Friday, October 13, 2006, Episode #4914

Hector and Stephanie argue over Taylor's plans.

Stephanie arrives at Taylor's house and finds a distraught Phoebe, who is glad to see her grandmother. Stephanie asks what's wrong; Phoebe explains that Thorne took her mom out for the day. Stephanie sees nothing wrong with that, until Phoebe explains that Taylor intends to tell Thorne the truth about Darla's death! Stephanie fears that Thorne will not be able to forgive Taylor once he learns the truth. "Mom's gonna try to explain that it was an accident," Phoebe states, but Stephanie doesn't think it will matter once Thorne learns what Taylor did. Hector enters the room and asks what's going on; when Stephanie and Phoebe tell him about Taylor's plans, Hector frets that he feared Taylor wouldn't be able to handle the guilt. Stephanie tells him to forget about the guilt, because Taylor should never have agreed to lie to begin with. Phoebe tells her grandmother and Hector to stop arguing; she points out that it won't matter soon who is to blame, because her mother is telling Thorne right now. And that will end her relationship with Thorne, Hector points out. Stephanie is more worried that Thorne might involve the police, and she thinks it's imperative that they prevent that. She asks Phoebe where Thorne and Taylor are. Phoebe insists that her mom wants to handle this on her own, but Stephanie demands that Phoebe tell them where they are. Stephanie hopes she can contain the damage by talking to Thorne face to face.

Phoebe worries about her mother's fate.

Phoebe points out how brave her mother is being by admitting the truth. "I hope she'll be brave when she goes to prison," Stephanie retorts. Phoebe asks Stephanie, "Are you trying to scare me?" Yes, Stephanie says, she is, because she wants Phoebe to realize how grave the situation is. Phoebe insists that Thorne loves her mom. "Then tell me where they are!" Stephanie demands. Phoebe gives in and says they're at Big Bear. Stephanie tells Hector to stay here with Phoebe and opens the door, ready to go to Big Bear, only to find Lt. Baker there. She tells Baker that she's on her way out; Lt. Baker says that's fine, because he's here to see Taylor, Phoebe and Hector. Phoebe points out that her mother's not here. Stephanie and Hector suggest that the lieutenant return later with his questions, but the cop says that he doesn't have any more questions - nor does he have any more patience for their games. He explains that he may not have proof yet, but he knows that Taylor drove the car that hit Darla. He asks Hector and Phoebe to 'fess up right now, or when he finally finds proof, he'll make sure that Taylor goes to jail for a long time. Hector and Stephanie tell Lt. Baker not to make any baseless accusations. Baker declares that he's done wasting his time. Had Taylor come forward earlier, he would have asked the DA to go easy on her. But no one came forward, so once he finds his proof, he'll make sure Taylor is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Thorne is shocked after learning that Taylor drove the car that killed his wife.

Up at the Big Bear cabin, Thorne is furious after learning that Taylor drove the car that killed his wife! Taylor tries to explain that it was an accident, but Thorne is livid that the woman he proposed to, the woman who supported him and his daughter... He pleads with Taylor to tell him that she's lying. "The only lie is the lie I've been living," Taylor laments. She tells Thorne that she tried to tell him so many times, but... Thorne can't believe that she killed his wife and then tried to comfort his daughter, lying to him and Alexandria the whole time. Taylor begs him to believe her when she says it was an accident; she explains how dark and foggy it was, and all she could think about as she drove was helping Phoebe. But she had been drinking, and she could only think of her daughter's plight, so she couldn't swerve in time when Darla fell onto the road. Thorne can't believe that she's blaming this on Darla and calling it an accident! It was an accident, Taylor insists, even though she was at fault for drinking and driving. "You killed her!" Thorne accuses. Taylor admits that she did, and then she didn't own up to it. She knows it was unforgivable, and she's sorry. Livid with rage, Thorne reminds her that he asked her to marry him; he asks her how she could let him fall for her, and how she could let him plan a future with her, when she killed his wife. He can't even bear to look at her right now.

Lt. Baker lets everyone hear the confession he's been hoping for.

Taylor tells Thorne that she understands why he hates her, because she hates herself. But she had to tell him the truth, because of the way he helped her. She recalls how he reached out to her when she was lost, and how she took him to her first A.A. meeting. And he loved her, just as she loved him and Ally so much. She asks him to tell Ally that she misses her, because she will miss both him and Ally. She then calls the L.A.P.D. and asks to speak to Lt. Baker; when she's told that Baker is not there, she asks to be put through to his cell.

At Taylor's house, Lt. Baker gets a call on his cell. When he learns who is trying to reach him, he tells the operator to put the call through. Taylor comes on the line and tells Lt. Baker that she has to talk to him, and she thinks he knows why. She admits to the cop that she's the one responsible for Darla's death. Putting his cell phone on speaker, Baker asks Dr. Hayes to repeat what she just said for the record. Phoebe, Hector and Stephanie are stunned as Taylor states, "This is Taylor Hayes. I'm making an official statement that I was driving the car that hit Darla Forrester. I killed her." Lt. Baker thanks her and asks where she is; once she tells him, he tells her to wait there for him to bring her in. She responds that she's not going anywhere. As Phoebe cries in Stephanie's arms, Lt. Baker calls Detective Orbach and asks Orbach to call the Big Bear Police Department; he wants Taylor arrested for gross vehicular manslaughter, obstruction of justice, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a crime.