OCTOBER 1956
As Hester prepared to enter the hospital, Cora agreed to look after Bebe. Later, Cora grew dangerously attached to Bebe. Larry White resurfaced and vowed to kill Mike. Mike and Charley closed in on Larry, who once again managed to elude capture. Hester's surgery was successful. Fearing she'll have to soon give Bebe back, Cora took Bebe and went into hiding. Mike received a call from Rose LaTour, Larry White's girlfriend, who warned Mike that Larry wants to kill him. Mike searched for Cora and Bebe.

NOVEMBER 1956
Mike found Cora and Bebe, who was returned unharmed to Hester. No charges were filed against Cora, who is desperate for a child of her own. Larry shot and killed a liquor store owner in a robbery attempt. The police intensified their search for Larry. Rose learned that Larry committed murder, but Larry claimed he was forced to do it. With help from Jack, Harry cheated Winston in a business deal. Louise met with Harry, who professed his love for her. Cora visited Hester and Bebe, who forgave Cora. Larry planned another "big job". Mike was ordered to capture Larry at all costs.

DECEMBER 1956
Mike and Charley finally arrested Larry, but he managed to trick his way to freedom with the help of Rose. Rose realized that Larry is cold-blooded killer, but it was too late. Larry shot Mike, who was rushed to the hospital near death. Sara held a vigil at the hospital as Mike hovered between life and death. Charley called for tear gas and closed in on Larry, who was killed in a shootout with the police. Marilyn plotted against Cora, who took Bebe Christmas shopping. Mike survived surgery, but later took a turn for the worse. Dr. Wylly told Sara that Mike might not live.

MARCH 4, 1957 (Episode #241)
Harry viciously explained to Marilyn that intended to murder her, frame Cora for the crime, then have Louise Grimsley all to himself. Marilyn pleaded for her life as Harry bludgeoned her to death with a whiskey bottle. After setting the time on Marilyn's watch to 7:33, Harry smashed the crystal with a wooden coat hanger from Cora's closet. Cora awoke in a drugged stupor and couldn't remember what happened. Sara and Mike dropped by the Lane house to check on Cora, then Cora and Sara discovered Marilyn's murdered body, which was stuffed in Cora's bedroom closet. Mike called Charley Brooks to send for the homicide squad and have Harry Lane picked up at the City Auditorium. Mike and Sara begged Cora to recall the events leading up to Marilyn's murder. Cora became hysterical and insisted she couldn't remember anything.

Marilyn: (terrified, struggling) Don't, Harry! Don't look at me like that! Let me go...let me go!
Harry: (cold, determined) Look at this room... It's the last room you'll ever see... And my voice is the last voice you'll ever hear...

MARCH 5, 1957 (Episode #242)
Cora was the prime suspect in Marilyn's murder and faced questioning. Mike ordered Charlie to find Jack, who may or may not corroborate Cora's claim that she didn't ask Marilyn to come by the Lane home. Cora admitted that she and Marilyn didn't get along, but failed to tell Mike that she had threatened Marilyn on two different occasions. Jack and Betty-Jean made a date to meet one another at the river bank, even though the Battle's have warned the two against seeing one another.

MARCH 6, 1957 (Episode #243)
Charlie tried to find Jack at the Battle home, tipping off a furious Wyn that Jack and Betty-Jean are still involved. Jack met Betty-Jean at the river bank and told her that they should run away together. Mike told Sara that Marilyn's death looks like premeditated murder. Sara gave her deposition about the crime scene to Captain Marceau. Mike caught up with Jack, who said that he overheard Cora's call to Marilyn and revealed that Cora had previously threatened Marilyn with a letter spindle.

Jack:(about Mike) You know why he wants me?
Betty:Something about your drunken aunt.
Jack:Aunt Cora?

MARCH 11, 1957 (Episode #246)
In order to maintain silence about Marilyn's murder, Duke demanded blackmail money from Harry. Fred, Mike's police tail, told Mike that Duke visited Harry. Charlie kissed Grace passionately after seeing Grace's engagement ring from Paul Roberts. Mike speculated that Marilyn's killer might have set her watch back to hide the actual time of the murder. Duke went to see Mike and altered his previous statement by saying that Cora was Marilyn's enemy. Mike suspected that Harry paid Duke to change his story. Sara and Grace talked about marriage, and Grace admitted that she prefers Charlie over Paul. Harry was shaken after giving his alibi to Mike.

MARCH 12, 1957 (Episode #247)
Winston admitted to Mike that he saw Harry at the City Auditorium before Marilyn's murder but remembered that Harry left for a period of time. Fearing arrest and shame, Cora doubted her own innocence and wanted to skip out of Monticello. Sara assured Cora that Mike will find the real killer. Mike questioned Grace about Harry's relationship with Marilyn. Grace recalled a strange incident between Harry and Marilyn but couldn't remember the details.

MARCH 18, 1957 (Episode #251)
Sara was furious over an article by reporter Al Ford, who wrote that the Monticello PD is bungling the Bollon investigation and Mike is protecting Cora. Cora vowed to never drink again. Upset about Ford's story, Parmalee pressed Mike to close the Bollon case. Mike was disappointed that Duke Manson's alibi checked-out. Mattie plead Jack's case to Ella Battle, who admitted that she and her husband like Jack, but they're afraid Jack and Betty-Jean will marry too young. Sara visited young Billy Harper in the hospital. Mike and Charlie brought Harry in for questioning and and scared him with talk of having eyewitnesses who saw Harry leave the auditorium.

Ella:(about Cora) From what I hear, she complicates everybody's life.

MARCH 19, 1957 (Episode #252)
Phil learned that Harry is Louise's secret love. Fearing implication in the Bollon murder, Louise begged Winston to accompany her on a cruise around the world. Mike and Charlie performed psychological warfare on Harry with innuendos, suspicious glances, and whispered conversations. Later, Helen Kilbourn and Sgt. Fitzsimmons pretended to be eyewitnesses and claimed that they saw Harry leave the auditorium. Under pressure, Harry finally broke and admitted that he left the auditorium to meet another woman. Mike demanded the name of his alibi, but Harry stalled, telephoned Louise, and instructed her to meet him at his lodge in the woods.

MARCH 20, 1957 (Episode #253)
Al Ford dropped by the Karr home unannounced and tried to trick Sara into making an incriminating statement against Cora, but Sara wasn't fooled. Mike convinced Parmalee that Harry might be guilty of murder, and had Harry followed to the lodge. Louise met with Harry and wouldn't agree to his suggestion that she give false testimony by saying they never went to the Lane house the night of the murder. Harry threatened to expose Louise's hit-and-run past and name her as an accomplice in Marilyn's murder.

MARCH 25, 1957 (Episode #256)
Cora met with attorney Bernard J. Ehlers, who was hired by Harry. Mike asked Phil if Harry and Louise are lovers. Phil insisted that Louise hates Harry. Mike wondered why Louise would betray her father for a man she hates. Grace told Mike that she gave the letter about the Brodie and Clarke real estate deal to Louise in October, but Phil told Mike that Louise was seeing Harry as early as August.

MARCH 26, 1957 (Episode #257)
After Mike called to confirm the date Harry and Louise start ed seeing one another, Harry complained to Parmalee that Mike is still investigating the case. Parmalee chastised Mike for disobeying orders and suggested that Mike resign from the Monticello PD if he intends to play detective. Winston threatened to have Mike's badge after Mike seemed to insinuate that Louise was involved in Marilyn's murder. Billy Harper returned the hero medal that Mike gave him in the hospital, but Mike said that Billy earned it by his courageousness in the face of a serious operation.

MARCH 27, 1957 (Episode #258)
Parmalee admitted to his wife Mildred that he respects Mike's determination in the Bollon case. Mildred realized that she knew Sara in junior high school. Sara admitted to Mike that she witnessed an altercation between Cora and Marilyn in which Cora threatened to strike Marilyn with a vase, but Marilyn just laughed at her. Mike informed Parmalee and DA Bruce Thompson that Marilyn wasn't afraid of Cora, but Marilyn was afraid of the person who killed her, because she was hiding in Cora's closet when the killer struck. Mike suggested a pre-trial hearing rather than a trial. Parmalee agreed but warned Mike that if Cora is brought to trial, it might ruin Mike's future as an attorney. Mildred Parmalee visited Sara and suggested that the Karrs and Parmalee's become friends.

MARCH 28, 1957 (Episode #259)
Bernard Ehlers, Cora's attorney, questioned Grace about Cora's drinking and involvement with the Spode family. Later, Ehlers learned from Sara that someone sent Martin Spode an anonymous letter, which exposed Cora's drinking and prompted Hester to take Bebe away. Ehlers phoned Hester in Florida, but Hester didn't know who sent the letter. After learning she's about to be indicted for murder, Cora vowed to never be locked up in a cell and planned to skip town.

APRIL 2, 1957 (Episode #262)
Mike told Captain Marceau that the lab found an uncommon sedative in Cora's blood the night of the murder, and theorized that Harry had drugged Cora, murdered Marilyn, and framed his wife. At the jail, Cora admitted to Mike that her maid Marie had given her vitamin capsules shortly before Marilyn's murder. Mike questioned Marie who told him that Cora once mistook a sedative for her vitamins and was comatose for over an hour. Mike called Harry in for routine questioning, then showed Harry how easy it would be to grind up tablet and place it in an empty capsule. Harry started to unravel.

APRIL 3, 1957 (Episode #263)
Seeing Harry's panic, Marceau gave Mike a free hand to continue the investigation. Later, Mike learned that Louise has a history of speeding and reckless driving. Sara counseled Betty-Jean on how to win back Jack. Betty-Jean took Sara's advice and made time with a boy named Allen to make Jack jealous. After a furious Jack saw Betty-Jean and Allen together at the soda shop, the two reconciled. Sara mentioned to Mike that the feud between Harry and Winston dates back to Harry's love for Winston's late wife, also named Louise.

APRIL 8, 1957 (Episode #266)
Mike insinuated to Louise that he knows what happened in Reno, but before Louise could confess, Harry arrived and interrupted them. Harry managed to convince Louise that Mike was bluffing and knows nothing, then he asked her to betray Winston again. Louise refused to leak any more business information to Harry, who is suffering financially. After learning that another company canceled its contracts with Lane Trucking, Harry went into a megalomaniac rage, insisting that no one could destroy him.

Louise:(To Harry about Mike) He's nice... like my father and Phil...not like us.

Harry:(Manic) I'm strong, Jack! Strong enough to fight back and destroy anyone who's fool enough to attack me! No one can defeat me! No one can destroy me!

APRIL 9, 1957 (Episode #267)
Mary Harper admitted to her husband Roger that she's overdrawn at the bank again and needs money to balance the account. After giving Mary more money, Roger suggested that they meet Mike and Sara Karr, who befriended their son Billy. Later, Mary visited Sara and made ominous statements about not wanting to live if she should ever lose her son. When Sara casually mentioned the date, April 9th, Mary panicked and fled the Karr home. Mike met with Roger and learned that Marilyn wasn't insured at the time of her death. Mary kept an appointment with the mysterious Clayton Pike, who is blackmailing her. Pike revealed that he must raise his fee for "standing as a protective factor" between Mary and "unpleasant circumstances". When Mary insisted that she can't pay any more money, Pike suggested telling Roger the truth. Later, Mary lied to Roger that the money he gave her to cover the bank overdraft had been stolen from her purse. Sara told Mike about the strange incident with Mary and said that she saw "terror" in Mary's eyes.

APRIL 12, 1957 (Episode #270)
Mike insisted to Sara that they must calm Cora down. With no defense, Cora's unstable outbursts made her look even more capable of spontaneous violence. Sara was unable to reason with Cora. Phil revealed to Mike that he saw Louise having a serious conversation with Duke Manson in Louise's Reno hotel when Louise went there for the divorce. Mike speculated that Duke helped Louise out of trouble, told Harry about it, and now Harry's blackmailing Louise into a relationship. Mike went to see Duke, who denied that he's ever met Louise.

Cora:(Defeated, to Sara) ... what difference does it make? There's always tomorrow-- and tomorrow--and then another trial. A long, long string of tomorrows, each one worse...and then...I know what they do to murderers. (Beat) Death...

APRIL 15 - MAY 2, 1957 (Episodes #271 - 284)
Mike sent private detective Willie Bryan to Reno, where Willie uncovered Louise's alleged hit-and-run manslaughter. Confronted with the truth, Louise confessed her story to Mike. A lie detector test indicated that Louise was not an accomplice in Marilyn's murder.

MAY 15, 1957 (Episode #293)
Roger admitted to Mary that the doctor has him on a new exercise regime which will place some strain on his heart, so Roger needs complete emotional tranquility. Alarmed about Roger's health, Mary confronted Pike and begged for more time to pay the "protection money". A reluctant Pike agreed to Mary's demands when his wife Liz arrived unexpectedly. Liz correctly sensed that Clayton is involved in another shady deal. Sara wanted to help Mary, but Mary insisted that no one can help her now. Later, Mary wondered how she'd ever be able to tell Roger that Billy isn't really his son.

Liz: (about Pike's toupee) Clayton, take that silly thing off. Whenever you wear it, you're up to no good.
Pike: (stroking toupee) It makes me look younger.
Liz: That's what I mean. I don't like it. Take it off!

MAY 16, 1957 (Episode #294)
Mike tendered his resignation to Captain Marceau then accepted Parmalee's job offer. Later, Mike learned that his first case will be the prosecution of black-market baby trafficking. Mary read an article in the Monticello Daily News about Winston's fight to smash the illegal traffic of babies. Roger saw Mary reading the article and pooh-poohed Mary's suggestion that they have sympathy for the victims. Roger told a stunned Mary that if the "victims" didn't pay, there would be no illegal business. Mary fantasized about telling Roger that she bought Billy on the black market after their infant son died in the hospital while Roger was undergoing risky heart surgery. In Mary's fantasy, Roger died from a heart attack after hearing Mary's confession.