Nightshade

Sergeant Stilwell, head of the Catalina Island Police Department, waits by the docks for a boat called The Adjourned. He is approached by journalist Lionel McKey, who questions him about a recent mutilation case. Stilwell refuses to reveal any details. Shortly after, The Adjourned arrives. It is a small yacht captained by Judge Harrell, who comes to Catalina once a week to oversee court. Harrell signs a search warrant related to the mutilation case. Eager to execute the warrant, Stilwell delegates his work in court to a young officer named Lampley, who is stationed on Catalina while being investigated for excessive force on the mainland.

Stilwell drives to a warehouse used by Island Mystery Tours to store and repair golf carts. He encounters a young worker named Henry Gaston, who warns that he will have to call someone named “Baby Head” if Stilwell enters. When Stilwell finds blood on the handle of an old saw with a brand-new blade, he bags it as evidence related to the recent mutilation of a wild buffalo, a protected species. He encourages Henry to report anything he may know. As Stilwell leaves, he is stopped by owner Oscar “Baby Head” Terranova, who threatens him.