At WRCW, Scott jumped online and sent out several email messages to his friends and acquaintances to ask them to keep an eye out for Laura. Liza wanted Scott to help her look over some work schedules, but when she saw what he was doing, she put the plans on hold. Scott explained his desire to track down Laura. Liza understood and offered her assistance if needed. Scott worried that finding Laura would be beyond their scope. He asked if Liza might be able to convince Adam to hire a private investigator to help find the missing girl.
"You've got to be kidding," Adam cackled as he entered the office. Adam flashed the latest cover of the National Intruder, its heading blaring the news that Brooke English's adopted daughter had posed for nude photos. Adam was pleased that Laura had run away, a statement that drew fire from the millionaire's nephew. Scott lashed out at Adam's insensitivity, defending Laura while at the same time angering Adam more and more. Adam warned Scott that he was "one bridge you do not want to burn." Liza jumped between the two stubborn men and demanded that they stop fighting.
Liza asked Adam to try to see things from Scott's point of view. Adam argued that he was -- and that Scott should be relieved to have "the tramp" out of his life. Scott left for home and asked Liza to email him if she learned anything. Liza told Adam that he had gone overboard in his scolding of Scott. Adam's blood pressure dropped back to normal, and he realized the error of his ways.
Perhaps, Adam explained, his inability to relate to Scott stemmed from the fact that he'd never raised a child. While it was never intended in that way, Adam's explanation upset Liza and made her feel that losing her baby disappointed Adam. Adam stepped back from his "poor me" sentiment and comforted Liza. He assured her that she had not let him down or failed him. She was his family, and he loved her. Nothing, he said as he smiled, would change that.
Dimitri's mind whirred into overdrive; he needed to determine how Maddie could be his daughter when her blood type did not match his own. Someone, he thought, had to be mistaken. However, figuring out who would not be an easy task. If he could have willed Maddie to be his daughter genetically, she would have been his. "She has to be [mine]," Dimitri said aloud. Gloria overheard Dimitri's statement and raced to his side. She vouched for Maddie's well-being, saying that changing the baby's diet would put her back on the road to recovery.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Skye tracked down Edmund and told him that she had big news for him. She reached into her purse and pulled out a blue pill bottle. The bottle, she said as she smiled, had been hidden in a drawer at Dimitri's house. Never mind how she'd gotten her hands on the bottle, she said, something about the pills didn't jibe. The bottle, she explained, was hidden in the back of a drawer.
Edmund took the bottle from Skye and flagged down Jake. Edmund lied about the pills, telling Jake that Skye had found the pills in his desk drawer at work. He asked if Jake could find out if those were his painkillers. Jake agreed to run the pills by the lab and have them analyzed. Dimitri crossed paths with Edmund and Skye and accused Edmund of following him. Edmund insisted that he was at the hospital on personal business. Dimitri refused to believe the explanation and threatened to call the police and report that Edmund was violating the restraining order taken against him.
Edmund looked around and saw no sign of Maddie. Dimitri's demeanor led Edmund to believe that Maddie was still at the hospital and that something might be wrong with the child. Dimitri, who had gotten very worked up, insisted that the child was in perfect health. Edmund wasn't so sure. He asked why Dimitri would be so angered if everything was "a-okay." Dimitri left, but not before issuing another advisory to Edmund to stay away from Madeline.
Edmund smiled pompously as Dimitri walked away. Skye wondered how Edmund could be pleased over the confrontation with Dimitri. "We're close," Edmund said, grinning, because they were close to figuring out what Dimitri was hiding. Jake returned a few minutes later with the results of the lab tests: the pills Edmund had wanted to have analyzed were not his painkillers. Jake ordered Edmund to dump the pills to be on the safe side.
Edmund had expected the results. He told Skye that Dimitri had to have switched his pills on the day of the custody hearing. That meant that the "accident bump" had hardly been an accident -- Dimitri had wanted Edmund to take one of the swapped pills.
Brooke struggled with Ricky and actually had an opportunity to get away. Ricky, however, was able to catch her and re-administer the chloroform. Motionless, Brooke crumpled to the ground like a rag doll. Ricky plucked the paper bag from Brooke's arms and dashed off. A short time later, Jim raced to the scene. Against Brooke's wishes, he had tailed her to the drop-off spot. Brooke awoke and asked Jim to chase after the kidnapper and make sure that he didn't get away. Jim had second thoughts about leaving Brooke alone, but he agreed. Brooke fumbled for her cell phone and made an urgent phone call.
In the hideout, Laura used her legs to push an old wooden crate to her side. She stood on top of the crate, thus alleviating the pain caused from her hands being bound and tied above her body. Laura fidgeted around and was able to remove her gag and blindfold. She screamed for help, but the only person who heard her was Ricky. He returned just in time to see her trying to break free of the rope that tied her body to an old metal pipe. Laura continued to wiggle the rope back and forth. Each pass on the old metal pipe further eroded the strands of rope binding her hands.
Ricky refused to let Laura go. He told her that her ability to ID him made it impossible for him to let her go. Since he had his money, he snarled, he could disappear. Ricky picked up his belongings and left Laura alone in an unknown room by herself. Laura worked feverishly to break free of her ties. In one burst of energy, she yanked on the ropes and was sent flying to the ground. She was free -- but only for a few seconds. Ricky heard the loud thump and returned to the room. He told her that she had made another foolish move. He removed the handgun from his jeans and pointed it at the girl.
Jim burst into the room and readied to save Laura, but when he saw the gun, he froze in his tracks. Ricky warned the man that one false move would end tragically for Laura. Jim looked down on the ground and saw that Ricky was standing on an old, worn-out mattress. Quick thinking won the day; Jim recognized Ricky and called the kidnapper by his name. It provided enough confusion for Jim to bend down, yank the mattress, and send Ricky flopping to the ground. Jim picked up the mattress and tried to smother the man, but Ricky was too powerful and kicked Jim away. They both grabbed for anything in site to fight each other off.
Laura, her hands still tied together, picked up a rope with her fingers and wrapped it around Ricky's throat. It provided Jim with an opening to tackle the kidnapper. Again, Ricky was more powerful. He pushed Jim to the ground and ran off. Jim untied Laura's hands and told her how relieved he was to find her safe and sound. He wanted to take Laura to the hospital, but she refused. She asked Jim to take her home, but only if Brooke was not furious with her. Jim cocked his head to the side and told Laura that Brooke was not angry with her. Brooke would have given her life to save Laura, he said.
Trevor had arrived at the alley and given Brooke a ride home. Brooke filled the attorney in on the kidnapping but made him promise not to contact the police. Trevor felt somewhat responsible for the matter and explained how Tim might have played a part in Laura's disappearance. A noise from outside caused Brooke to run to the window. The front door swung open, and Laura ran inside the house. She and Brooke hugged and broke into tears.
Dimitri and Gloria returned home, armed with the news that Maddie would be fine. Dimitri sat alone in the living room while Gloria put Maddie down to nap. He recalled getting the results of the paternity test that proved that he was Maddie's father. He jumped to his feet and raced to the phone. He placed a call to a private investigator and demanded that Andy Fowler, the worker from the lab that performed the paternity test, be found. "He said she was mine!" Dimitri growled as he gritted his teeth.
The intravenous feeding removed, Bianca was served her first meal since being admitted to the hospital. Jake and Allie prepared their strategy to deal with Bianca just in case she refused to eat her supper. To their surprise, Bianca had cleared her plate and was engaged in some sort of ballet-stretching exercise. The doctors did not want to dissuade Bianca from keeping fit, but they worried that her exercising was a way to "burn off" her meal. Jake decided to use Allie as a tool to help convince Bianca that she could eat a full meal and still be in perfect shape.
Bianca requested a scale so that she could weigh herself. Jake smiled broadly as he told Bianca that the orderlies had to keep an eye on Allie so that she didn't steal the patients' Jell-O. Bianca giggled, but she was still amazed that Allie could eat more than her fair share of desserts and remain thin. Bianca begged Jake to let her do some exercises. Jake told her that he wanted her to remain physically active but reminded her that hospital policy prohibited patients from engaging in unapproved exercises because of possible injury and lawsuits.
Bianca's mind wandered to thoughts on her mother. She told Jake that she wanted to see her mother. Of course, Jake could do nothing to get Bianca and Erica together. Bianca reached under her hospital bed and grabbed a dried flower arrangement. Using the flowers that her mother had sent to her, Bianca made a dried floral arrangement for Erica. Allie offered to take the arrangement to Erica as soon as she got off-duty. Jake An orderly entered the room and told Bianca that he had to take her for some tests. Bianca complained about having to be taken in a wheelchair, but again Jake said that it was hospital policy to transport patients in wheelchairs.
While Bianca was gone, Jake found a plastic bag hidden behind the blinds. The bag contained Bianca's chicken dinner. She hadn't eaten even a morsel of her dinner after all. When Bianca returned, Jake confronted her about the dinner. Bianca explained that she wasn't hungry and apologized for making Jake mad. Jake claimed that he was not mad, but he was concerned.
Jake told Bianca that housekeeping didn't like finding day-old chicken hidden in patients' rooms and told Bianca that she should leave any unfinished portions on her tray. The two talked for several minutes, and Jake was able to determine what types of foods Bianca liked to eat. He headed to the kitchen to pick up some yogurt for the girl. He told Bianca that he'd sit with her while she ate -- not to make sure that she was eating, but because it would give him an excuse to take a break from doing his rounds.
Opal relaxed on the sofa, reading the latest copy of the Intruder. She was distracted from her reading by the return of her husband and Kevin. Opal had a barrage of questions for Kevin. She wanted to know everything from the name of Kevin's new therapist to the status of his relationship with Kelsey and Judith. Kevin wasn't up to answering questions, and Palmer detected that vibe from the boy. Palmer pulled Opal aside and scolded her for her continued interference in Kevin's life. While they bickered, Kelsey arrived at the mansion to loan a new CD to Kevin. They could both overhear the Cortlandts' argument and couldn't help feeling responsible for the rift between Opal and Palmer.
Kelsey wanted to help them patch things up, but Kevin didn't think they should get involved. More important to Kevin was his relationship with Kelsey. He asked her why she ducked out of sight when they saw each other on campus. Kelsey felt bad for her actions but explained that she didn't know how to handle their new relationship. She informed Kevin that she didn't want to come on too strong, but she'd never meant to give Kevin the could shoulder. Scott arrived at the manor and asked his friends if either had seen Laura. Opal heard the presence of an additional voice in the foyer and decided to investigate.
During the course of the conversation, Palmer found Opal's sleazy tabloid and confronted her with it. While he hollered at his wife for breaking her promise not to engage in gossip of any kind, Kelsey and Kevin were able to read the headline: Brooke English's daughter is porn queen. Scott defended Laura yet again, telling everyone that Laura had been coerced into posing for the photos. Opal ranted on an on about the shame that Laura had bestowed on Brooke and questioned Laura's position at the youth center. The teens headed out to help locate Laura.
Opal walked to the phone with the intention of calling Brooke, but Palmer intercepted her. He told Opal to be careful not to make a fool of herself. He pointed out that Opal had no problems when Jenny flaunted her body as a waitress as Foxy's. Opal asked Palmer why he'd been so short with her lately and wondered if they'd be able to work out their problems. Palmer had no answer. He told Opal that he was going to bed and walked out on her.
Erica was in the process of writing a letter when Jack showed up for a late-night visit. He gave Erica a briefing on Bianca's health. Erica was pleased that Bianca was showing signs of healing but still felt cut off from her daughter. She told Jack that she'd made the decision to sue Travis for joint custody. Jack advised against the decision. He told her that her main "evidence" against Travis might be refuted. Erica had planned to show that Travis had caused Bianca to become anorexic by cutting the ties between the child and Erica. Jack told Erica that the doctors felt that Bianca had shown signs of the disease before Travis had made the decision to block Bianca from seeing her mom.
Allie arrived at the prison and added further evidence that Bianca was on the road to recovery. She had no way of knowing that Bianca had not eaten her meal. Erica was thrilled that an expert on eating disorders was on top of Bianca's case. Allie corrected Erica, telling her that she was only an intern. Erica flipped out. She called Allie a "trainee" and demanded that Jack contact a professional to take over Bianca's case.
Allie was crushed, but she fought back. She assured Miss Kane that she was doing everything in her power to see that Bianca made a full recovery. Allie also told Erica that she could understand why Erica was upset -- Bianca was her daughter, and it had to be horrible not being able to see her. Allie presented Erica with the floral arrangement that Bianca had made. Erica was nearly moved to tear by the flowers. Erica beamed as she told Jack that one day they would all live happily -- together.
Brooke insisted that Laura be taken to the hospital for a checkup. Laura refused. She also asked that Brooke not contact the police. The only thing Laura wanted to do was to tell the truth about what had happened to her -- the whole truth. Laura claimed that she'd posed willingly for the photos. Brooke disagreed; she said that she could see by Laura's eyes that she had been terrified during the photo shoot. Laura was upset that Brooke had seen the photos. Brooke told her daughter that the photos did not make her love Laura any less. Laura felt that she did not deserve Brooke's love. "Don't say that," Brooke scolded her.
Brooke told Laura that people would understand why Laura had posed for the photos and assured her that she could talk to Brooke about the pictures. Laura told Brooke that she had posed for the photos to earn money to buy her mother medication. She said that her mom had developed a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis. "They took advantage of you," Brooke said of the boy who had posed in the photos with Laura and the photographer. Brooke demanded that Laura give her the name of the photographer so that she could see that he was punished.
Jim, who looked quite nervous, rose to his feet and told Brooke that he was going to go home and get ready for bed. Brooke wanted to go to Tad's house and tuck Jamie in bed and asked if Jim could stay with Laura while she was gone. Once Brooke was gone, Jim thanked Laura for not telling Brooke about his involvement in the photos. Laura reminded Jim that she'd promised not to tell anyone -- and that he had promised to keep quiet about the fire that had killed Laura's mother. The two shook hands and agreed to a new start. Laura went upstairs to take a bath. Jim sprawled out on the sofa and enjoyed the comforts of Brooke's home. "This is good," he said with a chuckle, "really good."
By the time Brooke returned home, Jim had left, and Laura had finished washing up. The two women talked about their first meeting. "I needed you as much as you needed me," Brooke said softly. "That was the luckiest day of my life," Laura said as she smiled. The two fell into each other's arms and sobbed.
Ricky returned to the "scene of the crime." The door swung open, and Jim entered the room. Ricky cringed at the man's appearance and began babbling apology after apology for hitting him. "Relax," Jim said smoothly, "thanks to you, I'm a hero all over again."
Praise for Ricky flowed freely off of Jim's lips. Ricky quivered against the wall as he apologized for hitting Jim so hard. Jim told the boy that the blood hadmade the fight look more realistic. Jim reached into a paper bag and pulled out fifty thousand dollars in cash. That, he said as he smiled, was Ricky's cut in "the kidnapping." Take the money and run --those were Ricky's orders. Ricky cackled gleefully as he caressed the cold, hard cash. Ricky asked Jim if he'd be leaving town, but Jim indicated that he had plans to stick around. "Doing what?" Ricky asked. "Brooke English," Jim laughed. "I'll take what I want," he continued, "and I want it all."
Scott and Laura's reunion was anything but warm. Laura stood frigidly as Scott wrapped his arms around her. Scott suggested that they go to the boathouse to talk about what had happened. Brooke allowed Laura to go but not before getting another hug from her daughter. Laura told Brooke that she'd tell Scott about the kidnapping and assured Brooke that she'd somehow repay her for the ransom money she'd lost. Brooke took Laura by the cheeks and told her not to worry about the money. It was not the money, Brooke said softly, that had saved Laura -- it was Jim.
After Liza summoned them, Hayley, Mateo, and Belinda arrived one by one at Chandler Mansion. No one was exactly sure why they had been called to the mansion, but after looking around at who had been invited, they soon determined that their presence had something to do with TransGlobal. Liza confirmed their suspicions and told them that Brooke and Edmund had also been invited, but personal matters prevented them from showing up.
Adam entered the room. His attitude was light but determined. Adam told the assembled group that he had been thinking about their run-ins with TransGlobal and had reached a conclusion. He could not, he stated with conviction, run away with Liza in the hopes that an around-the-world cruise would dissolve their grief. They could only move forward with their lives by looking into the face of the person responsible for their pain. With that, he extended an arm and waved Miles into the room.
Belinda argued that it was unwise for her clients to meet with the Corview rep outside of the courtroom, and Mateo argued that he did not "negotiate with baby killers." Adam defended the man, saying that he wanted to help resolve the problems between the airline and the families of those killed on TransGlobal flights. Liza silently walked toward Miles. She stood but a few feet away from him and stared at him. Her eyes jumped several times as she surveyed him from top to bottom. Mateo wasn't in the bargaining mood. He claimed that Miles only wanted to clear his conscience.
Liza broke her silence. She wondered if Miles might be there in good faith and urged her family to hear him out. Miles asked that they give him a few moments of their time so that he could speak his mind and leave them in peace. Miles wished that he could get back those who had died as a result of mishaps on the airline, but he couldn't. What he wanted to do was to create a lasting memorial to those who'd died. Corview, in memory of Liza and Adam's child, would establish a scholarship. And a sizeable donation would be made to Pine Valley Hospital, the place where Maria had devoted so much of her time, to help build a new wing.
Adam urged his family to accept the offer in spite of what they thought of Miles. Adam escorted Miles to the study so that everyone could discuss what they wanted to do.
In the study, Miles praised Adam for his composure. It had to be hard, he commented, for Adam to face his family, knowing that TransGlobal was his best-kept secret. Miles pointed out that Adam need not get involved in the negotiations between the airline and the victims' families. Corview had its own insurance policy and assets to pay for the damages. Adam discounted the monetary aspect of the situation. It had never been about money, he snapped. Miles nodded. At stake for Adam was something far more valuable than money -- his family. Adam told Miles that he'd never regretted hiring Miles and once again thanked him for not exposing him.
Outside, Liza explained to the others that Adam was not known for his forgiveness. Therefore, if he was willing to accept a settlement it had to be the right thing to do. Adam returned to the room to check on the status of the quorum. Hayley told her father that Mateo was on the phone with Edmund to ask him what he'd like to do about the offer. Adam admired Mateo's passion and determination but suggested that it was an opportunity for "cooler heads to prevail." If the offer was not accepted, Adam said with a sigh, it could be years before the matter was put to rest in a court of law. He asked why they would prolong the agony.
At the boathouse, Laura was upset to learn that Scott had seen her pictures. Nothing, Scott informed his girlfriend, would change the way he felt about her. He loved her -- and hoped that she still loved him. Laura couldn't tell Scott that she loved him. She told him that she'd been lying to him since day one. She had not been "groped" by boys at her home -- she had needed to make up a lie to cover for the photographs. "I can't love you the way you want me to [love you]," Laura sobbed, "until I figure out who I am."
"You always play the good guy, but there comes a time when you have to ask yourself if you're having fun," Scott said. Laura told Scott that she didn't have anything to offer him, the future heir of the Chandler empire. She urged Scott to save himself before he got sucked down with her. "If I go now," Scott said sternly, "I'm not coming back." Laura asked him to do what he had to do. Scott rose to his feet and walked away. Left behind, Laura broke down in tears.
Jim returned to Brooke's house and learned that he and Brooke had the house to themselves. He asked Brooke for a glass of wine. Brooke reflected on her conversation with Jim at the bar in Washington when he'd told her that he only drank scotch. Brooke was not the only one with a good memory. Jim reminded Brooke that at that time, she had invited him back to her hotel room. Brooke nodded. He'd turned her down.
Jim advised Brooke to ask him again, assuring her that he would not turn her down again. There was concern on both their parts that a sexual relationship would put their friendship at risk. That didn't stop them from engaging in a passionate kiss. One thing led to another, and eventually the pair found themselves in Brooke's bedroom. In the afterglow of their passion, Brooke reveled in how her day had gone from the "depths of misery" to the "heights of ecstasy... and happiness... and joy."
It was decision time at Chandler Mansion. Adam anticipated a decision to settle. If everyone remained insistent on taking Corview to court, it would only be a matter of time before his ties to the company were discovered. Adam wasn't going to get the news he wanted to hear. Mateo agreed with Miles's statement that no amount of money would ever make things easier for them. But a memorial fund wouldn't help either. Therefore, on behalf of the millions of airplane passengers, they'd decided to take the matter to court.
Adam closed his eyes and tilted back his head. Liza could see the disappointment on her husband's face and said that she knew the meeting had to have been very important for him. Adam nodded and uttered that the meeting was important for everything he held dear.
Thinking that speaking to Bianca's physicians might diminish Erica's concern, Jack summoned Allie and Jake to the prison. Allie and Jake argued over what approach would be most appropriate for Erica to handle -- a straightforward and honest approach or a more optimistic and deceitful approach. Allie felt bad for telling Erica that Bianca had eaten her dinner, thereby raising Erica's hopes.
Allie and Jake waited for Erica to enter the visiting room. When she did, Jake's decision to hide the truth from Erica won out. He handed Erica a letter that Bianca had written. In the letter, Bianca told her mother that she felt stronger every day and that she liked the care given to her by Jake and Allie. A motherly glow radiated from the prisoner as she talked about how pleased she was that Jake and Allie were helping her daughter to make a full recovery.
Adam hovered over a stack of papers on his desk. Liza, who said that she was lonely, interrupted him from his work and offered to help him. Adam laughed at his wife's offer and told her that his work lacked the excitement of Liza's WRCW business. Adam offered to dump his work for a spur-of-the-moment trip to New York City. Hayley had entered the office undetected and urged Liza to accept her dad's offer. If Liza didn't accept, Hayley offered as she smiled deviously, she'd be willing to take Liza's place. Liza asked if Mateo had had any comments on the TransGlobal meeting after they'd left the mansion the night before.
Hayley confessed that Mateo's sleep had been filled with nightmare of Maria's death and that the battle with the airline seemed to be ruling their life. Adam informed Hayley that she might have many more years of that, especially if the battle dragged on in court. The prospect of having a husband obsessed with winning a legal battle didn't much appeal to Hayley.
Liza detected Hayley's concern and told her that she should go to Mateo and tell him about her fears. Honesty, Adam chimed in, was the only way to go. Hayley headed off to Holidays, and Adam returned to trying to convince Liza to go away with him. A surprise visit by Barry Shire interrupted them. Liza allowed the two men to talk shop. Barry told Adam that he had big news about Corview.
Edmund called Tad to Wildwind to enlist his help in getting back Maddie. Edmund implied that Tad could use his position at WRCW to dig up dirt on his brother. Tad was a willing participant in the plan. His past with Dimitri had not exactly been a smooth ride. Gillian entered the castle, toting a large cardboard box. She told Edmund that she had a present for him. Edmund waved her off and told her that he'd speak to her later. The surprise, Gillian cooed, could not wait. She took Edmund by the hand and led him over to the box. Inside the box was a parcel of supreme significance: Maddie.
Edmund plucked his daughter from the box and gave her a big hug. Gillian explained that she'd been left to care for the baby because Gloria was at work and Dimitri had to attend to some business matters. Time was short for father and daughter, but Edmund made every second count. He gave Gillian a kiss on the cheek to thank her for "being such a breath of fresh air to [Pine Valley]." Skye had entered the house and observed the kiss -- and she wasn't pleased.
Gillian announced that she had to return home before Dimitri noticed she was missing. As Edmund escorted Gillian to door, Skye flashed a jealous glare at the princess. Edmund and Tad returned to their plan to expose Dimitri as an unfit father. Skye offered to help them, saying that she could do some research at Tempo to aid their case. Skye excused herself to answer her cell phone.
Andy slowly approached the boathouse, stopping frequently to glance over his shoulder. Dimitri jumped out of the shadows and placed Andy in a stranglehold. Andy fought to get loose, but his strength was no match for Dimitri. "Why did you lie to me?" Dimitri asked, "You said Maria's child was mine!" Andy denied doing anything wrong, but Dimitri didn't believe him. He slowly squeezed the life out of Andy's body. As his oxygen supply dwindled, Andy confessed that someone had switched the paternity test results -- but it wasn't him.
Dimitri tightened his grasp on Andy's throat a little more. Finally, Andy offered up the name of the culprit: Skye Chandler. Dimitri forced Andy to call Skye and arrange for her to meet him at the boathouse. Skye, who was busy helping Edmund, told Andy that she could not fit a meeting into her schedule. If she didn't, Andy squawked, he'd expose her paternity test swapping.
Back at the prison, Erica showed Bianca's letter to Jack. Jack could see the glimmer of hope return to Erica's eyes. Erica wanted to move on her plan to redecorate the visiting area and sent Jack to talk to the warden. Once Jack left, Gillian entered the room. She told Erica about how she'd arranged a visit between Edmund and Maddie. Erica was pleased, but didn't like that Edmund had to sneak around to see his daughter.
Erica called Gillian an "angel" who had been sent to help her through her darkest hours. "You've been touched by a Gillian," Gillian quipped. After the two women stopped giggling, Erica tested Gillian's devotion to Maddie. She asked if Gillian would do anything in her power to make sure that Maddie was given back to Edmund. Gillian nodded and told Erica that she'd been assigned to keep tabs on Dimitri. Erica warned Gillian that Dimitri could be dangerous and advised the young woman to stay one step ahead of her cousin. "I'll stay two steps ahead," Gillian purred.
At Holidays, Belinda worked on some of her legal documents. Miles pulled up a seat beside her and asked if she could give him some advice. "Retreat," Belinda responded. "You're on dangerous ground." Miles insisted that he wanted to help Mateo. His offer to set up memorial funds was not a buyout offer. Miles said that he needed to do something to show how sorry he was for the tragedy and that doing nothing would have been wrong.
Belinda explained that losing Maria was but one in a string of horrible events in Mateo's life. Mateo walked over to Belinda and asked if he could have a few words with her. Miles left without saying a word. Mateo noted that Miles seemed to like Belinda and asked Belinda to use that attraction to their advantage. Perhaps, he suggested, Belinda could try to elicit information about Corview and TransGlobal from the man. Belinda refused to engage in the unethical behavior.
Belinda later joined Miles at his table, and the two began talking about their tastes in music. Miles offered to pick up the tab, but Belinda told him that she was treating. After Miles left, Hayley blasted Belinda for cavorting with the enemy. Belinda claimed that Miles might not be the enemy, after all, and that under his "button-down exterior," he seemed to be a nice guy.
Jake and Allie jogged along the riverfront and talked about their upcoming triathlon. Jake made a pass at Allie, but the pass was quickly rejected. Allie claimed that Jake was hitting on her only because she'd decided to go along with his "hide the truth scheme" when visiting Erica. Jake denied hitting on Allie, and the two decided to have a race back to the car.
Once Jake and Allie were out of the way, Skye slowly walked toward the boathouse. She walked up the wooden plank steps and waited. She heard the sound of rustling leaves from behind and called out Andy's name. When she turned around, Dimitri was staring her in the face. "What the hell have you done to my life?" Dimitri growled.
The case against Corview continued to nibble away at Mateo. He paid a visit to Wildwind and updated Edmund on the latest settlement offer. Mateo informed Edmund that he planned on continuing his crusade against the airline and asked for Edmund's support. Edmund rubbed his chin for several seconds before agreeing to help Mateo. Edmund offered Tempo's resources, but worried that it might not be enough to topple the airline.
Edmund suggested that Mateo seek the assistance of his father-in-law. It was then that Mateo informed Edmund that Adam had orchestrated the previous night's meeting with Miles. Edmund agreed that it seemed odd for Adam to want to settle the issue rather than fight, but Edmund proposed that Adam had been in a "protective mode" since the loss of his child. Edmund offered to call Adam on Mateo's behalf, but Mateo felt that a face-to-face meeting with Adam would be more appropriate.
Still visiting with Erica, Gillian commented that Skye has been quite cozy with Edmund over the past few weeks. The news worried Erica. She spared Gillian the details of Skye's obsession with Edmund but warned Gillian to keep close tabs on Skye, indicating that Skye could not be trusted.
Upon turning and seeing Dimitri's cold and calculating glare, Skye began to panic. She asked Dimitri why he was at the boathouse. Her question, however, was met by the same question from Dimitri. Skye explained that she was meeting a friend. Dimitri nodded. He knew all about her "friend." He told her that Andy was gone and asked Skye why she was so close to the lab technician. Skye thought fast on her feet and explained that she'd been working on an article for Tempo. While interviewing Andy for the piece, he'd developed a crush on her.
Dimitri didn't buy it. He accused Skye of using sex to gain access to information that could destroy other people's lives. Skye's eyes widened, and she began to breathe much more rapidly. Dimitri wasted no more time in issuing the coup de grâce -- he told Skye that he knew she'd switched the paternity test results.
Skye called Dimitri's statement an "insane theory." Dimitri laughed at Skye's stubbornness. He told her that her lies would do her no good; Andy had already ratted her out. After months of deceit, Skye finally admitted that she had altered the paternity test results. The two froze in their tracks as voices approached the boathouse.
Stuart and Esther walked along a trail and talked about the changing weather. Esther wasn't fond of the changing seasons. She labeled autumn a "sad" season, a season that signaled the end of warm weather and walks outside. Stuart worried that Esther might reconsider her decision to stick around in Pine Valley. Indeed, Esther was having second thoughts.
Esther told Stuart that she was not accustomed to staying put in one spot for an extended period of time. The two walked toward the boathouse. When they got there, Dimitri had vanished, and Skye leaned against a wall, trembling. She could only issue a quick hello and goodbye before darting off. Esther told Stuart that she felt bad about not visiting Erica. Stuart offered to go along with Esther to the prison to visit Erica.
It took little convincing for Belinda to make Hayley see her vision of Miles. Belinda calmly told Hayley that Miles seemed to want to do the right thing but that his hands were tied in corporate red tape. Hayley advised Belinda to keep her thoughts on Miles away from Mateo's ears. Hayley told Belinda that their lives seemed consumed by the Corview crusade and that she worried that everything might end in disaster. She stopped short, however, of blaming vengeance for Mateo's decision to go after the airline and its parent company.
Belinda encouraged Hayley to give Mateo some time to get over the anger. Hayley decided that she'd been distracted from business long enough and returned to work. Soon after she left, Miles walked over to the table and observed Belinda reading an article about Corview in the Wall Street Herald. Miles assured Belinda that the newspaper was printing a bunch of untruths. Belinda suggested that Miles demand a retraction from the publication, but Miles felt that a retraction would be pointless.
"People will believe what they want to believe," Miles spouted. Miles promised to speak nothing but the truth when called into court and even offered to answer Belinda's questions on the spot. Belinda convinced him that he did not have to go out of his way to prove his intentions were sincere. Belinda looked at her watch and realized that she had to hurry to a meeting.
Skye arrived at Holidays, still shaking from her encounter with Dimitri. A few minutes before she'd arrived, Gillian had stopped by the restaurant for a bite to eat. When Gillian caught sight of Skye, she hid behind a menu and observed Skye very carefully. Skye gulped down a glass of cold water before calling the Pine Cone Motel and asking to speak to Andy. Andy told Skye that he wanted nothing to do with her. Skye knew that Andy worried about being harmed by Dimitri. She assured him that she'd look out for him. Skye once again raced out the door, but this time she had Gillian tailing her.
Barry told Adam that the Renwick company had purchased Corview. No longer would the parent company of TransGlobal be a burden for Adam. Adam was relieved, so relieved that he didn't even care how much the company was sold for. Adam signed a few papers, and the deal was sealed. Marian sashayed into the office and asked Barry if he'd be her date to a charity function. She didn't tell Barry the date, but he assured her that he'd be out of town on business on the week of the ball.
Marian was disappointed, but she did not concede defeat. She offered to walk Barry to his car. Adam rolled his eyes at Marian's feeble attempts to pick up the man. The attorney gathered his papers, stuffed them in his briefcase, and allowed Marian to walk him to the door. No one noticed it, but the cover letter of the sale agreement had been left behind on Adam's desk.
The correctional facility sent waves of fear crashing over Esther, but she was determined to meet with Erica. Erica was overjoyed to see her friend and explained that she'd give her a hug -- if it were not against prison policy. Esther didn't think the no hug rule was fair, but she accepted it. Upon seeing Esther, Erica had another of her wonderful ideas. She told Esther and Stuart that Bianca has not been well and that she'd be staying at Linden with her Uncle Jack.
Erica asked Esther if she'd consider helping out at Linden, doing some part-time cooking, cleaning, and playing with Bianca. Esther bowed her head and said nothing. Erica worried that she'd said something wrong. Stuart explained that Esther was actually quite happy. Esther said it was the first time that she'd ever had good things happen to her, and it had been overwhelming for her. Esther did, however, agree to pitch in.
Marian tried to convince Mateo that he didn't want to see Adam. She told him that Adam had been brainstorming with his attorney all morning and that he was in a bit of a bad mood. Mateo felt able to deal with Adam and marched into Adam's office. Mateo started off his visit by telling Adam that he appreciated what Adam had tried to do the night before. Unfortunately, Mateo added, a settlement would not evoke the desired results Mateo envisioned for the airline. He told Adam that he and Edmund had both agreed that continuing with the lawsuit was the only way to get justice.
Adam begged Mateo to reconsider. He reminded the young man that he'd just started a new life with Hayley and a new business. Considering that the past twelve months had been hell for him, a lawsuit was not what Mateo needed on his plate. Mateo vowed that he would not give up before he started to fight. Adam reminded Mateo that TransGlobal had already been grounded. Mateo nodded but felt that the company could not be trusted to fix all the planes. "They killed your baby," Mateo yelled, "let's make them pay."
Adam turned and walked away. He argued that a fight would not allow him to grieve for the child he'd lost. "Let it go!" he hollered. Mateo said that he could never forget what the airline had done to his family. Adam noted that Mateo had let his rage take over and he could see why Hayley was so concerned for his well-being. Mateo saw that he was getting nowhere with Adam. He rounded up some files that he'd placed on Adam's desk for his review and walked out of the office. The sale agreement that had been on Adam's desk was no longer there.
Skye returned to the boathouse and waited for Andy. He showed up, but he didn't want to be there. He told Skye that he has plans to leave Pine Valley. Skye warned him that if he left, she'd lay all the blame for the test result swap on him -- and no one would doubt the word of a Chandler, she sneered. Andy had no other choice but to follow Skye's orders. She told him to lay low at the Pine Cone until she contacted him. They both left separately. Once the coast was clear, Gillian emerged from her hiding spot behind a tree.
Erica placed an unsolicited call to Edmund, telling him that she had to speak to him about Maddie. Edmund wanted nothing to do with Erica but agreed to hear her out. Erica urged Edmund to keep a careful watch on Skye. Erica offered to help Edmund win back Maddie. Edmund asked her how she could help him from behind bars.
Frustrated that Erica was still harassing him, Edmund hung up on her. He later made a call and instructed that no calls from the correctional facility be accepted at Tempo or at Wildwind. Erica walked around the visiting room and swore that she would help Edmund whether he wanted her help or not. Gillian returned a few minutes later and told Erica of Skye's meeting with "a nerd-man." Erica listened intently as Gillian related the conversation to her. "This nerd-man," Erica said with a smile, could be the key to all of their problems.
Mateo returned to Holidays and told Hayley that her father was acting peculiarly. Why would "bloodthirsty Adam" suddenly be offering the cookies and milk to the enemy? Hayley asked Mateo to ease off of his crusade, but he refused. Mateo reached into his briefcase and began looking over some of his files. He noticed a document that seemed out of place -- the sale agreement. Mateo wondered how the agreement had gotten into his briefcase. Then he recalled his conversation with Marian in which she'd told him that Adam and Barry had been hammering out some sort of legal deal all morning. Suddenly, the pieces all fit together.
Skye stood outside the main door at Wildwind, gathering her composure. As she reached for the doorbell, Dimitri jumped her from behind. He covered her mouth and dragged her off to parts unknown.
