"Caro, uh hi," Max said lamely, wrapping the sheet more tightly around herself. We blew it. "Uh, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? Maxie, what the hell is going on here? I just had a huge fight with Dad, and then with Mom. Tell me the truth, or I'll tell you what I'm thinking. And if that's true, it frightens me more then I want to admit."

"Could you give a minute?" Max asked, as Kenny tossed her one of his tee-shirts. "To, uh, pull myself together a little bit?"

"This whole family has gone insane," Caroline muttered, walking into the bathroom. "I expect some sort of reasonable explanation in the next few minutes."

"You think she knows," Kenny asked, watching her tug his shirt over her head. "How could she? You didn't say anything?"

Max shot him a dark look. "Of course I didn't, but Caro isn't stupid."

"What are we going to tell her?"

Max sighed, sitting Indian style on the bed, as another knock came. "That's probably our pizza. I don't know. Lie?"

"No shit," he agreed, yanking the door open to pay. "Thanks. Yeah. Uh, Caroline you can come out now."

"Is that pepperoni? It's been months since I had a pizza because it goes straight to my hips," Caroline said taking a deep breath.

"It's loaded," Max said cautiously, sitting cross legged on the bed. "With every fattening thing possible."

"You've never had to worry about your weight," Caroline commented. "Lets talk. What is this?"

"This?" Max repeated, as she and Kenny kept their distance from each other. "This is…nothing."

"We were always good at that," Kenny stated. "This was…Nothing. Just sex."

Max felt her heart tighten in her chest. "Did you follow me, Caro? This is nuts, I mean, I'm allowed to have a private conversation with my husband without all you stalking me."

"A conversation? You slept with him!"

"I'll sleep with whoever I want!"

"Including Richard?"

Max paused, hating all of this. Lie. For Josh. It's all for Josh. "If I want to sleep with Richard, I'll sleep with Richard."

"Like hell," Kenny interjected before he could stop himself. "You're still my wife."

"Not for much longer," Max retorted, feeling awful. "I'm going to get dressed and get out of here. This was a mistake."

"Max, wait," Kenny started. "We have some stuff to go over, before we meet with the lawyers. Lets just get it over with, okay?"

Max bit her lip, meeting his gaze. I miss him, our life, Emily…I want to go home. "Okay. Fine. Caro, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Stop lying to me," Caroline stated. "I don't why you're here, sucking up to Dad and Richard, but it isn't you. I'm so sorry about Josh, but don't throw your life away for this. Kenny, I don't really know you, but my sister…Maxie! Seriously?"

"Go home, Caroline," Max said quietly. "Kenny, lets just finish this, okay? If you can keep your hands to yourself this time?"

Not likely, he thought, that shirt looks better on her then it does on me. She's a great actress too. "Yeah, that was a one time thing. Get dressed, give me my shirt back. Excuse us, Caroline.
"You're both insane," she said, standing up slowly. "Maxie, I thought you were better this. I'll see you tomorrow."

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"It's getting late," William snapped, looking at the clock. "Where the hell is she?"

"I don't know," Hannah sighed, as she debated telling him about Caro's accusations. "I'm sure that Maxie is fine, William. The two of them probably have a lot to talk about."

"He shouldn't have come here. It messes everything up."

"What?"

"She's finally home where she belongs, and the nobody she married comes back? This doesn't look good, and Richard isn't happy."

Hannah bit her tongue, as he continued to ramble. "They should have been married ten years ago, and we all would have been better off. I didn't go through all this trouble for nothing."

"What trouble William? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, you'll find out soon enough. Go to sleep."

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They watched her go silently before Kenny said quietly. "It's getting late."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Hell, I'd love for you to stay. But," he trailed off, wrapping his arms around me. "Just sex, huh?

"We were always good at that," Max sighed, reaching for her purse on the counter, and pulling out the file. "Here. This is it. We just need one more piece . . . I wonder if we could get his bank statements somehow. We know about the donations to Cornerstone, but maybe he paid Danny and Jen?"

"He could have had them killed because they wanted more money."

"He has so many accounts," Max trailed off. "I need to sleep on it."

"I've got something for you too," he said, as he watched her pull on her dress again. "Actually two things."

Max smiled, as she watched him dig through his bag, and come up with a manila envelope. "I do like presents," she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, and pulling out the first piece of paper. "Oh."

"She misses you," Kenny said softly, as Max looked down at the scribbled drawing. "Probably more then me. She doesn't understand."

Max willed herself not to cry, as she pulled out the photographs. "Oh, Kenny."

"And I know you miss her too."

"You're going to make me cry," Max whispered, hugging him. "I'm so damn emotional lately."

Kenny kissed her on the top of the head. "I know. It's been hard, Honey."

"I want this to be over," Max said quietly. "I want our life back. I hate what I'm doing so much. This is going to kill my mom."

Kenny dropped another kiss on the top of her head. "Ssh. It'll all be okay. You're doing great. I'm so proud you, Max."

Max smiled up at her sweet husband, as he pulled her to her feet. "I guess it's time to go back."

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"You had a late night," William commented the next morning. "Where were you?"

"We were just talking," Max replied, seeing the accusation in his eyes. "He flew all this way, and we have a lot of history together."

"I thought you were trying to move one."

"I am," Max agreed. "But I can't until I make peace with the past. He, Kenny, isn't a bad person, and I don't want to have to hurt him anymore then I have. We've been through a lot together, and I owe him at least that."

"He lost that privilege when he let your son be kidnapped."

"Stop. We've been over this Dad," Max countered. "You can't force me to do things that I'm not ready for. I need some time and space."

"We've waited to long as it is. I don't want you to see him again, Maxine."

"I'm an adult, Dad, and I can see who I want too."

"Richard won't like this. You don't want to make him unhappy because he is very smitten with you, Maxine. He always has been, and I don't suggest you ruin your second chance with him. He won't wait around forever."

He's waited for 12 years, she thought, and every time he lays a hand on me I feel sick. "I'm not ready for a new relationship, and I don't think I will be for a long time. If he isn't patient enough to wait, well that is how it'll have to be."

"You're making a grave mistake here," William declared. "I'm going to make sure he calls you today from the office. Enjoy your day."

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"The sister knows? How? It's falling apart," Jimmy asked, as Kenny filled him in on the previous nights events. "Don't most hotels have peepholes in the door?"

"Caroline knows her pretty well, Jimmy, and she knew Max wouldn't have come back to her parents house lightly. I don't think she bought our story."

"Is she trustworthy?"

"I don't know. She thinks Max is nuts for throwing her life away. I think they care about each other…Max doesn't want to hurt her."

Jimmy sighed. "Keep her out of it. Morell is sending a team up there to start surveillance based on the evidence that we have so far. We have enough to issue warrants."

"You're just waiting for that final piece that'll bury them," Kenny finished for him.

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"Dad is at work, and Mom is at that Daughters of the American Revolution luncheon," Caroline said thoughtfully, as she studied a pair of boots in the window. Talk to me."

"Caro," Max replied dubiously. "What do you want to talk about?"

"You. Kenny. Why you're here? Where is your daughter? You wouldn't of left her without good reason."

Max groaned internally. Emily, without both of now. I'm a terrible mom. "She's staying with friends. Kenny and I are done, I know that now."

Caroline shot her sister a dubious look. "Stop lying to me. This is about Josh isn't it? What do you think Dad did to him?"

"What?" Max asked, feeling her heart drop to her knees. "Danny and Jen killed him because of me. Dad had…You're insane."

"Don't lie to me! We're sisters, even if we haven't been close in years. Maxie, please, talk to me. You want something about me? Promise you won't arrest me for this? I like to hack into places where I'm not supposed to go. I don't steal or anything, but it's a challenge."

"Caroline," Max stuttered, shocked that her prim and proper sister was capable of that. "I really don't know what to say."

"Why don't we take a look at Dad's computer?"

Max felt herself beginning to cave at the thought of getting that final piece of the puzzle. "Okay, lets do it."

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"This is what we know so far," Morell began. "William Stewart donated five million dollars to Cornerstone mental hospital, and had Linwood Stevenson negotiate the adoption with the Robinsons. The cell phone number that the Robinsons contacted him was registered to him, and his wife had it in her possession."

"And he was killed because when he figured out who the baby was," Skeeter added. "Probably by Barrington. What else?"

"The donation that Stewart provided Cornerstone helped them turn a blind eye when Danny and Jen escaped," Jimmy interjected. "We have the director in custody now."

"Good. We have the phone records showing a connection between Linwood's phone and Cornerstone. As well as from Danny and Jen's hide away in France," Morell verified. "And Stewart was in France when they were killed."

"And you think that he killed them," Jimmy continued. "According to Max he likes to hunt, so he's probably a good shot."

"Now we just need to prove it," Morell said, as voices began to fill the room again. "What is this?"

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"Don't say anything about your hacking while were in there," Max hissed, outside the office door. "I mean it, Caro."

"Why? Oh," Caroline nodded. "This is like the movies."

"No, it's not," Max replied, as they walked toward the desk. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I'm a bored housewife whose kids are always off with their nanny. Believe me, Maxie, this is how I pass my time," Caroline said with a grim smile. "I'm just glad that I can put it to good use. Now shush."

Max perched on the side of the desk chair as Caroline's hands flew all over the keyboard. I'm not so sure about this, she thought, wishing she had called Kenny before they decided to do this. Shuddering she tuned back in when Caroline poked her.

"We're in," Caroline said with a grin. "It looks like Dad's been embezzling from the firm too, look at all of these transactions."

Max skimmed the names, and felt like someone punched her in the gut when she came to a pair. "Shit. Do you know who these two are?"

"Who? Vera Densh and Jay Venndis? Dad gave them a quarter million? Wow. Who are they?"

Max shook her head, as she read down the list. "That's the link. Can you copy this, put it on a disk or something?"

"Sure," Caroline agreed slowly. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here first," Max agreed, as Caroline copied the file. "Shit."

They both froze as they heard the muffled voices coming from the kitchen, and the footsteps heading down the hall.

"You need to relax, William," Richard said reassuring him. "I can handle Maxine, believe me. She's eating out of the palm of my hand."

"You better. I didn't like her attitude this morning."

"I guess Richard didn't see you last night," Caroline whispered, as Max slid the disk into her pocket. "Now what?"

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"Oh crap," Skeeter said. "They're going to get caught."

"Aren't they supposed to be at work? They better get out of there soon," Morell added, reaching for his phone. "What the hell were they thinking? Do you think your deputy had any idea how many holes this plan had in it?"

"I think she wanted to get the evidence, and get out of there," Jimmy replied, sounding calmer then he felt. "Shut up, and have your people standing by if they need them."

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"They're coming," Max hissed, glancing around the office. "Shit. In here."

Dragging Caroline with her, they squeezed into the closet. Shutting the door behind them, they scrunched into the far corner, as they heard the two men enter the room.

"Stop worrying William, about all of this. The thing with Maxine will work itself out. She'll divorce that guy, and the two of us will get married. Think of the money when our families come together," Richard prodded. "You can pay back the firm and then some."

"I know. My daughter is unpredictable though, as soon as her divorce goes through I want the two of you to get married. The sooner the better. Get her pregnant, something to tie her to you. Replace the child that we killed."

Max bit the inside of her mouth to keep from screaming, and she felt Caroline's hands gripping her tightly to keep her from springing out of the closet and throttling her father. Suspecting was one thing, Max thought wildly, but knowing that he killed Josh . . . I'm going to be sick.

She tuned back into the conversation outside as her father continued. "Michael's done a great job of keeping our financial transgressions covered though. We need your family's money to save the firm, Richard. It's a shame that Josh had to die, and we couldn't go our original route. The money is what matters now."

Max gripped Caroline, as tightly as she gripped her. Michael? Caroline's Michael? Shit, double shit.

"Where is my soon to be wife? I thought you said that she'd be here," Richard asked. "This would have been a good time to woo her, after seeing her husband."

"Do it tonight. Take her out some place nice, impress her. Be everything he isn't. Make her forget."

"We have to sit down with Michael again, see what we can do about covering the missing money. He's in this as deep as we are. Why don't we visit him now?"

Max felt her grip relax as she heard the door slam and a car start. Not even looking at Caroline, she shakily pushed her way out of the closet, not sure that she could keep the bile down that threatened to rise any longer. Taking a deep breath, she heard Caro stumble out behind her breathing heavily. They just looked at each other silently, as they processed to revelations that they just heard.

"I'm going to be sick," Max finally choked out, running for the bathroom. She heard Caro follow her out as she retched into the toilet. He killed my son for money? For money? Josh, Sweetie, I'm so sorry. You deserved so much better then this.

"I'm so sorry," Caroline said, crouching down next to her. "I didn't know. God Michael. He had to have known . . . I'm so sorry."

Max just looked at her before replying. "Oh god Caro. It's so different hearing them say it, now we know for sure. Bastard killed Josh for money? I want him dead."

Caroline nodded, pulling her to her feet. "Me too. Come on, we have to get out of here. They might come back, and . . . lets get out of here. Make the calls you have to make."

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"Son of a bitch," Jimmy growled. "Money? That's what this whole thing is about? Money?"

Morell was talking softly into his phone. "Find them, and keep a tail on them. I don't want Stewart and Barrington getting away. And this Michael person. No, I don't know his last name. I'll find out. Thanks bye."

"Michael? Isn't Max's sister's husband named Michael?" Skeeter said slowly. "What was her last name again?"

"We met her at the wedding," Jimmy trailed off. "I don't remember."

"Hopefully she'll call," Morell interjected, "And we'll know then."

"I don't want to see him," Caroline argued. "Not yet. Maybe not ever. I don't think I could hide my disgust with him."

Max nodded. "I would love to be a fly on the wall in their conversation."

"I'm not so sure . . . I want to go get the kids out of school, and run far away from this. He's a murderer, Maxie, and he had to have known. If he's covering up the fact that Dad's embezzling . . . and it's somehow connected to Josh. I can't believe that I've been living with him all this time and I didn't know," Caroline gasped. "I can't go back there. God the kids. He wouldn't hurt them?"

"You're asking the wrong person."

Caroline shot her look before responding. "I'm sorry. I don't know what else to tell you."

Max just shook her head, as they hurried down the sidewalk. Fighting back her tears and screams the whole time. Kenny, she thought, I want to be home with him and Em. And Josh, always Josh. "Suspecting that Dad had something to do with this was one thing, but hearing him admit it . . . and it's all for money? I hate him Caro, and I really despise him for this."

"I didn't want to believe that Dad could do something like this. It's going to destroy Mom you know."

"I know."

"So what are you going to do? I'm going to assume that it's all on tape? And Michael? What am I supposed to say to him, Maxie? I don't think I'll ever be able to look at him again."

"It's all on tape," she confirmed, still trying to digest the new information. "I don't want to believe it about Michael either. Just stay calm, natural for a little longer. If he doesn't suspect anything, you'll be fine."

"Is that what you've been doing?"

"Barely," Max replied, fishing her phone out of her purse, and sighing. "I'm going to call Kenny, and then go confirm things back in Rome."

"You're still together, aren't you?"

"Caro? That car back there? The black one? It's been behind us for the last 15 minutes . . . Does it look familiar to you?"

She glanced up in the rear view mirror before nodding. "Isn't that Dad's company car?"