Previously, Ingrid Grimes showed up at her younger brother Kane Garrett's condo. What Kane thought was going to be a friendly chat began turning into something much more---something involving a secret that is threatening to tear them apart...

Ingrid: Kane, I don't understand why you want to tell everyone!

Kane: Because Ingy, it's the right thing to do. Nothing is really going to change.

Ingrid: Nothing is going to change? Kane, have you forgotten the impact of what will happen if we reveal to everyone that you---

Kane: It's time we let the cat out of the bag Sis. If I want to have an honest and open relationship with Paul, Valerie, her daughters, and the rest of our family, I have to tell them about my past. And my past includes you. It's time we stopped running away from our troubled lives.

Ingrid: We're not running anymore Kane. We're settled down, and we have good lives now. Why would you want to turn everything upside down?

Kane: We can't hide it away forever.

Ingrid: I hope you're prepared for the consequences.

Kane: Would you rather have someone else expose the secret? (Ingrid turns away) Think about it Ingrid. Would you want to live the rest of your life with the chance knowing anybody could find out about why we left home? Are you willing to take that risk?

At the Grimes mansion, Paul and Marcus are upstairs in Marcus and Ingrid's bedroom cleaning out clothes out of the big walk-in closet.

Paul: These dresses will be great for St. Bartholomew's community yard sale this weekend. I'm sure the Church Ladies League will be able to sell these right away.

Marcus: I can't believe Ingy didn't want to get rid of them. I mean look at them Paul---they're right out of Dynasty!

Paul (laughing): Aren't you glad the gigantic shoulder pad craze is over?

Marcus: You're telling me. (He reaches up on the top shelf to grab a box but a metal tin sitting on top of it begins to fall off the shelf).

Paul: Uncle Marcus, look out! (He pushes Marcus out of the way, and catches the falling box).

Marcus: Thanks Paul, that was close.

Paul: Well, this tin is light, but it still would have given you a nasty bruise. I wonder what's inside it.

Marcus: It's Ingrid's tin. I never asked her what was in it because I don't snoop through her things, and I hardly ever use the top shelf. But you know, I am a little curious.

Paul: Me too, but we can't go through Aunt Ingrid's tin. It would be an invasion of her privacy.

Marcus: You're right Paul. Let's just put the tin back where we found it and take these dresses to Tess.

Paul begins to put the tin away, but it slips out of his hand and falls onto the floor. The lid opens, and a neatly tied bundle of papers is exposed. Paul picks them up and studies them.

Paul: They look like letters.

Marcus: Probably ones she wrote to Kane while he was still in Cincinatti. Or they could be to her parents.

Paul: Aunt Ingrid never mentions them, but Dad said the family was dysfunctional.

Marcus (sitting on the bed): Ingrid never really talked about them a lot. She told me they were very strict, and she and Kane did get belted a lot. I met them a couple of times. Peter and Sophia are their names. They did come here shortly after Ingy and I were married. Very cold couple. No wonder Ingy and Kane left home after high school.

Paul: Well, let's put the letters away. (He begins packing up the tin) If Aunt Ingrid did write to her parents, then why would she keep the letters if nothing but bad memories came from them?

Marcus: Maybe keeping these letters is a sense of closure, or maybe it helps to remind her that no matter what happened, they're still her parents. Present company excluded.

Paul: It's okay Uncle Marcus. I've finally come to terms with what Joanna did. It's in the past now. It's time to focus on the present.

Back to Kane's condo.

Ingrid: If someone else found out about our secret, it would destroy me and my life!

Kane: Then don't you think it would be best if we told the family?

Ingrid: I need time Kane.

Kane (wrapping his arms around her sister): I didn't say to tell them now Ingy. I just think the family would be better off if they heard it from you and me, rather than a stranger. We've lived this nightmare for too long, and we can't let it ruin us---again.

Rosamond Tucker is at The Sherwood Diner sitting in a booth by the window alone. As she stares out at the people walking by and watching the cherry trees blow gently in the breeze, her mind wanders back to Lance's marriage proposal...

Rosamond snaps out of her flashback and watches Tess Harper serve customers at the counter. She's so happily married. Paul would sacrifice himself for her, she thought. And Lance would do the same for me too. Would it really be so bad being his wife? It would make Cordelia so happy to see me married, we could talk about so many things---and I'd have baby Melissa as my stepdaughter. Of course there is the race issue, but nobody seems to care. Maybe marrying Lance would be the right thing to do...

Dorothy Sherwood is at Russell Gault's townhouse. Still a little disturbed after her tense confrontation with Victor Pearce who earlier had accosted her mother Loretta, Russell reassured her everything would work out, but she still isn't so sure.

Dorothy: I'm worried he'll come to the diner to seek revenge on Mom for telling him off---or on me. Do you think maybe you or Wade could come by sometimes and check to see if we're okay?

Russell: No problem my dear.

Dorothy: Thank you. How's the Night Prowler case coming along?

Russell: Well, we checked the sack that he left at Cordelia's out---turns out it's sold at The University of Maryland bookstore. One of our officers who's taking some refresher courses recognized it. And the sacks are a hot seller, so lots of college students buy them. The clerks we talked to checked their receipts, and almost all the sales were paid by cash. They have a privacy policy that won't let them give us any credit card or check slips. But at least we've narrowed down the suspect list down to the college population.

Dorothy: Maybe Larry could find out something.

Russell: Great. But now I want to know why you really came here, besides your problem with Pearce.

Dorothy (innocently): You're not implying what I think you're implying?

Russell: You bet. (He slips his arms around her and kisses her. Dorothy responds by placing her hands on both sides of his neck. They stop kissing and look at one another hungrily for a second, then begin kissing again, their hands reaching for each other's clothes)...

Next on Come Nightfall...

Sheila calls Russell with some frightening news.

Paul and Ingrid watch Kane display some alarming behavior.

The TV station gets a disturbing note.

A mystery person watches Janet on TV.

THIS HAS BEEN COME NIGHTFALL

BY BREE PERRY

COPYRIGHT 2001