Love You to Death Stephanie Donavon, wasn't that a model or something? Wasn't she a model or something? Where've you been Nick? Does Classy Intimates ring a bell? Oh yeah, Classy Intimates. The lingerie catalog for discerning tastes. Or so goes there motto, but lately they seem to be getting a little bit more risque, I don't know. They used to be more conservative. It's not that there any less attractive, its just there a little bit more revealing. Its gotten to the point that Myra doesn't even leave the catalogs around the house, unless I make it to the mailbox first. What? Like no one here's ever taken a peek. Uh, gee Schank, I get 'em in my mail all the time, it's just if I'd known, I wouldn't have thrown them away so carelessly. Don't worry about it, Knight. He's got a collection of back issues in his locker that would choke a whale. What? Like my belief in last minute gift giving preparedness makes me some kind of pervert? I think not. Take it from the married man, Nick, quickest way to a woman's heart, buy her underware that fits. Who's that? Lucy Preston. -- Nick, and everybody else in the room (reverently) Think you'll go backstage tonight? No. Oh, Nicolas, this is getting so repetitve. That's why you come here every night isn't it? To see her? I wouldn't darken her doorstep with the stain of my shadow. Lucy Preston, Knight. Geez, now you'll be able to appreciate your junk mail. She is the queen of lingerie and every husband's soft core fantasy. She *is* Classy Intimates. -- Schanke Any mortician would envy the job that was done on her. Mortician? She was bathed, dressed, coiffed, and made up after her death. -- Natalie and Nick So where do you think she spent the last four months? I'd say in someone's lap of luxury. About an hour before her death she had a gourmet meal, pate, cavier, washed down by very good champagne. Lots and lots of very good champagne. Are you sure she was kidnapped? -- Nick and Natalie There's that partner of mine. Come on, we're off to a lingerie photo shoot. Guess where? Your friend's club, the Raven. Sometimes you really gotta love this job. I'm calling Myra. She's in Tampa with her mother. -- Schanke and Natalie Wow, its her, Lucy Preston! Hey, hey, hey, no leering. So much for Myra's airbrush theory. -- Schanke and Nick Nicolas, What a nice surprise. The surprise is all mine. Yes, well you see they wanted something different for their Christmas catalog. and I just couldn't resist the irony. And besides I wanted to show off my new decor. Yeah, where are they? Don't worry I've sent them out to play and they won't start straggling back until dawn. -- Janette and Nick Now do I imagine it, or does she bear some resemblance to... Poor smitten fool, you are in a fog aren't you? What is this? Our 17th performance, 18th? Do tell me what it is about her that has you so bewitched? Something you wouldn't understand. Purity. Absolute purity. She's the closest thing to an angel I've ever seen. She's a model, that's all. Oh la, 100 years and you still won't talke about it No, and I don't think I ever will talk about it. It's uncanny though, isn't it? -- Janette, (LaCroix and Nick in flashback) and Nick Hi, I'm Nick Knight. You're from the kitten club? Kitten club? That men's magazine. Cuz if you are, I just want you to know I haven't said yes. I know what Mac told you, but he gets over enthusiastic sometimes, before things are a done deal, you know? I'm with the police department. I'm sorry, I thought, hmmm, never mind what I thought. I'm Lucy Preston. Can we start again? Absolutely. It's nice to meet you. It's nice to meet you. So you're a cop, a detective? Yeah. -- Nick and Lucy Hey, where the hell have you been? I called your place about 90 times and left about 100 messages. -- Schanke Nicolah... So this is where you work. Hmm-hmm. Very interesting decor. Yes. But you know, I could send Alma over, because she did such a beautiful job on the club, you know. Would you excuse us for a moment... What are you doing here? Paying a parking ticket. Picking up young men. I"m serious Janette. They called me down for questioning. Lucy Preston's disappearance? Uh-uh. Poor thing. D'you have anything to do with this? You think that we? Don't be ridiculous Nicolas. I'm not, I'm serious. -- Janette and Nick You know how rarely any of us get to feed on humans anymore, not that it isn't sometimes very tempting... Look, they dragged me in here, because I was one of the last people who saw the girl. I'm actually sorry that I can't be of more help. -- Janette Oh, Officer Schanke, may I please have permission to go? Detective Knight has succeeded in grilling a confession out of me and I freely admit, I had nothing to do with anything. Yeah, yeah, you're free to go. We know where to find you. Oh by the way, thanks for coming down, Janette. Oh believe me, seeing Nicolas here in his element, was all my pleasure. Nicolah...what is she, Hungarian or something? Among other things. -- Janette, Schanke, and Nick What can you possibly hope to achieve gazing at her from a far night after night. Go in there, go in there and introduce yourself. I would only repulse her. Purity is always repulsed by pure evil. Purity is an illusion. What is the allure? Something perhaps that I regret leaving behind me. It's a feeling. My humanity. -- LaCroix and Nick Now look here, Nicholas. There really are only three choices in this matter. Try to love her as a human. Well, we all know that's impossible, so lets move right along. Continue in this manner, to gaze at her over the balustrade, like a love struck mongrel, which would be a terrific waste of eternity, or, consumate your intense love for her, in the most intense way. Take her. Kill her. Purity. Purity, where do you get these notions, Nicholas? She is a dancer. She's an actress playing the part of an angel. In reality, she's common whore. How dare you! -- LaCroix and Nick Go ahead, Nicholas, take her when its your turn. You might as well, you want her so badly. IT is in keeping with your code of the last three centuries, preying on criminals and derelicts, feeding off the useless and the impure... -- LaCroix Oh, you're full of surprises. Something is troubling you. I'm a homicide detective. I'm paid to be troubled by things. Paid...quaint idea. If only they knew how wealthy you really are. Ecoute. No matter how deeply you try to bury yourself in this make-believe mortal world of yours, youu cannot deny our connection. We are both still the children of LaCroix. The threads of that connection hav been vibrating lately. Are you sure you haven't been strumming them yourself? No. You know what I'd give to have that power still. I'm not playing the tune on this one. I'm only hearing it. -- Nick and Janette What is it? Is it Lucy Preston? She's in great danger. I'm...I'm concerned about her. It's not all though is it my love? Sylvaine. I knew it. It concerned LaCroix and it concerned you, therefore it concerns me. I want to know what happened. Please. It's going to haunt you until you talk about it. My whole life haunts me. -- Nick and Janette She was his muse. So what happens when your muse threatens to bolt? You tighten the reins. -- Nick and Schanke Something isn't right about this. Like what? -- Nick and Schanke She is a whore. Don't ever say that again! Love has made you stronger. You're a simpering fool, Nicholas. Take her! I have no designs on her. So you won't even take your place in line. They wait outside her dressing room. One by one, sometimes, she even takes two at a time. You're a filthy liar! See for yourself. If they took anything, it was theft! -- LaCroix and Nick Nick, what are you doing here? The sun's barely gone down. I couldn't sleep. I can see that. -- Natalie and Nick Now you're ready to talk about it. Poor Nicolas. Tortured by a soul he hasn't got. I was tricked. Tell me. Tell me about it... -- Janette and Nick No. Excuse me, I don't mean to appear rude, its just that I wanted to make sure... Make sure, of what? That you are unharmed. I'm fine. Those two men that were here? Yes, so many vistors tonight, Nicho...las. You know my name. Yes. I've seen you here on many nights. I asked about you. Are you in love with the ballet? I love to watch you dance. -- Nick and Sylvaine She recognized me from all the performances I'd been to. She recognized me. You must have been very flattered. No. Her compliment went to a deeper place inside me. For a moment I thought I was worthy. It was painful. Knowing it was all an illusion... -- Nick and Janette Don't leave! We should never have met. I'm sorry I... I will never see you again. Please... Stay. No! Why? I love you. Yes, Nicholas, I've been watching you, as you've been watching me, knowing to would come to this someday. -- Sylvaine and Nick Don't. Don't love me. How can you? The same way that you do. It's not possible. It isn't It is more than possible. It's the truth. How can you be anything but repulsed by me. Purity cannot tolerate evil. How can it love evil? Unless it isn't purity? No.... Then I will take you. -- Nick and Sylvaine I killed her for betraying my fantasy. She was only a human woman, Nick. I needed her to be more than that, and in the end I condemned her to less. -- Nick and Janette Nick? Nat. -- Natalie (on the phone) Seems like our open and shut suicide is open again. -- Schanke I wanted to protect you! -- Charlie It worked. We have our Nicholas back again. What have you done? We wanted you back. She was innocent. She was in love. You betrayed me! I hate you. Good. Hate is a step in the right direction. -- LaCroix and Nick I never knew exactly what had happened. I only knew that it was then that you withdrew from us, that you stopped from killing. In a strange way, he did me a big favor. How? He made me realize the complete hypocrisy of killing only the guilty. There's no distinction between guilty and innocent blood. Truth is, we are the guilty, they are the innocent. He stopped me from killing. In fact, he stopped me from killing altogether. -- Janette and Nick So, it was LaCroix and his little joke that backfired. But then again, I suppose you got your revenge. Oh yes. I got my revenge. -- Janette and Nick