Chapter 4

Angel Investigations was buzzing with activity, yet the atmosphere was tinged with worry. Cordelia and Doyle were discussing the dire need for income to sustain their fledgling business. Angel walked upstairs and took a sip of the week-old coffee, grimacing at the taste. Cordelia seized the moment to reopen the subject of fees, a topic Angel had been stubbornly resisting. Doyle started to offer a moderate view, suggesting that paying for their rescue services might give some clients a sense of closure. However, his point was cut short as he was wracked by a vision. He saw a woman named Melissa Burns, and it was clear she was in trouble.

At her office, Melissa and her co-worker were preparing to celebrate their supervisor Penny's birthday. Amid the festivities, Melissa received a flower delivery, but instead of being for their boss's birthday, the bouquet was addressed to her, with a disturbing message from "Ronald." This unsettled Melissa deeply, causing her to retreat to the bathroom and take tranquilizer pills before leaving the office. In the parking garage, Melissa was startled by a figure near her car, but to her relief, it was Angel. He awkwardly introduced himself and offered his help, sensing her distress. Although initially hesitant, she took his business card.

Later, at an ATM, Melissa was struggling to access her account when Ronald approached, informing her he had changed her PIN. His demeanor was arrogant and inappropriate, as if they were in a relationship. This encounter terrified Melissa enough to contact Angel Investigations for an appointment. During their meeting, Melissa explained that Dr. Ronald Meltzer, a renowned neurosurgeon, had been stalking her ever since he performed critical surgery on her eye. She described his bizarre ability to seemingly watch her even when he wasn't around. That night, a floating eyeball in her bedroom confirmed her fears.

Angel sought help from his police contact, Kate, who revealed that Melissa had filed a complaint, but Meltzer's lawyers, Wolfram & Hart, had taken strong measures to protect their client. Kate offered to detail a uniform to watch Melissa's place for a night or two, and Angel accepted. Doyle played bodyguard, accompanying Melissa to work while Angel broke into Meltzer's office, looking for leads. He stole a book from Meltzer's shelf and, posing as a man with a wife needing emergency eye surgery, gave Meltzer his undercover name and phone number. Cordelia, meanwhile, interviewed a colleague of Meltzer's who revealed his secretive techniques in reattaching limbs.

Back at Angel Investigations, Angel researched Vinpur Natpudian, the author of the book he had taken. After sending an email, he met with Dr. Natpudian, who explained Meltzer's mastery of "psychic surgery." That evening, Melissa was asleep when Meltzer's hands crawled across her apartment floor and under her covers. The cop on patrol outside confronted Meltzer, who revealed he had no hands. Minutes later, the cop heard Melissa's screams and rushed in the cop rushes into the building and searches Melissa's room, but finds her apparently alone. Just as he lets down his guard, Meltzer's hands attack from behind and strangle the cop to death.

A frantic Melissa runs outside, only to be caught and held before she can reach the street. Her panic slightly subsides when she discovers herself in Angel's concerned embrace, and she begins to sob in reaction. Neither Melissa nor Angel see Meltzer watching secretly from behind the bushes. The police arrive on the scene, and Kate comes over to ask Angel how, given the lack of evidence, he thinks the stalker could possibly be the perp. Doyle also shows up and confesses to being deeply unnerved by the idea of a stalker-turned-murderer, as well as by the crawling hands. Angel and Doyle take Melissa back to Angel's apartment, and, while Doyle starts taping up every vent and doorjamb, Angel counsels a newly-resolute Melissa over tea in the kitchen. As they take the elevator upstairs, Cordelia tells Angel what she thinks of his plan to go after Meltzer alone. As Angel searches the phone book for a place to get steel boxes to keep various body parts separate, Cordelia answers a call from Meltzer himself on the special line. Meltzer instructs "Mr. Jensen" to bring $100,000 for his "wife's" operation. Unaware that his cover has been blown, Angel shows up with a safety deposit box without money. Remaining seated, Meltzer feints subtly to his left, then shoots Angel in the neck with a hand-held dart gun. Meltzer explains that he developed the injector device while working with wild animals and that the dart carries a paralytic drug designed to stop the heart. Picking up a scalpel, Meltzer stands as Angel convulses and falls to the floor.

Meanwhile, Cordelia and Doyle look after Melissa as she sleeps, their traumatized client finally able to relax thanks to Doyle's special mixture of whiskey and tea. Despite the duct tape all over Angel's place, Meltzer arrives and sends an eyeball to watch from the landing as one hand sneaks in to open the door. Once inside, he pauses while both eye and hands reattach themselves. Meanwhile, Meltzer's left hand creates a diversion by loudly rattling the sewer grate in an apparent attempt to jimmy Doyle's security. When there's a sudden silence, Doyle opens the grate to look, and the hand pulls him down into the sewers. Simultaneously, Meltzer grabs Cordelia from behind and wrestles her into a closet.

Awake, Melissa watches as Meltzer waits for his left hand to crawl back to him and reattach to his wrist, but this time she doesn't scream. Meltzer rails at her, accusing her of leaving him for a "vacuous L.A. pretty boy." Melissa tries to run, but Meltzer blocks her path. Tired of dealing with his psychosis, she stands up to him, saying he is the one who's afraid and that he gave up on love a long time ago. She tells him she is done being afraid of him; he can torture or even kill her, but it won't change the fact that he's a loser. As Melissa berates him, his body starts rippling.

At that moment, Angel shows up, alive despite Meltzer's drugged dart. Controlling his shock, Meltzer spits his teeth at Angel, who blocks the bite and tries to close with his opponent. When Angel comes within reach, Meltzer attacks him with his scalpel, but Angel twists, and the blade is embedded in his shoulder. As Angel backs up a few steps, Meltzer throws his hand at Angel's throat, but Angel breaks its grip and flings the hand away. Seeing it try and scuttle back to its owner, Angel reaches up to his shoulder, yanks out the scalpel, and pins the wriggling hand to the floor. Meltzer's ears start to fall off, and he tells Melissa that they could have been so happy. At that, Angel rushes up behind him and knocks his head off.

The next day, the Angel Investigations team finishes discussing the fate of Ronald Meltzer's parts being buried in twelve steel boxes under concrete. Melissa drops by the office to thank everyone and gifts them a houseplant. The conversation quickly winds down until, at Cordelia's insistent signal, Angel reluctantly brings up the matter of payment. To Angel's relief, Melissa seems sincerely grateful for his reminder of the other reason for stopping by. She matter-of-factly takes an already-prepared check from her purse and happily hands it over to a very eager Cordelia. Melissa earnestly tells Angel that she hopes never to see him again. Bemused, Angel concurs