Since Dr. Clader had been forced to cancel, Jake volunteered to perform Liza's ultrasound. As Jake performed his duties, Liza watched the monitor in awe. Both were unaware that they had company just outside the door. Adam and Allie looked on curiously. Allie decided that she'd seen enough and told Adam that they should leave. Adam wanted to see more and told Allie to move out of the way because she was blocking his view. If Adam wanted to hang around, Allie felt that he should walk into the room and tell Liza that he'd switched sperm specimens. "The time is not right," Adam growled. Allie started to wonder if the time would ever be right. Would Adam tell Liza when she and Jake were working on giving the baby a new brother or sister? Adam warned Allie that she could blow everything with a few miscalculated actions. Adam went on to describe how Allie could overreact and make herself (and Adam) look badly. Allie was slightly offended as Adam made her sound like a madman. When Adam reminded her how she'd reacted in the past, she realized that maybe she does have a tendency to fly off the handle. Allie still felt that it was time for Liza to know the truth. Adam was beginning to lose his patience. He told Allie that they had agreed to wait until he thought the time was right, not when Allie thought the time was right. Allie agreed to keep mum. As she walked away, she remarked that "maybe will do us all a favor and miscarry again." Adam snatched Allie's arm and pulled her violently towards him. "Don't you ever say that again. Don't even think it [or] you'll live to regret it." Allie's eyes filled with tears. She asked Adam to let her go, but Adam didn't unhand her just yet. Adam lectured Allie on the pains of losing a child. Allie now began to sob openly. "I'm sorry," she said as Adam finally released her arm. "I don't wish that on you." Adam demanded to know if he and Allie had an understanding. He noted that Allie was becoming erratic and lightly said that his "mind doesn't compute erratic." Allie nodded and said that she'll keep quiet. She wanted to find out once again what would happen if she opened her mouth and told someone about the switch. Adam said that he had a meeting with the medical licensing board scheduled for when he returned from his fishing trip. Allie knew that there were no guarantees that she'd get her license to practice medicine reinstated. Adam assured her that he had very powerful friends. If Allie squealed, the meeting would be nixed. Then, Adam said that he'd find Jake and tell him that Allie was not only a willing participant in the sperm swapping, but that she was the mastermind behind the plot. Allie sobbed openly and called Adam the devil. "Flatterer," Adam grinned proudly.
Back inside the room, Liza debated whether or not she wanted to know the sex of her baby. She ultimately decided that she'd rather not know, but it took a lot of thought on her part. Jake gave Liza a printout of the sonogram. He pointed out where the baby's heart was, its arms, and so on. Adam entered the room and asked Liza if he could speak to her for a few minutes. Jake asked Liza if everything was okay and left after she gave him a nod of her head. Adam told Liza that he was going to be leaving town for a few days on a fishing trip. He emphasized the importance of family and how he's missed being a full-time father. Liza smiled warmly and asked him if he'd like to see the sonogram photo. Adam was overcome, but he managed to hide most of his feelings from Liza. "It's a him or a her," Liza said with a chuckle. Adam wanted to give Liza a hug, be he asked her if he could give her a hug first. Liza wished Adam a safe trip and hinted that she'd speak to him when he got back. Adam left the room and, once outside in the hallway, recalled some of the warmer moments he and Liza shared while they were husband and wife.
Allie waited for Jake on the sun porch and hoped that he could spend his break with her. Jake told Allie that he'd love to spend time with her, but explained that the hospital was short-staffed and he had to cover for another doctor. He decided that it couldn't hurt to see if he could take a break and headed off to find a supervisor. While Jake was gone, David wandered onto the sun porch. He saw Allie and continued on his way without acknowledging her presence. Allie didn't see David at first, but when she did, she raced over to him and asked him to sit down and talk a while. David looked around and asked Allie if she was trying to nail him with another undercover sting. Allie laughed and said that she'd finally realized that he was right when he said that they should try to have a new beginning as friends. The niceties ended abruptly when Allie heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She knew that Jake was returning and that meant that it was show time. She pushed David away and tearfully begged him to stop. Jake looked furiously at David and demanded to know what he was doing.
Jack and Mike took to the phones to see if anyone could find Palmer. Jack learned that there had been no activity on any of Palmer's bank accounts or credit cards. Mike's contact told him that the Feds were itching to take over the case. Jack and Mike hung up at about the same time and then shared what they'd learned with each other. Mike had a feeling that Palmer was still in town. Jack assured Mike that he'd put some police officers on the trail and that they would track down Palmer. Mike, while grateful for Jack's assistance, felt that Adrian could do a much better job. He headed off to phone his partner and ask him for his help. With Adrian on the case, Mike smiled, Palmer would be located within twenty-four hours. After Mike left, Officer Troupe approached Jack and handed over Kit's rap sheet. Jack reviewed the file and was somewhat disappointed to see that Kit had a relatively unblemished record. The officer reminded Jack that under law, Kit would have to be charged with something or released. Jack sighed deeply and wondered why Kit had yet to contact her attorney. The officer stepped in and stated that Kit had made a call, but that it wasn't to an attorney---it was to Edmund.
Dixie tracked down Tad at the hospital and asked him for help in locating Palmer. She told her former husband that Palmer did have the paintings all along and that he was now on the lam. Tad wasn't surprised by the news. In fact, he actually expected it. What he didn't like, however, was learning that Palmer had locked Opal in the secret room. Tad declined to help Dixie in her search for her wayward uncle saying that if "standing around and twiddling [his] thumbs" would get Palmer out of Opal's life then "so be it." Dixie told Tad that his refusal meant that several lives could be destroyed. Opal, however mad she was at Palmer, would eventually get over her anger and realize that she still loves Palmer. Dixie added that she would be hurt too because she could lose another of her family members. Tad reluctantly agreed to help---but only for Dixie, Opal, and Peetey's sake, not Palmer's. The pair decided that they needed to figure out where Palmer could be headed. Simultaneously, they exclaimed Alfred Vanderpoole's name, the banker who'd recently popped up at Brooke's trial. Tad placed a call to the bank branch manager and learned that police had already been stationed at the bank to detain Palmer. Tad and Dixie both agreed that Palmer would never go to the bank with a gaggle of guards waiting for him. Dixie thought hard for a few seconds before realizing that she knew where Palmer might be headed.
Kit tossed and turned in her jail cell. She heard someone approaching and assumed that Jack was dropping by to hurl a few more insults. As it turns out, the visitor was actually Edmund. He asked Kit how she'd ended up in jail. She explained that Jack has tossed her into jail because she had an expired registration on her car. Edmund wondered why Kit didn't pay her fine and walk. She took a deep breath and informed Edmund that she didn't have the cash to pay the fine. She quickly explained that she was not back in town because she didn't have money. She wanted her family back, not instant financial security. Edmund told Kit that he'd spoken to Tad about her. Kit rolled her eyes and knew that Tad must have spewed forth bad things about her. Jack entered just as Edmund was asking Kit to explain her relationship with Nola Orsini. Kit decided that she couldn't dodge the truth any longer. She admitted that she'd nearly gotten control of the vineyard, but said that greed was not the reason she'd acted the way she had. Kit said that she'd worked for Orsini Vineyards for years and that as Nola's personal assistant she'd managed to help make Orsini profitable again. In those years as Nola's assistant, Kit said that she and Nola grew very, very close. "She was a lonely, frightened woman," Kit said softly. Eventually her hard work and friendship paid off and she received a promotion. Nola promised Kit a partial ownership in the vineyard---until Ted Orsini showed up. Ted, of course, was actually Tad, but no one knew that at the time. Nola forgot all about her promise to Kit and turned over control of the vineyard to Ted/Tad. "I regret what I did," she concluded. Edmund pulled Jack aside and asked him if he was certain that Kit was lying. He pointed out that Dimitri didn't believe him when he told him that he was his brother. Jack told Edmund that the two situations were entirely different. Edmund then asked, "Even if there is a one in a million chance" that Kit is telling the truth? Jack told the guard to open the cell door and let Kit go. Kit wanted to know what Jack was so afraid of. Jack reached out and snatched Kit's arm. Suddenly, he drifted back in time. He heard himself, as a young boy, shouting out to his sister as she was washed overboard. "No, Chrissy! Hold tighter!" He snapped back into the present and asked the guard to walk Kit to the door. Again, Kit asked Jack what he was so afraid of. She explained that a simple DNA test would either prove or disprove her claims. Jack refused to submit to the test because he felt that he'd be legitimizing a con artist's racket. He had been acting gently since his flashback, but now he was becoming angered again. He told Kit to hit the road or face fraud charges. Kit welcomed the charges because she said Jack would then be forced to submit to a DNA test. "You didn't kill me the first time and you won't kill me the second time, Dak," Kit said. Jack froze in place. "What did you just call me?" he asked. Kit said that the word "Dak" had just jumped into her head. Jack accused Kit of digging into his family's past to learn what his late sister had called him, Dak. "You know Christine called me that! [And] I never want to hear you say it again!" Jack hollered. Jack stormed out of the room. Edmund took Kit by the hand and told her to go with him.
Tad and Dixie walked in the parking lot of a long abandoned Cortlandt Electronics building. A spiffy little green sports car was parked outside. It obviously didn't belong there. Dixie recognized the car as one of Palmer's and said that Palmer must be inside. She remembered that Palmer had once told her that he'd stashed some cash in a metal box under the floorboards just in case she ever needed it. Tad noticed several window shades in the back of the car and mused that Palmer must be thinking about renovating the old building. The hid behind some crates when they heard Palmer returning to his car. Tad snuck up behind Palmer and asked him what he was doing. Palmer was startled and asked Tad how he'd managed to find him. Dixie popped out of her hiding place, leading Palmer to remark that now the "betrayal in complete.: Dixie argued that she was not trying to betray her uncle. Palmer asked Tad how much money he wanted to keep his silence. Tad assured Palmer that he didn't want his money. Tad made the mistake of turning his back to Palmer. Palmer raised the metal cash box over his head and clunked Tad on the head with it! Tad fell to the ground and Dixie immediately raced to his side. She held him in her arms as Palmer hopped into his car. He hit the gas and his car squealed off into the distance.
Jack and Mike continued working on locating Palmer. As they worked, Edmund led Kit into the station. Mike immediately scurried over to the "blonde beauty" and asked her how she was doing. Jack took only a quick glance at Kit before turning his attention to Edmund. He hoped that Edmund wasn't being taken in by Kit's bogus tale. Edmund didn't respond one way or the other. Kit sarcastically offered to get Jack some tar and feathers so that he could run her out of town. Edmund told Kit that it was time to leave. He obviously wanted to get Kit out of the station before she stuck her foot in her mouth. After Edmund and Kit had left, Mike remarked that Kit was a "woman for the books." Under his breath, Jack grumbled that he'd love to book Kit. Mike wondered where Jack's bad attitude was coming from. Despite Jack's instructions for Mike to "leave it alone," Mike noted that this was not the first time that Jack had lost his cool with Kit. Mike mistakenly assumed that Kit was a former flame and said that that could change Erica and Jack's relationship drastically. Jack rolled his eyes and assured Mike that he hadn't met Kit until the day before. He then softly added that Kit was claiming to be his dead sister. Mike was shocked. First, he didn't know that Jack even had a sister and second he didn't realize that Kit was his sister. Jack informed Mike that Kit wasn't his sister. In his words, she was a "scam artist." Jack explained that he had never mentioned his sister because there wasn't much to mention except that her life was way too short. A little more about the Montgomery family came to light. The family lived in Charleston, South Carolina. Travis and Jack were "much older" than Christine, who he called their "baby doll." Christine followed her older brothers everywhere. Jack loved hearing his sister's laugh and said that he'd give anything to hear her laugh just one more time. Apparently, Jack and Travis used to rent a sloop, a small yet quick boat. One day Christine trailed her brothers to the beach and begged them to let her sail with them. Looking back, Jack knew that he should never have let his sister aboard the boat. Christine was barely old enough to walk, Jack claimed, let alone swim. He recalled that he had a nagging feeling that the life jacket was too big for his little sister. He was right. The trio got caught in a swift moving and violent storm. They were too far out at sea to make it back to land before the wind stated kicking in. A "freak gust" capsized the boat and all three siblings were tossed into the raging waters. Jack held on to his sister's arm, but part of the mast swung around and hit him on the head. The impact caused him to let go of his sister. It all happened so quickly. Travis and Jack dove repeatedly to try to rescue their sister, but they couldn't find her. From that point on, the Montgomery family was torn apart. Jack said that his parents were devastated by the loss and that his relationship with Travis soured; both Jack and Travis felt that Jack was responsible for Christine's death because Jack had been the one to allow Christine on the boat and Jack had been the one who lost his grip on his sister's tiny arm. Mike didn't know what to say or what to do. He didn't want to worsen Jack's pain or to trivialize the way he felt, but he reminded Jack that he had come back from the dead. Jack told Mike that his miraculous resurrection was different---Jack had seen Christine die with his own eyes. Mike didn't press any further. Adrian arrived and told Mike that he'd received a lead on Palmer's disappearance. Mike and Adrian dashed off. Jack phoned Travis and brought him up to date on Kit. He told his brother that he believed that Kit was headed out of town and that she would not bother them again.
Edmund took Kit back to Wildwind so that they could talk a little more about her claims. Kit remarked that Edmund had a beautiful home, but noted that any house with a mile-long driveway had "better live up to its billing." Edmund told Kit that he had inherited the house and that he really only had a modest income from his work as a reporter and editor. Kit asked Edmund why he was willing to listen to her story when everyone else was convinced that she was a con artist. Edmund confessed that he was interested to see how the story unfolded. Kit didn't foresee a happy ending: "Brother tell his long-lost sister to get lost again." Edmund decided that he might be able to help Kit, but he said that he'd need to know more about Kit's story. Kit offered several interesting tidbits about her life. Of the three things she mentioned, two were vague enough that any con artist could have concocted them. She said that she had dreams of having two brothers: one with brownish hair and another with a blonder shade. That was easily obtained information. The second was that she is afraid of water. Considering that Christine "drowned," that was also pretty much a given fact. The third, however, was rather interesting. She said that she dreamt that her mother was a talented pianist and that she played a beautiful "Chopin Nocturne." As Kit told her story, she walked freely around the parlor. She came across Maria's photograph and picked it up. Edmund leaped out of his seat and ordered Kit to put the picture down immediately. Kit apologized and did as Edmund requested. She sat down next to Edmund on the sofa and began talking with blatant sexual innuendo. She stretched her legs out and gently caressed them as she again mentioned that she was afraid of water from her head to her toe. Edmund was amused by Kit's antics, but told her that acting like "a vamp" would not win him over. He told her that her story should stand on its own legs, not Kit's.
Jake demanded an explanation from David. David insisted that he'd done nothing to harm Allie. From the way that Allie was carrying on, Jake knew that something must have happened. Allie's eyes were now overflowing with tears. She claimed that David had tried to kiss her. David was stunned by the accusation. He told Jake that he hadn't gone anywhere near Allie. Liza strolled into the room and listened to the argument unfolding before her. She chimed in that it would not be out of the question for David, a man who didn't have a clean track record, to have done what Allie said he'd done. David pleaded with Liza to believe him. He asked why he would risk coming on to Allie when he knew that Jake was only "inches away." Jake had a quick answer: David is an "arrogant pig" who believes that he can have anything he wants. Allie smiled slightly. David's voice raised a bit as he exclaimed that he hadn't stolen a kiss since grade school. He asked why Allie had suddenly become so meek. The Allie he knew, he said, was "as fragile as granite." Something that David said hit a chord with Liza. She became very quiet and retreated to a corner of the sun porch. David decided that he'd heard enough and walked off. On his way out the door, David told Liza that her friend was "loony tunes." As soon as he was gone, Allie fell into Jake's arms and thanked him for saving her from David. David assured his fiancée that David wouldn't hurt her. Allie pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes. She told Jake that she was going to go and splash some cold water on her face. As Allie left, she thanked Liza for coming to her defense. David was waiting for Allie in a nearby corridor. He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into an empty room. Allie fussed and threatened to "scream bloody murder." David encouraged her to do just that, adding that he had some screaming of his own to do. Allie lunged for the phone, but David pulled it from her hands. He wondered why Allie had become so irrational. One minute, he noted, she was sobbing uncontrollably and the next she was fighting tooth and nail to get out of a room. David decided that Allie's behavior must be a result of jealousy. Allie, of course, denied that she was worried that Liza and Jake might grow closer, but David was sure that he was right. He warned Allie not to try to make him look bad again. Back on the sun porch, Jake fumed at what David had just tried to do. Liza wasn't so sure that David had done anything. She nicely offered that Allie might have "misinterpreted" David's actions. Jake was surprised that Liza was siding with Jake. Liza claimed that she wasn't taking anyone's side. She said that David had saved her mother's life and that she and David had also shared "a few decent conversations" since his return to Pine Valley. Wasn't it possible that he might be telling the truth. Allie returned to the doorway and listened in on the conversation. A smile spread across her face when she heard Jake defend her. Jake reminded Liza that David had tried to kill Adam-and then frame him for it. Allie walked into the room and told Liza that she should not be taken in by David's friendliness. She said that David will do whatever he has to to rope someone in. Liza said that she had to go and left without saying anything further. Allie again fell into Jake's arms and told him how much she loved and needed him.
Dixie held Tad in her arms and hoped that he was going to be okay. Unbeknownst to Dixie, Tad was no longer unconscious. He listened closely to everything that Dixie was saying and tried desperately to contain a smile that was trying to emerge on his face. In Dixie's ramblings, she told Tad that he needed to be okay because they'd wasted so much time. She added that he couldn't leave her at a time "when we just..." Dixie never got to finish her statement because Tad let out a soft groan to let Dixie know that he was still alive. Dixie immediately wanted to run to a payphone and call the paramedics, but Tad begged Dixie not to leave his side. If Tad was so weak, how could he be holding on to her wrist so tightly? Dixie pushed Tad off of her lap and called him a "fake" and a "fink." When Tad admitted that he was playing possum, Dixie responded with a whimsical reply. ""Do you want to know what we do to possum in Pigeon Hollow?" she growled. Tad told Dixie that he knew she wasn't angry with him because he'd heard everything that she'd said while she believed that he was unconscious. Dixie was furious with Tad, but when he told her that he really had been injured, she seemed to soften a bit. She reluctantly felt a lump on Tad's head. A few seconds later, Mike and Adrian arrived on the scene and asked the pair why they were hanging around the old warehouse. Tad admitted that he and Dixie had been trying to stop Palmer from leaving. Tad supplied the two agents with a description of Palmer's car as well as the license plate number. He also let it be known that Palmer had the paintings---wrapped in old window shades---in the back seat of the car. Mike and Adrian dashed off while the trail was still hot. Dixie felt badly for turning her uncle over to the authorities, but she realized that they'd done everything they could to help Palmer. Not everything, Tad replied. He said that he would have gladly laid down in front of the car for Dixie. Dixie blinked several times and told Tad that he would have been road kill. Tad now got the chance to zap off a dinger. In his best faked Southern accent, he quipped, "You know what they do with road kill in Pigeon Holler." . The two moved closer to each other and appeared ready to kiss. Dixie suddenly pulled away and again brought up that Tad should be checked out at the hospital. Tad didn't want to go to the hospital and Dixie didn't insist. She decided that she was going to return to Chandler Mansion and pack her bags. With Palmer on the run and Junior in Canada, she felt there was no reason for her to stay in Pine Valley. Tad blasted Dixie for wanting to run away in order to make her life easier. "Keep running," he snapped, "because you're good at it." Dixie turned and walked away. She turned back to look at Tad at least once, her face displayed a stunned---and possibly hurt----expression.
Tad followed Dixie to Chandler Mansion. As Dixie was headed towards the door with her suitcase, Tad entered the mansion. He hoisted Dixie into the air and tossed her on the sofa. Dixie called out Tad's name and demanded to know what he was doing.
It had been about twenty-four hours since her sexual encounter with David, but Gillian didn't seem remorseful. She lounged in the parlor at Wildwind until Ryan entered the room and then she made a beeline for the door. Ryan stepped in front of his wife and told her that she didn't have to leave. Gillian told Ryan that he had made his point when he'd told her that he hated everything about her. Ryan bowed his head and looked at the floor for a few seconds. He contemplated how he would apologize for his mean-spirited words. Finally, he just blurted out that he didn't mean what he said. Ryan chalked up his reaction to his anger over the way that Gillian had failed to inform him about Lee Hawkin's presence on the grounds. Ryan asked Gillian if it was possible to live the final seven months of their mandatory marriage in harmony. Gillian seemed receptive to the idea---until Stella, one of the housekeepers, entered the room and told Ryan that she had made sure that everything was in order for "Mrs. Santos'" homecoming. Once Stella left, Gillian tore into Ryan for his attempt to flatter her into being nice for Hayley's homecoming. Ryan insisted that Hayley's return home had nothing to do with his wanting to be nice. Gillian didn't believe a word Ryan said and stormed out of the house.
Liza followed David down a hospital corridor and onto the sun porch. "Hayward!" she called out. "We need settle something." David took offense to being called only by his last name. "I thought we were on a first name basis," he responded with a slight smirk. "And dinosaurs once roamed Pine Valley," Liza retorted, perhaps hinting that their days of civility had come to an end. Liza was a bit miffed because she'd gone to bat for David and now it appeared that he'd reverted to his troublemaking ways. David insisted that all he'd done to Allie was say hello. He noted that she'd been the one who'd invited him to stay and chat. Liza found that hard to believe; Allie hated David, after all. David pointed out that Allie's little tirade accomplished its goal: It got Jake's attention. Liza turned her queries in another direction. She wanted to know why David had returned to Pine Valley. She had her suspicions, primarily that David had come back to stick it to Allie again. The she thought about it and wondered if David wasn't going after the governor. He did perform the politician's heart surgery. David admitted that the surgery was the reason that he came back to town, but that left open the reason why he was sticking around. "I stayed because of you," David said nonchalantly. "I want you and I have every intention of having you." Liza didn't appreciate being talked to like an object. She came up with four good reasons why she and David could never be a couple: Her "hatred, detestation, and abhoration" of the doctor. Her final reason was her pregnancy. David said that Liza exuded a certain glow now that she was pregnant. The compliment slid right off of Liza's back and she accused David of making cheap compliments so that he could get her in bed. Somehow David managed to slip in a comment that having sex with Liza wouldn't be such a bad thing without getting decked. He went on to say, "I will have you." Liza was in such a huff that when she turned around to walk out on David, she collided with an incoming Gillian. Liza flailed her arms and told Gillian that she should watch where she's going. Once Liza had left, Gillian complained that Liza thinks her role as WRCW owner of WRCW gives her control over the world. It took a little while, but Gillian managed to forget about Liza. David asked Gillian if she'd dropped by to apologize for running out on him. Gillian explained that she hadn't run out on him, per se. She claimed that she had no idea when David was going to return, so she decided to return home rather than stay in a hotel room by herself. Both Gillian and David were eager to pick up where they'd life off. Gillian, however, was a bit too eager. She put her hands all over David and David had to remind Gillian that they were in a public place. Hospital, he noted, usually do not approve of open displays of affection---especially when it involves a woman whose marriage is already under scrutiny by Immigration. Gillian sat down in a chair and sighed. She decided that in public she'd remain a good wife, but in private, well, that's a different story. David urged Gillian to hold on to that thought until they could get together later.
Liza returned to the sun porch some time later and phoned WRCW to check on business. She told Rudy that she wanted to green light the planned medical program because she'd found the perfect doctor for the spot. David had entered from behind and beamed proudly. When Liza hung up the phone, he thanked her for selecting him as host of the new program. Liza smiled deviously and told David that he wasn't the doctor she'd chosen---she'd picked "Dr. Martin. Jake Martin."
In a location that was never revealed, a young woman enjoyed a hot bubble bath. As she soaked, she sipped champagne and listened to soft, romantic music. To pass the time, she picked up a copy of the National Intruder from a side table. When she came across the photo on the front of the tabloid, the woman dropped her glass. "I never thought I'd see you again," she said airily to a photograph of Mateo emblazoned on the cover. Carefully, she tore the photo from the cover so that only Mateo's face could be seen. She reached for the phone and called a friend. "It's Raquel," she said. "I need you to do something for me." In the background, the song's chorus repeated the words, "Feeling the yearning" over and over.
Mateo visited Hayley in the hospital and learned that his wife was more than ready to be discharged. Jake entered the room and told the couple that Hayley could not be released until the last test result came in. The final test, he explained, was the most important: an assessment of Hayley's liver function. Mateo asked Hayley to humor Jake by remaining (pardon the pun) patient. He mused that Jake doesn't understand that they have their own built-in healing system: their love for one another. Jake left the room and headed for the nurses' station. A nurse approached him and handed him a manila file folder. Jake opened the folder and reviewed the results of Hayley's test. He was certain, or perhaps hopeful, that the rest results were wrong. He asked the nurse to have the lab rerun the tests. "They were super careful," the nurse said, but she agreed to contact the lab immediately. Mateo stepped out of the room and phone a local florist. He placed an order for all the pink roses that they had in stock. Ryan slipped into the room and told Hayley that Stella had sent him over with a change of clothing for Hayley's release. Hayley asked Ryan if he could head back to Wildwind and get something for her. When Hayley and Mateo's apartment had blown up, Ryan managed to find a greeting card that Hayley had given Mateo to break the news that she wanted to start a family. Hayley wanted Ryan to bring that card to the hospital so that she and Mateo could once again talk about having a baby. Ryan was stunned by the news. It looked like his heart simply shattered into a million pieces. He called Hayley's decision to have a child "kinda scary." Hayley didn't take the response as an insult. She told Ryan that she felt the same way, but assured him that she couldn't have found a better man to start a family with. Hayley asked Ryan if he and Gillian had ever contemplated starting a family. Ryan let out a loud chuckle and reminded Hayley that his marriage to Gillian was just a sham. Hayley told him to remain optimistic---maybe they really could fall in love. Back outside, Jake received the second batch of test results. Mateo asked Jake if he could give him a preview of the results. From Jake's reaction, Mateo knew that the news wasn't good. Jake claimed that he was unable to tell Mateo about the results because it breached hospital protocol. Finally, Mateo's nagging convinced Jake to break the news to him first. Mateo's face dropped as he learned the news, which was never revealed to the audience. Mateo was visibly angered and asked Jake if he was sure that the results were accurate. Jake nodded. He assured Matt that his wife wasn't in "immediate danger." The two men entered the room and Hayley immediately asked them if she could be released. Mateo's somber mood hinted that something was wrong. Mateo sat down on the edge of the bed and told his wife that he had something very important to tell her.
Dixie tried to dart away from Tad, but he wouldn't let her leave. He told her that two years ago she ran out on him and that he was not going to let her do that again. Dixie told Tad that she didn't run out on him-they had decided to get a divorce. Tad corrected Dixie. She had decided to get a divorce. It was not, he insisted, a mutual decision. Tad said that they were "stuck" in the same place that they were two years ago, unable to deal with their true feelings. Dixie denied having feelings for Tad, which only angered Tad all the more. He told her that every time they're alone they fumble over each other like a pair of high school students. He sighed when he realized that every time they are on the verge of saying something meaningful, there is some type of interruption. Dixie wanted to know why the issue matter so much to Tad. "Because you matter to me," Tad replied. "Of course we care about each other," Dixie replied coldly. "We were married." That wasn't quite was Tad was going for. He asked Dixie to look him in the eyes and to tell him exactly how she felt. Dixie decided that maybe she and Tad could be friends. According to Tad, he and Dixie were "way past friends." Tad was marveled by the opportunity before them. After all they had been through, they still had the potential to put their rocky past behind them. Just as Dixie was about to respond, one of those interruptions that Tad spoke of popped up. Opal rang the doorbell and called out to her son. Dressed in a simple denim outfit and wearing little, if any, makeup, Opal slowly walked into the mansion. Tad and Dixie took turns filling Opal in on their encounters with Palmer---from the way he hid in Chandler Mansion's secret passages to the clobbering he'd given Tad. Opal apologized for her husband's actions and told Tad that Palmer hasn't been himself lately. She thought about what she'd said and realized that she was still making excuses for her husband. Opal wasn't sure where Palmer had gone, but she hoped wherever he ended up he was "miserable." The doorbell rang and a stone-faced Adrian entered the room. Opal immediately wanted to know if they'd located her fugitive husband. It was becoming apparent that Opal's anger was subsiding. Adrian informed the trio that he and Mike had found Palmer and then engaged in a high speed pursuit. Somehow, Palmer's spiffy little sports coupe managed to outrun the two secret agents. Even after Palmer was out of sight, Mike and Adrian continued their search. About ten miles north of town---and just after a very sharp hairpin turn, the two agents found a broken guardrail on a bridge. When they looked over the side of the bridge, they saw Palmer's car sinking in the water. There was nothing they could do to get to the car in time.
After finishing up in the bathtub, Raquel headed right for her bedroom. She took a fancy dress from her closet and then when through painstaking detail to make sure that she looked her best. She took another long look at the picture of Mateo that she tore out of The Intruder's cover. She slowly walked over to a desk and removed a plain white envelope. Inside the envelope were a series of pictures taken at a photo booth found in malls or at carnivals. The photos, obviously at least several years old, were of Raquel and Mateo.
At Wildwind, Brooke and Edmund tried to engage in a conversation about an article that was slated to be the cover story in the next edition of Tempo. Brooke liked the article, but Edmund found it unappealing. Both were obviously off in different worlds---and their long friendship made them aware that they were both distracted. Brooke decided that'd she go first and explain why she kept drifting off. She said that she felt bad about turning Dimitri down after he'd professed his love to her. Edmund assured Brooke that Dimitri was "a big boy" and that he'd get over it. Still, Brooke felt badly. Dimitri had stood by her every step of the way after the shooting. Now, she noted that Dimitri had left town because he was too embarrassed to face her. Edmund smiled slightly and told Brooke that Dimitri had left town on a business trip. He was certain that Dimitri hadn't taken Brooke's rejection personally. Brooke wondered how Dimitri could not have taken it personally. "I was talking to him," Brooke said, indicating that there was no way Dimitri could have misconstrued her letdown. Brooke got off the hot see and asked Edmund what was eating away at him. Edmund quickly explained that it wasn't a "what" that was bothering him, it was a "who." Brooke became quite intrigued and asked Edmund if he could give her a little detail about why this person was so much on his mind. Edmund explained that he'd met a women who claims to be someone's "dead" sister. He noted that while ninety percent of him thinks that her story is fake, there is still ten percent that wants to believe her story. The reason for his reluctance to discount the story was the sheer un-believability of her story: She was either a really bad con artist or on the level. It was all or nothing---there was no middle ground on this one. Brooke could see that Edmund wanted to find out if his gut-feeling was right or not. She told him that he has two options. The first was to forget about the woman and her claims. She knew that Edmund wasn't going to buy into that option. The second, she said, was the get the proof he needed---no matter what he had to do to get it.
"It can't be," Opal said softly as Adrian broke the news. Dixie was also stunned by the news. "Are you saying he's... gone?" Dixie asked. Adrian said that he and Mike had done everything in their power to save Palmer, but the raging water and the dark night sky hindered their rescue efforts. Tad tried to look at the bright side: No body had been recovered. Maybe Palmer survived. Adrian doubted that Palmer could have survived the hundred foot drop into the icy waters. Opal asked Adrian a series of questions about the events leading up to the crash. She wanted to know if Adrian and Mike were pursuing Palmer before the crash, if Palmer was aware that they were following them, and whether or not Palmer would have been driving so recklessly if he had not been trying to outrun the two agents. Adrian confirmed that he and Mike had been in hot pursuit and that Palmer probably would not have taken the dangerous curve as such a high speed under normal circumstances. Out of nowhere, Opal hauled off and smacked Adrian across the cheek. "Then you killed my husband," she growled. Adrian admitted that he was, in part, responsible for the crash. He did, however, say that chasing after Palmer was part of his job. "Killing people is part of you job?" Opal snarled angrily. Adrian calmly stated that when a suspect flees, he or she knows the risks that they are taking. Opal became more and more enraged and her words carried more and more venom. She asked Adrian why he'd come to Pine Valley. She told him that he no one should care about a couple of missing paintings. Citing Palmer's defense, she claimed that Palmer had done everyone a service by saving the paintings from a "bunch of fascist thugs." "How do you look at yourself in the mirror?" Opal asked Adrian, labeling him Judas. Tad stepped in and asked Opal to stop. Adrian didn't know what to say. He issued an apology, but he knew that it would carry little weight with Opal.
At the crash site, Jack was not allowed to give the officers on the scene much information about the events leading up to the crash. He did, however, tell the officers that they were to be on the lookout for Palmer Cortlandt and that they were dealing with an issue of "national security." He also said that Palmer had been carrying "valuable cargo" before he went off the bridge. Mike wanted the search teams to search further down the river because recent rains had made the river run a bit faster. Jack blasted Mike for telling him how to run the search. He announced that he was in charge and that the search teams would focus on a nearby inlet and a rocky riverbank nearby. Jack wondered if it was possible that Palmer's body had drifted out to sea. Mike gave Jack a funny look and said that it wouldn't have been possible for Palmer to drift out to sea. "Drowning has got to be a terrible death," Jack said softly. "Alone in that cold water... all by herself." Jack was no longer in the present. Mike didn't make a point of telling Jack that he was reliving events from his childhood. Instead, he asked Jack to consider the possibility that Palmer hadn't been killed. After all, there was still no body. "Sometimes there is no body," Jack snapped. Again, he seemed like he was trying to make up for his sister's drowning so many years prior. Of course it wasn't possible, but Jack had lost touch with that part of reality. The police managed to pull Palmer's car from the river. Inside the car they found only a coat. The coat was monogrammed with a "PC." The coat was definitely Palmer's, but there was no sign of Palmer or the missing paintings. Jack suddenly came to life and ordered the search teams to drag the river. Jack was determined to find Palmer---and thereby have an oddly placed closure that was missing in his sister's death.
At the police station, Adrian kept in constant touch with the command post to see if they had any new leads on Palmer's disappearance. Belinda saw the dejected secret agent and asked him if he wanted to join her for a cup of coffee. When Adrian asked Belinda if she was sure that she wanted to be seen with him, Belinda thought that he was joking with her. After a few seconds without any laughter, Belinda knew that something must have happened. Adrian told Belinda that he was a "lousy excuse for a human being" according to Opal. Belinda surmised that Opal's unfavorable opinion must have had something to do with the investigation. Adrian told Belinda that things had escalated past the point of an average investigation. Adrian filled Belinda in on the details and then asked her if the way in which he'd posed as Opal's driver was wrong. Adrian felt that he was in the business of "betraying people's trust." Belinda tried to comfort Adrian by telling him a little bit about her job. She said that when she takes some cases, she often wonders if her clients are guilty. No matter what the situation, though, Belinda said that she's determined that she'll do her best to ensure that every one of her clients gets a fair trial. And sometimes, she admitted, it "feels wonderful" when a client is convicted. That's not because Belinda wants to see everyone locked up---but it's a good feeling to know that justice can be served.
The news at the hospital wasn't so good. It took Mateo and Jake a long time to figure out just how to break the bad news to Hayley. Mateo informed his wife that the liver function tests showed that there had been some damage done to Hayley's liver. Jake called it a "chemical hepatitis." What this meant was that some of the toxins that had been introduced to Hayley's body had been absorbed into her bloodstream. From there, the toxins entered the liver and caused some damage. The extent of the damage was not yet known. Jake explained that Hayley would have to undergo weekly blood tests to monitor the situation. In short, it was a day to day, touch-and-go basis. Hayley was shocked by the news, but she knew that the two men were holding something back from her. "Until you're one-hundred percent," Mateo said softly. "We can't have any kids." That hurt Hayley more than the news that her liver had been damaged. She crawled out of bed and said that it wasn't fair. Jake told Hayley that if she were to get pregnant, she would risk having the toxins travel through the umbilical cord to the fetus. There was no time frame as to when all of the toxins would finally be out of Hayley's system. Jake did hint, however, that it might take a year---and that after that time Hayley's body would begin to heal. Hayley and Mateo were Jake's friends and he hated having to give them such bad news. He searched desperately for a shimmer of good news to give them. On his way out of the room he told Hayley that she could probably had oodles of children one day. The "one day" and "probably" stuck out most in Hayley's mind. Mateo embraced his wife and tried his best to make her feel better. Hayley apologized to Mateo over and over as though she felt she was letting him down. Ryan suddenly burst into the room toting the card that Hayley had asked him to retrieve. Mateo turned, saw the card, and snatched it away from Ryan. Hayley told Mateo that she had asked Ryan to get the card---obviously before she'd learned the bad news. Mateo apologized for his outburst and told Ryan about the doctor's diagnosis. Hayley was still allowed to be released, so Ryan headed to the nurses' station to check on the paperwork. Outside, Kit pulled Jake, whom she knew by name, aside and ask him if he could authorize a DNA test. Kit explained that she wanted to compare her DNA with someone else's to prove that she was this person's sister. Jake explained that in order to perform a DNA test, she would need her supposed-brother to undergo a test as well. Kit said that she planned on having the DNA test done so that she could show her brother that she wasn't trying the hide anything from him. She hoped that her gesture would convince him to have a similar test done. Edmund showed up a little while later and told Kit that he had decided that he would help her get to Jack. Kit was overcome with joy and gave Edmund a big hug. Edmund reminded Kit that he'd warned her about using her feminine wiles to win him over. She apologized for overdoing it, but insisted that her display of affection was genuine. Hayley and Mateo had already left for home when Ryan returned to Hayley's room and started packing up her belongings. The door to the room swung open and Raquel sauntered inside. "I'm looking for Mateo Santos," she cooed. "Do you have any idea where I can find him?"
Back at Chandler Mansion, Tad received a phone call from Mike and was brought up to speed on the investigation. Opal was certain that Palmer was dead. She had no backed down from her accusation that Adrian and Mike were to blame for Palmer's death. Now, she decided that it was her fault. Had she not pressured Palmer into returning the paintings, none of this would have happened. At least that's the way that Opal saw it. She said that she should have been a good wife and stood by her man during his time of need. "I let the enemy in," Opal said of hiring Adrian as her driver. "I've deprived Peetey of a daddy." This, Opal sobbed, was her "most grievous fault." Opal lowered her head and walked towards the door. Dixie offered to let Opal spend the night in the guest room, but Opal wanted to go home and be with her son. After Opal left, Tad and Dixie began to think about what had gone down. The both found it odd that Palmer's body had not been recovered at the crash scene. Upon further thought, they realized that Palmer was forever the trickster. That lead to the chilling conclusion that Palmer had probably not been in the car when it crashed into the river. Tad headed towards the door to begin his own search for Palmer. Dixie grabbed her purse and told Tad that she was going with him.
"You just missed him," Ryan informed Raquel, although she never introduced herself or even mentioned her name. Raquel told Ryan that she really needed to talk to Mateo, heavily emphasizing the word "really." Ryan determined that Raquel must be a representative in the hospital's accounting department and offered to pass along any bills to Mateo. Raquel almost seemed offended by Ryan's misjudgment. She said that she was "an old friend" who needed to speak to Mateo. Ryan could tell that the woman's voice sounded urgent and offered to pass along a message to Mateo---or even the woman's name and number. Raquel declined the offer without as much as a thank you. She went on to another topic, saying that she'd read in a magazine that Mateo had been attacked by a "wacko." Ryan cracked a slight smile and said that Mateo was fine, but Hayley, his wife, had just spent a few days in the hospital. Raquel claimed that she was glad that Hayley was okay---and then continued her game of twenty questions. She asked how long the couple had been married and if Mateo and Hayley had any children together. Ryan wondered why the woman was asking so many questions. She explained that since she and Mateo hadn't seen each other in so long, she wanted to be brought up to date so that she wouldn't "look like an idiot" when the reunited. She asked if Ryan could give her Mateo's address and phone number. Ryan didn't believe the woman's story and accused her of being a tabloid reporter. Ryan blasted the woman's gall for digging for dirt in a hospital room. Ryan sang Hayley's praises and said that she'd been through too much to have a "sleazy" tabloid reporter harass her. He told Raquel that she'd better leave before hospital security tossed her out. Ryan stormed out of the room, leaving Raquel to stew over her failure. She looked over some of the cards that sat next to the hospital bed. One, from Adam to his daughter, seemed to irk Raquel more than the others. "Everybody loves Hayley," Raquel groused. She desperately wanted Mateo's address, but she didn't know how to get it. She remembered that Ryan had mistakenly assumed that she worked for the hospital's billing department. The woman sat down on the hospital bed and picked up the phone. She called the billing department and pretended to be Hayley. As Hayley, she announced that she would be discharged shortly and wanted to make sure that her records showed her correct address. Unwittingly, the person on the other end of the phone rattled off Wildwind's address.
Gillian returned to the main house after a late afternoon riding session. She called out to her grandmother and Ryan, but no one responded. Gillian walked around the house and eventually found a letter written by Eugenia. Gillian learned that she'd be on her own for dinner---Eugenia had been invited to dinner with Phoebe and Ryan was at the hospital with Hayley. Gillian frowned and muttered Hayley's name. Gillian calmed herself down and decided that she needed to figure out what she was going to do for the rest of the evening. She phoned the hospital and asked to speak to David. After a rather short conversation, the pair agreed to meet up later and enjoy each other's company.
Hayley and Mateo had returned to Wildwind without fanfare. In fact, no one knew that they were home. In the privacy of their own bedroom, Mateo told Hayley that he wanted them to say, "I do." The statement caught Hayley by surprise. She and Mateo were, just in case he somehow forgot, already married. Mateo nodded his head, but said that their first wedding lacked the pomp and circumstance that they deserved. Mateo took his wife by the hand and asked her to renew their wedding vows---later that same night. "I'll marry you tonight and every night," Hayley said softly as tears appeared in her eyes. Hayley's wedding dress was laid out on the bed. Mateo said that he would get ready and meet his wife in the chapel. As Hayley donned her dress, she heard a noise at the door. She tiptoed to the door and scolded her husband by trying to get a peek at her before the ceremony. When Hayley opened the door, she got a big surprise. The mysterious lurker wasn't Mateo---it was Gillian. Gillian was surprised to see Hayley and quickly said that she had to run off for an appointment. Hayley grabbed the princess by the arm and yanked her into the room. "We've got a score to settle, girlfriend," Hayley snapped. Gillian tried to make a dash for the door, again saying that she was late for an important date. "For what?" Hayley quipped. "Lap dancing?" Hayley told Gillian that she and Mateo were starting over and that she wanted everything in her life to start anew. Inevitably that included Hayley's relationship with Gillian. In order to do that, Hayley first had to say a few things. She blasted Gillian for having kept quiet about seeing Lee on the grounds of Wildwind. Gillian insisted that she'd tried to her, but noted that Ryan wouldn't let her. Hayley was tiring of Gillian's excuses and was hurt that Gillian had decided to keep quiet on such an important matter. Gillian snapped that Hayley had willing gone with Lee---and insinuated that Hayley hoped her attempt to rescue Junior would make her look "noble." The implication that she has to go around making herself look important ticked Hayley off. She told Gillian that even if her accusations were true, acting noble is a lot better than whining all of the time. Hayley blasted Gillian's "poor me" attitude. Gillian, Hayley said, has every chance to have a wonderful marriage to a wonderful guy, but she keeps throwing it away. She reminded Gillian that Ryan had stayed by her bedside after she'd been injured in the explosion at Holidays. Gillian snorted and stated that as soon as she woke, Ryan ran off to be in Hayley's arms. Hayley didn't let the stupid remark get her worked up. Again, Gillian was turned to whining and complaining. Hayley gave Gillian a little history lesson. While she is Adam Chandler's daughter, Hayley informed the princes that she'd been raised by an alcoholic mother and had no idea that Adam was her father until recently. She called Gillian "smart" and "gorgeous" and talked her up a great deal. She then tossed in a witty little remark about Gillian having mastered "a gazillion languages," one of which was not English. Gillian walked over to a mirror and looked at herself carefully. Hayley put her hands over her face and took a deep breath. She told Gillian that she didn't want to argue any more. "I want you to experience happiness," Hayley said nicely. "Life is short, but it's awfully long without [love.]"
Gillian raced downstairs to the parlor and began tossing pillows around the room. As she flung a pillow across the room, Ryan entered the room and had to duck out of the way before he got whacked in the head. He asked Gillian what was wrong. "I'm sick of myself," Gillian sobbed.
At the police station, several inconsistencies in Palmer's accident were beginning to appear. It was logical for Palmer's body or the paintings to be carried downstream, but there was no way that Palmer's strongbox could have floated away. Mike called Palmer "a resilient and tenacious" man who could have escaped the accident in one piece. Tad and Dixie entered the police station and said what was one everyone's mind: Palmer faked his own death. Dixie and Tad had just come from the crash site and realized that Palmer must have staged the accident. Dixie was still noticeably shaken, so Jack offered to get her a cup of tea. While Jack was away, Dixie noted that the bridge that may have claimed Palmer's life was the same bridge on which Tad was believed it have lost his life during a scuffle with Billy Clyde Tuggle. Tad proudly noted that he had survived his fall of the bridge. His statement was supposed to provide Dixie with some comfort, but it didn't. Tad was a great deal younger than Palmer at the time of the accident---and Palmer has a heart condition. Dixie feared that her uncle might be slowly dying somewhere. Edmund and Kit entered the station and Jack and Tad immediately dropped their heads in frustration. Edmund approached the two men and asked them if he could have a word with them in private. Dixie overheard Kit and Tad exchange hostile greetings and when she had a few moments alone with Kit, Dixie asked Kit if she and Tad were friends. When Kit said that she and Tad were not friends, Dixie asked if she and Tad were enemies. Dixie was quite lofty as she interrogated the woman. Kit tried to find out where Dixie had gotten her tea, but Dixie wasn't easily forthcoming with a response. "Where are you from?" she asked Kit. "Around," Kit replied. "Around.. Is that where you know Tad from?" While Dixie was being extremely nasty, her actions and statements were almost funny. Kit tired of the third degree and told Dixie that she wasn't going to sit and take questions from a Barbara Walters wannabe. "Tell Edmund I went to get coffee," Kit groaned. "I'm not a message center, darling," Dixie sassed. Back on the other side of the station, Edmund was trying to make a case for Kit. He told Jack and Tad that there are no birth records for a Kit Fisher or Katherine (presumably Kit's given name) Fisher in South Caroline or Illinois, the two places where Kit says she lived. Upon further investigation, Edmund found no matching birth records for the woman anywhere. Nathan Fisher, Kit's father, had a cushy federal job in South Carolina---and then he uprooted mysteriously and moved halfway across the country. Tad suggested that the man might have gotten a better job. Then why, Edmund asked, was he hiding oodles of newspapers clips about Christine Montgomery's death in the attic? Edmund insisted that he wasn't a mark for the woman's con game. He asked Jack why he wouldn't submit to a simple DNA test. Kit approached and said that she'd like to know the same thing. Kit implied that Jack could not accept the fact that his sister might have turned out to be less than perfect. In short, he'd rather have his sister dead. The remark infuriated the district attorney. Jack flashed a ferocious frown as he ordered Edmund and Kit to leave immediately. "I did the best I could," Kit said in her own defense, adding that she is Jack's sister whether he approves of her or not. After Edmund and Kit left, Dixie asked what was going on. Tad told her that he'd first met Kit while he was living on the Orsini Vineyard. Dixie was appalled that Kit had tried to take advantage of a sweet woman like Nola. Mike suddenly burst into the station and announced that they'd found a lead on Palmer's disappearance. A set of footprints had been found in the riverbank about a mile downstream from the crash site.
In an unknown location, a familiar hand clutched a glass of cheap brandy. A waitress approached the table and asked the gentleman if he needed anything else. With his familiar lap of luxury grin on his face, Palmer told the woman that he wanted more brandy---better brandy. He reached into his suit jacket and removed a wad of bills. He handed the waitress what appeared to be a one hundred dollar bill and sent her on her way. Palmer proposed a toast to himself and the weak brandy would have to do the trick. He praised "rushing rivers, protective plastic, and cool cash." Palmer looked over at a tubular, black case by his side and patted it gently. Not only had Palmer escaped his "accident" with his life, but he escaped with the paintings as well.
In the chapel at Wildwind, Mateo lit a candle and sat in a pew near the front of the building. He thanked God for everything that he's done for him. The gift of being able to see the future and thereby protect Hayley was a blessing, Mateo said thankfully. He asked God to help him be the best man he could be. He went on to thank God for "giving [them] a second chance" to start over. As Mateo issued those final words, Raquel entered the chapel and smiled broadly. Mateo heard a noise and knew that someone had entered from behind. He assumed that it was Hayley and asked her if he was finally able to look at her, a reference to the superstition that a groom cannot see his bride before the ceremony. There was no response. Raquel stood still and silent for several seconds before saying, "Mateo. It's me." Mateo's face froze. He slowly turned around and faced the back of the chapel. He instantly recognized the woman from his past, but he said and did nothing. There were several moments of awkward silence and long glances. Finally, Raquel raced into Mateo's arms and the two shared an embrace. Mateo smiled broadly as he held the woman in his arms.
