MARQUETTE COVE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Officer Jamie Grady opened Blake Thomas' jail cell, prompting the teenager to stand up from the cot he was seated on. Blake gazed at the open cell with a look of confusion on his face. He wondered if he had a visitor — maybe his lawyer Robert Bale, his boyfriend Chris Server, or his best friend Kelli Anderson.

Or maybe they were going to skip all of the formalities and excuse Blake immediately.

"What's going on?" Blake asked.

"You've been sprung," Officer Grady announced.

"Huh? I thought my bail had been denied."

"Doesn't matter," Officer Grady said. "The district attorney is letting you loose. Someone else just confessed to murdering Damon Johnson."

Blake's face went white as he tried to figure out who could have confessed. Especially since Blake was the person responsible for Damon's death. There had to be some sort of mistake.

Blake was led through a hallway, back to where he could collect his personal items. Waiting for him were Chris and Kelli.

"Guys, what the hell is going on?" Blake demanded.

"The real murderer confessed!" Kelli cried, embracing Blake. "Isn't that great? You're free!"

"Yeah…it's great," Blake said softly.

Chris forced a smile and patted Blake on the back, happy that the real murderer was going to prison instead of Blake. But Chris couldn't help also feeling sick to his stomach, knowing the deal he made to ensure Blake's jail release.

Detective Joel Kincaid sat in an interrogation room, across from Adrien Konieczka, the man who had just confessed to murdering Damon Johnson. Joel was still in shock, since this apparent culprit had come out of nowhere. He hadn't even been a suspect.

"I already told you, I was selling drugs to the kid," Adrien explained. "But he wouldn't pay me, so I offed him."

"And you decided to confess…what, out of the kindness of your heart?" Joel demanded.

"Because my boss informed me that I had to," Adrien said.

"And who would that be, exactly?"

"Sorry, no dice. I'm not giving up names."

Joel stood up and pressed his palms against the table. He glared at Adrien.

"All right, I think I've had about enough of your bull," Joel said. "So how about you tell me who sent you here to make this phony confession — because I know for a fact that you are not the guy who killed Damon."



BLOOD HOME

"I see you've come back to visit me," Quentin Blood said, entering his living room where Ricard Branch was seated. "Hopefully with the good news that you and the lovely Sara Reynolds have been reunited?"

"No…that's not it," Ric said.

"Oh, really?" Quentin asked, feigning concern. "Whatever happened?"

"Are you doing anything Friday night?" Ric asked. "Because I was hoping that maybe we could, you know, go out. On a date?"

Sara sighed. "I'm already dating someone, Ric. You know that."

"I know, but…she's not right for you," Ric insisted. "She's too —"

"Too what?" Sara demanded. "Too much of a non-drug dealer?"

"I'm not a drug dealer anymore."

"Oh, that's a relief," Sara said sarcastically. "I'd better hurry up and plan our wedding now, shouldn't I?"

"Sara, please…"

"Are you drunk?"

"No, I've been drinking coffee," Ric replied. "Look, I just want to go out with you!"

"It's not going to happen, Ric!" Sara cried. "So get lost, and leave me alone."

Sara spun around and stomped away from Ric, leaving him to kick a nearby table. But the table was firmly set into the sidewalk, and so it only succeeded in hurting his foot. Crying out, Ric angrily stormed off.

"She's not interested," Ric said. "Said she was happy with her girlfriend, Erin."

"Then we'll have to do something about that, won't we?"

Ric's eyes widened. "You would do that for me? Help me get Sara to fall in love with me?"



MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Alec Bale returned to the Emergency Room where his father, Robert Bale, was standing. Melissa Maddock was next to him, hugging Alec's cousin Sara Reynolds to keep her calm. Alec had just finished an attempt to call his girlfriend, Jessica Reyes, and didn't yet know that his mother had gone into cardiac arrest.

"Dad, what's going on?" Alec demanded. "I heard Mr. Holden being called to the Emergency Room. Did something happen with mom?"

"I'm not sure," Robert said, not wanting to upset Alec. "I'm sure we'll know soon enough. Were you able to get in contact with Jessica?"

"No," Alec said. "She's with Vince right now."

"Vince? Don't tell me Jessica's gone back to him."

"What? Why would you say that?"

"I'm sorry, I just thought —" Robert stopped himself. "Of course, Jessica wouldn't cheat on you. She loves you, Alec."

"I know Jessica wouldn't," Alec snapped. "It's my best friend I'm worried about."

Robert tried coming up with something to ease his son's worries, but he couldn't. Luckily, Simon chose that moment to exit the Emergency Room. This time, his news was slightly better. "We were able to get Felicia out of cardiac arrest, as well as her coma."

"Oh my God, that's great news!" Sara cried, perking up.

"It really is," Melissa agreed, still unable to shake the guilt she felt in being partly responsible for Felicia's accident. After all, if Felicia hadn't stumbled upon Melissa having sex with Felicia's husband, then she wouldn't have run out into the street and gotten hit by a car. "It's amazing news."

"Can we see her?" Michael Hanley asked, rising from his chair near the Emergency Room.

"Robert, you can see her," Simon said. "But only for a few minutes, I don't want to upset her. Michael…I need to speak to you alone."

Simon walked over to Michael and pulled him away from everyone else, while Robert gripped his son's hand before heading into the Emergency Room.

"What do you want, Simon?" Michael demanded.

"Michael, I think you need to leave," Simon suggested. "You're upsetting the family here, and that can't be good for Felicia."

"Listen up, doctor," Michael said. "You may be married to my sister, but that hardly gives you the authority to tell me what to do."

"No, but I'm Felicia's doctor, and that gives me the authority," Simon snapped. "Michael, do not challenge me on this. Please."

Michael smirked. "That's quite the pair you're growing, Simon."

He turned around and started toward the elevator.

"Thank you, Michael," Simon said.

"Oh, I'm not leaving," Michael explained. "I need some air."

Robert slowly pulled back the curtain to the area where Felicia was resting. He grimaced as he approached her bed, noticing how she looked. She looked so helpless, so innocent…she was only in this pain because of what Robert had done to her.

Robert had to apologize to Felicia, he had to make her understand that she was important to him and he hadn't meant to hurt her. Even after Michael's admittance that he had been sleeping with Felicia, Robert understood that it was partly his own fault.

"Felicia," Robert said. "Are you okay?"

Felicia opened her eyes and turned her head so she could see her husband. Tears began to form in Robert's eyes as Felicia reached out with her free hand and took his own.

"Robert," Felicia spoke. "What…what happened?"



BLOOD HOME

"Of course I would," Quentin said. "When you worked for me, I thought of you as a son, Ricard. I would do anything for you within my power."

"That's…that's kind of you," Ric said.

Quentin paused in front of the bar in his living room and poured himself a scotch. But, since you've turned your back on me and the life I gave you…I'm not sure what I can do for you now."

"I want your help," Ric said. "I need your help. I'm…I'm sorry for turning against you."

"You're sorry for betraying me?"

"I'm sorry," Ric repeated.

Quentin took a sip from his drink and smiled, turning around to face Ric. "You know what you have to do if you want my help."

"I know," Ric said. "But I don't know if I can come back."

"When you're ready for me to help you, I'll be waiting here," Quentin offered.

"Okay."

Ric stood up and started for the door, hoping that he would be able to come to a decision before Sara slipped out of his grasp forever.



MARQUETTE COVE POLICE DEPARTMENT

"Who sent you here?" Joel demanded.

"My boss," Adrien repeated. "That's all I'm saying for now."

"Dammit! Give me an answer!" Joel shouted.

Joel's tirade was interrupted as the door to the interrogation room opened. Officer Grady stepped inside. "Blake Thomas has been released, sir. Should I start booking this guy?"

"Yeah," Joel muttered. "Go ahead."

As he left the room, he turned back to face Adrien.

"This isn't over," Joel said. "Trust me."

Once he exited the interrogation room, Joel found Blake leaving an elevator with his friends. They had arrived from the basement level of the precinct, where the holding cells were. He started to approach Blake, when he noticed someone else entering the precinct from the front entrance.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Joel wondered aloud.

Blake hugged Kelli and Chris once they were off the elevator. He knew now that for whatever reason, someone was confessing to the murder. Blake wasn't going to rock the boat now and demand to know why the guy was confessing — if it got him off death row, it was all that mattered.

"Thanks guys," Blake said. "Thank you so much for doing everything you could to help me."

"I didn't do anything," Chris insisted. "We were just there for you."

"Yeah, we love you," Kelli said. "Don't you forget that."

"I won't," Blake said.

"All right, sounds like we need an impromptu movie screening at my house," Kelli announced. "I'm thinking Bring It On, Clueless, and 10 Things I Hate About You."

"Sounds perfect. You up for it, Chris?"

"I'd love to…but I've got some stuff to take care of," Chris said. "I'll meet up with you guys later, okay?"

"Well, alright," Blake said. "But don't keep us waiting too long."

Blake and Kelli headed toward the exit, while Chris stood alone next to the elevator. Once they were out of his sight, Chris removed his cell phone from his pocket. He had an important call to make.

He had to tell Quentin that he was back in his operation now…for good.



MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

"You…you don't remember anything that happened?" Robert asked, wondering if Felicia had been struck with amnesia that blocked out the memories of finding Robert and Melissa having sex in his office.

"What happened?" Felicia repeated.

"Nothing," Robert said quickly. "You were just…there was a car accident, that's all."

"That's it?"

"Yes, honey," Robert said. "But you shouldn't think about —"

"You're lying," Felicia said.

"What's that?"

"I remember everything. I remembering find you and Melissa on the couch in your office…I remember finding you on Melissa."

Robert nervously took his hands away from Felicia. "You remember everything?"

"I wanted to know if you would tell me," Felicia said. "But you were going to try and hide it from me, weren't you? Hide the fact that you've been having an affair?"

"Felicia, just listen to me."

"Go to hell," Felicia snapped. "Isn't that what you told me? When you accused me of sleeping with Michael, my own…my friend? Rather than actually try to talk things out with me…you slept with her?"

Robert was silent.

"How long has it been going on, Robert?"

"It only happened this once," Robert insisted.

"I don't believe you," Felicia said. "And I want a divorce."

"Felicia, you don't mean —"

"I want a divorce," Felicia repeated. "So get out."



MARQUETTE COVE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Joel approached his brother, Duncan Kincaid, who was standing near the entrance of the precinct. He grabbed Duncan's arm and dragged him outside onto the front steps of the police department.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Joel demanded.

"Can't a guy visit his brother?" Duncan asked.

"Shut the hell up," Joel snapped. "I'm only going to say this once, Duncan. Stay the hell away from me and my family."

Duncan pulled his arm away from Joel. "So much for hoping you'd grown up over the past twelve years."

"So much for hoping you'd rot in jail," Joel countered.

"I did, Joel," Duncan said. "For twelve years, while you were busy trying to turn everyone in the western world against me. I got released from jail. It means I'm innocent."

"On a technicality, that is not the same thing."

"I came here to mend fences," Duncan explained. "I want us to start over, become a family again."

"After what you did to me?"

"I know, Joel…I slept with your wife," Duncan said. "I can't apologize enough for that."

"You didn't sleep with my wife," Joel insisted. "You raped and murdered her. Kelly would have never slept with you."

"You were spending all of your time with Anna, she thought you weren't in love with her anymore. You were too focused on your job, Joel."

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave town."

"Joel, I just —"

"Or I'll put you back behind bars," Joel continued.

"That's not going to happen," Duncan said. "I was exonerated."

"Then maybe I'll just kill you like you killed Kelly."

Duncan frowned. "Is that a threat?"

"More like some brotherly advice," Joel said, winking at Duncan. He turned around and walked back into the building, leaving Duncan to glare at him from outside. Duncan placed his sunglasses back on and headed home.