Niles opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out.
"Niles, what the hell is going on?" Martin asked as he hobbled over.
"Whatever to you mean, Dad?"
"Daphne just burst outta here like the place was on fire."
Niles looked around as if he was searching for answers. "Perhaps I should go after her."
"What about all this?" Martin gestured toward the workmen and their wooden work horses that they used to make temporary tables to hold their work and tools.
"I don't have an answer for you, Dad." Niles headed for the door.
"Wait a minute Niles. What's going on? You look as white as a ghost and for you, that's pretty white."
"I just have some things weighing heavily on my mind. I have to go."
"What about the party? Frasier's expecting you to be here."
"Sorry Dad. I'm not much in the partying mood." Niles walked out, closing the door behind him.
Martin hobbled back over and sat at the table until Frasier came out from the back of the apartment in his suit.
Frasier had several pieces of tissue attached to his face to stop the bleeding from shaving cuts. "Augh." He walked over. "They're never going to make it." He referred to the workmen finishing in time for his party.
The phone rang.
"Where is Daphne?"
Martin got up. "She stepped out. I'll get it." He looked back at his son. "Jeez, I thought you were just going to slit your wrists. It looks like you went for 'death of a thousand cuts'."
"I cut myself because I was shaving without water. And why was there no water? Because I had to move your chair, which gouged the floor, which made me call for Joe, who found bad pipes, who called for Cecil, who ate the cat that killed the rat that lived in the house that Frasier built!"
Martin had a short conversation on the phone. "That was the doorman. That Senator Alder is here. His limo just pulled up."
"Oh, it's over." Frasier moped. "It's over. Sing, fat lady, sing."
"I got something else to tell ya."
"Oh please Dad, I've had all the bad news I can take for one day. Unless you are about to tell me that they had to un-stabilize the floor boards of this very living room for the gas pipes, I just don't care to hear about it."
"Fras…"
"No Dad. May it be a tornado heading this way or raccoons nesting in the chimney, I don't want to hear about it. Where is Niles? Is Daphne in the kitchen getting the appetizers together?"
"That's what I've been trying to tell ya. Daphne ran out of here like a English freight train and Niles acted like a victim that got ran over by that train."
"Oh dear God!" He tried to compose himself. "Well, I can only juggle a dozen disasters at one time. I'll have to deal with this party first. Dad what am I going to do?"
"You're going to give me all of your cash. Right now. Quick."
"Why?"
"Never mind why. Just hand it to me. Come on."
Frasier handed him a few bills.
Martin stood to face the workers. He waved the cash around. "Ok guys, I've got $70 here. You can get everything cleared up before Frasier's buddies get up here, it's all yours to split any way you want on the way out."
"Bribery? That's your big plan."
The guys started cleaning up.
"It's starting to work," Frasier said surprisingly. He pulled out more money. "Hey, here's another hundred I was holding out on my old man."
[The house of Dr. and Mrs. Niles Crane]
Niles was in the dark, sitting in his oxblood seated leather wingback chair, thinking of the love of his life. He took in a deep breath and let it go very, very slowly.
There was a knock at the door.
Niles cleared his throat. "Come in!"
The door opened ever so slightly and a head silhouetted in the opening. "Docktar Crane."
"Marta, yes, what is it?"
"Missy Crane left."
"Is that a question or a statement?"
"Que?"
"Are you telling me that Mrs. Crane has left?"
"Si'. Missy Crane left. He very angry."
"I can't say that I blame her."
"Are you okay Mistar Crane?"
"No, I don't think so. I don't think I'll be 'okay' for quite some time."
Marta stepped inside and heard a crunch under her feet. "Docktar Crane, may I turn on the light?"
"Yes."
The light revealed broken vases, drinking glasses, plates, and anything else that could be broken, scattered all over the floor in every direction. Niles was sitting in his leather chair with a snifter of brandy in a thick, short glass.
"Oh my, Docktar Crane. You alright?"
"Yes, I'm not injured."
"How?"
"Mrs. Crane wasn't very happy when I asked her for a divorce."
"Oh, Docktar Crane," she said full of emotion.
"It's alright Marta. Why don't you take the rest of the day off?"
"I clean."
"No, you don't have to…"
But she had already gone to get the broom and dust pan.