JANUARY-JUNE 1966
Phil Capice terminated his affair with Abby Cameron. A despondent Abby went to Phil's office and prepared to jump from his window, but she was unable to commit suicide.

Mike exposed Victoria Dana as a con woman, and Phoebe dropped the suit against John Barnes. John was grateful to Beth who stood by his side. Martha developed a strong attachment to Phoebe. Bill agreed to Martha's suggestion that they instigate legal adoption proceedings for Phoebe.

Roy went into a drunken rage after discovering Abby and Phil's affair. Roy beat Abby, then left for a confrontation with Phil. While waiting in Phil's office, an unseen intruder pushed Roy out the window to his death. Later, Phil arrived and spotted Roy's body in the alley below.

As their wedding approached, Beth finally admitted to Lee that she was in love with John, and broke off their engagement. When John came to the realization that he loved Beth, too, they became engaged. Lee and Gerry commiserated about their loss and started dating. The Marceaus adopted Phoebe. Handsome disc jockey Rick Oliver mesmerized Phoebe and Liz.

Phil was arrested and Abby implicated as an accessory in Roy's murder. Mike agreed to defend Phil and suspected Andre Lazar's involvement in the crime.

Liz's wealthy father Orin Hillyer donated money to open a Youth Center for Monticello teens. Rick feared his criminal past would render him ineligible to direct the Youth Center, and sweet-talked Phoebe into stealing his police record. Liz's step-mother Laura, bored with her marriage to Orin, was wildly attracted to Rick.

Tony Wyatt remembered killing Roy, then fled to Chicago when Mike started getting close to the truth. Fearing Wyatt would breakdown and admit the truth, Lazar ordered Vincente to keep Tony quiet permanently. Mike and Phil followed Wyatt to Chicago, just as Vincente shot him. Tony survived the shooting and was rushed to the hospital. Lazar beat Mike and Phil to the hospital and murdered Wyatt before he could confess.

Laura Hillyer fell into an extramarital affair with Rick Oliver, having secret assignations in the gardener's cottage at Claybank, the Hillyer estate. While sleeping with Laura, Rick continued to romance Phoebe, too.

Wyatt's murder helped Mike and Winston convince Louise that Phil had been set up by Lazar. Although angry about Phil's affair, Louise realized her husband could never commit murder and set out to prove it.

Lee and Gerry were married, but soon developed marital problems.

Maynard, the Hillyer butler, discovered Laura's affair with Rick, but she threatened to terminate him if he didn't keep her secret. While Orin remained unaware of his wife's infidelity, Rick planned to murder him and marry wealthy widow Laura.

Louise broke into Andre Lazar's hotel room and searched for evidence to clear Phil. Lazar caught Louise, but didn't believe her excuses. He confessed to all of his crimes, then informed Louise that he intended to kill her and frame Phil for the crime. Phil arrived before Lazar could kill Louise. Lazar dragged Louise out of the hotel at gunpoint. Phil pursued them into an alley, where he and Andre struggled over the gun. Lazar was shot and killed. Phil and Abby were exonerated in Roy Cameron's death.

JULY-DECEMBER 1966
Gerry accepted a governess job for businessman Clint Crawford's son Randy. Crawford's brooding housekeeper Vera Turek appeared to have a strange hold over her employer.

Rick telephoned old friend David "Giddy" Gideon, urging him to come to Monticello. Gideon told girlfriend Angela Talbot that he and Rick weren't really friends, but Gideon was intrigued by Rick's promises of great wealth.

Louise and Phil slowly rebuilt their marriage, and she forgave him for his affair with Abby Cameron, who left Monticello.

Gerry and Lee continued to quarrel. They decided to separate, then Gerry discovered that she was pregnant.

David Gideon arrived in Monticello with Angela in tow. Rick promised Gideon part of the Hillyer fortune after Gideon kills Orin, leaving Laura free to marry Rick. Meanwhile, Rick seduced Angela while two-timing Phoebe with Laura.

John Barnes and Beth Anderson were married. Gerry grew closer to Clint and learned that his late wife Marian died after falling down a flight of stairs.

Gideon didn't show much of an aptitude for murder as Maynard inadvertently thwarted several attempts on Orin's life. Orin found Laura's earring in the garderner's cottage following one of her trysts with Rick. Orin confronted Laura, who stunned him with the news that she was having an affair with Rick.

Bill and Mike uncovered Rick's criminal past. Martha went into a violent rage after learning about Rick's womanizing and relationship with Phoebe. Several witnesses overheard Martha vowing to kill Rick for his exploitation of young girls.

Orin confronted Rick about his affair with Laura. Rick offered to leave Laura alone for a price. Orin coldly informed Rick he could have Laura, since Orin intended to divorce her and leave her peniless.

Martha unleashed her fury on a depressed, dejected Rick at the Youth Center. Rick put his revolver in Martha's hand, urging her to kill him because he already lost everything. Martha dropped the gun on his desk and left. Laura arrived, ready to leave Monticello, and found Rick with Angela Talbot. Rick taunted Laura that he didn't need her anymore since she won't get a penny from Orin. Laura became insane when Rick admitted that he never loved her and had only used her to get his hands on the Hillyer fortune. As Rick berated her skills as a lover, Laura picked up his revolver and emptied all six bullets into him.

Liz and Phoebe were hysterical when Rick's body was discovered. Laura confirmed Orin's worst fears after confessing to him that she murdered Rick in a jealous rage. Orin buckled under Laura's desperate pleas for his help in concealing her crime. Lt. Paul Carey investigated Rick's murder and placed Martha under arrest for the crime after her fingerprints were found on the weapon. An angry Phoebe vowed to see Martha imprisoned for Rick's murder and moved into Claybank with Liz.

Gerry and Lee couldn't reconcile their differences and agreed to get a Mexican divorce. Meanwhile, Clint and Vera discussed "Project R," a secret project at Monticello Electric. Vera made subtle comments about Clint following her instructions because she knows a secret from his past.

Mike defended Martha, who went on trial for Rick's murder. Laura and Angela Talbot were tormented by Martha's plight, since both women knew Martha wasn't guilty. Feeling sorry for Martha, Angela admitted to Gideon that she considered telling the police she saw Rick alive after Martha left his office. Gideon knocked Angela unconscious, then killed her by turning on the gas.