Elizabeth is in Trouble
Anna arrived at the hospital to check on Griffin. She expressed her sympathy for his loss of Claudette and offered him a bouquet of flowers. She regretted that she hadn't been the one to break the news to him. She continued that she understood why he'd attacked Valentin. Anna assured him that he could tell her anything, as he'd done a lot of listening for her. Griffin explained that he preached forgiveness but kept being challenged by it in his own life. He couldn't forgive Valentin, who he knew was behind Claudette's death. He wanted to find answers, but Anna instructed him to let her handle that.
Anna briefly updated Griffin on everything she'd found out about Valentin from when he'd been called Ivan Theodore at boarding school up until the present. She revealed that he'd been the head of an "international criminal enterprise" that had involved "smash and grab jewelry heists." She believed it was how he'd paid for his surgeries. She remembered that he'd been brilliant, but something had to have happened at the academy that she didn't remember in order to make him into the "monster" he'd become. She vowed to find out, and she left.
Valentin and Nina entered the Floating Rib, and Valentin called it "rustic." "You hate it," Nina assumed, citing his "five-star taste." Valentin informed her that it was a lot like the places he'd frequented before he'd had money. He wondered why she'd taken him there. "The mac and cheese," she said as she smiled. Nina sat, and Valentin ordered for them at the bar. When he returned, Nina told him that she'd been researching how to tell a child about their surrogacy birth, and there was an article that suggested practicing the story. Nina told a fairy-tale-like story, but Valentin explained it in medical terms, which Nina thought would just confuse Charlotte.
A few minutes later, in between bites of macaroni and cheese, Nina asked when Valentin had originally planned on telling Charlotte about Lulu. "Someday," he answered. He explained that, after his father Mikkos had died, he'd been hidden in England, away from Helena. Fast-forwarding, he continued that his brother Stavros had been obsessed with Lulu, and Helena had wanted to help Stavros make a baby with her. Stavros had been sterile, so Helena had sent Daphne to drug and seduce Valentin, "and you can fill in the rest." He'd stolen the embryo to avoid the child being raised by Helena. Nina observed that he'd already acted like a parent.
Valentin had known about the Spencer hatred for his family, so he'd decided to raise the child on his own. He'd met Claudette, a young, healthy woman who'd needed the money, and he'd thought that she'd been the "perfect surrogate." He'd been grateful for how nurturing Claudette had been, until she'd double-crossed him. He'd planned on filling Charlotte in when she was old enough to understand. Nina was ready to help Valentin protect their family.
Suddenly, Anna appeared and asked for a minute with Valentin. She said that she understood why Valentin had kept the photo of her, since she'd inspired him to remake his life. Despite a confused Nina's questions, Anna advised Valentin to go to her if there was anything else they needed to talk about, because she didn't want to play games anymore. She left him with a Latin phrase that Valentin, a "master linguist," would understand. She left, and Nina wondered what was going on between the two.
At the police station, Kiki told Dante and Nathan about Sam going off to find Franco. Nathan instructed Kiki to wait for him at the front desk, so she went. Nathan told Dante that he would go find Sam and Franco. Dante agreed, since he was busy getting a search warrant for Alexis' house. Just then, Alexis entered the station and approached Dante, who was surprised to see her. She'd changed her mind about cooperating, so he led her into the interrogation room.
Kiki gave Nathan the address of the storage facility. He wondered why Sam and Kiki hadn't called the police right away. Kiki revealed that Sam had wanted to talk to Franco first. Nathan sensed that there was something that Kiki wasn't telling him. She admitted that, while Franco had mentioned no names, he'd suspected that someone else had killed Tom. She figured it had something to do with Sam. She just wanted Franco to be found safe, and Nathan left.
In the storage unit, Sam wondered who'd attacked Franco, but he answered that he'd been hit from behind. Sam was clearly fearful for her mother's future, and Franco explained why he thought Alexis had killed Tom. However, he thought that he'd caused the family enough pain, and he didn't want to hurt anyone anymore. Sam figured that the cops were on their way, so she cut to the chase and asked if Franco was going to continue to protect Alexis.
Franco thought that, even if Alexis had killed Tom, "who cares?" He thought that Tom had been scum who'd probably given Alexis a good reason to kill him. He added that Alexis was a good person who'd been through a lot, and he was trying to be "better." In the middle of a coughing fit, Franco choked out that, if the cops heard about Alexis, it wouldn't be from him. He pulled back his hand to see that he'd coughed up blood.
Just then, Nathan and two officers arrived with guns drawn. Sam told them to call an ambulance because Franco needed help. As an officer cuffed Franco, he passed out.
A short while later, Franco lay in his hospital bed. Griffin instructed Franco to take it easy. He told Nathan that more tests needed to be run, so Nathan could not yet question Franco. Kiki arrived and told Franco how much she and Elizabeth had worried. Franco wondered where Elizabeth was. Kiki responded that Elizabeth hadn't answered any of her texts. Griffin left to order more tests. Nathan assured Franco that he would be sitting right outside the room, and he promised to send Elizabeth in when she got there. Kiki wondered what could be holding her up.
Nathan informed Kiki that Elizabeth had been at the station right before Kiki had gotten there. She'd been "pleading Franco's case" when Seth had arrived "ranting and raving." She'd followed Seth out, and that had been the last Nathan had seen of her. He left the room.
Kiki wondered if there was anything else Franco needed her to do, but he only thanked her. She kissed him on the cheek, and the two exchanged "I love you's." She turned the lights off and left, closing the door behind her. Franco remembered his time in the storage unit and tried to remember where he'd seen the trophies before. He sat up in bed, horrified, as he remembered seeing them at Seth's house.
Griffin approached Sam and assured her that Jason was improving. A confused Sam wondered why Jason was there. He informed her that Jason had been admitted that morning after becoming "very ill." He directed her to his room, and she walked off to find Jason.
Nathan left a voicemail for Dante, who he assumed was still in interrogation. He updated Dante on Franco's situation and promised to keep his partner posted. Kiki approached and told Nathan that she was going to head to Elizabeth's house to make sure she was all right. She asked Nathan to have Elizabeth call her if she showed up.
In the interrogation room, Dante turned on a voice recorder and said a brief introduction. Alexis confessed that, "I killed Tom Baker." Diane burst into the room, stopping the proceedings. She admitted to following Alexis and instructed her to stop talking. Alexis refused to listen to Diane, insisting that "I can't live like this anymore!" She wanted her friend Diane, not her lawyer. She pleaded with Diane to let her do what she needed to do. The two women sat down, and Dante asked Alexis to "start from the top."
Alexis explained that she'd first met Tom at Gene's Branford Roadhouse. She'd gotten drunk with him on the day of Morgan's funeral. She'd woken up the next morning in a motel across the street, fearing that she'd slept with the man, but she hadn't. She admitted to suffering from blackouts for months. The second time she'd met Tom had also been while she'd been blacked out. She'd told him that she wasn't interested and left, but he'd followed her and grabbed her.
Alexis closed her eyes as she tried to remember what had happened next. He'd told her not to scream and pulled out a knife. She'd managed to get the knife away from him, and she'd raised it to stab him. Diane broke in that it had "obviously" been self-defense. Dante asked if she'd stabbed Tom, to which she replied that she "must have." She could only remember "bits and pieces." She'd never found any blood on her hands or clothes, but she added that she was "adept at hiding things now."
Dante informed Alexis that he would be getting a search warrant for her house, which would help. He thought a picture might help jog her memory, so he showed her a picture of a bloody Tom on the ground in the alley. She flashed back to Tom demanding that she not fight him. "You think you're the first man to hold a knife to my throat?" she'd asked. She'd spit in his face and kneed him. When he'd been on the ground, she'd grabbed the knife, telling him that he'd messed with the wrong woman.
Tom had begged Alexis not to kill him. She'd moved to stab him, yelling that he was a "sick bastard." However, she'd dropped the knife and kicked it away. "Screw you!" she'd yelled as she'd run away. "I didn't do it!" she told Dante in relief. She hadn't seen anyone else as she'd made her way to the motel parking lot to call a car service. Dante believed Alexis was innocent. Looking at the picture, Diane thought that they were looking at a "brutal, vengeful, angry murder." Dante agreed, citing it as the reason he still believed that Franco was guilty.
At Seth's, Seth told Elizabeth that Franco had gone on the run, and he would never be punished for killing Tom. Elizabeth thought that the only reason Franco would leave without telling her was if something had had happened to him. Seth wondered how she could believe in Franco, since he had clearly not changed after holding Tom hostage. Elizabeth asked how he could believe that Tom had changed but not Franco. Seth believed that Tom had paid his debt to society, but Franco hadn't.
Seth explained to Elizabeth that his ill mother had been very happy to see Tom paroled, but her health had gone downhill after she'd gotten news of Tom's murder. "I need a drink," Seth said, and he stormed into the kitchen. Elizabeth walked around the couch but kicked something. She picked up a book and saw a picture of Kiki at the Floating Rib. She flipped through the book and found a picture of Alexis. Below the picture was written her address and "Isolated house. No close neighbors. Can't see back entrance from street." On the next page was a picture of Elizabeth at the hospital.
Seth returned and wondered what Elizabeth was looking at. She told him and wondered if he'd seen the book before. He replied that he would have done something about it if he had. He remembered that Tom had sworn that he'd no longer had the same impulses he had. Elizabeth realized that Franco had been right to fear for her after Tom's release. The book was proof that Tom had still been a "predator."
Elizabeth grabbed the book and headed toward the door to take the book to the cops. Seth thought that he should be the one to turn it in, since it had belonged to his brother. "Let's both go," she suggested. He requested a minute to process everything, so an exasperated Elizabeth said she would meet him there. She opened the door, but Seth immediately closed it before she could get out. "I can't let you do that," he told her.
In Jason's hospital room, Felix took a vial of blood from Jason for testing. He was confident that Jason would be able to go home later that day -- if the results were good. After Felix left, Jason apologized to Sam, who'd been quietly standing next to his bed. She was hurt that he hadn't called when he'd been admitted to the hospital and reminded him that whatever happened to him affected her and their children too. Sam accused Jason of having lousy judgment with his health and made it clear that she wanted to know the prognosis because she intended to decide how to handle things.
Jason explained that Julian had poisoned him. Sam was outraged, but Jason quickly clarified that it had been a desperate bid to get Jason's attention because Julian needed help taking down an enemy. Sam was skeptical because she was certain that her father had either lied to Jason or it had been a setup. Jason disagreed because Julian had seemed genuinely afraid for their family -- especially Sam and the baby. Jason told Sam that he'd feel better if she and Danny moved into a safe house, but she objected and insisted on staying at the penthouse until after the baby was born. Jason tried to persuade her to change her mind, but Sam refused to be separated from him.
Jason explained that it was too dangerous because he had no idea where Rudge and Rudge's boss were, but Sam pointed out that both could be watching them at that very moment. Jason conceded that she had a good point and quietly suggested that he take the opportunity to turn the tables on his new enemy by making it appear that he'd given up. Jason and Sam discussed the plan and agreed that they would need to have everyone in place at the right time for things to work. Moments later, Felix returned to let Jason know that the on-call doctor had the results of Jason's latest tests. Sam seized the opportunity to ask Felix if he could help her find out when her father's next physical therapy appointment was.
Felix reminded Sam that he couldn't share patient information, including that there was a printed schedule of the appointments next to the monitor at the nurses' station. Sam followed Felix out and returned a few minutes later to let Jason know that Julian was scheduled to arrive in thirty minutes. Jason decided that they had to act fast.
At Greystone Manor, Ava entered the living room to let Sonny know that Avery was fast asleep. Sonny wasn't surprised, since Ava had returned Avery home well past their daughter's bedtime. Ava accused him of being petty and admitted that she'd been about to thank him for letting her spend time with Avery. Sonny told her that there were other ways to express her gratitude and informed her that he had a few questions about the Jerome organization. Ava reminded Sonny that she was out of the mob and a legitimate art dealer, but he was certain that she'd kept up with the Jerome organization.
Sonny wanted to know who wanted to kill Julian, but Ava admitted that she'd suspected Sonny of the deed. Sonny denied it and continued to question Ava, but she remained adamant that she had no idea who'd tried to kill Julian. Sonny was curious if there'd been anyone working their way up through the ranks or a long-lost sibling who'd decided that the organization belonged to them. Ava recalled someone named Hammer being killed, and Julian's driver Pete who'd been shot, but she didn't know of anyone else. She also informed Sonny that she and Julian were the last two of their generation.
Sonny remained suspicious and tried to question Ava further, but she resented the interrogation. Moments later, Sonny's phone rang. He dismissed Ava and talked to Jason. Jason explained that he needed to see Sonny right away.
In the park, Valentin and Nina stood in a gazebo. Valentin apologized for the frigid setting, but he'd thought it would be better for their conversation to be private. Nina assured him not to worry about it, so he smiled and admitted that he was glad they were away from everyone. "Including Anna Devane?" Nina carefully asked.
Valentin talked about the morning the photograph of Anna had disappeared and how he'd told Nina that it had been a sentimental item, but not who the subject of the picture had been. He explained that he and Anna had been cadets together at the World Security Bureau Training Academy. Nina was surprised that he'd been a spy, but he quickly clarified that he'd been a desk agent. Nina thought it was odd and asked why, but Valentin was evasive. Nina staunchly defended him by assuring him that he was the most capable man she knew.
Valentin explained that he'd been a different man in those days. He talked about spending his time in the library because he'd suffered from severe sclerosis and had become progressively deformed with a "hunchback" as he'd become a teenager. Nina felt terrible for Valentin as he opened up about how he'd been taunted by everyone around him and looked at with pity and revulsion. Nina assumed that Anna had been among those people, but he confessed that he and Anna had been friends. Nina was curious if Anna had persuaded him to have the numerous surgeries necessary to fix his "physical distortions."
According to Valentin, Anna had never pitied him, but he'd made a mistake by trying to kiss her once, and she'd rejected him. Nina was offended on Valentin's behalf, but he admitted that it had inspired him to get help. Nina was glad that Valentin had had the surgeries he'd needed, but she knew there were people like Anna who were beautiful on the outside and hideous on the inside. Nina doubted that Anna had ever really seen Valentin for who he truly was. Touched, Valentin thanked her for listening and kissed her. After the kiss, he offered to take her home, but she asked him to give her a few minutes because she had to run an errand.
At Anna's house, Anna sent an email to the WSB then answered the doorbell. Laura and Lulu greeted her, prompting her to invite both women inside. Laura apologized for showing up without calling, but Lulu explained that they needed to talk about Valentin.
Later, Anna, Laura, and Lulu sat down in the living room to talk about Valentin. Anna explained that she had turned over all the damaging information she had on Valentin to the judge during the custody hearing between Griffin and Valentin. Laura recalled that Anna had mentioned that it had been an ongoing investigation. Lulu begged Anna to share anything that might help Lulu secure custody of Charlotte, but Anna explained that she hadn't uncovered anything that had bearing on Lulu's situation.
Anna explained that she had met Valentin during her training days for the WSB when he'd been known as "Ivan Theodore." Anna revealed that she'd considered him a friend during those days because they'd had overlapping classes, and he'd helped her. She told Laura and Lulu about Valentin's disfigurement but admitted that there had been goodness in him that she'd seen glimpses of when he was with Charlotte. Anna advised Lulu to find a way to make things work with Valentin for Charlotte's sake. Stunned, Lulu reminded Anna that Valentin was an evil man. Laura rushed to assure Lulu that Anna had only meant that Lulu should find a way to make peace to give herself time to build a case against Valentin.
Lulu calmed down and announced that she had something to take care of. After Lulu left, Laura accused Anna of holding back. Anna explained that something of significance had clearly happened between her and Valentin, but Anna had no recollection of it, while Valentin appeared obsessed with making Anna pay for it. Laura advised Anna to be careful because the good friend that Anna remembered was long gone. Laura vowed that she would kill Valentin if he did anything to hurt Lulu.
After Laura left, Anna checked her laptop and saw an email from the WSB with an attached file. She opened the file, and a picture of Valentin during his younger days appeared on the screen. Moments later, the doorbell rang. It was Nina. Nina pushed past Anna and demanded to know what Anna wanted with Nina's husband.
At the Floating Rib, Lulu greeted Valentin. He made it clear that he'd agreed to meet her there rather than at Wyndemere because he'd been afraid that Lulu would upset Charlotte. Lulu admitted that it was the reason she'd asked to see him. Valentin and Lulu sat down as Lulu told him that it was time for them to have a talk about their daughter.
At the police station, Dante entered the interrogation room to let Diane and Alexis know that Alexis was no longer a suspect in Tom's murder because forensics had backed up her story. Relieved, Diane reminded Alexis that they had to get going because they had an appointment with the law review board. Alexis asked Dante for a moment alone with Diane. After Dante left, Diane urged Alexis to take a deep breath because the worst was behind her, and Alexis could face the board with a clear conscience.
In the squad room, Julian limped in and asked why Dante had wanted to see him. Dante explained that he had a few questions about Franco's kidnapping, but Julian denied any involvement and asked why he would kidnap Franco. Dante suggested that it had been an attempt to help Alexis, but Julian insisted that he'd had nothing to do with Franco's disappearance. Dante scoffed at the idea that Julian was an innocent "misunderstood" man, but Julian stuck to his story and advised Dante to get a warrant.
Moments later, Julian saw Diane and Alexis exit the interrogation room. Alarmed, he immediately asked if Alexis had confessed. Diane tried to shut down any discussion about confessions, but Alexis asked for a moment alone with Julian. Diane reluctantly stepped away to take care of some paperwork as Julian repeated his question. Alexis revealed that she had confessed to killing Tom, but she'd recalled dropping the knife and leaving the scene. Julian was relieved when she added that forensics had also cleared her. Julian's smile vanished when Alexis told him that she intended to confess to running him down with her car and fleeing the scene, but Julian objected.
Alexis pointed out that it wasn't Julian's decision, but he wanted her to have a fresh start and threatened to tell the police that he remembered the details of the accident, and Alexis hadn't been behind the wheel of the car. Frustrated, Alexis admitted that she was still tempted to drink, so Julian promised to help her remain sober in whatever way she needed -- even if it was just friendship. Diane returned to let Alexis know that it was time to leave. Alexis shocked both Julian and Diane by announcing that she had no intention of getting her law license back yet because she wasn't ready.
Diane decided to tell the board that Alexis had decided to write a book and left. Julian offered to take Alexis home, but she declined because she could handle it. Julian was proud of Alexis, but she ignored him and left.
Nearby, Dante's phone rang. It was Nathan calling to report that Franco had vanished again. Dante promised to meet Nathan at the hospital and ended the call.
In Franco's hospital room, Franco rested in bed as he tried to recall where he'd seen similar trophies to the ones he'd found in the storage unit he'd been locked in. His expression suddenly cleared as he realized that he'd seen the trophies at Tom's brother's house. Franco worried that Elizabeth was in trouble and asked the nurse who had entered the room to find Detective West because Franco had an urgent matter to discuss with the detectives. The nurse picked up on the seriousness in Franco's tone and quickly left.
Franco looked at the I.V.s in his arms as he contemplated how difficult it would be to remove them. Moments later, an orderly arrived to fetch Franco for an MRI. Franco perked up when he realized that the I.V.s would be removed. A short time later, the orderly parked Franco's wheelchair near the elevator and excused himself for a minute to pick up some paperwork. As soon as the orderly left, Franco stood up and walked away.
A short time later, Nathan exited the elevator. The nurse quickly approached him to let him know that Franco needed to talk to him. Seconds later, the orderly returned and noticed the empty wheelchair. Nathan wasn't surprised when the orderly revealed that Franco was missing. After Dante arrived, Nathan filled his partner in on Franco's disappearance and assured him that security was working on it.
Dante was curious if Nathan had learned anything about the storage unit where Franco had been held. Nathan explained that the manager had to check the records because nothing had been digitalized. Moments later, the manager of the storage facility arrived with a file on the unit. Nathan and Dante saw that the unit had been rented to "Rose Anderson," but S. Baker paid the bill. Dante noticed the address and immediately recognized it.
At the Baker residence, Elizabeth tried to leave with the photo album filled with incriminating pictures that proved that Tom had been stalking women, but Seth slammed the door shut and explained that she couldn't leave until she'd heard the truth. Elizabeth insisted that the police needed to know the truth about Tom, but Seth hated the idea of his family's name being dragged through the mud again and putting more of a strain on his ailing mother's broken heart. He acknowledged that he'd seen the photo album, and he'd realized that Tom had been as sick as ever. Seth's fears had been verified when he'd seen his brother attack a drunk woman in an alley, but she'd managed to get the knife away from his brother. Seth had seen for the first time that his brother had been -- and would always be -- a sexual predator, so he'd picked up the knife and had stabbed his brother to death.
Seth's eyes filled with tears as his knees gave out. Elizabeth assured Seth that he'd killed his brother while defending another woman and that he'd saved countless others. Elizabeth insisted that he didn't deserve to be prosecuted. Seth conceded that she might be right, but he admitted that he deserved punishment for what he'd done to Franco. Worried, Elizabeth asked Seth what had happened to Franco. Seth admitted that he'd been furious, and he'd taken his anger out on Franco. After the violent beating, Seth had panicked and had thrown Franco into a storage unit. Elizabeth glanced at the phone as she told Seth that they had to tell the police.
Before Seth could reply, Franco plowed through the door and shoved Seth against the wall. Franco beat Seth until Elizabeth pleaded with Franco to stop and pointed out that Seth hadn't tried to defend himself. Franco was furious and accused Seth of planning to hurt Elizabeth, but Seth denied it. Elizabeth implored Franco to let go of Seth, so Franco slowly released the tight grip around Seth's neck. Franco assured Elizabeth that he didn't want to be the man he'd once been as he backed away from Seth. Elizabeth promised that she believed Franco as Dante and Nathan suddenly appeared in the doorway.
After Dante and Nathan took Seth into custody, Dante asked Franco and Elizabeth to go to the police station to make a statement, but Elizabeth insisted that Franco needed to return to the hospital. Dante backed down and left. At the door, Franco stopped Elizabeth and kissed her.
At Anna's house, Nina decided to cut to the chase, since Lulu had convinced everyone that Valentin was sinister and a monster. Nina insisted that it wasn't true because she and Valentin simply wanted to live their lives in peace. Anna promised that her issues were with Valentin, not with Nina, but Nina questioned why, if that were true, Anna had barged in on Nina and Valentin during their dinner. Nina wondered why Anna was obsessed with Valentin, but Anna claimed it was the other way around. Nina scoffed at the suggestion that Valentin was obsessed with Anna and accused Anna of stalking him and of having an agenda.
Nina knew that Anna and Valentin had been cadets at the World Security Bureau Training Camp together. Anna was surprised he'd told his wife the truth, but Nina gloated that Valentin had readily volunteered the information when she'd taken Anna's advice and had asked him about it. Anna reminded Nina that Valentin had been the one who'd kept a photograph of Anna for decades, but Nina argued that it had been an old, forgotten picture of a friend from the past. Nina began to rant about how she was sick of people saying terrible things about Valentin, but Anna's laptop caught her attention. Anna tried to close the laptop, but Nina demanded to take a closer look and realized that it was a photograph of Valentin prior to the surgery.
Anna confirmed that it was Valentin, but he'd been known as Ivan Theodore when he'd been in the WSB. Nina knew that Anna and Valentin had been friends until Valentin had tried to kiss Anna and Anna had turned away in disgust. Anna argued that it was only Valentin's version of events, but Nina didn't care. Nina pointed out that Anna had likely always been beautiful and suggested that Anna had used people like Valentin because he was intelligent. Nina accused Anna of being uncomfortable around Valentin because he reminded Anna of how shallow and cruel she could be. According to Nina, Anna had kicked Valentin in the teeth after stringing him along as a friend.
After Nina left, Anna returned to the laptop to read Valentin's academic transcripts. It showed that he'd excelled in all his classes, but when she clicked on the file to read the professors' comments it flashed that her access had been denied. Surprised, Anna called the WSB. She identified herself and provided her clearance information, but she was told that the file on Ivan Theodore did not exist. Anna insisted that it was impossible because she'd been looking at the file. As Anna spoke, her screen suddenly flashed then went blank.
At the Floating Rib, Valentin told Lulu that they should communicate through their attorneys, but Lulu admitted that the lawyers might be the problem. Valentin was surprised because Lulu had initiated the legal proceedings by petitioning for sole custody of Charlotte. Lulu hoped they could hash things out between themselves because she realized that she had handled things poorly with Charlotte when she'd told their daughter that she was her mother. Lulu admitted that she'd seen the way Charlotte had turned to Valentin for comfort and had leaned her head on his shoulder as if he'd been the only safe place in the world.
Lulu acknowledged that the sight of Valentin made her sick, but their daughter was hurting, and Lulu was determined to put Charlotte's needs first by accepting Valentin's initial offer of joint custody. However, Lulu insisted that he and Nina, as well as she and Dante, had to attend family therapy sessions with Charlotte because they all needed professional help. Valentin refused and informed Lulu that he'd rescinded his offer of joint custody. Stunned, Lulu followed him to the bar to remind him that she was Charlotte's mother. "An accident of biology," Valentin countered.
Infuriated, Lulu insisted that it hadn't been an accident -- she'd been a victim of both Helena and Valentin, and he'd deliberately kept their daughter from her. Valentin decided that he'd been right to do so because Lulu hadn't put their daughter's needs first from the onset. Lulu reminded Valentin that she'd offered to share custody of Charlotte despite Valentin having killed Lulu's brother. Nina entered and quickly asked what she had walked in on. Lulu explained that Valentin had decided to go "gunning for a fight," but he had no idea what he'd started by instigating a war between the Cassadines and Spencers. Lulu bragged that Spencers always prevailed.
After Lulu stormed out, Nina asked if Valentin was okay, but he assured her that he was fine. Valentin was curious about her errand, so she admitted that she'd paid Anna a visit because she had wanted Anna to stop harassing them. Nina and Valentin sat down as Nina filled him in about her visit and revealed that she'd seen a picture of him prior to the surgery. Valentin became upset, but Nina didn't regret seeing it because it had underscored the strength and courage he had. Nina promised that she admired him and that he'd always see how much he meant to her when he looked at her. Touched, Valentin kissed his wife.
At the hospital, Sam lingered near the nurses' station until she saw her father arrive for his physical therapy appointment. She quickly returned to Jason's hospital room to let him know that Julian had arrived, and it was time to act. Jason explained that everything depended on Sonny. He hoped that whatever Sonny planned to do to get to the hospital wouldn't land Sonny in hot water with the police.
At Greystone Manor, Carly and Bobbie approached the front door. Carly was grateful for her mother's help with Josslyn's school project, but Bobbie enjoyed sifting through the photo albums and promised that Josslyn would have the best family tree album. Carly suddenly noticed that the front door was open and quickly entered to find out what was going on. She was stunned when she saw a police officer securing handcuffs to Sonny and immediately demanded to know what was going on. Sonny assured Carly that it was fine, but she decided to call Diane.
Sonny promised that it wasn't necessary because Diane had arranged for Sonny to have his old spinal injury checked out at the hospital because his back had been hurting him. Concerned, Carly wanted to go with Sonny, but he told her to stay and promised to fill her in when he returned from the hospital. After Sonny was escorted out, Carly admitted to Bobbie that Sonny was up to something.
At the hospital, Julian smiled when he saw Sam approach him, but she quickly made it clear that it would not be a friendly visit. She angrily accused him of putting her husband in the hospital and demanded to know what was going on. Sonny rounded the corner as he and Griffin discussed Sonny's x-rays. Sonny stopped short when he saw Sam and Julian arguing. Sonny approached when he heard Sam mention Jason's illness and asked what was going on with his friend. Sam filled Sonny in, prompting Sonny to ask to visit Jason.
Griffin was uncomfortable letting Sonny out of his sight because Sonny was under house arrest, but Sonny promised to stay in Jason's hospital room until the test results were back. Sam added that Sonny might also be able to persuade Jason not to leave the hospital. Resigned, Griffin agreed. Julian watched with interest and followed Sam and Sonny. Julian lurked outside Jason's hospital room and eavesdropped as Sonny greeted Jason then asked about the investigation.
Jason explained that he could no longer investigate the bombing. "I'm out," Jason added. Furious, Sonny demanded to know what that meant, so Jason clarified that he knew the investigation into the bombing had been the first step to getting back in the mob. Jason insisted that he wanted nothing to do with Sonny's lifestyle because Jason had a family to protect. Sonny insisted that he'd counted on Jason to find out who had killed Morgan, but Jason admitted that it was an impossible task because things hadn't added up, and he'd been chasing shadows. Sonny accused Jason of abandoning him, but Jason remained adamant that Sam and the children would always be first.
In the hallway, Julian listened to Sonny and Jason's argument until a nurse walked up to let him know that they were ready for him in physical therapy. Julian shushed the woman but followed her. Sam poked her head out the door to make certain that her father had left then closed the door and congratulated both Sonny and Jason on their performance. Sonny admitted that he'd enjoyed pulling the wool over Julian's eyes. Sam hoped that Julian had fallen for the ruse because it was the only way for them to continue their investigation without Julian or Julian's boss seeing Jason as a threat.
Later, Griffin assured Sonny that the spinal injury had properly healed. Griffin suspected that Sonny had used him, but Sonny smiled and assured Griffin that everything was fine.
In a hallway, Julian was on the phone with his sister. He assured Olivia that Jason would no longer be a problem because she'd done what no one else had managed -- she'd scared Jason Morgan.
In Jason's hospital room, Sam snuggled in bed with Jason. She couldn't wait until it was just her, Jason, Danny, and the baby.
At Greystone Manor, Carly and Bobbie sat on the sofa as they went through a photo album. Bobbie saw a picture of her mother and pointed it out to Carly because Carly looked exactly like Lena. Carly agreed that she had an uncanny resemblance to her maternal grandmother. Bobbie regretted that she didn't have more pictures of Carly's father's side of the family, but Carly assured her that Virginia and Frank Benson's side of the family would fill the family tree to the brim. Bobbie was surprised that Carly had decided to include Carly's adoptive parents in the family tree.
Carly conceded that she couldn't care less about Frank, since he'd abandoned the family when Carly had been a toddler, but Carly admitted that Virginia had been a good mother. Carly realized that she'd been the problem because she'd never been satisfied living on Virginia's secretary salary in a rental. Bobbie insisted that Carly had been a typical teenager with big dreams and admitted that she still regretted giving Carly up for adoption. Carly assured Bobbie that she understood her mother's choices, and she cherished the relationship they had. Pleased, Bobbie offered to take the pictures to the store to be copied, but Carly explained that she'd already asked Nelle to take care of it.
At the park, Nelle held the baby rattle as she admitted that things had been more difficult than she'd anticipated. She just hoped that when it was time to finish the job, she'd have the fortitude to do it. Nelle looked up at the heavens. "For you," she whispered. "Nelle?" Michael called out. Nelle quickly tucked the rattle away as Michael jogged up and asked why she was in the park at night. Nelle tried to change the subject by asking if Michael had been out for a run, but he noticed and called her out on it.
Nelle explained that it was the anniversary of her father's death. Michael's smile faded because he knew what it was like to mourn a father and told her about A.J. Nelle admitted that she didn't have a lot of happy memories of her childhood, but her happiest memory had been lying in the grass with her father and looking up at the stars. Michael imagined it had been warmer in Atlanta for stargazing, but she evaded talk of Atlanta by pointing to Orion in the sky and told him that it had been her father's favorite constellation.
Nelle admitted that she'd always thought that if she could see Orion, then her father could, too, which somehow had made her feel closer to him. Michael was familiar with the Greek god of hunting and shared his knowledge as he flirted with her. Nelle appeared uncomfortable and started to leave, but Michael apologized for crossing the line. He admitted that his mother had mentioned that Nelle had been seeing someone. Nelle assured Michael that he hadn't done anything wrong and acknowledged that she should have told him about the person she'd been seeing. However, she explained that it was complicated because he was an older man.
Nelle claimed that neither she nor the man she'd been seeing had any expectations of each other, and the relationship was casual, which was exactly what Nelle wanted. Michael promised to respect Nelle's desire to be friends and offered to give her a lift to his father's house when she mentioned that she had to pick something up from Carly.
A short time later, Michael and Nelle arrived at Greystone Manor. Nelle thanked him for not judging her relationship, but he assured her that he cared about her and wanted her to be happy. Satisfied, Nelle and Michael entered the living room. Both Carly and Bobbie were surprised when they saw Michael and warmly greeted him. Nelle pasted on a smile and asked if the photographs were ready. Michael noticed a baby picture and asked if it was of Carly.
Carly glanced at the picture and confirmed that it was her. Nelle tensed when Carly added that her adoptive father, Frank Benson, had been holding her. Nelle listened intently as Carly opened up about Frank and how he'd abandoned the family when Carly had been three years old. According to Carly, Frank had never looked back nor had he sent support checks to help, and Virginia had raised Carly on a secretary's salary. Nelle asked if Carly had ever checked on her adoptive family after she'd left home.
Carly admitted that she hadn't been interested in Frank, but she'd remained in contact with Virginia until her death shortly after Michael's birth. Carly revealed that her adoptive mother had been buried in Florida and added that Jason had made all the funeral arrangements. Carly told Michael and Bobbie that Virginia had always believed that a day at the beach could make things better, so Jason had taken them to the beach after Virginia's funeral. Carly recalled that it had been the first time that Michael had been in the ocean. Carly suddenly realized that she had a picture in the attic of Morgan that Josslyn might like for the family tree.
Bobbie offered to help, but Michael decided to follow his mother and grandmother in case something needed to be carried down. Nelle waited until she was alone then picked up the picture of Frank holding Carly as a baby. In Carly's hand was the same rattle that Nelle carried around. Moments later, Bobbie returned to the living room and noticed Nelle staring at the picture. Bobbie questioned Nelle about it, but Nelle became defensive and increasingly agitated. Bobbie realized that she'd struck a nerve, but Nelle angrily told Bobbie to back off. Bobbie wasn't intimidated because her Aunt Ruby had had a cat named Patches who'd been like Nelle -- vicious when cornered.
Nelle was forced to rein in her temper when Carly and Michael returned. Nelle quickly collected the photographs and left, but Carly sensed that Nelle had been upset and questioned her mother. Michael explained that Nelle had been upset before they'd arrived because she'd been thinking about family. Michael told his mother about his unexpected encounter in the park with Nelle, but Bobbie perked up when Michael mentioned that he and Nelle had agreed to be friends. Bobbie was surprised that Michael had been romantically interested in Nelle, but he assured his grandmother that it was a moot point, since Nelle was involved with an older man.
After Bobbie left, Michael admitted that he'd felt bad for Carly because she'd lacked the security and happiness that he and his siblings had grown up with. Carly assured Michael that it had only made her stronger, and she was proud of all she'd accomplished and of her family.
In the park, Nelle looked at the rattle and admitted that she'd considered letting everything go because she'd hoped to start something new with Michael. However, Nelle realized that she could never be honest with him, and Carly had reminded her why Carly deserved to have Carly's world crash down.
Ned and Olivia were laughing and kissing at the Quartermaine mansion, but she was nervous that someone was going to walk into the room. He had just advised her to relax when Dillon entered to get breakfast from the tray on the table. He smirked as he ate his muffin, but Ned promptly kicked his brother out of the room. "Where were we?" Ned wondered, returning to Olivia. "Leaving," she replied. She had a meeting with Carly, and she had to pick up Leo from Lulu's.
Ned understood that Olivia had a great number of responsibilities, but he hated that she left every morning at "the crack of dawn." Ned offered to have Leo stay in the empty nursery, but Olivia thought that she and Leo didn't belong there. He wondered if she'd felt unwelcome there, but she insisted that she didn't want to confuse Leo. "He has a home, and this is not it," she finished. "It could be," Ned suggested.
Ned apologized if he was moving too fast. Olivia needed to be "mindful" of the steps she took "for Leo's sake." Olivia's phone went off, and she figured it was Carly. She kissed Ned and ran out. Dillon returned and wondered where Olivia was. Ned chastised Dillon for not being more welcoming toward Olivia and informed him that she'd been very embarrassed when Dillon had walked in on them. Dillon insisted that he liked Olivia and wouldn't mind if she was around more. "Me either," Ned agreed, but he had a feeling that she didn't have the same feelings for him.
Dillon reminded Ned of the "little Italian sports car" he'd had one summer. The car had been "all flash" but had spent more time in the shop than on the street. He likened Ned to that car due to Ned's numerous marriages. "You think I should marry Olivia?" Ned asked. Dillon thought that Olivia, who'd been left with two kids by two men who couldn't commit to her, had learned to spot "red flags." Dillon advised Ned to show Olivia that he had something to offer her, like showing that he was "here to stay."
Ned mused that Olivia and Leo meant the world to him, and he wasn't "getting any younger." Dillon told his brother not to turn things with Olivia into a midlife crisis. Ned thought it would be a crisis if he let the best thing to happen to him walk away. He planted a slobbery kiss on Dillon's cheek, amazed at how smart his "baby brother" had become. He remarked that Dillon wasn't a lost cause, after all, and left the room. "Who says that?" Dillon called after Ned.
On the phone with the new district attorney, Jordan was incredulous that the woman still wanted to prosecute Sonny even though he was innocent. Jordan was hung up on when Andre approached. He wondered how her trip had gone. She remembered kissing Curtis and called the trip a "total loss." She asked about the rest of Maxie and Nathan's wedding, which Andre had dubbed "eventful." Jordan led him into the interrogation room so they could talk. They both started talking at once, but Jordan insisted that Andre start.
Andre regretted giving Jordan a hard time about leaving the wedding. He knew and appreciated that she was a "professional woman," and he apologized for being selfish. He expressed how much he loved having her in his life, and how happy she made him. "Tough act to follow," Jordan joked. She wished she had his way with words so that he would know how much he meant to her. She apologized for making him feel like she wasn't choosing him. "It's you or no one else," she said, and they shared a kiss.
Andre suggested that he and Jordan take a trip, and she happily agreed. Just then, Curtis burst into the interrogation room. Andre expressed his sympathy that the trip to Baltimore hadn't worked out. "Some things take longer to develop than others," he answered. "Some things are worth fighting for," Andre agreed, and he left. Jordan updated Curtis on the district attorney proceeding with the case against Sonny. The D.A. wanted to hear the story "straight from Buzz or not at all."
Curtis wondered if he'd done enough for Jordan to help him get his badge back. He promised to "do everything right" and work his way up with no special treatment. She revealed that she couldn't hire him, but she could potentially help him get hired at another department. He accused her of forcing him to leave town so he didn't end up in her bed, and she slapped him. She immediately apologized but told him that they had too much history to work together again. She finally had the life she wanted, but he didn't fit in anywhere. He informed her that he wasn't leaving. "Deal with it," he said, and he left.
Sonny thanked Carly for checking on him and kissed her. Just then, Sam and Jason entered, slamming the front door. Carly wondered what was going on. Jason informed her that they were having a "strategy meeting." After Sonny and Jason's "staged public breakup," they wanted to make it look like Sam had dragged Jason to Sonny's in order to broker peace. While it looked like there was still bad blood between them, Jason would continue investigating. Carly wanted details, so Jason filled her in on what he had so far.
Carly suggested that Jason take his findings to the cops, but he replied that there were too many leaks within the department. "It's up to us," he said. Carly promised to back off, but she expected to be told when Jason found out who was responsible for Morgan's death. She demanded to know what was going to be done about it "before you do something you can't take back," and she left.
Jason wanted to continue feeding Julian misinformation while Sam was at the safe house. She didn't want to go, but Jason needed to know that she and the kids were safe while he worked. Sonny offered to supply Jason with more manpower, since Curtis had left the investigation, but Jason didn't think there was time to prepare anyone else. Sonny wondered what Jason would do when he solved the mystery. Jason responded that he would go to the cops. "Is that enough?" he wondered. Sonny replied that, when Jason was done, whatever happened to the culprit was on Sonny. Just then, Jason's phone rang, and he was surprised to answer it to Curtis, who wanted back into the investigation.
Olivia wondered why Carly had wanted to meet in the park. Carly replied that she needed to make sure that Julian couldn't overhear. She informed Olivia that Julian was "involved in something ugly." She advised Olivia to "keep Leo close," and Olivia promised to keep her distance as usual. Olivia wondered if Carly had warned Alexis, but Carly countered that Alexis already had a restraining order against Julian. Olivia thanked Carly for the warning, saying that she had enough on her plate.
At Carly's prodding, Olivia divulged that things had gotten "weird" with Ned that morning. "Is one of his relatives trying to blackmail you? They're really good at it," Carly asked. Olivia updated Carly on the conversation about Olivia moving in with Ned. Carly gasped and said that Ned wanted to marry Olivia. Olivia thought Ned was perfect for her, but they had never talked about marriage. She thought about her bad track record with men and believed that she was having a panic attack. She insisted that she and Leo were fine on their own, and there was no reason to change their situation.
Alexis was on the phone with her sponsor when Julian descended the stairs with a suitcase. She hung up the phone, and he informed her that he was moving back to Ava's. He'd wanted to help get Alexis sober, so he believed that his work was done. She wondered about her hit-and-run. "You were never there," he stated, adding that the subject would never surface again. He joked that he could stay, but she offered to help him pack in response. She needed to go meet Sam, so she trusted that he would be gone by the time she returned. He promised that he was always a call away, and she left.
"Hey sleepyhead," Elizabeth said to Franco, who was waking up. She apologized for not being able to find him, and for him having to rescue her instead. She helped him take a drink, and he cracked that he could get used to having a personal nurse. She told him that while he'd been asleep, Kiki and Scott had stopped by, and Heather had called. He saw flowers on the table, and Elizabeth grabbed the card. It read, "Franco, you did good. Get well. Ava." Elizabeth told him that he had to accept that there were people who cared about him. He wondered if she was one of them. "I am, even though you kicked me to the curb," she replied.
Franco countered that he'd only hit "pause" so they could "sort the Tom thing out." She reminded him that he'd left her behind so he could tackle things on his own, which wasn't how she wanted a relationship. She wanted to face things together or not at all, and she left it up to him. "I choose together," he said immediately, and they shared a kiss. Alexis entered the room to talk to Franco, so Elizabeth left them alone.
Alexis was glad that Franco was all right. She recognized that Franco had had "every reason to believe" that she'd killed Tom, but he hadn't turned her in. She regretted that she'd been willing to let him take the fall, knowing that he was innocent. "I owe you," she said, wanting to start making amends. All he asked in return was that she remember she wasn't the only one working on atonement and that she take care of herself. She left the room.
Sam arrived at the hospital and asked Elizabeth if she'd seen Alexis. Elizabeth informed a surprised Sam that Alexis was visiting Franco. Elizabeth thanked Sam for finding Franco, but Sam appreciated Elizabeth's help in finding out about Alexis' trouble. "I call it even," Sam said, smiling. The women agreed and shook hands.
Sam found Alexis and told her that she and the kids were going out of town for a while. She explained that Sonny and Jason had had a falling out. With Sonny's trial approaching, Jason was afraid that Sonny would lash out at Julian, and Jason wanted nothing to do with it. She offered to take Alexis with her, but Alexis insisted that she would be fine.
Elizabeth returned to Franco's room, having gotten him discharged. She instructed him to get dressed and get himself in the wheelchair. She wondered if he wanted to go to his place or her place. She figured that, since he'd taken care of her, she would return the favor if he wanted. "Your place it is," he said. A few minutes later, she wheeled him toward the elevator but realized she'd forgotten something. Right after she ran back to the room, Sam approached. She thanked Franco for not turning Alexis in, but she assured him that it didn't make up for what he'd done to her. She got into the elevator and left.
Julian took one last look around the house before leaving. He opened the door, and in walked Olivia Jerome. She invited herself in to look at his "love nest." He demanded that she leave, but she reminded him that she gave the orders. He thought that someone might see her, but she reasoned that hardly anyone in Port Charles would even recognize her anymore. She was there for a "status report."
Julian explained to Olivia how he'd gotten Jason to stop investigating the car bombing. She was pleased. She asked about the sale of the hospital. He revealed that he was targeting certain board members, but Tracy was leading a strong resistance. She warned him not to disappoint her because he remembered what the consequences would be. Just then, a confused Alexis returned to the house.
Elizabeth served Franco a meal in bed as he recuperated at her house. They talked about making their relationship official, because Franco wanted to be able to protect Elizabeth always. Elizabeth was aware that many people would have something to say about them -- and not in a good way. She noted that those people had crossed her mind and "crossed right out." Their feelings counted, and Elizabeth knew that they had the same feelings for each other.
Elizabeth shared that she had been conflicted early on, but after almost losing Franco, she'd realized how important he was to her. "Everyone I love is important to me," she said. They began to kiss, removed their clothing, and made love.
Michael, Bobbie, and Josslyn looked through the remaining photos that were needed for Josslyn's school project. Josslyn wanted to use a photo of Michael as a little boy and thought that Nelle might be interested in seeing that. Michael ordered his sister to focus instead. Josslyn asked if she would be able to use photos of Sabrina and Teddy also. She felt that a family consisted of people one loved and trusted, not merely people with the same DNA. She also wanted to include Nelle, who had saved her life and was a part of her.
Nelle and Felicia made small talk at the Metro Court bar. Nelle received a flower delivery "from a guy I know," and Felicia presented her with a spa certificate for having been so helpful at Maxie's wedding. She couldn't believe how efficient and calm Nelle had been. Felicia thought that Carly had been lucky to find Nelle. Felicia commented that there was always something happening with the Corinthos family, as they had a very complicated history. Nelle replied that she was familiar with Sonny's business.
Felicia clarified that she was talking about the entire family, and while everyone was nice, Nelle needed to watch out for Bobbie. Felicia added that Bobbie was not a "benevolent den mother" as she appeared to be. She filled Nelle in on some of Bobbie's history, stressing the fact that she'd been caught with another man on the very day that her daughter B.J. had died. It had blown up their family. Bobbie was treacherous, disloyal, and dishonest, Felicia said. She warned Nelle not to trust her.
After learning that Nelle's bedroom wasn't too attractive, Felicia offered to redesign the room, free of charge. She insisted that it would look good in her portfolio, and after all, she and Nelle were friends. Felicia left.
At Greystone Manor, Sonny advised Jason that everything was in place. They talked about the fact that they had no information on the woman who was controlling Julian. Jason reminded Sonny that he was the second target of the unknown woman, though her main goal was to kill Julian. Curtis arrived, and Sonny was curious about Curtis' switch of allegiance. Curtis noted that he had grown disenchanted with a particular bureaucrat. He revealed that the district attorney wanted to see Buzz in person, but Buzz had disappeared.
Brick, a friend of Sonny's, arrived with various equipment and a solution for their quest to find Morgan's real killer. He held up a watch that was really a recording device. It also would act as an alert to any cameras or transmitters that they wouldn't be able to see. Curtis asked where the equipment had been obtained, and Brick flew off the handle at Curtis' questioning. Next, Brick showed them a listening device that they merely had to point in any direction. Brick once again took offense to Curtis' comments.
As Brick prepared to leave, Sonny thanked him for providing the equipment. Brick was only concerned that Sonny's name be cleared. Sonny also thanked Brick for the donation made to the foundation in Morgan's name and promised that the murder wouldn't go unpunished. Sonny called Brick a good guy as Curtis grabbed equipment to begin tailing Julian. Jason promised to be in reach if needed. "When" needed was more like it, Curtis replied. Jason left shortly after Curtis, and he promised Sonny that it would all be over, and Sonny would be free.
Alexis arrived home as Julian and his sister Olivia were having words. Perturbed that Julian was still there, Alexis wanted to know what was going on. Julian responded that he'd meant to leave sooner, but Olivia quickly spoke up and said that it had been her fault. Alexis announced that she had met Olivia through Alcoholics Anonymous, and Olivia was her sponsor. She was sorry that she hadn't mentioned it, but it was confidential. Julian could hardly believe that Alexis had chosen Olivia.
Olivia explained that friends and family were ineligible to be sponsors. Alexis both liked and trusted Olivia. A flashback to their first meeting in the park conveyed the information that Alexis had willingly given to Olivia about her family members. Alexis added that Olivia had been very helpful to her. "Just doing what I can," Olivia stated.
Alexis received a phone call and stepped out of the room. "How dare you?" Julian exploded at his sister. Olivia replied that she was being good, but Julian didn't want to hear it. Olivia wasn't an alcoholic and didn't know anything about A.A., he spat. Olivia felt otherwise, noting that Julian didn't know a whole lot about her. "You're messing with her life," Julian concluded.
Alexis returned, and Olivia said that she had to leave. Alexis explained that Olivia was an interesting person, even if a bit irreverent. She was also helpful, and Alexis needed a sponsor. Julian mentioned other options, such as leaning on her daughters or even on him. Julian offered to stay.
Alexis ordered Julian from the house, though he stressed how worried he was about her letting strangers into her life. Alexis retorted that Julian was the one who kept finding ways to get back in her life. Julian said that he would always back her up. Once out of the house, Julian called Olivia and ordered her to stay away from Alexis. Olivia suggested they take it up another time, and she ended the call abruptly. Once Julian moved on, Curtis pushed through the bushes to follow him.
Josslyn and Michael arrived at the Metro Court so that Josslyn could thank Nelle for her help with the school project. Josslyn noted that her brother was fantastic, and it was a shame that no girl had "snatched" him up yet. Nelle advised the younger girl that a woman didn't need a guy to define herself. Embarrassed, Michael changed the subject and remarked on the flowers sitting on the bar.
Nelle disclosed that the flowers were hers, but they were not from Carly as Michael first thought. Nelle had a flashback to herself ordering the flowers, and when she stepped away, Josslyn looked at the card. There was no signature, only an initial, "S."
Bobbie and Felicia met up in the park and, after some name-calling, began to giggle. "Nelle bought my act hook, line, and sinker," Felicia happily revealed. She added that the "groundwork" had been laid. She mentioned the flowers that Nelle had received, but she hadn't asked about those. Felicia also disclosed that while her P.I. skills were rusty, she'd done some investigating on social media. Every young girl had a Facebook, a Snapchat, a Twitter, or something. She could find nothing on Nelle, and she was wondering if Nelle Hayes was really the young woman's name.
Alexis placed a call to Olivia once Julian was gone. She apologized for her ex-husband's presence. Olivia soothed her, stating that she'd had experience with enablers in the past, and she probably knew him better. Alexis expressed her happiness at her luck in finding Olivia, who in turn felt that a higher power had put them together. Olivia picked up a glass of wine.
