"Her belongings packed, Kit moved in to the main house at Wildwind. She sat down on the sofa and informed Raquel that she was moving in. Raquel smiled warmly and welcomed Kit. "If there's anything I can do," Raquel offered politely. Kit held up her hands and assured Raquel that she'd already done enough for her just be believing in and supporting her. Edmund entered the room after he failed to locate Hayley. Raquel mentioned that Mateo had gotten a call concerning Hayley and subsequently dashed out of the house. Eugenia> wandered into the room and took the news of Kit's relocation with a smile. "The more the merrier," Eugenia remarked. "But we're not very merry, are we?" Derek appeared in the doorway and told Eugenia that he wanted to know Ryan and Gillian's whereabouts. Eugenia scratched her head and thought hard for a few minutes. She said that she'd last heard that the couple had won a vacation at the Crystal Ball. Derek pursed his lips together and couldn't help but smile. He told the duchess that he liked her style and that he would be forced to haul her off to jail if she failed to cooperate. Kit, Edmund, and Raquel all voiced their disapproval with the detective's remark. Eugenia smiled gleefully, saying that she was somewhat intrigued with the concept of being thrown in "the pookie." Raquel bit her lip and told Eugenia that the correct term was "the hokey." Eugenia strongly denied knowing where her granddaughter and grandson-in-law had gone off to. Kit offered to call Jack to help get Derek off of the older woman's case. She was surprised to learn that Derek had already spoken to Jack and gotten his permission to interrogate Eugenia.
Mateo asked Hayley why she'd been arrested. Hayley muttered that she'd been speeding---oh, about one hundred miles-an-hour. Mateo told Hayley that it was time to go home. Unfortunately, there was the minor detail of Hayley not having been arraigned yet. Hayley explained that night court had adjourned and her Uncle Trevor was not willing to wake up a judge to process her. In short, she was going to be locked up for as long as she wanted to be locked up. That puzzled Mateo and he asked her what she was talking about. Hayley's mouth gaped slightly as she cocked her head to one side. She told Matt to stop pretending that he had no idea. It took Mateo a few minutes, but he eventually figured out that Hayley's incarceration must have had something to do with Ryan's big escape. Mateo claimed that he'd been worried about Hayley because she suddenly disappeared. Hayley sassed that she had not been off dancing with her other husband, a subtle hint that Hayley had observed Mateo dancing with Raquel. Mateo didn't acknowledge the remark, instead dropping hints of his own about Hayley's accidental encounter with alcohol. Hayley was furious with Mateo for not having faith in her ability to stay sober. She knew that someone must have tipped Raquel off to her drinking problem and seemed to get close to an implication that the accident might not have been accidental. Mateo pledged that he believed in Hayley, but questioned her decision to go to the mat for Ryan. He asked Hayley why she hadn't turned to him before helping Ryan and Gillian escape. Hayley said that she would have gone to Mateo, except that she didn't want to "cut in," another reference to Mateo and Raquel's private waltz. Mateo took Hayley's remark the wrong way, mistakenly assuming that her decision to help Ryan was a result of Hayley being angry at him. Hayley denied the accusation, saying that she had helped Ryan because she knew that he had not raped Kit. Mateo remained convinced that Ryan was guilty as charged. He demanded, or rather pressured, Hayley to tell him where Ryan and Gillian were hiding. Hayley first claimed not to know, but later said that she wouldn't divulge their location. Mateo was worried that Hayley's time in jail might adversely effect his custody of Max. Hayley rolled her eyes and reminded Mateo that she'd been the one to get arrested---not him. Mateo explained that he and Hayley were a package deal and that a judge would look at both of their actions. Hayley promised that she would not let his relationship with or custody of Max be adversely affected by her decision to help Ryan. Mateo wasn't convinced. With a sigh, he left the cell area.
Hayley wouldn't be alone for long. A while later, Derek escorted Hayley's soon-to-be cellmate into the cell block. Eugenia was surprisingly composed as she was placed in the cell. Hayley was concerned for Eugenia, but the duchess assured Hayley that she'd be fine. Both women quietly agreed to keep mum on the topic of Ryan and Gillian. Their silence, however, may or may not have been needed. Derek received a phone call from an informant telling him that a couple matching Ryan and Gillian's description had been spotted.
On the lamb, or as Gillian said, "on the goat," Ryan and Gillian found refuge in a rather unlikely place: Linden House. Gillian had overheard someone at the Crystal Ball mention that Erica had moved out of Linden. After her stay short stay at Linden House last year, Gillian had forgotten to return her key and alarm code to Erica. That oversight conveniently resurfaced and proved to be most valuable to the couple. Ryan was impressed with the way his wife had thought out their careful escape. Gillian confessed that Hayley had planned most of the escape. It came as a surprise to Ryan that his wife and Hayley were no longer at odds. Gillian explained that they'd been brought together because they both believed in Ryan's innocence. Gillian foraged around the kitchen for food items that Erica might have left behind. She didn't find anything spectacular, but there were some crackers and a bottle of champagne. The couple say down on the floor of the cold house and prepared for their dinner. As they did, the power flickered on and off. Gillian began to panic, fearing that the law had caught up with them. Ryan was composed and figured that the lights must be on timers. Neither was aware that someone lurked just outside the front door.
"Check and mate," Palmer cracked upon hearing Opal's confession. Dixie promptly ordered up to "put a lid on it." Palmer was pleased to know that he was not the only one that had been hiding a secret. Adrian was getting angrier at Palmer's jabbings and warned him to keep his mouth shut. "He has your nose, Opal," Palmer sneered. As promised, Adrian lunged across the room and Palmer. Braden leaped in between the two men and Tad helped pull Adrian away from Palmer---otherwise there might have been some real trouble. Adrian, Braden, and Dixie filed out of the room to allow Tad, Opal, and Adrian some "family time," as Palmer put it. Downstairs, Braden scolded Dixie for getting involved in more tension. He thought he could soothe Dixie's jangled nerves by putting the moves on Dixie. He told Dixie that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He gently stroked Dixie's hair, but Dixie was unreceptive to the younger man's advances. She smiled slightly and asked Braden if he could give her some time alone. Braden nodded and left the room. Elsewhere in the mansion, Palmer headed to the phone and placed a call to the National Intruder.
"I never meant for this to come out like this," Opal sobbed. She begged her two sons to find it in their hearts to forgive her. Tad sat down on the bed next to his mother and asked her how everything had unfolded. Opal called Frank Dawson, Adrian's dad, the love of her life. The tale started many years ago when Tad was about two-years old. Opal's husband, Ray Gardner, had been drinking. It wasn't odd for Ray to have been drunk, but this night things were different. Tad had accidentally spilled juice on his father---and Ray went ballistic. Opal hid Tad under the bed so that he'd be safe from Ray's wrath. With no one else around, Ray beat Opal savagely. Opal suffered a broken rib and her face was "not fit to be seen." Fortunately, Ray passed out and Opal was given a chance to make her getaway. She grabbed Tad, a few belongings, and as much money as she could find and headed for the bus station. She hopped a bus and headed as far away as she could. She found herself in a small unknown town with no place to stay and no one to turn to. She walked aimlessly down the streets, not sure where she was going. Her injuries slowly began to take their toll. Opal tripped and fell to the ground, the contents of her suitcase spilling all over the sidewalk. Suddenly, a hand reached out to her. The man helped Opal gather her belongings and offered to take her back to his house to rest. The man turned out to be Frank Dawson. In the timeframe being mentioned, interracial romances were not tolerated and Frank risked being lynched for living with a white woman. Frank's status in the community, however, shielded him from the backlash. Opal found herself falling in love with the man who had helped her. "I don't buy it," Adrian grumbled. Opal explained that Adrian's Aunt Geneva had helped her deliver Adrian. Opal said that Adrian was a "handsome and strong" baby and assured Adrian that she'd loved him very much. That, however, did not explain how Opal and Adrian had been separated. One day, Opal's cousin received an anonymous postcard letting her know that Opal and Tad were safe. Ray somehow got his hands on the postcard and managed to track the postmark. One day while Opal was alone, Ray showed up. He was furious with Opal for having run out on him. A year's worth of anger had built inside the man and he was quick to vent his anger on Opal. Across the room, Tad sat by little Adrian's cradle gently rocking the baby to sleep. Ray softly asked Tad to go out to the car and wait for him. When he did, Ray ordered Opal to gather her belongings and return home with him. Opal asked for a few minutes to get her things together. She tried to find time to write Frank a note, but Ray beckoned her. Opal hovered over the cradle and promised her son that she'd return for him one day. Ray returned and grabbed Opal by the arm. He might never have noticed Adrian---except that Adrian cooed slightly. Ray stomped over to the cradle and demanded to know what Opal was doing with a "colored baby." Opal was forced to lie. She said that she was babysitting for a neighbor. Ray told Opal that babysitting for a Black child was beneath her and ordered her to leave immediately. With tears in her eyes, Opal was forcibly escorted out of the house---and Adrian was left all alone. Opal began to cry again. Adrian's face was wet with the tracks of tears. Opal begged for the two men to forgive her. Adrian said nothing. He walked past Opal and left the room. Tad asked his mother if she'd be okay. Opal, now crying openly, nodded her head slightly. She asked Tad if he could forgive her. Tad's face tightened. "Goodnight, Mama," he said coldly. Tad left the room. Opal fell on the bed and sobbed hysterically."
- Soap Central