Days of our Lives recap for February 7, 2025: Rachel's plan falls apart

At the Blake house, a tied-up Ava screamed for help. Brady rushed in and untied her from the chair. “I can’t believe you’ve been here this whole time. I’m sorry, I had no idea,” Brady said. As Brady kissed Ava, she startled awake. Ava looked around the room, and she realized that Brady was not there and she was still tied to a wheelchair. Ava started screaming for help until the Woman in White appeared.

“You’re wasting your breath. No one is coming for you,” the woman said. The woman assured Ava that Brady believed Ava had left him for good because her text had been very convincing.

“I never should have said anything about China,” Ava lamented. The woman thanked Ava for having given her the idea for Ava’s disappearance. Ava argued that Brady would not believe the text because she had already discussed the issue with Brady. “We decided we didn’t need to break up because of Rachel,” Ava said. The woman countered that Brady would believe Ava had reconsidered the decision.

“What if I made it the truth?” Ava asked. Ava offered to go to Hong Kong and stay out of Kristen’s way. “If I let you out of that door, you’re going to call Brady the first chance you get,” the woman said. Ava explained that she had suffered from mental illness and that no one would believe her if she talked about a mysterious woman in white. “Look, I miss my son. He’s going to be married soon, and I want to be there,” Ava said. Ava argued that the woman would never hear from her again.

“It’s a very tempting offer, but I’m afraid I can’t take you up on it,” the woman said. The woman explained that she liked having someone to talk to. “So you won’t let me leave because you want to have someone to chat with?” Ava asked. “I won’t let you leave because I don’t trust you,” the woman said. The woman put Ava’s gag back in her mouth.

In the DiMera living room, Brady apologized to Kristen for having arrived early to take Rachel to her therapist. “I haven’t been sleeping well,” Brady confessed. Kristen argued that it was ridiculous for Brady to pine after a woman who had dumped him and left for Hong Kong without a word. “She broke up with you over a text,” Kristen said. Brady growled that he did not want to talk about Ava.

“I don’t like to see you hurt, Brady. And you can’t take her ending things with you personally. She said she left because she didn’t want to come between you and Rachel,” Kristen said. With a shake of his head, Brady noted that he had already had that conversation with Ava. “I told her that Rachel was seeking therapy and that there was no reason for us to end anything. And I thought she was on board, and then she gets on a plane without even telling me,” Brady grumbled. Kristen said she was surprised by Ava’s exit.

“Obviously, her feelings for you weren’t that deep,” Kristen said. “I guess not,” Brady whispered. Kristen hugged Brady, and she told him that he did not deserve to be treated so poorly. Brady pulled away, and he said he wished that Ava had told him about her reservations. “She never gave you a clue that she was leaving?” Kristen asked. “She did tell me that she felt partially responsible for Rachel running away. But I thought I’d convinced her to let that go,” Brady said. Brady added that he did not know why Ava had not discussed it with him before she had left for Hong Kong.

Kristen encouraged Brady to text Ava, and he reluctantly agreed. As Brady texted Ava, Kristen grabbed the backpack in the front hall. It beeped. Kristen looked inside, and she found a phone with a text message from Brady.

“Why on earth does Rachel have Ava’s phone?” Kristen whispered. Kristen looked at the text messages to and from Brady. “[Ava] didn’t write these. Rachel did. So if Ava is not in Hong Kong, then where the hell is she?” Kristen said. Kristen dug through the backpack, and she found her scrapbook. “Oh no,” Kristen whispered. Brady joined Kristen in the foyer, and he asked if she was ready to leave.

Kristen said she had a headache, so she asked Brady to take Rachel to the therapist. “I’m just going to head upstairs and lie down for a bit,” she said. Kristen handed Rachel’s backpack to Brady, who went to find her. When the coast was clear, Kristen grabbed her purse and left the house.

In the Hernandez kitchen, Jada stared at her phone and wondered aloud why Rafe had not returned her call. Jada called Rafe’s phone. At the Salem Inn, Arnold groaned, “Not again.” Arnold sent Jada’s call to voicemail. As Arnold returned his attention to the TV, Rafe’s phone rang again. This time, it was EJ calling. Arnold told EJ that Jada had been calling his phone all morning. EJ complimented Arnold on his performance at the wedding.

“Now that we’ve extricated Ms. Hunter from her office, the next step is to have you take her place,” EJ said. “So now I have to be the top cop?” Arnold asked. EJ told Arnold that he would make it worth his while. In EJ’s bedroom at the DiMera mansion, he grumbled into the phone, “I am not stopping now. Not when I’m so close to the finish line.” Belle exited the bathroom, and EJ ended the call.

“That call was about tanking Jada’s career, wasn’t it?” Belle asked. “What do you mean?” EJ countered. Belle explained that she had read the story in the paper about how Rafe had announced at his wedding that he had evidence that Jada was a corrupt cop. With a shrug, EJ complimented Rafe’s detective work. “You would know since you hired him. So all of this hell that Jada’s been going through, that’s all because of you, isn’t it?” Belle asked. Belle noted that it was strange that EJ had hired Rafe, a man EJ hated.

“Plus, Jada doesn’t even have so much as a parking ticket, so what would make you so sure that Rafe would find anything?” Belle asked. EJ said he knew that it was possible from the start that Rafe would not find anything on Jada. “But you went ahead with it anyway,” Belle said. “Given how egregiously I was treated, I felt obligated to at least try,” EJ said. Belle raised a suspicious eyebrow, and she asked EJ why he had not used one of the myriad of people on the Dimera payroll to investigate instead of Rafe.

“Because, darling, if I produce the evidence myself, everyone would question it. But if it came from Rafe Hernandez, the very model of decency and fairness, it would be beyond reproach,” EJ said. “So, in other words, you used Rafe to dig up the dirt so you could be certain to bury his bride-to-be,” Belle said. EJ confirmed that was right. “That is truly a despicable thing to do,” Belle said. EJ argued that he was a victim, not the villain.

“At the very same time that [Jada] was convincing the mayor to have me fired for bending the rules, she was cutting corners left and right to earn herself a promotion,” EJ said. “Allegedly. Nothing’s been proven yet,” Belle countered. EJ smirked, and he argued that Belle wanted to protect the woman who had secured Belle’s job as the DA.

“Now you’re suddenly out there all on your own, totally exposed,” EJ said as he opened Belle’s bathrobe. Belle snapped the waistband of EJ’s pajamas, and she warned him that he was in danger of being exposed. EJ and Belle kissed and fell into bed.

After sex, EJ said he heard something. “Samantha! Is that you?” EJ yelled. Belle slapped EJ’s chest, and she told him that was not funny. “We talked about this! We agreed that we were not going to live in fear of my sister,” Belle said. With a shrug, EJ noted that they should still be prepared for when Sami heard about their affair. “You and Sami are divorced. Shawn and I are divorced. We can do whatever we want. There is no reason to hide,” Belle said. “Strong argument, counselor,” EJ said. EJ told Belle to shower while he talked to the cook about breakfast.

Steve stopped by the Hernandez house to check on Jada. “Paulina has me on administrative leave while they look into this so-called evidence against me,” Jada said. “I’m so sorry,” Steve said. Jada wondered aloud how someone could have evidence against her for crimes that she had not committed. “I hope you know I don’t believe you did any of this,” Steve said. Jada thanked Steve for his support.

“Which is much more than I can say for Rafe,” Jada said bitterly. “Rafe’s not here?” Steve asked. Jada explained that Rafe had not come home or returned any of her phone calls. “I know you’re hurting. But you’re not alone,” Steve said. Steve promised that a host of people were working to clear Jada’s name. “And Rafe will come home,” Steve added. “Yeah, maybe after Gabi and Javi kick me out,” Jada said. Steve disagreed.

“I can’t believe any of this is happening. Rafe knows me. As a cop and as a human being. And I thought that I knew him. It’s just, this is just beyond out of character for him,” Jada said. Steve reminded Jada that EJ had hired Rafe. “He obviously blames me for him losing his job. And he did threaten to retaliate, but I didn’t think he would take it this far,” Jada noted. “When it comes to DiMera, there’s no such thing as too far,” Steve said.

As Jada reviewed what “Rafe” had told her about why he had taken the case, Steve said that he believed EJ had manufactured the evidence and had someone deliver it to Rafe. “Seems on brand, right?” Steve said. Jada agreed, and she asked Steve how they could prove their theory. Steve offered to take the case pro bono, and he said he would start after he checked on Kayla at the hospital.

“What happened?” Jada asked. “You remember Whitley King? Well it turns out, she was responsible for all the mayhem at Body & Soul,” Steve said. Steve informed Jada that despite being in Bayview, Whitley had sent poisoned scripts to all of the cast. “They had an antidote and everyone is going to be fine, but I need to get going and just check on Kayla,” Steve said. Jada asked Steve to send her regards.

At the Salem Inn, Arnold chuckled as he listened to Jada’s voicemails. Someone knocked on the hotel room door. With a sigh, Arnold stomped to the door. “I have nothing to say to you!” Arnold yelled as he opened the door. Paulina was in the hallway. “Well, that’s too bad. Because I have something to say to you,” Paulina said. Arnold apologized.

“I didn’t feel comfortable going home after everything that happened,” Arnold explained. “You mean after you called off your own wedding to hand over all that evidence of Jada’s impropriety?” Paulina asked. Arnold nodded yes, and he confirmed that a police officer had collected the evidence. Paulina asked for the name of the officer.

“Why do you need it?” Arnold asked. “This is an official investigation now. That source provided a lot of serious evidence against Jada. I need to find out how they got it, when they got it, what their involvement might be,” Paulina explained. Paulina added that Jada had a right to confront her accuser. Arnold refused to give Paulina the name of the officer, and said he had promised to protect his friend.

“If I thought that there was anything that was off, with that evidence or if there was any red flag whatsoever that told me that it wasn’t legit, I would insist that you speak to the source. But I saw those files. And unfortunately, there is no need for that,” Arnold said. “So, you believe that about your fianceé?” Paulina asked. Arnold said he did not want to believe the evidence, and that he was devastated.

“But I can’t say, if I’m honest with myself, it’s at all surprising,” Arnold said. “Meaning what?” Paulina asked. Arnold told Paulina that Jada had suffered from imposter syndrome. Paulina thanked “Rafe” for his honesty. “I can’t imagine that this is easy for you,” Paulina said. “It hasn’t been. I care about Jada very much,” Arnold said. Paulina noted that due to the seriousness of the allegations, she had been forced to place Jada on leave.

“Of course, I have to appoint a new police commissioner. At least temporarily,” Paulina said. “Well, how about me?” Arnold asked. Paulina was taken aback. Arnold explained that he wanted to help make the situation easier for everyone. “This is obviously your call, and I completely understand if you have someone else in mind,” Arnold said. “Honestly, I don’t,” Paulina confessed. Paulina noted that Shawn’s last turn as commissioner had been a disaster.

“I understand how this looks, you rehiring a guy that you just got rid of. But the public knows me and they trust me, and I’ve never been involved in any kind of scandal. My record is spotless,” Arnold said. Arnold argued that he was the perfect candidate, especially because of the suspicions about Jada. After a moment to think, Paulina gave “Rafe” the job.

Belle walked into the DiMera living room in search of EJ, but he was not there. Belle sat down to eat the pastries that the cook had set out. Jada walked in. “What are you doing here?” Jada asked. Belle lied and said she had stopped by to visit Johnny. “What brings you by?” Belle asked. “I need to talk to EJ. Have you seen him?” Jada asked. Belle said no, and she mentioned the aborted wedding. “I am completely innocent, which is why I need to speak to EJ. He is obviously behind the whole thing,” Jada said. In the corner, the door to the tunnels stood slightly ajar.

In the secret room in the tunnels, EJ delivered breakfast to a bound and gagged Rafe. As EJ took off Rafe’s gag, Rafe asked about EJ’s henchwoman. “Rita had other business to attend to,” EJ said. “Is she out getting Arnold and Jada a wedding present?” Rafe said sarcastically. EJ informed Rafe that the wedding had been called off, as planned. “What did you do?” Rafe asked. EJ told Rafe that Arnold had outed Jada as a corrupt cop and dumped her at the altar.

“Jada is not a corrupt cop, you son of a bitch,” Rafe growled. EJ noted that the investigation would prove otherwise. “And now that there is a vacancy for police commissioner, I’m going to make sure that Arnold fills it,” EJ said. Rafe scoffed at the idea that Arnold could handle the job. “You really are scum,” Rafe muttered. “What I am, Hernandez, is one giant step to getting exactly what I wanted,” EJ said.

Brady sat in the waiting area of the hospital while Rachel talked to her therapist. Steve walked over. “So glad to hear you found little Rachel. Is she okay?” Steve asked. Brady confirmed that Rachel was healthy, but she was there for a therapy appointment. “It turns out part of her grand plan was running away hoping she would get her parents back together,” Brady said. Brady noted that it was evident to him and Kristen that Rachel needed therapy. Brady thanked Steve for having helped Ava with text messages.

“Are you telling me it was Rachel?” Steve asked. “Yeah. She thought Ava was some kind of an obstacle. And turns out, she isn’t anymore,” Brady said. Confused, Steve asked Brady what he meant. “Ava broke up with me. She actually just left for Hong Kong to see Tripp,” Brady said. Steve noted that Tripp had not mentioned that Ava was in town. When Brady noted that Ava had not returned his calls, Steve called Tripp. Steve asked Tripp to put Ava on the phone. “She’s not there?” Steve said. Brady’s eyes went wide.

At the Blake mansion, a gagged Ava struggled to break free from the wheelchair. Kristen called out from the hallway, and Ava shouted Kristen’s name through the gag. When Kristen appeared in the doorway, she said, “Oh my god. Just as I thought.” Kristen took the gag out of Ava’s mouth, and she started to untie the ropes. “How did you find me?” Ava asked. Kristen stopped and took a step back.

“I found your phone in Rachel’s backpack, along with my scrapbook about Aremid. I just put two and two together. But the thing that I don’t understand, how did you get here?” Kristen asked. “Rachel called me and she said she needed help. She gave me this address. I immediately called Brady. I left him a message,” Ava said. Kristen explained that Ava’s voicemail had been garbled because of bad reception.

“And Rachel knew that. She knew that Brady didn’t hear me say that I was on my way here. And that is why he thought I went to China,” Ava said. “Rachel did this all by herself?” Kristen asked. Ava told Kristen that someone in the house had helped Rachel. “Is it the Parrot Man?” Kristen asked. “No, she told me to call her the Woman in White,” Ava said. Kristen gasped.

“What are you talking about?” Kristen said. “Kristen, my love, is that you,” the woman said as she entered the room. Kristen slowly turned and looked at the Woman in White. “Mother?” Kristen said.

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