Michael slouches in his seat, looking sulky and angry.

Michael sinks lower in his seat.

Maria sees Jennifer and Larry enter the restaurant. She waves at them and they approach their booth.

Jen gives Larry a worried look. Larry and Jen sit.

He stares at Michael with a slight smirk. Michael stares back.

Cut to:

Phillip and Diane are preparing dinner. Phillip goes to set the table and takes out three plates.

Diane gives him a knowing look.

Cut to:

Max, Liz, Alex and Isabel are seated in the Jeep. Liz's cell phone rings; she answers it.

Liz puts the cell phone back into her jacket pocket.

They leave the Jeep and head to Jen and Larry's apartment door.

They reach the door. Max uses his powers to open the lock, and they all enter.

They step into the entryway.

Liz sighs and nods, saddened that circumstances force them to take such measures. Max scans the apartment. Straight ahead is the kitchen and dining area. To his left is a hallway, presumably leading to the bedroom and bath. To his right is the living room, which has a sofa, reclining chair, an entertainment unit holding a large-screen TV, a stereo system, CDs, videos, etc, and in the corner is a desk, chair and computer setup.

Alex heads straight for the computer and sits down at the desk. His back is to the wall, and he is facing the interior of the living room. He turns on the computer. Liz heads towards the kitchen and Isabel towards the bedroom and bath. Max starts searching the desk.

Cut to:

Maria is putting her phone back in her purse. She leaves the ladies' room, spots their waiter, out of earshot of their booth, and walks over to him.

She hands him a bill and smiles.

As Maria turns to head back to the booth, she notices that Larry is talking to Michael and Michael is ignoring him by pretending to read the menu. She picks up her pace to rescue them.

Michael remains silent, continuing to look at the menu, but Maria arrives at that moment.

She slides into the booth next to Michael and glares at him. He notices out of the corner of his eye.

Michael jerks slightly, as Maria kicks him under the table.

Maria does one of her "Why do I bother" looks and shakes her head; Jen laughs nervously.

Larry and Jen pick up their menus. Maria picks up her water and starts to drink. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Michael wave his hand over his menu. Jen and Larry are engrossed in their menus and do not notice. Maria glances at Michael's menu and sees that he has added a cartoon spaceship to it, along with a cartoon alien abducting a cartoon Larry, who looks terrified. Maria starts to laugh and chokes on the water. Jen and Larry look up from their menus, concerned.

Maria nods, as she hides her smile with her napkin.

Jen and Larry go back to reading their menus and Maria looks back at Michael's. Michael waves his hand again and the alien spaceship starts to beam up both the alien and Larry, whose speech balloon says "Help me, help me!" Maria bites her lip, then brings her napkin back up to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter. Larry looks up and eyes them suspiciously. He reaches out and grips the top of Michael's menu.

During the following exchange, they have a minor tug of war with the menu. Jen and Maria, embarrassed by their companions' behavior, quickly look to see that no one else in the restaurant is paying attention.

Larry leans in.

Michael releases his grip on the menu and Larry takes it, but not before Michael surreptitiously waves his hand and removes all traces of his artwork. Larry glances at the menu and frowns when he finds nothing unusual. Jen gives Larry a puzzled look and turns her attention back to her menu, relieved that this battle is over.

Jen looks up from her menu and makes eye contact with Maria.

Jen and Larry exchange disgusted looks.

Jen turns to Michael and shakes her head.

Michael scowls; perturbed that his suggestion was ridiculed. He opens his mouth to say something, but Maria jumps in before he can respond.

Larry and Jen look shocked at Michael's admission. Maria glances nervously at Michael.

Not waiting for a segue, Maria decides to steer the conversation into a different direction.

Cut to:

Isabel is standing by the entertainment unit, holding an alien figurine bud vase, with a look of disgust on her face. She puts it back on the shelf, wiping her hand distastefully, and looks around, with the same look of disgust, like she can't believe all the crap they have. Alex is still at the computer, Max and Liz are peering over his shoulder, having completed their search.

Isabel rushes over to him; Max and Liz lean in closer.

Cut to:

Maria smiles, then glances at Michael. Michael and Larry seem to be engaged in a staring contest.

Cut to a picture on the computer screen in the apartment.

The picture is fuzzy at first but as Liz speaks we see the person in the picture clearly. Max looks stricken.

No immediate response from Max, who continues to stare at Hubble's picture.

Liz puts her arms around Max, holding him like she never wants to let go. She can't believe she almost lost him.

Liz pauses and relaxes from her embrace enough to look at him.

Alex scrolls down and we see the information on the Silo Murder that Max found previously on the Internet.

Alex scrolls down a little further.

Alex types on the keyboard.

Alex smiles.

Cut to:

The food has arrived and Michael and Larry are eating without talking. Maria pulls a bottle of cypress oil from her purse surreptitiously, sighs, then openly sniffs it. She offers it to Jen, who takes it gratefully.

Cut to:

Alex turns away from the computer.

Liz and Isabel shake their heads.

Liz notices Larry's collection of music CDs.

Liz points to Larry's music CDs.

Max is disheartened as he looks at Larry's vast collection of music CDs.

Isabel waves her hand over the CDs, playing each one briefly, until she gets to one that doesn't play. She holds it up triumphantly; it's the soundtrack for the TV series "Secret Agent Man."

Cut to commercial

Return to Act II

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