SO. . . there's this FBI Profiler/Famous Person Wannabe named Allen Walker and he is making his fame on the comprehension and conviction of a serial killer known as Magic Man. The Magic Man eaves only blood behind, no bodies, no fingerprints; except for one bootprint that eventually leads to the erroneous arrest of one Joe Riley, good guy, sole support of his aged mother. Walker not only tags Riley, but already KNOWS Riley's innocent. The real Magic Man has been identified, but he is now dead, leaving Walker with no one to arrest, so he goes to arrest Riley. He beats this innocent man almost senseless with an iron rod when Riley tries to comfort his mother during said arrest. Phoney Trial - Conviction - Death Penalty. Now, there's s book deal for Walker with a movie in the discussion stages.

Death Row. The arrival of a manila envelope; newspaper clippings; and the phone number, 555-0132. Enter Mr. Chapel. Riley readily agrees to "The Favor" and the convoluted plot to achieve a rightous end begins....

Walker's little subordinate, Stuart Brownstein, is still upset that they have the wrong man, but is frightened into keeping quiet by the psycho - Walker (everyone is scared spitless of Walker). Chapel goes after HIM first. Stuart is very drunk when Chapel confronts him with some pictures (that I didn't get a good look at, but they proved that the Walker had tampered with evidence). Stuart (basically, a decent guy) tells everything and is now at Chapel's mercy. Chapel tells him he just has to do the right thing but the catch is, they do it Chapel's way. Blackmailed with a taped conversation- Stuart's spilling-of-the-beans on Walker, Stuart belongs to Chapel. (This Stuart character was wonderful. He really captured my heart.) He ends up partnered with KC (who is also very wonderful to watch, and I like her a lot) and they pull several very clever tricks such as giving Chapel the trace codes for the phones, and planting a camera in a book in Walker's office.

Chapel calls in "The Favor" from a little nurse he once helped out of a bad situation. He wants... "Your blood all over these walls." AND he gets it. Chapel goes to get a book signed by Walker and tells him he's going to be the most famous FBI guy in the nation. He makes sure Walker gets a real good look at him and he makes sure he's suitably memorable. (Chapel is so VERY cool and funny when he's menacing someone, ya gotta see it to understand it.) Then, a nurse's blood is found all over her apartment walls, the MO exactly like the (deceased) Magic Man. Walker knows Riley is on Death Row, so he starts yelling "copy cat" crime, cides that Chapel is the copy cat criminal. He goes public with his new theory, has a police sketch drawn up and profiles Chapel, with uncanny accuracy. It's so cool when KC and Chapel are watching Walker on TV, discussing Chapel's profile - stays in the same hotel chain and such - noting that the killer has no fingerprints. Hearing this, KC puts the stare on Chapel, who slowly crosses his arms and hides his fingers under his armpits.

"He's good, he's very good," Chapel says and leans over to the window to watch the cops roll up outside his hotel. Not a part of The Plan. They foil the cops with the ol' lady-in-the-shower-all-by-herself routine. Cops leave empty handed. Chapel goes back to harrassing Walker. I just loved it SO much, too!

NOW.....Chapel has been calling Walker and intimidating him. Setting him up masterfully. Stuart and KC have been investigating the deceased Magic Man and they find his stash of "souveniers", which they turn over to Chapel. Walker is on live TV promoting his book when Chapel calls and taunts him, turning Walker's attempted phone trace back on to Walker himself, turning him into a raving maniac on national television. Chapel calls Walker's FBI boss (a lady named Bobby, whom Walker has made fun of) and invites her to a press conference at Walker's house to hear Walker accuse HER of shoddy practices. In the meantime, KC can't set up the press conference with Walker and Stuart is missing. Walker is getting ready to torture Stuart with electric cable in some basement of the FBI building when Chapel calls him and tells him about the phoney press conference at his own house. Walker hurries, home with Stuart as a hostage, to confront Chapel. They show him, with Luminol, the nurse's blood all over his own walls and a stash of the vicitms' earrings in his house. His boss is coming. Is he going to tell the truth about his misdeeds and do his time or be framed as the REAL Magic Man? (Chapel promised him fame, remember?). He folds. Goes to jail for obstructing and perjury. Stuart is a hero and steps up into Walker's old position, a happy, stronger man.

These stories are going to be tough to write about because there's so much richness to the stories, ya justs gotta BE there! I can't wait till next week. Bad Southern Sheriff! So COOL!!