Deep in sleep, the four skiers began having dreams of one another. Kelsey repeated Scott's name over and over and imagined herself kissing him. Scott, on the other hand, found himself torn between Kelsey, a girl he thought of as his "kid sister," and Gillian, someone who he feels "has it going on." Ryan patted himself on the back for finding a young woman with a "great bod, face, and cash." The chill of the night air set in and the four almost-friends found themselves fighting for the covers. That woke them from the sleep and they needed to devise new ways to keep warm. Kelsey's implication that they should get closer together conjured up images of an orgy for Gillian; that she liked. Kelsey quickly cleared the air by explaining that she was thinking more along the lines of a game of Truth or Dare. Kelsey started it off by asking Gillian how many men she's slept with. The number topped the century mark; She's slept with over one hundred twenty six men! Gillian tossed the question back at Kelsey, but Kelsey was shy about revealing her sexual encounters. Since she wouldn't answer, Kelsey was told that she had to do the dance of the seven veils. Kelsey was reluctant, but Ryan egged her on. Kelsey lumbered out of bed and began doing a striptease for the group. Weighed down in a snowsuit and several layers of thermal clothing, it wasn't the kind of striptease that you might expect. Kelsey tossed her scarves at the fixated men and they cheered her on. Gillian, however surprised by Kelsey's nerve she might have been, told Kelsey that she should stop. Gillian got to ask Ryan about his intentions towards Kelsey. That set off a heated exchange when Ryan claimed that he wanted an exclusive relationship with his date. Gillian asked him to explain why he'd felt a need to rub her back while she was in the bathtub. Scott and Kelsey's necks snapped back and both demanded some answers. Ryan must have been in the Boy Scouts because his responses indicated that he was always prepared to lend a hand. He claimed that he saw that Gillian was in need of someone to help soap up her back and that he was just trying to help. Scott was noticeably ticked off---just what Kelsey and Ryan wanted. The manager called to tell the group that the heat had been turned back on. Gillian used the news as a way to get rid of Ryan and Kelsey. Scott reminded her that Kelsey had made a promise that she wouldn't sleep with Ryan. Gillian asked Scott for a goodnight kiss, but the revelation of Ryan and Gillian's encounter in the bathroom didn't make Scot feel too amorous. Kelsey and Ryan, on the other hand, gave each other a very passionate goodnight kiss. Eventually the men returned to their room and the ladies got back into bed and readied for bed. Gillian asked herself how she could possibly be obsessed with Ryan when Scott's such a perfect guy.
At the hospital, Joe informed Allie that Jake's board hearing would be held in less than forty-eight hours. Allie panicked and begged Joe to delay the hearing or to have it postponed. Joe wondered why Allie would want to delay a hearing that could potentially put Jake back on the job. Allie was unable to explain her reasoning; all she could say was that Jake was up to something. Joe worried that whatever Jake was up to could jeopardize his chances of being reinstated. Allie asked Joe to look into his heart and ask himself if he really believes that Jake gave Adam the wrong medication. Of course Joe didn't doubt his son for an instant. He told Allie that he'd do his best to push back the hearing.
At the boathouse, Liza was floored to see Adam standing only a few feet away from her. She accused him of following her, but Adam claimed that it was fate that brought them together. He said that he felt lonely and decided to go for a walk. Imagine his surprise when he walked to the boathouse and heard Liza calling him "darling" and "sweetheart!" Liza couldn't very well explain what she was up to. She begged Adam to leave and said that she'd contact him in the morning and clear everything up. Adam was confused, but agreed to honor her request. As he walked away, Jake ran to the boathouse and kissed Liza. Adam saw the whole thing and exploded. He accused Liza of carrying on an affair with Jake and even went as far as to suggest that she might be an accomplice in Jake's attempt on his life. Liza was definitely exasperated and nothing she said or did clamed her estranged husband. Liza tried to tell him that things looked differently than they really were. Adam didn't buy it. In a fit of rage, he told Liza that he'd be calling his lawyer to have the divorce finalized immediately. Adam stormed off. No one had any idea that David lurked in the nearby bushes. Jake asked Liza if she was okay and told her that they could stop doing what they were doing if she wanted. David, of course, thought that they were referring to their affair. In actuality, Jake was giving Liza the chance to back out of exposing David. Liza softly responded that her marriage to Adam was over. What better way, she asked, to end their marriage than with a bang? Liza and Jake got back on track and continued their charade, with Jake holding Liza to console her.
Tad called Trevor and asked him to meet him in the bar at The Valley Inn. Tad told Trevor about his numerous encounters with "the mystery woman." Trevor worried that it would be unwise for Tad to get involved with the elusive woman. He surmised that the woman might be a stalker. Tad felt otherwise and showed Trevor the necklace. Again, Trevor expounded his belief that the woman was dangerous; he noted that when a woman asks for space, she'd better be given that space. Tad knew that Trevor had moved on to another topic and delicately asked his friend about his relationship with Janet. Trevor told Tad about the return of Axel Green. The name alone caused Tad to doubt the existence of the long-lost ex-husband. Tad wanted to know more and he got his chance to ask Janet more questions. When Janet walked into the bar, Tad scurried over to her table and asked Janet questions about her "missing" husband. He wondered why the man hadn't sent her cards or flowers on her birthday. Tad said that knew that Janet hadn't received anything from Axel because she'd worked for him for a short time. Janet said that she and Axel were estranged. She asked Tad how he'd feel if Dixie suddenly called him and asked to get back together. Tad smiled weakly and understood what Janet was getting at. He left the table and reported back to Trevor. While the two men talked, Janet received a phone call from her man of the moment. Tad and Trevor looked on as Janet told Axel that "the man she told him about," that would be Trevor, was demanding to meet him. They planned to get together in the morning and spend some time reacquainting themselves. Tad left the bar with plans to continue his search for the mystery woman in spite of Trevor's advice. Trevor walked over to Janet and asked her for more information on Axel. Janet told Trevor that she'd be spending time with Axel and insisted that Trevor keep away from them so as not to cause any trouble. Janet returned to her room. Trevor, however, was busy devising a plan to crash the Green family reunion!
At the hospital, Jake suggested that Liza clue Adam into what was going on. Liza reminded Jake that her husband wouldn't keep quiet if she told him that David had tried to kill him. Jake nodded understandingly and again gave his friend the option to back out of the sting. Allie entered the secret office which, by day, doubled as a supply closet. Jake brought her up to date and told Allie that he wasn't sure if David had been at the boathouse. The only way to find out was to move on to the next step of the plan.
Allie stood in the sunroom and placed a call to Myrtle to see if Jake was home. She waited until David was nearby before showing her "concern" at not being able to locate Jake. David waited until Allie had finished her phone call before asking her if everything was okay. Allie said nothing and burst out of the room in tears.
While Adam walked to the boathouse, the interloping mystery woman poked around his bedroom planting more of her "hallucinations." She plopped down on the bed and marveled at her creativity. The sound of Adam's voice bellowing out from down the hall sent her into a frenzy. She knew she was trapped in the bedroom and had no idea where to hide. By the time Adam got into the room, Joy managed to slip out of the room through an old ventilation grate. Adam hollered out orders for Winifred to get Barry Shire on the phone for him. Winifred didn't respond and that made Adam even angrier. Stuart had dropped by for a visit and asked Adam to keep his voice---and blood pressure---down before he had another stroke. Adam told Stuart about his encounter with Jake and Liza at the boathouse. Stuart figured that Adam was off base because Jake is in love with Allie and Liza still loves him. Adam added Liza's use of "darling" as more evidence of his claim. Stuart cocked his head to one side and pointed out that Marian calls everyone "darling." Adam walked over to his bed and could tell that someone had been lying on his bed. Also, the air was filled with the scent of a familiar perfume. Stuart asked Adam if he thought it was Joy. Adam shook the cobwebs out of his house and suggested that Winifred had been sleeping on the job again. Stuart offered to spend the night in the mansion, but Adam insisted that Stuart return home. Stuart agreed, but not long after he left Adam might have been reconsidering his demands. Joy pulled a portable fan out of her pocket and turned it on. She then squirted perfume into the air and used the mini-fan to send the fragrance through the vent and into the bedroom. She then pulled a pocket tape recorder from her bag and played a tape with a voice chanting, "confess." Adam started to flip out and yelled, "stop it! Stop it!" as he raced out of his room.
Jim kept his promise to Brooke and checked in on Phoebe. Jim is a dangerously clever man; He knew that the only way he could find out if Brooke had told Phoebe anything about her visit to Boston would be to butter Phoebe up. What Jim didn't count on was the transparency of his concern for Phoebe. Phoebe told Jim that he was "good" at what he does and told him that she can tell he wants something from her. Jim didn't try to hide the fact that he did want something from her. He told Phoebe that he'd asked Brooke to marry him, adding that Brooke never gave him an answer. Jim was hoping that Phoebe would speak to Brooke and nudge her into accepting his proposal. Phoebe wasn't about to get involved, a move that was quite atypical for Mrs. Wallingford. Jim didn't get a chance to ask Phoebe why she wasn't on his side because Opal burst into the house with some pastry for Phoebe. Jim's cellphone chirped away indicating that he had an incoming call. He walked to the far corner of the room before taking the call. On the other end was his old pal O'Brien calling from New York. The man told Jim that "a punk" was poking around town claiming to be one of his friends. Jim asked his crony to delay "the punk" until he could get there. Jim told the ladies that he had to run to handle some business. He didn't wait for them to say goodbye---he turned and made a beeline for the door. Opal found it odd that Jim left so suddenly. Phoebe concurred, but didn't tell her friend that she's suspicious of Mr. Thomasen. The two women got to talking, something that should have made them both happy. Phoebe noticed that Opal seemed distracted and even mildly upset. Opal confessed that her life hasn't been too peachy of late. She said that Palmer has been giving her the cold shoulder since their dispute of her getting involved in the Kelsey-Kevin debacle. Opal had hoped that she and Palmer could spend some more time working in the romance department now that Petey was in school---but Palmer was spending more late nights in the study than ever before. Phoebe took Opal's hand and pledged to help her win back Palmer. When they're done, Phoebe grinned, they'll have Palmer "peeling grapes at [Opal's] feet!"
In a darkened room at the loft, Dimitri packed some of Gloria's belongings into cardboard boxes. He paused temporarily when a knock sounded on the front door. Bianca slipped out of Linden House and tracked her former stepfather down. Concerned that Bianca had disobeyed her mother's orders by dropping by, Dimitri suggested that they phone Erica to tell her that Bianca was with him. Bianca worried that she'd be forced to return home and asked Dimitri to keep her visit a secret. Bianca literally beat herself up for causing her mother and Dimitri to feud over her request to go horseback riding. Dimitri assured Bianca that she'd done nothing wrong and that their problems had nothing to do with her. Bianca read about Dimitri's problems in The Intruder, but she knew she couldn't always believe what she read in the tabloids. This time, Dimitri sighed, the stories about all the bad things he'd done were true. This was the first time that Dimitri actually acknowledged that his downfall began when Erica left him. He told the young girl that once Erica left him, he found himself getting angrier and angrier. Now he wants to make amends for all the things he'd done. Having everyone in her life bickering wasn't making recovery easy for Bianca. Seeing her father yelling at her mother and her mother yelling at Dimitri hurt her badly. Dimitri tried to impress upon Bianca how much he loves her. He pledged to continue his efforts to win Erica over in the hopes of getting to spend some time with Bianca---but it wasn't going to be easy. Dimitri gave Bianca a big hug and thanked her for stopping by.
At Enchantment, Erica worked on plans to redesign her office. She wanted everything gone---the desk, the window treatments, the whole shebang. Edmund dropped by and told Erica that he'd been talking to Dimitri. Erica was concerned that Dimitri was conning his way back into Edmund's life and urged him to sever all ties with his brother. Erica accused Edmund of being a messenger for Dimitri and told him that she didn't want to hear a word that Dimitri had to say. Edmund wasn't about to pack it in; he had a mission. Edmund told Erica that Dimitri is concerned for Bianca's welfare and that he wants to spend time with her. Erica stated that Dimitri confuses his love for people with thoughts of ownership. Erica defended her care of Bianca. She reminded Edmund that she has the top specialists in the country working with Bianca. That might do some good, Edmund agreed, but it's not the only thing that Bianca needs. Bianca wants to go riding with Dimitri---and that's what she needs to do. Erica refused to budge from her position. She reminded Edmund that Dimitri had slept with his wife and then stole his child without any plans to give her back. "Erica," Edmund said looking down his nose, "you did the same thing." In a rather circuitous implication, Edmund insinuated that Erica was more concerned with keeping her hatred of Dimitri alive than seeing Bianca get well. Erica vehemently denied the accusation and realized that the only thing she could do would be to honor Bianca's wishes. She told Edmund to tell Dimitri that Bianca would call him to make arrangements to go riding. When Bianca showed up later, she was overjoyed to hear that she could spend time with Dimitri. Erica was actually caught off guard by how much Bianca really wanted to see Dimitri.
In Boston, Brooke and Laura spent time getting caught up on each other's lives. Laura was making a big splash at the youth center and seemed very happy in her new surroundings. She asked Brooke if she was still seeing Jim. Brooke stated that her visit was actually prompted by her relationship with Jim. Brooke had no way of anticipating Laura's reaction when she told her that Jim had proposed. Laura was opposed to an engagement and begged her mother not to accept. Laura knew that Brooke and Jim's bond was forged by the plane crash, but she didn't want to see her mother get hurt by Jim. Brooke played it cool and pretended to be hopelessly in love with Jim in the hopes of getting Laura to spill her story to her. Brooke told Laura that someone had told her that Jim had lived in the same SRO as her and her mother. Laura's face turned ghostly white. She lowered her head and said that "a ton of people" lived in the building and she wasn't sure if Jim had actually lived there or not. Laura later confessed that she did recognize Jim's face, but only after he landed in Pine Valley. That made Brooke wonder why Jim had never said that he recognized Laura. This was sore subject for Laura and she asked if they could change the subject. Brooke told her daughter that she'd postpone accepting Jim's proposal.
In New York, Mateo and Hayley waited around for the loan shark to show his face. In a nearby booth, O'Brien quizzed Randy for details on "the blonde" and "the punk." Winona performed her usual duties and Mateo and Hayley began to suspect that they'd been stood up. When Winona walked over to the bar. Matt asked her why the bookie hadn't shown up. She licked her lips and informed them that she'd been there all morning---she was the loan shark! Winona seemed surprised that Matt only wanted to borrow five thousand dollars; apparently that was a small "investment." She him her payback policy: the first installment was due in seven days and each subsequent payment was due seven days later. If he failed to repay the loan, she'd send her associates after him. It would be a pity if his "pretty face" were messed up, she said softly. Mateo said that he wouldn't bolt because of what had happened to Jim. Winona's face wrinkled up as she told Matt that Jim never had to borrow any money from her. She said that Jim had "another racket" and that he was rolling in the dough. She never said exactly what it was that Jim did. If Matt wanted to know, he'd have to ask Jim. Winona caressed Matt's face once again as she continued to talk to him about her repayment policies among other things. When she handed over the stack of cash, Hayley stomped over to the bar and snapped at the woman. "I hate women who have to pay for it," she growled. Hayley's plan was to convince Matt not to take the money---that way they wouldn't face the wrath of Winona's "associates." Matt apologized for wasting Winona's time, but told her that if he ever needed a loan he knew where to turn. Winona stroked his cheek and told him that he could visit her any time. Matt and Hayley went to the private table and began working on the next phase of their investigation. They both agreed that they needed to find out what Jim's "racket" was. Neither of them paid close attention what was going on around them. Had they taken a quick glance in the mirror behind the bar, they would have seen that Jim had walked into the bar.
From the doorway of the bar, Jim motioned to O'Brien. The two men went outside and had a private discussion. Their conversation didn't consist of more than a few words. Jim called the two strangers "trespassers" and ordered O'Brien to "get rid of them."
Back inside, Mateo and Hayley realized that they'd hit a dead end. They were preparing to leave when O'Brien re-entered the bar and asked them how their meeting with had gone. Mateo noted that he would have been set up with the cash, but that his "old lady" didn't approve of getting the woman from another woman. O'Brien chuckled and admitted that his wife wouldn't let him get involved with Winona either. O'Brien grabbed a napkin off of one of the tables and scribbled down an address. He told Matt that the address would lead them to another source of cash. Hayley and Mateo left, unaware that Hayley had dropped one of her gloves. Once the coast was clear, Jim jumped out of his hiding spot and grabbed Winona by the neck. He demanded to know what Mateo wanted. The door to the bar opened an Hayley walked back inside. Jim bent Winona and started kissing her so that Hayley wouldn't see his face. She got her glove and went back outside. Winona defended her decision to talk to Mateo, saying that the stranger claimed to be a friend of his. Jim was furious. Randy added that he thought that Matt's "woman" was working for Jim. The implication was that Hayley was a prostitute. Jim was concerned that someone had told the couple about his studio. O'Brien said that no one had opened their mouths and that Matt only wanted to be hooked up with a loan shark that had previously given Jim a loan. O'Brien shrugged and said that he didn't know that Jim had dealt with loan sharks. Jim snarled and flashed his teeth. He informed his friends that he never dealt with a loan shark. The loan shark was a story he made up for "some woman who couldn't keep her mouth shut." And now that his woman hadn't kept her mouth shut, Jim stated that he'd have to shut it for her!
The door to the loft was open. Edmund warned his brother about the dangers of keeping his door unlocked, but Dimitri seemed unconcerned. The place was still dark and Edmund asked Dimitri if he could open the curtains or turn on a light or two. Dimitri obliged him. With the light came an ability to see Dimitri's raggedy appearance. He had a day or so's worth of stubble and his hair was unkempt. Edmund told Dimitri that he'd been to see Erica. Dimitri didn't have to wait for the story's conclusion to know that Erica had turned down his request to go riding with Bianca. Edmund nodded. He remained quiet for several seconds before explaining that Erica had then done a one-eighty and agreed to the horseback riding excursion. The story sounded too good to be true and Dimitri accused his brother of toying with him. There was no hidden punch line---Erica had agreed to let Bianca see Dimitri. Edmund called and made arrangements with Erica for the ride. Edmund had wanted to schedule the horseback riding for later in the day, but Dimitri said that he had other things to do. Edmund suggested that Dimitri contact Myrtle and ask her to pack up Gloria's things. Dimitri refused. He felt that he owed it to Gloria to gathering her belongings. Dimitri explained that once he packed up Gloria's things Ruth would send them to Gloria. Gloria hadn't given him her forwarding address and he implied that he didn't want it. The latter part of his statement seemed more of a macho attempt to hide his hurt feelings than a statement of fact. Dimitri reached into one of the boxes and picked up a teddy bear. Dimitri told Edmund that the bear belonged to Maddie, but Edmund couldn't accept the gift. Edmund said that Maddie had enough toys and that Dimitri could keep the bear. Dimitri explained that Maddie had picked the bear out on a shopping excursion. He and Gloria were pushing Maddie in her stroller and Maddie pointed to the bear in a store window and began laughing. Finally, Edmund agreed to accept it. After Edmund left, Dimitri sat down at his desk to write a letter to Gloria. In his letter, he called Gloria "a light at the end of a very long tunnel." He told her that he doesn't resent her for her decision to leave him. In fact, he's happy for her and told her that she made the right decision. He tucked the letter in an envelope, placed it in one of the boxes, and closed the lid.
In the bar at the Valley Inn, Trevor hid behind a newspaper hoping to catch a glimpse of Janet and Axel. Janet saw Trevor and smiled admonishingly at him. She joined him at his table and told him that she doesn't want him to create a scene when Axel arrives. Trevor stated that he didn't plan on causing a stir. He only wanted to size up the competition. A waiter brought over the phone and told Janet that she had a call. On the other end was Axel with bad news for Janet. He told her that his car had given out on him and that he would be unable to join her for dinner. Trevor rolled his eyes and said that he somehow knew Axel would get "tied up." He reached for the phone so that he could talk to Axel, but Janet pressed the disconnect button before he could grab the phone. Janet explained that she didn't want Axel to know that she was seated with Trevor because he might get jealous. Trevor mused that it would be hard to make an imaginary person jealous. He also stated that Tad doesn't believe that "Mr. Janet Green" has returned either. Janet implied that Trevor was acting so childish because she'd dumped him. Trevor asked her to cast her thoughts back tot he Crystal Ball. He reminded her how happy she was and how she cried when he proposed to her. Janet' didn't argue with his account of the events, but things had changed since then. Trevor gave her a peck on the cheek and told her that he'd be waiting for his next chance to meet Mr. Green. Janet dropped her head to the table and asked herself what she'd gotten herself into. Jimmy, the waiter Janet had paid to make the phone calls, walked over to her table and asked her if she needed anything. Janet shook her head and thanked him for helping her. Jimmy thanked her for allowing him to sharpen his acting skills. Suddenly the little lightbulb over Janet's head lit up. She raced to the phone and called a Manhattan-based talent agency.
Brooke returned home. Her Aunt Phoebe told her that Jim wanted her to call him, but Brooke had more important things to tackle. Phoebe knew that something was bothering her niece and asked Brooke to spill her story. Brooke told Phoebe about Laura's reaction when she learned of Jim's proposal. She knew that Laura was holding something back from her---and that worried her. Brooke felt like the earth was about to open up and swallow her. Being a reporter, Brooke was compelled to search for answers. She could only hope that the answers didn't show that Jim was lying to her. Opal entered the room carrying some tea. She told the two women that she was going to head over to "Pheebes'" house to check her mail. Brooke was somewhat envious of Opal. She visualized Opal and Palmer together and how happy they must be. Phoebe urged Brooke to contact the police and have them check into Jim's past. Brooke couldn't do that. She said that in the unlikely event that Jim was actually telling the truth, if she called the police it would be like signing Jim's death warrant. By that, she meant that the thugs who had planted the bomb would surely seek Jim out and kill him. Normally Brooke goes into things with her eyes wide open. The one time that she took a leap of faith, she groaned and never finished her sentence. "I want Mateo to call and say Jim's story is true. It doesn't seem likely, does it?" In a spooky coincidence, the phone rang---and it was Mateo on the other end. He didn't have the good news that she was looking for, but he told her that he'd set up a meeting with Jim's loan shark. Opal returned with a bouquet of flowers sent to Phoebe by Langley. Langley was on an archaeological dig and knew nothing about Phoebe's accident. The flowers were sent "just for so." Opal smiled and said that she knew that Phoebe would be receiving flowers because she read it in her tealeaves. Brooke went upstairs to take a shower and Phoebe asked Opal if she could read Brooke's tealeaves. Opal saw a rated-X account of two people intertwined in passion, but she also saw serious danger. Jim returned from his brief visit to New York and asked if Brooke was home. Phoebe told him that her niece was taking a shower and that afterwards she was going to take a nap. "I must have missed that nap part," Opal interjected. Phoebe whapped Opal with her elbow to try to keep her quiet. It was too late. Brooke walked down the steps and smiled weakly to Jim. He asked her if she would join him for lunch. Phoebe quickly interrupted and said that Brooke was going to teach her how to trim her bonsai. Opal sighed and told Phoebe that Brooke could help her with her plants anytime and urged the two "lovebirds" to run along. Brooke leaned over and whispered into Phoebe's ear, telling her that she'd be okay. Once they were gone, Phoebe called Opal foolish for allowing Jim and Brooke to leave. She picked up the phone and placed an urgent call to Edmund.
Mateo and Hayley found the address scrawled on the napkin. They waited in a vacant lot in the freezing temperatures for nearly an hour before they realized that they'd been set up.
Jim passed on having lunch with Brooke and invited her back to his hotel room. She asked him why he'd opted not to have lunch to which he replied that he wanted to get her alone. A bead of sweat formed on Brooke's brow as Jim locked the door and moved closer to her. "You sold me out," he snarled, "and I want to know why."
Summoned by Phoebe, Edmund dropped by Brooke's house to chat with his good friend. Phoebe is always pleased to see Edmund, but this time she didn't call him for social reasons. Phoebe asked Edmund for his thoughts on "this Jim Thomasen person." Edmund held nothing back; He made it clear that he didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him. He wished he felt differently for Brooke's sake, but he wasn't about to turn off his early warning detection system. Phoebe wished that things could have gone differently for her niece because she didn't like seeing her with Mr. Wrong. Edmund offered what he thought might help Phoebe by saying that Jim was there for Brooke when she needed him most. Phoebe already knew that, but wondered what price Brooke would have to pay for that support. Phoebe was worried about Brooke and asked Edmund to look around town to see if he could find her.
In the sunroom at the hospital, Jake and Allie discussed what they would do after David was out of the picture. They had to end their niceties when Joe appeared at the doorway. They didn't want anyone to question their relationship. Joe told the couple that the board hearing had been pushed back two weeks. The news was just what the doctor had ordered for Allie. She gave Joe a big hug and kiss as thanks for helping her. She quickly composed herself and apologized for her outburst of emotion. Joe figured out that Jake and Allie knew who administered the wrong medication and asked them to give him a name. Jake shook his head and stated that his father wouldn't believe him. He assured his dad that he'd get the proof. Joe reluctantly agreed to let his son "go outside the lines" to clear his name.
Mateo and Hayley were about to leave when a man entered the lot and asked if he could have a quarter. Hayley reached into her pocket and handed over a quarter. He looked at the quarter and decided that he wanted more--much more. He pulled a switchblade from his pocket and demanded that the couple hand over their wallets. Hayley wasn't about to part with her money and credit cards. She looked dead into the stranger's eyes and told him that she wasn't going to bow to his demands. Hayley took a step back and the thug followed her. The distraction allowed Mateo to grab the man's arm and wrestle him for the knife. While the men struggled, Hayley sneaked up from behind and bopped him on the head with some of the debris littering the lot. Mateo was able to get the upper-hand and knocked the man to the ground. Matt and Hayley were about to make their getaway when another thug entered the lot---this one was carrying a metal baseball bat. He swung the bat at Matt, but Matt ducked in time to get out of the way. This second scuffled allowed the first thug to get his second wind. Hayley took on the first thug while her husband handled the second. Hayley clobbered her thug with a trashcan lid. In what could have doubled as a professional wrestling move. Mateo and Hayley flung the two men towards each other. They crashed into one another and tumbled to the ground. The Santoses were able to elude the goons and head back to Pine Valley.
Brooke tried to play it cool by claiming she had no idea what Jim was talking about, but Jim was too smart to fall for her story. He reminded her that she was the only one who knew about his loan shark connection. Out of the blue Mateo and Hayley started poking around in his old neighborhood asking questions. Brooke was still intent on getting answers, asking Jim what type of "business" Mateo and Hayley had been asking about. Brooke was forced to admit that she told Mateo about Jim's underworld connection, but she felt she had a good reason. She said that Mateo and Hayley have been having marital problems ever since the plane crash because Mateo has been blaming Adam for the crash. Jim didn't like having his safety traded for a couple's happy marriage. He described how dangerous it was for Mateo to get involved and noted how crazy it was for Matt to get his wife tied up in the matter. Brooke nodded and insisted that she'd tell Mateo to back off. Brooke insisted that she didn't want Mateo to go to New York---she'd only told him to help ease his anger. "Don't you believe me?" Brooke asked, echoing a line Jim had used on her so many times. Jim grabbed her by the chin and cast a cold, methodical glance deep into her soul. He didn't believe her. He told her that she's been cold and standoffish in recent weeks and thinks that she's up to something. "This is not about some article for Tempo," he growled. "This is about my life... and your life too!" Their discussion as cut short by a knock at the door. Edmund couldn't have picked a worse time to track Brooke down. Edmund claimed that he was looking for Brooke because he had to ask her some questions about an article. Jim was ticked off and asked Edmund when Brooke's need to clock into work everyday had started. Brooke smiled and every word she spoke with was carefully and skillfully chosen. She told Edmund that she had purposely ducked out of sight because she hadn't had much time alone with Jim of late. Edmund asked her if she was okay. Brooke nodded. After Edmund left, Jim accused Brooke of feeding Edmund lies about him. Brooke again professed her innocence. "Why would I make life hell for the man I'm going to marry?" she asked. Jim was flabbergasted. His anger washed away in a tide of jubilance. He was at a loss for words to explain how he felt. That was only natural, Brooke noted, because Jim is a photographer not a writer. Jim wanted to spend the rest of the day making love to Brooke. He kissed her neck unaware of the look of horror on Brooke's face.
Edmund returned to Brooke's house and told Phoebe that all seemed to be in order with Jim and Brooke. Something, though, just didn't seem right. Mateo and Hayley showed up hoping to give Brooke some news on an investigation they'd been doing for her. Edmund asked them if they were working on a piece for Tempo. Mateo and Hayley couldn't seem to agree; one said yes and the other said no. They looked at each other nervously before Mateo explained that they were not sure if their work would ever be good enough to make it to the pages of the magazine. Of course that led to Edmund asking for the topic of the investigation. The old Cuban cigar story resurfaced, but since no one else had believed it to date why would Edmund be any different? He pointed to a bruise on Matt's cheek and mused that cigars must pack a powerful punch. Hayley laughed and said that Mateo's bruise came from "walking into one of those things." Hayley was going down awfully quickly. Mateo tossed her a lifesaver and said that he'd walked into a firebox. Edmund didn't buy it, but played along with them. Phoebe knew what Matt and Hayley were up to, but she couldn't say anything in front of Edmund. After the couple left, Edmund asked Phoebe if Matt and Hayley seemed to be acting a little weird. Phoebe smiled and said that she believes the couple was meant for each other. Well that didn't answer Edmund's question and it made him think that Phoebe was hiding something from him. He never got to find out because Phoebe "remembered" that it was her naptime.
Liza asked David to drop by her office at WRCW to discuss adding a medical segment to WRCW's line-up. David liked the idea, but thought Liza was only offering him the job to keep his silence about observing her and Jake in a kiss. Liza denied the claim and said that David had misconstrued what he'd seen. David was sure of what went down---Jake and Liza were kissing. Stuart, who had been listening to the conversation from the hallway, burst into the room and demanded some answers. He was crushed to hear that Liza was cheating on Adam. He insisted that David must be mistaken because Jake loves Allie. Jake and Allie were in the hallway and knew that their plan could go up in smoke if someone didn't do something. Allie walked into the room and told Liza that she'd considered her medical segment proposal and decided to accept the offer. Stuart turned and asked Allie if she and Jake were still together. Allie nodded her head and smiled. Stuart turned to Liza and told her that he knew that she wasn't dating Jake again. Allie's face dropped. She asked Liza if she was trying to play some kind of cruel joke. David took her by the arm and escorted her from the room, telling her that Liza's office wasn't the proper venue for her to hear about the truth. He led her back tot he hospital and told her the horrible truth---Jake and Liza are having an affair. Allie refused to believe him. She had to turn her back to the doctor to hide a smile that had emerged on her face---David had taken the bait. Back at WRCW, Jake slipped into Liza's office and closed the door. Stuart's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he thought about what Jake and Liza might want to do with the door closed! Liza told Stuart that he'd almost blown their plan. Jake asked Stuart if he could keep a secret. Stuart nodded. Jake told Stuart that he could be the key to their plan---their plan to kill Adam. Stuart made a goofy little smile until he realized that Jake might not be joking!
Adam's sleep was flooded with nightmare after nightmare. In the most vivid dream, he imagined himself entering Liza's office and catching her in the act with Jake. Hayley, acting as Liza's secretary, entered the office and demanded that Adam return when he has an appointment. Adam insisted that he didn't need an appointment because he was there to do something important: confess. Out of nowhere, Brooke appeared and asked Adam if he wanted to confess for causing the TransGlobal crash. Joe materialized and asked if the confession would be an apology for trying to destroy Jake's medical career. None of those scenarios were right. Adam said that he wanted to confess for not honoring the love he and Liza shared. Everyone broke into spontaneous applause. Adam celebrated that he'd given the right answer, but then everyone disappeared in a puff of smoke. Joy appeared behind him and told him that he'd confessed the wrong thing. "You know what you have to do," she murmured. Adam woke from his sleep and shouted "leave me alone." He didn't know that Tad was standing at his doorway. Tad told the millionaire that he wasn't going anywhere because he'd been told that he wanted to see him. Adam got out of bed and moved on to the reason for the meeting. He asked Tad how long Jake has been sleeping with Liza. Tad laughed and told Adam that Jake was in love with Allie, not Liza. Adam told Tad that he'd broken up a late-night rendezvous between Jake and Liza at the boathouse. Tad implied that Adam must have been mistaken. "I am not delusional! I know what I saw and I know what's real!" His words came as an eerie premonition to another hallucination. In the corner of the room, a bright light enveloped an object hovering in the air. Adam pointed to the corner and told Tad to look, but by the time Tad turned around the object had disappeared. Adam insisted that a walking stick had been floating in the air. Tad worried that Adam was having another hallucination and gently toyed with Adam over his vision. The ribbing didn't amuse Adam and he ordered Tad to leave. Tad agreed, but before leaving he suggested that Adam consult a doctor. Adam plopped down on his bed and put his head in his hands. He asked himself what he did to deserve the torment he'd been receiving. A spooky voice echoed from somewhere in the room, "Murder...."
It was hard for Allie to keep from laughing, but she somehow managed to contain the merriment and continue with her charade. David told Allie that he saw Jake and Liza kissing. They're friends, Allie said shrugging it off. Friends kiss. David agreed, but friends don't kiss the way that he saw Liza and Jake kissing. Allie accused him of trying to turn her against Jake. David advised Allie to talk to Jake. Since he's an honest man, he'll no doubt tell Allie exactly what happened.
"You're gonna kill my brother?" Stuart's face drooped and his pulse began to race. Stuart couldn't begin to fathom why Liza would want to kill Adam. Sure, there were numerous reasons why someone could want Adam dead---but Adam's death would be "for a good cause." Stuart scampered towards the door and told Liza that he was going to go to the police and report her. Even though he was sometimes at odds with his brother, Stuart didn't want to see Adam get hurt. Stuart insisted that Adam wouldn't hurt Adam---they were just going to kill him. Liza decided that the only way to calm Stuart's frazzled nerves was to tell him the truth. Jake filled Stuart in on how David administered the wrong drug to Adam. He explained that it was a misguided attempt to win Allie back. Stuart was ready to head back to the police station, this time to tell the police about David. Jake begged Stuart to keep his voice down and told him that they didn't have enough proof to point the finger at David yet. Some mild amusement filled the room when Stuart tried to figure out why David would want to kill Adam. David doesn't know Adam well enough to want to kill him, Stuart chattered. The doorknob on the office door rattled nervously. From the other side of the door, Tad called out Liza's name. Jake told Liza that he'd handle his brother if she would finish briefing Stuart. In the hallway, Tad became suspicious when Jake told him that Liza was "busy" and couldn't meet with him. For a few moments he actually believed that Adam was right when he said that Jake and Liza were having an affair. Jake assured him that he was still in love with Allie, but he refused to answer any questions about what he and Liza were up to. Tad pressed for details, but Jake stood strong. While he couldn't tell Tad what he was doing, Jake did have an idea of how Tad could help him. This was not going to be an easy task. He asked Tad to keep an eye on Adam and to convince him that he's not sleeping with Liza. Tad agreed and ventured off to do his part in the plan. Back inside the office, Stuart finally figured out what was going on: Allie loves Jake and Jake loves Allie. He was left with one question, though. He asked Liza why she'd involved herself in the plan. She claimed that seeing Adam nearly die at her feet prompted her involvement. Stuart smiled as he realized that Liza must still love Adam. Jake returned to the office. Stuart was ready for his assignment. "We need you to die in Adam's place," Jake said calmly. Poor Stuart. The look on his face was almost comical. He begged Jake to tell Adam what was going on so that Adam could "die for himself. " He explained that he'd promised never to swap places with Adam ever again. Jake didn't want Stuart to do something that he didn't want to do and gave him the option to back out. Stuart rethought his decision and agreed to let Jake and Liza kill him. He made "quotation marks in the air with his fingers" just to make sure that he was only going to pretend to be dead---and not actually be dead! Stuart muttered something quite curious, saying that it wouldn't be the first time he helped someone pretend to be dead.
"What murder?" Adam asked the mysterious voice. The voice told him that he knows what murder she's referring to and again demanded that he confess. Adam turned and noticed an old basin sitting atop his dresser. He walked over to the dresser and smelled a bar of soap sitting next to the basin. Camellias. The scent brought back memories of Joy. He dipped his hands into the water. Suddenly something horrific occurred. The crystal clear water transformed into a sticky red mess---blood. Adam's heart stopped momentarily as he yelled at the top of his lungs for help. He raced down the hall to find Winifred. He asked her to follow him to his bedroom and explain how "it" got there. Winifred looked in the direction Adam had been looking and told him that his dresser had been there for many years. The basin that Adam had seen only a few minutes before had suddenly disappeared. Winifred was concerned for her employer, but she didn't know how to broach the subject. Adam stuttered as he tried to explain what had happened. Finally he gave up and told her that she was free to leave. Alone again, Adam begged Joy to stop haunting him.
At Enchantment, Erica posed for some new publicity photos for Enchantment. Jack entered the office and was promptly admonished by Bianca for crashing the closed set. She explained that Jack's presence could distract her mother. Jack smiled and rushed towards Erica. He gave her a kiss on the neck. The photographer loved every moment of it and claimed that the shots he'd snapped off were beautiful. The shoot wound down and Erica looked around Bianca, but her daughter was nowhere to be found. Erica walked over to a tray of muffins and noticed that Bianca hadn't eaten a thing. She explained to Jack that she'd hoped that Bianca might have become so engrossed in the photo shoot that she'd have started eating. Bianca returned, saying that she'd gone to the ladies' room. Jack asked Bianca if she'd give him the tour she'd promised. Bianca agreed and the trio walked towards the door. Dimitri suddenly appeared and Bianca remembered that she'd scheduled a riding date with him. Erica asked Bianca to reschedule the riding session for a later date because she'd promised to show her uncle around Enchantment. Bianca didn't want to change her plans. She used food as leverage over her mother, stating that she'd eat a snack if she was allowed to go riding. Erica submitted to her daughter's blackmail, of sorts, and agreed to let her go riding. Once Bianca was gone, Jack praised Erica's strength for allowing the girl to go with Dimitri. Erica only hoped that Bianca wouldn't get hurt. The topic quickly changed to the approaching Valentine's holiday. Jack wouldn't tell Erica what he'd planned for her---but he did say that it was something special.
At the hospital, David recalled overhearing Jake and Liza. He was sure of what he heard. Allie walked onto the sun porch and "accidentally" spilled her cup of coffee. David helped her sop up the mess. Allie claimed that she'd been drinking too much caffeine, but David felt that he'd caused her jittery nerves. He suggested that he might have misinterpreted Jake and Liza's kiss. Allie sighed and asked David if she has a sign on her that says "cheat on me." Is it possible, she asked, that Jake is no better than David? David apologized for cheating on Allie. He said that he never knew how much he needed her until he saw her with someone else. Perhaps, he said, Jake feels the same way about Liza. He gave her a hug to comfort her, unaware that Jake had walked into the room. He asked them what was going on. David stated that he and Allie were having a private discussion. Allie turned and faced Jake and asked him if it was true that he'd been spotted kissing Liza. Jake was silent for a few moments before admitting that what David had said was true. But it wasn't really what it appeared to be. He said that Liza was the one who was kissing him, not the other way around. Allie let out a deep breath and gave Jake a big hug. David flashed a sarcastic smile towards David. David could take no more of what he saw as Jake's playing Allie for a fool. He stormed off. Allie and Jake waited to make sure that the coast was clear before they celebrated putting one over on David.
At the hunting lodge near Wildwind, Bianca and Dimitri warmed up by a fire after their ride. Bianca was upset that her mother was so protective of her. Dimitri assured Bianca that Erica meant well. He opened up a container of apple slices and offered one to Bianca. Bianca chuckled and stated that the horses needed the apples more than her because they were the ones doing all of the work. Dimitri tried to get her to eat, but she refused. Dimitri got quiet and Bianca worried that she'd upset him. Dimitri told her that he'd upset himself. He said that many painful memories pop up for him when he visits the hunting lodge, memories that make him want to disappear from the face of the Earth. Bianca took his hand and told him that she knows exactly how he feels.
David showed up at Liza's office and told her about what Jake had told Allie. He added that when he left the couple, "they were all over each other." Liza was furious. She blasted Allie for thinking that she could have Jake for herself. "She can't have him!" Liza yelled. She turned and cast a stern glance in David's direction. "Why couldn't you have killed Adam the first time?" she asked.
Inside Adam's bedroom walls, the mystery woman slouched in a corner. She spoke aloud to herself and asked what it would take to get Adam to confess. She heard a noise coming from the bedroom and knew that Adam had returned. She picked up her voice-contorting device and seized another opportunity to drive Adam crazy. "Are you ready to confess?" she asked. What she didn't know was that it wasn't Adam on the other side of the wall---it was Tad!
