A French woman and a mercenary soldier from Chase's past intrude on the lives of Angela and Maggie and force them to face unpleasant consequences. Angela's wiles work on Chao-Li. Emma believes she is embarking on a new life as a businesswoman. After Lance moves in with Dina amid Melissa's accusations that he cares more for his car than he does for her, Melissa attempts to make peace with Lance.

After Richard rejects Carlton Travis's offer of a truce, Travis kidnaps him and Angela. After Maggie hires an old friend to plan a birthday party for Richard's son, Angela brings a puppy as a gift to the party. Melissa spirits her son away for a picnic and becomes lost in the Australian bush. Dina's nurse gets her to sign Lance's half-million-dollar check over to her. Lance suspects that Frank Starr tampered with his car.

Maggie and Richard decide to try again, while Angela proves uncharacteristically supportive. When Lance moves back into the manor house, Angela joyfully greets him with the news that Carly will be staying for a few days. In a misguided attempt to help Emma, Curtis digs dirt on Richard. At Lance's instigation, Melissa enters into an elaborate masquerade to rescue Emma. In his effort to break the codicil to Chase's will, Richard enrolls some dangerous assistance. When Gabrielle returns to the valley on the anniversary of Chase's death, she gives Maggie some hopeful news.

Maggie recovers from her drunken fall and decides to throw away all of the alcohol in the house so she won't be tempted to drink again. Lance continues to investigate Curtis's allegations about Richard's underworld activity. Richard finds him rifling through Emma's office at the New Globe and warns him to stay away from Maggie. Lance tries in vain to enlist Maggie's support, but she denies Lance's accusations and tells him to stop before anyone else gets hurt. Frank and Melissa ride out to Hobart, California using Frank's antiquated map. Melissa accuses him of selfish motives, but when Frank raises his gun and shoots a rattler lying close to her, Melissa is embarrassed into silence. Frank tells her that he is dying and has no desire of cheating her out of her legacy. When they get to Hobart, all they find are abandoned buildings from an old mining community. On further inspection of a shack, Melissa falls through the crumbling flooring into a hole below. Frank attempts to rescue Meliss

Richard sends the children to Emma while Maggie dries out. He's mulling over what to do about Melissa's plan to get into Hobart now that she's decided not to spy on Lance for him. He takes turns with Emma watching over Maggie, who painfully weans herself of alcohol- until she gets a letter from Vickie, delivered by Emma. Maggie is shocked to find that her daughter is in jail in Switzerland and that her husband is responsible. She goes to call Geneva but finds that the telephones have been removed. Furious and frustrated and feeling totally deceived by her husband, Maggie reaches for a hidden bottle of brandy and pours herself a drink. Richard comes home and finds Maggie seated with a glass of brandy. She tells him she knows where Vickie is and what he has done to put her there. He begs Maggie not to take the drink. The smell of it alone makes her sick, Maggie tells him. She pours the brandy into a nearby planter and says, ""A toast to my daughter in Switzerland."" Richard can't find a th

Maggie creeps out of bed early to meet with Senator Ryder in hopes of getting Richard granted immunity for the remainder of the hearing. Alone in bed, Richard is drugged by a gloved hand. He regains consciousness to find the dead body of Madame Malec next to him. Richard shudders. It could have been Maggie. Maggie meets with Senator Ryder and wins immunity for her husband. Meanwhile, Richard has given up trying to convince anyone in Washington that The Thirteen exists and is responsible for Madame Malec's murder. Maggie persuades vitriolic Vickie to keep her trap shut about Richard at the hearing. Later Vickie blows off her husband outside the hearing room. She's helping her mother now, the brat tells Eric. With Frank out of the hospital, Melissa attempts to convince Angela to let her into Hobart to look for her heirloom. Angela is opposed to the idea. Frank tells his niece to stay put. Next, Melissa enlists Lance in her scheme to get into the fenced-in ghost town from Richard's proper