“Are you sure everything is okay?” Darla asked her doctor as she strapped off the blood pressure meter from Darla’s arm.
”For now anyway. But you have got to stop stressing. It’s very important, Darla. Your baby was sending you a signal. He or she doesn’t like you getting all worked up. I realize you are worried about the father of the child. But you must start thinking of the little one inside of you.”
”Trust me, I will. This latest attack convinced me well enough!”
”Good. You make sure she keeps her promise!”
”I will. Thank you, doctor”, Clarke said and the doctor left them alone.
”So stupid!”
”Darla, don’t beat yourself up. You just need to rest more that’s it”.
”Yeah, yeah, I will. I won’t do anything stupid again.”
”You’d better not. I don’t think Thorne will be pleased to hear you’re putting his baby through stress for his sake”.
”No he won’t. So I won’t tell him, and I won’t do it again. Can you take me home now. I need to rest.”
”I’ll wait outside while you get dressed.”

“Rick, come back to bed”, Shannon called out from the bedroom.
”I need to head out.”
”Why?”
”Stephanie is in jail for murder. Dad isn’t answering his cell phone. I need to find out what is going on.”
”Please don’t leave me alone here!”
”You are safe here. Just get some sleep. Little Eric is sleeping. Tell him I’ll be right back when he wakes up, okay?”
”Okay”
”I’ll see ya in a bit then”.
”Sure…” Shannon said as she crawled under the cover again and Rick left. Shannon felt uncomfortable in the guesthouse. Just two hours ago, the paramedics had lifted Tim Cameron’s bloody body out of the pool. A picture that stayed in Shannon’s head. His death only reminded her of her mother’s recent passing. That had involved Stephanie Forrester too. Shannon had a chill going down her spine as she repeated that name, Stephanie Forrester. Shannon had only admired her before from the magazines, but now, being on the inside, she had gotten a whole new image of the Forrester matriarch. One that didn’t add up to the mental picture she had had of Stephanie before she met her.
Someone knocked at the door to the guesthouse and Shannon jumped up with a startle. Who was that? Shannon put on her robe and walked hesitatingly over to the door and asked who it was.
”Deacon Sharpe, I’m here to see my son”.
Shannon opened the door. She peaked out and Deacon pushed his way inside.
”I can’t believe it!”
”Where is he?”
”Who?”
”My son”.
”YOUR son?”
”Little Eric. Rick said he was bringing him here when he called.”
”You’re Little Eric’s father?”
”His biological father, yeah”
”Oh… I thought…”
”Yeah, I know. So where is he?”
”He’s sleeping”.
”Already?”
”Well, he missed his afternoon nap apparently and Rick didn’t want him to be aware at what happened yet”.
”Something happened by the pool? I saw the police tape”.
”Yeah, the pool guy was killed. Shot to death.”
”You’re kidding! Oh, man… Was it a burglary? Little D wasn’t here when it happened, was he?” Deacon asked worriedly.
”No, he wasn’t. Stephanie Forrester was arrested for the murder.”
”Stephanie? What’s this all about?”
”I have no idea. Seems like Stephanie had an affair with that guy and then she killed him for some reason. I really don’t know.”
”Stephanie had an affair with the pool boy? I would have loved to see Eric’s reaction to that!” Deacon joked.
”This isn’t funny”.
”No, you’re right. I´m sorry. Tell Rick I’ll come back tomorrow to visit with my son”.
”Deacon, wait!” Shannon said before he was out of the door.
”What is it?”
”Did you ever go out with a girl named Kelly Davis?”
”Why?” Deacon asked, as if Shannon had hit a nerve.
”It is you, isn’t it?”
”Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just tell Rick to bring my son over to my place tomorrow”.
”Okay”
Deacon left in a hurry and drove away from the mansion.
”She recognized me. Damn it!” Deacon shouted as he started driving faster.
Back in the guesthouse, Shannon sat down on the sofa.
”Deacon Sharpe… I thought you had left town for good. I thought I would never see you again…”

Brooke returned home after clearing everything up at Forrester. She had hurried to get away from there, cause she couldn’t shake the irry feeling that someone was watching her. What was that all about? Brooke headed upstairs to change her clothes. She looked into the bathroom and the tub looked very inviting. So she decided to take a long relaxing bath to stress off. She stripped down and put up her hair in a ponytail. As Brooke laid back in her bathtub, she imagined herself hearing a noise from downstairs. Her head turned to the bedroom door which she had left opened. Nothing.
”God, I am being paranoid!” she told herself and laid back her head on the edge of the tub. She started wondering when Ridge would get back home to Los Angeles. He had been in Japan for a very long time now. How long would he be stuck there? Brooke again heard something from downstairs and decided to check it out this time. She stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her body.
”Hello? Is anyone there?” she called out as she headed for the stairs. “Hello?”
She took one step after the next down to the first floor. She definitely could hear a noise now. She hurried the next few steps and grabbed hold of the vase on the table. As she tried to sneak into the kitchen to get something better to use for a weapon, a man surprised her from behind and grabbed hold of her. Brooke screamed out in panic and dropped the vase to the floor. It shattered in small pieces and Brooke could feel her heard doing the same.
”Calm down, Logan. It’s me!” the voice from behind said.
”Ridge? Damn you, you scared the hell out of me! What are you doing sneaking around like that?” Brooke asked angrily.
”Look how cute you are what you’re angry!” Ridge teased.
”I’m serious!”
”I just came back from the airport and I wanted to surprise you”.
”Believe me, you did! Have you been following me around?”
”No, but I’d like to…”
”Ridge! You could have surprised me earlier at the office!”
”I just got back”
”You didn’t sneak on me at the office?”
”No, why would I do that?”
”Maybe I was just imaging it…”
”You’re fantasizing about me sneaking on you? Kinda kinky, but I’ll try anything once”.
”I bet you would. No, I was having a feeling earlier at the office. Just like someone was watching me. It was very unpleasant.”
”Are you sure?”
”No, it could have been nothing. Anyway, I am so glad you are back again!”
”It’s great to be back. We have a lot of time to catch up”
”Yes, we do!”
”I was fantasizing about this moment. But I didn’t imagine you in a towel, dripping water… But it sure beats what I was thinking”.
”You’re so bad”
”You ain´t seen nothing yet”, Ridge said and took Brooke in his arms and kissed her. “Are we alone?”
”Yeah”
”Good… Then you won’t mind if I do this…” Ridge said and ripped off her towel.
”Ridge!” Brooke said chocked but with a laugh. “Aren´t you gonna go home to the kids?”
”My children are asleep safely in their beds and Catherine is taking very good care of them. I’ll be there when they wake up. So we only have 8 hours on, I suggest you you’re your pretty mouth and stop wasting time.”

Stephanie was lead into a interrogation room at the police station and an officer unhooked her from the handcuffs and sat her down on a chair. He left as soon as a detective of the police came in, ready for the interrogation. Stephanie looked up at the big mirror behind him and realized a few people were behind it to watch the whole thing. Why did they have to make it so obvious? It was like an old cliché from an old movie.
”Aren’t you going to have your lawyer present?” the detective asked of Stephanie.
”I don’t know when he’s getting here” Stephanie responded, and as if on cue, a handsome dark-haired man in his early 40´s knocked at the door and peaked inside.
”Stephanie Forrester?” he asked.
”Yes?” Stephanie asked surprised. “Who are you?”
”Russell Baxter, your new attorney” he replied and walked inside confidant.
”Where is Jonathan Young?”
”He will not take this case, and asked me to take over. I hope for your sake that you don’t have anything against it, cause I am good” he said as he took his seat next to her.
”Shall we get started?” the detective asked.
”Yes”
”Let’s see here…” the detective said to himself as he opened the folder on the case to read through the essential information. Russell leaned over to Stephanie to whisper in her ear.
”Don’t say anything incriminating and do not admit to anything until you talk to me one on one”.
”I will be recording this. Case number BA-446109. Stephanie Frances Forrester born 1943 July 31st. Is that correct?”
”Yes”
”You were arrested in1988 for attempted murder on your son, but were released and all charges were dropped. Can you tell me about that?”
”I didn’t shoot my son. They of course realized this and dropped the charges.”
”Okay. No criminal record then. In your own words, can you describe to me what took place earlier today?”
Russell looked at Stephanie as to tell her not to say a thing, but Stephanie ignored it, wanting to tell her story.
”I got home and found Tim laying in the pool. And then my step-son and his girlfriend walked out and you know the rest.”
”Can you give me details? Why did you go out to the pool and not inside the house?”
”Because I heard a noise out by the pool and I went to check it out.”
”What kind of noise?”
”I don’t know.”
”So you went to check it out… And what did you see. Describe everything to me”
”I saw something floating in the pool, it was quite dark, so I didn’t see what it was until I got to the edge of the pool. Then I saw Tim lying there and it was blood everywhere. I bent down to check if he was still alive, but he wasn’t.”
”And the gun?”
”I found that on the ground after I had gotten out of the car. It was mine, so I picked it up, wondering what it was doing out there.”
”What did you do with the gun after you picked it up?”
”I carried it with me out to the pool”
”Did you fire it at some point?”
”No”
”How did you know Tim Cameron?”
”He worked for me. He was managing the pool”
”Is that it?”
”Well, he was my… “friend” too” Stephanie said a little uncomfortable”
”Friend? Were you ever more than “friends”, I may remind you that this is an official interrogation.”
”What are you getting at?”
”I am asking if you were ever lovers” the detective asked as he felt Stephanie was trying to avoid the question.
”Yes, but only for a very brief period of time”.
”How long?”
”Is this really necessary?”
”Yes it is. How long did you have an affair with Tim Cameron?”
”One night”.
”Are you sure?”
”Yes I’m sure!”
”Were you romantically interested in him?”
”No”
”Did you end on bad terms with each other? Did you have an argument?”
”No, we did not”
”You were not upset with him about anything?”
”Well…” Stephanie started but were interrupted by the lawyer.
”You don’t have to answer that now, you are not under oath” he informed her.
”Are you hiding something?” the detective asked.
”No. I was not angry with him.”
”You didn’t want your relationship to be exposed?”
”No, certainly not”
”How long had Tim Cameron been working for you before he was murdered?”
”I don’t recall. 2 years maybe”
”How come you started a relationship with him?”
”It was hardly a relationship”
”Whatever it was, why did it start?”
”I was lonely and he was there for me when I was vulnerable one evening. That was really it. It wasn’t anything more than that.”
”Did anyone know about it or found out before he was killed?”
”My husband and Brooke Logan, the CEO of Forrester.”
”Your husband? How did he take the news?”
”He was angry”
”Jealous?”
”I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him that?”
”How is your relationship to your husband, before and after he found out about the affair?”
”We’re separated”
”When did this happen?”
”3 months ago”
”Did you leave him, or did he leave you?”
”He did”
”And this is why you needed comfort from another man?”
”I didn’t need comfort, it just happened.”
”Did you shoot Tim Cameron?”
”No, I didn’t”
”Do you know who did?”
”No”
”Do you have any ideas as to who did?”
”No”
”A witness say she saw you with the gun by the pool the minute after she heard a gunshot go off. Did you hear a gunshot?”
”No”
”Did you see anyone else by the pool or on the property?”
”No”
”You were alone?”
”Yes”
”Who else have access to be on the property?”
”Family, friends and the maid, and Tim”
”What did you do before arriving home?”
”I was at Forrester Creations”
”Can anyone witness to that?”
”Yes, many people”
”When did you leave?”
”I’m not sure. Between 5.30 and 6”
”You didn’t stop on the way home?”
”No, I drive straight home”
”How long does it take to drive between?”
”About 20-25 minutes depending on the traffic”
”At what time did you get home?”
”Around 6.10? I really don’t know.”
”Okay, we will continue this hearing tomorrow.”

Ridge and Brooke kissed passionately. Ridge ran his hands down Brooke´s back when Brooke suddenly stopped kissing him.
”Wait…”
”What is it?”
”I don’t know if I can do this”
”Why not?”
”Something happened when you were away”
”What? What’s this all about?”
”I was almost raped.”
”What? By who?”
”An old friend from school. But he didn’t rape me. Nick saved me.”
”Hold on, you were almost raped and Nick saved you? How?”
”He came over and heard me struggling in here and he rushed inside and kicked out that creep”
”My god… Logan…”
”I’m okay.”
”Are you sure?”
”I think so. I just, this didn´t feel right.”
”You can trust me, you know that”
”Of course. But I am not sure if I am ready yet. You just got back home. I think we should slow it down a bit.”
”Whatever you need. Want me to stay over?”
”I don´t know. Maybe you should go home to the kids.”
”If you need me here, then I am staying”
”It´s not necessary. I think I would like to be alone if you don´t mind”
”Of course not. Logan, I am really sorry. Come here” he said and took her in his arms to give her some support. Brooke relaxed and felt much better. The phone started ringing. Brooke went over to answer as Ridge tossed the towel to her to cover up.
”Brooke Logan”
”Brooke, it´s Eric. Do you have Ridge´s number in Tokyo? I couldn´t reach him on his cell phone.”
”Actually, he´s back home. Hold on a second” she said and handed the phone to Ridge.
”Hello?”
”Ridge, it´s me. I´m so glad you are back home. Your mother has been arrested, she´s down at the police station in Beverly hills.
”Arrested for what?” Ridge asked surprised.
”Murder. I looks quite serious. Jonathan didn´t feel he was enough qualified to take the case, so he called some expert in murder cases.”
”She didn’t actually do it, did she?”
”I don’t know, but I don’t think she did. She says she didn’t”
”Then why did they arrest her? Who do they think she killed?”
”It’s the pool boy, Tim something. I don’t know any details yet, it´s impossible to find anything out.”
”I’ll be right there, dad”
”Thank you, son” Eric said grateful and they hung up.
”What was that all about? Who’s dead?” Brooke asked worriedly.
”Mother’s pool caretaker has been killed and mother has been arrested for it. This doesn’t make any sense!”
”Tim is dead?”
”Do you know something I don’t?”
”Your mother had an affair with him apparently. I don’t know so much more”
”Mother and the pool boy? Why would she do that?”
”I don’t know. All I know is that Eric walked in on them and was very angry, and your mother accused me of making it public.”
”It’s public knowledge? What the hell is going on here?”
”You have to ask Eric and Stephanie.”
”Do you want to come with me?”
”I think I´d better stay here. Your mother is quite angry with me and it would just make matters worse. And I have some cleaning up here to do, thank you very much”.
”Okay. I call you later”
”Yeah… Bye”

Shannon had gotten back in bed, but she couldn’t sleep. Her mind was on Deacon Sharpe and the past. She hadn’t expected to see Deacon ever again. He looked so different now. Rougher and more grown up than she could remember him. What had happened to him after he left town? As Shannon looked up in the ceiling someone knocked at the door. Shannon didn’t feel like open the door, and decided not to open.
”Shannon Davis, it’s the police. Open up!”
Shannon quickly got out of the bed and hurried over to the mirror to straighten her hair. She took on her robe and quickly opened the door to the two policemen.
”Were you asleep?”
”Yeah…”
”I’m sorry. May we come inside? We have a few questions to ask you”.
”Sure, come on in”
”We understand that you were the only witness to the murder here?”
”Me and Rick Forrester. But we didn´t actually SEE the murder.”
”Can you tell us in detail what you did see?”
”We were in the bathroom when we, I, heard a bang. Rick thought it was a car door slamming because you can hear that sometimes if you park your car near. But I wasn´t so sure, because it was awfully loud. We had the shower on, and still heard it.”
”Where is the bathroom?”
”There” Shannon said and pointed to a closed door.
”Where did the sound come from?”
”From the poolside”
”You´re sure about that?”
”Yes”
”Then what happened?”
”We waited a while, because Rick didn´t think much of it.”
”How long?”
”A minute or two, I am not sure. Might have been shorter, I don´t really recall”
”After that?”
”Then I went in here, to get a glass of water. And I looked out this window and saw Stephanie Forrester by the pool. She was standing there, looking into the pool. I couldn´t see him in the pool so I didn´t know what she was looking at. And she dropped something on the ground.”
”A gun?”
”I think so”
”Then what?”
”Rick came up behind me and I told him Stephanie was out there. We decided to go out to see what she was doing there. And when we went out to the pool and we saw the body.”
”You never saw Tim Cameron before that?”
”No”
”Did you hear any argument or anyone screaming?”
”No”
”Only a shot?”
”Yes”
”Do you think Rick Forrester have more to add?”
”No, he saw less than I did”
”Do you know anything about the relationship between Stephanie Forrester and Tim Cameron?”
”No, nothing. I had heard something that they were a couple because the gossip magazines had written about it, but I never saw them together or anything like that.”
”Do you know if there were any tension between them, any disagreements?”
”No, I don’t really know any of them. I’ve only been staying here for 2 weeks. I haven’t really gotten to know Stephanie at all.”
”What about Tim Cameron?”
”I had seen him once, but never talked to him.”
”Did you see them together?”
”No, he was alone cleaning the pool when I left the house one day, that’s it”
”Do you have anything else you’d like to say? Some information we could use? Anything at all?”
”No. But, where is Stephanie now?”
”In custody”
”Are you releasing her soon?”
”She’s going to have a bail hearing soon”
”Okay.”
”Good night” the policeman said and left. Shannon leaned towards the door, half in panic. She couldn’t stay there anymore. Share a house with a murderer was not in her agenda.
”I need to get out of here”.

”Eric?” Stephanie said as she entered a conference room where she was going to talk to her lawyer in.
”Hi, how are you?”
”Fine, under the circumstances. Where is Jonathan?”
”He’s gonna be here soon”
”Why did he send that other lawyer. Russell, what’s his name?”
”Russell Baxter. Jonathan recommended him. He didn’t think he should handle this case himself and apparently Russell Baxter is very good at what he does. He mostly works with murder cases.”
”It’s that bad, isn’t it? I am gonna need an expert?”
”I don’t know. But I think we should be as prepared as we can.”
”Eric, Stephanie, hello” Jonathan said as he entered together with Russell.
”Hello again”
”Hi”
”I don’t think we have been properly introduced. I’m Russell Baxter, attorney at law” he said as he reached out his hand. Stephanie took it and they shook hands.
”Stephanie Forrester”
Russell then turned to Eric and repeated the introduction.
”Your bail hearing is set for Monday 9 a.m. Until then, I need to know a few things. Shall we sit down?” he continued and the four sat down around the table.
”You have no criminal record, have you?”
”I was arrested in 1988 but I was let go the same night”
”For what?”
”Shooting my son, which I didn’t do”
”Shooting? That could be to our disadvantage. What happened?”
”My son was shot in the head and I took the blame”
”Why would you do that?”
”To protect the one who did shoot him”
”Who was that?”
”I can´t tell you that”
”Believe me, I won´t tell anyone. I just need some information so I know what I can go at” Russell said calmly but Stephanie hesitated for a long while before she finally admitted it openly for the first time.
”My other son”
”I see. Does the police who handled the case know this?”
”They guessed it, which is why I confessed to it”
”You confessed to it and they let you go, dropping all charges?”
”Yes. They didn’t believe my confession, but couldn´t do anything about it”
”Okay. Nothing else?”
”No”
”How do you plead to these new charges?”
”I’m not guilty. I didn’t shoot him. I found him dead just before my stepson and his friend walked out.”
”Do you have any idea who did it then?”
”No”
”Are you being absolutely truthful now?”
”Yes”
”Okay”
”I don’t think I need more information right now. I will take this case and Jonathan here will be by my side. I will look over the case this weekend and I’ll see you at the court house at 8.30 a.m. on Monday.”
”How serious is this?”
”A murder case is always serious. How serious I won’t know until I’ve read the file and gotten the reports from ballistics and forensics. I’ll know more on Monday.”
”I have to live here until Monday?”
”I’m afraid so. Just look out for the hookers, they’re ruthless” he said with a wink of seriousness.
”I’m sharing cells with hookers?” Stephanie asked Jonathan when Russell had left.
”No you won’t. But I can’t guarantee if you’ll share cells with another murder suspect”
Stephanie and Eric just stared at Jonathan, waiting for him to say it was a bad taste in a joke, but he looked serious.
”I need to get out of here”