Who is Mrs. Nowicki from Four to Score and what is their importance?

Mrs. Nowicki is Maxine's mother. Mrs. Nowicki has a drug and alcohol problem, making her easy for Stephanie to track through her drug dealer. However, before Stephanie finds out about the drugs, she goes to visit Mrs. Nowicki and finds her passed out on the kitchen floor. Mrs. Nowicki's scalp has been badly cut. Mrs. Nowicki claims to have accidentally caused the cuts herself when she tried to cut her hair with a knife, but Stephanie quickly comes to the conclusion that someone else did this damage to Mrs. Nowicki's head. This episode causes Stephanie to come to the conclusion that someone dangerous is also after Maxine, injuring the people close to her in order to find her whereabouts. This information only makes Stephanie's job harder, until she discovers the counterfeit bills and their connection to both Maxine and Kuntz. This discovery helps Stephanie find Maxine.