gonna be great!"

Roger Collins had berated Fred Hairebairn all he could for one afternoon. He was just showing him the door when in burst Carolyn and she was noticeably upset. "Kitten? What's wrong?"

"Oh, Uncle Roger, it's mother! She's no better and I'm beginning to think that she may never..." Carolyn stopped when she saw they were not alone.

"Who are you?" Fred got a triumphant gleam in his eye as he confronted Miss Stoddard. "I am the truant officer, miss, and I have a bone to pick with you."

Roger Collins began to interfere, but Carolyn Stoddard didn't need any help when it came to dealing with anyone about anything. "Well, Mr. Truant Officer, I have a perfectly good reason for why I have not been attending school. I have been involved in family business and it has taken all my time." And with that she turned her back and dismissed the man.

He didn't take the hint. "Miss Stoddard, I don't' care who your family is. You are required to attend school. That is the law and I am here to see that it is carried out."

Carolyn whirled around and threw Mr. Hairebairn that gave him pause. "I don't care who you are or what the law is. My family comes first. Always! And if my not attending some silly school is going to be a problem, then I have the PERFECT solution. I quit! Problem solved. Now, get out of my home! NOW!"

Roger Collins clucked approvingly and dramatically opened the door and bowed to the stunned Mr. Hairebairn. "So long, Fred. Let's not do this again real soon."

Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.