Connie's bomb explodes; Days of our Lives recap for Friday, September 20, 2024

Steve called Kayla at the hospital to update her on his meeting with Clyde. Kayla reminded Steve that she could not do a secret DNA test on Abigail, no matter how many doubts he had about Abigail’s story.

As Kayla ended her call, Jada approached to ask for help to calm Rafe. Jada updated Kayla on her theories about Connie and why Rafe was worried. Jada noted that Gabi had not responded to anyone in hours. “I hope she’s okay. I mean, Rafe has been through so much already,” Kayla said. Kayla offered to administer a mild sedative to calm Rafe.

“What about Connie? Do you think that she left town?” Kayla asked. “Honestly, I’m not even sure that she knows that we’re onto her yet, but she’s gonna know soon enough,” Jada said. Jada explained that there was an APB out for Connie and that Kristen had spotted Connie in the park that morning. Kayla agreed to watch over Rafe while Jada joined the manhunt for Connie.

At the Horton house, Chad was surprised to see Abigail in the living room. “I’m sorry. The door was unlocked, and I thought you’d want to know. I remember something,” Abigail said. Chad’s face lit up. “You did?” Chad said. Abigail told Chad that she had remembered something about their relationship.

While Chad went to make sure the children were kept away from the living room, Abigail rehearsed what she wanted to say to Chad. After a few lines, Abigail groaned. “Damn it. How am I supposed to keep doing this to him?” Abigail whispered. Abigail thought about her conversation with her brother Mark, when she had denied that she had feelings for Chad. Mark had warned Abigail to be careful.

When Chad returned to the living room, Abigail apologized for having shown up without checking to make sure the kids would not see her. Chad confirmed Julie was playing games with the kids. Abigail told Chad that when he had recited his vows to her, it had touched her. “But I thought you said you didn’t remember anything?” Chad said.

“No, I didn’t. Not at first. And then, I kept looking at the album and thinking about the words you said. And it was like the Abigail you were talking about didn’t feel like a stranger to me anymore. It felt like she was inside me. I could hear the music. I could smell the flowers. I could taste the wedding cake. And then, I saw you standing in front of me, saying those words to me for the first time. And all of a sudden, my vows started spilling out of me, Chad. I remembered them,” Abigail said. Chad hugged Abigail. “This is exactly what I have prayed for,” Chad said. A look of guilt crossed Abigail’s face.

When Chad pulled away, he asked how much Abigail had remembered. “Pretty much all of them,” Abigail said. Chad eagerly encouraged Abigail to recite the vows. “They say that when you meet someone and you fall in love with them, you’re drawn to them because they have something unique,” Abigail started. As Abigail continued to recite her vows, Chad nodded and teared up. “There’s no way that you would know any of those words if you weren’t there with me that day. If you weren’t you,” Chad said. “Of course not,” Abigail said. Chad said he was thrilled that Abigail had remembered one of their happiest memories together.

“There’s so many more to come,” Chad said. “I can’t wait till that day,” Abigail agreed. Chad placed his hand on top of Abigail’s. “I don’t think for a second that we’re just gonna go right back to the way we were. I’m not trying to pressure you. But it’s the most hope I’ve had since I found out you were alive,” Chad said. “Yeah, I feel that, too,” Abigail agreed. Chad’s phone rang, and he stepped out to take the call. Abigail breathed a sigh of relief that Chad had believed her performance.

At the hospital, Mark called his sister and left her a voicemail update about his meeting with Clyde. “I tried to tell him to stop pressuring you, but he pushed back, hard. He’s desperate for you to marry Chad again, ASAP,” Mark said. As Mark assured Abigail that Steve had not seen him, he turned and saw Kayla approach. Mark ended the call, and he lied and said he had been talking to a patient.

Kayla asked Mark if he remembered the DNA test she had given him to run for her niece. “Abigail? How is she?” Mark asked. Kayla said Abigail was adjusting. “I just wanted to make sure that you kept [the DNA test] absolutely in your sight the whole time,” Kayla said. Mark confirmed that, per Kayla’s instructions, he had kept his eyes on it the whole time.

“Why?” Mark asked. Kayla explained that Abigail was family, and her husband wanted to be sure that the results were accurate. “I completely understand. He has nothing to worry about, nor do you,” Mark said. Mark stressed that it would have been impossible to tamper with the test results. “That woman is most definitely your niece,” Mark added. Kayla nodded.

At the Horton house, Abigail listened to Mark’s voicemail while she waited for Chad to return. Abigail called Mark back. Mark apologized for having been unable to get Clyde to back off. “I stepped things up on my side. I ‘remembered’ my wedding vows with Chad,” Abigail said. Abigail explained she had found the vows in a box of mementos, and she had memorized them. Abigail confessed that after she had said the vows to Chad, she had felt guilty because of how Chad had responded.

“I know that I’ve been deceiving him all along, but somehow, deceiving him like this, it feels incredibly and especially cruel,” Abigail said. “Look, I don’t like this, either. You know that. But we have to go through with it. It’s the only option. Mom’s life is on the line,” Mark said.

In the DiMera wine cellar, the tied-up Gabi and Melinda appealed to Connie not to kill them. “As much as I’ve enjoyed hearing both of you grovel, the answer is no. Bye-bye, ladies. Have a blast,” Connie said. Connie activated the timer on the bomb, and she walked out. Gabi and Melinda started to scream as the timer ticked down from two minutes and 30 seconds.

In the living room, E.J. noticed the fireplace poker on the floor, covered in blood. E.J. looked around the room, and he saw that the door to the secret passageway was ajar. “What the hell is going on here?” E.J. said. E.J. slipped into the passageway. In the wine cellar, the timer ticked down to 30 seconds. Gabi prayed aloud while Melinda struggled against her ropes and screamed.

As E.J. grabbed the doorknob to the wine cellar, the bomb detonated. E.J. was blown to the floor, unconscious. When E.J. stirred awake, a fire was burning in the hallway, and the door to the wine cellar was blown open. E.J. stumbled into the room and saw debris and fire everywhere. E.J. spotted a fire extinguisher, and he used it to put out the fire.

In the DiMera living room, Jada called into the precinct to confirm that the mansion smelled of smoke but that she did not see a fire. “No occupants on the scene, but there were two cars in the garage. I’m going to do a thorough check. Dispatch units immediately,” Jada said. As Jada ended her call, she noticed the bloody fire poker on the coffee table where E.J. had left it. Jada looked around, and she spotted the open secret door to the tunnels.

In the wine cellar, E.J. noticed Melinda as she started to cough. “What are you doing here?” E.J. asked as he squatted next to her. “Connie Vininski. Go help Gabi,” Melinda said. “Gabi?” E.J. said. E.J. looked around the room until he spotted Gabi pinned under some debris. Melinda said she was fine, and E.J. went over to check on Gabi.

“Gabi! Open your eyes, it’s E.J.!” E.J. yelled as he shook Gabi’s shoulder. Gabi did not respond. “Is she?” Melinda asked. E.J. held Gabi in his arms, and he attempted to wake her up. Jada entered the room. “Oh, my God! What happened?” Jada said. Melinda noted that Connie had set off a homemade bomb, and E.J. had put out the fire after the explosion. As Jada untied Melinda from her chair, E.J. announced that Gabi needed immediate medical attention for a head injury.

“First responders are on the way,” Jada said. “There’s no time! I’ll take her myself,” E.J. said. E.J. scooped Gabi into his arms as Jada warned E.J. not to move her. Unfazed, E.J. promised Gabi that he would get her help, and he carried her out of the room.

Jada helped Melinda through the passages and into the cleaner air of the living room. Melinda started to tell Jada about the cardboard cutout of Li, but Jada noted that they had already found it when they had searched Connie’s apartment. “We realized that Connie was holding you hostage, but we didn’t know where she had taken you. We didn’t even know if you were still alive,” Jada explained. Melinda confirmed that Connie had not known that the police were “onto her.”

“I’m just so sorry we didn’t find you sooner,” Jada said. Melinda wheezed, and she told Jada that she was thankful they had been found. With a chuckle, Melinda noted that they had been lucky that Connie had been an incompetent bombmaker. Jada asked Melinda if Connie had said anything before she'd left.

“She said that she was going home to be with Li and then leaving town,” Melinda said. Jada noted that Connie’s apartment was filled with police. “[Connie] mentioned something about having some loose ends to take care of first,” Melinda added. Jada asked for details, but Melinda said she did not know. Melinda suggested that Jada track Connie’s phone, but Jada confirmed that Connie had switched out her phone for a burner.

As the sounds of an ambulance siren grew closer, Melinda remembered that Connie had taken Gabi’s phone. “I couldn’t track Gabi’s phone before because there was no signal in the DiMera secret room, but this just might be the break that we need,” Jada said.

Ava returned to her room above the Brady Pub, and her phone beeped with a text from Stefan. “Another apology? Another one not accepted,” Ava muttered. Stefan called Ava’s phone, and Ava rejected the call. At the Bistro, Stefan left a voicemail apology for Ava. Halfway through his apology, Stefan said, “No. I need to do this in person. I will see you soon.”

When there was a knock at Ava’s door, she groaned. Ava was surprised to see Connie was in the hallway. “What are you doing here?” Ava asked. “Just tying up a few loose ends,” Connie said as she brushed past Ava into the room. Connie told Ava that she knew Ava had been talking to people in town about Connie’s résumé. Ava denied that she had talked to anyone, but Connie called her a liar.

“Now, I’ve already made sure that Melinda won’t be able to badmouth me to anyone else ever again,” Connie said. Ava paled. “Oh, my God,” Ava said. “And now, you won’t either,” Connie said. Connie pulled a knife out of her purse. “How did you know where I live?” Ava asked. Connie said she had looked up Ava’s information at work in case she'd needed it. Ava promised not to tell Gabi about Connie’s résumé, because she did not like Gabi.

“So, as far as I'm concerned, I never even saw you,” Ava said. “Well, Gabi and I, we’re parting ways. She’s in the past now,” Connie said. Connie explained that she was starting a new life with her boyfriend. “But I can’t have everyone thinking I’m a fraud, Ava. First off, it isn’t true,” Connie said. Connie stressed that she was an excellent worker. Ava agreed.

“I have heard that you are very efficient and very conscientious,” Ava said. “Now you’re just sucking up so I won’t hurt you, but I see right through you,” Connie countered. Ava reiterated that she had heard good things. Connie demanded to know who Ava had told about the résumé. When Ava said no one, Connie asked if Ava had told Stefan. “I didn’t say anything to him. Not about you,” Ava lied. Connie called Ava a bad liar.

“Let’s say I said something to him, which I did not. I don’t think it’s even going to register. He has so many more important things on his mind right now,” Ava argued. Ava added that even if Stefan knew, he wouldn’t care. “I trust that philandering creep about as much as I trust you. In fact, he’s my next stop, once I’m through with you,” Connie said. Stefan knocked on the door and called out to Ava.

“How convenient. Someone just saved me a trip,” Connie said. Through the door, Stefan apologized to Ava. “Go away, Stefan! I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” Ava yelled. Connie pulled Ava to her and held a knife to Ava’s throat. “You’re going to tell him to come in here, or your next words will be your last,” Connie whispered. Stefan begged Ava to open the door.

“Come on in. The door is open,” Ava yelled. Stefan opened the door, and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Connie holding Ava at knifepoint. “Oh, God,” Stefan said. “Mr. DiMera, so nice to see you. Please, join the party,” Connie said. Connie ordered Stefan to close the door. Reluctantly, Stefan complied.

“I’m eliminating all the problem people in my life, and lucky for me, the next person on my list just came knocking at the door,” Connie said. Stefan noted that he understood Connie’s anger at him because of Connie’s loyalty to Gabi. “Gabi? I hate that little slut. I’m glad you cheated on her,” Connie grumbled. Connie added that she hated them all because they had hurt her boyfriend.

“What boyfriend?” Stefan asked. “Li Shin! Hello!” Connie yelped. Connie blamed Stefan and Gabi for Li’s death and having broken Li’s heart. “You’re angry, and I get it. But your beef is with me and Gabi, okay? What does this have to do with Ava?” Stefan said. Connie argued that Ava had told Stefan that Connie's résumé was a fake. “No, I told you I didn’t,” Ava interjected. Connie reiterated that she did not believe Ava.

“So, now, I have to silence her for good. And then you’re next,” Connie said. Stefan noted that Connie’s résumé was irrelevant because she did not want to work for DiMera. “Connie, this is all on me, because everything that has gone wrong in your life, starting from Gabi stealing those DiMera shares from Li, that was all my idea. And seriously, we knew that that idiot would fall for anything. Especially Gabi getting kidnapped. What a pathetic loser!” Stefan said.

Frustrated, Connie yelled at Stefan to shut up. Stefan continued to denegrate Li so that she would refocus her anger on him instead of Ava. “Stop it!” Connie said. When Stefan argued that the world was a better place without Li, Connie released Ava, and she lunged for Stefan, striking him with the knife. Ava rushed to her dresser and grabbed a knife.

“No!” Ava yelled. Connie wheeled to face Ava. “You ruin everything, just like last time,” Connie lamented. Connie ran out of the room. As Stefan groaned, Ava rushed to apply pressure to the wound on his arm. “I’ll be fine. You okay?” Stefan asked. Ava said yes. “You saved my life,” Ava said.

At the hospital, E.J. was sitting at Gabi’s bedside when Kayla entered the room. “She still hasn’t regained consciousness,” E.J. said. Kayla noted that Gabi had inhaled a lot of smoke. “You know, a concussion can cause altered consciousness for some time. Even if there isn’t a serious underlying issue,” Kayla said. Kayla informed E.J. that she had ordered tests to check for brain bleeds. When Kayla attempted to send E.J. home, he refused.

“I’m staying right here until I know she’s okay,” E.J. said. Gabi stirred awake. “Thank God,” E.J. said. Gabi asked what had happened. While Kayla stepped out of the room, E.J. updated Gabi. “I feel like such a fool for not seeing the signs, for hiring [Connie] in the first place,” Gabi said. E.J. cautioned Gabi not to blame herself.

“You couldn’t have known what that woman was capable of. And it’s over now, thank God,” E.J. said. After a moment, Gabi confessed how she had felt after the explosion. Touched, E.J. reached out and grasped Gabi’s hand. “I was sure I was gonna die. And there you were, just in time,” Gabi said. Gabi put her other hand on top of E.J.’s. “You saved my life,” Gabi said.

In the hallway, Kayla wheeled Melinda over to Mark. “[Melinda] is suffering from smoke inhalation and the effects from being held hostage,” Kayla said. “By a homicidal lunatic who’s in love with a cardboard cutout. I just hope the police can catch her and that she’ll be locked up for an eternity,” Melinda said.

Outside the Brady Pub, Jada spotted Connie leaving the restaurant with a knife in her hand. Jada drew her gun and shouted, “Hold it right there, Connie! Drop the knife, or I’ll shoot!” Connie frowned.