While Susan and Ric were at Oakdale Memorial, Alison and Chris let themselves into Susan's house with Alison's key. The two searched the house and found a key hidden in a puzzle box. While the search ensued, Susan confronted Ric about where he had been when Alison had returned home a few nights before. Susan told him that his lame alibis had not convinced her, so Ric explained that he had been suffering from anxiety attacks. He claimed that he had been huddled on the bathroom floor, breathing into a paper bag, the night Alison stopped over.

Ric insisted that he was merely embarrassed by his weakness, but Susan looked skeptical. Ric persuaded Susan to go with him to a clinic in Florida for treatment of his anxiety disorder, and the two left the hospital for home. Back at Susan's, Chris and Alison were trying to clean up evidence of their search when Alison spotted Susan and Ric at the front door. She cried to Chris, "We're so busted!"

Rosanna, her eyes brimming with tears, told Craig that she loved him so much that she wanted to adopt a baby with him. Overwhelmed by Rosanna's love and sincere desire, Craig agreed that they would contact an adoption agency. Rosanna covered his face with kisses.

Mike arrived at a cabin in Australia in his search for Katie. He found part of Simon's last letter to Katie in the stove, and he was certain that Katie would never have left that letter behind. He shoved the paper fragment into his pocket, and the door burst open. A man pointed a shotgun at Mike, and Mike explained that he was looking for Katie Frasier. The man admitted that Katie had been there a few days before, but he said that she had taken off.

Mike was obviously suspicious, but he accepted the offer of a cold beer and a place to sleep for the night. When his host left the room to get a blanket for Mike, Mike stood up to call Margo on his cell phone. Immediately, Mike realized that the man had drugged his beer, and Mike fell to the floor. The man kicked Mike in the ribs and pocketed the cell phone then went directly to his own phone in the other room and placed a call, which Mike overheard. "Find Simon Frasier. Tell him we've got his wife."

At Java Underground, Bonnie begged Isaac to help her sneak Sara out of the shelter, fly with the two of them to Toronto, get married the next morning, and then fly to Europe. When Isaac agreed, but insisted that he finish his inventory first, Bonnie left, whispering, "Isaac, I'm so sorry." At about the same time, T. Marshall Travers went to the airport to get his daughter's casket. When he found the casket filled with bags of sand, he told the surprised employees, "Keep it. Somebody's going to need it!"

Marshall headed directly to Jessica's apartment to tell her about the empty casket. He deduced that Sara was actually his lost daughter, Zara, and he demanded that Jessica tell him the truth, insisting that, if she refused, he would find out for himself. After Jessica made Marshall promise not to go after Bonnie, she told him the truth, that Sara was his daughter.

Back at Java, Isaac realized that Bonnie had left, and he rushed after her. Bonnie went to the shelter to find Sara to say that she was taking Sara out of the country. Isaac arrived at Jessica's and told them that Bonnie had gone to get Sara, so Marshall, Jessica, and Isaac rushed to the shelter, where they found Bonnie and Sara. Marshall shouted, "Don't go anywhere with my daughter!"

Mike found Katie at Simon's ranch in Australia. Katie had arrived at the ranch and was met by a man named Mortiki, who was looking for Simon. After Mike told her about the call Mortiki had made, Katie thought they were going to use her as bait to get Simon. Mike consoled Katie because she thought that Simon would get killed if he went to rescue her. Katie apologized to Mike for leaving him. Mike said he would do anything to keep her safe. He told her to get some sleep then they would contemplate their next move. They lay down on the sleeping bag as Mike reminded her of how they had been in Montana.

Will was spending time with his mother. Barbara had rented some movies and ordered room service. Will seemed a little down because Barbara wouldn't let him go fishing with Paul. Will didn't understand why he couldn't spend time with Paul. Just as Barbara was trying to explain, there was a knock at the door. It was Paul. He told Barbara if he had to see Will under supervision, he might as well do it while Will was visiting Barbara.

Will asked Barbara if Paul could stay. Barbara agreed. When Paul and Barbara disagreed about the movie they were going to watch, an argument ensued. Will left the room. Paul and Barbara started arguing more loudly, and as Paul was yelling at Barbara, Will ran into the room and told Paul to stop it. Will wanted Paul to apologize because Barbara was his mother. Paul said, "She stopped being my mother a long time ago." Will said that if Paul didn't apologize, he would have to go. Paul refused to apologize and left.

Jennifer showed up at Java Underground with a book of models for Dusty to look at. Dusty was quite impressed by the pictures of the models. Jennifer said she thought he was devoted to Rose. Dusty said he was devoted, not dead. Jennifer started to look at the renovation plans and discovered that Dusty was going to turn Java Underground into a pub.

Jennifer grabbed her book and proceeded to leave. Dusty asked her what the hurry was. She told him that there was no way she was going to put five gorgeous girls in a pub. Dusty then told her that he would listen to her ideas. Jennifer said, "Let me set the mood." Jennifer went to the jukebox and put some music on. She started to seduce Dusty by asking him to dance.

Dusty was flattered and said he would take Jennifer's plan under advisement. Jennifer asked him if he was afraid of her. Dusty asked her, "Do I have something to be afraid of?" Jennifer continued to flirt with him, and Dusty fell into her charms. Dusty stopped before he went too far. Dusty told Jennifer that he had to meet Rose at the beauty shop, and Jennifer left.

Marshall told Bonnie that she was not going anywhere with his daughter. Troy walked in and asked what was going on. Marshall said Bonnie was trying to kidnap his daughter and to call the police. Troy replied, "Today you wanted her on 24-hour lockdown, and now she's your daughter."

Bonnie told everyone she would explain. She proceeded to tell Sara that she loved her and would protect her always. Sara asked Bonnie if it were true, and Bonnie said yes. Marshall said she looked just like her mother. Marshall wanted to get to know her. Sara wanted Bonnie to take her away, but Bonnie refused. Bonnie told Sara that she was trying to adopt her.

As Bonnie was talking to Sara privately, Marshall told Jessica that Bonnie was trying to brainwash Sara. Jessica said Bonnie was only trying to reassure Sara, which was more than Marshall was trying to do. Bonnie was honest and told everyone that she'd had Marshall's DNA tested and had matched it to Sara's. Sara was clearly confused when Troy led her back to her room. She asked Bonnie to not let Marshall near her.

Jessica said that emotions were running too high to solve anything and asked Isaac to take Bonnie home. Before Bonnie left, she looked Marshall in the eye and told him that he'd ruined every life he was in contact with, and she would "be damned" if he was going to ruin Sara's. After Bonnie left, Marshall told Jessica he couldn't get over Sara being alive. After Jessica warned him about ruining Sara's life, Marshall told Jessica that she had gotten her revenge after all.

Just as Ric and Susan were about to bust Alison and Chris, Alison told Chris to play along with her and ripped his shirt opened. They fell on the floor. Ric and Susan walked in, and Susan asked them what was going on. Chris told Susan that they had just been kidding around and had gotten carried away. Susan said it was time for her to have a little talk with Alison. Susan told Ric that she didn't feel she could leave town at that time.

Ric asked Susan if she still wanted to go to Florida. She said yes, but she needed to get some things straightened out with Alison. Ric left to pack and told Susan not to be too hard on Alison. After they talked, Susan took Alison back to Memorial. Ric discovered the key was missing and declared that Chris and Alison had found a world of trouble.

At the hospital, Alison told Chris that they needed a plan fast because Alison felt that if her mother left for Florida, she would never return. Later, Ric said they did not need to go to Florida just yet. He felt he needed to stay close to home.

Dusty bribed an inspector so that he didn't have to rewire Java Underground. Rosanna saw that and went over to talk to Dusty. She told him he'd better change his business practices, or else it could cost Rosanna and Craig their family. Dusty asked how, and Rosanna explained that they were going to adopt a baby. She told him to stay legitimate or else she would ruin his life. Dusty asked if Paul had put her up to it, but she told him that Paul had nothing to do with it.

Paul told Jennifer what had happened with Will. Rose walked over and asked if Paul and Jennifer would help out with her bachelor auction. Paul asked how he could help and suggested perhaps he could be a bachelor that Rose could bid on and make Dusty jealous. Jennifer left, and Rose told Paul that she just wanted to be friends. Paul said, "You have a new friend now."

Paul told Rose that he couldn't wait until Dusty screwed up then Paul would know that he had been right all along; he added that he could then throw Rose out into the streets. Rose couldn't believe how much different "this Paul" was from the "old Paul." The new Paul said that his fiancée and best friend had killed the old Paul. Left alone, Paul started to cry, and James "appeared" to him. James told him that he needed to prove that Dusty was worthless. James said, "Punish those that deserve it."

Jennifer went over to Java to see Dusty, and she made sure to tell him that Rose had gone to see Paul. Dusty found that unsettling and told Jennifer that he thought Rosanna and Paul were teaming up against him. Jennifer tried to reassure Dusty and hugged him, just as Rose walked in. Rose said, "Hey, what's going on here?"

Ric was looking for the key to his safe deposit box. Susan told him they could just get another key. Ric got angry and said he didn't want to be inconvenienced because Alison was a thief. Susan got upset by Ric's comment and defended her daughter. Ric decided to go to the hospital and confront Alison.

Meanwhile, Alison and Chris were trying to figure out a way to use the key. They decided to pretend that Ric was dead, and Chris agreed to get a death certificate from the hospital morgue. While Chris went to get the certificate, Ric confronted Alison and demanded to have his key. She asked him how badly he wanted it, and he offered her $1,000. She then asked for a million, and he yelled at her.

Susan walked in and broke up Ric and Alison's conversation. Alison told Susan that Ric had offered her money for the key, but Susan again defended Ric. Alison left and went with Chris to Tom's office so they could notarize the certificate. Unfortunately, Tom caught them in his office.

Bob took a turn for the worse and went into convulsions. Ric and Susan were there to see it, and Ric said it didn't look good for Bob, with a smile hidden on his face.

Rosanna alerted Paul that Jennifer had gone to visit Dusty. Paul insisted he could trust Jennifer. Rosanna thanked him for helping her realize how badly she wanted a child. They admitted that they were becoming friends.

Meanwhile, Jennifer and Rose went at it, but Rose stayed calm. Jennifer insulted Rose, who withdrew her invitation to the bachelor auction. Jennifer looked for support from Dusty, didn't get it, and left. Rose demanded that Dusty bar Jennifer from Java Underground on opening night.

Later, Paul asked Jennifer what was going on between her and Dusty. Jennifer told Paul about her plan to lure Dusty away from Rose with her model friends. She admitted that she would lure him herself if that were what it would take. Paul exploded and insisted she couldn't do that. Later, Paul confronted Dusty and Rose.

Craig confided to Margo that Rosanna wanted to adopt a child and he didn't. He admitted he hadn't told Rosanna that he didn't want a child. Margo urged him to. After, Craig tried to tell Rosanna the truth, but she preempted him with the news that a social worker from the adoption agency was on her way over.

At the hospital, John advised Kim to summon the family. Meanwhile, Tom threatened to call the police on Chris and Alison. He lit into them, but Kim's call interrupted him. As they exited, Alison secretly grabbed the documents. Tom, Chris, and Alison headed for Bob's room.

Later, Alison revealed to Chris that she had the documents. Chris didn't want her doing anything yet, but after he left, Alison headed for the bank. Ric insisted on staying with Bob and sent Susan home. As a weepy Alison was working, the bank manager, Bob, woke up.

Paul goaded Dusty into a fight at the new Java Underground, which was under construction, by telling him that Rose had stopped by for a visit earlier. Paul said Rose had encouraged him to move past his hurt. Paul said, "I brought my hatchet. Where do you want me to bury it?" Rose tried to get Paul to leave, but Paul was on a mission. He was livid that Dusty was using Jennifer in some way.

Dusty grabbed Paul's arm and twisted him into submission. Rose helplessly stood by until she called the cops. With a sense of control, Dusty released his hold on Paul, and walked over to Rose, who was halfway through giving the police the address. Dusty took the phone away from her; he told the police the situation had been handled, and any assistance wouldn't be necessary.

Rose advised Dusty that the Oakdale Police Department would still send a cruiser to check out what was going on. Dusty turned to her and yelled, "Yeah? And whose fault is that?" Paul had a hint of a grin on his face and asked Rose, "If you wanted to be with a chest-thumping hairball, why didn't you just stay in Atlantic City?"

Dusty made another move toward Paul, but Rose separated them as Margo and two other cops arrived. Margo excused Paul out of the club then asked Rose what had happened. She spaced out for a minute, and Dusty popped in with his interpretation of events. Margo asked Rose for confirmation. Dusty commanded Rose, "Tell her." Rose looped out again. Dusty talked to Rose, "Tell her what happened. Tell her Paul came in here looking for a fight."

Rose mimicked what Dusty had said, "Paul came in here looking for a fight...and Dusty gave him one." Rose walked away as Dusty tried to do damage control with Margo. He asked her to cut him some slack because he was starting up a business. He inched closer and whispered, "Is there any way you can give me a break? Your brother is a partner of mine."

Margo threw up her hands at Dusty's request and told her fellow cops they hadn't just heard that. However, Dusty got off with a warning, and Margo and company took off without writing up a citation. Later, Rose again asked Dusty if he'd heed her warning and keep Jennifer away from the club. He conceded...to her face. After Rose left, he took a swallow of his drink then threw the glass against a wall, smashing it to bits.

Paul returned home, where the spirit of his father welcomed him by needling him to get control over his emotions. "You sound like a nine-year-old with a thesaurus!" James said; he thought Paul was acting too much like a child instead of systematically plotting to expose Dusty's true character to Rose and Jennifer. Paul dismissed that line of thinking, saying Rose had already seen that side of Dusty. James advised, "They are women, son. They only see what they want to see. They need a man to show them the way." Paul turned with a small swagger to look at his father, while he debated in his head how to receive James's advice.

Rosanna bubbled with glee, since a social worker had cleared her busy schedule to stop by for a visit that afternoon to discuss adoption proceedings. Craig acted as if he had been hit with a mild tranquilizer dart and started to gently drag his heels. She mentioned that she had caught Dusty bribing an inspector. Craig was shocked and promised to have a talk with his business partner.

Later, Rosanna took lemonade into the living room before the social worker arrived. Ms. Easton rang the doorbell and entered the living room, appearing to be carrying the weight of ill news. She sized Craig up with disdain. Rosanna asked if she'd had a chance to review their application. Ms. Easton praised Rosanna's impeccable credentials, but, "It pains me to tell you that given what we've discovered about your husband... Mrs. Montgomery, your husband will never be permitted to adopt."

Alison turned on her faucet of tears and managed to get the bank attendant to approve Alison's request to view the contents of Ric's safe deposit box. The attendant thought it was odd that Ric's last name was Decker, and Alison's last name was Stewart, as she was purporting to be Ric's daughter. Alison cried some more and told the bank officer she had married without her father's approval; that was why her last name was different.

The woman in the bank bought Alison's story and went to retrieve the box. The woman left Alison alone in a private room. Alison locked the door from the inside before she opened Ric's box. She opened the lid and pulled out a gun. She put it down on the table. Next, she found Nurse Krebs's journal. She read the final entry and confirmed Ric was the murderer.

Ben, Walker, John, Hal, Kim, Nancy, Tom, Chris, the security nurse, and Ric were all squeezed into Bob's recovery room. Bob was sitting upright and was blankly staring straight ahead as the heart monitor steadily blipped in background. Kim asked her husband if he could squeeze her hand, but there was no response. Hal stepped up and asked Ben for permission to somehow communicate with Bob about what had happened. Ben and John asked everyone to leave so they could reevaluate Bob's status.

Outside the room, Ric stepped off to the side and dialed a few numbers on his cell phone. He found Nancy alone, and after some idle chitchat, his beeper sounded off. He excused himself and left the scene. John returned to the family group waiting outside the room and reported that Bob was stable. He gave Hal permission to speak with Bob for five minutes. Bob would respond by blinking his eyes: once for no, and twice for yes. They all filed into Bob's room again. As the door to the room closed, Ric slithered around the corner to eavesdrop.

Susan arrived home with a few shopping bags. She collapsed into the couch with exhaustion and prayed for Bob to wake up so he could clear Ric's name. She drifted off to sleep, where she had a wonderful dream about returning from her honeymoon in Hawaii with Ric. The couple looked very happy. In the dream, the doorbell rang, and Emily, Hal, Alison, and Chris were there to surprise Susan and Ric and to welcome them home. They got together for a group picture, and it all looked like...a dream.

Hal asked Bob a few questions, and when it started to look like he would blink the finger of guilt at Ric, the killer slipped out of the hospital. Soon after Bob confirmed that Ric had attacked him, everyone scattered, like roaches in light, as they tried to track down Ric. Chris looked blankly at John as he ordered security to place the hospital in a lockdown as they searched for the doctor. Chris suddenly said, "Alison!" and zipped out of the room.

Susan was snapped back to reality by a ringing telephone. She groggily answered the phone, and Ric was out of breath on the other end. He told her he was excited because Bob had woken up. Ric wanted to meet Susan, but not at her home. He proposed an out-of-the-way hotel, and of course Susan agreed to meet him. Before he hung up, he said, "Thank you, darling. Oh, and please...don't tell anyone."

Alison continued to pull souvenirs from Ric's other victims from the box: Stanley Krumly's ring, Myrtle Scott's bookmark, and Gordo's nametag were all among papers and a pile of emergency cash. She found a false bottom to the box and pulled away the cover, revealing a vial of potassium chloride and a syringe.

In the lobby of the bank, Ric asked the bank officer if there was any way he could get into his safety deposit box without his key. The attendant asked for his identification. Ric announced his name as he gave her his license. The woman stood up shocked, "I'm sorry, but your daughter was just here with your death certificate." He got in her face and said, "But I'm not dead!" She told him the girl was still there and asked him if she should call the police.

Ric decided against alerting the Oakdale Police Department. Instead, he asked the woman if she could take him to the girl. Inside the room, Alison called Chris's cell phone. He was not there, and she left the message that she was at the bank and had found evidence that incriminated Ric. She said, "We were right! We were right about everything!"

The bank officer knocked on the door, demanding Alison allow them entry. Alison scrambled to replace all the contents of the box before she opened the door.

Kim was left alone with Bob, and she tearfully told her husband how much she wanted to get him home. He looked at his wife and muttered, "Kim." Kim gushed and gave her husband's head a loving hug.

Outside the room, Hal told John and Walker that he thought Ric had slipped out of the hospital.

Melissa called Susan at home as she was on her way out the door. Susan wanted to get rid of her assistant, but a patient was having serious problems. Susan sat down at her desk to walk Melissa through a protocol.

Alison closed the box as the bank officer continued to threaten her from the other side. Chris called Alison on her cell phone, but she didn't have time to tell him anything. She set the phone down without turning it off. She composed herself and unlocked the door. The door opened, and Ric stepped forward. They both stood in the doorway, staring at each other.