Ciji's body is found, and Gary is passed out on the beach about 200 feet away. Gary goes home, where Abby keeps questioning him about whether he did it, and Gary can't remember. When it comes out that Ciji was pregnant, Gary doesn't think the baby was his, but can't be sure. Chip tells Diana he's going to New York alone, and will send for her when he's settled. Laura's really upset and takes it out on Richard. An old girlfriend of Mac's, Janet Baines, is handling Ciji's case. Mac requests an autopsy, and they think Ciji was murdered. Janet questions all of the neighbors. Abby hires Mitchell Casey, a criminal lawyer. Mitch doesn't want Gary to go to the police, but Gary does, and tells them that he initially lied to them, and that he woke up on the beach near Ciji. Gary is charged with Ciji's murder.

Richard is really concerned about Laura. He opens up to her about his brother's death. Richard and Laura go to pack up Ciji's apartment. Ciji's mother comes by and say Ciji was just a tramp with no morals. Richard defends Ciji's character. Chip tells Diana he's not going to New York, because he needs to support Val. Val and Jeff Munson break up. Gary is going through withdrawal in jail. His bail is set at $5 million, but Abby tells Mitch not to bail Gary out, on the pretext of letting him get sober in jail. Karen tells Val that Ciji was killed by a blow to the head. Val tells them about her fight with Ciji, and that she thinks Gary moved Ciji to protect her. They don't think Val killed Ciji, but tell her to get a lawyer. Instead, Val goes to the police station and tells Janet that she killed Ciji.

Val is booked and questioned. Abby goes to jail and has Gary sign over power of atty. to her. When she finds out Val confessed, Abby laughs and says, ""That's so Val."" Abby wants Mitch to get Val's confession thrown out. Mitch tells Abby she'd better determine what is more important - keeping Val and Gary apart, or getting Gary out of Jail. Police bring Val to Ciji's to recreate the fight. Other police show up with Gary. Gary's really upset, and says Val has nothing to do with it. Police have to restrain them. Lilimae tells Chip it was his leaking Val's story that started this whole mess, and kicks him out. Chip tries to charm Lilimae, but she's no longer buying it. Police release Val. Richard has decided to leave Laura, but doesn't tell her. He liquidates his assets and takes care of unfinished business, packs and secretly leaves.

When Laura realizes that Richard is really gone, she tells the police, and everyone else that Richard killed Ciji. Jeff Munson offers Kenny a job and Ginger a contract in Nashville, so the Wards decide to move. Diana and Chip decide to go to New York after all. Karen tells her about Chip and Ciji's affair in an attempt to get her to stay. Gary's preliminary hearing is coming up, but Gary's spirit is broken and he won't cooperate. Mitch thinks if Gary would work with them he could get the charges dropped. Abby wants Mitch to request Gary must go to a sanitarium as a condition of release. Mitch says no, so Abby fires him and asks Westmont to represent Gary. Val visits Gary, and she tells him to shape up because while he's playing martyr in jail, the real killer is on the loose. She also tells him if he respected Ciji, he would do all he could to find the real murderer. Roland Mackey, a private investigator, tells Lilimae he is looking for Tony Fenice, and shows her a flyer with Chip's pi

Karen is very upset that Diana's gone. Mack is sure that Chip killed Ciji, and they put out an APB for them. Val is dogged by reporters. A ""mystery man"" helps her escape them. Abby is mad that Mitch is still defending Gary. He tells Abby that she can't fire him, as Gary is his client. Gary's mad and says he can't trust Abby. On the stand, Janet admits that Gary was charged because of the way he worded his statement, and that there are other suspects. The judge drops Gary's charges and releases him. Ecstatic, Gary looks around for Val, catches her eye and smiles at her. Abby sees this and quickly hugs him, but Gary continues to smile at Val.

Val runs into her ""mystery man"" Ben Gibson while jogging on the beach. He admits he doesn't jog, and was just doing it to meet her. They go to dinner, but Val leaves when she learns he's a reporter. Gary buys a ranch and tells Abby he wants her to move there with him. She's mortified. Mac has the FBI help find Diana and Chip. On the road, Diana pays for gas with her credit card. At a motel, she sees a news story about Chip and is unnerved. Chip starts to cry and tells Diana that he slept with Ciji before he met her. He says Ciji was going to tell Diana she was pregnant to break them up. Chip said he was scared he would lose her, so he and Ciji got into an argument and that he hit her, but didn't mean to kill her. He claims it was an accident, but that he did it so he and Diana could be together.

Diana tells Karen that Chip killed Ciji for her. Karen says she'll testify, but Janet says they need Diana. Furious, Diana tells Karen she never wants to see her again, and moves to the ranch with Abby. Lilimae goes to see Chip, who laughs at her. She realizes he killed Ciji. Abby finds out that Gary will inherit 10% of Ewing Oil in 15 days and his divorce is final in 10, so she'll have 5 days to marry him in order to get half of his inheritance. Abby finalizes the papers on her subsidiary, ""Apaloon Corp."" She asks Laura to check out an apartment building that her uncle left her. Gregory Sumner, a candidate for the Senate, is an old friend of Mac's, and asks him to be part of his team. Val doesn't ask for money at her and Gary's divorce settlement. Val sees Ben, who explains he doesn't want a story, but wants to get to know her, and they agree to be friends.

Gary and Abby go to Greg's fundraiser and Gary donates money to him. Val and Ben are there, and she introduces Gary and Ben. Greg asks Mac to head up his crime commission. Karen and Eric go to the ranch to see Diana. Diana goes off on Karen, and Eric slaps Diana. Lilimae tries to convince both Chip and Diana to testify that he killed Ciji, because he has to pay for his crime. Janet tells Lilimae that since Chip won't confess and Diana won't testify, they don't have enough to hold Chip and he'll be released the next day. Lilimae decides to try and talk to him one last time, and brings Karen to talk to Diana. As they pull up, Chip has already been released and is talking to reporters. Lilimae revs the gas and hits Chip with her car.