Her next role was as Melisse in "Cover Me Babe" (1970), originally titled "Run Shadow Run", opposite Robert Forster. She made it as part of a $150,000 three-picture deal with 20th Century Fox, and was compensated for the other two which never came to fruition. It was announced that she would play the lead in "Lovemakers" – a film adaptation of Robert Nathan's novel "The Color of Evening" – but no movie resulted. Locke was offered Barbara Hershey's role in "Last Summer" (1969), but her agent turned it down without telling her. Shortly afterwards she passed on the lead in "My Sweet Charlie" (1970), which won an Emmy for its eventual star Patty Duke.