John & Natalie #2 December 26, 2003 - March 4, 2004: 8 hour original edit

Dvd #2A John and Bo go through the evidence from the Music Box killings. When Flash calls, Bo insists that she let the police protect her. Rae brings Steven Haver to the police station to help Bo and Rae profile the Music Box Killer.

A guy attacks Natalie trying to steal her wedding ring. She fights him off refusing to give it up. John hears her scream and runs in, pulls the guy off of her and smashes his head into the bar. John and Bo continue to investigate the murders. They receive word that Troy has escaped.

Sarah and Kelly both receive threatening notes. John doesn't believe the latest clues that Kelly is the next target. John believes that this is a ruse to distract them while the killer goes after his real target. John asks Kelly about her marital status, as the note doesn't match the other notes. It's obvious John and Bo don't believe that the threat against Kelly is from the music box killer but a copycat.   

Natalie invites John to join her for Chinese food when he tells her he won't be taking any time off until the killer is caught. She says she has ordered a ton of food and he is welcome to join her rather than eat at his desk. He accepts, before he leaves he asks her to be careful while the killer is on the loose, to be sure to watch her back and lock up behind him.

12/29 At the police station, Bo and John receive another coded message, this one spelling out the name "Sarah". Bo and John mention that the Romeo & Juliet song played on each music box. Nora is shocked, as they hadn't told her this before. She tells Bo that was the music that Troy played as he had her tied up intent on killing her. 

Bo and John match up the dates that Gabrielle saw Troy and figure out that he could have been the one to kill Madison. They call the prison warden, who tells them that Troy is missing from Statesville prison. They then get word that a staff member at the prison hospital was murdered. More and more all clues point to Troy being the killer.

12/30 Natalie was babysitting Jaime when Antonio returned from his trip to Puerto Rico. She offers to stay longer so that he and Jessica could go out to dinner and they took her up on the offer. John McBain stopped by to talk to Antonio about the new leads on the Music Box Killer.

When Jessica and Antonio left, John agreed to stay with Natalie for some Chinese food. Their evening was interrupted, however, when John was called down to the police station. Keep the door locked, he cautioned Natalie on his way out. John questioned Kelly about the note because there were several differences between the new note and the other two the killer had left.

John did some digging and found an inn with "Verona" in the name, tying it to Romeo and Juliet. Nora remembered going there with Troy and Gabrielle said it was very close to the bar where she had seen Troy. They decided to try to draw Troy out, so Bo went on TV with a press conference about Troy's escape from Statesville. Then Nora got on the air and pleaded with Troy to turn himself in.

12/31 All of Llanview is on edge with the killer still on the loose. John, Antonio and Jessica stop by to try to get Natalie to go out with them on New Year's Eve. She isn't in the mood to go out. Antonio assures her they won't have any fun without her. John pleads that he has to work the Ultra Violet party and it won't feel so much like work if she goes and he can protect her at the same time. She gives in to their persuasion and agrees to go. His job is to keep an eye on Sarah (Flash) throughout the evening as she is scheduled to perform. Nora comes face to face with Troy in the ladies' room at The Palace.

As New Year's strikes, Natalie sadly sits alone with her thoughts. John comes over and wishes her a Happy New Year. The evening is winding down and everything seems safe until John finds a music box sitting on a table and he calls Bo. Bo apologizes to Gabrielle that their big announcement will have to wait. Bo and John talk about the music box and what it means as no one was killed. John asks how the big announcement went and Bo tells him they were interrupted by John's call and it didn't happen. 

1/2 Troy traps Nora in the Palace's ladies room, attempting to convince her he's not the Music Box Killer. She begs him to turn himself in, but he freaks and scurries out. Nora calls John and tells him that Troy was at the Palace Hotel and to immediately get over there. John tells the cops to keep security tight while the he is gone.

1/5 A heartbroken Bo holds a limp Gabrielle in his arms. He performs CPR but she does not respond. Nora rushes in with news about Troy and sees Bo trying to resuscitate Gabrielle and telling her how much he loves her. She is in shock.

When John arrives, he finds Gabrielle lying on the floor as Michael desperately tries to save her. He finally gives up and sadly tells Bo that she is gone. The threat against against Flash was obviously a decoy to get Bo away from Gabrielle. The ambulance sirens come closer. Al/Michael takes it hard. John is curious to know why.

John McBain makes an announcement to everyone about the MBK and that it might be Troy Maclver. Daniel asks John what's going on? He makes some crude remark about Bo, if he's investigating the murder or is he off with his girlfriend. John tells him she was the latest victim. John sees a somber Michael leaning against the wall. He says, "I thought doctors were use to this kind of thing." Al/Michael "some doctors, but she was someone's mother."

1/7John and Nora discuss Bo and the case but he admits that he's stumped. Something is bothering him but he can't seem to pinpoint it. They learn that the victim’s Student IDs have been found behind a grate in Troy's cell. Nora suggests he go home to clear his mind.

John is back home, morosely looking at his board with all the victims now having to add Bo's fiancé to the board. Natalie shows up in a perky mood and he is unusually quiet and withdrawn. She is bearing a gift of some of Christian's paint, brushes, paint tray. He is surprised not only to see her but puzzled by why she has brought paint.

She points out his walls are dingy and she thought he might like to touch them up a bit. She didn't want to see Christian's paint go to waste so she has been giving it away. He brushes away his thoughts and opens the paint can and admires the color.

Learning that he's stymied on the case, she offers to help out, taking notes as he states the facts. Realizing that he still has a mental block, John decides that painting might be a good thing.

He knocks the brush off the paint can and the paint splatters his shirt. She insists that she can remove it. He doesn't really trust her with it and says it is his favorite shirt and thinks he should maybe take it to the cleaners. She is adamant that Christian taught her how to remove paint and she can do it for him. He begins unbuttoning his shirt. She notices the scar on his stomach and asks about it?

He tells her he was shot trying to save someone. She asks if he did but he says no that he wasn't able to save her. She know believes that when he told her that he understood how she felt when she lost Christian that he really did. He understands that she had to hate him for a while. They are interrupted by Flash's boyfriend, Riley, who is worried that she is going to put herself at risk by sneaking out of the Buchanan's.    

Nat decides it's a good time to collect Cris' paintings from the gallery and leaves the two alone. John refuses to call off the guards, even though Flash may have only been a decoy. Furthermore, she's safest at Asa's for the time being. Riley agrees to convince his girlfriend to stay.

Heading to the police station, John asks Nora if she thinks that Troy is capable of all of the killings. Her mind on her newest case, she begs off, offering to talk about it later on. 

Nat picks up a baffled Jess at Llanfair and learns that her sister has something big to tell her.

They get to the gallery to pick up Cris' paintings while Troy hides when they show up. Nat doesn't take Lindsay's suggestion that she come back another time when everything is ready for her, but instead is intent on gathering the small paintings up. Unfortunately, she spots a hiding Troy who aims his gun at her and walks out. The three women are in danger.

1/8 Al/Michael tells John that he is moving in! John looks a bit surprised until Michael clarifies that he is moving into hotel. He is going to share a room with Ron Walsh. John points out that is convenient since he is Marcie's brother. Seeing his mother's picture on the wall with the rest of the Music Box Killer's victims disturbs Al. 



Troy takes Natalie and Jessica hostage while Lindsay tries to control him. Pretending to be sick, Jessica lies on the floor and slips a note under the door that they need help. When Antonio shows up, Troy demands that Lindsay get rid of him. Just as Antonio is about to leave, he spots the note and calls John.

Antonio tells him that MacGyver is at Lindsey's and he has the girls. He rushes over; Antonio knocks on the front door distracting MacGyver as he warns Lindsey to keep quiet. John sneaks in the back and warns Natalie to keep quiet. The cops all bust in and arrest MacGyver. The whole time he is yelling that he is not the killer.  

Down at the PD, John asks Rae to use her shrink powers to get a confession out of MacGyver. She doesn't feel comfortable with that. John beseeches her as he just wants this over and they are not getting anywhere with traditional questioning methods. MacGyver is hauled over and he loudly resists and insists that he didn't do and he is being framed. Rae talks to John later and tells him that given time she might be able to get through to MacGyver.

Later, Natalie thanks John for rescuing them as she doesn't know what would have happened if he hadn't shown up.   

1/9 Nora shows Bo the medical examiner's photograph of Gabrielle, telling him that it appears that the number four is etched in her skin. John and Bo are puzzled over the number sequences, why Gabrielle had a number "4" on her and not a "7" as she was the 7th victim. They realize that the killer counted backwards in a descending order, which must mean the killer intended on three more targets!

When Troy is brought into his office, Bo is stopped before he can assault him. Bo leaves so John can question him, but Troy maintains his innocence despite the evidence against him. When Rae and Stephen join in the questioning, Troy cracks and confesses to the murders

1/13 Natalie thanks John for saving her once again. Natalie realizes that she considers John to be a friend and she thanks John.

Blair comes in frantic over Star being missing. Matthew is also missing. Bo gets a call that two children flagged down the prison van. Turns out that Star had done so to try to free her father from being taken to prison. Matthew laid in the snow and the transport van stopped. Starr tries to free her father, freeing Troy instead. Troy takes Matthew hostage. Matthew is still missing and Nora is frantic with worry. Troy calls and he is holding Matthew. He says he doesn't know why he confessed, that he didn't commit the murders. As time goes on, Nora realizes that the longer that Troy has him the more danger he is in.  

1/14 John informs Bo and Nora of the ongoing search for Matthew and Troy, Nora receives the phone call from her son. Unfortunately, the call doesn't last long enough to be traced, though Nora asks Matthew various questions, insisting that he only give her yes or no answers. When he tells her of the road sign that he saw, Troy grabs the phone from his hand, disconnecting the call. He becomes agitated and concerned about the lies that are being told about him. 

Back at the station, John learns that Troy is using the guard's cell phone taken from the van and the boy's words help to narrow the location.

1/15When Troy falls asleep, Mathew sneaks out into the wilderness. Ron sweeps in to the PD with Matthew in his arms and returns him to his very relieved mother. Matthew reports that when Troy fell asleep that he escaped. Ron saw him and stopped to pick him up. Ron describes the area where he found the boy. Matthew goes with the police and is able to identify the cabin where he was held. John and his swat team swoop in and arrest Troy.

When he is brought in, he does crazy very well and starts talking about a doctor who is the real killer, seems like they are headed towards a multiple personality disorder. He later tells Antonio that something doesn't feel right about this case. Antonio takes John to the bar for a drink, and ask Natalie to give him a proper send off. She looks disappointed as he tells her he is going back to NJ now that the case is wrapped up.    

1/16 John gets Troy aside and interrogates him. Troy tells him that "the doctor" is the Music Box Killer. Rae thinks that he's talking in some sort of code and that he is referring to himself. As John gets ready to head out of town, he asks Natalie for one last game of pool.

1/19 John and Natalie play one last game before he leaves town. Natalie notices that John's game has gotten much better. She asks him if he is setting her up. Natalie wins the game. Natalie tells him she might play pool again after he is gone. She admits that she will miss him. They have a sweet moment as she thanks him for his work in solving the murders and that the women of Lanview will sleep better at night. He gives her his card and suggests that maybe she might call him sometime? She says she will and softly kisses him on the cheek.

John returns to his room and finds big numbers painted in red on his wall, 323. A music box is playing the killer's favorite song and sheet music is also left. Bo comes over to view the evidence and they puzzle over what it means. They are both pretty sure that Troy must have had an accomplice and that he knew that eventually he would be caught and he had this set up to mess with them after he was arrested.

1/20 John asks Flashes boyfriend about the music and he tells him it is the Romeo & Juliet song and that it looks handwritten so it must have been done by someone who knows music and knows how to write it. Bo believes all of the evidence points to MacGyver and he is locked up so he doesn't feel he is a threat. John disagrees and says someone would have had to go to a lot of trouble to set all of this up and that he is beginning to think they have the wrong guy.

1/21 Jess pays John a visit for help on her article about the recent murders. She learns that he's not leaving Llanview yet and begins to pry. John reluctantly ends up alluding to some information and Jess is able to pick up on some clues. She wonders how Troy was able to get in and out of jail and to the various locations, unless he had some help. She points out that Lindsay could be a possible suspect since she seemed almost too sympathetic when Troy held them prisoner. John suddenly needs to go out.

John goes to Lindsey's to question her. He accuses her of being MacGyver's accomplice, which she adamantly denies. He asks if she left the evidence in his room? She denies it, and questions how could Troy have repeatedly left the prison, traveled, committed a murder and then snuck back in without ever being noticed.

After threatening to charge her, John talks her into trying to get Troy to tell her who the killer is. She continues to be very resistant and insists that she doesn't believe Troy is the murderer. He questions this given that Troy held her hostage. She says she just knows that it is something in his eyes. John insists that he believe that Troy had the message left and he demands to know how he did it.

1/22 Lindsay visits Troy in prison and is surprised when he doesn't recognize her. When John insists that she help him get Troy to talk, Lindsay questions him about the murders. Troy is almost incoherent, mumbling about "The doctor". He tells her that his dead brother, Colin, is in his head and he kills everyone Troy cares about. John believes that Troy is going for an insanity plea and doesn't believe it is legitimate.

John tells Nora that he has been recalled back to NJ and they expect him to be back at his desk tomorrow. His boss believes that the killer has been caught and anyone else is a copycat. John can't let go that the killer might still be out there and he can't take the chance on another murder.

John and Nora go through all of the evidence and John says its almost too much evidence against Troy. He says he is starting to believe Troy's crazy rantings that someone set him up. Nora assures him that Colin is dead. He says if he doesn't figure this out that the killer is going to rack up another victim and he can't accept that. Today is the 23rd, the day of the code for the next victim.

1/23 A shaky Lindsey comes in and tells them she is the next victim! A message written in blood was left on her wall which means Troy isn't the killer. John escorts Lindsay back to the Gallery, she wants to show him the blood written music notes that were hung in her studio. Much to her dismay, when they arrive there is not a hint of evidence that anyone was ever there. John looks at her with some disbelief, but she is frantic that the "real" killer is after her. John tells her he will get police protection for her and leaves the gallery.

As John says his goodbyes to Antonio, they get a call that the cop assigned to guard Flash has been murdered as the killer showed how close he could get to her.



Jess is walking out of the campus when she spots John McBain. She asks him if he can be of any help to her article. He tells her his FBI superiors have ordered him back to New Jersey, they believe Troy is the killer and they got their man. Jess asks John if he believes that, but he says it's out of his hands now and he is going back to NJ. Jess says how confused she is, if there is another killer, he was set to kill last night. John kind of shrugs and the two part ways.

In the distance we see a music box, the camera rolls in closer we also see a body with blood, Sarah "Flash" Roberts!

1/26 John tells Antonio that the Bureau wants him in New Jersey. Antonio doesn't understand why since the Music Box Killer has struck again. Antonio gets a phone call. Detective Parish, the detective assigned to flash has not checked in. Antonio and John ask Riley about Flash's parents.

Flash's body is found by a young couple. John tells the couple to call him. Antonio tells John he will wait till after Gabrielle's service before he tells him about Flash. Reilly shows up desperate to find Flash. When he finds her things lying in the crime scene, he begs them to tell him what had happened. Antonio tells him that Flash was murdered last night. They tell him he can't tell anyone until they notify next of kin. Antonio and John discuss how first Bo's wife was killed and now his niece.

1/27 Outside campus, John and Antonio get a print from Flash's Discman. It's Riley's print from when he picked it up. The rest of the Discman is wiped clean. John gets a phone call from the Medical Examiner's office. Flash is ALIVE! The medics on scene did not get a pulse but the medical examiner did! They realize that she will probably be able to identify the killer. Flash is in a coma and they don't know if she will ever wake up. 



Inside Campus, John shows Bo the new evidence. They are all the same as the others. Daniel arrives and is updated. He is told he cannot release any information. He then learns the victim is Flash. He tells John and Bo that he cannot withhold that information from Riley. Bo and John find a clue. The killer has uneven legs but wouldn't walk with a limp because he could have lifts on his shoes.



John sees Al/Michael with their mother’s album. They start to talk about their her and play her album. Marcie excuses herself and places a call to information for Eve McBain. Marcie gets a hold of Eve and invites her to a dinner party. On campus, the killer takes out a music box.

1/28 John sets up an appointment to meet with Troy and agrees to set a trap for the killer. He and Bo decide to keep the fact that Sarah is alive a secret. John receives a phone call that Troy tried to kill himself and discovers that he's near death.

John shows up at the hospital and he is told that Troy had been drugged and the medication would make anyone act psychotic and paranoid. John goes to talk to Troy and interrogates him to find out who was drugging him. A dazed and out-of-it Troy agrees with John that he was set up. At first he thinks that Colin is the one who got him drugs but as John tries to help him with the recent past events, he realizes that it was someone else, someone special. After much questioning, John is unable to get anywhere with Troy; he's just too full of drugs.



Bo receives a phone call from the killer, with voice disguised and distorted. He taunts them and begins the countdown, backwards, from ten to one. He appears to have Jess in his sights as he gets to one.

1/30 TJohn and Antonio plant a news article that the last victim has died but identified the killer before she died. The article continues that the description matches the description given by Troy. Natalie is surprised to learn that John hasn't left town and says, "Thank god!" when Jessica tells her.

Jessica grins and observes that Natalie would have been disappointed had John left town, as she does like him. She tells John she is sorry for the reason that is keeping him in town but glad that he is still there. John tells Antonio that this feels very personal, that it must be someone who knows him. He is correct as the killer is shown looking at an array of newspaper articles about John investigating the murders.  

Michael insists that John join him for the dinner party that Marcie has planned. John says he can't make it as he is working on the murder. Michael is ticked as she has a surprise planned for them and he said he would go. Michael is worried that Marcie will be upset and John is going to ruin this evening for him and Marcie.

The killer calls John as he stands before his board looking for something he may have overlooked. When John tries to keep him on the phone, he tells John that he doesn't want to make him late for his dinner party, surprising the agent with his knowledge about his private life.

John calls Antonio and asks if Natalie has arrived at the party yet? Antonio says no. John is worried as this killer is a watcher and he will be following people important to John. He is relieved when Antonio reports that Natalie has arrived. John asks him to keep an eye on her until he gets there.

John arrives at the party and Marcie has surprised them with a visit from their mother. They talk about her music. They share a sweet reunion. Later, she asks John about Natalie and says she hope it isn't the kiss of death to say that she likes her. He tells her they are just friends as Natalie's husband recently died.

After the evening ends, he asks Antonio to take Natalie home. John asks her to play it safe and to consider police protection. She says she is a tough Jersey girl and she can take care of herself. He tells her she can call him at any time day or night if she ever needs him.

John leaves to go to the police station and leaves a warning for Natalie to be extra careful. John is going to the university to see if the police pulled any prints off of the phone booths there.  When she shows up at his apartment, Natalie is attacked by the Music Box Killer.

2/2 When he returns home, he finds Natalie unconscious on his bed with a red scarf wrapped around her neck. He is frantic to revive her and calls EMS for help. He begs her to wake up. She suddenly takes a deep shuddering breath and he takes her in his arms, relieved that she is still alive. She doesn't understand why she wasn't killed like everyone else. She came to his room and she was grabbed from behind and choked until she passed out. John finds a piece of paper with a picture of the music box and the words, "If I wanted her dead, she'd be dead. Ditto 323. I control the case. I control your life!" (I think the 323 refers to Flash not dying.) 

John says he will have one of the cops take her home. She says that Roxy is never home and she doesn't want to be alone. He suggests Llanfair? He orders that one of the best cops take her there and reiterates he wants one of the best cops to escort her. She kisses him softly on the cheek before she leaves.

As soon as she leaves, John's cell phone rings. The killer taunts John and asks if he received his note? He wants to know if it bothers John to know that he can get to Natalie? He mentions how John has no control over his life, just as he had no control when his fiancée met her tragic end. Leaving John puzzled as to how the killer knows so much about him. 

John calls Natalie to make sure she is safe. She assures him she is fine, that the officer took her straight to her room. John tells Natalie that he won't be seeing her for a long while and she needs to get on with her life and she doesn't need him messing it up. She asks if this is about him protecting her from the lunatic? He says he just can't see her right now. He asks her to get checked out by a doctor tomorrow. She is hurt and abruptly hangs up on him, and sadly lies down on her bed.

2/3 At John’s, Antonio and John try to figure out why the killer is fixated on John. John tells Antonio that he believes the killer meant to kill Flash and doesn't believe the killers assertion that he didn't intend on killing her. Jessica stops by with a file on serial killers. He asks if he can keep the file and look at it? She says sure but it is just raw data and isn't organized. One of the cases involved music and seemed similar to John. John takes a fascinated look. John makes a remark that some of the data has information reflective of Stephen's life.

He starts making calls asking questions about the earlier case. The killer calls John again and tells John that he should have killed his new girlfriend for lying about Flash being able to identify him. John says he should have known that the killer was too smart for that. John makes a suggestion that this situation has happened before, including pointing clues towards the wrong person as the killer. The killer tells him that he is too smart for his own good.

2/5 Upon hearing a noise outside of Llanfair, Jessica and Natalie catch Starr hiding on the terrace. When questioned, she states that if she can catch the Music Box Killer she'll get off probation. When Starr gets angry, Natalie tries to comfort the girl. To keep Natalie safe, Roxy buys her a gun but she refuses to carry it. When John takes Natalie home, they find pictures of John in the house and realize the killer had been there.

Antonio and John continue to search for clues to the killer's identity.

Dvd #2B 2/6 When the killer breaks into Natalie's house, Viki insists an alarm system be put in the house. Later John gets a call from the killer, insisting that he never see Natalie again.

2/9 John explains to Rae that though he might want to be friends with Natalie, he cannot put her in danger and must put distance between them. Bo and John think the Love Child Killer in Chicago could be the Music Box Killer. John and Bo ask Rae to talk to Troy. They think he might be able to help them find the killer. 



When she returns, Rae is hesitant to tell John and Bo what Troy told her. She tells them she will sleep on it because an innocent person's career is on the line. John and Bo receive a video from the Killer. It is a press conference that John did years ago. Bo sees that the Killer is obsessed with John and he feels it may be his downfall. John stops by Stephen and Nora's table. He enlists Stephen's help with reviewing the Love Child case. He then tells them that he sent Rae to talk to Troy. Stephen is surprised by the news. 



An antsy Jen shows up at the bar and order a shot of tequila from Natalie. Jen wants to know why Rex is so selfish. Natalie explains that Rex never had anyone in his life besides her and Roxy. He won't go around showing his feelings. Natalie promises Jen that if Rex cares about her, she will do her best to talk him out of it. Jessica tries to get Natalie to come and stay with her.



John apologizes to Natalie for his behavior at the Police Station. She is distant and cold. He explains to her that she is a target because she is in his life. 



Rae leaves Stephen a note. She sees a file on his desk and goes through it. She then searches his drawers and finds a diploma for a Samuel Hartford, one of the doctors who was involved in the Love Child Murders. As she hurries to leave, Stephen enters.

2/10 Stephen asks Rae what she is doing in his office as he hides a set of keys behind him. She tells him she left him a note. He looks at what she is holding and asks her about it. She tells him the truth and asks what he is doing with the medical license of the doctor who treated the Love Child killer.

Stephen worms his way out of it by saying he collects memorabilia of famous killers and he got it on the internet. He then realizes that Rae must have gone through his desk to find the license. He asks her what was she doing going through his desk. Rae explains herself and tries to leave, but Stephen asks that she stays for a few minutes because he wants to talk to her about something. 

Carlotta shows up to help Natalie put Cristian's things away, but Natalie is not ready. She soon changes her mind and calls Andrew to let him know she will be donating Cristian's things to the church.

2/11 The White Rose Killer shows definite similarities to the Music Box Killer, Bo and John determine as they view an old tape left for John of his old press conference from that investigation. Marcie delivers the surveillance tape of the older tape being dropped off. She immediately recognizes the young man as a student at the university and John promises to find him.

John's search leads him to the diner, where he locates the young man who delivered the tape. It turns out that he was paid $20 to do so, but didn't get a good look at the man making the solicitation due to the dark. He does remember that the bill had a symbol on it and he spent it the previous night at the diner. John is able to obtain the bills from the register and locates the one in question.

Later, upon a closer look, he finds the words "You go where I lead you," imprinted. Shortly after, he receives a call from the killer who suggests that he watch the old tape all the way to the end. John learns that the phone call from the killer is traced to a phone booth on campus.

As Jess arrives and looks on through the window, he and Bo watch the tape to the end. The final, sweet and then appalling moments of Caitlin and John together, with her murder and his wounding are there for all to see. After viewing the tape, John loses it. He vows to find the man responsible for his fiancee's death, as well as several others and kill him. Once outside, he cries out in agony and apologizes to Caitlin.

2/12 Nora becomes worried when no one has heard from Rae. Bo gets the police involved when Nora voices her concerns. In an attempt to find Rae, Nora and John go to see Troy. Rae wakes up locked in a room with no windows. The Music Box Killer begins talking to her and tells her that her life depends on what she does. Sliding a script under the door, he instructs her to call the police with a warning that if she tries to alert Bo, she will die.

Jessica tells Natalie about the tape that she witnessed John viewing. Natalie goes to John to check on him, but he snaps at her. When Jessica sees John, she begins to believe Stephen's assessment that John is overly obsessed with the Music Box Killer.

2/13 Natalie and Jessica help each other through the lonely holiday and Natalie decides it is time to let Cristian go.

2/17 Looking through old photos of a press conference about a serial killer, John spots a fuzzy face in the crowd. Giving it a second glance, he realizes the identity of the Music Box Killer.

Meanwhile, the killer, Stephen Haver, makes himself known to Rae, who hides her extreme fear. When Rae looked through Stephen's datebook and realized that he had planned his attacks and murders, five in total, she panicked. She asked if she was going to be one of the women he killed. Stephen took a red scarf and wrapped it around Rae's throat.

After toying with Rae for a few long minutes, Stephen announced that he wouldn't kill her. The identities of the two women he did plan to kill, however, were kept a secret from Rae.

Natalie and Jessica alert Blair that Starr was in a fight in school, caused when she was forced to defend Todd. Blair has a heartfelt talk with her daughter and breaks down.

2/18 At the police station, Jess and John get into an argument about Stephen Haver after John figures out that she's been snooping. He accuses her of overstepping her bounds and orders her to stay out of the case. When Bo returns to the office, he and John express concern over Rae's whereabouts and begin discussion on Stephen's background.

Stephen tells his prisoner, Rae, that her time is up, but she manages to pique his curiosity by analyzing him and talking about his childhood. She praises him for being brilliant as he taunts her with a red leotard. It is learned that Stephen's mother was a hippie who went from man to man. She left him with his grandparents to raise him. Stephen mentions how he learned "bad" from his grandmother.

As the cops talk about the grandmother who beat the boy in public, while the wheelchair bound grandfather sat by, the deranged doctor discloses how "rayon and polyester" went up like a torch. While they burned in the locked bedroom, he managed to jump from a second story window. When his mother came back with a new, older husband, she wasn't happy that she had to take Stephen with her. He wonders why she kept his brother, Kenny.

He demands that Rae name his next victim, but she is unable and unwilling to do so. Not wanting to influence him in any way, she also realizes that it won't be her, but she surmises he'll want to come back and give her all of the gory details. Stephen's brother Kenny, also a psychiatrist, finds his way to Bo's office. Skeptical that his brother could be a killer, he also admits that it explains several things. He is flabbergasted to see a music box, similar to the one that Stephen had as a child, sitting on Bo's desk.

John places a call to Stephen. There's been a break in the case and they think they've captured the killer, with a red leotard in his backpack,he's told. They'd like the doctor's help. Stephen smugly agrees to get down to the station immediately. Though Bo was doubtful before, he now sees that John was right in his suspicions of Dr. Haver. As John and Bo await Stephen's arrival, they can't help but notice how conceited he's been. Stephen runs into Jess who is attending Todd's trial. She puts John's orders out of her mind as she tells the doctor that he's a suspect in the case.

2/19 Jessica tells Stephen how John came to suspect him of the Music Box killings. When she shows up at the police station, John and Bo realize that Jessica tipped Stephen off before he could arrive at the station. Rae manages to open a vent and escape, but Stephen shows up before she can get help. Stephen calls John to see if he can get a feel for what they suspect.

2/20 As he and Bo go over the latest developments in the case of the Music Box murders, John theorizes that Stephen hates him because he insulted the serial killer during his press conference. John and Bo return to Statesville to interrogate Troy, who admits under truth serum how Stephen arranged for him to leave the prison and instructed him to confess to Gabrielle's murder.

Natalie looks through Cristian's sketchbook for ideas about his upcoming memorial service. Natalie surprises herself by fantasizing about a torrid moment with John.

Meanwhile, Stephen pressures a trembling Rae to help him dissect his opponent's psyche for clues to combating the FBI agent who's hot on his trail. Rae suggests to Stephen that he's been trying to punish his mother over and over again by killing women who remind him of her. Stephen forces Rae to sit on the floor with her legs crossed and sign "We Shall Overcome."

Stephen momentarily drifts off, but he suddenly jumps up and tells Rae that her role-playing experiment failed. After killing Rae, Stephen lays her out in the middle of a bundle of cloths. He douses the area with gasoline and coldly announces that no one will ever find Rae's body. He then tosses a match on the gasoline and sets Rae ablaze. After disposing of Rae, Stephen heads over to Jessica and Antonio's loft.

2/23 Natalie decides to have a drink to take off the edge only to have visions of John. Natalie stops by to tell John she feels Jessica is in trouble. They rush out to find Jessica. Stephen worms his way in Jessica's apartment. Stephen decides to wait for Antonio. Jessica asks him to take his coat off and be comfortable. Rae's ID falls out of his coat. He explains that he found it and contacted Rae to return it to her.

Natalie comes to check on Jess. Jessica lies and tells her she is interviewing someone from the Banner. Jessica leaves with Stephen. Natalie and John use the spare key to get in. John finds one of the victim's driver license in the baby bassinet. He knows Stephen left it on purpose.

2/24 John is confident Stephen has Jessica. Bo is optimistic that Jessica and Rae are alive. Bo is in search of Stephen. Stephen shows up with his lawyer. He tells them Jessica dropped him off. His lawyer has alibis for each murder. All his alibis check out and they are obligated to release him. John promises Stephen he will break him. Stephen deletes Jessica's cell phone messages. She tells him they have to go to Bo to deal with the accusations.

Stephen continues to play victim of John's paranoia. He urges Jessica to call Bo. Jessica refuses to tell Bo where she is. She wants him to believe Stephen is innocent. Bo pleads with her to have Stephen come in. Stephen gives her a cup of tea. Jessica wakes up from being drugged. She tries to make a phone call only to find the phone line cut. She is locked in. She tries to find a way out. She instead finds a music box.

Marcie and Michael invite Natalie to lunch with John and their mother. At lunch John's mother tells Natalie that John was never the same after Caitlin died.

2/26 Bo receives a written, coded message from the Music Box Killer. Riley helps Bo and John break the code. Bo and John realize the decoded message is the address of Troy's former loft. Antonio is shocked when he rescues a brainwashed Jessica and she continues to defend Stephen.

2/27 After Antonio leaves her at home with police protection, Stephen calls Jessica to put further doubts about Antonio in her head. The next morning, Antonio asks Jessica to go into hiding with Natalie. She agrees, but remembers Stephen’s warning that he is the only one she can trust. When he calls, Stephen gets Jessica to tell him about John's and Antonio's plans.

John tells Natalie that she is still in danger. Telling Antonio of his plans to move Natalie to a safe house until they can arrest Stephen for kidnapping, John is surprised when he finds out Jessica insists she went willingly. Stephen plans to kill Jessica and Natalie.

3/1 Natalie prepares to pack for hiding and prepares for Cristian's memorial. John finds a camera in Natalie's apartment. An uninvited Jen shows up for the memorial. Everyone pays their respects to Cristian. The Killer calls John and lets him know that he can see Natalie crying.

Bo and John are brought evidence that Stephen was watching Jessica the whole time she was at the cabin.Jessica is confronted by Antonio. He wants to know what Stephen did to her because she won't let him touch her. Jessica asks Antonio where John is taking her and Natalie. Antonio pacifies her by calling John who refuses to tell him.

3/2 Antonio points out to Bo and Viki that Jessica has not been the same since she came back.John has a plan to trap Stephen. Feed him false information about the safe house. He gets a call from Stephen who hints that he will get to Jessica and Natalie. John looses his patience and smashes his cell phone to bits. John's mom, Michael and his cousin Shannon witness the outburst. Shannon has just transferred to L.U. because she got in trouble at her last school. Natalie calls John at work to tell him that Jessica is not acting like herself. He agrees with Antonio that Stephen got to her.

Natalie, John and Jessica arrive at their hideout. Natalie gets frustrated at Jessica who refuses to say that Stephen is the killer. Jessica gets a call from Stephen. He wants to know where she and Natalie are hiding. John and Antonio listen in on the call. Stephen plans for his next victim: It is down to Natalie or Jessica.

3/3 Jess gives Haver the location of the safe house that she and Nat are staying at. When Nat questions her, she lies and states that she was talking to Antonio, but when he and John show up, Nat learns that Antonio was not on the phone. They've brought a psychiatrist with them, Dr. Paulsen, who wants to try to clear up some of the confusion. Refusing, Jess insists that there is no problem. She denies having spoken to Haver and becomes confused when Antonio gently tries to speak with her. Crying, she yells that she wants to leave.

Natalie is finally able to convince her to let the doctor administer some sodium pentothal to relax her, so that they can talk. Jess recalls her day at the cabin with Haver and how she became dizzy after drinking some tea. She recalls having found a music box and admits she doesn't know why she didn't mention it previously.

When her phone rings, Antonio has her answer it. She tells Haver that she's unable to talk and agrees to call him back. He tells her that he's the only one who can be trusted. (He has now planned to make Jess his next victim, with Nat being the last). Antonio mentions hearing classical music in the background and she agrees that she's heard the same music before. She still thinks they all want to hurt her but Dr. Paulsen suggests that he hypnotize her again with the music that they've been able to record from the phone call.

It works and Jess comes out of her dazed state. She offers to help and call Haver back, pretending to be on his side. She needs to see him; she implores him, and asks him to come to their hideout. He offers her an alternative, stating that he's unable to do that. He wants her to meet him the next night at Pier 57. Michael is sure they'll be able to get Haver at the pier but he thinks things are going too smoothly. The doctor must be up to something.

As Eve gets into her car, she is stopped by Dr. Haver.

3/4 John and Bo work out some tension on the firing range.