Plot

Amanda and Michael have an awkward and uncomfortable reunion. She sets her sights on David as part of a mysterious plan to find something the late Sydney had. David and Lauren's growing romance continues, until Michael gets between them by attempting to sabotage Lauren's medical career when he suspects that David is investigating him. David seeks a way to get Michael arrested for Sydney's murder. Meanwhile, Violet receives an unwelcome visitor from her past: her evil stepbrother Levi, who wants to bring her back to her hometown in Oregon, and Riley inadvertently gets in harms way of the drug-addicted fiend who tries to extort money from Violet. Also, Ella uses her charms to give Jonah a job at WPK as a computer tech where she asks him to spy on Amanda's e-mails in an attempt to get the best on her since Amanda has all her employees secretly investigated in order to discourage them from forming secret alliances against her. But things come to a head when the wicked Amanda moves into Syndey's old apartment at Melrose while her Bel Air mansion is being built and everyone at Melrose takes an instant dislike and hatred of Amanda after they meet her for the first time because of her cynical and devil-may-care attitude.—matt-282

Amanda, phoning an unidentified friend, is desperately trying to find the mysterious item Sydney had of her. Lauren and David return from a Kings of Leon concert, they had a great time, but Lauren says she has a ridiculously early shift tomorrow morning when David wants to come up along with her.

The evening before, Jonah prepares for a IT job Ella scored for him at WPK, practising a Windsor knot in the mirror. Riley is not at all thrilled that he'd be working for her rival. She reminds him passionately that she'd be waiting for him to welcome him home.

Michael returns to the loving embrace (?) of Vanessa after his 17-hour TransAtlantic flight. She is quick to get rid of him, though, by telling him of David's visit while he was away. He breaks off his amorous advances to go check up on his hiding place in the car. His fear is realized - the necklace is gone. David has it, pondering his next move.

Jonah meets up with Ella at WPK. She admits to him that she worships her boss, Amanda, but that the feeling isn't mutual. Mentions that she is on such thin ice, she should be wearing a wetsuit under her clothes. She introduces him to her as Amanda comes upon them. Amanda has very little time for IT guys, even one as friendly as Jonah. Insists he signs a confidentiality contract. Ella mentions that Jonah is the most honest person she knows, but Amanda icily rebuffs her, saying that, coming from her, that doesn't mean much. The insult hits home and throws Ella for a loop.

Having been fired from her first-grade teacher's job, Riley is relegated to doing household chores, and then, just as she is going out, she finds Violet, kneeling down to slip an envelope underneath the door containing the money Riley used to pay her bail. Good thing, Riley and Jonah can really use the money now. Riley says she didn't know how Violet felt about her, and the new girl expresses her disappointment with the way she treated Auggie. Explaining that it was her civic duty, Riley is nevertheless told by Violet that she doesn't know how she can sleep at night.

Michael cuts off David as he speeds off towards an appointment with Detective Rodriguez. Tells him he knows he has been snooping around. David warns him to prepare to be away for a long time. Michael starts mentioning that David's friend Lauren seems to be crumbling under the stress of his workload and could fold completely... David realizes he is being blackmailed.

Michael returns home where Amanda, ever as striking with her long legs and blonde good looks, is waiting for him next to the pool. Surprised to see her, because he thought she'd never return to LA, but she got tired of the tropics - and Peter Burns. After all, she is a city girl at heart. And the LA branch of WPK badly needed her. They talk about Sydney's death, Amanda expressing her surprise that Sydney resumed her relationship with Michael, jumping in the deep end that way. Ending up floating face down in it... She mentions that she has been looking for an item which she had loaned Sydney, but Michael knows nothing about this and suggests she talks to David. Amanda is intrigued to find out Michael has a son and pities anybody who shares those genes.

Violet's adopted brother Levi comes for a visit at Coal. He tracked her down by her Twitter chats where she mentioned her job. She tells him she did find her mother, but then she got murdered. He says he took care of their irate (foster) father by repaying the amount she stole, so everything would be fine now, and wants her to come back to Oregon, but she says she has changed. He figures she is getting on with her new life, and offers to tell the folks back home she said hi.

"I hope you're getting a tan from all this radiation!" At WPK, Ella brings Jonah, surrounded by computer screens, her leftover lunch, something she mentions she's been weaned off after five months of hypnotherapy. Jonah observes that there is enough snooping technology at WPK to scare even Dick Cheney. Ella wants him to do her a little favor: spy on the company's e-mails wherever her (nowadays unpopular) name pops up, but Jonah points out that he signed a legal document prohibiting him from doing so, and he would pretend he hadn't heard her, to which Ella responds that this is only a day job to him, while to her, it is her whole career. After all, she grew up spinning stories. Jonah smiles, thinking that she must have gotten lots of freebies from the icecream man, but, no, Ella was referring to the lies she had to tell, pretending her mother was a high-flying air hostess, when she was in a drugged-out state unable to attend PTA meetings. Seeing a different side of Ella, Jonah gets a lump in his throat, and agrees to help his friend keep her job.

At the hospital, Lauren is asked by David whether there are any grounds for her dismissal, which floors her. He warns her that Michael, because of their ongoing strife, will come finding fault, but Lauren doesn't believe this, for Michael has always been highly professional.

David meets with Detective Rodriguez, but is told that the necklace is inadmissable evidence as it was falsely obtained. Provide properly obtained evidence, and it could be acted on, and might clear Auggie.

Lauren is confronted by Michael. She administered blood thinners to a patient scheduled for surgery, he claims. Fortunately, an alert night nurse caught the mistake. Lauren protests that there was no record that the patient was headed for the operating room, but Michael warns her that this is serious, and could end her career.

Jonah informs Ella that Amanda has her on her radar, but no real fault found. Her communication skills are viewed as excellent, she should just land more (and bigger) clients. Ella is quite pleased to find out. Jonah is about to delete his search record when he notices an e-mail to Caleb pertaining to his BoomKat video (where Kavi DeKnight got the credit for his work) and he discovers that Ella told Caleb she had Jonah nicely in the palm of her hand.

Violet finds Levi in her apartment, fixing a dripping faucet. He had gained entry through the bathroom window.. And doesn't want to go back to Oregon empty-handed. But Violet points out that he is her brother. Adopted brother, he points out. No blood relation, that has worked fine for them before... Violet insists that things are different now. But Levi has other ideas. He could move in with her. The money she owes him? That could make up for his first month's rent while he dries out from his renewed drug habit. She mentions that it is a small studio apartment with only one bed, but that is more than okay with Levi, and tries to kiss the dismayed girl. Riley, coming for a visit, overhears him talking about owed money, and gives him the full amount due. So, off he goes, but not before telling Riley that Violet is a 'manipulative bitch'.

David encounters Amanda in the courtyard. She tells him she used to be a resident, and he sarcastically inquires whether there was something wrong with the chlorine in the water, making them all so deranged. For an art thief, he is a fine one to talk, she points out. She wants to know about that keepsake she loaned Sydney, and is now trying to find, but he refuses to help. She snarls that she'd do whatever is necessary to protect Melrose Place from his criminal presence.

David receives a text from Lauren, and goes to meet her at the hospital. Panicky, she asks whether Michael would forge false paperwork, and David tells her that Michael might well have gone as far as murder. She'd better do something.

Jonah confronts Ella about not having received credit for the BoomKat music video, and she is dismayed at having been found out on this. She counters that reading e-mails out of context is very misleading, but he feels she had done him in. Her job was in jeopardy,.she tries defending, but he doesn't go for her excuses, and quits both the job and the friendship.

Laurel meets up with Michael, and expresses her concern over David, fearing for his life. She tells him that his boy broke into his car, and has the necklace, making him out to be some kind of monster. She wants Michael to have a serious talk with him before David again takes her out tonight.

Ella informs Amanda that HR is scouting for a new IT consultant. The dragon lady knows she tried to screw her over, though. Amanda is impressed at how low Ella has been prepared to go, selling out on her friends, and is clearly keen on testing her to her limits. "Oh God..." Ella whispers ruefully as Amanda walks off.

Riley arrives home to find a note from Jonah that he is out, Happy Hour with Travis. Levi barges in and demands to know about Violet's relationship with Auggie. He grabs Jonah's movie camera. Violet comes in brandishing a baseball bat. Threatening to call the police unless he leaves, they face up to Levi. He drops the camera, smashing it with a force to the floor, the lens breaks. Then coldly walks out past them. The two look at each other in dismay over the broken camera. Jonah returns, shocked. Violet swears it wasn't Riley's fault. She leaves. Jonah says Riley shouldn't have gotten involved with Violet, because something bad was sure to happen. And now, Jonah Miller Videographies is out of business. At least he's still got the job, Riley tries looking at the bright side. He confides having lost trust in Ella, and quitting. He's got nothing now, and sadly clutches the wreck that was his videocamera.

Michael, wearing gloves, is now the intruder in David's apartment. Searching high and low, he finally finds the necklace where it has been very openly left in a desk drawer. Victory! He pockets it in his jacket. Then, a sound behind him. Detective Rodriguez holds a gun leveled at him. More policemen appear. Michael tells them he has every right to be there, but it was David who had tipped them off. Rodriguez smirks at his gloves, and the bloody necklace is retrieved from his pocket. Michael gets arrested on a charge of B&E.

At Melrose Place, David thanks Lauren for having put her trust in him. Now that Dr. Mancini, her former hero, is exposed as the deceitful liar that he is, she can understand David a lot better. Ella was texted for a meeting of the whole gang by the pool, and comes upon the loving couple, exclaiming that she hopes she wasn't called only to be the P in PDA. Other residents arrive as well, and David announces that it was Michael who killed Sydney, and makes a toast to Auggie, who is bound to be exonerated. Ella just hopes there exists a suitable greeting card for being wrongly suspected of having slain your landlady. Amanda arrives out of the blue. Wants one poured for her as well. She is catching the Redeye back to New York, and David is glad to see her go. But she'll be back soon. Jane is going to let her stay in the penthouse while her new house is being constructed in Bel Air. She is looking forward to getting to know them all, she smiles deviously...