Wednesday, August 23, 2006, Episode #4879

Thorne needs answers to his questions.

As Stephanie recalls her conversation with Lt. Baker, where he shared his theory about Taylor, Thorne leaves an angry message for the police detective to call him. "That'll light a fire under his butt," Thorne declares as he hangs up. Stephanie reminds him of all the times Lt. Baker has been a friend to their family, but Thorne doesn't need friends now. He needs answers. The phone rings; Thorne hopes it's Lt. Baker, but it's Phoebe, looking for her mom. She tells Thorne that Taylor was on her way over to talk to him and gets upset when Thorne says Taylor's not there. He promises to have Taylor call Phoebe when she gets there and asks Phoebe if she's still babysitting Alexandria tonight. "Yeah, sure," a distracted Phoebe says as she hangs up. Thorne tells his mother about the conversation he just had with Phoebe, including how upset she was. She didn't say what was bothering her, though. Stephanie offers to stop by the Bel Air mansion on her way home to check on Phoebe, who must be worried about Taylor. Thorne admits he is, too; he thinks Taylor still has the memory of being on PCH when Darla died in her mind. Stephanie assures him that Taylor comforted Darla that night. Thorne agrees, noting how Taylor and Phoebe were also part of the events that tore his and Alexandria's lives apart.

Lt. Baker shares his theory with Thorne.

Later, Thorne stops by the police station and urges Detective Orbach (one of the two detectives who came with Lt. Baker to investigate after the accident) to find Baker right now. When Baker comes out, an angry Thorne asks why the cop went to his mother and not him with his leads on Darla's death. Lt. Baker says he wanted to spare Thorne any unnecessary pain, but Thorne wants answers about his wife's death, so Baker shares the two flimsy leads he has with Thorne. Unfortunately, he laments, neither lead has given them any evidence to work with. Thorne suggests Baker isn't doing enough and says he'll do anything he has to, including raising the reward he offered, to find his wife's killer. Baker then asks Thorne if Stephanie shared his other theory. Thorne says his mom said it wasn't worth mentioning. It is worth mentioning, Lt. Baker says, but it might be painful. He then tells Thorne about Taylor's prior DUI conviction, and the fact that she had a drink that night. Thorne tells the cop to keep going, so Baker asks Thorne to recall how Taylor was reacting when he arrived at the accident scene that night. She was in shock, Thorne recalls, since she was the first person to reach the accident scene after Darla was hit. Thorne starts to see where the lieutenant is going with this and asks in disbelief, "You think Taylor killed my wife?"

Taylor begs Hector to let her go.

At Hector's house, a bound Taylor begs Hector to let her go; he says that he can't. He has to keep her here to protect her, and to keep her from ruining their life together. Taylor pleads that she has to tell Thorne the truth, but the fireman won't hear of it. He tells Taylor to stop struggling and accept that what happens now is up to her. It will be easier if she understands he just wants to protect her, he states. "By tying me up?" Taylor frantically asks, sorry for what this has done to Hector. She asks him to let her do what she has to, but he won't let her expose the cover-up they are both a part of. He knows she wants to believe that the police will understand that it was an accident, but he doesn't see that happening. Taylor says that she has to take responsibility for what she did, but Hector warns that she will lose everything if she does. He knew that on the night of the accident, and he loved her too much to subject her to that fate, which is why he went to the lengths he did. He suggests that the two of them move to Mexico and open up a mission in Darla's honor. Taylor says that won't suppress her guilt, but Hector thinks it will. "I can take care of you, sweetheart," he says. Taylor tells him he's been a good, trusted friend, but she has no romantic feelings for her.

Stephanie senses that something's bothering Phoebe.

Taylor's cell phone rings, but she can't answer, since she's tied up. Hector's phone then rings; he answers it and it's Phoebe, who is looking for Taylor. Hector says she can't come to the phone now, so he'll have Taylor call her. Hector then hangs up. Stephanie then comes by, to check on Phoebe (as she promised Thorne she would). She admits she's proud of how Phoebe has reached out to Thorne and Alexandria, but she also senses that Phoebe is feeling guilty about something. Phoebe asks to change the subject, so Stephanie asks about what Phoebe said to Thorne, that Taylor was on her way to Thorne's house to tell him something. What did Taylor want to talk about? Stephanie asks. And where is she, since she didn't get to Thorne's? Phoebe replies that her mom is at Hector's. Stephanie senses how upset Phoebe is at Taylor being at Hector's and asks if there's something about Hector that bothers her. Phoebe says that her mom and Hector aren't involved, if that's what Stephanie is asking. Stephanie asks if Hector is pressuring Taylor. Phoebe admits that she's scared, because she couldn't get her mom on the phone. Then she called Hector, who said Taylor was there, but couldn't come to the phone. She guesses she's worried because Hector can be intense sometimes. Stephanie asks Phoebe if this has anything to do with Hector taking Phoebe and Taylor to the prison. Phoebe asks how Stephanie knows about that; she says that Lt. Baker told her and asks if it had to do with Taylor's drinking. Phoebe will only respond, "it wasn't her fault," and runs off.

As Stephanie gets back in her car, she wonders: could Taylor have been the one who hit Darla?

Hector tries to make a point.

Back at Hector's, Taylor tells him that Phoebe will know something is wrong and will call the police, but Hector stands by his belief that he has to do this to protect Taylor. Taylor says this isn't like him, since he is kind and decent, and he'd never do something like this to a woman. Hector pleads for her to give him the chance to prove that he can make her happy. When she doesn't respond, he asks if she hates him. She hates what he has become, he states, because what he's doing isn't an act of love. Hector laments that he risked everything to save her, because she's worth saving, But this isn't the way to do it, she urges. She tries to explain that what she's going through can't compare to the pain Thorne is in, which is why she has to tell Thorne the truth. "And we lose everything!" Hector rails. He reminds her how the people in the community look up to him as someone who saves people, not as a lovesick maniac. He lights a piece of newspaper on fire and tells Taylor that fire can be your worst enemy. He's spent his life helping people in trouble by rescuing them from fires, so he can only think of the people who will die if he's not there to save them.

As Hector sinks into his tirade, Taylor kicks him in an attempt to free herself. Hector goes flying and was knocks into a support beam in his house (which he told Taylor is being fixed because of termites). That causes another beam to fall, knocking Hector unconscious. The burning newspaper falls from Hector's hand and lands next to a tarp. A can of paint thinner was knocked over and had started to spill onto the tarp. Taylor cries out for Hector, who won't answer.