"Robbie, you did the right thing….but since when is my grandson so understanding?" Laurie smiled for the first time all day, and Rick picked up her injured hand and kissed it.

"Since Rob told him to respect his elders, even if they weren't right!" Robbie answered. Rob looked at his son, tears in his eyes. "Son, thank you…I'm glad something I taught him stuck!" Ramona put an arm around him. "It sure did, thanks, Rob!"

Rick suddenly had a disquieting thought. "Laurie, when you find Angelina in their house?"

"Yesterday afternoon, when I was going to drop off their dry cleaning. I had just taken Lala to Robin's to work with Petey on his homework." Laurie explained. Rob looked at the notes Ron had handed him with all their statements.

"Light, you picked up Lala from school at 3:00, then left her at Robin's at 3:10, right?"

"Yes, traffic was light, so it only took eight or nine minutes. Then I was going to Robbie and Ramona's to leave his uniform shirts, cause the dry cleaner's accidentally forgot to put them in their bag." She added.

"Hmm, that's right…" Rick snapped his fingers. "Brooks at Speedy Clean called us because Ramona wasn't home. Laurie told him she'd pick up the shirts and drop them off."

"And I forgot Mom was taking them home until she reached me at school." Ramona said, subdued. "Damn…if I'd only had you hang on to them until Robbie was off work…."

"Honey, you didn't know your mother would …act this way." Laurie replied, putting an arm around her. "None of did…so please don't feel guilty. You were a good daughter to her and put up with a lot more then I would have."

"Thank you…" At once Ramona began to cry, and Robbie took her into his arms, comforting her.

"It's okay, my sweet….I'm sorry." He whispered. Ramona cried for a few minutes, while Laurie got her some more tea, and Rick handed her some Kleenex.

"Thanks, Mom, Dad…" she sniffed. Once she was calmed down, Ramona gave them a watery look of gratitude.

"It just hit me…I have no other family now except you…."

"And you always will, honey." Rick patted her shoulder.

Suddenly the phone rang, and Rob answered it. From the expression on his face, it wasn't good news. At the same time there was a knock on the door, and Rick was relieved to see A.J. and his mother standing there.

"Thank God you're here, A.J….hey, Mom." He hugged both of them, then Rob beckoned the newcomers in while he balanced the receiver on his shoulder.

"Thanks, Ron….but you'll let us know when they look at it, right? Thanks."

The minute he put the phone down, Rick was on edge. "I take it the investigation isn't going well?"

Without sugarcoating it, Rob got right down to it. "Ron says Angelina was struck in the head twice with a heavy object and died between 3:30 and 5:30, like the coroner suspected. Because Light says she got to Robbie's about 3:30 and didn't leave until 3:40 or so….she's not in the clear. When they get the security tape from the complex, Phoenix P.D. can establish who else was in their house…."

A.J. looked at Cecelia in disbelief, as Rick almost exploded. "You're kidding me, right? Did Angelina's body have any of Laurie's DNA on it, other then her hands?"

Now it was the younger Simon who tried to calm Rick down. "Easy, Rick…"

"Sorry, guys…" Rick let out a deep breath. At that Laurie emerged from her stunned silence. "Darling…it's all right. I know how it looks to the police, and what the D.A. will think. At least they know Robbie and Ramona didn't kill Angelina, and I didn't either." At that Rick pulled her into his arms.

"Of course you didn't, sweetheart….God knows if I'd known what she did …"

Instantly Rob fixed them both with a hard look. "Light….what did happen with Angelina? You told Nixon she started threatening Robbie, and you told her off. What did she say?"

Laurie turned pale. "Rob…it was just stuff…weird stuff…but …it was personal."

"Honey…it's okay….Angelina is dead, and from what you boys have told me, she had made a lot of enemies. You need to tell us what she said…." Cecilia interrupted. Rob looked from one Simon to the other.

"Tell me, Light…when you went into the house, what did she say?"

Laurie clutched at Rick's hand as she said, "Well, she scared me. I opened the door, then went into the living room and hung Robbie's shirts on the hall closet door. Suddenly Angelina was in the hallway."

"What…Angelina?" Laurie nearly jumped as the woman came out of the dark hall. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? Getting what should be mine, if I could find it…but no..your so-called son has turned my daughter, my grandchildren, everyone against me!" The older woman yelled. Laurie focused angrily on the "so-called" comment.

"How dare you insult my son and daughter-in-law …they've done nothing to you! Now, you'd better leave, otherwise I'll call the police and have you arrested!"

"You do that, and I'll tell everyone of how you hid my son-in-law's parentage……he's the son of almighty Chief Gamez….some example he's set!" Angelina answered back, sneering.

Disgusted, Laurie shook her head. "You are a jealous bitch…Go ahead and tell everyone, Rob probably has, already! As for hiding things…I seem to remember you hid your second husband's death long enough….."

A strange look crossed Angelina's countenance. "What do you know about Roberto? Tell me!" Thwack! Angelina landed a hard slap to Laurie's face. Reeling, Laurie fell back, then held up her hands to defend herself. As she swung again, the older woman lost her balance and fell. Instinctively Laurie started toward her, only for the crazed woman to grab her hand and twist it.

"Ow! Let go! Laurie cried out, then managed to wrench her hand out of Angelina's grasp. "You'd better get out of here, I'm calling the police right now!"

Laurie turned and ran out of the house, banging the front door shut. Behind her a piercing scream of "No!" sounded.

"I thought I heard Angelina yell, but I was so upset." Laurie told the others. "I climbed into my car and drove straight to the sheriff's office."

"You did the right thing, Mom….I'm sorry she did that to you." Robbie sighed. Rob nodded as if to himself. "Well, that's the answer."

"What's the answer, Rob?" Rick asked, puzzled.

"Light just proved she didn't kill Angelina, and I suspect I know who might have."