Brody Pearce is in the middle of robbing what he's now discovered is Cordelia Burnham's house, and her car has pulled up in the driveway.
Brody: What am I going to do? If she finds me, I'm done for! I'll have to escape, but the stuff will have to stay. It won't be good, but there's plenty of other houses to rob. (He begins to run to the kitchen doors, leaving his sack behind).
Cordelia is unlocking the front door. She steps into the short hallway and turns on the lights. As she goes into the living room, she notices the sack by the fireplace.
Cordelia: What on earth is that? (She walks over to it and kicks it with her foot, touching something hard. She bends down, opens the sack and finds the stereo, silverware, and the metal box). Oh no---he was here! The burglar was here, and I must have interrupted him. (She hears the sound of a car and she runs to the front door, opens it, and sees a black car speeding down the street. She runs out into the yard to get a better look, then runs back into the house). That had to have been him. I'd better call Everett and tell him. Then I'll call the police.
Janet MacDonald is asleep, tossing and turning after a long day at the TV station. She is dreaming that she's huddled in the corner of a bedroom. She looks to be about twenty years younger, and she's holding a crying baby. Janet is shaking and on the verge of tears. A man's voice, gruff and full of anger, is yelling out.
Man: Julie! I know where you're hiding! You better come out and take your punishment!
Janet continues to crouch in the corner, holding her baby even closer, whose cries are getting louder. Suddenly, the sound of a door banging open can be heard, and a big shadow looms over Janet and the baby. The man's voice yells out again.
Man: I told you Julie to stop hiding! But you didn't listen. Now you're going to pay for defying me!
She turns away sobbing, still holding the baby...
Janet (waking up): No! (She sits up, running her fingers through her hair) Oh God, I don't know how much more of this I can take. (She gets up and walks over to a mirror attached to a dresser and looks into it. She's wearing a sleeveless nightgown, and her right upper arm is covered with scars and cigarette burns) My name is Janet. Janet. Not Julie. (She rubs her scars out of habit) Julie is dead, and she can never be hurt again.
Everett Burnham has returned home after getting a call from his wife about the break-in. The two are sitting on the living room sofa, and the sack is still where Cordelia found it.
Cordelia: I left everything the way it was before I called you. There might be fingerprints.
Everett: Thank God none of us were home at the time. I wonder how he got in.
Cordelia: Probably through the sliding glass doors in the kitchen. I'm going to call the police, and then I'm going to call the Porters and see if Jadyn is okay. You know, I'm pretty sure the thief was driving that black car. I didn't get a plate number, but from what I could tell, it wasn't a new model. I hope that's able to help the police.
Everett: They could also trace the sack and see if it came from a store around here. It's probably a good thing you interrupted him baby. I'm just glad he ran and didn't stay to harm you.
Cordelia: I could have used my self -defense moves on him, but I was lucky. I hope the police will catch this guy soon. He has the whole city on edge.
At the Breckenridge police station, Wade Atherton and Russell Gault are poring over case files from the 1979 burglaries. Dorothy Sherwood is there too. She hand the two men cups of coffee and sits next to Russell.
Russell: Thanks Dorothy. (Sipping his coffee) Dorothy, Loretta probably remembers the first break-ins doesn't she?
Dorothy: As a matter of fact, we were talking about it the other day at the diner after you mentioned it to me. Mom also remembers that one of the burglary victims got assaulted a few days afterward.
Wade: Assaulted? As in raped?
Dorothy: No, she wasn't raped, but someone broke into her house while she was sleeping and fondled her. She woke up while she was being molested, screamed, and scared the guy off. The lady believed the burglar came back, but the police at the time didn't think it was related.
Russell: That's interesting.
Dorothy: It gets even better. Mom also told me that a masked man was accosting blonde women who were alone at night in town and fondling them. Mom was so scared of being attacked she either had Dad or a friend take her home after she stayed late at the diner.
Wade: Was the burglary victim also blonde?
Dorothy: Yes, I believe she was.
Russell: There seems to be some type of connection. In the files Wade and I have been going over, the victims were all wealthy, most of them women, but we haven't found anything about these molestations. It's probably in a separate file. I'll ask Sheila to search for it.
Wade: This is getting weirder and weirder Russ. Why would a burglar also be a serial fondler? Unless he had some real psychological problems or a hidden agenda nobody was aware of---
Russell: I have an idea. Dorothy, does Loretta know of anybody back then who was having problem either with money or a blonde woman or both?
Dorothy: That was a long time ago, but I'll ask her.
Russell: Thanks hon, I really appreciate it. Now what do you say we call it a night huh?
Dorothy: Sounds good to me. Are you going to leave too Wade?
Wade: No, I'm going to stay a bit and look over these files. You two have a good evening okay?
Russell: We will. See you tomorrow buddy. (He leaves with Dorothy by his side. The phone at the desk rings and Wade answers it).
Wade: Hello, Breckenridge Police, Wade Atherton speaking. Oh hi Cordelia, how's everything...What? When did it happen...He left a sack there? And you might have seen the getaway car? Okay, I'll be right there!
Next on come nightfall:
Rosamond suprises Lance at his office.
Eliza gets a major shock.
Loretta is accosted at the park.
THIS HAS BEEN COME NIGHTFALL
BY BREE PERRY
COPYRIGHT 2001