JANUARY 18, 1972 (EPISODE# 4,107)
Adam suggested to Bill that Kate Sloane might be released if she agrees to leave town and face immediate imprisonment if she were ever to return to Monticello. Bill was reluctant to accept Adam's plan. Mike and Nancy grew nostalgic looking through their wedding album. Nancy suggested Laurie not marry until she finishes college in June. Later, at breakfast, Laurie agreed to Vic's idea they set a June wedding date. Adam was stunned at Kate's refusal of his offer to get her out of jail. Kate told Adam she'd anything to end her incarceration except- leave Monticello. While arguing with Adam, Kate let it slip that her husband would "starve" if she leaves town.

NOTE: Another continuity error. Mike states that he and Nancy have been married eleven years when it's technically only nine. This is also a direct contradiction to an episode three years earlier (Episode# 3,354, 2/27/69) in which Mike and Nancy celebrated their tenth anniversary.

JANUARY 19, 1972 (EPISODE# 4,108)
To be released from jail, Kate counter-offered to tell Cookie that the Marceau haunting was a complete hoax. Martha grimaced at Cookie's suggestion that Martha tell Orin about Simon Jessup and his ability to contact Julie. Orin used self-pity to lure Liz's attention away from Jim, who tried hard to control his anger. Cookie happily suggested inviting Orin to the next seance, then begged Bill to promise to have Jessup back again. While Cookie walked around the room, waving her hands and feeling for cold spots, Bill agreed with Adam that they should get Kate Sloane to the Marceau house as soon as possible.

JANUARY 21, 1972 (EPISODE# 4,110)
Adam arranged for Kate's release on bond, which Adam paid. Nicole accepted a lunch date with Ron, much to Adam's displeasure. In the Marceau basement, Frank was furious to hear that Kate was going to the Marceaus' to confess. Cookie flirted with Adam when he and Kate arrived at Martha's. Later, Cookie wouldn't believe Kate's insistence that the house is not haunted by Alexandra. Cookie accused Bill and Adam of bribing Kate to say the house wasn't haunted. Nicole and Ron commiserated about divorce, then Nicole agreed to have dinner with him. Back at the law office, Adam confronted Kate with his suspicion that Frank isn't dead at all, and Kate won't leave Monticello because she has to take care of him. Kate protested otherwise, but Adam bluffed by claiming that he already found Frank. When Adam's phone rang, he lied to Kate that Frank was on the other end and handed the phone to her as proof. Kate took the receiver and called Frank's name, only to find it was actually Nicole. While Kate screamed about being tricked, Adam told Nicole to get back to the office as Kate would be making an important statement.

JANUARY 24, 1972 (EPISODE# 4,111)
A furious Kate denied Adam's allegations that Frank is still alive, but Adam wasn't convinced. Martha and Cookie argued about Alexandra, and when Martha stated Alexandra is an evil spirit who wants to harm Cookie, Cookie rejoiced that Martha does actually believe in the spirit's existence. Bill was disappointed to learn that Kate didn't convince Cookie the house isn't haunted. Jealous, Adam grilled Nicole about her lunch date with Ron. While Bill feared Kate would cause trouble during her release on bond, Adam petitioned Judge Daniels to speed up Kate's trial. Adam stunned Bill with the theory that Frank Sloane might be alive and living somehere in the Marceau house.

JANUARY 27, 1972 (EPISODE# 4,114)
Ceila stopped by the Marceau home, lamenting she never sees husband Fred, who is busy buying "commodoties." Martha and Ceila discussed Jessup's desire to hypnotize Cookie, and Celia commented she read about a similar case in which a yound girl was hypnotized and recalled a previous life. Nancy called Martha with an invitation to Vic and Laurie's engagement party. Ceila offered to stay with Cookie while the Marceaus attend the party. Nancy called Jim and Liz with an invitation, but Liz declined as they're busy with Orin. Liz told Nancy that Orin is living at Claybank with Margaret Hubbell, a hired nurse. Orin grew nostalgic upon entering his old bedroom, which has not changed since the day he and Julie left for Italy. Orin and Jim argued about the Fields moving to Claybank, then Orin forced Jim to admit that he wasn't happy about Orin living in the Fields' apartment. After Jim and Liz left, Orin fought with Nurse Hubbell and ordered her out of the house, stating that he won't be alone much longer.

JANUARY 28, 1972 (EPISODE# 4,115)
At the party, Mike and Nancy surprised everyone with news of Laurie's engagement to Vic. While Martha and Bill celebrated at the Karrs', Jessup stopped by the Marceau home. Ceila reluctantly let Jessup in the house. Jessup persuaded Cookie to undergo hypnosis in order to contact Alexandra. Cookie went under fairly easily, just as Martha and Bill arrived home with Adam and Nicole. Bill was furious with Jessup, then Cookie, declaring herself to be Alexandra, grabbed Adam and gave him a long, passionate kiss.

FEBRUARY-NOVEMBER 1972

Bill discovered Frank Sloane's secret room in the basement. Frank confessed to having stolen heroin from a rival gang, which he had hidden in the Marceau home. Frank was sent to prison. Cookie finally realized that the "haunting" was all a hoax and sought therapy with Jim Fields. In time, Cookie began to trust Ron once again. They reconciled and remarried at the Karr home in September 1972. Shortly thereafter, Ron accepted a position with a New York PR firm. He and Cookie left Monticello.

Fred Burns was revealed to be the head of a major drug cartel in Monticello. To get information on a tidal wave of drug trafficking, Vic secretly agreed to be "arrested" and sent to prison. Laurie, unaware of Vic's undercover work, angrily cancelled their wedding. In prison, Vic's life was saved by Johnny Dallas, a sympathetic cell-mate.

Fearing that the police were closing in on him, Fred ordered hit man Lobo Haines to kidnap Nancy. Lobo held Nancy hostage and was about to kill her, when Bill arrived and shot Haines to death. Fred Burns was arrested and sent to prison. Laurie, learning of Vic's undercover work, begged him to forgive her for not trusting him. They reconciled and planned a November wedding.

Still distraught over the loss of his wife Julie, Orin Hillyer continued to cause problems in his daughter's marriage. Orin decided to contact Julie's only living relative Elly Jo Jamison, who was living in Pensacola, Florida. Elly Jo soon arrived in Monticello and schemed to become Orin's wealthy new wife; however, she found herself attracted to Lenny Small, Orin's chauffeur. Elly Jo's brother Kevin, just released from prison for petty larcency, followed Elly Jo to Monticello, but was unable to find work due to his prison record.

In November, Martha and Bill welcomed the return of adopted daughter Phoebe, who arrived from Europe. Martha was astonished to learn Phoebe had left behind an older, married lover named Ashley Reynolds. Phoebe soon met and developed a relationship with Kevin Jamison.

Having decided that Adam would never commit to marriage, Nicole presented Adam with an ultimatum: propose before midnight December 31, 1972, or lose her forever. With that, she ended their relationship and went to work as a legal secretary for attorney Jake Berman. Jake secretly developed an insane obessesion with Nicole. Meanwhile, Jim began therapy with Mrs. Wilson, a new patient who feared her mentally unbalanced husband was plotting to kill her. Mrs. Wilson was actually an alias for Edith Berman, Jake's wife. Fearing that Edith might warn Nicole about his mental instability, Jake murdered Edith and arranged her death to appear a suicide.

JANUARY 1973

Jake Berman is robbed at gunpoint near the park. The masked robber is Johnny Dallas. Vic is upset at being unable to help Johnny find a job. Vic feels he's responsible for Johnny, but Johnny tries to assure him that he is not and tells him to butt out of his life. Vic accidentally finds the gun and Jake's wallet in Johnny's room.

Phoebe and Kevin make up. Ashley accepts a job in Monticello and wears down Phoebe's resistance each time she tries to break off with him. When Kevin sees them together Ashley realizes he has competition and promises her he will tell his wife about her.

Nicole joyously accepts Adam's proposal, and they return to Monticello. Jake backs out of his New York law partnership and returns also. His mind won't accept Nicole's decision, and he is convinced that he could get her back. In his disoriented state, Jake imagines that he is discussing his problems with Edith, his late wife. He asks her advice, as she understands what Nicole means to him. After all, he murdered Edith in order to make sure she wouldn't tell Nicole about his mental instability. Jake tells Adam he will never marry Nicole. Later, Jake insists to Nicole that she made a mistake in judgement by accepting Adam's proposal and threatens to kill himself if the wedding reaches fruition. Nicole suggests that he see psychiatrist Jim Fields, but Jake finds this suggestion amusing. Nicole and Adam plan to discuss Jake's behavior with Jim themselves. Nancy assumes Nicole's job in Jake's despite Mike and Adam's objection.

Joel Gantry, a private detective from California, is investigating Edith Berman's death. His unidentified client feels that Jake's involved in her death and that it was not a suicide. Chief Marceau shows Gantry the suicide note and all the investigative findings, saying it's a closed case. Gantry tries to question Nicole and Adam, but they won't answer any questions without knowing the reasons behind them. He finally sees Mike Karr, who says that Jake had no motive. Jim Fields wonders about Mrs. Wilson, the patient with a homicidal husband, who never returned. He doesn't know that she was really Mrs. Jake Berman.

Liz Fields is jealous of Elly Jo's new closeness with Orin. Liz and Jim return to Claybank to care for Orin during his convalescence. Liz's abruptness and hardness toward Elly Jo is apparent to everyone, and Elly Jo becomes very resentful. Meanwhile, Simon Jessup reminds Elly Jo how advantageous a fatal accident to pregnant Liz would be, especially since the stair railing is already loose. Elly Jo is indignant at this. However, when Liz finds Elly Jo kissing Orin, and insists she start looking for a new position, Elly Jo inspects the railing. Shortly afterward, a serious accident occurs, but it is John, the butler, who falls down the stairs... not Liz who was standing beside him. Elly Jo is very afraid of God's retribution for evil. Jessup seeks her out and tells her she bungled it. Jessup claims he can hypnotize Liz into a fatal car accident with no way for Elly Jo or himself to be implicated. At first she reacts negatively, but when he points out that Liz is an ingrate and Elly Jo may find herself out in the cold, she agrees. Jessup's 'fee' will be one-third of what ever she inherits from Orin's estate, to be endowed to Jessup's foundation for psychic research.

MARCH 1973

Ashley Reynolds convinces Phoebe that his wife Kay now knows about her, so Phoebe goes away with him for the weekend. However, Ashley's tone on the phone when Kay unexpectedly calls indicates Kay doesn't know, and Phoebe walks out on him. Ashley later convinces her that Kay called intentionally just to upset her, and she agrees to another weekend. Kay accidentally learns about her husband's affair but conceals her knowledge. Kevin makes a last attempt to renew his relationship with Phoebe then realizes that she is too involved with Ashley. Certain that Ashley is a liar, Martha hires Joel Gantry to investigate him, and Joel bugs Ashley's phone.

Simon Jessup plants a post hypnotic suggestion in Liz's mind that she will see Orin standing in the road at the dangerous cliff-side turn near Claybank. She later sees the image, but Jim is driving, so no accident occurs. Jessup reinforces the image, and the next time she sees it while driving with Adam, Liz veers her car toward the cliff. Adam grabs the wheel and manages to save their lives by steering the car off the road. Liz is unhurt in the crash, but Adam has a concussion, causing his wedding to Nicole to be postponed. Jim tries to convince Liz the hallucinations were due to nerves and medication. Liz is now reluctant to drive, upsetting the plans of Elly Jo and Jessup. Jessup goes to Liz's home to cure her insomnia, and hypnotizes her to have an impulse to drive in to the city for lunch and then home alone. Upset that her lover Lenny Small is planning to move in with a rich widow, Elly Jo promises him two thousand dollars to change his mind. Not having that much money, Elly Jo steals Liz's necklace but is caught in the act. Liz promises not to tell any one if she moves out by next week. Elly Jo begs Jessup to accelerate their plot. Orin, recovering from his heart attack, is attracted to Angela Morgan, Adam's secretary. He assures her that his interest in Elly Jo is purely fatherly and friendly. He confides in her that Liz is seeing Simon Jessup for hypnotherapy without Jim's knowledge. Bothered by this Angela tells Adam. Ironically Adam had been suspicious of Jessup and his involvement with Orin and Elly Jo and had been on his way to see Jessup when he impulsively decided to drive out with Liz to Claybank.

Jake Berman tells his psychiatrist Jim Fields that Nicole really loves him and that Adam hates him for it. Furthermore, Jake claims that Adam has threatened to kill him. Jim checks this out and finds that it was actually Jake who has threatened Adam. Upon receiving Adam and Nicole's wedding invitation, Jake visits ex-con Johnny Dallas, now managing a restaurant. Jake begs Johnny to kill him, as Jake doesn't have the will-power to commit suicide. Johnny is reticent, but Jake threatens to have him arrested for the robbery he committed in January. However, after learning that Adam has been injured and the wedding to Nicole postponed, Jake quickly decides that he wants to live. He enters Adam's hospital room, intent on murdering him, but in his demented state, sees his dead wife who warns him that he'd be caught and have to go to prison. When Adam suddenly awakens, Jake claims to be visiting.

MAY 1973

After jumping from the car, Elly Jo dies from her injuries en route to the hospital. Meanwhile, Orin takes a drink of cognac, which Elly Jo poisoned. At the same moment, Simon Jessup, in jail awaiting extradition, tells his cellmate that the poison he sold Elly Jo was nothing but colored water. Orin proposes to Angela Morgan and suggests that Liz and Jim move back to their apartment.

A desperate Ashley Reynolds begs Kay not to divorce him. Realizing that she is determined to do it, he promises the messiest divorce possible. Phoebe is devastated to learn that Ashley is contesting the divorce and tells him that she is through with him and will testify for Kay at the hearing. Ashley tries frantically to convince her that it's not what it appears to be. Kay stuns Ashley by cutting off his charge accounts and credit cards.

Lonely and bored over Vic's preoccupation with work, Laurie considers playing piano at the New Moon Café...Johnny Dallas' restaurant.

Adam's headaches are getting worse, and he is having memory lapses. Nicole is upset that he hasn't reported these to Dr. Lacey, as Adam is still recovering from a concussion. Learning that Adam and Nicole have reset their wedding date, Jake Berman threatens to send Johnny back to prison if he doesn't 'incapacitate' Adam and stop the wedding. Johnny panics and hits Jake, knocking him unconscious. Coming to, Jake calls Adam on a suicide ruse. Realizing that Jake is not suicidal, Adam leaves shortly after arriving. Jake then breaks up many pieces of furniture and calls the police. He presses charges of assault and battery on Adam, citing the bruises Johnny inflicted. Lt. Chandler and Chief Marceau feel the charges are unwarranted, but at Jake's insistence Adam is booked and released. Jim Fields tells Adam and Nicole about temporal lobe seizure(TLS) which could cause violent behavior and blackouts. Adam is certain that this is not the case, as he remembers the entire encounter with Jake. Nicole discovers that Jake consulted with a specialist about TLS, and theorizes he's building up a story to back his lies. Adam submits to neurological exams, which are yet inconclusive. Jim reasons that Jake is deliberately involving Adam to separate him from Nicole. As insurance in case the test results are good, Jake coerces Johnny into stealing Adam's gun and speculates on using Johnny to incriminate Adam. When Jake learns that Kevin Jamison is checking into Edith's death to find if there is evidence of murder, Jake decides to have Kevin investigated, too.

JULY 1973

Joel Gantry, working with Jake Berman on the Kay Reynolds divorce case, manages to catch Ashley Reynolds in a raid on his motel room. Kevin is pleased that the photos they got mean that Phoebe won't have to testify about her relationship with Ashley. Phoebe and Kevin agree to start dating again.

Cunning and quite insane, Jake has settled on a plan to stop Adam's wedding to Nicole. Using threats and blackmail, Jake orders Johnny to shoot him, promising that Adam will be close enough to take the fall for the crime. Johnny finds his situation hopeless, particularly since his attraction for Laurie Lamont complicates things. Laurie senses that Johnny is upset to realize how strongly she reacts to his obvious feelings for her. Vic, working day and night on his career, is not aware of Laurie's interest in Johnny, which she convinces herself is just a good friendship. Johnny arranges for a new identity and leaves for Chicago the morning before Jake's attempted murder plan is to take effect. Jake has chosen the night before the Drake wedding for his scheme. Johnny says goodbye to Laurie and leaves. Worried about him, Laurie persuades his friend Jojo to tell her Johnny's location. She follows him to Chicago, where he finally confesses the whole story. She persuades him to return to Monticello and hire her father Mike Karr to help him out of this trap. Laurie admits that despite the love for her husband, she's just as strongly attracted to Johnny as he is to her. They spend the time before the plane trip in his hotel room. Later, Laurie admits that she feels guilty, but it's as much her fault as it is his. They agree to never be alone again. Laurie spills the whole story to Phoebe, stating that she feels guilty and tormented. But, Laurie decides she can never tell Vic the truth, reasoning that although he might forgive her, he will never forget.

Jake, unaware that Johnny has bowed out of the plot, summons Adam to his apartment at seven o'clock sharp so he can magnanimously drop the assault charges he brought against Adam. However, fearing trouble, Nicole shows up at Jake's first. Disoriented by this departure from the meticulous plan, Jake locks her in the room and speaks menacingly and incoherently to the vision of his late wife Edith. A terrified Nicole pretends not to be afraid and convinces him to let her leave. Adam arrives and finds her badly frightened in the lobby. He goes up and bangs furiously on Jake's door, demanding to be let in. Hearing a gunshot inside the apartment, Adam breaks down the door and finds Jake, who has been murdered . Nicole rushes in, and they summon the police.

Mrs. Greening, Jake's neighbor, mistakenly tells the police that Adam broke down the door before the fatal shot was fired. District Attorney Peter Quinn and Bill Marceau take statements, while the police discover that Adam's gun is missing. When D.A. Quinn finds a note in Jake's safe, implicating Adam in the event of physical harm to Jake, Quinn demands Adam's immediate arrest. Bill, at the Karr's for the Drake wedding, tells the D.A. that he could at least wait until the ceremony is over.

Johnny receives a check for $35,000, which Jake conscientiously mailed before the scheduled shooting as an incentive for Johnny to "aim carefully". Johnny realizes that he can't possibly cash the check.

SEPTEMBER 1973

Jim and Liz Fields welcome the birth of their son, whom they christen Jason.

Kay Reynolds confides to a friend that she wouldn't have to divorce Ashley if her friends hadn't told her all the ugly details of his adultery, causing her to save face. She mentions how cute her new lawyer is and attends the Drake trial to cheer Vic on. 

Peter Quinn forces Nancy to testify that Jake Berman was in love with Nicole, but on cross-examination, Vic allows her to say that she stopped working for Berman because of his irrational behavior. Sgt. Foster reads Jake's letter accusing Adam in the event that Jake met a violent end, then Bill Marceau is forced to testify about Jake's previous assault charges on Adam. However, on cross-examination, Mike allows Bill to add the incidents were only Jake's word against Adam's.

Adam and his attorneys are stunned when Randolph Esterhazy, a forensic ballistics expert, identifies the murder bullet as being fired from the gun that Adam carried in his counterespionage days. Adam knows that his gun was stolen, but he can't prove it. With that, the state rests its case. Judge Blackwell rules that Mrs. Greening be allowed to testify. She says that she heard the shot before Adam broke down the door, thereby making it impossible for Adam to have murdered Jake Berman. However, during cross-examination, Quinn traps her into identifying the two sounds incorrectly from a tape recording, rendering her testimony useless. Jim Fields later testifies that Jake was so neurotic he would lie about suicide, murder attempts, or anything to achieve his goal...Nicole Travis. Jim adds that Jake's wife Edith was a patient if his, and she feared her husband was trying to kill her. Quinn, on cross, tries to press Jim into stating that Adam might have frontal lobe damage from a recent car accident, which could cause violence and blackouts. Dr Lacey testifies that Adam absolutely does not have this condition; he passed his tests with out any doubt.

Laurie tries to protest Johnny Dallas' involvement by telling Phoebe that Johnny was only teaching Jake how to shoot, but if this ever came out in court, he could go back to prison for parole violation. Laurie laments to Phoebe that she feels guilty about not telling Vic about her trip to Chicago to stop Johnny from running away. She feels she waited too long now, and he would misunderstand. Laurie adds she's torn by her emotional involvement with both Vic and Johnny. Kevin informs Mike and Vic about Joel Gantry's illegal bug, and that Johnny and Jake discussed "target practice". Kevin states that the tapes also seem to prove that Jake did in fact kill Edith. Vic explains Jake's blackmail of Johnny over the robbery Johnny pulled. Vic cosigns a loan for Johnny to by the New Moon Café. (Johnny once saved Vic's life when they were in prison-Vic during an undercover investigation-and he feels indebted to Johnny). Kevin thinks Jake may have forced Johnny to steal Adam's gun, so he takes Adam's neighbor Mrs. Hoffman to the café to see if she recognizes Johnny as the man she saw in the hall outside Jake's apartment one night. She doesn't, but he recognizes her and is frightened. When Vic confronts Johnny with this, Johnny says Jake ordered him to break into Adam's apartment and look for incriminating evidence, but he couldn't get in and didn't steal any gun. Mike wonders if Joel did burn all the tapes as he now claims. However, Joel has left town and arrived at his sister Lucy's house.

In Jail, Adam befriends and tries to help Moss, a young man arrested on drug possession. Grateful, Moss tells Adam he overheard two officers talking about Adam's trial. They said Lt. Sam Bailey, the arresting officer, has a lot of nerve in regard to the dirty trick he's arranged to pull on Adam at the right time. Martha Marceau tells Bill what Adam heard, adding Bailey is now Quinn's buddy and must realize Quinn needs Adam's conviction or he might lose the nomination for state office. Bill disregards the rumor, but Lt. Bailey goes to Nicole's that evening.