It seemed only logical for Esther to wonder why Scott thought that Stuart might have dropped by her trailer. "One day me and Stuart were together --- and the next day we weren't," Esther said glumly. Scott briefly explained that his Uncle Adam may have said or done something to upset Stuart. Esther recalled Adam only as "the mean one." From inside, Stuart groaned in his sleep. Becca and Scott exchanged optimistic glances and asked Esther about the noise. Esther swallowed hard and claimed that she had a dog, a dog that didn't take too kindly to strange faces. She urged the pair to go on their way before the dog awoke and attacked them. Esther pledged that she'd contact them immediately if Stuart turned up. Back inside, Esther crouched down next to Stuart and gently stroked his head. She told the still-slumbering man that she sensed that he was in a great deal of pain --- and not just physical pain. This was the type of pain that no one, especially Stuart, should have to endure. Esther went on to promise Stuart that she'd help him get rid of the pain he was feeling. Stuart stirred slightly and roused from his sleep. He was only awake for a few moments. During his up time, he looked around and asked Esther where he was. Esther smiled warmly and told him that he was in her trailer. At times she looked perplexed that Stuart didn't recognize the place. After Stuart drifted back to sleep, Esther told herself that she was going to make sure that Stuart never left her again.
Scott and Becca ended up near the ocean. A teary Scott, angrily snapped at Becca's suggestion that they call it a night and return home. Scott vowed that he wouldn't stop searching until he located his father. He felt badly because he hadn't been so vigilant when his mother, Cindy, died. To this day he couldn't help but wonder if his mother would have lived longer --- even by a day or two --- if he'd been stronger for her. Becca took Scott in her arms and promised him that they'd find Stuart.
Donald Steele made the rounds at the fundraiser, stopping by to ask Greenlee if she wanted to make a statement about Erica's drunken spectacle. Greenlee ordered the writer to scram and walked away. Tina and Adrian were noticeably late for the event because Tina had wanted to drop by the shelter to show off her dress. Gillian and Ryan, meanwhile, stood face to face, neither saying a word. Ryan finally broke the silence as he asked Gillian if they could talk. The princess icily told her former husband that they had "nothing to say to each other," adding that she also wanted nothing to do with Ryan. With that, Gillian turned and walked away. As Dixie watched from the background, Tad praised Liza for her ability to handle herself under the pressure of two jobs. Dixie pulled Tad aside and told him that she was ready to go home. Marian suddenly burst into the room and noted that it had officially been 24 hours since anyone had seen Stuart. Opal sat Erica down in the lobby to ask her about what had transpired in Paolo's room. Erica was more preoccupied with the presumed failure of the fundraiser, but Opal changed all that when she revealed that she'd overheard Erica threatening Paolo. Erica quickly assured Opal that she had "taken care of" Paolo. Erica looked around and wondered where David had gone. Opal nodded slightly and explained that she'd sent David to Paolo's room.
Upstairs, Vanessa gasped as she came across Paolo's lifeless body. Derek placed a call to summon forensics to the scene. Palmer questioned why his wife had become so pale. Derek returned to the group and asked Leo to tell him how he'd come across Paolo's body. Leo lamely replied that he'd wandered by the room, saw the door ajar, and noticed Paolo's body on the ground. As Leo spoke, Derek took an object from Leo's blood-covered hand. When Derek asked Leo if he knew the deceased, Vanessa chirped that there was no way that her son knew the likes of a criminal like Paolo. She quickly reminded Derek that Paolo had stolen her necklace from her. Palmer stepped forward and asked his wife to let Derek do his job. Derek received a phone call and had to excuse himself. Vanessa, meanwhile, tried her best to calm her son, assuring him that everything would be okay. Leo burst out of the room. Derek ended his phone call and pursued the young man down the corridor. In his travels, Leo bumped into David, who quickly pulled his younger brother aside and asked him why he was in such a hurry. By this time, Derek caught up to Leo and asked him why he was fleeing the murder scene. If it hadn't been for that little slip, David might not have been able to step forward and help out Leo. David calmly stated that Leo had been searching for him with the hopes of getting an expert medical opinion about whether or not the murder victim was really dead. Alone in the hallway, Palmer panicked when he spotted a spot of blood on his sleeve. He quickly pulled down the sleeve of his jacket, recalling how he'd caught Vanessa in the hallway wearing only a bathrobe and a later conversation with Leo in which Leo hinted that Vanessa wasn't being such a good wife. As David confirmed that Paolo was really dead, Opal and Erica rounded the corner. Palmer stepped in front of them and informed them that they shouldn't be there. Erica walked around her friend and walked towards the room. She gasped audibly upon seeing Paolo's body on the floor of his room. Vanessa turned and flashed Erica an icy glare. She then told Derek that he should forget questioning Leo and target on a better suspect --- Erica. Vanessa let it be know that Paolo was her "paid escort" and that Paolo and Erica had gotten into an argument just a short time before Paolo was done in. Erica denied that she and Paolo had had an argument. Derek started to ask some questions of Erica, but Erica wasn't very forthcoming. Vanessa continued to press Erica's buttons, snidely remarking that Erica had fallen off the wagon. Opal asked Erica to remain calm, saying that she shouldn't fall into Vanessa's trap. Vanessa smiled to herself and announced that Erica was probably unable to answer any questions because she was still drunk. Erica responded quickly and definitively, slapping Vanessa hard against the cheek. Vanessa laughed nervously several times before reaching out to claw at Erica. Derek and Leo helped restrained Vanessa. In the process, Derek ordered everyone out of the room. Tad and Dixie happened to arrive at about the same time. Palmer stood in the doorway, smiled bemusedly and ushered them into the room. Tad asked Palmer if he was okay. Palmer smiled broadly and replied, "I'm very well, thank you." Outside the room, Erica began to question whether or not Opal thought that she's killed Paolo. David took Erica by the arm and led her away. Opal shook her head and followed after them. Vanessa hovered in the doorway, agonizing over the death of her lover. Leo later cornered her and told her that Paolo was the man who'd been blackmailing him. When pressed for the money, Leo said that he'd told Paolo to get it from his lover. Vanessa smiled, thinking that Leo was referring to Erica. That, of course, wasn't the case. Upon hearing her son's accusations that she and Paolo had been sleeping together, Vanessa became enraged. "How could you accuse me of that?!" she gasped. Leo let his mother rattle on before he stopping her from making more of a fool of herself. He let it be known that he'd walked in on her and Leo in bed. For one reason or another, Vanessa felt the need to rationalize her actions. She told Leo that she'd been extremely "lonely" and that Paolo provided her with the attention and love she'd craved. "We've both made mistakes," Vanessa said quietly as she asked Leo to work with her to get their stories straight.
Derek entered the party area and informed all of the guests that they'd have to stick around for some brief questioning. Marian saw Derek and chased after him with the hopes of getting him to start a search for Stuart. Adrian told Ryan and Tina that there must have been a murder; he picked it up from Derek's mannerisms. Tina asked Ryan why he wasn't with Greenlee. Ryan shrugged, perhaps realizing that he and Greenlee were supposed to be partners for the night.
In the park, Greenlee kicked a bicycle, cursing Ryan for not noticing her. Gillian happened upon the seen and told Greenlee that she was used to Ryan's antics. Greenlee was surprised that Gillian wanted to talk to her about Ryan. Actually, she thought it was a bit odd. Gillian admitted that she still has feelings for Ryan, but said that she is actively trying to "kill" those feelings so that she can get on with her life with Jake. "I wish I could [kill the feelings] too," Greenlee replied sadly. The conversation became too uncomfortable and awkward for Greenlee to continue. Gillian understood, but told Greenlee that she'd be there if she needed to talk to her. After Gillian left, Greenlee grumbled endlessly about how Ryan still cared for his ex-wife. Then it hit her; she knew how she could win Ryan --- she had to be just like Gillian. "I'll even out-Gillian Gillian!"
Back at the hotel, Marian pestered Derek for assistance in locating Stuart. Derek told her that she had to leave the room because she might see something upsetting. A few seconds later, a stretcher rolled through with a sheet-covered body lying motionlessly upon it. Marian lost her cool and feared that Stuart had been killed. She raced over and removed the sheet. "Paolo!" she gasped, seconds before fainting. David checked out Marian and determined that she'd be okay. Derek, though, wanted to know how Marian knew Paolo. Liza looked at her mother and urged her to be honest. Marian told the detective about Paolo's seduction scheme. Almost immediately, Derek asked Marian if she could account for her time that evening. Liza was outraged that Derek would ask that. Tad, who'd been lingering nearby, told Derek to question Adam because he'd hired Leo to out the seduction plot into motion. Ryan had been poking around and returned to Adrian and Tina to tell them that someone had been murdered. Vanessa followed Leo downstairs because he hadn't agreed to work with her on synchronizing their stories. Leo said that he planned to keep quiet about her affair like a good boy. Vanessa headed off to get herself a drink. Palmer, meanwhile, wandered over to Leo and asked him point-blank if Vanessa had been having an affair with Paolo. Leo refused to answer the question. He looked down and noticed a crimson stain on Palmer's sleeve. Palmer quickly stated that he must have gotten stain while upstairs in Paolo's room. He then dashed away to find Vanessa. Under his breath, Leo wondered if it was possible that Palmer was jealous of Vanessa's relationship with Paolo. Derek stomped over towards Leo and demanded to know why he'd lied and said that he didn't know Paolo. Donald was still poking around trying to get dirt on Erica's stumble. He actually sat down at the table with Opal, Erica and Dixie and asked Erica if she was upset that the free bar had been closed. Dixie and Opal ordered Donald to hit the road. The sleazy writer agreed, but as he left the table he noticed that he was aroused by "strong women." Opal and Dixie learned of Marian's fainting spell and headed off to see if she was okay. David pulled up a chair next to Erica and asked her how she was doing. Erica confessed that she'd been using Paolo to make David jealous and feared that she'd now be fingered for the gigolo's murder. As soon as Erica mentioned the cassette tape Paolo had stolen from her, David reached into his pocket... and produced the cassette. Dixie worried that the murder investigation would prevent the police from looking for Stuart. Derek had promised that he'd organize a search team and then join up with the search when the murder investigation concluded. Dixie told Opal to tell Tad that she was headed home. Vanessa returned to Leo's side and prevented Derek from asking any additional questions. She said that she'd phoned her attorney and that Leo would not say another word until the attorney arrived. Derek threw his hands into the air and stormed away. Leo told his mother that they probably couldn't have the same attorney. Vanessa rolled her eyes and said that she hadn't called her attorney --- she'd called Palmer's pilot. She'd made plans for the pilot to take Leo to Canada until she'd come up with a plan to get him out of his current predicament. In the lobby, Erica asked David how he'd managed to get his hands on the tape. After all, Paolo had taken the tape from her. David nodded and said that he'd gotten the tape while he was in Paolo's room. "Then... you murdered him?!" Erica gasped.
In bed with Edmund in a cottage belonging to her mother, Alex remained obsessed with the housekeeper who'd called her "Anna." Edmund put his arm around Alex's bare chest and promised that he'd help her get answers. They kissed and things once again took a romantic turn. Alex must have fallen asleep after she and Edmund had made love because when she woke up she panicked when Edmund wasn't beside her. She jumped out of bed and called out to Edmund, but he was nowhere to be found. A little while later, Edmund nonchalantly strolled into the cottage with some flowers. Alex wrapped her arms around him and breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Flowers for m'lady," Edmund grinned. Alex looked at the daffodils and bowed her head. Her saddened state came from the fact that about a year ago to the day Dimitri had given her daffodils. Edmund told Alex that it was okay to think about Dimitri. In fact, he thinks about his brother just about every day. Saying that the last few days had been "extraordinary," Edmund felt it was time to talk about their relationship. Edmund referred to the relationship as "instinctual" and "spontaneous." Alex concurred, adding that it was "unplanned and wonderful." However, the hesitation in Alex's voice prompted Edmund to wonder if Alex had regrets about what had transpired between them. Alex quickly assured Edmund that she had no regrets about their relationship. The "shock of being without" Dimitri had begun to lessen. At the breakfast table, Edmund grumbled that he was beginning to tire of tea and wanted a nice cup of "American coffee." Alex playfully showed Edmund how to eat a scone, unaware of the danger just a few meters away. Outside, Guy spoke on his phone to an unknown person. "I've got him and I can taken him out at any time," he stated coldly. "Just say the word."
David sidestepped Erica's request, instead deciding to note that Erica's eyes had cleared. He deduced that whatever drug Paolo had slipped her had finally started to wear off. Erica's mouth gaped. She wondered how David knew that she'd been drugged. David reminded Erica that she'd refused pain medicine after the surgery to her face, so he was certain that she wasn't about to take a drink or pill now. Again Erica asked David if he'd killed Paolo. Rather than respond directly, David told Erica that the less she knew the better. Derek wandered by and asked David for his whereabouts at the time of Paolo's murder. Erica quickly chirped that David had been with her --- all night. Greenlee cut in and asked Erica if she'd seen her date for the evening around the hotel. Derek cleared his throat and told Greenlee that they were in the middle of something. Greenlee turned and rolled her eyes. Derek quickly asked who her date was and when she'd last seen him. Greenlee smiled broadly and informed Derek that Ryan was her escort, but that he'd taken off suddenly. Derek turned back to readdress Derek and Erica, but they'd disappeared. Derek then turned around again to resume conversing with Greenlee --- but she was gone too!
"I didn't do it," Leo repeated. Vanessa, though, either didn't hear her son or she just didn't believe him. She urged Leo to slip out the back, head for the airport, and enjoy his stay in Canada. Leo told him mother that she had a lot to fear as well because he'd seen her in bed with Paolo. Vanessa apologized for allowing her son to see the spectacle, but quickly noted that Leo was the "number one suspect." Across the room, Opal scurried up to Palmer and told her that she was worried about Erica. Before Opal could finish, Palmer received a phone call from his pilot asking for a flight plan. Palmer was furious that Vanessa had made arrangements for his private jet and promptly scrapped the flight. Vanessa lurked in the background as Opal told Palmer that she'd overheard Erica threaten to kill Paolo. Palmer seemed quite confident that Erica hadn't killed Paolo. He called the idea "preposterous" and told Opal that she had nothing to worry about. Derek yanked Opal aside and asked her how she knew Paolo. Opal nervously explained that she'd met Paolo in passing. Before she'd answer any more questions, Opal said that she needed to go home and relieve the babysitter that she'd hired. Derek persisted and told Opal that he had only a few more questions for her. Opal said that she wouldn't say another word until she spoke to Jackson. Derek scratched his forehead. He noted that it would be cheaper for Opal to stick around and pay the babysitter some overtime than to go home and have to pay Jack to act as legal counsel. Nevertheless, Derek relented and allowed Opal to go home. Greenlee bumped into Leo in the lobby and laughed off Leo's concerns that he was a suspect in Paolo's death. "Not... in a million years," she chuckled. Leo wondered why she thought that. In a rare display of warmth, Greenlee told Leo that when he rescued her from Ken, the pool man, she saw what type of man he really is. Then Greenlee reverted to her usual ways. Brushing aside Leo's concerns, Greenlee chattered on that she'd come up with a surefire way to win over Ryan. Back in the other room, Palmer angrily confronted Vanessa and demanded to know why she'd contacted his pilot. Vanessa blabbed a weak lie about wanting to have the plane ready just in case Erica needed to flee the country. "She's innocent," Palmer professed confidently. Vanessa looked panicked when Palmer informed her that he'd cancelled the planned flight. Palmer scurried off to find Derek, but Derek was on the other side of the room. As the detective passed by Vanessa, he was pulled aside. Vanessa told him that she'd come into new information about Erica and Paolo. She didn't say that she'd been eavesdropping on a private conversation, but she did reveal that Erica had threatened to kill Paolo while she and Paolo were alone in his room. Derek wanted to question Erica and Vanessa was all too willing to point Derek to David's hotel room. Vanessa tracked down Leo and told him that her plan to have him fly to Canada had been scrapped. As he listened to his mother's plans for him, Leo became more and more incensed. Finally, he snapped that his mother needed to worry about herself because Palmer figured out that she was having an affair with Paolo. Speaking of Palmer, he ditched his decision to talk to Derek. Instead, he gave a tongue-lashing to his pilot for accepting orders from his wife. He warned the man that if he did it again, he'd be without a job. Though he was angry, Palmer told the pilot to keep the plane ready for takeoff because he may have a need for it after all.
In David's room, Erica apologized for not telling David about Paolo sooner. David hid a smile and gently teased Erica about her scheme. He reminded Erica that he'd seen her kissing Paolo in the dining area of the hotel. Erica swore that Paolo had planted the kiss on her to ingratiate himself with her. On a dime, Erica turned the finger of blame from herself to David. She informed David that she'd tried to explain herself and the kiss to David, but that he'd broken off their relationship and booted her from his room. David burst into laughter and asked Erica how she could manage to "make [him] crazy and wild with desire" at the same time. "It's a gift," Erica grinned. They nuzzled up to each other, with Erica whispering that she'd been aching to be in David's arms. One thing led to another and one kiss led directly to David's bed. As they unwound after making love, a knock sounded on the door. Derek called out to Erica and David and told them that he wanted to speak to them immediately.
At Wildwind, Gillian struggled to open up an ironing board. Stella, the housekeeper, looked on with a smile and repeatedly offered to help out the princess. Gillian shooed her and told her to enjoy her night off. It took a good five minutes for Gillian to figure out how to get the ironing board to stand up. When she did, she plugged in the iron. Gillian held the iron in her hand and tried to use the device to "stomp" out the wrinkles in one of Jake's lab jackets. Perhaps not realizing that the iron got hot, Gillian put her hand against the face of the iron. She set the iron down and raced off to soak her hand in some water. When the smell of scorching lab jacket wafted towards her, it was already too late to save the jacket. She picked up the iron and looked in dismay at a brown scorch mark in the middle of the otherwise white garment. Gillian tempted fate by asking aloud what else could go wrong --- and then the lights went out. Alone in the castle, Gillian started to panic. She lit a candle and placed urgent calls to Joe and Scott to ask that they hurry over to Wildwind to be with her. Gillian found a flashlight and tried to figure out how to get it to work. As she was fumbling around in the darkened room, a creak sounded from the hallway. Gillian tiptoed into the hall to see if she could locate the noise. She poked her head around the corner seconds before a hand fell upon her shoulder. In a whirlwind spin, Gillian turned around and clobbered the intruder with her flashlight. When Gillian flicked on the flashlight she came face to face with the person she'd fell: Ryan. Gillian gasped and helped Ryan to the sofa. Ryan explained that he'd heard the frantic message Gillian had left for Scott and determined that he had to make sure that she was okay. It wasn't much consolation, but Ryan told Gillian that the power outage seemed to have been caused by a common brownout. Ryan looked at the ironing board and marveled over the thought that Gillian had left the fundraiser to return home... and iron. Gillian snapped that she needed "a distraction," a distraction from him. Ryan's face flashed with surprise. Gillian told Ryan that she was trying to get him out of her mind. Ryan nodded and said that it might be better if he'd left. He tried to get to his feet, but the whap he'd gotten on the head had affected his equilibrium. Ryan confessed that he was having a similarly difficult time trying to shake loose his thoughts of Gillian. And being around Gillian wasn't helping him. Ryan pressed Gillian to explain what she was thinking about when she thought of him. Gillian fought her need to be honest, but she lost the battle. "I love you!" she yelled. Then, in a much softer tone, she added, "I still love you." Ryan gently placed his hands on the side of Gillian's face. Though he was overjoyed to hear the words, Ryan didn't like the way he'd had to drag it out of his former wife. The last time Gillian told him that she love him, she married Jake the following day. At the time that Ryan asked Gillian to move on with her life without him, Ryan claimed that he was a "different man." Now that he had some direction in his life, Ryan knew who he wanted to spend his life with. Gillian was that person. Gillian closed her eyes and mourned all the time they'd lost. "I love you, princess," Ryan whispered passionately. "And I want you back." They leaned forward and kissed passionately.
Erica jumped out of bed and blocked David's path to the door. She panicked, saying that they hadn't had time to coordinate their stories. David pushed past his lover and opened the door. Derek scolded the pair for disobeying his order for them not to leave the dining room. David quickly corrected the detective; he'd told them not to leave the premises --- and they hadn't. In case it wasn't already obvious, Derek was there to question them about the death of Paolo Caselli. David said that he was more the willing to answer the detective's questions, but Erica implored him not to say anything without legal representation. Waiting until Erica was done speaking, Derek informed Erica that he was actually there to question her. Erica was surprised, but she was eager to distance herself from the slain gigolo. Derek told Erica that Vanessa had told him of an argument she'd apparently had with Paolo just before his death. Erica denied the charges, insisting that she barely knew Paolo. She tried to explain that the argument was just very passionate conversation. David quickly stepped forward and told Derek that he'd have to go. Derek warned Erica that she'd have to answer his questions sooner or later. After Derek left, Erica blasted David for making her look guilty. She said that she'd been trying to explain herself away as a possible suspect, but that David's actions made her look even more guilty. The bickering turned into a full-fledged argument. Erica insisted that there was no need to protect her because she hadn't killed Paolo; David did --- and he'd admitted it. David laughed slightly and told Erica that he'd never admitted to killing Paolo. He simply never bothered to correct Erica's misassumption. Erica was prepared to storm out of the room, but David wooed her with a proposal that they be more trusting of each other. They had but a few moments to cuddle before David was paged by the hospital. Erica readied to leave with him, but she suddenly remembered the emerald she'd found in Paolo's room. Erica was certain that the person who'd lost the gem was somehow linked to Paolo's demise. David urged Erica to tell the police about the emerald. Erica, however, refused to turn over the gem, saying that the police would probably accuse her of planting the emerald.
Breathing quite hard, Vanessa asked Leo if he'd spilled the beans of her affair to Palmer. Leo chortled and assured Vanessa that he'd learned when to keep his mouth closed. With her lover dead, Vanessa pledged that she'd become the model wife. That was all fine and good, but Leo had a surprising question for his mother. Had she ever considered that Palmer might be the one who'd offed Paolo? Vanessa voiced some initial support for her husband, but she was quickly silenced when Leo reminded her Palmer had done when he'd thought that she was having an affair with him. "We're building a new house," Vanessa chirped. Strangely, Vanessa felt that Leo was more capable of murder than Palmer. She quickly reminded her son that he was the one found standing over Paolo's body. Tired of denying his mother's suspicions, Leo instructed Vanessa to check out Palmer's shirt cuff for a bloodstain. Palmer breezed over to Vanessa and told her that he wanted to speak to her. The pair sat down at a nearby table. There, Vanessa decided to take the bull by the horns and disavow any ties to Paolo as soon as possible. Someone, Vanessa squawked, "had the gall" to start a rumor that she was having an affair with Paolo. Vanessa laughed nervously and stated that Erica must have been the one to start the rumor. "Were you?" Palmer asked coldly. Again, Vanessa laughed nervously. Palmer, however, sat motionless in his chair. "Of course not!" Vanessa replied, claiming that there was only one man for her. Derek approached Leo with more questions, but Leo refused to say anything until his lawyer arrived. Greenlee strolled into the room and Leo raced over to her and asked her to dance. Greenlee was surprised, but she didn't object to a stroll around the dance floor. David and Erica entered the room. While David told Derek that he had to go to work, Erica was busy asking Opal if she'd told anyone about her argument with Paolo. Opal swore that she'd kept silent on the issue... but then she realized that she'd talked to Palmer. Erica nodded her head and said that Palmer must have told Vanessa because Vanessa had gone right to Derek with the news. Erica reached into her purse and again showed Opal the emerald she'd taken from Paolo's room. She explained that she was sure that one of Paolo's lovers had killed him. Opal warned Erica not to play "Nancy Drew." Across the room, Vanessa noticed that Erica was holding the gem and became very unnerved. While dancing, Greenlee imagined that Ryan burst into the room and asked her for a dance. Also in the fantasy, Ryan told Greenlee that she was the only woman for him.
In a matter of seconds, Ryan and Gillian had their shirts heaped in a pile on the floor. As they continued to kiss, a noise sounded from somewhere in the house. The pair immediately parted lips and stood frozen like deer trapped in the headlights of an approaching car. From somewhere else in the house, Joe called out to Gillian. Ryan hurriedly grabbed his belongings while Gillian put her shirt back on. The princes raced to the door to intercept Joe. She immediately told her father-in-law that things were not as they appeared. Joe cocked his head to the side and asked Gillian what she was talking about. Gillian turned back into the room and realized that Ryan had vanished. Joe was concerned because Gillian's face was flushed. Gillian chalked it up to the "exercising" she'd been doing. Joe told Gillian that Jake had called him. He'd left his new cell phone number and asked that Gillian contact him when she was ready. Gillian took a deep breath. She talked of how Jake is a "wonderful" man. Joe countered by saying that Gillian was the "best thing" to ever happen to his son. Hidden across the room, Ryan listened uneasily to the conversation. Since Gillian was alone in the house, Joe extended an offer for Gillian to spend the night at his house. Gillian assured Joe that she'd be fine and said that she was going to go to bed just as soon as he left. Joe bid Gillian goodnight, but reminded her that he'd always be there for her because she was "family now." Soon after Joe left, Ryan straggled out of his hiding place. He asked Gillian if she planned to call Jake. "He's my husband," replied Gillian softly. That really didn't answer Ryan's question. He asked Gillian to remember what she'd said to him moments before --- that she loved him. Things became awkward, so Ryan decided that it was time to leave. Alone, Gillian sat on the sofa hugging a pillow and clutching onto a slip of paper with Jake's phone number. She walked up to the phone to place a call to her husband, but she hung up the receiver before dialing any numbers.
During an evaluation session with Dr. Benton, Adam told the psychiatrist that he wanted to be released so that he could fix all the mistakes he'd made. The doctor noted that this was the first time that Adam had shown any signs of compassion or cooperation since his institutionalization. The evaluation continued, though the questioning became quite weak. The doctor asked Adam if he "loved" his mother, prompting Adam to blast any notions that he had an Oedipus complex. Dr. Benton also asked Adam if he'd ever felt that he had to compete with Stuart for his mother's attention. Suddenly, Adam was no longer willing to cooperate. He told the doctor that he was ready to leave the hospital. Dr. Benton didn't see it that way. He told Adam that they would address that issue in the morning. Before leaving, Dr. Benton insisted that Adam take some medication to ease his anxiety. Adam happily took the pills to win points with the doctor. Soon after the doctor left the room, Adam spit the pills into his hand and cursed the doctor. "That quack doesn't know who he's dealing with," Adam snarled. Outside, Brooke escorted Arlene into the hospital. She asked Dr. Benton if it was possible to enroll Arlene into the detox center at Oak Haven. Dr. Benton asked Arlene if she wanted treatment. Arlene, drunk from a bottle of cognac she'd wolfed down at Brooke's house, flatly denied that she needed help. Because of her refusal for the treatment, Dr. Benton explained that Arlene could not be admitted. Brooke asked to speak to the doctor in private. While they were gone, Arlene sat down on a bench and filed her nails. She looked all around when she heard the sounds of knocking. She rose to her feet to investigate. When she saw Adam's face peering through a window at her, Arlene closed her eyes and shook her head. Surely this must be a booze-induced hallucination. Adam called out to her and begged her to help him get free. Arlene was reluctant to help Adam, but she ultimately slid her nail file under the door. Adam was thankful for her help, but he still needed additional assistance. This time Arlene wasn't so willing to help. Adam swore that he'd give her all the alcohol she could drink --- even offering to buy her her own liquor store at one point. That wasn't what Arlene wanted, though. From out of nowhere, a hospital staffer appeared and asked Arlene what she was doing. Arlene crafted a tale about having committed her sister to a treatment program for sexual addiction. The man urged Arlene to remain strong, but he was taken aback when Arlene "confessed" that she was also a recovering sex addict. She put the moves on the man and it wasn't long before they headed off together. This provided Adam with the time he needed to try to pick lock. He hadn't made any headway by the time Arlene returned. She smiled merrily and dangled a key in front of Adam. Adam demanded that she free him from his pseudo-prison. Arlene had demands and Adam swore that he'd do his best to honor them. One request, though, was going to be awfully hard to tackle: Arlene wanted Adam to help her mend fences with Hayley. Seeing that he had no choice but the agree, Adam said he'd do his best to help her out. Some time later, Dr. Benton and Brooke returned to the area. There was no sign of Arlene, but Brooke was sure that Arlene couldn't have gone far. She'd taken away her keys and Arlene had no money. Dr. Benton looked over towards Adam's room and noticed that the door was ajar. They scurried into the room and the doctor called out to Adam by name. Under the covers, a curled-up Adam made no attempt to reply to them. When Brooke learned that they were in Adam's room, Brooke asked Adam if he'd seen Arlene. Still no response. Finally Brooke pulled back the sheets... and found Arlene fast asleep in Adam's bed.
At Alex's mother's house near Bristol in England, Alex got word from Dr. Griffith that he now has her medical records, so she and Edmund decided to head back to the Welsh clinic. But Alex was a little reluctant to leave Alex's mother's home, where they had first given in to their feelings for each other. Edmund told Alex he wanted what they had shared to continue. When Alex seemed dubious, Edmund asked her if she had doubts because of how Dimitri would have felt about their relationship. "He knew how important love is," Alex replied. They wondered if it was possible to have a second great love in life, especially in their situation. Edmund jokingly promised her he would take her dancing, and send her flowers when they got back to Pine Valley.
Hayley was sorting through some gowns left by a New York designer for her to possibly use on her wedding special. Mateo came in and wanted to go to lunch, but Hayley sidetracked him by slipping into a silky pink negligee. Soon Mateo had forgotten all about lunch! Later, as they lay in bed wrapped in each other's arms, Mateo broached the subject of their having a baby. "You're my life," a smiling Mateo told Hayley. They agreed to start as soon as possible to try to become expectant parents, but not to tell anyone yet. As they dressed, Mateo insisted he was still famished, and laughingly pulled Hayley with him to head for the restaurant.
At the cabin, the man with Stuart's wedding ring on his finger was checking through Stuart's wallet and came across a picture of Stuart and Marian. "Wonder if she knows you're dead," he mumbled.
Lying on a bunk in Esther's trailer, Stuart stirred and had a vision of a car's headlights shining right at him ... then awoke to find a concerned Esther by his side. "I can't remember," he murmured. Esther persuaded him to go back to sleep, with a promise of macaroni and cheese after he had slept some more. She recalled in her mind seeing the man stripping Stuart's possessions - his watch, his wallet and his wedding ring - from the seemingly lifeless body on the beach. She also recalled happy memories of the birthday party Stuart had given her. "My first birthday party," she mused with a smile at the memory. Stuart had given her his picture, "Moonlight on Willow Lake," which still hung in the wall of her trailer. Then her mind went to the occasion when Stuart had come back into her life. She had returned to Pine Valley as soon as she was able to leave her ailing sister, and Stuart had showed up at her trailer. But Esther's hopes of a happy reunion were dashed when Stuart told her about his new friend - Marian Colby! They had parted on Stuart's promise to invite Esther to dinner with him and Marian.
At WRCW, Marian frantically asked Liza is there was any news of Stuart, now missing more than 48 hours. Liza assured her that Derek Frye and the police are conducting an all-out search. Tad, Scott and Becca were there also, trying to calm Marian. Marian begged Liza to let her make an appeal on TV, and Tad agreed it would be a good idea. Liza agreed, and Scott and Becca left for another search up at Stuart's cabin. Meanwhile, the homeless man who had taken Stuart's valuables had found the cabin and was making himself at home there.
Liza returned to her office and was on the phone to Barry Shire, instructing him to authorize a $100,000 reward for any information leading to Stuart's being found. "Make that a million!" a familiar voice bellowed from the doorway. It was Adam, free from Oak Haven. Myrtle was involved in her own family drama. Her new-found daughter, Rae, called to say that she had found the Bible she had been seeking, but that her estranged husband had torn out the pages she needed! Those pages would lead Rae to her daughter, she hoped. "I'm going back to Llanview," she told Myrtle.
Adam and Liza started with the recriminations. "I begged you to spring me," Adam fumed. "Now I've lot valuable time!" Liza retorted that it was his own plot to destroy Stuart's marriage that had upset Stuart and caused him to disappear. "I know he's in trouble," Adam told her. "If I don't find Stuart soon, I really am going to lose my mind."
At the cabin, Scott and Becca detected smoke coming from the chimney. As Scott called out for his dad, the occupant of the cabin attempted to hide. On bursting into the cabin Scott and Becca found - an empty cabin! But the fire was lit, warm food was on the table, and Scott spotted his dad's watch. These signs gave them hope that Stuart was alive. Scott went to look outside, through the open back door.
Back at WRCW, Marian was getting ready to go on live TV with her appeal for information on Stuart. Adam glowered in the background, and grumbled to Liza that Marian wasn't the right person to do it on TV. "She's his wife!" Liza reminded him. The live broadcast of "Nothing But the Truth" started, and Tad introduced Marian, as Stuart's wife.
Esther gasped in horror when she saw that on her TV at the trailer. "She's Stuart's WIFE?" she whispered in shock. The show went on with Marian explaining the circumstances in which her husband had disappeared. "He had a terrible fight with his twin brother, and then he disappeared," she cried. She pleaded for anyone who had seen Stuart to contact the authorities, or WRCW.
Over in England, Edmund and Alex prepared to leave for Wales. Edmund left the room for a moment to get ready, then came back with the news that he had found footprints outside the window. "Someone is watching us," he said. The warning messages they had received before they left had obviously not been empty threats. Edmund wanted Alex to return to Pine Valley, but she insisted they go together to get the medical records. "And I want to see the housekeeper who called me 'Anna,'" Alex said. So Edmund agreed they would go together.
Meanwhile, Marian's TV message was still being shown and Esther watched with growing dismay. Marian broke into sobs, and begged Stuart to come home if he was watching the show. "She's making a spectacle of herself," Adam growled off-camera. Then striding forward into the cameras, he announced himself as Stuart's brother. "I certainly didn't expect YOU to be a guest on today's show," a surprised Tad said, gritting his teeth. Adam continued with his plea, "Stuart, I realize there was a terrible misunderstanding, I'm so sorry, Stuart. I'm begging you, come home!" he implored. Marian yelled at Adam, "It's all your fault," and the two started shouting and blaming the other for Stuart's disappearance, as Tad vainly attempted to calm them down. Marian took a swing at Adam with her rather large handbag, then whacked Tad with her knee before being restrained by a stagehand. Tad, clutching his lower regions, broke for a commercial. Esther was horrified as she watched the amazing display. "You poor thing," she murmured at Stuart. "Those people are so mean! You're better off staying with me!"
Liza stormed at Adam for putting on such a show on nationwide live TV, and told Tad to run a tape for the remainder of the show. Adam and Marian continued their bitter tirade against each other until Liza managed to calm them, and had someone escort Marian to her office. Adam grumbled at Liza that she skewered him for not caring, and now was angry at him for being passionate about finding him.
Just then Scott and Becca returned with the news that they'd found evidence of Stuart at the cabin. "We found his watch," Scott said, and they had searched but hadn't found him. "Did you leave him a note?" Adam asked anxiously. Becca said they hadn't because they thought that maybe Stuart didn't want to be found, but that surely he would return to the cabin some time. Tad offered to drive Liza there, and she told Scott not to tell Marian anything yet until they knew more. Then Adam insisted he should be the one to go to the cabin. Despite Liza's objections, she finally agreed to let Adam go with them to the cabin. Tad argued that it was Adam's fault that Stuart had disappeared, but Adam retorted angrily, "Who couldn't keep their big mouth shut? If I don't find Stuart safe and secure - I hold you responsible. And you are going to answer to me for it," he said ominously.
The homeless man returned to the cabin, muttering to himself about slippery rocks ... the lake was freezing. He ambled over to a chair by the fireplace and put his feet up on the hearth. As he dozed off, he inadvertently pushed a pile of newspapers toward the flames ... which caught the papers on fire.
At the Dillon house, Amanda is nervously looking out the window for the man that's been following her. Tiffany's there to take Amanda to her house for the night, but Amanda doesn't want to go, she's afraid that the man following her is trying to keep Trevor away. Janet tries to explain that there's no one following her, but they all are a bit nervous when the doorbell rings. But it's only Jackson, and he promises Amanda that he'll deal with the man following her. Amanda and Tiffany leave and Janet berates Jackson for playing into Amanda's fantasies. But Amanda's right, someone is following her, Jackson explains, it's the police.
Janet's upset that Derek and the police are following Amanda. She says that she can't let this go on, she needs confess that she killed Sophie. Jackson tells Janet that if she pleads self-defense, she will get off with very little time. Jackson promises he'll take good care of her, then heads off to the kitchen to call Derek. After he leaves the room, Mirror-Janet appears and tells Janet that she's so sorry, that it's all her fault. If she(Mirror-Janet) hadn't pushed Janet to get rid of Sophie, none of this would have happened. But then Mirror-Janet starts putting doubts in Janet's head again, that Jackson really isn't on her side, that he wants to see her go to jail and so do Brooke and Hayley. If Janet tells the truth, they'll throw her in jail for good this time. Mirror-Janet sends Janet out to get a crowbar and when she comes back in the house, Mirror-Janet instructs her to kill Jackson when he comes back in the room. "I know what I have to do," Janet says.
Becca is at WRCW when Leo arrives. He's telling her about being suspected in Paolo's murder when Vanessa arrives and rudely interrupts. Dragging him off to speak in private, she's upset that Leo dismissed the attorney Palmer hired to represent him. I don't need a lawyer, Leo tells her, despite the fact that Derek is on the way to the TV station right now to question him. Leo's convinced that Palmer's the one who killed Paolo because he suspected Paolo was having an affair with Vanessa. He was defending your honor, Leo says, just as Palmer arrives to overhear. What does Paolo have to do with Vanessa's honor, Palmer asks.
Vanessa ignores the question, but Leo points out that Vanessa should answer Palmer. After having stirred things up, Leo quickly bows out and goes over to talk to Becca. Becca suggests that Leo getting a lawyer is probably not a bad idea. Leo admits to Becca that Paolo was blackmailing him and says that the police can't find out or he'll be their only suspect, they won't look at anyone else. Across the room, Vanessa is denying that she had any association with Paolo. It was Leo that Paolo was blackmailing, she explains, but doesn't tell him why. Vanessa begs Palmer to keep the blackmail a secret or Leo will be in big trouble.
Leo sends Becca over to distract Vanessa so that he can talk to Palmer alone. Leo accuses Palmer of hiring a lawyer for him to make sure that Leo ended up going to jail for murder. That would have taken care of two birds with one stone, it would have gotten Leo out of Palmer's life, and Leo would have taken the rap for the murder that Palmer committed. Leo says he won't go to the police and tell them that Palmer murdered Paolo on two conditions, if Palmer's lawyer gets Leo out of the mess he's in and if Palmer takes care of Vanessa and Leo financially for "eternity." Palmer's not intimidated and thinks that Leo should reconsider, if he goes ahead with his plan, Vanessa may turn her back on him for good. My mother would never do that, Leo insists. Their conversation is interrupted by Derek, who's there to ask them some questions.
Vanessa tries to step in and say that Leo won't answer any questions without a lawyer, but Leo says he doesn't need a lawyer. Before Derek can start to question Leo, Palmer asks to speak to Derek privately. Leo thinks that Palmer is helping clear his name because of his threat, but in fact, Palmer is telling Derek that Paolo was blackmailing Leo. Derek places Leo under arrest for Paolo's murder.
Tad, Liza and Adam are on their way up to the cabin at Willow Lake when they are stopped by two policemen at a roadblock. They explain there's been a fire at one of the cabins and no one is allowed in the area until they're sure it's contained. Adam, of course, doesn't take no for an answer and tries to push his way through, wrestling with the policemen. Meanwhile, in Esther's trailer, Stuart is having a nightmare and mumbling "Let go!." Esther quiets him and says that she hopes Stuart stays with her there forever.
The policemen stop Adam and Tad and Liza try to reason with Adam and finally get him to calm down. The police release Adam, and all of a sudden Tad starts having trouble breathing. Wheezing like he's having a asthma attack, Tad doubles over and kneels on the ground. The policemen come over to help and Liza silently signals Adam to go to the cabin. Adam leaves and Tad continues his act, but the police soon notice that Adam is missing and realize that the whole thing was a fake to distract their attention. Adam arrives at the cabin to find it a burned out shell. The firemen there try to warn him that it's not safe and he needs to turn back, but Adam pushes past them and races into the cabin.
Liza has apparently sweet-talked one of the policeman, who she's now calling 'John', into bringing her and Tad up to the cabin. The firemen lead Adam back out and he says there's no sign of anyone inside, he's sure if Stuart was in there that he got out. Adam goes to start searching the woods and right after he leaves, a news camera crew shows up. They start filming as the firemen bring a body out of the cabin, which they found under the debris. The firemen say they can't identify the body, but they did find a ring. They hand it to Liza and she recognizes it as Stuart's wedding ring. Esther is watching the TV broadcast from her trailer and sees the reporter say that Stuart is dead. Back at the cabin, Liza says that she's positive it's Stuart's ring because of the inscription. Adam returns from his search and sees the covered body lying on the ground. "Stuart!!," he cries.
