ACT ONE
Policeman Mike Donovan and his partner are driving through the suburban streets of Corinth when they receive a message over the radio teeling them that a guest has locked themsleves in their room in a local motel. They speed away to investigate.
Attractive young news reporter Merrill Vochek and her colleagues are watching an interview she carried out earlier in the day. The face of the female interviewee is darkened and she clearly does not wish to be recognized. A student at Alden University, she is telling Merrill about an organized prostitution ring within the university that she was drawn into, desperate for extra cash. Merrill, her middle-aged boss Sam Moser and her young boyfriend Doug Donovan, a professor at the university, watch as the girl explains that she does not know who her boss is and she is paid by clients directly. The reason she agreed to be interviewed by Merrill is because her last client beat her. She is now out of prostitution but her former boss is threatening her.
Sam reluctantly agrees to let Merrill run the interview but worries that the police may get involved. Doug points out that prostitution has always been a part of Corinth life.
Changing the subject before her broadcast, Merrill asks Sam if he heard about politician Roger Forbes returning to Corinth to take the positition of president at Alden University. Sam reminds her that the new president is being officially announced next week. It is only rumoured that Roger is in town. Doug suggests hat he returned from Europe a day early for a reception at the Embassy and is visiting his family.
Merrill is adamant, "Figure it out for yourself! Roger Forbes is Cabot Alden's son-in-law. Who else would Alden rather have running his university?"
Alden University: President's Office
Garth Slater, the acting president of Alden University is signing documents with his secretary Amelia Whitley when Cabot Alden walks in. Amelia hands the pair a glass of sherry each and Garth clearly thinks that Cabot is going to elect him as the new president. Cabot tells him that the governing body has adjourned and that he would like to thank Garth for his splendid job as acting president but he feels they can be sure of the same degree of excellence when he returns to his former duty of dean. Amelia and Garth are visibly shocked and disappointed. Cabot is not at liberty to divulge the identity of Garth's successor but he will have 30 days to make the transition as he leaves his current role of president. Cabot leaves.
Amelia says she does not understand why Garth's excellent and successful year in control has been overlooked.
"Because my name isn't Roger Forbes and I wasn't lucky enough or smart enough to marry Cabot Alden's daughter." Garth leaves as Amelia lights up a cigarette.
Roger's father Johnny is at the docks where his construction company is based. As he exercises on the dock, the phone rings. It is Amelia. She is surprised that he agreed with Roger's latest career move but Johnny has no idea what she is talking about.
"Your son taking over as president of Alden University!"
"What?"
"Obviously you didn't know. I didn't think there was anything to do with Roger's career that you weren't intimately a part of."
He slams the phone down and Amelia is visibly disturbed.
Ann Alden Forbes looks at a dress in he mirror. Her teenage daughter Lorna asks if that is what she will be wearing tomorrow night at the Embassy and it is. Lorna then enquires where her father went with Cabot and their lawyer Clem. Ann has no idea. Then, obviously to cause trouble, Lorna shows Ann a newspaper cutting of Roger with the Countess Trudi Koehler in New York. She is also going to be at the Embassy reception.
Ann berates Lorna for trying to cause friction as her mother Isabelle enters and informs the women that the men are waiting in the library downstairs. Behind her back, Ann screws up the newspaper article.
Roger and Clem are discussing how him taking the presidency at the university might harm his political career. Roger remings Clem that it did not hurt Eisenhower or Woodrow Wilson. Clem is also worried that the Countess Koehler will be at the reception tomorrow and warns Roger to watch his step. Roger decides to call his father Johnny when Cabot enters with a bottle of champagne. On the television, Merrill is reporting on the speculation about Roger and the university.
Lorna rushes into her bedroom and tells Isabelle and Ann to watch the TV.
Cabot is angry that Merrill is reporting the rumours and decides to confront her boss Sam Moser. The story changes as Merrill's interview with the young prostitute appears on screen.
Meanwhile, a police car is hurtling through the streets of Corinth and stops outside a motel. The owner tells the police that a man raced out of the motel but the room is locked. Although Mike is skeptical, his partner opens the door and draws his gun. The lights are out but Merrill's interview is on the TV. Turning on the lights they find the naked body of a dead woman in bed. Mike yells at the stunned motel owner to turn off the television as his partner goes to call the coroner.
At the same time, Roger is turning off the TV with Clem when Ann enters. She wants to speak with her husband in private so Clem leaves. Ann is angry to have found out about her husband's new role at the university from the newscast. He says he was going to consult her and asks what she objects to.
"I object to you taking me for granted and I strenuously object to your affair with the Countess Koehler. I have tried my best to deal with it but when our own daughter starts taunting me about it I realise how wrong I have been. I will accept part of the blame for this. Because I know that when we first married, you weren't as sure of your feelings as I was."
Roger assures her that he has always loved her but she is unmoved.
"You can come back to Corinth and take over as president of the university here, you can start planning your next advance on the White House but unless you prove to me that I will be a real wife again and the only woman in your life...then you can come back without me."
With that, Ann storms out of the room leaving Roger confused. Lorna is watching the scene from the balcony and a devious smile crosses her face.
Mike finds the ID card of the woman and identifies her as Lois Carney, a student at Alden University. Confused at why she would be murdered, they enter the bathroom and on the mirror a message is scrawled in lipstick,
Whores must die.
Merrill and Doug are outside as Merrill asks the motel owner questions. He tells her the victim's name was Lois Carney and shocked, she realises that Lois was the girl she interviewed. He also tells her about the message on the mirror.
As the body is carried away on a stretcher, Doug and Merrill mount the stairs where they bump into Mike who is also Doug's brother. He tries to get rid of her. Merrill tells him about the interview and suggests that Lois was set up by her former boss to make it look like she was still a prostitute. Mike refuses to believe it and warns Merrill to keep out of it.
Doug is driving Merrill into the parking lot at WRCN where they stop. She tries to get him to understand and asks if she can stop by his apartment later. They kiss and she asks if Johnny Forbes still works down by the docks. Doug says yes even though he has a penthouse office and more than enough money to move.
Merrill arrives to see Johnny and he welcomes her warmly. She wants to find out if Roger really is the president of Alden University. He retorts that it is simply a rumor, no doubt started by Cabot. They discuss Roger's political career and Merrill remembers having a crush on him when she was in college. Roger then arrives and rudely asks Merrill to leave. Johnny is furious that he was not informed about Roger's new position.
Merrill turns up and tells a surprised Doug that she is not ready to move in with him.
It is late at night when Roger returns. He goes upstairs but Ann has locked him out of their bedroom and she lies in bed crying.
At the reception, Roger and Ann's son Jack Forbes is oblivious to Ann's unhappiness. Lorna tries to stir trouble by insinuating that Roger is sleeping with the Countess Koehler. Whilst dancing with Trudi, Roger informs her that he wants to make a go of his marriage with Ann. She accepts his decision but is somewhat amused. Johnny asks Clem if there is trouble between Roger and Ann, whilst Cabot is also suspicious. Roger asks Ann to dance and she accepts.
Before making love, Roger tells Ann that he will be a perfect husband. Skeptically, she asks if he is sure. He says yes and they are locked in an embrace.
A MONTH LATER
Merrill finds a book written by Roger as the phone rings. A mysterious woman wants to give her information. Doug arrives at the door forcing the caller to hang up.
Mike, Doug, their mother Rose and Mike's wife Noreen are watching Noreen's sister Merrill on television in the kitchen. She is interviewing Lois Carney's parents.
Cabot and Isabelle watch the newscast silently.
Alden University: President's Office
Garth and Amelia watch. Amelia switches it off as Garth bids goodbye o his presidency. They prepare for an Alden reception at the mansion. Garth makes a mysterious phonecall ordering someone to stop Merrill Vochek.
The mansion is full of people as the Alden's host a reception celebrating Roger's new presidency at the University. Lorna is smitten with Doug and Johnny introduces them. Amelia and Garth watch from the balcony as Roger and Ann arrive late. Roger and Merrill stare at each other across the room.
On the veranda, Amelia tells Roger she will not be working as his secretary. He tries to convince her otherwise but she disapproves of Roger using Alden University as a stepping stone to further his career. Garth comes out and takes Amelia inside where she bumps into Johnny making her uncomfortable.
Ann, Johnny and Roger gather on the veranda. Roger had hoped that Amelia had gotten over Johnny. Johnny warns him "You know what they say about a woman scorned..."
After the party, Roger and Ann lie in bed and he switches on the television. Merrill is reading the news and insults Roger doubting his prospects as a strong university president especially with the current trouble they are having. Then the interview with Lois Carney's parents is played again.
The Donovans also watch the show and Mike is angered by it. Rose tells Doug that Stacey is very excited about her scholarship to university. Doug is angry when Mike accuses Merrill of being a hypocrite.
"I don't see her out there risking her own neck but she loves putting the screws on the people who are."
Doug leaves.
Merrill and her cameraman are walking through the parking lot when a young black woman approaches Merrill. She was the caller who hung up earlier. She is Carrie Mansfield and she has information on Lois Carney. Lois was murdered by the people she worked for. The headlights of a car illuminate the two women.
Lorna tells Roger and Ann that she wants to request Doug as her faculty advisor. Roger tells her to contact him about it as they hear Jack enter the house downstairs.
Carrie runs away and Doug arrives asking what is wrong.
"You wouldn't believe it." Merrill answers.
The family rush down to greet Jack who is home from Louisiana permanently to become a sophomore at Alden University. Ann is ecstatic as is Roger but Lorna watches jealously from the staircase.
The next morning, Merrill and Noreen are having breakfast and Merrill tells her sister that she didn't mean to insult Roger in her newscast. There is a knock at the door and Mike enters to see Noreen for money. The phone rings. It is Carrie. She arranges to meet Merrill at 1 o' clock in a cafe on Washington Street.
Merrill arrives to interview Roger and meets a welcoming Ann. Roger comes down the staircase and tells Merrill to cancel the interview because of her insults and exploitation of Lois' parents in her interview with them. He disapproves of her 'brand' of journalism. Merrill denies the accusations but is forced to leave. Ann is annoyed with Roger for his bad attitude.
Merrill and Carrie are talking. Carrie informs Merrill that Lois received another threat before her death and knows she was murdered to keep her from talking. Merrill tells Carrie that the murder must have been disguised to look like it was committed by a psycho. Whores must die was written on the mirror in Lois' lipstick.
Carrie is unnerved, "But Lois didn't wear any makeup at all."
Mike and another officer spring the two women and confiscate Merrill's tape recorder. She is angry. "You'll just hear that I'm right about Lois Carney. And I hope you can do something about it before other girls end up the same way!"
Roger tells Johnny he needs to boost morale at the university, especially after the recent murder. Merrill starts a newscast. She makes a thinly veiled attack at Roger for refusing to do an interview.
He is infuriated, "Well I was going to pay for it somehow."
Merrill leaves, annoyed with Sam after he warns her not to upset the Aldens or the university. Carrie approaches Merrill by her car.
"Miss Vochek! They found out I talked to you. They threatened me just like Lois!" She won't call the police and Merrill tells her to take her car and go to her apartment where she will be safe. As Merrill turns her back to leave and await Doug's arrival, the parking lot is rocked by an explosion as the car Carrie is in bursts into flames...