Previously…
– Tori and Landon shared their first kiss on the pier outside the Halloween party.
– Harboring secret guilt about the way that she put Sonja in Loretta’s crosshairs, Natalie befriended Sonja.
– Rosie was appalled to learn that Conrad and Travis were questioning her story about having gone to Seattle the night Loretta was killed. She told Travis that it would be best if he moved out of her mother’s house.

Natalie Bishop tightens the scarf around her neck as she descends the staircase of the home that she shares with her husband and their son.

“It’s practically arctic in here!” she calls out as she reaches the bottom of the stairs. “Can we please turn up the thermostat? I promise we can afford it.”

A moment later, Spencer Ragan’s head appears from around the corner of the kitchen. He has his iPhone pressed to his ear and holds up an index finger, telling her to hold on.

Natalie lets out a sigh. “I’m surprised I can’t see my breath, it’s so cold in here.” As she moves to the opposite wall to adjust the thermostat, she can hear Spencer’s phone call from the kitchen.

“…no, I understand that. But this is a homicide case,” Spencer is saying. “Shouldn’t you all be pushing to get it to trial sooner rather than later?”

Natalie listens more intently as she realizes that he must be on the phone with the D.A.’s office.

“I expect an update right after Thanksgiving,” he says before hanging up with a hard exhale. Natalie steps into the kitchen and leans against the doorway. She watches him, observing the tightness of his shoulders, the way his jaw is clenched.

“Who pissed in your oatmeal this morning?” she cracks.

“That would be a little too aggressive for our District Attorney. They’re dragging their feet on the case. They don’t even have a trial date set for Travis.”

“They probably have to do, like, discovery and all that stuff.”

“That’s what they said. Discovery. Meanwhile, Travis is walking around–“

“Remember that whole thing about being innocent until proven guilty?” she counters.

Spencer rolls his eyes, his dark eyebrows jumping upward as he does so. “I’d say they have a pretty solid case. A witness can place him at the scene of the crime. The chemical compound that killed Loretta was found in his gym bag. That’s pretty damning.”

“I know,” Natalie says. “But why do you care this much? That woman was a menace. She even turned on you before she died. We were panicked that she was about to kidnap Peter.”

“She was my family.” His voice is quiet but sharp, like a piece of broken glass. “The last piece. As screwed-up as it all was… she raised me.”

“Peter’s your family, too. So are Tim, and Claire, and Samantha and TJ, and the rest of the Fishers. And me, at least legally.”

Spencer frowns at the reminder. “If Travis killed her, he needs to answer for it. And I want answers. Or closure. Something.”

A whoosh of wind whips by outside.

“I’m going out to meet Sonja,” she says.

Spencer brightens ever so slightly at the mention of his former nurse. “Say hi for me.”

“I will. Try not to bully the D.A. anymore today.” She exits the kitchen and goes to the coat closet in the entryway.

—–

The warmth of the Fisher home’s kitchen hits like a soft blanket as Tori Gray steps into the room. She finds her mother at the table, sorting through blurry photographs from a case file. Paula‘s Thanksgiving prep lists are affixed to the refrigerator with magnets, the looping handwriting unmistakable.

“I’m going to run to Target,” Tori announces. “Do you need anything?”

Sarah glances up from her work. “I think I’m all set. But thank you. Landon‘s coming by to help me with this case in a few minutes.”

Tori hesitates at the mention of his name. She feels her cheeks growing hotter.

“What?” Sarah asks.

“What do you mean?”

“You got this look on your face.” Sarah sets down the glossy photo in her hand. “Like there’s something you aren’t telling me.”

“It’s nothing,” Tori says, as her hands grip the back of a kitchen chair. “I mean, not nothing, but…”

“Spit it out.”

“Landon and I, we… we kissed.”

Sarah sits back in her chair. “Oh. Wow.”

“Is that a bad wow?”

“No, not at all.” Still, Sarah folds her arms as she processes this new information. “I had a feeling things were heading that way, but I wasn’t sure if you were ready.”

“I wasn’t sure, either. But I am. And Landon — he’s not Zane.”

“I know that. Thank god.” Sarah uncrosses her arms. “I’m excited for you, honey. Landon is a good guy. I can tell he really cares about you.”

“You think?” Tori’s eyes gleam.

“I know.”

The sound of the doorbell interrupts their conversation. Sarah rises to answer it, knowing who it most likely is, and Tori trails behind her mother. She feels butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she waits for Sarah to open the door.

When she does, Landon stands on the porch in a charcoal gray puffer jacket, holding his laptop under one arm. The cold has reddened his cheeks. He gives an awkward wave.

“Ready to get to work?” he asks Sarah. “I hope I’m not too early.”

“No, you’re right on time. Come in,” she tells him. As he steps into the house, he spots Tori standing on the border between the entry and the living room, smiling a little too hard.

He clears his throat. “Oh. Hey. I didn’t know you’d be home.”

“I’m actually leaving in a minute,” she says.

“Landon, I’m going to grab my stuff and take it down to the basement,” Sarah says. “Meet me down there when you’re ready.”

“Oh, uh, sounds good,” Landon replies, as both he and Tori realize this is her mother’s way of giving them a moment alone.

“How are you?” he asks.

“I’m good.” She finds that she cannot stop grinning. “Really good.”

“I’m good, too. Even gooder– uh, more good — I mean, better– now that I’m seeing you.”

“I told my mom about Halloween.”

“You did? Like, in a good way? Or a ‘Help me get out of this terrible situation’ way?”

Tori snickers. “A good way. A gooder way, to quote you.”

“You have me too distracted to remember my grammar.”

“You’re excused,” she says. “But we should do something soon.”

“I want to take you to dinner,” Landon says. “If you want to go.”

“I do want to.” She shuffles her feet a little awkwardly. “I’ll let you guys do your work. But text me, okay?”

“Done and done. I’ve been trying not to bombard you with messages.”

“I appreciate that.” She grabs her coat from one of the pegs by the door and slips it on. “But message away. Seriously.”

“Noted.” He winks at her. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I hope so,” she says, picking up her purse from the table beside the door. “Bye, Landon.”

“Bye.”

Tori steps out into the autumn cold, but it barely touches her at all; the warm glow of excitement has enveloped her body, shielding her from the elements.

Staff inside Bill’s at the Pier are setting up for the lunch rush. Travis Fisher wipes down a table, flinching when a gust of wind blows in from the front entrance. His body and face carry the exhaustion of the past few weeks, shadows under his eyes.

“You okay?” Matt Gray asks as he approaches. “You look like you’ve been sleeping in a cave.”

“My parents’ basement. So not exactly a cave — I do have a glamorous pull-out couch.”

Matt winces. “You and Rosie aren’t living together right now?”

Travis shakes his head. “Things have definitely, um, degraded since my arrest. I was worried she wouldn’t believe me about being innocent. But somehow it got worse.”

“Worse how?” Matt asks with concern.

“She overheard me talking to my lawyer,” Travis explains, “about investigating Rosie’s whereabouts the night Loretta died. She was supposed to be in Seattle–“

“Your lawyer thinks Rosie could’ve killed Loretta?”

“He’s trying to create reasonable doubt. Present alternate suspects, you know. He wanted to pull her phone records to confirm her movements. I never wanted Rosie to know — I thought we’d check the records, find out that her alibi checks out, and that’d be that.”

“But she overheard you.”

“Right. And now she’s furious.” Travis gives the table a final wipe and slings the towel over his shoulder. “Can’t even blame her.”

“Travis, if you need some time…”

“Time is the last thing I need right now,” he replies. “It’s good for me to be busy. Otherwise I’m going to go nuts, sitting around waiting for my trial.”

“Sarah and Landon are working their asses off to clear your name.”

“I know. And I’m grateful for that — one of the only things I can be grateful for right now. But I’m scared to get my hopes up, you know?”

Matt rests a hand on his shoulder. “Hope away. It’s all we’ve got sometimes.”

Travis nods, once again feeling the weight of his situation pressing down upon him.

Cassie’s Coffee House buzzes with weekend chatter and activity. The scents of autumn — pumpkin spice, nutmeg, cinnamon — fill the air. Natalie sits across from Sonja Kahele, who has her hands wrapped around a steaming mug. There’s color in Sonja’s cheeks that hasn’t been there in months.

“The early numbers look really good,” she says, relief evident in her voice. “TJ’s body seems to be accepting the transplant. It’s still early, but… the doctors are very optimistic.”

Natalie beams back at her with genuine feeling. “That’s amazing news.”

Sonja nods, blinking quickly. “I don’t think I even realized how scared I was until they told us that he was responding well. It’s like I was holding it all inside, and now I can breathe for the first time in what feels like forever.”

“You and your little boy deserve all the happiness in the world.”

“Thanks, Natalie. And we owe it all to your niece.”

“Samantha is really special. I don’t know how she turned out so responsible, considering who her mother is… but I guess it’s Tim’s influence.”

Sonja shrugs. “We’re all very grateful for her sacrifice. Especially since she had complications from the anesthesia. She has genuinely saved TJ’s life. Tim says she’s doing okay now, too.”

“She is, yeah.” Natalie folds her hands on the tabletop. “And since you’re also doing better, I think it’s time.”

“Time?” Sonja furrows her brow. “For what?”

“For you to start living your life again!”

“You mean… the thing you suggested? Me and your ex-husband?” Sonja nervously drinks her hot coffee.

“Yes, that. And him being my ex shouldn’t be an issue for you, because it isn’t for me,” Natalie says. “Conrad is a good man and an even better father. Both of you deserve happiness.”

Sonja scrunches her nose as she sets down her mug. “That doesn’t mean we’ll click.”

“But you could. And you won’t know if you don’t try.”

A long beat passes as Sonja stares out the coffee shop’s window, at the tree branches swaying in the wind. “I mean, living in the same house as Tim and Claire… watching them be so happy together… it does make me want to have someone. A partner. Someone to support you in the tough times and celebrate the good ones.”

“Then let me set you up.”

“I don’t know…” Sonja brushes a strand of dark hair behind her ear, flustered. “I mean…”

“Don’t think. Just do. In this case, do what I tell you and show up when and where I say.”

“You’re talking me into this,” Sonja says with an uneasy giggle.

“Good,” Natalie says, as the wind whistles loudly outside.

—–

In the Fishers’ basement, which has been converted into a workspace for Sarah’s private detective agency, Landon slaps a folder closed.

“Okay, so far, there’s no reason to think Rosie wasn’t actually in Seattle that entire night,” he says.

“I agree,” Sarah says from across the table. “It had occurred to me that a cop would know to go there, leave her phone, and then come back to King’s Bay if she were planning to poison someone… but we’ve got nothing to suggest she did that. Unless her brother was using her phone in order to give her a solid alibi–“

“That really doesn’t sound like Rosie,” Landon chimes in.

Sarah half-shrugs. “I don’t think so, either, but try to come at this from a purely objective standpoint. It’s possible.”

“It is possible, yeah.” Landon drops his head into his hands. “I hate having to think about my friends this way.”

“I’ll tell you this, from decades of experience with this work: the best thing you can do for yourself is be cold and factual.”

He nods, slowly at first, then with more momentum. “Okay. That’s good advice.”

“There is one more thing,” she says, the last syllable slipping slowly off her tongue like a vapor trailing off into the air.

Landon looks at her. “What?”

“I like you, Landon. And I trust you, or I wouldn’t have brought you into my business,” Sarah says carefully. “You’ve been a great friend to Travis all these years. And to Tori.”

“But…”

“But nothing, maybe. The thought of her being with anyone again scares me, though. It feels like Matt and I just got our daughter back. Those years she was with Zane — at times it felt like we’d never really have a relationship with her again.”

“I’m not Zane.”

“I know that. And you aren’t. I’m just…”

“I will not hurt Tori,” Landon says. “You have my word. She deserves the world, and I intend to give it to her.”

Sarah smiles gently. “That’s all I need to hear. Now how about we get back to work?”

“Aye, aye, captain,” he says, giving her a salute as he opens his laptop back up.

END OF EPISODE 1280

Will Landon keep his promise to Sarah?
What should Travis do about Rosie?
Could Sonja and Conrad be a good match?
Discuss it all in the comments below!

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