Kayla helps Steve investigate Anjelica
At the Brady Pub, Hope and Rafe shared the news of their engagement with Kayla and Steve, who were both happy to end the day on a positive note. Before the Johnsons could explain why the rest of their day had been a mess, Anjelica entered the pub, prompting Steve to grumble that things were about to get even messier.
Steve approached Anjelica as she was ending a phone conversation with someone who wanted to meet with her at Chez Rouge. "For someone who claims to hate this town, you sure do hang around," Steve observed after Anjelica dropped her cell phone in her purse. "Can't be helped. I have a deal to make," Anjelica explained with a shrug.
Steve wondered why Anjelica didn't have minions to handle things like hostile takeovers. "I want to oversee this project all by myself. You see, buying the Spectator and sticking it to Adrienne is just very close to my heart," Anjelica answered. Steve warned that he might stick it to Anjelica first. "Take your best shot, honey," Anjelica dismissively encouraged Steve, implying that he was too dense to understand the corporate world.
After Anjelica exited the pub, Steve said a quick goodbye to Hope and Rafe then started to drag Kayla away, explaining to his confused wife, "I'm gonna neutralize that ridiculous woman, and I'd like you to help me."
Although Steve admitted to Kayla that he was making his plan up on the fly, he soon managed to procure a pair of housekeeping uniforms and a master key card. "Anjelica didn't come all the way from New York so she could own a local newspaper; [that's] just a cover for what she's really after," Steve guessed while sneaking into the Salem Inn with Kayla, who nervously reminded him that she was already in enough trouble.
After a contact confirmed that Anjelica was at Chez Rouge, Steve and Kayla entered her hotel room and began snooping around. Later, while still in the process of searching for clues, the Johnsons heard Anjelica laughing about something in the hallway. They managed to hide under the bed just in time to avoid being discovered.
Anjelica, who was talking to someone on the phone, stepped into her hotel room while complaining to the person about the horrible experience she'd just had at Chez Rouge, a ghastly restaurant she hoped to never set foot inside again. Eager to take a shower, Anjelica soon began wrapping up the conversation, but before ending it, she told the person, "I hope you're keeping up with your homework. You know how important that is."
Steve and Kayla escaped as soon as Anjelica's shower began. Later, while passing through Horton Town Square in normal street clothes, the Johnsons discussed what they had just heard. Kayla suggested that Anjelica might have adopted a child, but Steve suspected that there was more to the story. "That woman is up to something, and I can tell you right now, it's not gonna be good for my sister," Steve worriedly predicted.
At the Martin mansion, Dario and Abigail met with an Immigration agent, who started to believe that they were a real couple after learning that Salem's mayor, of all people, had officiated their wedding ceremony. After the meeting ended, Abigail reluctantly agreed to join Dario at Club TBD for a round of celebratory drinks. Hope and Rafe were also celebrating at the club, and when they revealed that they had gotten engaged earlier that day, Abigail congratulated them and admitted that she was pleased to be receiving good news for a change. "What about our good news?" Dario protested.
Hope was stunned to learn that Abigail and Dario had gotten married earlier that day, but before she could start asking questions, she received a phone call from Ciara. After Hope stepped aside to answer the call, Dario started bragging to Rafe about how Abigail had played the Immigration agent like a fiddle. Dario then stepped aside to answer a phone call from Myron. Hope ended her phone conversation with Ciara in time to overhear Dario telling Myron, "The extra dough could not have come at a better time!"
Later, while Hope and Rafe were ordering drinks at the bar, Dario surprised Abigail with the news that he was taking her on a lavish honeymoon. Abigail protested that Dario couldn't afford such an expensive getaway, but he dismissed her concerns, vaguely explaining that he had found a way to handle the cost. Hope soon returned with drinks for Abigail and Dario. When Hope mentioned that the service at the bar was slow, Dario went to scold the bartender. Rafe, who was still at the bar, warned Dario to keep in mind that Abigail didn't really love him. "You know what, Rafe? One day, she will," Dario countered.
Meanwhile, Hope told Abigail that she had overheard Dario saying something about a honeymoon. Nodding, Abigail revealed that Dario had big -- and expensive -- plans for the trip. Hope warned Abigail to be careful, suggesting, "What if Dario has the money for your honeymoon because he picked up the business where his father left off?"
Later, after Hope and Rafe left, Abigail demanded to know how Dario had managed to secure enough money to pay for the honeymoon. Dario claimed that Myron had helped him make some investments that were finally starting to pay off. Abigail didn't seem particularly satisfied with that answer, but Dario failed to notice that she was suspicious.
Although Adrienne and Justin tried to talk Sonny out of the idea, he insisted on giving a statement to Commissioner Raines right away. Justin eventually managed to convince Sonny to at least let him be present for the conversation with Raines. Adrienne watched with concern as Justin followed Raines and Sonny into one of the conference rooms.
"I love that [Sonny] thinks he's doing the right thing, but if he doesn't remember every second of sticking that knife into Deimos, I wished he'd just keep his mouth shut!" Adrienne fretted. Adrienne quickly added that she wasn't trying to suggest that it would be better for J.J. to take the fall for the crime instead. J.J. assured Adrienne that he understood what she meant -- and that he, too, wanted Sonny to stay out of the matter.
While Paul was getting Adrienne and J.J. up to speed on what Sonny had remembered, Sonny shared the same details with Justin and Raines. After Sonny finished giving his statement, Raines contacted Melinda Trask, who agreed with Justin's argument that Raines didn't have enough to build a solid case against Sonny. Satisfied, Justin turned his attention back to the case against J.J., confident that he could get it dismissed, as well.
Meanwhile, one of the police officers presented a man with a printed copy of his witness statement and asked him to read over it carefully. The man, who was a member of the crew Julie had hired to cater the party at the Martin mansion, hastily scanned the document, desperate to leave right away so he wouldn't be late for the next event on his schedule. While waiting for the police officer to produce a pen, the waiter happened to see Sonny emerging from one of the conference rooms with Justin and Raines. Recognizing Sonny, the waiter turned back to the police officer and revealed that he had just remembered who had killed Deimos Kiriakis.
The police officer called Raines over so he could hear the waiter's revised statement. The waiter explained that he had just remembered seeing someone standing over Deimos' body in the ballroom and saying, "You got what you deserved -- finally." When the waiter identified Sonny as the person he was talking about, Justin insisted, "Telling a dead man he got what he deserved is not an admission of guilt."
"That's for the D.A. to decide," Raines countered before placing Sonny under arrest.
Kayla talked to Valerie at the hospital nurses' station about the issue with the medication mistakes. Valerie was so surprised to hear that the medication for three patients had been wrong that she asked Kayla if someone other than Kayla could have been responsible. Kayla confided that she was worried about both her job and her confidence in her abilities.
"Three people almost died. What kind of doctor am I?" Kayla wondered aloud. Valerie noted that Kayla had been working too hard, but Kayla countered that she had always worked hard, and it was no excuse to put someone's life in danger. Valerie encouraged Kayla to join her and Marlena at TBD.
At Club TBD, Marlena asked Kate about her rumored marriage to Andre. Kate confirmed the rumor. Surprised, Marlena told Kate she had "lost your marbles." With a shrug, Kate noted that Marlena did not sound like she was pronouncing a clinical diagnosis. Marlena rattled off a list of Andre's misdeeds. Kate explained the business reasons why she had married Andre. Rolling her eyes, Marlena cautioned that a lot of horrible things could happen in the six months that Kate needed to remain married to Andre. Kate assured Marlena that she was fine.
"Well, at least you don't love him," Marlena said. When Kate avoided Marlena's gaze, a panicked Marlena asked Kate if she loved Andre. Kate said that marrying for love had been a bad idea in the past, and she was hoping her lack of love for Andre would mean a better marriage "this time around."
In the living room at the Martin house, Lani, Rafe, and Hope talked about the evidence in the Deimos murder case. Lani said she was concerned that Raines had focused the investigation on J.J. too soon, and she was worried that additional evidence might have been overlooked. Lani presented a bagged Salem Inn key card that she had found in the bushes outside the house in the garden. Lani added that no party guests or staff had been registered guests at the inn. When Rafe asked about the age of the card, Lani said the card had been programmed recently for a hotel guest named Sam Reynolds.
Hope wondered aloud if the card had belonged to Deimos. When Lani noted that the manager at the inn had not been helpful, Hope offered to talk to the manager. Before Rafe left with Hope, he assured Lani that J.J. would be fine.
At the Brady Pub, Lucas met with an anxious Anne. When Lucas asked what was wrong, Anne explained that she had been running the paper since Adrienne's health scare and Jennifer's preoccupation with Abigail. As Anne noted that things had gotten worse, Lucas stared at Anne, puzzled. Anne explained that Sonny had been arrested for murder. Lucas said he did not believe that Sonny had killed Deimos.
"So frustrating! These huge news stories, and they all involve the owners of the Spectator. It's just conflict of interest everywhere I look," Anne complained. Lucas was appalled by Anne's callousness, but Anne pointed out that someone needed to watch over the paper and keep it afloat. With a sigh, Lucas said he needed to find Adrienne. Anne threw her hands up as Lucas walked out.
At the police station, Justin advised Sonny not to say another word after Raines announced that Sonny was under arrest for murder. Sonny remained calm as his family pleaded with Raines to release him on his own recognizance. Raines refused. Adrienne arrived and pleaded with Raines on her son's behalf. Justin assured Adrienne that he would help their son. As a compromise, Raines allowed Paul to stay with Sonny until he was booked into the jail.
Once Sonny was in the interrogation room and out of range of his parents, he broke down in tears. Paul comforted him. As Sonny collected himself, he lamented that he had broken his mother's heart. J.J. entered the room and demanded to know why Sonny had confessed to the murder. Sonny said he had told the truth. An angry J.J. warned Sonny that he did not know who had murdered Deimos. Raines popped in and asked J.J. to talk outside.
In the bullpen, Raines handed J.J. the paperwork for his release. Raines warned J.J. not to leave town, and J.J. said he wanted to get back to work. Raines warned J.J. that he was on paid leave because he was still a suspect. As Raines walked away, J.J. called Lani on the phone and told her that he was free because Sonny had confessed. J.J. said he was certain that Sonny was innocent. Lani informed J.J. that she had new evidence, and against orders, J.J. left to meet her.
Across the room of the station, Justin assured Adrienne that there had been many people at the Martin house the night of the murder. Upset, Adrienne hugged Justin as Lucas arrived at the station. Justin promised that they would always be there for one another and for their son. Adrienne looked past Justin and saw Lucas. Adrienne rushed over to Lucas, and he offered to help.
After Adrienne left to check on Sonny, Lucas asked Justin about the case. Shaking his head, Justin said things did not look good for Sonny. Lucas offered to help in any way he could. Justin asked Lucas to take Adrienne away from the station to ease her stress. With a shrug, Justin noted that Lucas was good at making Adrienne laugh and keeping her happy.
In the interrogation room, Paul told Sonny that he did not believe that Sonny was capable of stabbing someone in the heart. Paul stressed that Sonny was the best man he had ever known. With tears in his eyes, Sonny said that he felt the same way about Paul. Paul reminded Sonny that Sonny had defended him on the island and had saved his life. Paul promised to do the same for Sonny. Breaking down in tears, Sonny fell into Paul's arms.
Adrienne entered the room, and Paul ducked out to leave them alone. Adrienne argued that Sonny was not responsible for killing Deimos because of the Halo. Sonny disagreed. Adrienne said that Sonny was not a killer, but Sonny countered that he had wished for Deimos to die. Concerned, Adrienne asked for details about Sonny's encounter with Deimos. Sonny explained that Deimos had taken the amulet and accused Sonny of being more like him than he knew.
Shaking her head no, Adrienne said that, unlike Sonny, Deimos was a monster. Sonny argued that Deimos was just a man. Adrienne told Sonny that wanting someone dead was not the same as killing them. Staring into the distance, Sonny said he had never felt so much rage in his life. Sonny said he remembered feeling like he would have done anything to stop Deimos.
At the Martin house, J.J. arrived and asked Lani for an update. Lani told J.J. about the Salem Inn key card and suggested that they follow up with Hope at the inn. With a sigh, J.J. informed Lani that Raines had placed him on leave. Lani warned J.J. that he could lose his badge if he continued to work the case against orders, but J.J. said his only concern was clearing Sonny's name.
At the Salem Inn, a clerk showed Hope and Rafe into the hotel room that corresponded to the card from the crime scene. Hope showed the clerk a photo of Deimos, but he was not sure that it was the same man that had checked out of the hotel the previous morning. After the clerk left, Hope and Rafe talked about the fact that Sam Reynolds had checked out of the hotel after Deimos had died.
At Club TBD, Kayla and Valerie joined Marlena and Kate for a ladies' night. Kate suggested they ignore their problems, but Marlena said that was unlikely. With a shrug, Kate said everyone should complain about their biggest problem and then move on with the evening. Marlena volunteered to go first, and her complaint was that she was not sure when or if John would ever return home. Kate complained that everyone thought her new husband was a "murderous criminal."
When Kate pointed to Kayla, she said, "I might lose my medical license and my mind." When Marlena asked for details, Kate cut her off. Kate said they were not going to linger on their problems. Kate ordered a bottle of Champagne to celebrate her marriage. As Kayla raised a questioning eyebrow, Marlena explained that Kate had married Andre. Marlena asked Valerie about Abe, and grinning, Valerie said she was happier than ever. With a groan, Kate argued that they were four strong women and should talk about something other than the men in their lives.
After knocking back some drinks, small talk stalled, and the women resumed talking about their men. Marlena pushed for more information on why Kate had entered a loveless marriage, but Kate argued that her marriage was less likely to end in hatred. Kayla objected to Kate's characterization of marriage, but she became silent when Kate alluded to the gaps in Kayla's marriage to Steve. With a guilty smile, Kayla looked at Valerie.
Valerie noted that there were many good marriages. "I've had a few myself!" Marlena joked. Kate pointed out Marlena's difficulties in marriage as further proof that marriages for love were bad. Kate warned Marlena to think hard before marrying again. Kate cited an article that said the happiest people were married men and single women were second. Raising her glass, Kate toasted to enjoying their singleness while they could.
After dinner, the ladies fought over the bill but Kate suggested that whoever had the least worrisome problem should pay the tab. As the women laughed, a waiter asked if he had heard correctly that one woman was a doctor. Kayla and Valerie nodded yes. The waiter asked for help with an emergency in the kitchen, so Kayla and Valerie followed him into the back.
After attending to a badly cut cook, Kayla and Valerie returned to their table. Valerie gave a glowing review of Kayla's medical work in the kitchen. Kate told Kayla not to doubt her confidence in her abilities. Marlena agreed and added that she believed Kayla was one of the best doctors she had ever known. Overwhelmed, Kayla thanked the women for the night of friendship.
Outside the Salem Inn, Hope and Rafe dug through a Dumpster, looking for evidence. As Hope grumbled about the failure of the security cameras to get a good shot of Sam Reynolds, J.J. and Lani arrived. Hope told J.J. she was glad he was back. J.J. said that Raines had ordered him not to work on the case. With a smirk, Hope asked J.J. if that was his way of avoiding Dumpster diving. J.J. said what he meant was that if anyone stopped by, he would have to hide in the bottom of the Dumpster. J.J. jumped into the trash with Hope and Rafe.
Nothing turned up in the Dumpster search. J.J. wondered aloud if the hotel clerk had lied about getting a look at Sam Reynolds' face. J.J. wanted to lean on the clerk, but Lani cautioned J.J. not to do anything to catch Raines's attention. J.J. said he would not stop until he saved Sonny. Rafe said he had an idea of how to proceed.
Lucas escorted Adrienne over to the Brady Pub for a milkshake. With a sigh, Adrienne noted that a milkshake would not help her feel better. Lucas announced that the milkshake was just part one of their evening. Confused, Adrienne asked what Lucas had planned. Lucas said he was going to take Adrienne out on the lake and cuddle in a boat until the sun rose. Distracted, Adrienne said she wanted to be home in case the police called. Lucas suggested binge-watching television at home instead. After Lucas made a joke, Adrienne laughed and thanked him for being so thoughtful.
Anxious, Anne marched over and interrupted the two lovebirds. Anne told Adrienne not to worry about the paper, and she promised she would not publish a story about Sonny's arrest unless Adrienne wanted her to publish one. Shocked, Adrienne asked Anne what was wrong with her. As Anne apologized, Lucas urged her to leave. With a sigh, Anne walked out.
At the police station, the police booked Sonny, taking his mug shot and fingerprints. Sonny handed over all his personal items then returned to the bullpen to say goodbye to Justin and Paul. After Sonny hugged the men goodbye, Raines led Sonny down to his cell.
At Club TBD, Abigail learned that Sonny had confessed to murdering Deimos -- and that J.J. had consequently been released from police custody.
Dario was pleased to hear about the sudden turn of events, knowing that Abigail had mentioned earlier that she didn't want to go on a honeymoon while J.J. was in trouble, but she still had other concerns about the extravagant -- and completely unnecessary -- getaway, especially in light of the fact that Club TBD had closed early that night due to a lack of customers. Dario dismissively maintained that he could afford the trip, assuring Abigail, "This club isn't my only source of income. I mean, [GDR Corp] is making serious bank right now."
Dario soon retreated to the back office to post a schedule of shifts for the following week, leaving his laptop open on the bar. As soon as the coast was clear, Abigail rushed over to the laptop and started snooping.
Dario returned a few seconds later and demanded to know what Abigail was doing. She innocently replied that she was trying to check her email account, and when he challenged her to explain why she wasn't checking it on her cell phone, she reminded him that cell phones only worked when they were picking up a signal. Forcing a smile, he claimed that he was only jumpy because he had been working on something that he hadn't saved yet, and he didn't want to lose his progress. Seizing the laptop, he added, "Sorry I snapped at you like that. Can we just forget about it and go home?"
Dario walked away without waiting for a response, as if the matter had just been settled. Abigail pondered her new husband's suspicious behavior for a moment before following him out of the club.
Justin pulled some strings so Gabi and Chad could take Arianna to the police station to see Sonny, who carefully explained to the child that he was helping the police with something. Later, Chad volunteered to take Arianna back to the DiMera mansion so she could get some sleep, giving Gabi an opportunity to spend some time alone with Sonny. As soon as the coast was clear, Sonny sighed and told Gabi, "That right there is gonna be the toughest part for me about going to prison. I just -- I can't leave that little girl." Gabi insisted that Sonny needed to have faith that he would eventually be cleared of all charges.
Changing the subject, Sonny observed that Gabi's relationship with Chad seemed solid, despite the fact that she had hooked up with J.J. during the party at the Martin mansion. Gabi protested that she had only danced with J.J. -- and, in any case, Halo had caused everyone to do things during the party that they wouldn't normally do. "Like me murdering Deimos," Sonny agreed, prompting Gabi to insist again that he needed to have faith that he wouldn't spend a single second behind bars for anything he might have done while not in his right mind. "I want to believe that, Gabi -- I really do -- but I'm afraid the writing's on the wall," Sonny fretted.
Theo ran into Claire in the Horton Town Square and was surprised to see that she was working as a waitress for one of its restaurants. She snapped that he was out of the loop because he never talked to her anymore. She then tried to leave, explaining that she couldn't be caught socializing while on the clock because her boss had already scolded her earlier that day for taking a selfie while on the clock.
Theo ordered a soda so Claire would have an excuse to keep talking to him, but she didn't seem particularly eager to do that. "I hate that we're like this. Why can't we just [go back to being] friends?" Theo asked. Scoffing, Claire insisted that it wasn't that easy for two people to just go back to being friends after a breakup, especially when the breakup hadn't been a mutual decision.
Later, Theo went to the DiMera mansion to see if Chad was up for a game of chess. Chad was happy to indulge Theo but soon realized that something was on the teen's mind. Theo explained that he had recently broken up with Claire, and he proceeded to share the details with Chad, who couldn't help laughing when he realized that Abe, of all people, had seen Theo and Claire's sex tape. After regaining his composure, Chad listened to the rest of Theo's story then warned him that, unfortunately, it wasn't always possible to maintain a friendship with an ex. "You and Abby are still friends, right?" Theo asked. "Honestly, I don't know, Theo," Chad replied with a shrug.
After losing the chess match, Chad wondered if Theo had ever thought about playing professionally. Theo said that would certainly be one way to earn money that summer. Realizing that Theo was looking for work, Chad offered him a job at DiMera Enterprises, explaining that the company's IT experts were still trying to rebuild its firewalls in the wake of the Countess Wilhelmina hack and could use some help. Theo excitedly accepted the offer. "'Bout time you start working for the family business," Chad noted. Theo started to backpedal, realizing that his father probably wouldn't approve, but he ultimately decided that it wasn't Abe's decision to make.
On a hunch, Rafe, Hope, Lani, and J.J. split up to question some members of the Salem Inn's housekeeping staff, hoping to find someone who could provide more information about the hotel's mystery guest. While Lani and J.J. were questioning the head custodian, Rafe and Hope tracked down a maid in the town square, where she was working a second job. The woman recalled that the guest in question had been a good tipper and had left a couple items behind when he had checked out of his room -- items she had placed in the hotel's lost-and-found box. Rafe contacted J.J. and shared the information with him.
Later, Rafe and Hope claimed a table outside one of the town square's restaurants and were surprised to learn that Claire was working there. Claire asked Hope not to say anything about the job to Shawn and Belle yet, explaining that she wanted to make sure she was going to be able to keep it for more than a day first. Referring to her boss as "the dragon lady," Claire complained that the woman was picky and really had it in for her.
Nearby, the woman Rafe and Hope had questioned earlier cleared her throat and told Claire, "'The dragon lady' would like a word with you." Claire stepped aside with the woman and started apologizing profusely, explaining that she was simply frustrated because the job was turning out to be a lot harder than she had anticipated. Unable to muster any sympathy for Claire, the woman warned her to do her job and keep her mouth shut.
Later, Claire dropped a plate of food while carrying it over to a customer's table. Hope sprang to her feet, eager to help her granddaughter, but Rafe insisted that she needed to let Claire handle the matter. Meanwhile, Claire's boss demanded to know what had happened. Claire apologetically explained that she had lost her balance. Claire tried to assure her boss that nothing like that would ever happen again, but the woman didn't seem convinced -- and was, in fact, starting to realize that Claire had lied about having waitressing experience. Claire reluctantly confirmed the suspicion. Although the woman was fairly certain that she would live to regret the decision, she agreed to give Claire one last chance; however, for the sake of the food, she decided to make Claire a hostess and dishwasher, effective immediately, instead of allowing her to continue as a waitress.
Later, Claire returned home and learned that Theo had managed to secure a nice job at DiMera Enterprises. Frustrated, she sarcastically congratulated him then retreated to her bedroom and slammed the door shut.
At the Martin mansion, Dario surprised Abigail with a slice of cake as a way of celebrating their wedding night. She wasn't thrilled with the surprise at first, protesting that she didn't like to eat late-night snacks, but he eventually convinced her to make an exception. He promised to keep spoiling her, acknowledging that she had grown accustomed to a certain kind of lifestyle.
Abigail told Dario that money wasn't important to her, adding, "That's not why I'm in love... That's not why I was in love with [Chad]." She then retreated to the bathroom so she could get ready for bed.
Later that night, Abigail awoke with a start for no apparent reason. At that same time, Chad and Gabi were having sex at the DiMera mansion.
Lani and J.J. joined Rafe and Hope at their table in the town square. Hope wasn't particularly optimistic about the items Lani and J.J. had taken from the Salem Inn's lost-and-found box, doubting that a phone charger and a pornographic magazine would help identify the mystery guest, but Lani and J.J. clarified that the magazine -- an issue of Busty Broads Monthly -- might actually be a big clue because an issue of that same magazine had also been found during the raid of Xander's villa in Athens. Hope placed a phone call to the Athens prison that was supposed to be holding Xander, and the warden there stated that Xander hadn't gone anywhere since his arrival. With that lead seemingly dismissed as nothing more than a red herring, the detectives started to pin their hopes on the forensics team's in-progress fingerprint analysis of the two lost-and-found items.
Victor went to the police station to see Sonny, who braced himself for a lecture. Victor confirmed that he was indeed upset that Sonny had chosen to confess. "I admire the fact that you own up to your mistakes, but in this case, it was the wrong thing to do. You don't even know for sure that you killed Deimos. God, man, you were drugged!" Victor continued. Sonny reminded Victor that the other partygoers had all been drugged, too. "Exactly! So why should you be the one to toss your hat into the ring of murder suspects?" Victor wondered.
Sonny insisted that he didn't want to argue with Victor. Sonny added that he had a bad feeling that he really was the guilty party, since he had been extremely angry with Deimos for stealing the amulet. Victor reported that the police had searched the Kiriakis mansion earlier and had failed to locate the amulet. Sonny guessed that he had hidden it somewhere while still under the influence of Halo. "In any case, I am gonna face the consequences -- whatever they may be. You are not gonna protect me from this. You cannot make this go away," Sonny continued.
"The hell I can't," Victor countered.
Dario found Abigail eating breakfast in the dining room of the Martin mansion, along with several other guests. He tried to greet her with a kiss, but she recoiled, prompting him to remind her that they had previously agreed to keep up appearances. "No one's even looking," she pointed out.
Jennifer soon entered the room and greeted Dario tersely. He responded in kind then rushed off for his morning jog. Later, while passing through the Horton Town Square, he paused to take a phone call. "No, I want the full honeymoon package. I'll pay and do whatever it takes to give my bride the very best of everything," he told the caller.
After Dario ended the call, he realized that Brady was standing nearby. Having overheard Dario's end of the phone conversation, Brady asked for the identity of Dario's bride and was shocked to learn that it was Abigail. "Chad's wife?" Brady asked incredulously. "Ex," Dario clarified, adding that Abigail was in love with him. Certain that Dario was playing some sort of sick game, Brady warned, "If anything happens to Jennifer's daughter, you're gonna answer to me." Dario dismissively advised Brady to focus on other matters, like the fact that Titan's CEO had just been arrested for murder.
Meanwhile, back at the Martin mansion, Abigail complained about the cold way that Jennifer had greeted Dario. Jennifer unapologetically insisted that she would never be okay with the fact that Abigail was in a loveless, fraudulent marriage with Dario. "Please reconsider this arrangement with [him] -- before it's too late; before something goes horribly wrong," Jennifer begged Abigail.
Abigail insisted that Dario wasn't his father; in fact, he was a kind, decent man, and she was positive that he would never do anything to hurt her. "Abigail's right," Dario said as he rejoined Abigail and Jennifer at their table. "I'll never do anything to hurt your daughter, Jennifer. That is a promise," Dario continued. "I really hope you mean that," Jennifer skeptically replied before abruptly excusing herself.
After Jennifer left, Dario thanked Abigail for defending him. "[Dario], you've been a very good friend to me -- very caring, very honest -- [and] you've always been very up-front with me about your intentions and your actions," Abigail pointedly stated. Dario promised that he would never betray Abigail's trust or make her regret her decision to help him.
"I hope not," Abigail replied before excusing herself, explaining that she needed to run a few errands. Nodding, Dario started to head upstairs to take a shower. Abigail followed Dario to their room and listened from the hallway as he took a phone call from someone and assured the person, "No, it's all here. And no one's seen it -- only me." After ending the call, Dario slid a duffel bag under the bed then stepped into the bathroom.
Once the coast was clear, Abigail entered the room and retrieved the duffel bag. Inside, she found stacks of cash.
After attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting together, Brady and Jennifer went to the town square to chat over cups of coffee. When Brady revealed that he had heard about Abigail's sudden marriage to Dario, Jennifer insisted that she didn't want to talk about the matter; she confirmed, however, that she didn't approve of the union.
Changing the subject, Brady guessed that when Jennifer had mentioned during the meeting that she had decided to move on from a relationship she'd been pursuing with someone, she had been talking about Eric. Brady made it clear to Jennifer that Eric was disappointed about the way in which his relationship with her had ended. "Don't you think you might be able to give [him] another chance?" Brady asked. Jennifer appreciated that Brady cared about her and wanted her to have someone special in her life again, but she remained convinced that she simply wasn't meant to be with Eric -- and, perhaps, would never have another serious relationship.
Eric agreed to meet with Jade at the Brady Pub after she explained that talking to him at the Horton Center felt a bit too formal for her taste. Reminding Eric that he had previously advised her to stop trying to make a man the center of her universe, Jade admitted that she had given his words a lot of thought and had realized that he was right. "I'm still in love with Joey, but we've been broken up for months, and I just don't see myself getting out of the friend zone with him, so I've decided it's time to move on," Jade continued. Eric warned that it would be tough for Jade to do that unless she found something else to focus her energy on.
"I actually think I know what that focus [could] be," Jade quickly replied, explaining that her mother had contacted her the previous night to inform her that her grandmother had passed away. "[Nana] was really old, and she had been sick for months, so it wasn't really a surprise. But [she] was a force of nature. I really looked up to her. She never judged me -- or anyone else, for that matter," Jade continued. Adding that her mother had actually invited her to help clean out her grandmother's cottage, Jade mused, "I guess after everything that's happened, she's realizing how important family really is." Eric encouraged Jade to give her mother a chance.
After Jade left, Eric received a phone call from Nicole, who insisted that she needed to see him right away. A short time later, Nicole arrived at the pub and informed Eric that she had remembered something that had happened during the party at the Martin mansion. "[You told me] you did a bad thing," Nicole continued. Eric admitted that the same memory had been haunting him.
"What if the bad thing I did was sticking a knife into Deimos' heart?" Eric worriedly wondered. Hoping to help Eric prove that wasn't the case, Nicole followed him back to his room at the Martin mansion so they could go over everything they remembered about the night of the party. When Nicole recalled that she had kissed Daniel, Eric confirmed Nicole's suspicion that she had actually kissed him. "When I told you I had done something bad, I don't think I was talking about Deimos; I was talking about kissing my brother's girlfriend," Eric concluded.
Nicole didn't want to hide that from Brady because she had been down that road before, back when she had chosen not to tell Daniel about what had happened when Xander had trapped her in a ventilation shaft with Eric while a furnace was running. However, Nicole also didn't want to give Brady a reason to jump to the wrong conclusion about how far things had gone with Eric. Nicole and Eric assured each other that they had only kissed while under the influence of Halo. "[So], are you gonna tell Brady the truth or not?" Eric asked Nicole.
At the hospital, Steve and Kayla surprised Tripp with a pair of MCAT study guides. Tripp understood that the gift wasn't meant to make him feel obligated to take the MCAT if that wasn't what he really wanted to do, but he still didn't feel right about accepting it, admitting that he was no longer convinced that he had what it took to be a good doctor. Kayla assured Tripp that he'd make a great doctor because he was smart, quick-witted, and empathetic. Tripp thought that Kayla was only saying that because he was family, but she insisted that she was being objective. Tripp eventually agreed to look through the study guides and give the matter more thought.
Jade went to Joey's apartment to let him know about her plan to spend the rest of the summer helping her mother clean out her grandmother's cottage. "Joey, the truth is, I would much rather stay here with you -- and I would...if I thought that there was even a sliver of hope for us," Jade stressed. Joey encouraged Jade to leave Salem, making it clear that he would always care about her but had no interest in getting back together with her.
Hurt, Jade started to leave then turned to face Joey again. "You know what, Joey? I have been loyal to you, and I've loved you since day one, and what do I get in return? Dumped on the side of the road like trash! I even overlooked the fact that you killed someone in cold blood! You murdered Tripp's mother, and I kept my mouth shut! Doesn't that count for something? Your brother would have destroyed you by now if he knew the truth! But I kept your dirty little secret. Maybe I was wrong about you; maybe you're the one who's not worth it," Jade spat before exiting the apartment.
Later, Steve arrived to fix the refrigerator's built-in icemaker. Realizing that Joey was preoccupied, Steve wondered if everything was okay. Joey explained that he had gone over his schedule for the fall semester earlier and had realized that he wasn't feeling particularly enthusiastic about finishing his schooling. Steve insisted that Joey had to stay in college because education was important. Joey understood that but was concerned because he didn't know what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Steve assured Joey that he still had plenty of time to figure that out. "But tons of people my age already know what they want to do -- like Tripp," Joey pointed out.
Steve wondered if Joey was feeling jealous of Tripp. "I guess maybe I am. I'm not confident like Tripp, [and] sometimes I wish I were more like him," Joey admitted. Joey felt like a loser for being jealous of someone -- especially his own brother -- but Steve assured him that jealousy was a completely natural human emotion. "Still, it seems so petty," Joey maintained. Joey stressed that he was truly grateful to have an older brother, and he added that Tripp was cool and easy to talk to and get along with. Steve guessed that Tripp felt the same way about Joey.
Joey pointed out that Tripp could never know everything about him. Steve didn't think Joey's secret had to get in the way of his attempt to build a solid relationship with Tripp, but Joey insisted, "I killed his mom. Of course that gets in the way! Even if he doesn't know, hell, I know!" Realizing that Joey was right, Steve conceded that it had been "stupid" of him to suggest that what Joey had done to Tripp's mother didn't have to matter. "Even if Tripp never knows the truth, I have a feeling I'm not done paying for killing Ava," Joey fretted.
Steve acknowledged that Joey would carry the weight of his crime with him for the rest of his life. "But with time, it will get easier," Steve promised, adding that it was good that Joey was still attending therapy sessions. Nodding, Joey somewhat numbly stated that he was grateful to have two supportive parents to lean on when necessary, prompting Steve to wonder if something else was bothering him.
"It's Jade. She's...leaving," Joey revealed. Steve thought it would be beneficial for Jade to distance herself from Joey for a while, and Joey agreed. "But, uh...I'm gonna miss her," Joey admitted before changing the subject.
At the hospital, Kayla warmly greeted a colleague, Scott Mitchell, and introduced him to Tripp as the chairman of the review board. "Before you go see your patients today, we need to talk," Mitchell grimly informed Kayla, adding that another error had been found during a review of her recent cases. Kayla was stunned to learn that she had apparently prescribed a patient much more than the standard dosage of morphine -- an error that could have contributed to the patient's death. "The review board has launched a full investigation, and, uh, until we have some answers, Seth Burns and I have [no other choice but] to suspend you," Mitchell announced.
Kayla assured Mitchell that she understood and respected his decision. Mitchell informed Kayla that she was on a paid suspension until further notice and would be contacted soon so a formal interview with the review board could be arranged. Nodding, Kayla promised to immediately appoint someone to act as chief of staff in her absence.
"Kayla, I'm -- I'm so sorry," Tripp said after Mitchell walked away. "Yeah. Me, too," Kayla numbly replied before stepping into an unoccupied examination room to contact Steve and let him know what had just happened.
Steve soon arrived to comfort Kayla, who allowed for the possibility that she truly was responsible for the patient's death. Steve refused to believe that, insisting that Kayla was a good, conscientious doctor. "Something's off here. I can feel it. You've been wronged. I don't know how or why, but I'm gonna find out, [and] I'm gonna help you clear your name," Steve assured Kayla.
Jade summoned Tripp to a secluded section of the town square so she could say goodbye to him. Surprised to learn that Jade was planning to leave Salem, Tripp protested, "You're supposed to help me take down Kayla!" Jade apologetically explained that she felt like she needed to make taking care of herself more of a priority for the time being.
"And I kind of get the feeling that you're having second thoughts on taking down Joey's mom -- an attack of conscience," Jade added. Tripp admitted that he did sometimes feel sorry for Kayla. Nodding, Jade suggested that it might be best for Tripp to abandon his plan to destroy Kayla's life. "I mean, I know that you want to get back at her for your mom's death, but the thing is, she's not..." Jade continued before letting her voice trail off.
"What are you not telling me, Jade?" Tripp demanded to know.
Steve was surprised to find Kayla was working at the pub. Kayla said she was helping Roman out. Steve said Kayla would be back to work at the hospital soon because she was good at her job. Curious, Kayla asked Steve if he had any theories. Steve reasoned aloud that if a doctor had made a dosage mistake three times after not making an error for years, it would appear that someone had set that doctor up for a fall. Shaking her head, Kayla said she did not have any enemies. Steve offered to investigate on her behalf. Kayla did not want to believe that someone would have hurt her.
In the park, Tripp asked Jade why she was behaving strangely. Tripp accused Jade of playing games. Jade explained that Kayla would get away with her crimes because everyone else did. When Tripp interjected that Kayla had been suspended, Jade counseled Tripp not to push his luck with Kayla. Confused, Tripp asked Jade why she had changed her mind. Jade said she hated Kayla, but she thought it would be better for Tripp if he let go of his anger. Jade encouraged Tripp to do something that made him happy instead.
Jade gently touched Tripp's arm and told him that he had been a good friend to her. Pulling away, Tripp asked Jade if she was still interested in Joey. Jade admitted that Tripp had treated her better than Joey but that she was still hung up on her ex. Moving closer, Tripp reminded Jade that the best way to get over someone was to fall for someone new. Tripp pulled Jade into a passionate kiss. Jade pulled away. When Tripp asked if he had crossed a line, Jade said she was attracted to Tripp, but she needed a break from men.
"I'll miss you, but I hope everything works out the way you want," Tripp said. Jade encouraged Tripp to keep in touch with her and update her on Kayla. Jade added that Tripp should not do anything else to harm Kayla because it could backfire on him. With a nod, Jade left.
In Eric's room at the Martin house, Nicole and Eric debated whether to tell Brady about their new memories. Nicole confessed that she was terrified to tell Brady about the kiss. Eric demanded to know if Nicole was going to tell Brady the truth. With a sigh, Nicole said she knew what to do. When Eric asked what Nicole wanted, Brady walked through the open door into the room. Brady was surprised to see Nicole standing there.
After apologizing for behaving like a jerk to Eric, a suspicious Brady asked Nicole why she was in Eric's room. Nicole explained that she had remembered something from the night of the murder. Bristling, Brady asked Nicole why she had talked to Eric first. Nicole stammered until a frustrated Brady yelled at her to tell him the truth. Nicole stared quietly at Brady. With a sigh, Brady lowered his voice and asked Nicole to tell him the truth.
Nicole explained that she and Eric had kissed. When Nicole attempted to explain the circumstances, Brady grew angry and warned Nicole not to touch him. Brady walked away. Nicole followed Brady home. At the mansion, Nicole explained that she had not lied because she had only remembered the kiss that morning. Brady asked what had triggered the memory. Nicole said that she had remembered Eric saying that he had done a bad thing. Nicole added that they had talked and struggled to remember.
"Eric realized that the reason he felt that bad thing, why he felt guilty, was because of the kiss," Nicole said. Brady asked why Nicole and Eric had kissed, and he accused her of still loving Eric. As Brady yelled, Nicole begged him to stop. Nicole explained that she had kissed Eric because she had believed that he had been Daniel. Nicole told Brady that she and Eric had mutually hallucinated talking to Daniel about forgiveness. As Brady stared in silence, Nicole pointed out that she had chosen not to lie to Brady. Nicole asked for Brady's forgiveness.
"I'm a jackass. I'm sorry. Baby, I doubted you, and that was wrong, and I'm sorry," Brady said. Relieved, Nicole apologized. Nicole said that Eric meant nothing to her and that Brady was her heart. Brady said he believed her. After telling Brady that she loved him and missed him, they kissed and headed upstairs.
In her room at the Martin house, Abigail confronted Dario about the money in his bag. Dario said he was not doing anything illegal and that the money was his bank deposit from the club. With a nod, Abigail apologized and left. Abigail went to the police station and asked Mel if she could borrow a listening device. Reluctantly, Mel agreed. Abigail took the device over to Dario's office at Club TBD, and she planted it on the side of his desk.
After hiding his money behind the headboard in Abigail's hotel room, Dario went over to the club and found Abigail sitting behind his desk. Abigail lied that she had been dropping off lunch and leaving him a note. With a grin, Dario reminded Abigail that they served food at the club. Abigail explained that she thought it would look good to Immigration if she delivered lunch to her husband. Citing errands, Abigail ran off.
While Dario conducted business at his desk, Abigail used headphones to listen to his conversation from her hotel room. Dario called Myron and told him that someone had found the counterfeit money. Dario assured Myron that the person would not say anything and added that he wanted to back off of the counterfeiting operation for the moment.
"It's a good thing GDR has other ways to make money. How's our other project going? Have you been able to gain access to Titan? That phony money operation is chump change compared to what we could get out of Titan Industries," Dario said. Abigail frowned. When Abigail headed downstairs to look over her notes, she ran into Eric in the living room. Eric offered an ear for Abigail to talk.
Abigail confessed that she had learned that her new husband was involved in illegal activities. When Eric asked for details, Abigail mentioned counterfeiting money. Abigail said that Dario was a good person, but he made bad choices. When Eric asked if there was anything else, Abigail admitted that Dario had his sights set on Titan. Eric warned Abigail to stop Dario because Victor would crush him. Abigail said she wanted to help Dario before he ended up in jail like his father.
Abigail went upstairs, and after looking at the hidden money, she placed it back behind the headboard. When Dario returned home, he presented Abigail with a rose as a thank you for dropping off lunch. Abigail asked about the club. Dario said business was slow but was bound to pick up soon. When Dario suggested they go to the lake, Abigail said she was on her way out to meet a friend. Dario told Abigail that she could quit her job if she wanted because he would support her. With a defiant edge to her voice, Abigail stressed that she loved her job and intended to keep it. Abigail walked into the hallway, and she called Andre and asked for help.
At the hospital, Steve talked to Shelly at the nurses' station. Shelly said she was sure Kayla would be cleared. Steve questioned Shelly about Kayla's behavior recently and about the policy for ordering medication. Shelly explained that a doctor could not order any medication without first entering their personal password. When Steve asked if nurses could change the charts, Shelly tensed. Shelly said that nurses did not have the ability to change medication dosages.
Narrowing her eyes, Shelly asked if Kayla had blamed the nurses for the errors. Steve firmly said that was not the case. Steve added that he believed someone had set Kayla up. When Steve asked if anyone had access to Kayla's passwords, Shelly growled that only Kayla had that information. Shelly added that Kayla would have been better off remaining a nurse.
At the pub, Tripp asked Kayla why she was behind the bar. Kayla said Roman had asked for her help, and she did not want to be stuck at home. Kayla reiterated her offer to help Tripp study for the MCAT if he was interested in pursuing medicine. Laughing, Kayla said she knew that she had promised not to push. Tripp asked Kayla if she was worried about her job. Kayla admitted she was worried. When Tripp asked what could happen, Kayla said she could lose her license, and someone could sue her.
With a shrug, Kayla said that if the worst happened, she would be happy to watch Tripp fall in love with medicine as she had all those years before. Tripp said she would not lose her medical license because he knew she had not messed up the dosages. Kayla thanked Tripp for his support. With a sigh, Tripp asked Kayla to hear him out. Tripp said he had gone crazy after learning the truth about his mother.
Kayla interrupted to say, "We all wish that things would have turned out differently for your mom. But Steve is so grateful that you were able to forgive him." Kayla added that forgiveness was hard and that she had failed to forgive Jade for her antics. Kayla said that Jade had encouraged Joey to do things out of character. Defensive, Tripp warned Kayla that Jade was not the devil. Kayla urged Tripp not to be fooled by Jade. Tripp announced that Jade had left town. With a grunt, Tripp noted that Kayla appeared to be pleased by the news.
"I don't know what's worse -- what she did to Joey or that she might do the same thing to you," Kayla said. Tripp noted that he was not Joey. When Kayla continued to remark on Jade's issues, Tripp interrupted to bark that Kayla was talking about Jade the way everyone in town talked about his mother. Tripp reminded Kayla that Ava had intended to leave town but that Steve had killed her anyway.
"I guess I'm not as forgiving as you think I am," Tripp yelled. Pushing away his uneaten meal, Tripp walked out. When Steve arrived, Kayla informed Steve about her conversation with Tripp. Kayla noted that Tripp was protective of Jade and was clearly not over Ava's death. Steve updated Kayla on his research at the hospital. Steve noted that Shelly had an attitude, and he posited that Shelly had filled the syringe with the wrong dosage.
Shaking her head no, Kayla said Shelly would not jeopardize a patient's health. Kayla added that she had previously turned Shelly in for bad-mouthing the hospital to patients. With a shrug, Steve reminded Kayla that she had no other enemies.
In the park, Tripp stared at a photo of his mother on his phone. Tripp promised Ava that he would make Kayla pay for what she had done.
