Brian Clemens' Thriller 6.1 Sleepwalker

[michaellevenson]

American Dan Summers is an author of rather risqué occult non fiction books. His reputation preceeds him, some of his books banned.
He is in London with daughter Katy staying at a rented large house, with two servants, Parsons the butler and Esme the maid.
Just days after arriving he is holding a dinner party with friends all eager for news of his latest book. Katy is upstairs asleep when suddenly the dining room door is opened and Katy walks in, in some sort of trance. She picks up a knife from the table, the guests all hushed. Katy then wakes up, cries and buries her head in her loving father's arms. Katy is a sleepwalker.
The next morning Dan reassures her that the excitement of a new venture abroad and jet lag is causing this latest bout of sleepwalking.
Esme isn't particularly sympathetic, she tells Parsons, " bunch of weirdos the pair of them."


A gate is installed at the top of the stairs to prevent Katy accidentally falling and a refreshed Katy is exploring the house. She comes to a staircase and asks Esme " what's up here?"
" Attic room Miss."
Katy explores the attic to find, a room full of toys left by a previous owner. Very old toys, the room even has a cobweb or two in it.
Two things dominate the room, a large wooden wardrobe and a dolls house , quite large.

That night Katy is sleepwalking again, up to the attic room, stands trance like staring at the dolls house, asleep. She moves forward into the dolls house....IMPOSSIBLE! Is this a dream?

 

[michaellevenson]

Next Katy is standing on a gallery looking down into a scene out of Victorian London. A man, in his 70's wearing Victorian garb is sitting at a desk in a study, wood panels on the walls. In front of him is a Bible, he kisses his hand and places it on the bible saying in a Jewish accent, " I'm rich, a fortune no one knows about, no one will ever find it."



Katy awakes, in bed the next morning, did it happen? Was it real or a dream?
Katy is really daydreaming as she walks in the nearby park and doesn't look where she's going, a young man on a bicycle runs into her. He profusely apologises and introduces himself, a psychology student named Barnstaple. Katy explains her absent mindedness and tells Barnstaple of her strange dream. Barnstaple immediately interested, analysing dreams is part of his course. Barnstaple is invited back and introduced to Dan, tapping away on his typewriter. Barnstaple suggests the library here might have a book about the history of the house, as parts of it are quite old.
They discover that priests used to hide here during the revolt against Catholicism led by Henry the Eighth. Yes, parts are that old, and there was even a priest escape tunnel that led to the house that backs on to this one.



The next night Katy is sleepwalking again, back to the attic room, through apparently the dolls house to the same gallery looking down at the study. This time though, a difference, a young man is in there, looking for something, he is dressed not in Victorian clothes, but earlier, Georgian with a large white bow around the neck.


The old man is there too, staggering around the room, a knife in his back, he collapses dead....Katy screams and wakes up screaming. Dan rushes to her bedroom telling her it was just a dream.

 

[michaellevenson]

Barnstaple comes round again and hears of Katy's new dream. Outside the drawing room listening at the door is Esme, when she hears Katy tell Barnstaple she drops a China ornament she was holding, shock perhaps?
Barnstaple has done some enquiries and the house that backs onto this house belongs to "Old Pearson" a recluse, possibly very rich no one knows, dresses like a Victorian gentleman.
Out for a walk in the town Katy and Barnstaple stop to look in a shop window, Katy reacts in horror, the young man from her dream is reflected in the window. She turns but no one is there, Katy wonders if she's losing her mind.


Dan has to go away on business for a few days, is obviously worried about leaving Katy, who says she'll be fine, Parsons and Esme are in the house. Dan says actually Parsons is having a day off on leave.
In the kitchen Parsons gives Esme her instructions for when he's away and jokes, "don't bring that boyfriend over while you're supposed to be caring for Miss Katy. You do still have that boyfriend I suppose, prancing about in that silly costume?"
Esme snaps, " mind your own business."

 

[michaellevenson]

That evening about 7pm the doorbell rings, Katy answers it and is stunned, standing in the doorway is the Regency young man from her dream!



He says his car is broken down and can he use the phone. He starts making the call, but stops," I'm sorry I can't go through with it. I just wanted to talk to you, you recognise me don't you? I'm from your dream."
He says his name is Ian and has a strange story to tell. " I've been dreaming of you these past few nights, I'm in a room dressed in strange clothes, there's a man with a knife in his back, and you're looking down from on high."
Katy shocked, " we're sharing the same dream, but how and why?"
Ian, " I was hoping you'd tell me. I always have had strange dreams as a child and sleepwalk."
Katy," you sleepwalk too?"
Ian suggests they put their thinking caps on and try to solve this puzzle. Katy mentions that her dream starts in the attic room. They both go up to said room.
Ian, " now how do you get into the room Katy?
Katy sheepishly says," the dolls house"
Katy looks around the room, the wardrobe door mirror is reflecting the dolls house, "no, the wardrobe it must be."
Ian opens the wardrobe and peers inside and is alarmed, " there's no back to it ! Look see for yourself."
Katy reminded of something Barnstaple said, " a priest hole leading to the house that backs on to this one."
Ian and Katy walk through the wardrobe down a passage and into the room, looking down from the gallery.
Ian, " that explains it Katy, you walk in your sleep, stumble into the wardrobe..."
Katy, " and saw a man murdered. "
Ian, " no Katy, that's where reality stops and the dream takes over. As you can see there's no dead body here. You told me the man was going through a strange ritual with the bible?"
Katy, " Yes, he kisses his hand and places it on the bible and talks of being rich."
Ian and Katy return to the attic room. Ian is pleased with their discovery, " I don't know about you but I might even get some sleep tonight. I'll make enquiries see what I can find out."
Katy is puzzled, " we know how I got into the room Ian, but what about.you?"
Ian frowns, " yes it is a little disconcerting."


When Katy tells Barnstaple of developments he can't help but laugh, " two people share the same dream!!? If that's true I'll give up psychology and take up the black arts. It's pretty wild Katy. And this Ian says he'll contact you, how, by telephone, or is that too mundane for him, perhaps he'll go to sleep and climb into your dreams!"
Katy doesn't like being mocked at and says, " it's true, I think I'm seeing into the future, Pearson isn't there now, but when he returns he's going to be murdered."
Barnstaple laughing excuses himself and leaves. But outside in the corridor he is looking worried.


That evening Ian is back with a determined look on his face. "What we're going to do is go back in that room and recreate the whole dream..come on "


Back in Old Pearson's room, Ian paces the room agitated, " now Katy let's go over it again. You stood on that gallery as Pearson kissed his hand, did something to the bible, what else.?"
Katy," nothing else."
Ian, " I've searched for days but I can't find the money."
Katy, puzzled, " money?"
Ian, " look darling he hid a fortune and you saw him hide it. It's locked away in your head and if necessary I'll carve it out piece by piece. " Ian produces a knife.
A female voice says," oh Ian no, it's supposed to look like an accident, a fall down the stairs" Esme is standing on the gallery. Katy backs away terrified, " I don't understand."
Ian, " it's simple, I came to the house, stumbled on that wardrobe and found myself here. Now are you going to talk?"
Suddenly a creaking noise is heard, the wooden wardrobe here at Pearsons opens, Barnstaple steps out and punches Ian who falls to the floor bloodied.
Barnstaple, " after our row Katy I didn't leave I came here. I figured it had to be an inside job, I settled on Esme. She has a boyfriend, works as a waiter in a restaurant, they all dress in Georgian gear. Ian between shifts, came here, killed Pearson and stuffed his body in the wardrobe."
Barnstaple opens the wardrobe to show Pearson dead inside. " He might have got away with it if he had been religious. ( To Ian) open the bible, first page. Kissing his hands, no he was licking stamps, not any stamps, valuable ones, there must be half a million pounds worth on that page. Katy get the police."


Cast;
Dan Summers.....Robert Beatty
Katy Summers.....Darleen Carr
Ian.......Michael Kitchen
Barnstaple.....Ian Redford
Esme......Elaine Donnelly
Parsons....Basil Lord
Pearson.....George Herbert

 

[michaellevenson]

Thriller (1973)