Friday, May 25, 2007, Episode #5067

Brooke urges Stephanie to stick with the plan.

It's the second day of Nick's trial. Brooke and Stephanie wait at the Forrester mansion for word of Ridge's flight from Paris. Brooke hopes Ridge arrives soon so he can go to the courthouse and tell the judge how Shane really died. Stephanie again wants to wait for the verdict to come in, since Ridge won't have to say anything if Nick is acquitted. Brooke thinks they should stick with the original plan and let Ridge tell the truth. Before she and Stephanie can debate this further, Brooke gets a call from Storm, who is glad he finally reached her. He asks if she got any information out of Stephanie. Brooke tells him that she's on her way to the courthouse now. Storm asks if that's a yes or a no. Brooke cryptically tells her brother that things may not be as he thinks, and she promises not to let Nick go to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Brooke then hangs up. Stephanie asks Brooke if she's really going to turn Ridge in. Brooke replies that she doesn't want Ridge in prison, but she feels that telling the truth is the only way for Ridge to end the hell he's been living him. Stephanie concedes that Brooke's right, but she still can't help but worry about her son going to jail. Brooke promises that Ridge will be fine, since he's strong, just like his mother.

Phoebe takes the stand.

In the courtroom, Storm tells Nick that he spoke to Brooke, but she only said that she's on her way. Judge Owens calls out to Storm, who calls Phoebe as his first witness. Storm asks Phoebe if Shane was stalking her. Phoebe doesn't want to call it that, but she admits that Shane was bothering her by following her around. Storm asks her if Shane followed her to the Marlin. Phoebe says she didn't see him, but she was alone on the boat that night. Storm then asks if Ridge was on the boat. Phoebe replies that her dad stopped by briefly to check on her. "Long enough to leave his fingerprints all over the boat," Storm remarks. Storm then asks if she saw Shane in her dad's office that day. Phoebe admits that she did. Storm surmises that she was probably one of the last to see Shane alive, but Assistant District Attorney Tartaro objects to the speculation. Storm asks Phoebe if her father might have seen Shane. Phoebe guesses so, but... Storm cuts her off and thanks her. Tartaro then cross-examines Phoebe, asking her about the night Nick threw Shane out of her mom's house. Phoebe admits that Nick told Shane to stay away if he didn't want problems with Nick. Tartaro asks Phoebe if Shane heeded that warning and left her alone. "No," Phoebe responds.

Ashley testifies.

Storm next calls Ashley and asks if she was at Forrester Originals the night Shane was there. Ashley says she was in the building, but she never saw Shane. Storm asks if she heard anything unusual that night. Ashley reluctantly states that she heard a short popping sound. "Like a gunshot?" Storm asks, withdrawing the question when Tartaro objects. Storm then asks Ashley about her date with Ridge that night. Ashley responds that Ridge abruptly canceled the date . Storm asks if Ridge called to explain why he couldn't make it. Ashley says that she didn't speak with Ridge, but she spoke with his mother, who said Ridge was called away on a business emergency. She tries to explain why she thinks Ridge canceled, but Storm cuts her off and ends his questions. Next, Tartaro asks Ashley about her dad, John Abbott, who died while serving a prison sentence. Storm objects, as he doesn't see relevance. Tartaro assures Judge Owens that she'll explain how this is relevant, so the judge allows her to continue. Ashley affirms that her father died in prison. Tartaro guesses it must have been hard for Ashley to see her father spend his golden years in prison, since Ashley even lied to the police that she committed the crime to keep John out of jail. Backed into a corner, Ashley concedes that she took the blame. "Which tells us all we need to know about your credibility," Tartaro taunts.

Ridge considers his next move.

As his plane approaches L.A., Ridge flashes back to Shane's death, and to Phoebe telling him that she knows he couldn't have killed Shane. After he gets off the plane, Ridge gets into a limo. The driver, Gary, offers to take him home, but Ridge wants to go to the L.A. County Courthouse. Meanwhile, Brooke and Stephanie arrive at the courthouse. As Brooke ducks past clamoring reporters and slips into the courtroom, Stephanie stops to call Ridge. When Ridge tells her that he's on his way, Stephanie suggests that he wait for the verdict to come in before saying anything, since Nick might be acquitted. Ridge points out that he still took a man's life and covered it up, whether Nick goes free or not. But it was an accident, Stephanie reminds him. Ridge says he'll tell the court that. Stephanie asks, "If they don't believe you, is a clear conscience worth 20 years in prison?" She again pleads for him to wait for the verdict. As Gary tells him that they're stuck in traffic, Ridge recalls his recent talk with Brooke, when she urged him to come home and tell the truth. He thinks about his predicament.

Nick takes the stand.

Stephanie enters the courtroom as Storm calls Nick to testify. Nick admits that he didn't like Shane, who was harassing his stepdaughter Phoebe. So of course he wanted to protect Phoebe. Then he saw Shane again a few days before Shane's body washed up, when Shane came to Forrester Creations trying to land their business. Upon questioning, Nick states that he does not own a gun, and that he didn't shoot Shane and dump Shane's corpse off his boat into Santa Monica Bay. Tartaro then questions Nick about his desire to keep Shane away from his family; once she gets Nick to admit that he thought Shane was a bit crazy, Tartaro remarks that crazy people can be dangerous. After Nick admits he was afraid that Shane might be a danger to his family, Tartaro asks, "Afraid enough to kill him?" When Storm objects, Tartaro changes tactics and asks Nick if Shane could have owned a gun and showed up at the boat to confront Nick. Storm objects to that, too, so Tartaro asks Nick about his comment to Lt. Baker, after his two encounters with Shane, that he'd take care of Shane himself if McGrath turned up again. Nick admits he said that but says he didn't kill Shane. Tartaro then shows Nick the shirt with Shane's blood and asks Nick if he wore that the last time he took the Marlin out. Nick admits that he did. Tartaro has no further questions.

Rick is stunned by Phoebe's words.

Tartaro gives her closing argument, painting Nick as a violent man who had two angry confrontations with Shane and wanted to make sure Shane stayed away from his family, and who then hid the evidence of his confrontation with Shane by dumping the body into Santa Monica Bay. After Storm's closing argument (which we don't see), everyone waits outside while the jury deliberates. Rick finds Phoebe in the hall; she tells him how much he hurt her by blaming her father for Shane's death, something he never would do if he really loved her. But he still did it, and now she's not ready to give her entire life to him. "It's over. We're over," she tells a stunned Rick. Rick begs her to let him explain, but Phoebe doesn't want to hear it and walks off.

Stephanie hesitates to tell Brooke that she spoke with Ridge.

Brooke asks Stephanie where Ridge is. When Stephanie hesitates to answer, Brooke guesses Stephanie spoke to him and asks what she said. Before Stephanie can answer, the reporters clamor over Ridge's arrival. Brooke goes over to Ridge and tells him that he's doing the right thing, and she promises to stand by him every step of the way. Ridge greets his mother and asks if he's late. She tells him the jury is still deliberating just as the bailiff announces that the jury has reached a verdict. Stephanie wonders what it means that the jury came back so fast. Brooke tells Ridge that he knows what he has to do as everyone files back into the courtroom.