"In the parlor at Linden House, Erica practiced a speech she planned to use to let Mike down. As she rambled to herself about choosing Jack over Mike, Mike entered through the back door. He waited until Erica posed a question to the make-believe Mike before announcing his arrival. Erica had forgotten that she'd given Mike a key to her home. She asked Mike to stand clear across the room while she broke the news that she'd decided to go back to Jack. Erica explained that Jack had dropped by the chapel and kissed her. Mike smiled broadly and congratulated Erica. In an odd reply, he actually asked Erica if she enjoyed the kiss. Erica was confused by Mike's reaction. Mike informed Erica that he was the reason that Jack had kissed her. If Erica was confused before, she was even more confused now. Mike said that he had paid Jack a visit to encourage him not to drop out of the race for Erica's affection. Erica shook her head in wonderment How could the men she loved be engaged in such "prehistoric" behavior. Mike explained the rationale behind his reaction. He said that his only wish is to see Erica happy and added that he would dance at Erica and Jack's wedding if marrying Jack would make Erica happy. Somehow Erica doubted that. She was right. Mike swore that he meant what he said---but quickly noted that he knows that Erica would not be happy if she married Jack. Mike compared his battle with Jack to a game of ping pong, which left Erica to believe that she was "the little white ball." Erica claimed that she didn't enjoy playing games when it came to romance. Mike chuckled and asked Erica how many times she been married. Erica dodged the question, saying that it was irrelevant. Mike told Erica that the battle between him and Jack would go on. There would be one difference, though. Mike said that he wouldn't let the battle turn into one of Erica's infamous man-versus-man wars. Mike leaned over and planted a kiss on Erica's lips just as she was about to toss him out of the house. Erica told Mike that he doesn't play fair, a charge Mike disputed. He said that he was just evening the score since Jack had kissed her in the hospital chapel.
Tad and Dimitri burst into a room at The Valley Inn. Their entrance caused the room's occupants to wake from their sleep. Edmund wasted no time in telling the man and his wife why they were there. Edmund knew that the man was the pilot who'd flown Brooke out of the country. He demanded to know where Brooke had gone. The pilot put on his robe and crawled out of bed. He threatened to call the police and report Tad and Edmund for breaking and entering. Edmund encouraged the man to phone the police and instructed him to ask for Keith McLean. Edmund explained to the pilot that Keith would love to get his hands on the man who had helped Brooke flee prosecution. Edmund offered the pilot double what Dimitri had paid him to keep his silence. The pilot refused to offer up any information. His wife told him that if he doesn't tell what he knows, she'll tell the whole story herself. Finally the pilot broke down and told what he knew. The confession, however, failed to provide the leads that Edmund had hoped. The pilot said that he'd flown Brooke to Paris and that at the airport a second "operative" took Brooke on to her next destination. Edmund and Tad left the room with a feeling of defeat hanging over them. Dimitri had really done a good job in hiding Brooke's hiding place. Edmund offered to have his contacts scour France for Brooke, but Tad knew that Brooke wouldn't be found before their time had run out.
Outside "Brooke's" room, Belinda arrived on the scene before Keith could barge inside. Keith told Belinda that he doubted that Brooke was really ill, but he failed to tell her what he'd observed, Instead, he told Belinda to look through the ajar slat and see for herself. Kelsey and Scott had overheard Belinda and Keith's raised voices and managed to scurry into hiding, Kelsey in bed and Scott hiding under the covers next to her. When Belinda saw nothing out of the ordinary, she accused Keith of trying to make trouble. Keith objected to the statement . He told Brooke that as the assistant district attorney, he might be interested in poking around Brooke's room. As a human being, however, he was concerned for anyone who might be in poor health. He explained that he had tried to bring Brooke flowers but that a nurse had told him that flowers were not permitted. Belinda seemed taken by Keith's honesty and sincerity. She asked him if his offer to go out to dinner was still on the table. Keith nodded. Belinda told Keith that if the assistant district attorney and the counsel to the defense could stay home for the evening, she would be quite happy to join him for a bite to eat. Keith smiled and agreed to Belinda's proposal. Kelsey and Scott waited until the coast was clear before making any movement. Scott peered out the window and determined that the coast was clear. Kelsey apologized for dragging Scott into the web of deception. Scott wasn't upset. In fact, he had enjoyed himself. He noted that this was the second time that he and Kelsey had shared the same blanket. Kelsey smiled bashfully and noted that sharing the blanket with Scott was more fun without Ryan and Gillian. Scott promised to keep quiet about Brooke's disappearance and promised to drop by in the morning to pay Kelsey another visit.
Down the hall, Opal escorted Adrian to Palmer's room. Palmer told his wife that he wanted to speak to Adrian in private. Opal was willing to oblige her husband, but Adrian shook his head and told Opal to remain in the room. Since Palmer was unable to see, he'd never know that Opal stuck around. Palmer told Adrian that he was going to reorganize his hired help and that in the shuffle Adrian's job would be eliminated. To compensate for the sudden dismissal, Palmer offered Adrian two weeks of severance pay. Adrian called the offer generous, but he said that he couldn't accept. Since Opal had been the one to hire him, Adrian felt that Opal should bed the one to fire him as well. Palmer chuckled and told Adrian that Opal has no authority---he just lets her think that she does. Opal broke her silence and lashed out at her husband. Palmer was furious that Adrian and Opal had taken "advantage of a blind man." Opal tried to hush her husband, but that did little good. Instead she told Adrian that real reason that Palmer had decided to fire him: Belinda had mentioned that she'd spotted him lurking around the basement. Opal quickly assured Adrian that he still had his job. Adrian told Palmer his tale about wanting to make a soufflé. Palmer must have realized that his anger looked suspicious. He calmed down and told Adrian that he was concerned that by his wanting to make a soufflé, the chef would worry that she was going to be fired. Adrian told Opal that he'd wait for her in the car. Opal took her husband's hands and placed them on her face. She asked him to tell her what he felt. "Your face," Palmer replied in a less than enthusiastic tone. Opal asked her husband to keep feeling. In a short time, Palmer could tell that his wife was smiling. When asked if he knew why she was smiling, Palmer jokingly relied, "because you enjoy making a fool of me." Outside the room, Adrian bumped into Belinda. He asked her why she told Palmer that she found him in the wine cellar. Belinda said that she found it odd to have seen the chauffeur in the wine cellar. She said that everything about Adrian just doesn't add up. Since Belinda had been the one to recommend Adrian for the position with the Cortlandts, she felt responsible for his behavior. She told Adrian that she would continue to keep close tabs on him until she learned the truth. Adrian grinned and encouraged the attorney to "poke on."
Keith dropped by Jack's room and filled him in on what he'd seen in Brooke's room. Jack imagined that Brooke had been given some type of medication that provided her with temporary relief. He failed to believe Keith's scenario that the Martin family was engaging in some type stall tactic. Jack reminded Keith that he'd given him full control over the case---and he urged him to utilize that control. Keith told Jack that in the morning he would appear in court and ask that he be granted permission to meet with Brooke.
Dimitri praised Edmund and Tad for sending "such a beautiful emissary" to press him for information on Brooke. Dixie blasted Dimitri for talking like "the lord of the manor" and wondered why Edmund and Tad hadn't roughed him up. press him for information on Brooke. Dixie blasted Dimitri for talking like "the lord of the manor" and wondered why Edmund and Tad hadn't roughed him up. "You have this empty space between your eyes that's just dying for the heel of a woman's shoe," Dixie sassed. Dixie's feistiness came as a surprise to Dimitri. Dixie lashed out at Dimitri for denying Tad the chance to be with his son. Dimitri assured Dixie that he'd allow Tad a chance to visit Jamie when he felt the time was right. Stella, one of the housekeepers at Wildwind, entered the room carrying a fussing Maddie. She asked Dimitri if he knew where to find Edmund. Dimitri plucked Maddie from Stella's arms and assured her that he'd take care of the baby. Dixie looked on as Dimitri soothed Maddie and eventually turned the baby's cries into gleeful coos. Dixie used the moment to push her agenda. She dug into the past and asked Dimitri about the way he'd kidnapped Maddie. Dimitri confessed to his crime, but didn't see how it related to the matter of Brooke, Tad, and Jamie. Dixie asked Dimitri to recall how he felt when Maddie was taken away from him. She didn't wait for his answer, but instead described the hollow, painful feeling he must have felt. That is the way Tad is feeling, she said.
Tad and Edmund walked through the front door just as Dixie was on her way out of the parlor. Both Edmund and Tad wondered why Dixie had stopped by. Tad was still furious about not being able to get anything out of the pilot and threatened to pummel Dimitri into telling him where he'd sent Brooke and Jamie. "He told me," Dixie said softly, passing a piece of notebook paper to Edmund. Brooke was now located somewhere in the Ukraine. Edmund walked into the parlor and found Dimitri sitting on a chair with his head in his hands. Tad could only wonder how Dixie had managed to get the truth out of Dimitri. He wanted to say something to thank Dixie for her help, but he couldn't find the words to express his gratitude. "You're welcome," Dixie smiled tenderly. She encouraged him to get on his way before it was too late."
- Soap Central