1. Courtroom Recess: During court recess, a hysterical Phyllis is worried about her son and doesn’t feel like she can go back into the trial. Michael tries to calm her down. She calls Daniel.
2. Daniel is with the officers talking about the hand-off when he gets the call. Plans for a hand-off to the kidnappers go down in a Jabot office. Paul, Bonacheck, and Maggie are there to help plan things. Kevin talks to Paul regarding logistics. Cane said he would make the drop.
3. Amber tries to lockpick herself out of the closet using a dismantled hanger from the coat rack.
4. Courtroom Recess: Nick asks Sharon outside the courtroom if she’s nervous. She said it would be worse if she was on trial.
“Ever see a pack of lions go after a gazelle?” She’s worried about talking about her affair, she feels like it’s non of her business. She said it was a bad time for their marriage and she’s glad he can’t remember it. Nick tells her that he’ll always love and respect her. Jack comes over.
5. Break room: Neil and Nikki talk about testifying. Neil says she set the whole thing up, kicked him off the board to take his place.
6. Courtroom Recess: Summer visits Phyllis during court recess. Michael says that Phyllis isn’t focusing, and if she doesn’t she’s not going to win. Lauren says of anyone who can get her through this, it’s him. Phyllis is thankful to Lauren for bringing Summer.
7. Things are intense in the Jabot office regarding the hand-off. Daniel gets nervous as minutes pass. Cane says it was his fault Amber got kidnapped anyway. “She scams me and it’s my fault,” Daniel quips. Kevin asks if he should pick up a GCU duffel bag at a store since the ransom note asks for one. Cane says no, he has one already, as he reads the note. Jill thinks it’s dangerous for Cane to do the drop-off, but Ji Min assures her that he will be fine because he’ll be surrounded by cops.
“What was Amber thinking, burying all that money on the estate!” Jill whispers to Ji Min.
As Paul hands the duffel bag of money to Cane, Ji Min asks how the drop is going to work.
“I’m going to the club,” Paul says. “You come by with the cash after an hour and I’ll watch you from there.”
Maggie continues: “You’ve got undercover cops surrounding the GCAC. They’re ready to move on command.” Bonacheck will be in his hotel, Paul will be at the club, and Maggie will remain in the office.
Maggie tells Kevin and Daniel to go about their business as usual, but Daniel suggests they go to the coffee house and look at the security footage.
A worried Jill approaches Cane and tells him to call her as soon as he’s done. Ji Min hands Cane his business card so he can be reached as well.
8. David and Nikki run into each other in the Newman hallway. She tells him she’s on her way to testify. David cancels his appointments for today and says he’s going with her to the courtroom.
9. Sharon testifies.
Heather: Were you in New York the night of June 2nd and June 3 of 2006?
Sharon: Yes.
H: And what was the purpose of your visit?
S: Business.
H: And was Mr. Carlton in New York as well?
S: Brad was schedule to go to Boston on business, but his flight got re-routed to New York –
Michael: Objection. Irrelevant.
Judge: Sustained. Just answer the question, Mrs. Abbott.
H: Was Mr. Carlton in New York, as well?
S: Yes.
H: And you two stayed in the same hotel suite, correct?
M: Objection! Leading the witness.
H: Your Honor, I’m simply establishing the affair that Mrs. Newman allegedly blackmailed Brad Carlton about, to verify that such an incident happened.
M: What you’re doing is testifying.
Judge: Overruled. Answer the question.
S: We had separate rooms.
H: But that night you slept in the same room, correct?
M: Objection, she’s leading again.
H: I’ll rephrase. Where did the two of you sleep that night?
S: We slept in the same room.
H: And did you two engage in any other activity that night?
S: Yes, we had sex.
H: You had sex…
M: Your Honor, this is not only irrelevant, this is ridiclous.
H: What was your marital status at the time?
S: I was married to someone else.
H: And Mr. Carlton?
S: He was also married.
H: And the state of your marriage at that time?
M: This is irrelevant to this proceeding.
Judge: I will allow it for what it’s worth.
S: I just found out that my husband had an affair.
H: With the defendant?
S: Yes.
M: Objection! Counsel is leading the witness, and it hardly matters why the affair happened, only that the affair took place, which the witness has already admitted.
Judge: Sustained.
Heather asks what they had for breakfast. Sharon doesn’t remember, so she asks Sharon to read the room service charges.
“Denver omlette, no cheese, croissants, orange juices.”
Heather asks about how Phyllis found out about the affair. Sharon said that Phyllis told her that she overheard them talking. Sharon also states that PHyllis threatened to tell Brad’s wife about the affair if Brad didn’t vote to have Neil Winters put on board. However, that part is stricken from court records because it’s considered heresy. Sharon testifies that Phyllis told her that Phyllis’s goal was to get the business project funded.
“She said if I valued my husband’s campaign and Brad’s marriage I would convince Brad to vote her way,” Sharon explains.
During recess, Nick says that it was all his fault. “If I hadn’t been running around on my wife, Sharon never would have turned to Brad, and there’d be no trial.” Michael tells him that nobody forced anyone to do anything, and “We’re all responsible for our actions.”
Athletic Club: Paul radioes in to Maggie at the Jabot office where Ji Min and Jill are also. Paul gives a brief description of the scene. He says the cheerleading squad is there using the same duffel bag, which makes it hard. Cane arrives, puts down the duffel bag, and leaves.
Court: Michael brings up Cassie’s death. He mentions that the statistics are against a couple who have lost a child, and he can understand Sharon finding solace in another man. He asks Sharon if she’s shared an emotionally close bond with Brad for several years, and Sharon said that they are friends. He asks Sharon if she feels that Brad would put anyone on the board who would be “bad for business”? Sharon is unsure how to answer.
Jabot office: Cane arrives back at the office to Jill’s relief. They say nobody has picked the money up yet and they think something is wrong.
Closet: Amber is still trying to get out of the closet.
Court Recess: Phyllis says it was a bad idea to have Nick sit behind her because he’s hearing all the bad things she’s done. Lauren tries to make her feel better by telling her that she’s doing great. “Okay, my son is involved in a felony, my husband hates me, and I’m going to jail. I’m doing great!” Phyllis exclaimes sarcastically.
Nick tells her he hates himself. He had everything with her and threw it away. She says it wasn’t his fault. She said it was nobody’s fault. She says he doesn’t remember what it was like. He said that he could erase everything and go back. He says he’ll never forgive himself. Jack interrupts and leads Sharon away.
Nikki approaches Sharon and Sharon says she’s responsible for the nightmare of the trial.
Jabot office: Carson is no longer in the room, he gave everyone the slip.
Closet: Amber is still tring to get out. When she gets out, Carson is standing there!
Court recess: Neil arrives and Phyllis thanks him. He says it isn’t a favor, he was subpoenaed. She says the best defense is a good offense.
Jabot office: Cane receives a cell phone. Maggie asks to see it. It rings. Cane answers it and it is Carson. Carson asks if he’s trying to get his wife killed. He tells him to get in a car and drive the money over to him, no feds, no police, no private detectives. Otherwise, Amber is on the receiving end of a 9mm.
court: Neil testifies. Michael asks him about his job and background. Neil says he’s Co-CEO of Newman, and that Victor picked him for the position and that it wasn’t the first time. He also says that his MBA is from Stanford and he graduated with top honors.
When Neil is cross-examined, Heather brings up that business qualifications are not necessary to be a Newman Board member, and she also brings up how many family members are on board. He is also questioned about Dru’s death and the accident that occurred.
Outside the courtroom, David coaches Nikki and tells her not to reveal anything more than what the counsel asks. Nikki runs into Neil on his way out of the courtroom. He tells her he was questioned about Dru, and he says he hopes that Michael guts her in the courtroom.
Coffeehouse: Kevin and Daniel are looking at surveillance footage and are making a list of people who left tips. Ji Min is on the list. When Carson appears, they don’t see him leave a tip.
Courtroom: Michael asks about Nikki’s educational background. She admits she has no bachelor’s or Master’s. He badgers Nikki on the stand, asking her about the scandal she has brought to the company, which includes her kiss with David. After asking several biting questions and being warned by the judge, he withdraws his question.
Coffeehouse: Kevin and Daniel observe Carson’s tip and sees him tip a dollar. Daniel is shocked saying he was certain Carson was teh kidnapper.
Carson arrives to find Amber AND Carson tied up together! He gets a gun pointed at his head by Bonacheck, the federal agent!
Courtroom recess: Michael says that Neil looked so good and Nikki looked so bad that it would have been suspicious if Brad DIDN’T vote for him.
Coffeehouse: They see that it was Bonacheck who left the ransom note in the tip jar.
At kidnapping site: Bonacheck asks Amber where the money is and she says she doesn’t know. he hold a gun to Cane’s head because he doesn’t believe her.
