Friday, November 17, 2006, Episode #4939

Phoebe tells her mom to focus on the trial.
Phoebe meets with Taylor in the courthouse before the trial resumes. Taylor asks Phoebe if Shane hurt her. Phoebe replies that he would never hurt her. She frets that Shane won't be able to testify because the police are after him now, so he'll seem unreliable. Taylor is more worried that Phoebe might be developing feelings for Shane. Phoebe tells her mom to focus on the trial, especially since Shane can't testify now. Ridge and Storm enter; Ridge reports that there's been no sign of Shane. They even called the San Francisco Police Department, since Shane mentioned a job offer there, but Storm points out that it won't do them any good anyway. Besides, they don't know what Shane will say on the stand now, or if he'll force Phoebe not to press charges in return for testifying, so he's no longer a credible witness. Phoebe offers to testify, but Taylor and Storm remind her that she'd be open to perjury charges because of her false statement to the police. Taylor offers to testify herself, but Storm tells her that won't work unless she's willing to recant her confession. She says she can't. Then their case has gone belly up, Storm sighs, although he's not quitting just yet.

Eric and Stephanie tell Thorne about what happened with Shane and Phoebe.
Eric and Stephanie pick up Thorne on the way to the courthouse and tell him about what happened with Shane and Phoebe. Thorne is glad Phoebe is OK and comments that he never trusted Shane. Stephanie tells him that Phoebe claimed Shane wasn't going to hurt her. Thorne can't believe that Phoebe is defending the guy. She did it because they needed Shane, Eric suggests, but now Shane's gone. And he took Taylor's defense with him, Stephanie sighs. Which means Taylor again could face ten years in jail, Thorne fears.

Ridge thanks Hector.
Ridge and Phoebe enter the courtroom and greet Thomas. Phoebe then sees Harry and checks on him after last night. Ridge goes over to Hector; he knows they haven't been on good terms for some time, but he appreciates what Hector did last night and offers any help Hector needs. Hector thanks Ridge and asks if Phoebe is still defending Shane. She is, Ridge laments, which is why he intends to have a long talk with her about Mr. McGrath once the trial's over. Thorne, Eric and Stephanie arrive; Thorne sees they haven't started and asks Ridge what's going on. Ridge explains that Storm is in the judge's chambers trying to buy some time.

Judge Owens turns down Storm's request.
In Judge Owens' chambers, Storm argues that he needs a continuance, since his only remaining witness is now missing. Assistant DA Tartaro points out that a warrant was issued for Shane's arrest last night, so his testimony is shot. She agrees that defense counsel has no defense now, but that's not her problem. Storm argues that he needs to construct a new defense, but Tartaro points out that there's no new evidence to find. Judge Owens agrees with the prosecutor and tells Storm to bite the bullet and get on with his case.

Dante tells Felicia that Bridget lost the baby.
Dante enters the courtroom and sits next to Felicia, who asks where Bridget is. Dante replies that Bridget isn't coming. Felicia is surprised, since the family always pulls together when one of them is in trouble. She takes out her cell phone, but Dante reminds her that she can't use that here. Dante then tells her that Bridget lost the baby. It wasn't as hard as the last time. It just might have been too soon. Felicia responds that he may not believe her, but she's really sorry.

Taylor takes the blame for Darla's death.
The lawyers enter the courtroom. As smarmy reporter Jarrett presses Tartaro for answers about the case, Ridge asks Storm how things went. Not well, Storm replies, unsure what his next move will be. Storm then joins Taylor, who frets that he couldn't get a continuance. The bailiff calls the courtroom to order and Judge Owens enters. After the jury is brought in, the judge tells Storm to call his first witness. Reluctantly, Storm calls Taylor. He begins by asking why she didn't come forward immediately about hitting Darla. She explains that she loved Darla, who was the only one in the family to check on her following her divorce from Ridge. She wanted to tell Thorne the truth, but when she saw how torn Thorne was over his own grief and his daughter's, she felt she had to reach out to him instead. She hated herself, since she knew he had so much anger inside, anger that he should have directed at her. About the accident? Storm asks. Taylor doesn't know if she would call it that. Storm asks for permission to treat the witness as hostile. Tartaro objects, since the witness is Storm's client. Storm counters that he has to protect his client, in spite of herself. The judge allows Storm some leeway, so Storm hammers Taylor about that night. She recalls that it was dark and foggy on the dangerous Pacific Coast Highway that night. Darla was wearing a dark jacket with a hood. So when Darla fell back into the road when changing Phoebe's tire, Storm asks, could Taylor have seen her? Taylor tells Storm to stop, because it was not Darla's fault - it was hers! She drank the wine and got behind the wheel, so she couldn't stop in time and hit Darla!

Storm puts Thorne on the stand.
The crowd is stunned at Taylor's admission. Storm has no further questions for Taylor. Tartaro has no questions for Taylor, either, although she commends Dr. Hayes for her honesty. The judge tells Storm to call his next witness. Storm points out his depleted witness list, but Thorne then comes forward and tells Storm to call him. The crowd is again stunned as Thorne takes the stand. Storm asks Thorne why he decided to testify. Thorne explains that the state is represented today, as is Taylor, but there is no one to represent Darla. Storm then recalls that Thorne arrived at the scene shortly after Darla was hit and asks how Taylor seemed. He says she was distraught. Storm asks if she seemed drunk; Thorne says she didn't, but Tartaro argues that Thorne is not qualified to answer, so the comment is stricken. Thorne then states that Taylor lied to him, but he asks if he can take that back. He explains that he found Taylor in Darla's hospital room that night, all worked up. Taylor told him it was all her fault, but he told her not to blame herself. There were other times she tried to tell him after, but he again refused to hear her, because he thought Taylor was too decent to even tell a little white lie. Or was it that he needed to think about her that way, he wonders, because she was helping him and his daughter work through their grief? As mad as he was at Taylor when he found out the truth, he has to admit that he doesn't know what he or Ally would have done without her.

Thorne asks for Taylor to be set free.
Storm points out to Thorne that Taylor just refused to call what happened an accident. Thorne says he heard that, and he loves her for that, because she was doing what she couldn't that night: protecting Darla. He turns to Taylor and tells her that she doesn't have to do that, since he understands. Storm asks what he understands. Something unthinkable and unimaginable, Thorne replies. He explains that when a beautiful person like his wife is taken away, the first thing we do is look to blame someone. He did it, the law did it, and now the jury is being asked to do it. And while it may seem clear cut, that it's either Darla's fault or Taylor's, it isn't. Darla wore black because it was the first thing she could find, since she needed to get to help Phoebe. That's the kind of person she was. She was there when Phoebe needed her, just like Taylor was there when he and Ally needed her. He knows Darla wouldn't want Taylor to go to prison, because there was no crime. She would forgive Taylor, even though there was nothing to forgive, since it was an accident. But putting a woman behind bars who doesn't deserve it isn't an accident. That's a miscarriage of justice, which is why he feels the only thing to do is forgive Taylor and set her free.