Paranoiac

Mr. and Mrs. Ashby die in a plane crash, leaving their three children in Aunt Harriet's guardianship. The accident disrupts the family's life and sets the stage for future tensions. The estate is thrown into uncertainty as the children adjust to their loss.

Three years after the crash, the elder son Tony leaps into the sea, leaving behind a suicide note. His body is never recovered, leaving unresolved grief and unanswered questions. The family clings to memories while the mystery of his fate weighs on everyone.

Eight years later, Simon lives as a reckless spendthrift and alcoholic who resents his siblings. He schemes to have Eleanor declared insane so he can claim the inheritance alone. His ruthlessness sets the stage for escalating deceit within the family.

Three weeks before the inheritance, a man who strongly resembles Tony appears and is seen initially only by Eleanor. She believes her dead brother has returned from beyond the grave, finding hope in his reappearance. He exudes a confident familiarity with the family that unsettles her.

Eleanor is convinced the lookalike is Tony calling to her from beyond the grave, and she attempts suicide. He rescues her from the act, lending credibility to his claim of being Tony. Their bond deepens as she clings to the possibility that he is alive.

Harriet immediately brands him an impostor and reveals he is a conman hired by Keith Kossett to siphon money from the estate. The plot's motive is to keep the inheritance under Kossett's control. Deception becomes a tool for everyone involved.

Tony hears music from the family chapel at night and goes to investigate. He is attacked by a masked figure with a hook, a chilling reminder that someone wants the truth buried. Eleanor, who heard the music before, remains afraid to leave her room.

Simon, fearing loss of control, sabotages the car during a drive with Tony and Eleanor, nearly killing Eleanor. The act demonstrates his willingness to use violence to secure the inheritance. The danger heightens as the impostor's presence becomes central to the crisis.

The music resumes and the trio investigates to find Simon playing the organ with a masked singer; the singing turns out to be a recording. The staged performance reveals the impostor's role in the ritual and moves the plot toward its darkest reveal. Trust frays as the illusion weakens.

The masked singer is Aunt Harriet, who explains that Simon has been driven mad by guilt over Tony's death. She describes the ritual as a way to quiet Simon by pretending Tony is alive, and the impostor is meant to 'join' Tony. The revelation shakes the family and clarifies Harriet's influence.

Eleanor falls in love with the impostor Tony and is torn by conflicting, almost incestuous feelings. The impostor stops her from attempting suicide and finally confesses that he is not her brother. The truth strains her loyalties and changes her course.

Meanwhile, Eleanor's nurse uncovers Simon's manipulation and tries to leave, threatening to expose him. In a fit of rage, Simon drowns the nurse in the garden pond to silence her. The murder compounds the tragedy and reveals the depth of Simon's depravity.

The fake Tony investigates the chapel and discovers the real Tony's mummified body behind a hidden wall, despite Harriet's attempts to stop him. The discovery confirms the secrets behind Tony's death and Simon's hoax. The impostor's resolve hardens as the truth comes out.

Simon confesses to the impostor that he coerced Tony into writing the suicide note, murdered him, and sabotaged the car. He tries to frame a plan where the impostor would 'join' Tony in death, sealing his control over the estate. The confession triggers a dangerous moral collapse.

Harriet persuades Simon to leave and resolves to handle the fallout. She then sets the chapel on fire to destroy evidence and protect herself. Eleanor and the impostor escape as the chapel burns; Simon dies trapped among Tony's skeletal remains.