Tuesday, June 19, 2007, Episode #5084

Bridget reluctantly agrees to meet Carl at Cafe Russe.

In the hospital, Bridget urges Carl to tell her what he knows about the Marone donor eggs. He tells her that he was cleaning the fertility lab the night of Taylor's IVF procedure, but he then pauses and peeks outside, fearful that the lab techs who accosted him earlier might come back. When one of the techs come back, Carl suggests that Bridget meet him someplace else so they can continue their chat. He suggests Cafe Russe. Bridget suggests the parking lot, but Carl tells Bridget, "Let's be honest. You should eat more." Bridget reluctantly agrees to meet at Cafe Russe, so Carl suggests they meet there in an hour, so he has a chance to go change. Bridget balks at the idea of meeting in an hour at first but then agrees.

Carl admits his motives to Bridget.

When Bridget arrives at the restaurant, Carl is sitting at a table wearing a powder blue tux jacket. Carl admires her dress, which he recognizes as the one she wore to her med school graduation dinner (even though Bridget isn't even sure if she wore it to that dinner). As she sits down, Bridget smells mothballs. Carl admits that this is the same jacket he wore to his high school prom, although he's not wearing the pants. Bridget asks to forgo the small-talk, since this isn't a date, and reminds Carl why she agreed to meet him. Carl samples some caviar and starts to talk about the difference between fish and people, but Bridget reminds him that she's a doctor and demands that he tells her about Taylor's IVF procedure. Carl is distracted by people heading for the dance floor, so Bridget tells him to focus on the lab that night. Carl reminds her that everything going in or out of the fertility lab is logged in, with the logs kept locked up. If he could just peek at those logs... Bridget cuts him off, annoyed because he said earlier that he knew whose eggs were implanted in Taylor. When Carl says he can find out in time, Bridget feels used, because she sees now that Carl used her interest in the eggs to get her to meet him here. Carl insists that he can help her, because the suits won't notice him if he tries to get a look at the logs. But he sees how mad Bridget is at him for his ruse and apologizes; it's just that a guy like him usually can't even talk to a woman like her. He promises to find out whose eggs are in Taylor. Bridget then thanks him. Carl then asks Bridget for a dance; she agrees to dance with him, so the geeky custodian clumsily offers his arm to escort her to the dance floor.

Phoebe learns the truth about the Chambers shooting from her dad.

Phoebe visits Ridge at the jail house. Ridge asks if she spoke to Rick, who had come to see him the other day. She tells him that she and Rick had another fight, but Rick didn't mention being here. Ridge tells his daughter that there's something she should know, and he wants her to hear it from him first. He then gently tells Phoebe the story of how he confessed to shooting Grant Chambers years ago to protect Rick. He explains that his confession at that time is the reason that the district attorney's office is treating him like a repeat offender when it comes to Shane's death. Phoebe can't believe that Rick could shoot a man. Ridge explains that Rick was just a kid, so holding a gun was like a game to him until he actually saw Grant's blood. After that, Rick was so traumatized by what he did that he blocked the memory of shooting Grant out completely. Phoebe asks her dad why he would confess, since she doesn't think a kid as old as Rick was then would go to jail. When Ridge points out that the courts might have taken a kid that age and stuck him in juvenile hall, Phoebe realizes that he confessed so Brooke wouldn't lose her son. Ridge confirms her suspicions and tells her that he has no regrets about what he did. Still, unless Rick can remember shooting Grant, this can't help Ridge's case much. That's why Taylor has been trying to help Rick remember in a way that won't hurt Rick. That's why Ridge wants to be clear that he doesn't want Phoebe to pressure Rick. Phoebe says she won't, but she thinks that Rick remembering might make things better between him and her dad, so she hopes Rick stands up for Ridge the way Ridge did for him.

Stephanie calls Rick "disturbed."

In Ridge's office. Stephanie shows Brooke, Taylor and Christine a copy of Shane's medical records, which Christine had subpoenaed in the hopes of finding a sign of mental illness. Sadly, Chris reports after reviewing the record, there's no hint of any mental problems, so they only have Ridge's word that Shane was trying to kill himself the night he died. Just as Taylor offers to talk to Rick again, Rick comes in. Seeing his mom with Taylor, Stephanie and Ridge's lawyer, he senses an ambush and threatens to call a shrink to analyze all of them for falling for Ridge's lies. He insists that he'd remember if he shot Grant, and he asks his mother how she could take Ridge's word over her own son's. Brooke reminds him of his rough childhood, but Rick says plenty of kids have it rough growing up without shooting someone. He suggests that Ridge paid Grant to blame him for the shooting; Brooke says Ridge might not, but Stephanie would to protect her son. Stephanie argues that Rick wouldn't be this disturbed had she raised him with Eric. Rick is put off by the accusation that he's "disturbed" and tells La Forrester that he even held a gun - one that she gave to his mom as a "gift," no less - and it didn't stir any memories of shooting Grant or anyone else.

Brooke tries to get through to Rick.

Stephanie plays dumb about giving Brooke a gun (even though we, as viewers, saw it happen), but Rick says whether or not she provided the gun doesn't change the fact that holding a gun failed to stir any memories in him. He suggests that the ladies are the ones in denial and not him. Taylor points out that someone can know something is true without actually seeing it happen, but Rick doesn't want to hear it. From what he's been told, he was the only one there when he supposedly shot Grant, but he doesn't have even the faintest memory of it, so he's sure it never happened. He then reminds Brooke of all the times Ridge hurt her and asks Brooke how she can just forget that and believe in this guy again. Brooke tells Rick that Ridge did a lot of positive things for him, but Rick refuses to listen to any praises of the man he's sure lied that he [Rick] shot someone. Maybe it's best if Ridge goes to prison, he exclaims as he turns to the door. Stephanie calls out, "I knew Eric should have sued for custody of you and your..." but Rick storms out.

Christine and Taylor check Shane's cell phone.

Brooke apologizes to Christine, who says that she requested a continuance out of fear that this might happen. She just wishes they could find some sign that Shane was thinking of suicide. Stephanie points out that they checked the car, but it was empty. Chris asks if there was a notebook or cell phone in the glove box. Suddenly, Stephanie remembers that Ridge found Shane's phone in this very office a few days after the shooting and starts looking through Ridge's desk drawers. She finds the cell phone, but the battery is dead, so they have to charge it before they can turn it on. Once the phone has power, they check the recent calls and text messages and find that Shane drafted a text message to Phoebe that he had not sent. It reads, "Phoebe, this is good-bye. I'll love you forever, but I won't be bothering you anymore." The ladies all agree that it's not definitive, since it doesn't say where Shane was going, but Christine says that it's all they have right now.

Rick confronts Ridge.

Rick goes to the jail house to see Ridge. As he waits for a guard to bring Ridge, Rick remembers all the recent violent encounters he had with Ridge. When Ridge comes in, he's surprised to see Rick, who accuses Ridge of somehow convincing both Brooke and Taylor to fall for this absurd lie about the Chambers shooting. He asks Ridge to tell him how it went down. When Ridge doesn't want to get into this, Rick takes it as a sign that Ridge is lying. Ridge asks Rick to consider that he was the one who asked for Rick's help, even with all the hatred between them. He thinks the unlikelihood of that whole scenario should tell Rick that he really needs Rick's help and should show Rick that he's not lying. He suggests that Rick talk to Taylor, but Rick refuses, since he insists that Taylor is influenced for concern for her ex. He asks Ridge where he even got a gun from.