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There’s trouble in the square when Alex spots EJ and thanks him for the engagement gift, which was quite literally the only one they got, so why would it be suspicious? EJ, as we all knew he’d be, is clueless. “Oh God,” Alex gasps, “something is very wrong.” No kidding. And we’re off!

Where Is Stephanie?!

Jeremy’s skulking outside the Pub in a black hoodie, looking as suspicious as he can, while Jada, and Steve try getting hold of Stephanie or her protective detail. They can’t because Jeremy has Stephanie’s phone and the officer’s knocked out.

The duo rush over to the hospital, just as Kayla finds Officer Hansen unconscious in the exam room. She’s what looks like seconds away from slapping the poor man awake when he comes to and saves himself the pain. But medical oath be damned, there’s no time to see if he’s OK! What happened to Stephanie!?

His vague answer sends Kayla running back to the office. Alex and EJ arrive, see the test tubes on the ground and EJ puts the hospital on lockdown. When Jada and Steve show up, Kayla fills them in: “Jeremy must have taken her!” Sigh. Sure.

Chanel and Sarah Talk Babies

Chanel’s in the hospital for a nice, calm checkup with Sarah. Johnny can’t make it on account of having got big CEO stuff to worry about, so she records the baby’s heartbeat for him on her phone.

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They have a heart-to-heart over being parents with high stress jobs and look at some photos of Victoria. But everything looks good, so when Sarah gets a page, she sends Chanel on her way into the madness.

Where Is Jeremy?!

Jada tells EJ she can’t keep this from the press. They’re already demanding answers. Er, because word spread about famed novelist Stephanie Johnson missing? Because of the lockdown? Both literally just happened.

Offscreen, JJ interviews students and faculty and reports back that Mr. Horton vanished when he saw police lights outside. “Working theory,” Jada says, “is that he crawled out of the bathroom window.” Did the students come up with this theory? It sounds like a cartoon escape. Speaking of theories, Alex has his own: the photo frame is bugged! Jeremy was listening! Because he’s guilty!

They’ve Been Bugged!

Paulina arrives just as Chanel gets out of the exam room and, ticked that she had to go through security, starts yelling at EJ. The two learn what happened and Kayla sends EJ, Alex and a cop off to find the frame, yelling at them like semi-tamed pets that must be returned to the wild to live with their own kind: “Go! Get on!”

Alex and EJ do get on to Alex’s apartment — after stopping in front of the Pub where Jeremy’s still lurking and listening. The cop starts examining the frame, then hands it over to EJ without hesitation, grossly breaking protocol, but whatever. EJ, an expert on illegal surveillance, finds the bug right away.

It Must Be Jeremy!

Jada interviews Officer Hansen as Sarah’s finally checking him out. He got clocked by Test Tube Doctor. The guy was tall, athletic build, bright eyes. (And a bushy tail?) And why yes, it could have been Jeremy! Well, that’s pure speculation.

Afterwards, Sarah tells Jada that the poor guy wasn’t conked over the head, but drugged unconscious. And *gasp* Jeremy can get his hands on controlled substances since he knows science!

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Steve pays Julie a visit to tell her in no uncertain terms that Jeremy’s been stalking Stephanie. He shows her the Halloween footage of the masked guy who’s unidentifiable, breaking Julie’s heart as he convinces her of Jeremy’s guilt. “Well,” she practically cries, “your video is proof.” No! No it is not!

Julie then sends Steve off to the Horton cabin (hey, we haven’t seen that in ages!) and calls Mike to badmouth his son.

In the Show’s Final Moments

Once everyone leaves, Chanel starts having pains, and sits down with a very worried Paulina. Steve returns to the hospital and hands the key to the cabin to Jada. She’s sending JJ out on a wild goose chase.

And Stephanie comes to in some warehouse, tied up and gagged. She tells herself not to panic and takes some calming breaths… only for Jeremy to enter the room, dressed like a doctor. He speechifies some obsession nonsense, ungags Stephanie and sneers in the face of her disgust.

He disappears, then returns with Alex held at gunpoint. Stephanie begs and threatens and does everything she can to save Alex, but Jeremy isn’t interested. He shoots Alex point blank in the gut. And Stephanie wakes up. Because Jeremy didn’t do it.