Mother and daughter finished the paperwork and walked out of the PCPD together. They paused on the sidewalk, and Kristina heard her stomach growl. It was early afternoon and the arrest had prevented the family from eating breakfast; she was famished. Kristina looked at her very distracted mother, studying her eyes. She saw some sadness there, but it was overwhelmed by an anger that Kristina knew first-hand could fuel her mother more efficiently than food. She touched her mother's hand and squeezed lightly.

Alexis turned to look at her with an eyebrow raised and a grim smile on her lips. "Can I trust you to make it from here to the penthouse without getting arrested again?"

Kristina exhaled loudly, as she realized gratefully that she'd been forgiven. Hoping to lift her mother's spirits a little, she smiled back. "That depends." She nodded to the black car with tinted windows, "on how much grief Sonny gives me."

The hoped-for smile failed to show, as Alexis furrowed her brow. "Your Dad is hard, but he's the only one you're ever going to have." She turned to the car before looking at Kristina. "A long time ago I made a decision that he shouldn't be a part of your life. He railed that I was being unfair, and I had been. But not to him. I was unfair to you. I was denying you a chance to make a decision about your dad for yourself."

-"I get why you did it, Mom. You were just trying to protect me."

-"I was. But look, sweetheart. You're an adult now and you get to define the terms of your own relationships. You can decide for yourself if you need Sonny in your life. But think long and hard before you cut him out completely. You can be impulsive, and this isn't a decision that should be made impulsively." She realized she was babbling and tried to better articulate the logic of her argument. "A lot of people have been coming for Sonny lately—"

-"—people like Julian."

Alexis shifted uncomfortably. "Right. People like Julian. But there's always going to be a Julian. Or a Sorel. Or a Frank Smith. Or an Alcazar. It's the nature of his business." She looked at Kristina. "I guess what I'm saying that if you disown him today you may not have a chance to make amends tomorrow. So be sure, baby. Be really *really* sure."

-"It sounds like you think I'm making a mistake."

-"No. I just…" She paused to regroup again. "I look at Molly without Ric, and all the time Sam lost with Julian…whatever you do Kristina, I'll support you. Just think it through." Alexis reached over and kissed her daughter's forehead. "Unless it gets you back here again, that is." She smiled finally and Kristina hugged her.

-"I'll see you back at the penthouse?" Alexis nodded, and Kristina braced herself before heading for her father's car. "I love you, Mom."

Alexis blew her a kiss. "I love you, too." She watched as the car pulled away and sighed, her shoulders slumping. Alexis took a moment to wipe a couple of tears that had found their way down her cheeks. "One down, one to go."


Her client was eating a sandwich at the desk she was cuffed to. Alexis raised an eyebrow as she pulled a rolling desk chair up to Sam. Her daughter answered her unasked question in a low voice. "Dante. It's a guilt sandwich."

Her mother smirked. "Are they ready for us?" Alexis asked, keeping her voice well out of earshot.

-"Probably. Det. Nagy has been pacing for like an hour. I'm eating this sandwich extra slowly to make her wait." As if to emphasize her point, Sam caught the detective's eye and lifted the sandwich, taking the smallest bite possible and making an exaggerated chewing motion.

Alexis bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a smile. "Sam, her hating you isn't going to help."

-"She already hates me, so it's not like I'm doing any damage." Sam leaned closer to Alexis's ear. "You missed it, though. I saw Dante chewing her out."

-"How did you see that?"

Sam smiled. "They went into the interrogation room after he gave me this sandwich. But they didn't put the blinds down. We ALL saw it."

-"Hmmm. I don't know if that's good or bad." Alexis switched topics. "OK, so Anna says they have new compelling evidence. Other than the gun or Crichton Clark, can you think of anything?"

-"No. I mean my mind's a blank, Mom."

-"Alright. Take your time with that sandwich, by the way. We're going to be in there awhile."

Sam nodded. "Nah, I'm done playing with her. There's no point in putting this off anymore. So let's do this."


They were surprised when Anna entered the interrogation room with Det. Nagy. Alexis looked at the commissioner suspiciously.

-"What? Det. Falconieri won't be joining us?"

Anna looked at her and phrased her words carefully. "Given recent events, we feel that his personal relationships with both you and your client make it difficult for him to effectively investigate this case."

Sam sat up, "So you're punishing him for what happened this morning. That wasn't Dante's fault." She glared at Det. Nagy.

Alexis put her hand on Sam's forearm. "It's not this morning, Sam. There are other considerations."

Anna nodded. "Yes. It's not disciplinary; it's personal. He has not been reprimanded."

-"While I'm sure that's wonderful news for the detective, I'd rather focus on why my client is here…why your office felt it necessary to arrest my client this morning in front of her child." Alexis purposefully refused to look at Det. Nagy. "The evidence you've gathered wasn't enough to sustain a charge before. What's changed?"

Det. Nagy's voice confidently answered, "We have new evidence, Ms. Davis."

-"Are you planning on sharing what that evidence is, Commissioner?"

Sam watched Anna and her mother have their discussion as if they were the only two in the room. Alexis was clearly ignoring Dante's partner out of anger; she was ticked Det. Nagy had arrested her daughters and decided to freeze her out of her own interrogation. Anna appeared to be letting her…maybe she too was upset about the events this morning? Either way, Det. Nagy didn't appear to be happy with the way this was going. Sam watched the color rise up her neck as she fought to maintain her composure.

-"Shall I begin with a few questions, Commissioner?" the young woman interjected a bit too eagerly.

Anna raised her eyebrow ever so slightly and nodded. "Ms. Morgan, before we begin, I just want to confirm that my officers made you aware of your rights this morning?" Sam nodded. "And you understand them?" She nodded again. "OK, Det. Nagy. You may proceed."

Alexis had been staring at Det. Nagy while Anna asked Sam about her rights. She was nervous about what the evidence was—terrified that it was the gun and that she would lose both Sam and Julian. The only way to suppress the panic was to pick another emotion, so she focused on the anger she felt for the detective. That would get her through the day.

-"Mrs. Morgan. When you were here last, you mentioned a business card Mr. Clay had for a Crichton Clark."

Sam shifted almost imperceptibly, "I did."

-"Have you been to Crichton Clark, Mrs. Morgan?"

-"I have."

-"How many times?"

Alexis stepped in. "More than zero, less than a hundred. Why don't you get to the point, detective?"

-"Fine. We can revisit this question later. Why did you go to Crichton Clark, Mrs. Morgan?"

-"I went to help Silas see his wife."

Det. Nagy nodded. "Mrs. Clay was in Crichton Clark?"

Sam briefly outlined the rationale for going to the facility for Silas. "But when Silas got to her room, she wasn't there."

-"Was he escorted to her room, Mrs. Morgan?"

-"I'm not sure if anyone was with him."

-"Were you with him?"

-"No."

The detective smiled. "Where were you Mrs. Morgan?"

Alexis stepped in. "You don't have to answer that, Sam."

Nagy pressed. "Did you assault two guards at Crichton Clark, Mrs. Morgan?"

Sam looked to her mother, and Alexis shook her head slightly before answering, "I don't think we're answering any more questions about Crichton Clark."

-"Are you sure? We haven't even covered my questions about her visit over the summer with Dr. Patrick Drake."

Anna stepped in. "Det. Nagy, the suspect has refused to answer any more questions along this line." She turned to Sam. "Ms. Morgan, we should let you know that the clinic has filed a police report accusing you of breaking and entering as well as assault on two separate occasions. Police from Scarsdale will be here within the next 48 hours to question you regarding those reports."

Alexis nodded. "Is that it? Nothing else?"

-"Oh no, Ms. Davis," Det. Nagy smiled. "I've got more."


Anna led the next part of the interrogation. "Ms. Morgan, we'd like to talk a little bit about your alibi."

Sam shrugged. "Sure. What about it?"

-"Let's start by revisiting where you were on the day Mr. and Mrs. Clay were murdered."

Anna and Sam went back and forth on the timeline as Alexis watched. This was somewhat expected because of the seizure of video from Julian's surveillance cameras. There was something Anna was holding back, though, and Alexis started to feel a tingle in her spine.

-"Ms. Morgan. You've mentioned consistently that you were at the ruins of your mother's lake house and then you went straight home. Is this correct?"

Sam nodded.

-"Can you explain this photo for me please?"

Anna pulled out a photo that appeared to be Sam walking in the lobby of Silas's building.

She looked at Anna. "What do you want me to explain, exactly?"

-"Tell me what you see."

-"I see a grainy photo of someone about my height, with my hair color. It could be me. But it's pretty blurry. I couldn't be sure unless I knew when it was taken."

-"It was taken the day of the Clays' murder. About 30 minutes before the first 911 call."

Alexis responded. "Then it's not my client. My client was at the lake house."

-"So she says. But the video surveillance you'd installed can't place her there, Ms. Davis." Anna turned back to Sam. "Are you sure about where you were that day?"

Sam straightened. "Yes, I'm certain. And I'm certain that if this grainy still from surveillance footage was taken from Silas's building 30 minutes before his murder that it's not me."

-"You're sure."

-"Yes, Anna. She's sure." Alexis said. "She's told you her alibi, and it's not changing. Badgering her isn't going to get the answers you want because she didn't do it."

-"I have a witness that places her walking into the building about two minutes before this photo is taken." Det. Nagy jumped in.

-"Who?" Sam asked in total disbelief.

-"Rosalie Martinez," Det. Nagy stated. Alexis could swear she saw the corners of her mouth upturn slightly.

Sam dismissively cried out, "Oh, that is such bullshit."

-"Not another word, Sam." Alexis turned to the police in front of her. "You've asked my client about Crichton Clark and her alibi. We've answered what we can, and now she's done talking. Unless you have any other lines of inquiry?"

-"I think we have enough." Det. Nagy smirked.

Anna cut off her detective. "Det. Nagy. Please." She turned back to Sam and Alexis. "Ms. Morgan, we are charging you with the murders of Mr. and Mrs. Clay. We have motive, opportunity and an eyewitness who places you at the scene. Now, if you want to make a deal, we can make sure you get out in 20 years instead of life without parole."

-"Twenty years?" Alexis shook her head. "Anna you don't even have a weapon. You have a witness who is *clearly* lying. And if somehow the jury still believes her after I'm finished with my cross-examination, you still don't have her in the apartment shooting them. You have no forensic evidence. It's all conjecture."

-"We have the photo."

-"You think a jury is going to put a young mother in jail for the rest of her life because you have a blurry photo of a 5-foot something brunette? C'mon, Anna. Don't insult me."

-"So give me something to take to Scott."

Alexis sighed. "You haven't been listening. We're not pleading because my client didn't do it. If you insist on pressing charges and moving forward with this, we're going to trial. And I don't have to tell you, Anna, what that will be like."

Anna shook her head. "You don't." She walked to the door and opened it. "Officer, will you escort Ms. Morgan to the holding cells until her arraignment?"

-"I'd like one more word with my client before you take her." Alexis waited until the door closed and she turned to Sam. "OK. Don't panic."

Sam started to shake, "Mom, I'm so, so angry. Someone is framing me. How did Madeleine even find that nurse?"

-"I know you're pissed, but I need you to calm down. I need you to look like you're experiencing any emotion other than anger. That won't play well with the judge."

Sam nodded. "OK. I know you're right."

-"So is there anything else you need before you go down there?"

-"Nope."

-"You know I love you baby. I love you and I'm going to get you out of here."

-"I love you too, Mom."

-"Ready?" Alexis asked, and Sam nodded. Alexis opened the door and watched as her daughter was led away in handcuffs. She walked outside to get some air and to think. Alexis was angry, confused and terrified at the same time. If someone was framing Sam, where the hell was the gun?