Afton cursed the mattress of her bed at the trashy motel on the outskirts of Dallas as she sat up, groggily, and tried to pop her back into alignment. The alarm clock said 9 a.m. and she reached to turn it off, but then she realized the clock hadn't awakened her; it was the ringing of her cell phone.

“Hello?” she answered with a yawn.

“Afton, how are you this morning?”

Afton instantly recognized the voice as that of Rex Wentworth. “Trust me, I've been better.”

“Oh? Why's that?”

“I moved out of Cliff's and now I'm stuck at this damned roach motel because it's all I can afford. I wish to God I hadn't sold my old house or I could have moved back there. Plus, Cliff removed my name from his bank account and cancelled my credit card.”

“That's terrible, but I must say I am not surprised. I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed our night out together, despite the antics of Cliff and Jamie.”

Afton quickly found herself smiling. “I enjoyed myself too. Maybe we could do it again?”

Rex smiled. He couldn't believe how easy this was going to be. She was playing right into his hands. “How does breakfast sound? There's a delicious little French café near my penthouse. They have the most scrumptious croissants I have ever tasted.”

Afton licked her lips. “Sounds great. I'll be there in oh…an hour?”

“I look forward to seeing you again. Goodbye Afton.”

“Bye.” Afton flipped the phone shut and walked across the stained motel carpet until she found her way into the shower. She relished the feeling of the warm water on her face, but soon, it turned icy cold and she shrieked as it took her breath away.

“Damned motel!”

As she struggled to adjust the water temperature, she wasn't aware that someone had opened her hotel room door and had walked into the room. But then Afton froze when she heard a crash coming from the other room and she quickly turned the water off and stepped out of the shower where she pulled on her bathrobe.

“Who's there?” she called out, but there was no answer. Afton searched the room for a weapon and fear raced through her heart. This wasn't exactly the best section of Dallas and the lock on her motel room door was flimsy at best. The only thing that remotely resembled a weapon was the toilet plunger that was stuck in the corner of the bathroom.

Afton kneeled over and picked it up before opening the door and walking out into the room. She caught the man off guard and beat him over the head with the toilet plunger until he backed away.

“Hey! Stop that!” he said, with his arm held up in defense.

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my motel room!” Afton shouted.

“I own this hotel,” the man said meekly. “Or rather, Mother does. I was just here to clean your room. Good help is so hard to find here and I have to do most of the work myself. I didn't know you were in here.”

Afton sighed and dropped the plunger. “God, I'm sorry.”

The man smiled. He looked to be about twenty-five. “I didn't mean to scare you, honest.”

“It's okay.”

“We don't get many visitors out this way. Mother says people don't like this part of town. Say, would you let me make you a sandwich or something? You could come in the lobby and have breakfast with me. It's not that often that I get to talk to anyone. Then again, Mother really doesn't like for me to talk to the guests…especially the women.”

“Umm, no thank you. Maybe some other time. I already have plans for breakfast.”

“Sure,” the man said quietly. “My name's Norman, just in case you were wondering.”

God, if Cliff doesn't drive me psycho, this guy surely will, Afton thought. “That's nice...now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get dressed because I have an important breakfast date.”

Norman nodded and slowly walked out of the room and Afton breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone. Now there was only one thing for her to do--get the hell of this motel and back into the life she was accustomed to.

Myrtle Beach

The sun was just appearing over the horizon as Bobby and Pamela walked hand in hand along the beach. They knew that it was probably the last quiet moment they would have together before returning to the chaos of Southfork. The doctors had insisted on keeping them both in the hospital over night for observation. Dr Mixter only agreed to release Bobby when he promised to follow up with his own doctor in Dallas.

Everything seemed so surreal to Pam as they walked barefoot through the wet sand. The sunrise was breathtaking and it seemed a fitting start to the new beginnings in their lives. She clasped Bobby's hand tightly and though she tried, she couldn't prevent tears of joy from streaming down her face.

Bobby gave her a side ways glance and chuckled.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing, I was just noticing that you're crying again.” Then with a grin, “must be those pregnancy hormones.”

“Bobby!” Pam let go of his hand and bumped him with her hip as they walked. “If it is pregnancy hormones, then it's not exactly all my fault, now, is it?” She giggled too.

Bobby put his arm around her waist, suddenly serious. “Pam, I really can't believe this. I thought I'd never see you again and then you show up…and…the baby, my God…”, he looked off across the rolling waves.

“Bobby, there are some things you need to know…and some things I need to know.”

“All I need to know is that my children are alright. You said they were okay, they are, aren't they?” Bobby stopped walking and turned to her.

“Yes, they're fine. But Bobby… I need to know what happened. Why did you leave Dallas that night?” She looked at him, her eyes searching his for an answer.

“I wish I could tell you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't remember.” He shook his head in a gesture of helplessness. “I don't remember anything from immediately before the accident, including leaving Dallas. I was kind of hoping you'd be able to shed some light on that.”

“You called me and told me you needed some time away, because of what happened with Donna and the abortion.”

“I don't even remember calling you.” Even though she seemed to understand, he could tell from the hurt look in her eyes that she needed answers, answers that he wished he could give her….

Pam looked down at the water that was washing up on the beach. “You'll remember we just need to give it some time.” They started walking again. “But there are some other things I need to tell you.”

“What?” Bobby looked concerned.

“This is so hard to tell you, but the night after you left Dallas, Clayton was shot at Southfork.”

“Is he okay?”

Pam shook her head. “He was killed. “

Bobby closed his eyes for a moment, “oh no, Mama must be devastated. I should've been there for her…and I missed the funeral. Oh God, I can't believe this…”

Pam rubbed her hand across his back. “I know it's a shock, it was a shock to all of us.”

“Have they made any arrests?”

“Todd Foster…”

“WHAT? Todd shot Clayton?”

“No, he was freed. But they think whoever shot him was aiming for JR. So, of course Cliff was arrested, but Afton and Pamela Rebecca both gave him alibis. Now they say that Cally is the one that shot him…and I hate to admit it, but she looks so guilty. It looks bad for her.”

“Cliff I can understand, but why Todd? And Cally, I can't believe Cally would hurt anyone, not even JR.” Pam and Bobby walked a few more steps without speaking. “There is some good news though.”

“I could stand to hear some right about now…”

“Cliff and Afton took a honeymoon to Mexico and you'll never guess who they found down there…”

“Speedy Gonzales?” Bobby said with a slight grin.

“Bobby!”

“I know…just trying to lighten the mood is all.”

“They found Jamie.”

“What? Are you kidding me?”

“No. She survived the rockslide and some man had been taking care of her ever since.”

“Wow! I bet Jack is thrilled.”

“He is.” Pam smiled. There were still several other things that she needed to tell him but for right now, they could wait. Despite his earlier attempt at humor, she could tell Bobby was deeply hurt over losing Clayton and not being there for the family, especially his mother.

They continued to walk hand in hand along the beach for a little while longer, as the sun rose higher in the sky. It was hard to leave the peacefulness of the water behind, but each knew…it was time to return to Southfork.

Oil Baron's Club

Todd sat at the bar and tried to nurse both his hangover and his guilt. His kissing session with Lucy went no further than that---kissing---but it went on for a long time. Todd could have stopped himself, he supposed, but he didn't want too. The alcohol had made him feel free; letting him do what he had wanted to do for so long. Did Lucy feel the same way? She didn't pull away either. When they eventually did stop, it was almost as if by some connection they realized that they were both sobering up. Lucy was still too drunk to go home, so Todd offered her the guestroom and she accepted. She was gone by the time he woke up in the morning.

He hadn't talked to her, although he knew he should. He wanted too, but he was scared. She was married! And he was attracted to her, and he felt like a jerk.

He realized how stupid it was to be at the Oil Baron's with such a hangover---he had already seen two business associates of his. Luckily, he was sitting at the bar and a column was blocking him from the viewpoint of many that came in. He rolled his eyes when he saw J.R. walk in, briefcase in one hand. Just as Todd uttered a silent prayer that he would not be seen, he heard J.R.'s cell phone go off.

“J.R. Ewing here,” he uttered into the phone. Todd could see enough of J.R.'s face to ascertain that he was getting more and more upset with each passing second. “What the hell do you mean Rex Wentworth called? Sly, hang up on that man if he ever calls again. He's crazy if he thinks I'm ever going to listen to more of his lunatic rantings.” His voice was booming as he hung up the phone.

Dora Mae greeted J.R., announcing that his breakfast meeting had arrived. J.R. hurried off to the table, not seeing Todd.

Hearing J.R. was sobering to Todd, or rather, his realization was sobering. For whatever reason, J.R. hated Rex Wentworth. The very rich, very powerful Rex Wentworth. Chances are, Todd guessed to himself; Rex wasn't too fond of J.R. either. His hangover haze began to clear as he formulated a plan.

Dallas Jail

“Hey mama,” Justin said cheerfully. He sounded so close to Cally. She couldn't believe that he was all the way on the East Coast with James.

“Hey baby,” Cally said calmly, “how are you?”

“Good. It's kind of boring out here, I guess. I can't wait to come back to Dallas.”

When was she going to tell him? “I can't wait for you to come back either. But you need to get a good visit in with your brother. He told me that he's having a blast with you.”

Justin was silent on the other end of the phone for a moment. “I love you mama. I miss you.” A tear formed in Cally's eye. How could she tell him? How could she even begin to explain that she was in jail, let alone why she was in jail---for shooting his grandfather when she was trying to aim at his father, even though she was completely innocent. As much as she hated J.R., she regretted the hostility that she had displayed in front of Justin. J.R. was his father, and Cally was not going to poison his mind. Keep him away, yes, but J.R. was already a part of his life and Justin was Cally's first priority. She wouldn't want to do anything to hurt him.

She quickly changed the subject, asking about all the things that Justin was doing with his big brother. Talk never came up of where Cally was, or even when Justin would come back to Dallas. But Cally knew it had to be soon, and she prayed that something would break. That the police would find something to show that she was innocent.

The guard came over to signal that her time on the phone had run out. Cally had to make up a lie to Justin why she had to go. She put down the phone, this time the tears flowing freely.

Southfork Ranch

Ellie sat at the head of the table, staring at Clayton and Bobby's empty seats. She hadn't touched her plate and everyone else at the table was worried about her, though they all tried not to show it.

No one knew quite what to say, but they all silently agreed on one thing. If Miss Ellie didn't snap out of her depression soon, she would need to see a doctor.

They all turned around as Theresa came running into the room and came to a stop right beside the table. “Miss Ellie…” She stopped to catch her breath. “You won't believe who just showed up!”

“Tell them we'll see them after breakfast,” Ellie answered emotionlessly.

“You don't understand…it's…it's Mr. Bobby!”

The group went quiet and then Bobby and Pam walked into the dining room, holding hands. Miss Ellie's face instantly lit up like a child's face on Christmas morning and she stood up and almost ran over to her son.

“Oh Bobby, I was so worried about you. I didn't think we'd ever see you again.” She buried her face in his shirt and cried, but for the first time in weeks, the tears she shed were tears of joy—not sorrow and sadness.

Bobby embraced his mother. “Momma, Pam told me about Clayton, God, I'm so sorry I couldn't be here for you.”

J.R. and Christopher were the next to join them. Christopher hugged his father and grandmother at the same time. “Dad, I'm so glad you're back…I can't believe this!”

J.R. looked Bobby in the eye and then embraced his brother. “Bob, thank God you're back and you're okay…”

From behind they heard Theresa say, “Mr. Bobby, I think there's some one else who would like to see you.” Bobby turned around to see Theresa bringing Grace into the room. He smiled and took her in his arms. “Oh Baby, look at you; you've grown so much!” Tears welled up in his eyes at the sight of her. He gave a worried look to Pam, “Do you think she remembers me?”

Gracie smiled and grabbed her Daddy's nose. Bobby grimaced, “Wow, what a grip!” Every one laughed. Pam put her hand on Bobby's arm and smiled at the two of them, “Oh, I'd say you're pretty unforgettable.”

Seeing Bobby and Grace together made her remember their other good news; but she knew they should tell Christopher first. Then, they'd let everyone else know.

The Police Station

Hope Miller did not need another complication, and the body that the two teens reported last night was not helping things. It was technically on the Southfork property, and therefore warranted more attention because of the Clayton Farlow shooting.

They had been working on the body all morning. The cause of death was a bullet wound. The ballistics test was still being done. The primary concern was a positive identification on the body. Hope took a swig of her coffee and buried her head in the paperwork again. A moment later, one of the other detectives came in, looking flustered.

“Detective Miller,” he said, almost panting. “We've got an ID on the body. Just came in.”

“What's the name?”

“Klaus Urbanski. Guy's from Poland or Europe or something.”

“Does the press know?” Hope had to worry about press leaks, especially with high profile cases such as those involving the Ewings.

“I don't think so. I don't know. We just found out ourselves.”

Hope prayed the day would bring more answers.

The Cafe

“Rex, this place is absolutely out of this world. The food is amazing.” Afton wiped her mouth with her napkin and smiled at her breakfast date.

“I'm glad you're enjoying it. These chefs do know their French food.”

Afton's smile faded when she remembered her living conditions.

“What's wrong?” Rex asked.

“I was just thinking about the crummy motel I'm living in. This guy came in my room today. He said he was the owner coming in to clean it, but he really gave me the creeps. I've got to find a new place to live.”

Rex was deep in thought. This was his opportunity to get one step closer to Afton…and his revenge on Cliff. “Mind if I make a suggestion. Or rather, an offer?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“As you probably know, my wife and I recently divorced and she moved out of the penthouse, so I have plenty of room…there are two bedrooms. What I'm suggesting is, that if you don't mind it, I'd be glad to offer you a place to stay…with me.”

Afton's frown slowly turned into a smile. “Wow, that's generous, but I couldn't put you out like that.”

“No, really, it wouldn't be putting me out, as you say. There is plenty of room and I'd love the company of a roommate.”

“Well, if you're sure you wouldn't mind.”

“I'm sure.”

Afton smiled. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to receive an opportunity like this. She'd lost her high rank on the financial ladder…and Rex Wentworth might just be the boost she needed to climb her way back to the top.

Southfork Ranch

Sue Ellen had stepped out onto the patio for a breath of fresh air. She couldn't believe that Bobby was back and everything was okay! But to think someone had tried to poison Pam and Bobby scared her. Who could it have been and what if they tried to strike again, since their first attempt was unsuccessful?

Jillian followed her out. “Well, hello Sue Ellen.”

Sue Ellen didn't turn around. “Hello Jillian.”

“I saw you sweating in there. You're not happy that Pam's back, are you? You were really enjoying running the show here at Southfork, weren't you? With Pam gone and Miss Ellie spending most of her time in her bedroom grieving over Clayton's death, you were free to play 'lady-of-the-manor'.”

Sue Ellen turned around. “You have no idea what you're talking about. You'd like to think I was some cold, heartless bitch who wouldn't be happy about Pam and Bobby's return. Maybe that way, you can put your own mother up on a pedestal, by putting me down.”

“My mother is dead. Show some respect.”

“Yes, your mother is dead and I'm very sorry about that…for you anyway. But that doesn't change the fact that she was a tramp who ruined my marriage to J.R.”

“You sound as if you're not happy about that? Wait a minute, I thought you didn't care about J.R.? Could it be that Sue Ellen the ice queen still has feelings for a man she claims she hates?”

Sue Ellen looked off toward the pastures. “Trust me, I have no feelings for your father.”

“Good, because I don't want you as a step-mother.”

Sue Ellen smiled. “And what makes you think I'd want you for a step-daughter?”

“Good. Stay away from Daddy.”

Sue Ellen's mouth fell open. It was shocking to her how presumptuous this girl was being…to even suggest that she might ever try to marry J.R. again. “Excuse me, I'm going back inside.”

Rex's Office

“Mr. Wentworth?” His secretary buzzed in.

“Yes?” Rex was not expecting any interruptions.

“There is a Mr. Todd Foster here to see you.”

Todd Foster? Rex's mind quickly scanned for that name. Ah, the son of Bobby's deceased wife. Owner of April Oil. They had met briefly at the New Year's Eve party Rex had held. What could he want? “Send him in,” Rex ordered.

A moment later, Todd confidently walked through the door. He had rehearsed what he was going to say. “Hello Mr. Wentworth. I hope I'm not interrupting anything.”

Rex leaned back in his chair. “Not at all. What can I help you with today?”

“Business proposition.” Todd's impression of Rex was that directness was key with him, so he figured there was no point in beating around the bush.

“Really. With April Oil?” Rex grabbed his pen and twirled it in his fingers, almost as if to signal to Todd that he was lowering himself to even speak with him. “Wentworth is quite a large company, and I know that April Oil is one of the smaller oil companies in Dallas…”

Todd suddenly had the urge to smack him, but decided it probably wouldn't help anything. “Yes, but getting bigger every day,” he said equally as condescendingly. “But that's not what I wanted to talk about.”

“Then what is it? I'm a very busy man Mr. Foster.”

“So's J.R. Ewing. But between the two of us, we should be able to sufficiently do some damage.”

“Excuse me?” Rex was not expecting this.

“I pride myself on knowing the ins and outs of the oil business, Mr. Wentworth. It's quite obvious you and J.R. Ewing are not the best of friends.”

“What makes you think that? We're practically family.”

“Yeah, well, so's Cliff Barnes and J.R. hates his guts.”

Rex just looked at Todd for a moment. “So what are you proposing?”

“A partnership. I have another party,” Todd thought about it for a moment. Lucy would probably want to stay out of this, until he consulted her on it. “Who will remain nameless for now. We both have a mutual interest in seeing J.R. out of Ewing Oil.”

“Quite a statement.”

“J.R.'s done some things to me.”

“And are you looking to me to finance something?”

“No. Assistance is all I'm asking for. Between my partner and myself, we have plenty of funds.”

“So help me to understand what exactly it is you're looking for from me? You seem to be getting to everything but the point.”

Todd really started to wonder if this was a good idea. It was apparent that Rex Wentworth was a jerk. “Your ideas, your help. We want to get him out of Ewing Oil, and I'm confident that you'd like to see the same thing.”

“Well Mr. Foster…”

“Todd.”

“Todd. Do you have anything particular in mind?”

“As of yet, no. Which gets us back to the reason why I'm here. You didn't get this far without having some good ideas.”

Rex contemplated Todd's proposal for a moment. He had been meaning to do something about J.R. for a while, but with the whole Bobby fiasco, he just didn't have the time. This might be the perfect opportunity. “Your proposal intrigues me. I need to think about this. It would be quite a project.”

“Just think of the benefit. J.R. out of Ewing Oil completely. I can name about fifty people in this town who would be lining up to thank us.”

“Oh, but this would all have to be very hush-hush.”

“Of course,” Todd said. He could tell the meeting was not going to get any farther. “Why don't you think about it? You can contact me at April Oil when you reach your decision.”

Todd made his way to the door, and Rex could not help but be impressed with his guts. Quite a proposition. “I will do that.”

Todd turned around before he walked out. “Thank you for your time. Just remember the benefits. I think you'll find it's a project worth going through with.”

Todd Foster left, but Rex Wentworth was already convinced. They would do things his way, though.

Dallas Memorial Hospital

“I was just on my way over to the courthouse and thought I'd stop in and check on you...” Christopher pulled the door shut and walked over to Melissa's bedside. "So how are you doin'?"

“I'm doing fine, considering what I've been through.”

Outside the door, Pamela Rebecca had been on her way to have a little talk with Melissa, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Christopher enter Melissa's room. Was Melissa going to tell him?

“I'm glad. I didn't even know about the baby until late last night, or I would have stopped by. I was just so busy being there for Karen during her trial and everything.”

“Like you should be. Karen needs your support. How is she?”

Christopher sighed. “She's fine I guess. The trial's taking its toll on her, but that's to be expected. Oh my God, I heard about the wedding. What was John Ross thinking?”

“He claims he was doing it for Megan…but that's no excuse.”

There was hurt in Christopher's eyes over the mention of Megan. “I guess it takes a devoted father to do something like that for his daughter...if that's why he did it.”

“Christopher…”

“Yeah?”

Melissa wanted to tell him so badly, but she knew she needed to tell John Ross first. She had to prepare him for the heartbreak he was surely going to feel. “I've got some good news for you, but I can't tell you right now.”

Christopher smiled. “Good news? Well I could sure use some of that.”

“And you'll get it, I promise. Just not now, okay?”

Christopher was perplexed, but he reluctantly nodded. “Okay. Well, in that case, let me tell you my good news, my dad is home!”

“Christopher, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you. When did he get back, where was he?”

“I don't know all of the details yet, he and my mom showed up just before I left to come here. Anyway, none of that matters to me, I'm just glad he's home.”

Melissa smiled and took Christopher's hand. She was truly happy for her friend. “Me too. There is one question I need to ask you though…”

“Sure, what?”

“Have you had anything to drink?

Christopher looked her straight in the eyes, “Nope, not one. In fact I haven't even thought about it in a while now.”

“Good. You know you can still call me.”

Chris squeezed her hand, “I know, thanks. Hey, I want to run down and see the baby too. Will you be okay alone?”

“Sure, I'll be fine.”

“Great. Take care of yourself Melissa.”

She smiled. “You too.”

Christopher didn't see Pamela Rebecca as he left the room. After he was safely out of sight, she walked in and took a seat by Melissa. “Hi Melissa.”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I came to make you an offer.”

Melissa saw the desperation in Pamela Rebecca's eyes and she enjoyed it. “An offer?”

Pamela Rebecca took out a check. “Here. This is yours if you'll forget what you know about Megan.”

Melissa managed a laugh, but it created pain in her abdomen. “You know something? You really are sickening. Your money is NOT going to buy my silence.” Melissa grabbed the check from Pamela Rebecca and ripped it into pieces.

“Please Melissa. I'll do anything.”

“As much as I love seeing you in this position, I'm not going to keep this secret forever. I will tell John Ross about this and then when that's done, I'll tell Christopher. They have a right to know.”

“No! Don't.”

“Your say in this matter is over. Now get the hell out of my room before I call for security.”

Dallas Courthouse

“Your Honor, the state would like to mark these adoption papers as exhibit A to be admitted into evidence…”

“Your Honor, that won't be necessary. Mrs. Ewing is well aware that she gave Austin Anders up for adoption. We will stipulate that Jan and Brian Anders legally adopted Austin if the prosecution will stipulate that Mrs. Ewing is his biological mother and that Mr. Anders abandoned his wife and son shortly thereafter; and that the Anders subsequently divorced.”

Clark Marshall grimaced, he hated having to admit to the abandonment and divorce, but they were facts easily proven. “The prosecution agrees to that Your Honor.”

Judge Morris grinned, “nice to see you two finally agreeing on something. So stipulated. Mr. Marshall, you may call your first witness.”

“Your Honor, the State calls Miss Pearl Castleman.” An elderly woman with white hair and glasses entered the courtroom. Mr. Marshall directed her to the witness chair. The bailiff approached her, “Miss, please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

“Of course. I ain't never lied and I'm too old to start now.” Laughter erupted through the courtroom. Stan passed Adam a note. It read, “Object to that comment”. Adam quickly scribbled a reply, “Relax Stan”.

If there was one thing Adam Demerest knew it was that a jury trial didn't always depend on the facts, sometimes it depended on how things 'looked'. One of the reasons he was so successful was because Adam knew how to play a jury. He could intuitively tell what they liked and didn't like. And rule #1 was: Don't appear mean to little old ladies or little kids!

Clark continued. “Please state your full name for the court.”

The old woman gave a sincere grandmotherly smile, “you already know my name Mr. Marshall. We talked for a long time just this mornin'.” More laughter.

Clark sighed, but didn't lose his good humor. “For the court please, Mrs. Castleman.”

“Oh, Pearl Minnie Castleman. Would you like me to spell it fer ya?”

“No thank you, that's fine Mrs. Castleman. May I call you Pearl?”

“I think I'm old enough to deserve the respect of being called Mrs.”

Clark blushed at the embarrassment of being insulted by his own witness. Oh brother, he thought, this dame was quite a character. At the defense table, Adam ducked his head so that no one would see him chuckle at the hard time 'Pearl' was giving Clark.

“Mrs. Castleman, where are you employed?”

“At the 'Drive-by-Day; Fly-by-Night' car rental. They have a wonderful progrim' there where they hire senior citizens.”

“Yes, Ma'am. I'm sure they do. What do you do there?”

“Well, I answer phones, make reservations – and if'in I can get there early enough I make the coffee. Those young girls don't know how to make a good cup of coffee. A good cup ought to wake you right up in the mornin'.”

Clark began to wonder if this woman was worth the trouble, all he wanted her to do was authenticate Karen's car rental. “Yes Ma'am. Were you the one to make the rental reservation for the defendant Karen Ewing?”

“Well now, I don't recollect 'sactly. I get lots of phone calls and you can't 'spect a body to remember every one of them. But I suppose if she called, I'da answered. 'Taint no body else around there that'd pick up a phone. Lessin' of course, I was sick. But that don't happen but once or twiest a year. I believe in workin'…”

Clark cut her off mid-sentence; he was getting annoyed with her rambling answers. “Your Honor, I would like to have this paper marked as exhibit A.” Judge Moore just nodded. Clark picked up the paper. “Permission to approach the witness?”

“Yes.”

Clark handed the paper to Pearl. “Mrs. Castleman, is this a correct copy of your phone log where you write down all incoming calls and reservations, and is this your handwriting?”

“Yes, I believe it is.”

“Your Honor, I would like to enter this into evidence.” He handed the paper to Adam, who just glanced at it.

Adam stated, “The defense has no objections, Your Honor.”

Judge Moore instructed the clerk, “Let it be entered.”

Clark took the paper back to Pearl. “Now Mrs. Castleman, do you see the third line from the top?”

“Yes.”

“What does it say?”

She took the paper and adjusted her glasses on the tip of her nose. “It says 10:43 am, Karen Ewing, rental in Pennsylvania.”

“And would you explain to the court what that means?”

“Well, it means that at 10:43 am Karen Ewing called and asked to rent a car to be picked up that day.”

“Is that all?”

Pearl just stared at him blankly.

“What does the last part mean, the part about Pennsylvania?”

At the defense table, Stan scribbled another note to Adam, 'object, he's leading the witness!!'. Adam just wrote back, 'Relax Stan'. Rule #2: don't object to the question if the answer doesn't hurt your case, it only makes you look desperate and makes the jury think you have something to hide.

“Oh, that means that she gets the car in Pennsylvania and returns it in Pennsylvania; you know, instead of returning it somewhere's else.”

“One more question Mrs. Castleman, was that car ever turned in?”

“No sir, it was in a wreck, went right over a cliff. It was a mess, sure am glad Mrs. Ewing got out safe and all.”

“That's all Mrs. Castleman.”

“Twern't a problem though, insurance paid for it and all.”

“Thank you that will be all Mrs. Castleman.” The tone of his voice was harsher than Clark meant it to be; it showed his irritation. He wearily took his seat at the prosecution's table.

Laurel's Hotel Room

Laurel was nervously pacing when she heard the door knock. Maybe it was Ellie. She had called to apologize for the scene the night before, but had gotten no response. She was sure it was Ellie---she would come back after leveling accusations that Laurel was possibly responsible for Clayton's death, wouldn't she? She answered the door without even looking through the peephole. When she saw whom it was, all the air escaped from her body.

“Jimmy?” She asked, scared and shocked.

“Heya babe,” he said, his two thugs standing behind him in the hall. With a wave of his hand, he ordered them to stay put as he sauntered into Laurel's room.

She stood for a minute, shocked. “Jimmy? My God, what are you doing here?”

Her ex-lover plopped his obese body on the couch. “What do you think? I'm here for my money.”

Laurel's breath once again caught in her throat. “What are you talking about?”

“Don't play dumb with me babe, I know you too well. You've got my money that you and your new little boyfriend stole. I want it back...”

Dallas Courthouse

Judge Moore looked up. “Mr. Demerest, your witness.”

Adam stood up and approached Mrs. Castleman. “Hello there Mrs. Castleman, my name is Adam Demerest.”

“Hello.”

“I won't keep you long. I just want to ask you a few questions.”

“Thank you.”

Adam smiled at her, “Wait 'til I'm done to thank me!” Mrs. Castleman chuckled; the comment had had the effect that Adam was shooting for. “You said that you took a call from Karen Ewing?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember anything in particular about that call?”

“No sir.”

“Do you remember the call at all, Mrs. Castleman?”

“Not 'sactly. But I know I took it 'cuz I wrote it down. I write everythin' down, you can ask anyone in that office.” Pearl smiled proudly.

Adam grinned, “Oh, I believe you. I'm sure you do a fine job Mrs. Castleman.” Adam didn't see anything to be gained here, but he didn't think they had really lost anything either, all this woman had said was that Karen rented a car in Pennsylvania. He started to walk back to the defense table.

Judge Moore spoke up, “do you have anything else for this witness Mr. Demerest?”

Adam paused, was there anything else here? Suddenly he had an idea; Mrs. Castleman seemed to be the talkative type, it was only a hunch and might not lead anywhere, but questions were free…

He turned back around, facing Pearl. “Yes, Your Honor, I do. Mrs. Castleman, you said that you didn't have a specific memory of the phone call, but did you happen to be there in the office when Mrs. Ewing came to pick up the car?” He stepped aside so she could get a good look at Karen.

“Why yes, of course I was. Like I said before, I'm always there, 'lest I'm sick. I remember her comin' in.”

“Are you sure it was Mrs. Ewing and not some one else?”

She looked at Karen and smiled, “oh yes sir, I may not always remember a voice, but I never forget a face. It was her all right.”

“Do you remember if you and Mrs. Ewing spoke at all?”

“'Course we did.”

“And do you remember that conversation?”

Clark looked alarmed, Pearl hadn't mentioned anything to him about a conversation with Karen. He jumped to his feet, “Your Honor, I object! This line of questioning is beyond the scope of the direct examination.”

Judge Moore looked at Adam, who quickly replied. “Your Honor, That's ridiculous, Mr. Marshall brought up the subject of Mrs. Castleman's job, surely I'm not limited only to the part of her work that involves answering the phone!”

Judge Moore looked back at Mr. Marshall. “The subject of the witness's employment was brought up on direct examination Mr. Marshall. Objection over ruled. The witness will answer the question.”

“Well, she came in to get the car right on time. I had it all ready for her. I always like to have everythin' all taken care of when the customer comes in.”

Adam smiled at her good-naturedly and nodded for her to continue.

“I remember that she was dressed real nice and I asked her where she was agoin' with the car. I always like to ask people that question, you know, you get so many interestin' answers to it…”

“And do you remember what Karen said?”

Clark was on his feet again. “Objection, Your Honor, hearsay.”

Judge Moore frowned, “Mr. Demerest?”

“Your Honor, this is not hearsay, the defendant is recounting a direct conversation that she had with my client.”

Judge Moore ruled quickly this time, “Objection over ruled, precede Mr. Demerest.”

Adam chanced a glance in the direction of the jury, Clark had been over ruled twice now, and it looked like a few of them were getting irritated; they wanted to now what this woman had to say, and Mr. Marshall was trying to keep them from hearing it.

“Yes sir, she said that she was going to visit her son and then she was going to visit with her family.”

“Did Mrs. Ewing say that she was going to go and take her son with her, maybe, to visit with her family too?”

“No, she just said that she was going to visit him and then go visit her family. Then we talked about what part of town she was from and all.”

“Back to Mrs. Ewing's comments about her son… did you get any impression at all about Mrs. Ewing's relationship with her son?”

“Well, it sounded to me like she was divorced or somethin' and she was going to go and visit him.”

“And that's all?”

“Yes sir.”

“One more question, how did Mrs. Ewing act? Did she seem nervous or agitated in any way?”

“I'm not sure what you mean, she seemed just fine. She wasn't in a rush or actin' strange or anything.”

“Thank you Mrs. Castleman.” Adam walked back to the defense table. “No more questions Your Honor.”

Laurel's Hotel Room

Laurel began to pace. “I really don't know what you're talking about. An old friend of mine has died. I'm here to pay my respects.”

“Clayton Farlow?”

“How did you know?”

“I know a lot of things about you,” Jimmy said cryptically.

“Paolo or I would never steal from you, you know that.”

“Ya did it anyway, babe. I know. I know everything that goes on in my operation.” He put his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. “Took me a while to figure out, yeah. You two are smart like that. Well, I'm guessing it was Paolo since he pretty much stabbed me in the back.”

“Paolo loves you like a brother…”

“Yep, but he loves $800,000 more.”

“Jimmy, please, what do you want? I have to leave very soon.” Laurel was scared. He did know, there was no point getting around it.

“You get stupid or something since you left? I want my money. Pronto.”

“What makes you think its here?”

“Let's see, I find out you and loverboy are skimming money from me, you skip town but not before sending a nice little package to your friend Clayton.”

“It was a painting!” Laurel screamed. Did Jimmy really have something to do with the shooting?

“Yeah, I figured that out,” Jimmy smiled. “So where is my money?”

“Did you kill Clayton?”

“Maybe.”

Tears welled up in Laurel's eyes. She walked over to the couch and slapped him across the face. “You bastard! That man never did anything to you!”

“Hey, don't try to pass this off on me. YOU were the one that sent him that package.”

“It was a painting! It was just a painting you bastard!”

“Really? I know how you work Laurel. You sure it wasn't some clue to where the money was? I know it's still in Chicago.” Laurel just silently stared. How did he know? “I checked with the bank. I know people.” Jimmy had read her mind.

“Do you think I would get Clayton involved in this? He was a dear friend.”

“More the reason, babe.”

“You are a sick human being.”

“As sick as running off with someone's best friend? I'll have to think about that.”

“You can't even make a comparison. Don't even try.”

“You betrayed me. Paolo betrayed me.”

“You betrayed us!”

“How?”

“By becoming a monster! What happened to you Jimmy? You killed Clayton!”

“Well I didn't personally…” She slapped him again. “I want my money,” he said, his face stinging. He didn't want to play these games anymore.

“I don't know where it is.”

“Cut the bull, unless you want that pretty wife of his to get hurt too.”

“You wouldn't.”

“Tell me where the money is and I won't.”

Laurel just sat down and cried. Clayton was dead, and Jimmy was responsible. There were still so many questions, but she knew that it was all her fault. Clayton was dead. Now Ellie could be too. She had to try to right the situation. She would tell Jimmy where the money was.

Laurel sat back and cried more, the guilt overwhelming her.

Dallas Courthouse

Judge Moore turned to Mr. Marshall, “Call your next witness Mr. Marshall.”

“The state calls Mr. Edward Durges to the stand.” Edward walked into the courtroom; he was dressed professionally, carrying a notebook and looked to be in his early 40's. The bailiff swore him in and he took the stand.

Mr. Marshall asked, “Will you please state your full name for the court.”

“Edward Bernard Durges.”

“And your occupation?”

“I am the manager of the Excellence Inn in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.”

“Mr. Durges, do you have any record of Karen Ewing and Eric Stone ever staying at your Inn?”

Edward pulled out the notebook. “Yes, it is right here in my registry.”

“May I see that please? Mark this as exhibit B. I would like to move to have this admitted into evidence.” Marshall showed the sign-in book to Adam, who was busy making notes. He just glanced at it and with out looking up said, “No objection, Your Honor.”

“Very well, let it be admitted.”

Marshall turned back to Mr. Durges. “Now, Mr. Durges, were you personally there when the defendants registered?”

“Yes sir, I was.”

“So you can vouch for the authenticity of this register?”

“Yes sir, I can.”

“Thank you Mr. Durges, your witness Adam.”

Adam was slow to get up. He wasn't sure what more he could get out of this witness either. His only purpose seemed to be to prove that Karen and Eric were in the city of Philadelphia. The golden rule of cross-examination was never ask a question that you didn't already know the answer to. He glanced again at the register. Judge Moore was getting impatient. “Mr. Demerest? If you don't have any more questions for this witness, I'm sure we would all like to go home.”

“I apologize Your Honor. I was just wondering about this registration. Mr. Durges, did you personally see the defendants sign-in?”

“Yes, I remember because we were short handed that night and my front desk receptionist was on a break, so I was the only one there at the desk.”

Adam nodded his head; he kept staring at the register. Something about it bothered him, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was… Then he noticed it, a small spot that was whiter than the rest of the paper…right next to Karen and Eric's names in a column marked 'check-out date'.

“Mr. Durges, what are this column and this date for?”

“Well, just as it says, it's where we write the date the person plans to check out, so we can estimate when the room will be ready to rent again.”

“I see; and what would this white mark be here beside Karen and Eric's check out date?”

Edward leaned over and looked closely at the paper. “Oh, I didn't notice that before. I'm not sure, but my guess would be that their check out date changed and whoever checked them out adjusted the date so that it was correct.”

“You mean they would use something to 'white out' the original date and put in a new one?”

“Exactly.”

“Would you happen to have a copy of the original register with the original planned check out date on it?”

“We keep copies of everything in triplicate. I'm sure I have it here.” He began rifling through the notebook. “Yes, here it is.”

Adam took the paper from Mr. Durges. “Please mark this exhibit C. Mr. Durges, are you sure that this is an exact duplicate of the registration in question… except of course for the 'whiting out' of the date?”

“Yes, sir.”

Adam handed the paper to Clark who scrutinized it closely before saying, “the prosecution has no objections Your Honor.”

“Admit it into evidence.”

Adam approached Mr. Durges again, “So, Mr. Durges, can you tell the court how many days Karen and Eric planned to stay at your Inn when they checked in?”

“Well, it's kind of hard to see because it was written over, but it looks like they wanted the room for three days.”

“Three days?” Adam repeated for effect. “And when you look at the other form that Mr. Marshall entered into evidence, the one with the date 'whited out', how many days does that one say that they actually stayed?”

“One night.”

“So, Mr. Durges, would it be safe to say that when Karen and Eric checked in, they expected that they would stay there for three days. But they actually both ended up checking out the very next day. Correct?”

“Yes sir.”

“I have no more questions for this witness Your Honor.” Adam sat down. He smiled to himself, sometimes when you take a shot in the dark, you accidentally hit a bull's eye!

Southfork Ranch

It was late into the night and Southfork was finally quite. Bobby and Pamela snuggled closely together. The day had been a long one with the flight back to Southfork and all of the excitement of Bobby's homecoming.

Bobby held her and breathed in the fresh scent of her hair. He sighed, he couldn't help but think that only a couple of days ago he wasn't sure he would ever see her or Grace or Christopher again; the thought sent a shudder through him. Pam looked up, her chin resting on his chest.

“Something wrong?”

Bobby grinned, “What could possibly be wrong?” Pam blushed, knowing that he was referring to their own little homecoming 'celebration'.

“Come on Bobby, I know you too well.”

“Okay, I was just thinking about how happy I am to be home again. But so much has changed in only a couple of months. Clayton's gone. I just can't get over that, I kept expecting all day to turn a corner and find him standing there.”

Pam ran her hand across his chest. “I know it must be hard, the rest of us have already gone through the shock, but you're just now feeling the loss.” He saw the love and compassion in her eyes and it made him feel a little better.

“There have been some good changes too, though. You know I talked to Christopher tonight. I am really proud of him. He really loves Karen and he seems determined to be strong for her. When I left we were almost ready to send him to a rehab center for alcoholism. Tonight he told me that he hadn't had a drink since I left; he felt that he had to be strong and sober for you and Grace. It's nice to know that he's here to watch after and protect you two when I'm not around.”

“Well, don't get too comfortable with that idea, because I don't plan on letting you out of my sight for a long time!”

Bobby smiled and stroked her hair. “You don't have to worry, I'm not going anywhere.”

Pam smiled, “Hey, you're forgetting about the other changes… additions.”

“No, I didn't forget, I just saved the best for last! I can't believe that Karen has a son. And you're a grandma!”

“Watch it grandpa!”

Bobby chuckled, “And of course the best news of all, you've gained a few pounds!”

“I have not! I'm not even beginning to show yet!” Pam batted him with a pillow and they both dissolved into laughter.

Finally their laughter turned to a peaceful silence and Bobby said, “I feel like I've spent the last few months sleeping, but not as well as I'm gonna sleep tonight. It feels great to be back at Southfork, in our own room, our own bed.”

Pam smiled. “Hmmm. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep in this bed myself, after all of those sleepless nights without you.”

Bobby propped himself up on one elbow and leaned over her, tucking his other hand under the back of her neck. He smiled softly and whispered, “Don't count on it.”

Rex Wentworth's Penthouse

Normally Rex abhorred television, but he did try to catch the news every night. He usually looked over paperwork while it played in the background, but tonight a story caught his eye. It was a reporter, and she looked to be on the street right outside of Southfork.

“It was in the woods near Southfork, the estate of the oil rich Ewings, that the body was found last night…”

Body? That got Rex's attention.

“….sources have identified the man as one Klaus Urbanski, a resident of…”

Klaus? Dead? Rex silently damned his former employee. What the hell was his body doing at Southfork? It explained the mystery of where he was, Rex supposed. He blasted the fool's incompetence. Everything had been set up so perfectly---Rex had seen to that. Klaus had successfully stolen Cliff's gun, but he had hit Clayton Farlow instead of J.R. But now Klaus was dead? Rex wondered what the hell was going on…

Credits Roll