Heartbeat of Death, Sept. 5, 1954

This is another synopsis done from a script.

Hepzibah Sefton is the mistress of Sefton estate, and is old. Louise Sefton is her sister. Paul is her 26-year-old nephew. Dr. Cunningham is the family physician.

The family estate and the house are both considerably run down. Hepzibah says that monsters are trying to kill her. She says everyone is after her money, and she is going to call Lamont.

She hits her sister with her cane.

Lamont and Margo arrive. Hepzibah says that the other three all want to kill her. She also says she was beaten up the other day. The doctor talks to Lamont and says that Hepzibah was not attacked, that she had a seizure and fell.

A guy named Adam is hired help. He has mental problems, and says everyone is trying to hurt him. The doctor tells Lamont that Adam has an incredible fear of being buried alive.

A bad storm is coming.

The doctor says that Adam was buried for three days after an explosion in WWI.

Hepzibah screams, and says she saw a guy with a knife. The next day Louise is the one to scream, and says that Hepzibah is missing. Adam says the woman has been buried alive. (He also has premonitions.)

Lamont tells a tale of someone buried alive and how a murderer heard the heartbeat of his victim until he closed the victim's eyes. He's talking to Paul at the time.

Paul digs up floor planks and the Shadow starts talking to him. He admits that he murdered Hepzibah, and he tries to kill the Shadow with an ax. He trips and falls on the ax, killing himself.


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