Monday, May 07, 2007, Episode #5053

Ashley is tired of Rick's mixed signals.

At Forrester Originals, Rick asks Ashley why she didn't tell him she was seeing Ridge. She replies that she knew how he felt about Ridge, and she also felt that her personal life was none of Rick's concern. Rick insists he's just looking after her. Ashley asks him not to make a big deal of this with Phoebe, who knows she's friendly with Ridge. How friendly? Rick asks. Ashley says she wouldn't get involved with someone just for a fling, since she's looking for a happy ending in a relationship. Rick retorts that there are no happy endings with Ridge and asks Ashley if she's seeing Ridge to get under his skin. Ashley thinks she already has from his reaction. Rick explains that he sees Ridge as a shabby excuse for a man who is still hung up on Rick's mom. Ashley quips that she must be some hick from the Midwest, since she hasn't met men like Ridge back home. Rick counters that there are ten guys like Ridge on a Beverly Hills street corner. Ashley asks Rick if she's just supposed to pine for him, or maybe she should ply him with wine until he gives a tumble. Rick tells her to stop talking like that, but Ashley is tired of this dance with him, where he's through with her but wishes he wasn't. She's fed up with his sending her mixed signals and asks what he wants from her. Rick admits that part of him wants to take Ashley home and make love to her, but Ashley wants all of him and would gladly take him if she could have him completely.

Rick tells Ashley how he feels.

Ashley explains to Rick how hard it is for her to close the door on the possibility of being with him, and she thinks he feels the same way. But she doesn't want to wait around for him so he can try to be with someone else, so she wants him to just tell her if he wants her. But if he can't tell her, then she doesn't want him coming back to her in a month when things don't work out with Phoebe. Rick asserts that he can't just predict the possibilities for the two of them. Ashley replies that she's not a possibility. She's a woman with a daughter and a career, and she has those things because she made choices in life, like she's asking him to make a choice now. She admits that the problem is that he was as much too young for her as Phoebe is for him. Rick doesn't believe that because of what they shared in Paris. Ashley agrees that Paris was amazing, but that's in their past. Now she has a great guy who's interested in her unless Rick speaks up now. Rick isn't ready to walk away from what he has with Phoebe. Ashley reminds him that he's probably Phoebe's first love, and those typically end in heartbreak; she doesn't want him showing up on her doorstep when his heart gets broken, so he should say the word now if he wants her. Rick asks her not to end things this way. He asks if she ever wanted two things so badly at the same time. Standing face to face with him, she says she did, and she lost them both. Rick leans in and kisses Ashley; after their tender embrace, Ashley leaves.

Dr. Kimbrough checks on the Marone eggs for Bridget.

At the hospital, Bridget stops in to ask Dr. Kimbrough about the eggs for the Marone in-vitro procedure. Dr. Kimbrough says she was about to leave, but as a professional courtesy to Bridget, she checks the eggs. While the doctor peeks, Bridget explains that she used to be married to Nick, but they parted on good terms. Dr. Kimbrough confirms that the donor eggs are fertilized and ready to be implanted into Taylor.

Eric and Stephanie listen to Lt. Baker.

At the Forrester mansion, Eric, Stephanie, Ridge, Phoebe, Nick, Taylor, Jackie and Storm anxiously wait for Lt. Baker to tell them who Shane's killer is. Lt. Baker explains that he may not be prepared to make an arrest yet, but he will be before he leaves. First he needs to clarify some things with all of them, so their lives are so interconnected. Storm asks Baker what kind of details he needs. Baker points out that Shane came into their lives after he witnessed Darla's death, which made him a problem for Dr. Hayes. Taylor reminds him that she's Mrs. Marone now and points out that Shane was actually a problem for Phoebe, not her. She just wanted Shane to leave Phoebe alone. Baker recalls that Taylor invited Shane into her home, but Phoebe says she did that. Baker asks Phoebe if she can pilot a boat; she says she can't. Lt. Baker then explains that finding Shane's body weighed down with an anchor and washed up on Venice Beach led him to get a warrant to search The Shady Marlin II, where he found Nick's fingerprints along with Taylor's and Phoebe's. Phoebe explains that she spent the night on the boat to give her mom and Nick some privacy. Ridge and Taylor confirm that. Baker then asks Ridge how HIS fingerprints turned up on the Marlin; Phoebe points out that her dad came to the boat to check on her. Ridge says he did that because Shane was stalking Phoebe.

Phoebe sticks up for her father.

Lt. Baker asks Phoebe if Shane was on the boat with her. Of course not, she says, since she went there to get away from Shane. Baker says Shane must have found the boat, since they found his hair on the boat. Storm asks if they found Shane's prints or blood; Baker points out that boats are always hosed down, although it wouldn't take a seaman to do that. Phoebe, Nick, Eric and Stephanie are all aghast that Baker seems to be implying that Taylor did it, but Baker then points out that a woman would need assistance to move Shane's body. But if that woman had help from Phoebe's father, he suggests, that wouldn't be a problem. Stephanie tells Lt. Baker to end these cat and mouse games and make his accusation if he has one. Baker points out that everyone here had a reason to want Shane gone. But what about the means, Storm asks, of the murder weapon? Lt. Baker points out that they have a bullet they pulled out of Shane. He then asserts that either Ridge or Nick could have taken Shane's corpse out to sea to dispose of it, and both men are close to Phoebe and had angry public confrontations with Shane. Phoebe argues that Shane was a lot scarier than her dad was to Shane, and Storm insists that Nick made no public threats. Lt. Baker tells the attorney that he begs to differ, since he heard Nick angrily threaten to deal with Shane. Storm and Jackie both confirm that Shane came to their offices uninvited, and Nick was forced to throw Shane out when Shane refused to comply with Nick's requests to leave. Storm adds that Shane even threatened to come after Nick. "And that's how I think the victim met his end," Lt. Baker states.

Ridge listens to Lt. Baker's theories.

Jackie argues that Nick doesn't own a gun. Lt. Baker explains that the bullet was from a 25-caliber "junk gun" that can be obtained cheaply in a number of places around town. Storm asks why a man like Nick would take the risk to buy a gun like that. Lt. Baker admits Nick wouldn't, but he thinks Shane would. He then asks Nick if he took the Marlin out on the night of April 20. Storm argues that the time of Shane's death was not established, but Lt. Baker points out that the 20th is in the window. Nick admits he took the boat out for its first run and recalls that he called the harbormaster first. Baker asks Nick if he was alone; Nick says he was but asks why he'd call the harbormaster if he was dumping a corpse. Baker asks Nick where he was earlier that night. Nick reminds Baker that he was at Insomnia with Taylor, since Baker saw them there. Baker points out that Shane was familiar with Insomnia and might have followed Nick from there to the boat, angry that Phoebe's future step-father might keep him and Phoebe apart. While Nick lit a cigar and prepared to set sail, Shane showed up on the boat, gun in hand. Nick went for the gun, grabbed it and considered what Shane might do next; rather than wait for Shane to return another night with another gun, Nick took aim and shot Shane! Baker speculates that Nick then took one of his expensive suits out of a garment bag, put Shane's body in the bag, wrapped the anchor chain around it and headed out to sea, where he threw Shane overboard into the bay.

Jackie and Storm can't believe the lieutenant's theories.

Nick and Storm can't believe that Lt. Baker is basing his theory on a few stands of hair. Just then, Taylor gets a call from Bridget, asking when Taylor can come in to have the fertilized egg implanted. "I'll have to call you back," Taylor says. Detective Scott then comes in with a blood stained shirt. Baker asks Nick if he recognizes the shirt; Nick says he doesn't, but after Baker points out Nick's monogrammed initials on the shirt, Jackie points out that it's a shirt she had made for him. Lt. Baker then reveals that they found the shirt on the Shady Marlin II - and DNA analysis shows that the blood is Shane McGrath's!