Tom comes home from work one day to find that Arlene has collapsed. When he revives her, she is in a state of hysteria. She claims that Ian was in the closet and tried to pull her in with him! Poor Arlene is so emotionally distraught, Tom feels it’s best she be hospitalized. As Tom tries to calm her down, Slater walks in. Ray is also very concerned about Arlene’s state, and on instructions from Tom calls an ambulance. As the two men await medical help, Tom tenderly holds Arlene in his arms, desperately wishing he had told Arlene a long time ago how much he loved her… He reminisces of the time she had loved him so much, and so needed to hear a commitment of love from him also; and he, allowing his pride to stand in the way of his deep love for her, had swallowed the words his heart sent surging to his lips…

Tom is adamant that Arlene know now of his love for her – if it isn’t already too late! It is then, as the ambulance attendants lift Arlene onto the stretcher, that Tom, with a hope that is almost a vengeance against his prior behavior, tells Arlene he loves her and won’t let anything happen to her.

But how much can Tom protect her? Lt. Hollenbeck and his men show up just as Arlene is being wheeled away. Tom authoritatively tells them his patient is being hospitalized for exhaustion and cannot be questioned. The police back down, but how much longer can Tom hold them at bay?



Cal, meantime, confides in Van that she and Rick are planning on renting their house, providing they can purchase Ian’s share in Beaver Ridge. Meg barges in on the two in a flourish of disdain, accusing Cal and Van of deliberately excluding her from their get-togethers. Indeed, when Cal leaves the room for a few minutes, Meg spitefully insinuates that Cal – only married a year – has a roving eye for Michael! Van is disbelieving, but doubts arise when she observes Cal happily hug Michael when he tells her he’s been selected to observe the staff at the hospital in his senior year at medical school. And is that a look of unrequited love flitting across Michael’s face when Cal tells him of her and Rick’s impending plans concerning Beaver Ridge?

Carrie, now, has gone to Tom to plead with him to help Arlene. From her hospital bed, Arlene was babbling about guns and Ian ordering Slater to kill Carrie. Tom has a psychiatrist test Arlene; but the psychiatrist’s test points only to a temporary mild emotional disturbance. He tells Tom that may not be enough to keep the police away. And Lt. Hollenbeck, meantime, not only suspects Arlene, but also Tom!

Carrie also takes her story to Slater. Ray is forced to tell her that everything Arlene said is true; but that Carrie must not mention it to the police, as people have been convicted before on such circumstantial evidence.

When Ben tells Mia that if his book should earn him a lot of money he would go to England to be near Betsy and their child, she becomes terribly depressed. She even thinks of leaving town; but a phone conversation with Andrew helps her think more clearly.

Lt. Hollenbeck continues to try and interrogate Arlene. Most of his attempts have failed, as Tom has woven a pretty thick blanket of security around her. Lt. Hollenbeck catches Arlene in the hospital corridors one day and again attempts his questioning; but Tom again intercedes on her behalf, gathering her in his arms and ordering the lieutenant to leave his patient alone. A “darling!” escapes Arlene’s lips as she rushes thankfully to Tom’s arms; but his arms may hurt her instead of comfort: Lt. Hollenbeck is very interested indeed to find such a close patient/doctor relationship!

Back at Headquarters, Lt. Hollenbeck confides to his team that he’ll be able to pin Arlene down now that he knows her vulnerable spot is Dr. Tom Crawford! What the lieutenant now wants to know is: where did Tom fit in when Ian Russell was alive? Lt. Hollenbeck then has both Tom and Arlene’s psychiatrist, Dr. Lockridge in for questioning. Tom rather uncomfortably admits his love for Arlene – but what makes Tom even more uncomfortable is after the lieutenant’s questioning when, alone together, Dr. Lockridge tells Tom that, quite frankly, he feels that Arlene’s anxieties stem from some very intense guilt feelings!



After Andrew’s phone call, Ben comes over to Mia’s place – with a little girl! The tot was forgotten by her brother on the basketball court where Ben plays. Ben and Mia take care of the tyke till her brother comes to pick her up, and Mia, touched by Ben’s concern for the child, gently tells him she now more than ever can understand his need to see Betsy…Ben hugs Mia then – almost desperately – and tells her she helped him so much.

Charles, meantime, has been left to care for little Eddie by himself for awhile. Mrs. Grimes had to leave, and the sitter still hadn’t arrived. Charles can’t seem to stop the baby from crying, so he calls Bruce for help – and the timing couldn’t have been worse! Edouard is visiting Bruce, and hears the baby crying over the phone! Both men rush over to Charles’ house, and, finally, it is Edouard who is able to stop the crying – by merely burping the baby! All three men are entranced by the baby, and, for a moment, ill feelings between Charles and Eduoard are forgotten – but not for long. Charles explodes to Edouard to get out – to leave him and the baby alone. Eduoard replies in a calm but deadly serious voice he’ll leave – but that next time he leaves it will be with the baby with him – by legal custody!

Joe calls Bruce to come in for an examination concerning his tired spells. Bruce tells him he won’t have the time for a checkup till after his New York trip concerning his election campaign. Joe isn’t too pleased at this postponement – and neither, frankly, is Bruce! His tired spells are getting worse – is it wise to wait?

Arlene is out of the hospital now, and her fears seem to have grown with her freedom! Indeed, what excuse will she now have to dodge Lt. Hollenbeck’s piercing inquisitions? And to top it off, she still seems truly perplexed – her mind “fuzzy” as to what really happened concering Ian Russell! Is she really nearly a possible breakdown, or is it merely acute anxiety – or guilt feelings?

Poor Arlene’s life has become such a paradox! When she couldn’t have Tom, she frittered away her time in a vicious lifestyle – mistress to Ian Russell. And now that Tom is finally offering himself to her – his heart, his life, she cannot accept!



What will happen with these star-crossed lovers? Tom, now finally knowing his own mind, proposes marriage to Arlene after dinner (and after Carrie coyly retired for the night so the two could be alone!) – but she cannot accept! She says she needs time. Tom is gentle with her, and assures her he understands and will give her time, but he’s perplexed. And so is Carrie – until Arlene tells her that she’s afraid she would ruin Tom’s life! Arlene is quite certain that once she married Tom, she would end up going to prison or the murder of Ian Russell!

Ray, meantime, has been spending his free time in the bar – drowning his sorrows! He sent Arlene roses in the hospital, but she had checked out before they reached her – leaving with Dr. Tom Crawford, no less! Ray would just love to chuck the entire, tangled mess of things, expect for one thing – Arlene! Ray vows he’ll not leave until he is certain that Arlene will come out of the mess all right.



Someone creating quite a mess for herself is Cal! On the eve of her and Rick’s anniversary party, she gets drunk – with Michael, no less! Needless to say, such antics created quite a bit of trouble for Cal – especially with Meg constantly focusing in on the incident to Rick!

And is Meg brazen! She has a personalized, monogrammed bathrobe made especially for Rick, and, catching him alone, tries to force it on him! Rick wants nothing to do with it, so the scorned Meg quite acidly reminds him of Cal and Michael getting drunk together, going to night classes together, visiting during the day – and that concocts some pretty pungent food-for-thought for Rick!

When Tom guesses why Arlene has refused his marriage proposal – she is worried that, if convicted of murdering Ian Russell, she could ruin his career, indeed his life – he quite lovingly tries to persuade her otherwise. He tells her that she didn’t murder Ian Russell, and that in no way could she ever hurt him – unless she continues to refuse to marry him! But Arlene cannot be swayed. In fact, she is already beyond Tom’s help!

Lt. Hollenbeck has arrested Arlene! Catching an unsuspecting Arlene all alone, a devious Hollenbeck infers that they will soon be placing Tom under arrest for Ian’s murder! That causes Arlene to blurt out that they can’t do that because Tom didn’t murder Ian – and she knows because she was there! And despite Arlene’s protestations that although she was there she didn’t murder Ian, either; her confession that she had lied previously and was indeed at the scene of the crime, is enough to arrest her!

A concerned Tom sends a prominent private attorney – Dorian Patten – to represent Arlene. Arlene says she cannot accept Tom paying for her attorney. Dorian, however, says Arlene will be quite able to pay legal fees herself – Arlene has been named co-owner of Beaver Ridge!



Ben is upset to hear of Arlene’s arrest – but this man seems to have plenty of upsets impending in the near future to keep him in constant turmoil! Cal has received a letter from Betsy in England, and it sounds very much like she is planning on returning to the States – but with an American “gentleman friend” – one Elliot Lang, to be exact, who seems to be taking very good care of Betsy and her daughter!

Where does this put Mia and Ben? She doesn’t seem to know where she stands with him – or even with her own feelings! And Cal and Rick seem to have a rough road ahead of them. Rick is becoming increasingly suspicious of her and Michael!