This piece appeared in Soap Opera Digest on January 19, 1982.

General Hospital

The Quartermaines are not amused to receive invitations for cocktails from Robert Scorpio. Even worse, they won't have time to rehearse their collective story before showing up. At first, the police commissioner acts as if he's out to confirm Scotty and Heather's motives for murder. Then Robert adds that he has considered another possibility. "Blackmail. Care to tell me about it?" Repeating their tale about Lila's affair with Arthur Chesler, the Quartermaines are thrilled that Scorpio is buying the package.

As soon as they leave, Scorpio activates his computer. To his utter astonishment, the computer reports Lila's married name as Tolliver! He bluntly informs Ramsey, "Lila's marriage to Crane Tolliver is an open invitation to blackmail." Burt is ordered to track down Tolliver.

Robert's job becomes even tougher when he hears the lab report. Susan was fired upon point-blank, facing her killer. Since she was only wearing a slip and didn't "instinctively protect herself," that makes it a strong possibility the murderer was a woman.

Jimmy Lee is the Quartermaines' next problem. He knows the true blackmail story, but will he remain quiet? The family has got to be nicer to him. Accordingly, Holt receives an unexpected dinner invitation. Quickly, he sees through their cover. If the Quartermaines want Jimmy Lee's silence, they'll have to agree with his plan. It'll cost them--but not money--says Jimmy Lee as he leaves.

Jake Meyer is getting fed up with Heather's lies. He's ready to quit until she promises to tell the truth, and dramatically announces, "I saw who murdered Susan!" Robert and Ramsey are in the midst of questioning Mrs. Bowman. She tells them about Susan finding her house ransacked and angrily calling Edward Quartermaine about his "only getting copies." Their examination is interrupted by Heather's news.

This time, Heather says she opened the closet door and saw Monica Quartermaine commit the murder! Despite Robert's aggravation at Heather's sudden convenient recollections, he agrees to release her on bail. She might lead the police to some real clues. Unsuccessfully asking Alice for bail money, Heather obtains the sum from Scotty--against Lee's advice, of course.

Monica is shaken when Scorpio visits her and asks, "What were you doing at the cottage shortly before Mrs. Baldwin was murdered?" At first, Monica denies being there. However, Scorpio questions Stella and learns that Monica appears to have cleaned her dinner plate that night--bones and all! Faced with such damning evidence, Monica finally admits she went to the cottage--but only to plead with Susan, not kill her. When she saw Heather, Monica says, she ran away. That's not what Heather told him, Robert replies.

New Evidence

Meanwhile, Heather gets into Susan's cottage and bangs out a "Monica death threat" note on the typewriter. She sneaks into the Quartermaine house to plant it, but hides in the basement when Stella and Edward walk in. Suddenly, Heather sees Susan's bullet-riddled picture hanging on the wall. What a break!

Back in her apartment, Heather disguises her voice and lures Scorpio to the Quartermaine cellar. As Heather relaxes, Monica charges into the apartment, screaming, "You filthy lying tramp! How dare you frame me for murder?" Monica slugs Heather and a full-scale catfight ensues, until a scream from Tiffany breaks it off, and Monica heads for home.

The Quartermaine house is in chaos. Alan flips when he hears that Robert is in the cellar. Scorpio waves the tattered photo and Susan's locket in front of him--he knows a motive when he sees it. And where was Alan that night, anyway? grills Scorpio.

Checking Alan's claim of being at the hospital until 9:30, Burt learns from Rick that Alan in fact left at 8:50. Now it's Alan's turn to admit to Scorpio that he was at the cottage earlier, but left after hearing Susan and Scotty argue. Not believing Alan for a moment, Robert casually says on his way out, "Did you know Crane Tolliver is in town?" Alan's cool lasts until he's alone--then he calls Edward in a panic.

Having already discovered that Tolliver spent the murder night in jail--as did Jimmy Lee--Robert concludes from his computer analysis that "Lila Morgan's marriage to Edward Quartermaine is not legal." That makes Edward yet another suspect.

Holly's doctor is very worried over her continued severe depression. Nothing that Robert, Bobbie or Ruby says seems to help Holly release her grief. As bad as she feels, Robert points out to Holly that it they don't keep up their marriage, she'll be deported instantly.

Thinking she's doing Holly a favor, Bobbie strips the house of all the baby things. But once home, Holly only thinks of how empty she feels. When a woman selling baby clothes accidentally calls on her, Holly is violently rude. Finally, Robert takes a look at his wife--dirty, no makeup, in an old robe--and explodes.

"What's happened to you? You're falling apart. Some legacy Luke left behind! The women he loved most, doing the least to live up to his memory," fumes Robert, storming out. Giving herself a long, hard stare in the mirror, Holly knows he's right. When Robert returns, she's transformed herself into a radiant, beautifully put-together young woman. Holly is determined to make the best of her life.

Led into a trap by Scorpio, Edward admits going to Susan's cottage--but insists he was only attempting to talk her out of blackmailing his family. Shown the match-up between Lila and Tolliver on Robert's computer, Edward maintains that his wife was legally divorced, even if he can t produce the documents to prove it.

The news of Heather's sneaking around the Quartermaine house appalls Scotty. He stresses to Heather, "If you start planting phony clues, they're going to follow them right back to us."

Was Heather telling the truth about Monica? Scotty demands. After a long pause, Heather says yes. Consulting with his son, Lee can't believe that Monica could be a murderer. Gail, speaking on Monica's behalf, tells Robert that Heather has always been a "pathological liar." But Gail is stopped cold when Robert describes the bullet-riddled photograph of Susan.

Ignoring Scotty's fervent plea to stay out of trouble, Heather phones Jackie with a real scoop. Miffed that Scorpio hasn't arrested Monica yet, Heather feeds the reporter enough dirt to result in a scandalous cover up headline the next day.

Livid, Robert practically engages Ian in a punch-up over his "gutter journalism," and has some choice comments for an equally defiant Jackie. Monica and Alan, holding their heads high, try to conduct business as usual. But with Amy's gossip, that's impossible. Infuriated at Amy's unprofessional behavior, Dan warns Nurse Vining hat she's in serious danger of being fired.

Fighting Back

"It's time the Quartermaines started throwing some mud of our own," Alan says to his wife. To Steve's horror, Monica calls an impromptu press conference at the hospital, denouncing the Herald story as lies. The only way Heather Webber could have known about the picture, Monica adds, "is if she entered the Quartermaine house illegally and saw it herself!"

The next time she visits Scotty, Heather is dragged off and tossed into an interrogation room. "You lied on your deposition about Monica!" Scorpio charges. Jake Meyer has had enough. Unless Heather changes her tactics right now, he'll quit.

Left alone with Scotty, Heather wails, "I had to see you or I wouldn't sign the confession." To murder? wonders Scotty. No--perjury, she replies. Instantly the lovers realize that each thought the other was guilty, but worth protecting.

In return for his continuing silence, Jimmy Lee names his price. "I want a party!" he informs the flabbergasted Quartermaines. Meanwhile, Robert has uncovered more threads to connect his suspects. Georgia tells him about delivering Susan's note to Jimmy Lee. Lesley repeats Grant's observation of Holt in Susan's cottage. A sergeant reveals that Jimmy Lee reacted to Tolliver's name.

Remaining cool, Jimmy Lee admits only that Susan asked him to join her in ruining the Quartermaines, and that he refused. Later, Holt warns the family that Robert has linked Tolliver with Susan Baldwin.

When Holly discovers Susan's cancelled check for $500, labeled "Donation: C.T.," Robert figures that Tolliver must have been the real blackmailer. He asks a police artist to age an old mug shot of the suspect several ways.

Feeling the net close in, Tolliver picks up his final paycheck. Inside the trailer, Scorpio intently examines his stack of retouched photos. Abruptly, the commissioner declares, "Hold it...Mr. Tolliver, You better come with me."

At the station, Robert learns that a body was found in the woods which the sergeant recognizes as Tolliver. But Tolliver was in jail.... Suddenly, Robert senses a hoax. He accuses Tolliver of hiring someone to dress like him and go to jail while he killed Susan.

Smirking, Tolliver insists that Scorpio has no proof. Dressed in his checked jacket, Tolliver is ID'd as the man in the drunk tank. He's also identified by a bartender. Stating he has no charges, Robert releases Tolliver, but secretly, he has a plan. As Tolliver waits for his property, he overhears Ramsey say that the Commissioner has an eyewitness who saw Tolliver commit the murder!

Blackie's Fair Lady?

Barely stopping Lou before she belts one of the fraternity brothers, Blackie tells Miss Loudmouth she needs a bath and some manners. Once Lou cleans herself up in the girls' shower room, Blackie gives her some of Amy's clothes--the absence of which have not gone unnoticed.

It's deadline day for the Clinic and Rick's plea to Lee Baldwin convinces him to put pressures on Scotty. Reluctantly, Scotty signs an extension after Lee threatens to resign his case. Elated to hear the news, Rick rushes to call Rose as Lesley silently watches him.

With or without Scotty's help, Anthony Hand will take care of the Clinic. He tells Augie to "persuade" Rick to abandon the joint--pleasantly or otherwise. A beautiful wedding shower for Claudia at the Webber house is roughly interrupted when Augie demands to know Rick's whereabouts. Stupidly, Amy blabs that he's at the college.

When Lou spots Augie, she runs out of the student lounge and hides in a lab. Rick stands up to Augie, despite the thug's threats, and pushes him out the door. Finding Lou gone, Blackie locates her in the cab, but they accidentally break some vials and almost get caught. Lou has got to disguise herself! The next time Blackie sees Lou, he doesn't even recognize her. In glasses, with a new hairstyle and some of Tiffany's clothes, Lou is gorgeous! Blackie convinces Jimmy Lee to let her bunk in the trailer for a while.

As everyone at the hospital buzzes about the Quartermaines' party, Rick gets a call from Rose. Patients are waiting at the Clinic, she's been told. There's no one waiting for him, however, except Hand. The two men battle, and when Hand grabs Rose, Rick flattens him. Overcome, Rose falls into Rick's arms. Lesley happens to observe the embrace and hears Rose whisper, "We'll do whatever we have to, to make it work." Rose, of course, is referring to the Clinic, but Lesley assumes a completely different intent, and stalks off....