Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of May 12, 2014 on DAYS

Nick's shocking murder left most everyone in Salem a suspect and on edge. Daniel confronted Nicole and pressured her to come clean to Eric or else he would expose her lies. Hope questioned everyone who was at Horton Square when Nick had died. Sami felt guilty about the decisions that she and E.J. had made. Abigail and Ben kissed. Kate discovered that her gun was missing.

Monday, May 12, 2014

by Mike

After leaving Ciara with Caroline and Kayla, Hope entered the front section of the pub and spotted Maggie, who was sitting alone at a table because Victor was out of town. Hope was on her way to work, but she seized the opportunity to talk to Maggie about Nick.

Hope shared her concerns about Nick's involvement in Will and Gabi's custody proceedings, summarizing that it sounded like Nick was causing trouble. Hope said that she had promised to talk to Nick about the matter, and she wondered if Maggie would like to help. "Hope, Nick is so...defensive. It's like, how dare I act like I even care? All he cares about is Gabi, and he doesn't see how he's done anything wrong," Maggie reported.

Maggie hoped that Julie had been able to get through to Nick. Hope was surprised to learn that Maggie had "turned Julie loose on" Nick. Maggie smiled and reasoned that Julie was the person who was most likely to get results, since Julie was like a "fluffy little pit bull" who would latch on and refuse to let go until she got through to Nick. As Hope laughed at the analogy, she received a phone call from someone at the police station. After a brief conversation, Hope ended the call and abruptly excused herself.

Nick eyed the onlookers and raised his right hand in an apparent attempt to point an accusatory finger at one of them, but he lost consciousness before he could do so. Julie cradled Nick in her arms and urged him to stay with her. Meanwhile, Sami and Lucas rushed to Allie's side to comfort her. Sami tried to take Allie's focus off of Nick, but Allie couldn't stop staring at Nick's lifeless body.

After calling for an ambulance, Rafe knelt beside Julie to try to assess Nick's wounds. "Get back! You hate him. You all hate him, and one of you did this! You all saw what I just saw. One of you tried to kill him, and he knows it! Oh, get back! All of you! I mean it! Get the hell back!" Julie snapped as she glared at the onlookers.

Jordan intervened, and Julie accepted the help because she recalled that Jordan worked at the hospital. Jordan explained that she also had some EMT training. Jordan identified at least two gunshot wounds -- one of which seemed to have hit an artery -- and Rafe reported the information to the 9-1-1 operator. Jordan noticed that Gabi was carrying a purse and a diaper bag, so she asked if Gabi had a clean cloth in the diaper bag.

Gabi hesitantly retrieved a piece of cloth from the diaper bag and handed it to Jordan, who asked her to apply pressure to one of the wounds. Gabi shook her head and muttered that she couldn't do that, so Julie followed Jordan's instructions instead. As Will comforted Gabi, Kate joined Sami and Lucas, who were still trying to keep Allie focused on them instead of Nick.

After gently turning Allie in the opposite direction, Kate opened her purse and asked Allie for help locating the cell phone that was buried somewhere inside. Allie shakily told Kate that there was a lot of blood on Nick. As Kate kept Allie distracted, Sami told Lucas that they needed to get their daughter out of the town square. Lucas agreed and promised to take Allie somewhere else.

Sami protested that Allie needed to be with her, but Lucas disagreed, pointing out that Kate seemed to be the only person Allie was willing to listen to at that time. E.J. agreed that it would be best to let Lucas and Kate handle Allie for a while, reasoning that Allie needed to be kept away from Johnny and Sydney until E.J. and Sami found an opportunity to tell the latter two kids what had happened to Nick. E.J. comforted Sami as she watched Lucas and Kate escort Allie out of the town square.

Hope and the paramedics arrived at the scene within seconds of each other. The paramedics quickly prepared Nick to be transported to the hospital, and Julie rushed off with them. Meanwhile, Rafe told Hope about what had happened before she had arrived, and they rushed off to try to trace Nick's steps back to the original crime scene.

Gabi wanted to go to the hospital, so Jordan offered to take her there. Ben asked Jordan if Nick was going to survive. "It doesn't look good. I'm surprised he's even still breathing," Jordan announced to the group before leaving with Gabi. Will and Sonny also headed to the hospital to be with Gabi. Ben asked Abigail if she needed him to call anyone or do anything for her. Abigail shook her head and tearfully stated that she wanted to go to the hospital to check on Nick, so Ben decided to escort her there. Sami and E.J. also left the town square in a hurry.

Hope and Rafe easily followed the trail of blood back to the spot in the park where Nick had been shot. Hope recalled that Rafe had previously told her that he had been in the town square at the time of Nick's arrival, and she wondered if "the others" had also been there at that time. Rafe didn't answer the question, instead asking if Hope suspected that one of the witnesses might also be the shooter.

"Why not? It took us ten minutes to get here from the square. It would have taken Nick much longer -- plenty of time for someone to shoot him, dispose of the gun, and --" Hope started to say, but she stopped herself when she noticed that Rafe seemed skeptical. Hope wondered if Rafe had somehow ended up with a different theoretical timeline, and he admitted that he had not. "All right, then. You know the drill. Rafe, everyone who was there tonight is a suspect," Hope summarized.

Hope and Rafe returned to the town square. Rafe was concerned about Hope, but she insisted that her family connection to Nick wouldn't affect her ability to do her job properly. "I knew something was wrong. I knew it. Will and Sonny asked me to talk to Nick, and...I got sidetracked, Rafe. I just -- I mean, Ciara had a meltdown over something at school, and then there were all the break-ins in the east end, and...I blew it off. Now I may never get the chance to talk to him," Hope regretfully admitted.

In a secluded section of the town square, Sami was on the phone with Harold, making sure that he knew that Johnny and Sydney -- who had both woken up earlier -- weren't allowed to watch any television shows that night. As Sami ended the call, E.J. received a text message from someone. Sami quietly guessed that the text message was from the hit man, but E.J. vaguely clarified that she was wrong.

Sami nervously recalled that it had seemed like Nick had been about to literally point the finger at her and E.J. earlier. "Samantha, I saw him raise his hand, and then he dropped it. That's all. I think it's very unlikely he even heard what Julie said. Now, if -- if -- he got a look at the guy who shot him, he's not gonna recognize him. He can't connect him to us," E.J. calmly reasoned. E.J.'s assurances failed to comfort Sami, who feared that Nick would know that they were the two people who were most likely to hire a hit man.

E.J. stressed that the hit man was a professional. E.J. added that he was more concerned about Sami running around town with a look of guilt on her face. E.J. advised Sami to take a deep breath and put a smile on her face, and he promised that if Nick somehow managed to survive the shooting, he would never be able to prove that they had been involved in it. After Sami calmed down, E.J. announced that they were going to go to the hospital. Sami tried to protest, but E.J. reasoned that they needed to be there for Will and Gabi.

Allie paused outside the Brady Pub to tell Kate and Lucas that she wanted to see Nick. Lucas knelt beside Allie and gently explained that Nick had been taken to the hospital. Allie shakily repeated that there had been a lot of blood on Nick, and Lucas assured her that the doctors were going to clean that up. Allie told Lucas that Nick had helped her with her science homework and was really nice. Allie asked if Nick was going to die, and Lucas admitted that he didn't know the answer to that question.

Allie refused to follow Kate and Lucas back to his place, so he suggested that they could instead spend some time with Caroline and Kayla at the pub. Allie agreed, recalling that Nick had always liked the pub. Lucas and Kate escorted Allie into the pub, and Maggie cheerfully greeted them. Lucas returned the greeting and excused himself so that he could take Allie to see Kayla and Caroline. "He had a lot of blood on him," Allie once again muttered as Lucas led her away.

Concerned, Maggie asked Kate for an explanation. Kate sighed and vaguely replied that Allie was in total shock and would probably have unimaginable nightmares later that night. Maggie impatiently urged Kate to elaborate. "Oh, Nick was shot, and Allie was the first one to see it," Kate casually clarified.

As a stunned Maggie absorbed the information, Kate calmly went back to worrying about Allie's emotional state. Maggie interrupted and wondered how Nick was doing. "Oh, I don't know. The paramedics took him to the hospital. It looked bad," Kate matter-of-factly stated with a shrug. Maggie grabbed her purse and rushed out of the pub.

When Lucas returned to the front section of the pub, Kate was sitting at the bar, checking her messages as she sipped white wine. Lucas reported that Allie was sleeping, and he wondered if Kate had heard anything about Nick yet. "Like they would tell me. But, with any luck, Nick is dead by now," Kate mused. Lucas dryly observed that the nurturing mother he knew and loved had just emerged. "Oh, come on, really? Really? I have to pretend in front of you? Half the town hated the guy; I'm the only one with the guts to admit it," Kate unabashedly replied.

Lucas retrieved his cell phone and stared at the text messages he and Nick had exchanged earlier that night. Kate wondered if Lucas had just received confirmation that Nick was dead. Lucas shook his head and claimed that Sami just wanted to know if Allie was all right. After deleting the text messages, Lucas excused himself so that he could go to the hospital. "Wait for me! Wait for me! Hopefully, we'll have something to celebrate," Kate said before draining her glass of wine and following Lucas out of the pub.

When the paramedics wheeled Nick out of the hospital elevator, a doctor was waiting to take him into the operating room. One of the paramedics reported that Nick had gone into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital. Julie tried to follow Nick into the operating room, but a nurse stopped her and insisted that she had to stay in the waiting area.

Meanwhile, Will and Sonny arrived and approached Julie. Will wanted to know if Julie was okay, but she believed that he should have asked about Nick instead. Will said that his next question would have been about Nick. Julie reported that Nick had already been taken to the operating room.

Will wondered if there was anything that he and Sonny could do for Julie. Julie replied that she would like to have the last two hours back so that she could do things differently, reasoning that Nick wouldn't have been shot if she had insisted on taking him to dinner. "I know you two disagree. I know he made mistakes. But he didn't deserve this," Julie told Will before turning away from him.

As Abigail and Ben arrived, Will asked Julie if she needed him to call anyone for her. Julie muttered that she didn't know what to say to Nick's mother, Jessica. Sonny suggested that Julie might want to wait until there was more news to report. Sonny reminded Julie that the doctors had saved Will's life when Will had been shot the previous year. Sonny optimistically reasoned that the doctors might be able to save Nick's life, too.

Julie turned her attention to Ben and irritably demanded to know who he was. Abigail introduced Ben as her friend. Julie wondered if Ben even knew Nick, and Ben confirmed that he had met Nick "once or twice" before. "And you hate him, too. He told me. He told me. I didn't believe him, but he was right. Every. Single. One of you. Hates him," Julie tearfully concluded as she glared at the group. Meanwhile, a nurse interrupted to ask Julie to fill out some paperwork, and she happily accepted the distraction.

As the rest of the group waited for an update on Nick's condition, Gabi arrived and joined them. Abigail wondered where Gabi had been, and Gabi -- who was no longer carrying a diaper bag -- replied that she had been waiting downstairs because she had wrongly assumed that Nick would have been taken directly to the emergency room. Meanwhile, Julie returned, and Gabi apologized for being unable to help Nick earlier. Julie understood, reasoning that Gabi had simply been in shock at that time.

Julie reported that Nick had told her earlier that night that he and Gabi had grown close again. Julie added that Nick had also said that he loved Gabi very much and that he was grateful that he had been given a second chance with her. "Listen, he must have confided in you more than anybody else, so you must have some idea -- who hated him enough to do this to him?" Julie wondered. Gabi remained silent as she turned to face Will, Sonny, and Abigail.

Later, Maggie arrived and rushed to Julie's side. Maggie wondered if Julie had contacted Jessica and Marie to let them know what was going on. Julie shook her head and reasoned that Marie and Jessica couldn't do anything to help the situation, anyway. Julie hoped that if she waited until later to report the incident to the rest of Nick's family, she might be able to soften the blow with some good news.

Meanwhile, Gabi asked if Jordan had managed to learn anything about Nick's condition. Jordan replied that she only knew that the doctors were working hard to save Nick's life. "At times like this, no matter where you two are now, it just falls away, and he just becomes the person that you loved once. This shouldn't happen to anyone," Jordan mused, but Gabi just remained silent.

Elsewhere, in one of the break rooms, Will ended a phone call and informed Sonny that Arianna was sleeping. Will added that Caroline had plenty of supplies and was willing to watch Arianna for as long as necessary. Sonny wondered how Will was doing. Will replied that he couldn't believe what had happened that night. Will stressed that Sonny had to return Victor's gun to the Kiriakis mansion as soon as possible, and Sonny promised that would be the first thing that he did the following morning.

Will and Sonny returned to the waiting area just as Sami and E.J. stepped out of the elevator. Will informed E.J. and Sami that everyone was still waiting for an update on Nick's condition. Meanwhile, Julie stared blankly at the coffee station as Maggie said that she couldn't imagine who would want to shoot Nick. Julie was certain that Nick knew exactly who the guilty party was, and she assured Maggie that he would reveal that person's identity as soon as he woke up.

Maggie suggested that the shooter could be someone Nick had known in prison. Julie was doubtful but wished that were the case, since it would be much easier to accept than the other possibilities. Julie approached Sami and E.J. and demanded to know what the "vultures" were doing at the hospital. E.J. objected to the insult, and Sami reminded Julie that Nick was Will's cousin.

Julie countered that everyone knew that Sami and E.J. "hated Nick's guts." E.J. patiently stated that he didn't think that it was the right time or place for such a conversation. Meanwhile, Maggie intervened and reminded Julie that everyone was upset. "The hell they are," Julie snapped as she glared at E.J. and Sami. Maggie reasoned that it would be best for Julie to focus on Nick, and she led Julie to a nearby seating area.

Meanwhile, Rafe, Hope, Lucas, and Kate exited the elevator together. As Rafe hugged Gabi, Julie informed Hope that everyone was still waiting for an update on Nick's condition. As Maggie started to suggest that Hope might be able to ask for an update as a police officer, a doctor entered the waiting area and asked for Mrs. Williams. Julie identified herself and nervously asked about Nick.

"Mr. Fallon's wounds were very severe. A major artery collapsed. He coded twice. We revived him...but the last time --" the doctor reported, her voice trailing off as Julie released a wail of anguish. "Mr. Fallon was pronounced dead on the table ten minutes ago. I'm so sorry for your loss," the doctor added. Maggie hugged Julie as everyone else absorbed the news.

Hope pulled the doctor aside to talk to her for a moment. When Hope returned, she reported to Julie that Nick had been taken to another part of the hospital for an autopsy. Julie wanted to see Nick before the autopsy was performed, and she urged Gabi to accompany her. Gabi shook her head slightly and took several deep breaths as Rafe protested that he didn't think that was a very good idea. "I didn't invite you," Julie snapped at Rafe.

Julie said that Nick had loved Gabi "more than his whole life." Rafe reminded Julie that Nick and Gabi hadn't even been together at the time of Nick's death, but Julie countered that Gabi and Nick had once been together. Julie pointed out that Gabi would never get another chance to say goodbye to Nick. Rafe started to say something else, but Gabi interrupted and hesitantly assured him that she would be okay. Gabi walked away with Julie.

Hope approached Rafe and asked if he could handle the investigation on his own so that she could spend some time with her family. Rafe responded that he needed to recuse himself from the investigation because he was a bit too close to the people who were involved. Hope seemed surprised but decided that she would instead handle the investigation herself.

Rafe started to remind Hope that she was also really close to the people who were involved in the investigation, as well as the victim himself, but she reasoned that her family connection to Nick would give her even more motivation to solve the crime. Hope left after asking the doctor to take her to see Nick's body.

"Honey, remind me to look up Nick's contract. I can't remember if there was a death clause, benefits to beneficiary -- but, you know, that would have been terminated --" Kate started to tell Lucas, but she stopped when she realized that he was glaring disapprovingly at her. "Really? What's the look? It's business," Kate reasoned, but Lucas just shook his head and silently walked away. Kate sighed and followed Lucas back to the pub.

Abigail muttered that she needed to call her mother, and Ben offered to take her home. After saying farewell to Gabi, Julie, and Maggie, Abigail left with Ben. Elsewhere, Sonny said that he couldn't believe that Nick was gone, and he asked if Will was okay. Before Will could respond, Sami interrupted and hugged him. Meanwhile, E.J. discreetly distanced himself from the rest of the group and placed a phone call to someone.

"Hey, did you get your hands on all the hard copies? Okay, good. No, no, no, no -- don't wipe the drives. That would attract attention. Just get rid of the photographs. Oh, listen -- also, I guarantee you there are some sort of flash drives around that place, okay? Find them. No, destroy those. Look, you're about fifteen minutes ahead of the police. Just do me a favor -- just destroy those photographs. Thank you," E.J. quietly stated before ending the call. Sami approached E.J. from behind and wondered what photographs he was talking about destroying.

E.J. whispered that he'd had Nick's apartment sanitized. "For whose comfort?" Sami wondered. E.J. replied that he'd had the place sanitized for Sami's comfort, and he reminded her that Nick had had incriminating photographs of her, Kate, and Gabi dragging his body through the woods and dumping it in the river. E.J. assured Sami that he had also taken care of Percy, who wouldn't be returning to cause problems for them in the future. Changing the subject, E.J. suggested that it would be best for him and Sami to leave before Julie decided to make another "ugly scene."

In one of the break rooms, Rafe wondered what he was supposed to say to Gabi, who knew how he had truly felt about Nick. Jordan reasoned that Rafe needed to focus on the fact that he hated knowing that Gabi was hurting. Jordan hugged Rafe and assured him that he was better at being a comforting big brother than he realized. Rafe smiled and said that he was really glad that Jordan had decided to stay in Salem.

In one of the examination rooms, Hope said a tearful goodbye to Nick, admitting that she had failed him because, unlike the rest of his family, she had known exactly what he had endured in prison because she had spent time there herself. Hope asserted that she should have done more to help Nick. Hope added that Nick had been a sweet soul at heart, and she said that she was sorry that he had never found the real happiness he had deserved.

Hope returned to the waiting area and told Julie, Maggie, and Gabi that they could say goodbye to Nick whenever they were ready. The three women entered the examination room together, and Julie lovingly ran her fingers through Nick's hair as she admitted that she should have stayed with him that night instead of leaving him alone. Maggie mused that Nick had always felt safest alone -- and with Gabi, of course.

Julie said that she should have done more to help Nick. Maggie insisted that she had tried to help Nick and that he simply hadn't wanted help from her or anyone else. Julie disagreed, believing that Nick just hadn't known how to ask for help. Julie maintained that everyone had failed Nick. Maggie and Julie finished saying their tearful goodbyes and excused themselves so that Gabi could have a few moments alone with Nick.

After the women left the room, Gabi sobbed as she silently recalled happier times with Nick. Gabi exited the room and tracked Rafe and Jordan down in one of the break rooms. Rafe hugged Gabi as she cried in his arms. Rafe insisted that Julie shouldn't have pushed Gabi into viewing Nick's body. "No, it was good. I needed to see --" Gabi started to say before letting her voice trail off. Rafe prompted Gabi to finish her sentence, so she added that Nick was at peace. Gabi followed Rafe and Jordan out of the hospital.

At the Horton house, Ben told Abigail that he was sorry about what had happened earlier and that he hoped that she and the rest of her family would be okay. Ben started to excuse himself, but Abigail stopped him and admitted that she owed him an apology for snapping at him earlier. Abigail admitted that Ben hadn't deserved to be treated that way, but he assured her that he hadn't taken it personally. "You didn't, did you? You're pretty amazing like that," Abigail observed.

Abigail sighed and wondered how she was going to tell her family about Nick's death. Ben assured Abigail that she would find a way to do so. Abigail agreed and thanked Ben for everything he had done for her that night. As Abigail watched Ben walk away, she silently recalled Nick's earlier taunts and threats, and she sighed again as she closed the front door. Alone in the living room, Abigail sobbed quietly. Meanwhile, Ben returned to work at Club TBD.

At the DiMera mansion, E.J. tried to offer Sami a drink, but she wasn't interested. E.J. ignored Sami's refusal and poured a drink for each of them, anyway. Meanwhile, Sami opened the terrace doors and stared outside as E.J. joined her and handed her a glass of whiskey. Sami sipped the drink and assured E.J. that he didn't have to tell her again that they had done the right thing. E.J. knew that it probably didn't feel that way at the moment, but he assured Sami that it eventually would. "It's what I wanted. I know that -- I do. I just -- seeing Nick, I don't think I'll ever feel the same way again," Sami admitted.

In Will and Sonny's apartment, Will was examining Victor's gun when Sonny returned home with a bag of groceries. Will had expected Sonny to be gone for a longer period of time, but Sonny reported that everything had been fine at the club. Will spotted Sonny's jacket laying on an arm of the couch, and he picked it up as he curiously wondered if Sonny had been in the apartment alone earlier that night. Sonny explained that he had been forced to leave the apartment again after realizing that he had forgotten to pick up milk for Arianna, and he had left his jacket behind.

After placing the milk in the refrigerator, Sonny wondered if Will had been checking to see if the gun was still in the apartment. Will nodded and reasoned that it would be best for him and Sonny to get the gun out of the apartment right away, since Victor wasn't at the Kiriakis mansion at that time. Sonny reported that his parents were at the mansion and that he would have to wait until they left the following morning. Will stressed that removing the gun from the apartment needed to be the first order of business for the following day. "First thing. Everything's gonna be all right, Will," Sonny assured Will.

Sonny announced that he was tired and was going to go to bed. "I would do anything for you. You know that, don't you?" Will asked as Sonny started to place the pieces of the gun back in the backpack. "I do. And I would do anything for you. Anything," Sonny replied. Will watched as Sonny returned the backpack to the top shelf of the closet.

At the hospital, Hope gently and reluctantly questioned Julie about what had happened before Hope had arrived at the town square earlier that night. Julie explained that she had asked Nick to tell her who had shot him, and he had raised his arm in an apparent attempt to point out the guilty party but had lost consciousness before he could identify the person. Julie stressed that she was certain that Nick had known who had shot him.

Hope wondered who had been in Nick's line of sight at that particular time. "Sonny Kiriakis. Will Horton. Lucas Horton. Kate Roberts. Rafe and Gabi Hernandez. That girl who works here -- Jordan? Some boy named Ben -- Abigail knows him. Abigail. That snake E.J. DiMera. And Sami -- Sami Brady. That's all," Julie reported. Elsewhere, a nurse raised the end of a sheet to cover Nick's face.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

by Spalding

In his apartment, Daniel reviewed the shredded documents that he had found at Smith Island. Daniel thought about past conversations with Nicole when she had talked about a secret that could help someone. Realizing that the documents he had found had been Nicole's, Daniel cursed. There was a knock at the door, and Daniel was surprised to find a teary-eyed Jennifer at the door. Jennifer hugged Daniel tightly.

Jennifer informed Daniel about what had transpired with Nick. Worried about Abigail, Jennifer decided to go home. Daniel offered his help, but Jennifer declined the offer, noting that she understood why Daniel had not been fond of Nick. Nodding, Daniel remarked that though he was upset about how Nick had treated Melanie, he harbored no ill will toward Nick. When Daniel commented that he had not liked Nick, Jennifer said, "Clearly, you're not alone."

At the Brady Pub, a frustrated Nicole called Daniel's cell phone, but he did not answer the call. As Nicole admired her engagement ring, Marlena walked over and said hello. Nicole asked Marlena if she had talked to Eric. Marlena said no and then asked Nicole about Smith Island. While Marlena talked, Nicole slyly slipped the ring off of her finger and into her back pocket.

Marlena asked Nicole why she had gone to Smith Island. Suspicious, Nicole asked why Marlena was grilling her. Nicole accused Marlena of calling her a liar. Smiling, Marlena said she was only asking Nicole why she had been on the island. Nicole argued that she did not want to talk about the past or deal with Marlena's suspicions.

"The fact that such an innocent question elicits such an amazing response is very telling. Nicole, your defensive network is way out of line," Marlena said. Nicole cut Marlena off when Eric called Nicole's cell phone. When Eric told Nicole that he needed to find his mother, Nicole handed the phone to Marlena. Eric told Marlena that Sami needed her.

In the Horton living room, Abigail and J.J. talked about Nick. J.J. said that although he had not liked Nick, he knew that Abigail had been close to Nick. Upset, Abigail barked that she had not been close to Nick. Abigail apologized for snapping at her brother. Abigail added that Nick had not been the person that she had thought. When J.J. asked why, Abigail told J.J. that she had helped Nick secure a lawyer that had ended up starting proceedings to take custody of Arianna away from Will.

J.J. wondered aloud if Abigail had felt guilty watching someone she hated die, and he reminded her that she was not to blame. When Abigail turned away, J.J. asked what else was bothering her. J.J. reminded Abigail that he had made horrible mistakes and that Abigail could talk to him without judgment. Worried about his sister, J.J. encouraged her to open up. As Abigail opened her mouth to speak, the doorbell rang.

J.J. answered the door and found Paige. Paige offered her condolences to J.J. on the death of his cousin. Abigail thanked Paige for visiting. "It's over, and there's nothing we can do about it. Sometimes you think you may want to turn back the clock, but you can't. And you can't make it right. A fact is a fact. Somebody murdered Nick," Abigail said.

In the DiMera living room, a panicked Sami called E.J. on his cell phone and asked him why he had left early that morning. Sami was worried about talking to the children about Nick alone, but E.J. stressed that he needed to handle some work obligations.

"Have you forgotten that we murdered Nick Fallon last night?" Sami growled. Sami said that she felt guilty and asked E.J. to return home. When Sami hung up the phone and turned around, she saw Eric walking into the living room. Worried, Sami asked Eric what he had heard. Eric asked Sami what she had done. Stuttering, Sami said she felt guilty and would hate herself forever. On the verge of tears, Sami hugged her brother.

When Eric asked what Sami had done, she realized that he had not heard what she had said. Eric noted that he had heard Sami say, "What's done is done." Eric pressed Sami to tell him what she had done. Flustered, Sami blurted that Nick had been shot and killed.

Eric asked Sami why she felt guilty about Nick's death if she'd had nothing to do with the murder. Sami explained that Allie had been at the scene and had been the one to see a bloody Nick stumble into the square. Confused, Eric asked Sami why she felt guilty. Sami avoided the question by answering a phone call from Lucas about Allie.

At the hospital, Theresa asked Anne if she had seen Brady. Anne babbled that Brady was likely dealing with the latest Horton crisis. Anne explained that Nick had been murdered. When Anne mentioned that Hope had been at the hospital, investigating Daniel's drugging, Theresa asked for details. Anne explained that Hope had asked if anyone had copied Daniel's apartment key.

Anne assured Theresa that she would not say anything and that if no one had seen Theresa hand the key to Liam, then Theresa would be clear of any charges. With a sigh, Theresa said that she wanted to move on with her life and focus on Brady. When Anne asked Theresa how things were going with her sugar daddy boyfriend, Brady, Theresa smiled and said things were fine. Theresa lamented that Brady had asked for space during the investigation, but she was confident that Brady would return to her.

In the Kiriakis living room, Maggie stared at a photo of Nick. Brady softly called her name from the doorway. Fighting tears, Maggie crossed the room to Brady, and he hugged her. Maggie and Brady talked about Nick's past. Maggie confided that Nick had been a good kid before he had grown addicted to pills and that he had never been the same, even after he had cleaned up. When Brady added that four years in prison had not improved Nick's life, Maggie nodded and remarked that Nick had been unable to cope.

"We all need help sometimes. It's too bad he didn't reach out," Brady said. Citing the need to deal with her emotional struggle, Maggie asked Brady if he would join her at an A.A. meeting so that she could focus on what was important. Brady declined noting that the meeting was important for Maggie, but that the meetings did not help him.

"If Nick had gone to meetings, it might have changed his life. He would have been a different person," Maggie said. Brady countered that everyone made different choices in their lives. Maggie hugged Brady goodbye, and he left. Alone, Maggie stared at her photo of Nick and cried.

Daniel stopped by the Kiriakis house to check on his mother. Maggie said that she had not called Daniel because Nick had not been his family. Gently, Daniel touched his mother's hand and said that she was his family, and he was there for her. Maggie said that she was keeping busy so that she did not think about Nick and how she had failed him. Daniel reminded Maggie that she had let Nick live in the mansion after he had been released from prison.

Maggie countered that living in a mansion with servants was not the same thing as growing close with Nick and bonding with him. Maggie lamented that she had not made sure that Nick had received the emotional support that he had needed. Crying out, Maggie said she would have to live with the fact that she had not supported Nick more.

As Daniel talked about Parker, Maggie started to grow teary-eyed. Maggie noted that if Daniel had not been lucky on Smith Island then she would be planning Daniel's funeral. Daniel stressed that he would not leave Maggie, and he hugged her tightly. Maggie shared that Julie had said that Nick had pointed to his killer. Maggie shrugged and said that Nick had pointed at a crowd of people.

"Nick had enemies. Probably more than we even know about. He was trying so hard lately," Maggie said. "To do the right thing?" Daniel asked. "Yeah. Trying and doing are two different things. A lot of people try, but a lot more keep on making those bad choices," Maggie said. Daniel nodded. With smile, Daniel reminded Maggie that he was there for her, and then he left.

On the porch outside the Kiriakis mansion, Daniel texted Nicole and asked her to meet him at his apartment.

Marlena rushed to the DiMera mansion to check on Sami. When Sami explained what had happened to Nick, Marlena was frustrated that she had not heard about the news sooner. With a sigh, Sami noted that she had texted Marlena after the shooting. Marlena looked at her phone and muttered that it was time for her to get a new phone.

When Marlena asked about Allie, Sami said Allie was upset. Marlena handed Sami the number for a child psychiatrist and assured Sami that Allie would be fine. Marlena encouraged Sami to seek out a psychiatrist so that she could talk to someone as well. Suspicious, Sami asked Marlena if Marlena was saying that Sami was not being truthful.

Marlena explained that she was worried about Sami's emotional health because she had had a difficult relationship with Nick. Marlena encouraged Sami to talk to her if she did not want to see a psychiatrist. Smiling sadly, Sami said that she would talk to Marlena if she needed her. While Sami fixed tea in the kitchen, Marlena examined her phone and checked the messages. With a gasp, Marlena said, "Nick."

Marlena listened to the voicemail from Nick. As Nick talked about how he could not go on, Sami entered the living room and dropped the tea tray. As the pieces shattered on the ground, Sami looked at Marlena in shock.

Jennifer went home and found a melancholy Abigail sitting in the living room, staring into space. When Jennifer asked Abigail how she felt, Abigail said that it was sad that Nick had died young but that Nick had not been the person that she had thought he had been. "He was a total bastard," Abigail said.

Abigail explained that Nick had masterminded a plan to limit Will's custody of Arianna. Abigail added that Nick had used her to obtain the lawyer that had made it possible. Nodding, Jennifer commented that Abigail was angry. Fighting tears, Abigail noted that she had been close to Nick when they had been kids but that he had changed after he had grown obsessed with Melanie and then Gabi.

"I just wish that he never would have come back from New York!" Abigail exclaimed. Abigail chastised herself for being so harsh, and Jennifer noted that Abigail was upset but that it did not mean that Abigail wished Nick were dead or that he had deserved his fate. Surprised, Abigail said, "No! I don't think that!"

In the park, Nicole placed her engagement ring on her finger and then marveled at the police tape surrounding a section of the park. When Eric arrived, he informed her that Nick had been murdered. Eric and Nicole agreed to delay telling anyone but Daniel about the engagement.

In the park by the gate, Paige and J.J. talked about Nick and his past. J.J. confided that he did not believe he was as good a person as his mother or sister. Paige asked J.J. to meet her family. When Paige commented on how beautiful Jennifer was, J.J. smiled and said that he thought Paige was beautiful inside and out.

At Club TBD, Brady met with Theresa. Brady and Theresa talked about Nick. Changing the subject, Brady asked Theresa why she had texted him. Theresa asked Brady whether they were okay. Theresa admitted that she should have told Daniel about Liam sooner but added that she was not a villain. Brady nodded.

Smiling, Theresa ordered two Bloody Mary drinks. Brady told Theresa that he wanted to take things slowly. Smiling, Theresa said they were not done with one another.

Eric walked to the Kiriakis mansion to talk to Maggie. After Maggie assured him that she was fine, Eric offered her assistance if she needed anything. Maggie announced that she intended to focus on the positive things in her life like the safe return of Jennifer and Daniel from the island. When Maggie asked about Nicole, Eric told Maggie that Nicole had made him happier than he had ever been.

At Daniel's apartment, Nicole excitedly knocked on the door. When Daniel let her in, she chattered about the big news she had that she could not wait to share. Daniel cut her off stating, "You're right. It can't wait."

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

by ChickenGrrl

Eric went to the Horton house to offer his condolences to Jennifer, who was still in shock over the news of Nick's murder. Jennifer asked Eric to help take her mind off of things by telling her about his wedding plans, since Nicole was sharing their engagement news with Daniel. Jennifer and Eric commended one another for the way they handled Daniel and Nicole's friendship. Jennifer admitted that she had been shocked when she'd learned that Daniel had gone along with Nicole's lie about them being a couple so they could investigate Dr. Chyka.

Eric said that Nicole risking so much to clear his name, purely out of love, had amazed him. Jennifer pointed out that Nicole could have lost Eric to the church if she'd gotten the proof she'd needed.

Daniel admitted Nicole into his apartment, and she excitedly announced that she had something to tell him that couldn't wait. Daniel agreed because he wanted to confront Nicole about the reassembled shredded documents he'd found on Smith Island, but Nicole assumed his gloomy demeanor had to do with Nick Fallon's murder. Nicole apologized again for accidentally shooting Daniel. "I will never pull a stunt like that again," she vowed.

A frustrated Daniel remarked that Nicole often made choices that were "not so good." He wondered why Nicole had been so determined to shoot Liam, as if it had been personal, without even threatening Liam first -- and why she so clearly hadn't wanted Liam to talk after he'd fallen on the branch. Nicole had reasonable-sounding excuses for her behavior, but she quickly changed the subject because she had a secret that she really needed to share with Daniel.

Daniel was eager for Nicole to confess the truth about Chyka's documents -- but instead she showed him her ring and announced that she and Eric were getting married. Nicole continued that they were keeping it quiet until things calmed down after Nick's death, but they had really wanted Daniel and Jennifer to know because they had all been through so much together. Nicole finally noticed that Daniel hadn't reacted with the enthusiasm she'd expected, and she asked if something were wrong. "Something is very wrong," Daniel said.

Guessing that Daniel thought she'd pushed Eric into proposing, Nicole insisted that it had been Eric's idea. When Daniel maintained that wasn't the problem, Nicole wondered if he were jealous. Daniel assured her that they were still just friends. He continued that they had grown to trust each other, despite everything that had happened, and they had gotten even closer as friends after their romantic relationship had ended. Nicole was puzzled about why Daniel didn't seem happy for her.

Daniel asserted that he was proud of the way Nicole had put Eric first and risked everything to help Eric -- and that was why he could not understand what he'd just found out. Asserting that Nicole had changed, Daniel reminded her that they had gone after Chyka because she'd wanted proof, not just to clear Eric's name, but also so she would know that if Eric had chosen her, it would have been because he'd wanted her, not because she was his "fallback position."

Daniel continued that Nicole had insisted that she had never found that proof, and he had believed her. "You had it in spades! You risked everything to give Eric that choice, and you -- you took it away. I know the truth, Nicole, and I'm not going to sit here and let you deny it," Daniel warned. Puzzled, Nicole maintained that she had no idea what Daniel was talking about. Daniel retrieved the file folder, slammed the reassembled documents onto a table, and demanded, "Explain that, Nicole!"

In her office at the police station, Hope was looking through the contents of Nick's wallet when Aiden arrived. He granted Hope's request to handle the meeting about the school gala later. Aiden offered his condolences regarding Nick's death and asked if there were anything he could do. "Okay. How about you explain why your card is in Nick Fallon's wallet?" Hope asked. Aiden explained that Nick had contacted him about representing Gabriela Hernandez in her custody case, but he couldn't divulge anything further. Hope noted that the news indicated yet another motive for Nick's murder.

Aiden stopped by the Horton house to give Jennifer his condolences about Nick. After Jennifer went to the kitchen to make some tea, Eric and Aiden reminisced about Daniel and Jennifer's uncomfortable dinner party. Aiden asked if things had improved with Nicole and Eric. Eric declared, "Things with Nicole and [me] are absolutely perfect." On his way out, Aiden assured Jennifer that he understood what it was like to experience tragedy.

Jennifer and Eric wondered why they hadn't heard from Daniel or Nicole, even though it had been a while. Eric guessed that Nicole and Daniel had decided to celebrate. "They shouldn't be the only ones having fun. Why don't we go over there?" Jennifer suggested. Eric happily agreed, so the two of them headed out.

Rafe approached E.J. in Horton Square and remarked about how odd it was that the square had returned to normal after the events of the night before. E.J. pointed out that what had happened had been a tragedy, but it had been even more tragic because Allie had witnessed it. Rafe noted that Nick had been a problem for a lot of people, and his death had conveniently caused all of those problems to simply vanish.

E.J. reminded Rafe that one of Nick's enemies from prison had assaulted Rafe just a little over a year earlier -- so it stood to reason that there were more "homicidal maniacs" waiting in the wings. Rafe remarked that he didn't see E.J. shedding any tears over Nick. "Well, I could say the same for you... I will say this, though. You are a much better shot than I am," E.J. noted before walking away.

At Will and Sonny's apartment, Sonny quietly retrieved his backpack from the top shelf of the closet so he could return the gun and silencer he'd swiped back to the Kiriakis mansion. Will and Sonny were whispering so as not to wake a sleeping Gabi, but she emerged from the bedroom while they were discussing the gun. Gabi admitted that she hadn't been able to sleep because she hadn't been able to stop thinking about how Nick had looked at all of them after he'd been shot.

Will got a call reminding him that Arianna's custody hearing was scheduled for the next morning. Gabi said that she was going to call Mr. Jennings right away to cancel the hearing. "We all love Arianna. I mean, family court's the last place we should be. There's a much better way to handle any problems that we have," Gabi explained as she returned to the bedroom to retrieve her phone. Overjoyed, Will and Sonny shared an optimistic goodbye kiss as Sonny headed out.

Outside, a uniformed police officer asked Sonny to accompany him to the station. Sonny clutched his backpack strap nervously.

Gabi called Aiden and then informed Will that she'd canceled the hearing. Gabi started to apologize, but Will assured her that everyone knew Nick had been pressuring her. Will acknowledged that Gabi had cared about Nick and wanted to believe that he'd changed. "If he did, we'll never know now, will we?" Gabi pointed out.

After Gabi went into the bedroom to check on the baby, Rafe arrived to talk to Will about Nick. When Gabi returned, Rafe asked his sister if she needed to talk to someone about Nick's death. She assured him, "I'm upset, but I'm handling it." After asking Will to watch Arianna for a little while, Gabi left.

Rafe asked Will if he knew about the custody hearing. Rafe seemed pleased when Will revealed that Gabi had just canceled the hearing, but he wanted to know when Will had learned about it. Will admitted that he'd heard about it not long before Nick had been shot. Rafe reminded Will that he'd broken up a fight between Will and Nick in which Will had threatened to kill Nick. Will acknowledged that he'd been very angry, but he noted, "People say things when they're mad. You know that."

"Yes, I do, but normally the guy they say them to doesn't wind up murdered a few hours later," Rafe pointed out. An incredulous Will countered, "Seriously? Come on, Rafe! You don't really think I murdered Nick, do you?" Rafe maintained that what he thought didn't matter; all that mattered was how it looked. He wanted Will to tell Hope about the fight with Nick.

When Sonny arrived at Hope's office, he admitted he didn't know why he was there. Hope explained that she needed to ask him some questions because he'd been a witness the night before. Sonny kept one hand on his backpack even after he'd tucked it under his chair. It was clear that he didn't think he had anything to offer, but Hope wanted to know about the last time Sonny had seen Nick on the day of the shooting.

Sonny admitted that he and Nick had talked a little at the club. Turning off her recording device, Hope informed Sonny that witnesses had seen Nick and Sonny's conversation had been heated. "What? Am I a suspect now?" Sonny asked incredulously. Hope pointed out that everyone was a suspect, and she couldn't eliminate Sonny unless he were completely honest. Hope turned the recorder back on and asked Sonny to tell her about the last time he'd seen Nick before Nick had been shot.

Sonny reminded Hope about the preposterous custody agreement that Nick had pushed for, and he admitted that he had gotten in Nick's face about it. "Sounds like you were pretty angry, Sonny," Hope concluded. Sonny asserted, "Anger is -- is kind of a natural response around Nick." Hope asked if there were anything else Sonny thought she should know about Nick's death, but Sonny said there wasn't.

Alone in the DiMera mansion living room, Marlena listened to a voicemail from Nick. Sami returned to the room, and when she heard Nick's voice, she dropped the tray of tea she'd been carrying. A concerned Marlena rushed over to help and asked why the sound of Nick's voice had frightened Sami so. Sami admitted that even though she hadn't liked Nick, it had rattled her to hear his voice after seeing him in the square after he'd been shot.

Marlena pointed out that Sami's dislike of Nick didn't mean that she'd wanted him dead. Sami confessed that because of everything Nick had done to Will, she had, indeed, wanted Nick gone. Marlena reassured her daughter that she was merely feeling guilty, although Nick's death could not have been Sami's fault.

Sami asked what time Nick had left the message for Marlena the night before, so Marlena checked and saw that it had been at 8:46. A stunned Sami noted that was when Nick had been killed. She asked Marlena to play the message again, so Marlena reluctantly complied. As the women were listening to Nick's voice, E.J. strolled in. Sami's brow furrowed when they heard Nick say that he didn't want to hurt people anymore, and both women flinched when they heard the thudding noises of the bullets as they struck Nick.

Horrified, Sami rushed over to her fianc and cried, "He shot Nick when he was leaving a message, saying that he wanted to change!" E.J. wrapped her in his arms and comfortingly kissed the top of her head. He acknowledged that it had been very unsettling to hear the shots being fired. Marlena said that she needed to get the recording to Hope, and E.J. agreed that it was very important evidence.

After Marlena had gone, E.J. gently admonished Sami to be more careful in the future about what she said. He pointed out that she'd referred to the shooter as "he," but she hadn't even been aware that she'd done it. Sami became upset, but E.J. calmed her by reminding her that it was a good thing for all of them that Nick was gone. He added that they had to be extremely careful about their answers when the police questioned them.

Soon, Johnny and Sydney were sitting on the couch with their parents, and Sami and E.J. explained a little about what had happened to Allie. They cautioned the kids that it might be a long time before it stopped being scary for Allie. They encouraged Johnny and Sydney to be a good brother and sister to Allie and hug her a lot in the meantime. The kids assured their parents that they could do that. They practiced by having a "family hug."

E.J. tried to reassure Sami, "I know it may not seem like it at the moment, but this will pass." Sami replied wryly, "Yeah, right -- the cops, they're just going to stop looking, you know, because that's what they do." E.J. revealed that his man had left town and would not return, but Sami admitted that she still felt terrible. E.J. pointed out that despite his numerous warnings, Nick had made the wrong choice -- and it was Nick's own fault that he'd had to be murdered.

Just then, Gabi appeared in the doorway. "Excuse me?" she asked, her eyes wide. Sami and E.J. were relieved when Gabi apologized for dropping by without calling first. E.J. said that they'd been discussing postponing some of Gabi's modeling sessions so she could focus on herself and Arianna for a while. Gabi said that she would prefer to be working, so Sami and E.J. said that they would find out the start date for Gabi's trip to Argentina.

Gabi informed Sami and E.J. that she had just canceled the custody hearing. "E.J., I'd like for you to draw up the custody agreement, just so we have it, okay? And I want to make sure that it's absolutely fifty-fifty, and for both of us to have the right to ask for anything," Gabi added. A grateful Sami embraced Gabi.

Marlena went to the police station so that Hope could listen to Nick's message. It overwhelmed Hope to hear her cousin's voice -- especially when she heard the gunshots. Hope asked for a copy of the message for the techs. She guessed that they hadn't been able to find Nick's phone because the killer had taken it. Marlena apologized for not warning Hope about the gunshots. Hope expressed remorse for putting off contacting Nick, but Marlena reassured Hope that it wasn't her fault.

Hope lamented, "He wanted to change, and someone took that opportunity away from him. Maybe that call will help us find whoever did that." Just then, Rafe and Will arrived.

Sonny headed to the Kiriakis mansion and hurriedly took the lock box out of the cabinet. He wiped down the gun and silencer with a handkerchief before returning them to the box then he wiped his fingerprints off of the box.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

by Mike

E.J. ran into Abigail in a secluded section of the town square, so he seized the opportunity to find out how she was coping with Nick's death. E.J. said that he had really wanted to check on Abigail the previous night, but she had been with Ben at that time, and it had seemed like she had been in good hands. Abigail somewhat bitterly guessed that E.J. had also realized that it might have been difficult to explain his concern for her to his fiance.

E.J. reached out for Abigail's hand as he gently guessed that she was probably in shock, but she recoiled and said that she had been in shock but had ultimately realized that she shouldn't have been. "God, I -- I should have known by now. I should have wised up and faced the facts -- the facts of -- of who you are, and the things that you do. The fact that as soon as Nick let you know he knew about us, he was as good as dead," Abigail added.

E.J. told Abigail to calm down, suggesting that she was overreacting because she was upset. Abigail didn't appreciate E.J.'s dismissive treatment of her concerns, and she started to raise her voice as she recalled the conversation they'd had in Jennifer's office about Nick's knowledge of their fling. E.J. warned Abigail to keep her voice down.

"You promised me that our secret would stay secret. You really kept your promise, didn't you?" Abigail quietly summarized. E.J. reminded Abigail that Nick had made a lot of enemies, and she conceded his point but added that E.J. possessed something that those other people did not -- Stefano's contact list. "Nick threatened you, and then he ended up eliminated. And the way that he died had 'DiMera' written all over it," Abigail concluded.

Abigail started to walk away, but E.J. stopped her, placing a hand on her cheek as he leaned in until he was inches away from her face. E.J. somewhat seductively reminded Abigail that she knew him, and he swore to her that he would never do such a thing to Nick. Abigail somewhat fearfully nodded to confirm that she understood. Satisfied, E.J. smiled and backed away from Abigail. "I do -- I -- I do know you. I know you very well, and I know that you are a world-class liar," Abigail shakily stated before walking away. "Yes, I am," E.J. quietly conceded as he watched Abigail leave.

At Club TBD, Jordan admitted to Ben that, while she hadn't really known Nick, his grisly murder had been enough to give her nightmares the previous night. "Well, if you had known him, you'd probably feel a whole lot better about the whole thing," Ben mused. Jordan objected to the flippant remark, but Ben was unapologetic.

"Come on. Someone shot and killed Nick Fallon last night. And except for those two aunts or whatever, no one else cared," Ben pointed out. Jordan wondered if Ben was including Abigail in his statement. Ben said that Abigail had been in shock but had definitely cared, even if it hadn't seemed that way the previous night. Jordan clarified that she wasn't judging Abigail, who was a friend of hers.

Jordan knowingly observed that it seemed like she wasn't the only person who liked Abigail. Ben noncommittally agreed that Abigail was nice, and when Jordan pressed for more details, he explained that he'd had a few conversations with Abigail and had even stood up for her when he had caught Nick harassing her recently. Jordan groaned and wondered if Ben had gotten into a fight with Nick. Ben reiterated that he had simply stood up for Abigail.

"Right. Ben, do you still have that gun?" Jordan quietly asked. Ben wondered if Jordan really believed that he had shot Nick, and she replied that she hadn't said or thought that. Jordan explained that she was just worried about what might happen if the police found out about the gun. Ben reminded Jordan that she knew exactly why he owned the gun.

"Yeah, and I also know you don't have a permit for it. And if anyone finds out, it's gonna raise a lot of questions that won't be good for either one of us," Jordan pointed out, prompting Ben to matter-of-factly summarize that they simply needed to make sure that no one ever found out about the gun. Jordan urged Ben to be careful -- for her sake and for his.

Later, after Jordan left, Abigail arrived to thank Ben for being "really sweet" the previous night. Ben wondered how Abigail was feeling, and she admitted that she was having caffeine withdrawal. Ben poured Abigail a cup of coffee, and her hands shook as she tried to lift it. Concerned, Ben took a break so that he and Abigail could go to the park to get some air.

Abigail admitted that she felt guilty, insisting that she should have tried harder to work things out with Nick. Abigail suggested that things might have ended differently if she had, but Ben stressed that Nick's murder had not had anything to do with her. "No? Because I'm not so sure," Abigail tearfully replied. Ben sighed and apologetically acknowledged that every time he tried to help Abigail, he only seemed to make things worse instead.

Ben offered to leave, but Abigail asked him to stay. Abigail assured Ben that he wasn't making things worse, adding that she simply didn't know if she was ever going to be able to forgive herself for what had happened with Nick. Ben insisted that Abigail was being too hard on herself and that she was a good person, but she disagreed. "Look, I know we haven't known each other that long, but I already know that you're an amazing person with a really kind heart. I've never met anyone like you," Ben said before leaning in to kiss Abigail.

In Hope's office at the police station, Rafe and Will were surprised to learn about the voicemail message Nick had left Marlena right before the shooting. Marlena explained that Nick had been trying to reach out to her for counseling advice. Will expressed disbelief, and Rafe went a step further, suggesting that Nick had only pretended to be interested in counseling.

Rafe's skepticism seemed to bother Hope a bit, but she didn't say anything about it. Instead, Hope wondered what Will was doing at the police station. Will explained that he needed to talk to Hope about something. Rafe offered to stay with Will during his conversation with Hope, but Will declined the offer. As Rafe exited the office, Marlena asked if Will was all right. Will claimed that he was, and he promised to call Marlena immediately after he finished talking to Hope.

After Marlena left, Will admitted to Hope that he had threatened to kill Nick shortly before the shooting had occurred. Hope started recording the conversation before asking Will why he had made the threat. Will explained that he and Nick had gotten into a physical altercation the previous day. Will admitted that he had thrown the first punch, but he added that he and Nick had both been throwing punches when Rafe had intervened.

Hope once again wondered why Will had fought with Nick. "Well, it -- it was what Sonny and I had told you before -- Nick had convinced Gabi to draw up a custody agreement, and in it, it stated that I would only be able to visit Arianna every other weekend. He was trying to take my daughter from me -- again. He said that I was unfit to be a father. So I punched him. But I didn't kill him," Will explained.

"I have to ask -- where were you last night at 8:45 p.m.?" Hope wondered. The question seemed to surprise Will, and he asked if that was when Nick had been shot. Hope confirmed the suspicion, and Will replied that he wasn't sure where he had been at that time. Will said that he had gone directly to the town square after returning a book to the Salem University library on the night in question. Will admitted that he had been alone at that time and that he had passed some fellow students on his journey but hadn't recognized any of them.

Hope wondered if Will owned or had access to a gun. Will hesitantly said no but added that he did know people who had guns. Hope rephrased her question, wondering if Will had been in possession of a gun the previous night. "No! I didn't kill Nick, Hope -- I didn't," Will firmly stated. Hope nodded and turned off the recording device, ending the interview.

Hope thanked Will for voluntarily appearing at the police station and saving her a call in the process. Hope guessed that Sonny had informed Will that she planned to interview everyone who had been at the town square at the time of Nick's arrival, but Will was surprised to learn that she had talked to Sonny. Will stood to leave, and he assured Hope that he was telling the truth. Will wondered if Hope believed him. "Will, the reality is, right now, I can't rule out anyone as a suspect," Hope replied.

Later, Hope arranged a meeting with E.J. E.J. confidently declined to have an attorney present during the interview, so Hope turned on her recording device and got straight to the point. "I have recently received some very interesting photos of you and my cousin, and I'm hoping you can explain them," Hope explained as she slid two photographs toward him facedown.

E.J. tried to hide his concern as he silently recalled the incriminating photograph of him and Abigail that he had received a few weeks earlier. E.J. reluctantly looked at the photographs, and he was relieved when he realized that they were just images of footage that Mad World's security cameras had captured. The first photograph depicted Nick leaving his office, and the second depicted E.J. leaving the same office approximately thirty seconds later. Hope observed that both men looked upset in the photographs, adding that she might even be willing to say that E.J. looked angry.

"These photos were taken the day that Nick Fallon was murdered. Now, of course, on one hand, it could be a coincidence...and on the other hand, you may want to rethink having your attorney present after all," Hope summarized. E.J. claimed that he and Nick had gotten into a "minor disagreement" because Nick had been developing some things for Mad World that had been "uncannily similar" to things that E.J. had been working on at Countess Wilhelmina. Hope assumed that meant that Nick could have potentially cost E.J. millions of dollars. Hope mused that some people might say that was a pretty good motive for murder.

E.J. countered that other people might say that Hope was displaying very shoddy police work. Playing along with Hope's theory, E.J. said that, while she might have a motive, she would find it difficult to prove that he'd also had the opportunity to kill Nick, since there were plenty of upstanding citizens who would be happy to confirm that he and Sami had been strolling through the town square at the time of the shooting.

"I'm sure there are, but I would not assume for a second that E.J. DiMera would do his own dirty work, so if it turns out we can prove that this was a professional hit, I think you and I both know there were very few people in that square with those kind of connections," Hope countered. E.J. calmly conceded that he should have known that it would have been only a matter of time before the Salem Police Department had decided to try to blame the DiMera family for the crime, regardless of how flimsy the evidence was that had led them to that theory.

E.J. left after summarizing that Hope knew where to find him if she ever had any legitimate questions to ask him. Later, in the town square, E.J. checked his cell phone, unaware that someone was watching him.

After leaving the police station, Marlena caught up with Rafe in the town square. Marlena wondered if Will was in a lot of trouble. Rafe shook his head and assured Marlena that everything was going to be fine, although he declined to elaborate, choosing instead to let Will fill her in on the details. Rafe was concerned about Allie, so Marlena revealed that Lucas was planning to take Allie to see one of Marlena's colleagues.

Rafe believed that Gabi could also benefit from talking to someone about what had happened. Marlena offered to recommend someone, but Rafe clarified that he was actually hoping that she could talk to Gabi herself. Marlena said that she would be happy to help because, as far as she was concerned, Gabi was practically family.

"Thanks. It's just that he -- uh, Nick -- did quite a number on her before he died, and, um, I'm just glad that he's not around to hurt my sister anymore -- or Will, or Ari, or...anyone, for that matter. Whoever killed him did us all a favor," Rafe frankly stated. Marlena mused that it sounded like Rafe believed that Nick had deserved to die. Rafe wasn't willing to go that far, but he did point out that Nick had gone around "sticking his thumb in people's eyes." Rafe started to say something about the way that Nick had treated Will, but he stopped himself and once again stated that he was going to let Will fill Marlena in on the details.

Marlena conceded that Will had certainly had a strong motive for killing Nick. Rafe pointed out that Will wasn't the only person who'd had a strong motive for killing Nick. Rafe reminded Marlena that he had spent months in a hospital bed because someone had mistaken him for Nick and had tried to beat him to death as a result. "I just get the feeling that Nick had that effect on a whole hell of a lot of people," Rafe mused. Rafe added that he was glad that Nick was out of Gabi's life for good.

Later, Marlena met with Will at the Brady Pub, where he filled her in on what had happened after she had left the police station earlier. Will was concerned that he might look guilty to Hope, but Marlena assured him that Hope was just doing her job and would be interviewing everyone who had been at the town square at the time of Nick's arrival. Marlena pointed out that, while Will had threatened Nick, Nick had also threatened Will. Marlena started to add that Will and Nick simply hadn't gotten along with each other and that their feelings of animosity had only increased when Nick had decided to get involved with the custody proceedings, but Will interrupted her.

"'Didn't get along'? I hated him. I'm glad he's dead," Will clarified. Marlena insisted that Will didn't mean that and that he wasn't capable of that kind of hatred. "Are you sure about that? He said that I wasn't fit to be a father, that he was going to try to take my daughter away from me. If Rafe hadn't have pulled me off of him right then and there, I might have killed him. Instead --" Will said, his voice trailing off before finishing the sentence. Concerned, Marlena wondered if Will was trying to tell her something.

At the hospital, Rafe surprised Jordan with a bouquet of flowers to thank her for helping Gabi the previous night. Jordan humbly insisted that she hadn't done much at all. Jordan expressed concern about Gabi and wondered if Rafe knew who had killed Nick. Rafe shook his head and revealed that, while Hope was in the process of questioning everyone who had been in the town square at the time of Nick's arrival, the police had no real leads yet.

Jordan wondered who Rafe suspected at that time. "Well, a lot of people hated Nick, so I'd be hard-pressed to narrow down the suspects. But the ironic thing is, if I were still working the case, you know who I'd put at the top of the list? Me," Rafe admitted.

At the Horton house, Jennifer received a phone call from Caroline, who wanted to offer her condolences. Caroline felt like she should have done more to help Nick, but Jennifer disagreed. Jennifer pointed out that Nick had once let Caroline take the blame for a crime that he had committed and that, despite that fact, Caroline had still generously given him a job after he had been released from prison.

Jennifer handed the phone to Eric so that he could talk to his grandmother. Eric assured Caroline that she had done everything that she could have done for Nick. Hearing Eric's end of the conversation seemed to have an effect on Jennifer, who admitted, after he ended the call, that she had lost that "Horton thing" that Alice had always stressed the importance of -- the ability to never lose track of family, regardless of the circumstances.

Eric wondered if Jennifer had ever turned her back on Nick in response to a request for help. Jennifer conceded that Nick had never sought her help, but she insisted that she was a grown-up and should have reached out to him instead of waiting for him to make the first move. "But he [was] a grown-up, too. He made a lot of terrible, terrible choices, and he didn't have any regard for anybody else's feelings about that," Eric countered.

Eric advised Jennifer to forgive Nick but also to forgive herself, since she'd had a lot on her plate lately. Jennifer nodded and said that she would try to do so. Jennifer thanked Eric for listening, admitting that it wasn't easy to talk to Daniel about the situation because of what Nick had done to Melanie. Changing the subject, Eric admitted that he hadn't told his family about his and Nicole's engagement yet. Eric wondered if Jennifer would be willing to tell his family that Nicole had changed. Jennifer agreed and acknowledged that her words might hold some weight, since she and Nicole shared a past that hadn't always been friendly.

Eric believed that Nicole's past mistakes had stemmed from feelings of unhappiness, and he reasoned that she would no longer make such mistakes because she was genuinely happy for once. Jennifer agreed that Nicole had never seemed happier than she had been earlier that day. Jennifer grabbed a bottle of champagne and urged Eric to follow her over to Daniel's apartment so that they could celebrate the engagement with him and Nicole.

In Daniel's apartment, Nicole feigned ignorance when Daniel confronted her with the shredded documents. Nicole acted like she had never seen the documents before, and she declared that it was a miracle that Daniel had found the documents, since they were enough to clear Eric's name. Nicole excitedly reached for her cell phone so that she could share the good news with Eric, but Daniel grabbed her arm and told her to stop, for her own sake.

Nicole freed herself from Daniel's grasp and reiterated that she had never seen the documents before. Daniel accused Nicole of lying, but she claimed that she was just confused, upset, and hurt. Nicole added that she had no idea where Daniel had found the documents. Daniel explained that he had found them while searching Smith Island for a necklace that Jennifer had lost.

Nicole stuck to her story, stating that she couldn't understand how the documents could have ended up on Smith Island in the first place. Daniel said that he had originally suspected that Nicole had dropped them during her recent trip to Smith Island, but he had later recalled that, when she had been investigating Liam, she had never shared her suspicions with anyone. Daniel had never been able to make sense of that before, but he guessed that Nicole had been unable to share her suspicions because Liam had been blackmailing her with the shredded documents.

Nicole insisted that Daniel was wrong, but he reminded her that he had found a similarly shredded document in her hotel room several weeks earlier. Daniel theorized that Nicole had originally intended to show the documents to Eric but had decided against doing so after something had changed her mind. Daniel urged Nicole to tell him what had happened, but she continued to maintain her innocence, suggesting that Stefano and Kristen might be trying to frame her. Nicole insisted that she would never betray Eric, and she begged Daniel to stop making ridiculous accusations against her, for the sake of their friendship.

Daniel said that he wanted to believe Nicole but couldn't do so, since he knew her well enough to know that she was lying. Daniel added that he also knew that Nicole wanted to admit the truth to him but was too scared to do so. Nicole continued to maintain her innocence, so Daniel recalled that she had carried a bag of shredded documents into his apartment months earlier and that she had refused to let him touch the bag.

Daniel suspected that Nicole had shredded the documents but had later regretted her decision, so she had decided to put them back together. Daniel also recalled that Nicole had tried to tell him what she had done on numerous occasions, and he guessed that her secret had been eating away at her for quite some time. Daniel urged Nicole to confide in him, and when she remained silent, he impatiently shouted at her to tell him the truth.

"Okay! Okay, it's true. All of it is true. I could have cleared Eric, and I didn't. That's -- that's what I did to the best man that I've ever known. I'm sorry," Nicole tearfully admitted. Nicole explained that she had found the documents in a wall safe after Chyka had fled from his hideout. Nicole swore that she had intended to tell Eric the truth and that she had changed her mind only after Eric had revealed that he had decided to leave the priesthood to be with her.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to hear that? And I just -- I -- I couldn't -- I couldn't do it. I mean, that was -- I kept telling myself -- I kept telling myself, 'You have to give him the papers,' and I couldn't -- I -- I just couldn't. I know it was so selfish, but...I told myself, 'He's already made the decision, so what difference does it make?'" Nicole tearfully explained. Daniel stressed that it would have made a huge difference, since it would have given Eric the needed evidence to prove to everyone -- the church, his parishioners, and his family -- that Kristen had raped him. "Nicole, it changes everything," Daniel summarized.

"I know. That's what I was afraid of," Nicole quietly admitted. Daniel wondered how Liam had managed to find the documents, so Nicole recapped the series of events that had led to Liam securing the means to blackmail her. Daniel wondered if Nicole had tried to shoot Liam in order to protect her secret. "No! No, Daniel, I was trying to save your life. Do you have any idea how much you mean to me? You're my best friend in the whole world, and now you -- you hate me, and you're never gonna forgive me, and why should you?" Nicole tearfully replied.

Daniel said that Nicole was wrong because he had already forgiven her. Nicole gratefully embraced Daniel and said that he had no idea how much his forgiveness meant to her. Daniel said that he knew that Nicole loved Eric and had struggled with her decision. Nicole nodded and assured Daniel that she planned to make Eric really, really happy. Nicole wondered if Daniel was saying that he wasn't going to tell Eric her secret.

"No. You are," Daniel replied. Nicole protested that she couldn't tell Eric the truth, since they were planning to get married soon. Daniel argued that Nicole needed to tell Eric the truth because they were planning to get married, since she surely didn't want the marriage to be based on a lie. Nicole countered that the marriage would be based on love, not lies, but Daniel refused to back down, warning that he would tell Eric the truth himself if she wasn't willing to do so.

"No, you can't do this! I won't let you!" Nicole said as she grabbed the shredded documents and started to exit the apartment -- only to find that Eric and Jennifer were standing in the hallway.

Friday, May 16, 2014

by ChickenGrrl

At Daniel's apartment, Daniel ordered Nicole to tell Eric the truth -- or else Daniel would. Nicole refused, snatched up the shredded documents, and tried to flee, but she nearly ran into a champagne-bearing Eric and Jennifer in the hallway. Their celebratory grins faded when they saw how upset and tense Nicole and Daniel were, especially since Nicole had gone there to tell Daniel about her engagement to Eric. Nicole casually slipped the file folder of documents into her bag as she "admitted" that after she'd told Daniel the good news, they'd been talking about something else.

Eric guessed that it had to do with Nick's murder, since his family -- including Daniel's mom and Jennifer -- was so distraught about it. Daniel clarified that Nick's murder wasn't what he and Nicole had been upset about. Eric wanted to know what the problem was. Nicole admitted that she and Daniel had been talking about something upsetting, and they hadn't finished. She requested a few more minutes so the two of them could sort things out.

Eric admitted that he was confused, so Nicole took him into the hallway to explain. Outside, Eric remarked that Nicole and Daniel had appeared ready to kill each other. He refused to leave until he was sure that Nicole was all right. Nicole assured him that she was; she just needed a few more minutes with Daniel to make things right.

Jennifer asserted that Daniel didn't seem very happy that Nicole and Eric were engaged. Daniel said that he and Nicole hadn't been arguing because of the engagement. Before Jennifer could find out more, Eric and Nicole returned. Eric suggested that he and Jennifer leave so Daniel and Nicole could wrap up their discussion, and Jennifer agreed that they would go for a walk in the meantime.

Once Daniel and Nicole were alone again, he told her very firmly that she wasn't going to change his mind. Nicole warned Daniel that her telling the truth meant that she would almost certainly lose Eric. She guessed that because Daniel had forgiven her, on some level, he understood why she'd done what she'd done. Daniel argued, "When you love someone, you don't lie to them about the most important thing in their life." He maintained that Nicole had risked her life to confront a "lunatic doctor" because she had understood that being a priest had changed Eric's life.

Nicole countered that Eric had made peace with not being a priest anymore. Daniel contended that Eric had been happy as a priest and could be again. "Nicole, I know what it feels like to be kept from the work that you love. It just -- it changes the fabric of who you are," Daniel said. He added that he was worried about Nicole because he didn't think she'd thought about what it would do to her to live a lie. Insisting that Eric would hate her, Nicole implored Daniel to stay out of it. Daniel refused to budge, so Nicole begged him to at least not tell Jennifer until she'd had a chance to talk to Eric.

In the park, Eric wondered what was going on with Daniel and Nicole. Jennifer said that she could tell Daniel had been furious, although she didn't know what about. Eric suspected that Nicole had asked him and Jennifer to leave because she hadn't wanted them to know what the argument had been about, and Daniel had backed Nicole up. "Daniel usually backs Nicole up, whether it's a good idea or not," Jennifer noted.

Nicole called Eric a little later and asked him to meet her at her place. Eric wanted to know what the argument had been about. Nicole claimed that she had felt bad for bragging about their engagement while Daniel still had the bullet wound that she'd inflicted. "Daniel's a great friend, and I love him. I just haven't had a chance to face him after what I did," Nicole explained. She promised to tell Eric everything when she saw him.

Jennifer told Eric that she would head back over to Daniel's, and Nicole relayed that information to Daniel when she hung up. Daniel wanted to make sure Nicole would tell Eric everything, and she implied that she would. Daniel moved as if to give Nicole a hug, but she dodged him as she picked up her purse and left.

When Jennifer returned, she remarked worriedly that Daniel didn't seem better despite finishing his talk with Nicole. Daniel insisted that he was fine, but Jennifer pressed for more details. Daniel said that he didn't want to talk about Nicole anymore. Jennifer seemed happy to oblige. She kissed Daniel and playfully suggested that they talk about nothing.

Back at her hotel room, Nicole paced and fidgeted with her engagement ring. Finally, she took the ring off and placed it on the desk, just as Eric knocked on the door.

At the police station, Hope asked if Kate owned a handgun. "I do. Doesn't everyone?" Kate replied. She pointed out that Hope was already aware that Kate owned a gun and that it was legally licensed and registered. Hope asked if Kate had been carrying it the night before. Kate said that she hadn't been -- but she added that she would have been tempted to use it if she'd had it the last few times she'd seen Nick.

An incredulous Hope pointed out that Kate had just provided herself with the means, motive, and opportunity to kill Nick. Kate countered that the people who'd hated Nick and had access to firearms could fill an arena. "I didn't kill him," she asserted for the record. Hope inquired as to why, after hiring Nick twice, Kate had wanted to kill him. Kate replied that since she hadn't killed Nick, she didn't feel like sharing that information.

Roman entered Hope's office to inquire about the investigation. Hope said that there might be a wait for the ballistics report because the lab was trying to reconstruct the bullet. She added that she had too many suspects because so many people hadn't liked Nick.

On a park bench, Ben kissed Abigail tenderly -- and she kissed him back. After a few moments, Ben pulled away. He explained that he felt like he was taking advantage of her emotional state when she was still obviously upset about her cousin's murder. Abigail was touched. "I really like you, Abigail," Ben said, and Abigail returned the sentiment. Abigail got a phone call just then, requesting that she go to the police station for questioning.

When Abigail arrived at the station, Hope inquired about when Abigail had last seen Nick. Abigail replied that she'd seen him the morning he'd been shot. "Is that when Julie walked in on the two of you arguing?" Hope asked, adding that she had already taken Julie's statement. Abigail nervously confirmed what Julie had said. Hope wanted to know what Nick and Abigail had argued about. Abigail admitted that she'd felt like Nick had tricked her into giving him the name of a lawyer because he'd wanted to cut Will out of Arianna's life.

Hope wanted to know the name of the man Abigail had been with in Horton Square and at the hospital that night. "Ben," Abigail replied, and she admitted somewhat sheepishly that she didn't know Ben's last name. Hope asked if Ben knew Nick and whether they were friendly. Abigail admitted that Ben had walked in on an argument between her and Nick and had warned Nick not to talk to Abigail like that. Concerned, Hope asked Abigail if she'd felt threatened. Abigail admitted that she had because Nick had been very angry.

After the questioning was finished, Abigail headed to Club TBD to caution Ben that Hope had asked about him. "She asked how I knew you, and I couldn't even tell her your last name," Abigail admitted. "It's Rogers," Ben said. Abigail apologized for dragging Ben into things by telling Hope about him breaking up the argument between Nick and Abigail. Ben reassured Abigail, "That's all right. Look, when I got involved in that, I wasn't doing anything that I didn't want to do, and I wouldn't want anything that I ever did to make you feel bad, okay?" Abigail seemed uncomfortable but assured Ben that she understood.

As E.J. wandered in Horton Square, the hit man he'd hired started to approach him, but then E.J. spotted an obviously upset Sonny and asked if he were all right. Pointing to the pavement, Sonny noted that it was where Nick had collapsed. E.J. was skeptical that was all that had rattled Sonny. Sonny explained that Hope had questioned him, and he'd told her about the day before Nick had been shot about how Nick had been pushing Gabi to seek full custody of Arianna. Sonny expressed his appreciation to E.J. for helping Gabi draw up a fair custody agreement.

When Lucas returned Allie to the DiMera mansion, Allie accepted her mom's hug but then asked if she could finish her game. After Sami gave her permission and Allie headed into the living room, Lucas told Sami that he had taken Allie to the psychiatrist Marlena had recommended. He added, "I think she's okay now." Sami was skeptical that Allie would ever be okay. Lucas cautioned Sami that the psychiatrist's advice was not to push Allie to talk about what she'd witnessed until she was ready.

Lucas admitted that he was also worried about Will. Assuming that her ex believed that Will had shot Nick, Sami jumped to her son's defense. Lucas assured her that he didn't think that. Lucas went into the living room to tell Allie goodbye, but she barely looked up from her tablet as he hugged her.

At the Brady Pub, Will admitted to Marlena that he might have killed Nick if Rafe hadn't broken up their fight. Will started to say something else but stopped himself. Marlena asked if there were something he wanted to tell her. Will confessed that he felt guilty because he was not just relieved that Nick was dead; he was actually glad. Marlena suspected that Will had felt that Nick had been out to get him. Marlena got a text message from Sami, asking Marlena to stop by the mansion to see Allie. Will told his grandmother that talking to her always helped.

Sonny was already home, and Gabi was out with Arianna, when Will got to their apartment. Sonny revealed that a cop had stopped him on his way to return the gun and had taken Sonny in for questioning. Will was relieved when he learned that Sonny had returned the gun after that without the cops finding out that he'd had it, and no one had seen him return it to the Kiriakis mansion. Will divulged that he'd gone to the police station on his own because he'd thought they should hear from him that he'd threatened Nick.

Sonny was incredulous that Will had voluntarily gone to the police and admitted that. Will reminded Sonny that Rafe had broken up the fight and witnessed Will threatening Nick, and Rafe would have to tell the police about it. Sonny was worried that the police wouldn't drop it, but Will pointed out that Sonny had replaced the gun, and no one could tie it to either one of them. Sonny declared that he would do anything to protect Will. Will joked that their situation qualified as the "worse" part of "for better or for worse." Sonny promised that they would get through it together.

When Marlena arrived at the DiMera mansion, Sami said that Allie wouldn't stop playing a game on her tablet. "She doesn't want to interact," Marlena concluded. Sami hoped that Marlena could get Allie to engage. Sami explained that she had to go to a meeting, but she would return very soon. She admitted that she felt terrible because Allie had witnessed Nick's death. "It's all because of me," Sami added softly. Marlena asserted that Sami couldn't possibly have known what was going to happen to Nick. Sami clarified that she hadn't known; she just wished that Allie hadn't seen what had happened.

E.J. was playing Allie's game with her when Sami and Marlena entered the living room. Allie just stared blankly when she saw her grandmother then she returned to her game. A worried Sami gave Allie a goodbye hug and kiss, which the child didn't even acknowledge, before heading out.

Marlena tried to draw Allie out by asking if she'd slept all right. Allie nodded and finally spoke, admitting that her other grandmother had made cocoa for her. E.J. remarked that Allie seemed a little tired. "I don't want to take a nap!" Allie declared adamantly. Marlena assured the little girl that no one would make her do anything she didn't want to do.

A little later, E.J. stepped outside to check in with Sami by phone. He told her that Allie had fallen right to sleep as soon as she'd put her head in Marlena's lap. Sami admitted that she felt bad because they had done that to Allie. Sami hung up and headed in the direction of the "thing" she had to get to -- and when she left, the hit man followed.

Later, E.J. gently covered a sleeping Allie up with a blanket. "She could be out for a while. I don't imagine she's slept very well after all she's been through," Marlena remarked. Meanwhile, Allie was having a nightmare about Nick staggering into the square, bleeding from his gunshot wounds, and collapsing. She woke up screaming.

Lucas met Kate at the Brady Pub and filled her in on how Allie was doing. Kate was confident that Allie was a "tough cookie" and would get through it. Kate revealed that she'd just been at the police station, answering Hope's questions. Lucas was floored when his mom said that she'd freely admitted that she would have killed Nick if she'd had a gun when she'd seen him. Kate pointed out that there was no use lying about owning a gun when Hope had already known that.

"Why are you so upset, anyway? It's not like I told her that you own a gun," Kate wondered. "Because I don't," Lucas said. "Well, there you go. And I didn't kill Nick, so neither of us has anything to worry about," Kate concluded -- although after she left, Lucas recalled the text messages he'd exchanged with Nick, confirming Nick's location, on the night of Nick's murder.

Kate went to her office and took her gun box out of her desk drawer -- but found that it was both unlocked and empty.

Lucas went to the police station and knocked on Hope's door. "You wanted to see me?" he asked as he entered the office.

Sami was on the phone, discussing the contracts she'd just gotten signed, when she entered the square outside Horton Square. The hit man appeared and approached Sami. Uncomfortable, Sami turned to leave, but the man grabbed her by the arm, growling, "Not so fast, lady."