When the second body turned up, with its throat ripped out, and a cross drawn onto its forehead with its own blood, the Collinsport police began to worry. They released as few details to the public as they could, but even so, the people of Collinsport began to panic. They locked their doors in the daytime as well as at night, kept their children indoors, and called the police whenever they spotted a "suspicious person".
Julia, as head of Wyncliff, was called in to help. If the police had thought that the answer could be found in Wyncliff's patient files, or in the person of a misplaced patient, they were sadly mistaken, for Julia could only come up with one conclusion. This body would not be the last. Julia examined the body and read the coroner's reports, and came up with a second conclusion she could not share with the police. This was the handiwork of a vampire.

"But Julia," Barnabas argued, "it can't be a vampire. At least not alone." He tapped the picture she had laid before him. "When I was a vampire I couldn't have even looked at that cross, let alone created it."
Julia pointed to the throat. "It's got to be a vampire. I saw the body. The puncture holes among the tears. The body emptied of blood." She pointed to the cross. "The blood on its forehead, it's as though it was ... cooked...searing the cross into the flesh."
Barnabas turned away from the pictures. "Assuming you are correct...Who?"
Julia had no answer.

The police began an in-depth study of the victims, in an effort to predict the movements of the murderer. So far they could not find a pattern. The first victim had been a man, a local bully. The police were sure he had killed his wife, but couldn't prove it. Until the second body had turned up, the wife's brother had been the suspect. But he had an ironclad alibi when the second victim, a woman, turned up. He was still in police custody, when she had been killed. They could not tie the second victim, a prostitute, to the first victim. But the coroner was sure that the murders were committed by the same person.
After interviewing dozens of people, they came up with a dark-haired woman, a stranger in town, who had been seen near the crime scenes. Although the coroner was adamant that the murderer had to be a man, the police were curious as to what this woman might tell them.

The same young woman stood outside of the Old House. She hesitated, then knocked on the door. Willie opened the door and asked, "Can I help you?"
"Please tell Barnabas Collins that his daughter has arrived. From England." The woman said.
Willie's eyes narrowed. "Barnabas doesn't have a daughter, from England or anywhere else. Who are you? What do you want?" Willie challenged.
"Just tell him." She insisted.
Barnabas hearing the commotion at the door came up behind Willie. "What's going on?" "Barnabas. She says she's your daughter."
Barnabas looked at the woman ready to turn her away, but something stopped him. Her eyes, piercing, blue, where had he seen those eyes before? Something else about her was familiar, something in the profile, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
"As I was telling this man," she said motioning to Willie, "unless you wish for people to know the truth about your 'life in England', I suggest you let me in so we can talk."
Barnabas moved to let her in, telling Willie, "Bring us coffee in the drawing room."
After they sat down Barnabas asked, "Now just who are you?"
"My name is Margaret Collins, and I'm your daughter, from England."
"You are not." Barnabas said. "Do not play games with me. You will tell me who you are."
"I am Margaret Collins. Whether or not I am your daughter is not important." She took off her shoe, showing him the crooked toe so like his own. "I am a Collins, and I need your help."

That night Margaret stood behind a tree, she was dressed all in black hiding in the shadows. She watched as money and drugs changed hands. The boys took their drugs and melted into the forest, one passing so close to Margaret, she could have touched him. The dealer looked satisfied as he counted his money. A stranger quietly approached him. "I'm all out buddy. You'll have to get your fix from somebody else." He turned to go to his car, but the stranger got there before him. "Look get lost man. NOOOOOO..." Margaret watched as the stranger wiped his mouth with his finger, and then touched it to the forehead of his victim. The stranger put back his head in anguish as he painted the cross, it smoking, "God help me!"
Margaret waited until the stranger had gone. Then pale and shaking made her way to the old house.

At Barnabas' request, Julia had moved into the Old House, to stay while Margaret was living there. "I don't know who she is Julia, but she is family. She has come from the future, Quentin's stairs."
"Could she be your daughter?" Julia asked. Although she like Barnabas found something familiar in her, she did not look at all like Barnabas. Julia even tried to look for a resemblance to Angelique, jealousy raising its ugly head, but found none.
"No. I don't know how I know, but she is not. She needed to stay here. Julia, Margaret is involved somehow with those deaths." Barnabas went over to the bookcase and felt behind a large tome. "She left this here. She was a witness to the deaths."
Julia scanned through the notebook. The entries started with Margaret's arrival in Collinsport, saying only that she came down the stairs, and detailed her life since, including the gruesome details of the killings. She gave the notebook back to Barnabas who hid it again.
"It is a vampire. And she knows who it is." Julia said.
"She's been following him. The police questioned her today. Under penalty of being unmasked, I'm her alibi."
"Have the police been here?" Julia asked.
"No. They don't suspect her of anything but being a witness. I was able to satisfy their curiosity over the phone." Barnabas stopped talking when he heard the front door open.
When he heard the creak, showing she was going upstairs, he called to her. "Margaret. We'd like a moment please."
Margaret came in looking ill. Julia got up. "Are you all right?" Then she remembered the notebook. "It's happened again, hasn't it?"
Margaret nodded, then said, "I'm going to be sick." She ran back outside.
Julia looked at Barnabas. "I'll handle this."
Julia followed Margaret outside, and held Margaret's hair back as she emptied her stomach. When the young woman stopped retching, Julia helped her inside and up the stairs to the room that was once Sarah's. "If it affects you like this, why do you watch?" She asked as she closed the door, and Margaret lay down on the bed.
Margaret already pale, seemed to lose what little color she had left. "What do you mean?"
"We found your notebook. Why are you here? And when are you from?" Julia asked, sitting down beside her.
Margaret chose her words carefully. "I can't tell you anything, not really, except that this is almost over. Believe me, I wish I could confide in you. Your advice is always so good."
"Since I've never given you any advice that I know of, how would you know if it's good?" Julia asked.
"Let's just say that we will meet again, or have met before, depending on your view." Margaret answered color returning to her face.
"You are from the future!" Julia had a hundred things she'd like to ask.
"Don't bother. That's the only hint I'm going to give you." Margaret smiled. "Now I think I'd like some time alone."
Julia got up. As she went to open the door Margaret asked, "Why don't you just seduce him?"
Julia's cheeks reddened but she did not pretend to not understand, "Will it do any good?"
Margaret turned out her light. "Good night, Julia."

One more time the murderer struck. This time Margaret saw what she was waiting for. As the Stranger drew the cross onto the forehead, screaming in agony, a man came out of the shadows. Margaret recognized him as Nicholas Blair. The Stranger bared his teeth, but Nicholas took a cross from his pocket, holding it before him.
"Did you think you could hide from me? I didn't save you from death in the past to disobey me."
"You didn't save me, you damned me."
"Nevertheless, you are mine, and will do as I say. I can make your life..." Nicholas began to laugh, "rather your afterlife, hell on earth. Do this little favor for me then you can go back to your pleasures."
Nicholas put the cross back in his pocket, keeping his hand on it. "Right now we must go move your 'bed'."

Willie and Barnabas had been searching out where a vampire could be hidden, armed with silver bullets and crosses. They were getting close. Barnabas could feel it. The obsession the vampire had with the cross, led them to an old abandoned church. The crosses had long been removed by souvenir hunters and vandals, a perfect place to sleep. It was dark when Willie and Barnabas crawled into a broken window into the basement. This had been the place, but wasn't any longer. They could make out where the coffin had disturbed the dust, and spots of blood stained the floor. "Too late."

Margaret came in and found Julia waiting for her. Julia looked questioningly, Margaret nodded, pale. She sat down. "This will all be over as early as tomorrow night. I just wanted to tell you. And as soon as it is over, I will be gone."
Barnabas and Willie came in. Barnabas was angry. "Willie and I almost found him. Do you know where he is? Why won't you tell us?" Barnabas asked.
Margaret took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "The deaths that were caused by the vampire, are part of my history. I could not change them. You were supposed to find and kill him this evening. The fact that you didn't is why I've come. I do not know where he sleeps now. I can't tell you any more." Margaret got up unsteadily. "I'll be glad to go home. Good-night."

Margaret loaded her gun with silver bullets. She put a cross around her neck dropping it down her shirt. She finished writing in her notebook, and slipped it into the pocket of her jacket. She was ready. She heard Julia and Barnabas say good-night, and go to their respective rooms. She didn't think anything would happen tonight, but didn't want to take any chances, nor did she wish to worry about being followed. She waited a few more minutes, then slipped out of her room, and stole out of the house. In the shadows, a figure watched and followed. Willie yawned. Barnabas had been right. This was going to be a long night.

The next morning Willie told Julia and Barnabas that Margaret had spent the entire night watching Collinwood. This morning she went to a motel.
"Well nothing's happened at Collinwood. We would have heard. But it means that the next victim is from there." Barnabas said. "Willie go to bed, we're going to be busy tonight."

When dusk came, Barnabas, Julia, and Willie went to Collinwood. Julia entered the house, and Barnabas and Willie split up to cover both the front and back of the house. Julia checked everyone for bite marks on their necks, using an excuse of a virus going around, but didn't find any. This didn't make any sense. Julia sat in the drawing room waiting for supper with Maggie, when Maggie suddenly looked blank and started to leave. Julia was sure this is what she was waiting for. She tried to stop Maggie, but it did no good. As Maggie left the house, Julia ran to get Quentin.
Barnabas stood hidden in the shadows where Willie said he had watched from the night before. He could see no sign of Margaret, but hadn't really expected to. It wasn't until Julia came running out with Quentin, that he realized anything wrong. "She didn't come this way." They ran around the house, Willie wasn't anywhere to be seen. "She must have gone this way." They heard a shot and followed the noise.
Willie had seen Maggie pass, and had tried to follow her, not waiting to see if Margaret was there. He had his gun ready. The Stranger stepped out of the shadows behind him, and struck him. As Willie passed out, he fired a shot, missing the vampire. The Stranger then followed Maggie to Widow's Hill. Margaret checked for a moment that Willie was all right and then followed them both.
When she got to Widow's Hill, the stranger was already approaching Maggie with his teeth bared. Maggie tilted her head offering him her neck.
Margaret raised her gun aiming at the vampire, and yelled, "Trask!"
The Stranger turned and Maggie fell to the ground. Quentin and Barnabas came up the hill just in time to see the moon shine on the vampire's face. "Lamar Trask! It's impossible!" Barnabas exclaimed. Barnabas raised his gun, but Margaret was between him and Lamar.
Lamar bared his fangs at Margaret. "It's over Trask." He approached Margaret. She couldn't fire. He came up to her pressing his chest against the nozzle of the gun. "Send me to my rest." He pleaded. Margaret's eyes began to fill with tears. He seemed to sense she could not kill him. He bared his teeth. As a reflex Margaret pulled the trigger. For a split second, Trask's face became peaceful, then he fell to the ground. Nicholas was watching from the woods. He had failed his master again.
Quentin ran past Lamar's body to Maggie. Nicholas' failure had released her from his spell, and she was beginning to wake. Julia with Willie in tow came up the hill and hurried to Maggie's side. Quentin satisfied that Maggie was all right went over to where Lamar lay. Trask was turning to dust as they watched, leaving only his bones and a silver bullet. Quentin reached down and picked up the piece of silver. He looked at Margaret. "I owe you more that you can know."
Barnabas looked at the two talking. The eyes, the profile that teased his memory, suddenly fell into place as he watched father and daughter talk.
Margaret came up to him. "It's over. It's time for me to go."
"Aren't you going to explain?" Barnabas asked.
"That's for the future, Barnabas. Live in the present." She turned to walk away, then turned back, a sly smile on her face. "Tell Julia the advice I gave her was good. That anything is possible."
"Will we see you again?"
"Count on it."