Days of our Lives recap for January 17, 2025: Leo sets a trap for Kerry

In the town square, Leo and Marlena ran into Javi and Kerry. Leo complimented Javi’s Rochester hoodie. “Actually, Kerry gave it to me,” Javi said. “That’s where I’m from,” Kerry announced. Leo thought about his conversation with Marlena about the Rochester hoodie not being enough evidence to confirm that Javi was Lady Whistleblower. “Unbelievable,” Leo whispered. Confused, Kerry asked why it was unbelievable that he was from Rochester.

“What’s so unbelievable is that I was just talking about Rochester with the woman who does wardrobe on our show,” Leo said. Marlena reminded Leo that they needed to get to lunch, but Leo interrupted to invite Javi and Kerry to join them. Kerry explained that he and Javi had been looking forward to having lunch alone together.

“Kerry, I get it. I know that you are not thrilled that Javi and I decided to be friends. But the way I figure it, he and I are buddies, the two of you are dating, you and I have to find a way to get along,” Leo said. “He does make a good point,” Javi agreed. Marlena sighed as Leo excitedly confirmed their lunch double-date. The group sat down in the cafe, but Leo excused himself to use the restroom.

At the edge of the square, Leo texted Marlena and asked her to meet him. Marlena lied and said she needed to call her assistant. After Marlena walked away, Kerry asked Javi if they had to have lunch with Leo. “We can’t just leave. Leo would be really hurt,” Javi said. “Who cares if he’s hurt? He’s an idiot. He’s just trying to suck up to you,” Kerry countered. Javi asked Kerry to stop fussing.

At the edge of the square, Leo complained to Marlena that Kerry was clearly Lady Whistleblower. “We’ve talked about this. The sweatshirt is not proof,” Marlena said. “That’s why I didn’t confront him. That’s why I invited him to lunch. I know I need actual proof,” Leo said.

When Marlena returned to the table, she explained that she needed to “calm down a patient.” Leo rejoined the table, and he said he had talked to Abe and Kate about a new story idea. “They called to say they loved it,” Leo said. With a nod, Javi said, “I know how worried you were after having to rewrite your long story after Lady W. spoiled it.” Leo asked the group if they wanted to hear the pitch.

“I thought it was confidential,” Marlena said. Leo explained he was not worried about anyone at the table spoiling the story. “And Javi, after the terrible mistake I made accusing you of being Lady Whistleblower, this is a way I can show I trust you. And you too, Kerry, by extension,” Leo said with a grin. After a deep breath, Leo announced that he was going to write a devil-possession storyline. Marlena’s head whipped over toward Leo, and she stared at him in horror.

“It’s a real ripped-from-the-headlines story,” Leo said. “It is?” Javi asked. Marlena sipped her drink and avoided eye contact. “Oh! I forgot you guys are not from Salem. See, Dr. Evans here was possessed by the devil not once but twice,” Leo said. Marlena almost did a spit take but swallowed her drink. Javi looked on in disbelief as Leo noted that the perfect candidate was Charlemagne because she looked like Marlena. Leo lamented that Charlemagne had died, and he pitched the idea that her twin grandchildren had both been possessed by the devil.

“That’s a creative idea,” Javi stammered. “Works for me,” Kerry added. Leo thanked Kerry for his support. “But remember, this goes no further than this table. So you got to keep it under your hat,” Leo said. “Of course,” Kerry said with a smile. Javi questioned Leo for details about the real-life story until Marlena asked them to change the subject. Kerry reminded Javi that they had plans to spend the afternoon alone together. Kerry thanked Leo for the lunch.

“We should do this again. My treat next time,” Javi said. After Kerry left with Javi, Marlena rounded on Leo. “Did you have to choose devil possession?” Marlena hissed. “I’m sorry! It was the only thing I was able to think of on the spot,” Leo said. Leo reminded Marlena that he had not pitched the idea to Kate and Abe, so only the four people at that lunch knew about the idea. “So if Lady Whistleblower writes anything about devil possession, then–” Marlena said. “We will know for a fact that she is none other than Kerry Youmins,” Leo finished.

When Javi and Kerry returned to the Hernandez house, Javi noted that he had liked Marlena. “She’s okay. It’s Leo that annoys the hell out of me,” Kerry said. “Really? I would have never guessed,” Javi teased. Javi thanked Kerry for having made an effort to get along with Leo. “Well, you are worth it,” Kerry said. Kerry kissed Javi until Javi pulled away.

“Look, I know you want to take things slow, but this is a little too slow for me. I’m starting to think you’re not attracted to me,” Kerry complained. Javi stressed that he was very attracted to Kerry. “Then what’s the problem?” Kerry asked. “There’s no problem. Why don’t we take this up to the bedroom,” Javi suggested. Kerry raised a surprised eyebrow.

“Great. I’ll be there in a minute. I just need to call work and tell them I’m taking the rest of the day off,” Kerry said. While Javi went to the bedroom to undress, Kerry took out his laptop and typed up a Lady Whistleblower post.

In the square, Leo and Marlena stared at Leo’s laptop as they waited for Lady Whistleblower to post. “This could take some time. I mean, aren’t there various steps that the writer has to go through before things get published?” Marlena said. Leo shook his head, and he explained that the paper published the Lady Whistleblower column as soon as it was submitted. “There it is! There’s a new column,” Leo yelled. Leo clicked the link.

“Leo Stark should be careful what he puts in an email to his bosses because you never know who might be able to hack in. Get this; Stark is writing a devil possession story, ho-hum,” Leo read aloud. Marlena gasped. Leo continued, “Let’s face it, readers. The guy doesn’t have an original idea in his head. I mean who doesn’t know that happened to his pal, Dr. Marlena Evans, IRL.” Lady Whistleblower’s column noted that any story written by Leo would be a pale imitation of Marlena’s story. “I got you,” Leo whispered.

At the penthouse, Brady talked to Kristen on the phone while Ava waited for him to finish. After the call, a relieved Brady confirmed that Rachel had agreed to see a therapist. Brady apologized again to Ava for Rachel’s string of threatening texts. Ava assured Brady that she was fine. “Anyway, where were we?” Ava asked. Ava and Brady kissed. “That was definitely worth the wait,” Brady whispered. With a grin, Brady asked Ava if she wanted to hang out and talk about something other than his life.

“My being there for you, it’s not an imposition. You know, I care about Sophia and Tate too,” Ava assured Brady. “I really would love to find out what else we share in common,” Brady said. After a conversation about their shared hatred for The Nutcracker, Ava suggested they give the movie a second chance.

Tate arrived at the hospital to meet up with Sophia for her doctor’s appointment. “Why did the doctor move up your appointment? Is everything okay?” Tate asked. Sophia admitted she had changed the appointment time so that she could avoid her mom. Tate assured Sophia that Kayla was a good doctor and a kind person. “So you are in good hands,” Tate said.

When Kayla arrived, she introduced herself to Sophia. Kayla sent Sophia ahead to meet with the nurse in the exam room. Once Sophia was gone, Tate smiled sheepishly at Kayla. “I guess you heard about me and Sophia?” Tate said. Kayla seated Tate in the waiting area, and she confirmed that Marlena had given her the broad strokes of the story. “Does your mom know?” Kayla asked. “Not yet,” Tate admitted. Kayla asked about Holly’s reaction.

“She’s really upset, obviously. Especially now that Sophia is going through with the pregnancy,” Tate said. “Oh. She was considering terminating it?” Kayla asked. Tate told Kayla about how Sophia’s mom had canceled their trip out of town to seek an abortion. “Well, neither one of you are ready to be parents. Have you thought about adoption?” Kayla asked. Tate admitted he and Sophia had discussed the matter, but Sophia was not sure if her parents would be open to the idea.

“I think what you’re doing is admirable, taking responsibility for the pregnancy, standing by Sophia,” Kayla said. Tate thanked Kayla. “But I don’t think Holly sees it that way. She and Sophia hate each other’s guts, and we’ve flipped her world upside down. I don’t know how much longer she’s gonna put up with this,” Tate admitted.

With a sigh, Tate asked Kayla if she was familiar with Doug. “Not really. But I hear he’s a great comfort to Julie,” Kayla said. Tate scoffed, “Apparently, he’s been a great comfort to Holly, too.” Tate admitted that he had no right to be jealous but could not help it. Tate explained that Holly had been crying on Doug’s shoulder since Holly had learned about the pregnancy. “I would imagine she needed that shoulder,” Kayla said gently. Tate agreed.

“I get it. I do. And I know that it’s selfish of me to be worried about where I stand with Holly when Sophia is pregnant. Oh god, Aunt Kayla, I messed up so badly here,” Tate said. Kayla advised Tate not to be too hard on himself. Kayla reminded Tate that he was doing the right thing by standing by Sophia.

“That is all you can do right now. And that’s a lot,” Kayla said. Kayla noted that she would start the initial exam and call for Tate to join them for the ultrasound. “You and Holly have gotten through some difficult times. And you’re going to find your way through this,” Kayla said.

After Kayla completed her initial exam on Sophia, she sent for Tate to join them in the exam room. Tate and Sophia listened to the heartbeat. “So far, everything looks perfect,” Kayla said. Tate held Sophia’s hand, and they smiled at one another. After a moment, Tate noticed his hand and pulled it away. Kayla said she would be back with the ultrasound picture and information that Sophia had asked about.

Once Kayla was out of the room, Sophia told Tate he was free to return to Holly. “I’m sorry I interrupted you guys earlier,” Sophia said. “No, it’s okay. I’m here now. Besides, she has company anyways,” Tate said.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Holly gave Doug the remainder of the money that he needed to pay off his debt. “I don’t know how to thank you,” Doug said. “Just get out of whatever situation you’re in, and don’t let it happen again,” Holly said. Doug promised that he would not repeat his mistake. When Doug asked Holly how she had secured the money, Holly explained that she had told her grandmother that the money was for her senior trip to Washington, D.C. Doug promised to pay Holly back before the trip.

“Honestly, Doug, all I care about right now is you not getting the crap beaten out of you again,” Holly said. Doug texted his creditors, and they agreed to meet in the park. Holly insisted that she go with Doug. “No,” Doug said. Holly argued that Doug could not tell her what to do, but Doug countered that he did not want Holly to get hurt. “You saw what those guys are capable of,” Doug said. Holly argued that the thugs would leave her alone.

“I won’t go at all if you insist on tagging along,” Doug said. “You have to go. You’ll be in more danger if you stand them up,” Holly countered. Doug nodded in agreement, and he asked Holly to stay home. Holly agreed. “Be careful. Please,” Holly said. Doug walked out.

When Doug arrived at the park, he was horrified to see Holly show up moments later. “You agreed not to come with me,” Doug said. “I didn’t come with you. I followed you,” Holly clarified. Doug told Holly to leave, but she refused. “At least go hide in the bushes or something,” Doug said. As Holly started to leave, the thug arrived and blocked her exit. Doug stepped in front of Holly, and he said, “You stay away from her.” Doug gave the money to the thug. Holly could not help herself, and she called the thug pathetic for having beaten up Doug.

“Your girlfriend’s got quite a mouth on her,” the thug said. “She’s not my girlfriend,” Doug said. With a nod, Doug noted that his debt was paid. “And I don’t want to hear from you,” Doug said. “That’s up to you,” the thug said. With a smirk, the man walked off. Frustrated, Doug asked Holly why she had attempted to pick a fight with his assailant. Holly stressed that the matter was over and to forget it. “There’s nothing else to worry about,” Holly said. “I sure as hell hope you’re right,” Doug said.

After Holly left, Doug called Leo and left a voicemail to inform him that he had paid off his debts. “A friend gave me a loan. And I’m determined to get a job and pay it back completely. I need to do right by the people here in Salem that have been so good to me,” Doug said. Doug asked Leo for help in retrieving the necklace.

In the town square, Tate and Sophia sipped sodas. Sophia laughed about the amount of blood they had taken at the hospital, and she pulled the ultrasound photo out of her purse. “Keeping you healthy is worth it, though,” Sophia said to the picture. With a shake of her head, Sophia noted that the baby was the biggest problem in her life but that she had been surprised at how relieved she had been to hear that the baby was healthy. Nearby, Holly stopped and listened to Sophia’s conversation with Tate.

“Me too. Wow, I can’t believe it’s moving already. Can you feel it?” Tate asked. Sophia shook her head, no, but she promised to tell Tate when she did. Tate chuckled. Holly approached the table, and Tate jumped to his feet. “What’s that?” Holly asked. “It’s just our sonogram pic,” Sophia said. Holly asked to see the picture, but Tate noted that she did not need to. “I really do,” Holly said. Sophia handed the picture to Holly. “That’s definitely a baby. Your baby,” Holly said to Tate.

After Brady and Ava finished the movie, Brady and Ava kissed until there was a knock at the door. It was Kristen. “Where is my daughter?” Kristen yelled. Confused, Brady asked Kristen what she was talking about. “Cut the crap! I know she’s here,” Kristen growled. Kristen called out for Rachel. “She’s not here. I thought she was with you,” Brady said. Kristen explained that Rachel had disappeared, and since she had taken Rachel’s phone, she could not track her.

“Rachel could be anywhere in that house. It’s huge. Remember the time she was in the basement? She hid there for three days,” Brady said. Kristen explained that Rachel’s backpack and stuffed snake were gone too. “Have you tried calling her friends?” Ava asked. “Stay out of this!” Kristen said. Brady calmly noted that Ava only wanted to help, and he agreed that they should call Rachel’s friends.

After Brady and Kristen called around, they confirmed that Rachel was not at her friends’ houses or anywhere in the mansion. “It’s time to call the police,” Brady said. Brady confirmed that the police would open a missing persons case. The police instructed Brady to return to the mansion to meet up with the officers and fill out paperwork. “Why? They know Rachel is not even there. They need to be scouring the streets!” Kristen said. Brady explained that the police wanted to review the security footage at the house and collect an item for the dogs to sniff.

“Great! More time wasted not finding our daughter!” Kristen said. Ava asked how she could help. Kristen yelled at Ava to stay out of the situation. “This wouldn’t even be happening if you stayed away from Brady. My daughter’s disdain for you and your involvement in her father’s life is what drove her to run away in the first place,” Kristen argued. Kristen told Ava that she had caused enough damage already. Marlena returned home, and she demanded to know what was happening. “Rachel’s missing,” Brady said.

In Javi’s bedroom, he undressed and thought about when he had first slept with Leo. Javi slapped his face. “Forget about Leo. You are just friends. You’re with Kerry now,” Javi said. Kerry walked in and announced that his schedule was cleared. Javi and Kerry fell into bed together. “This was definitely worth waiting for,” Kerry said. As Javi and Kerry kissed, Leo burst into the room. Javi demanded to know why Leo was there. “I have come to expose Lady Whistleblower once and for all,” Leo said.