Days of our Lives recap for January 24, 2025: Rachel meets a devious stranger

At the Bistro, a shaken Brady confided in Ava about his worries for Rachel. “I’ve been trying to put on a brave face for Kristen, showing her we’re going to find Rachel,” Brady said. Brady admitted that he felt guilty because he believed he and Kristen had failed as parents. “[Rachel] was so desperate that she felt that this is what she needed to do?” Brady said. Ava hugged Brady, and he apologized for unloading his turmoil onto her. “Are you kidding me? This is your daughter we are talking about. I want you to lean on me. I’m here for you,” Ava said. Brady thanked Ava.

“Given the way Kristen reacted when I last spoke to her, I doubt she’d be very happy that we’re alone like this,” Brady said. Ava assured Brady that Kristen did not need to know. “I understand Kristen’s continued concern about my involvement with this. Look, I still hold myself partially responsible for Rachel’s disappearance,” Ava said. Brady told Ava not to blame herself.

“Even Kristen admitted to me that you are not to blame for any of this at all,” Brady stressed. Ava was surprised. Brady explained that he and Kristen were frustrated because they both understood they were to blame for Rachel’s disappearance. “Rachel has been troubled for a while now. She should have been in therapy years ago. And I should have had a firmer hand to let that little girl know that she can’t always get her way,” Brady said. Ava argued that Brady could not have known how Rachel would have responded to therapy.

“But I should have predicted that when she was told that her mommy and daddy were never going to be together that the reaction would be bad,” Brady said. Brady noted that when Rachel returned home, he would have to reiterate that he and Kristen were over. “I just want her to come home,” Brady whispered.

Ava cooked Brady dinner, and as he ate, she told him about the time she had run away from home. Ava cheerfully told Brady that she had returned home quickly. “What made you run away in the first place?” Brady asked. Ava hesitantly told Brady that her father had abused her mother. “I was his pride and joy, so I thought my disappearance would shock some sense back into him,” Ava explained. Ava noted that her father had blamed her mother for Ava’s disappearance. Ava explained she had pushed her mother to leave the marriage but had been unsuccessful.

“[I knew one day] he would give her a beating that she would not come back from. And one day, he did,” Ava said. Brady reached over and took Ava’s hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you went through all that,” Brady said. Ava started to apologize, but Brady told her never to apologize for opening up to him. “Even so, right now, the issue is Rachel, and that is what matters,” Ava said. Ava encouraged Brady to take his dinner home so that he could rest.

In the DiMera living room, Kristen stared at a photo of Rachel, and she pleaded for her to come home. “The police have been predictably useless in their endeavor,” Kristen muttered. Kristen looked over at Stefano’s portrait, and she noted that he would not wait for the police to track down his child. “So neither will I,” Kristen said. Kristen opened the secret door to the tunnels.

As Kristen started to enter, EJ entered the room and spotted her. “What the hell are you doing?” EJ asked. EJ dragged Kristen away from the doorway. “My daughter is missing, in case you’ve been too self-absorbed to notice!” Kristen yelled. EJ released Kristen’s arm as Kristen ranted about the incompetence of the police. “So, if you don’t mind, I am going to start my search in the tunnels,” Kristen said. EJ grabbed Kristen by the shoulders and held her in place.

“There is no need to look there. The footage from the CCTV showed that Rachel left through the front doors, not the tunnels,” EJ argued. EJ added that he had personally searched all of the tunnels and confirmed that there was no evidence of Rachel.

“Where the hell is she?” Kristen yelped. Kristen noted that she felt powerless. EJ explained that he had ordered Stefano’s network to search for Rachel, and he believed they would be more successful than the police. Kristen was surprised that EJ had offered a reward for his niece when they were not related by blood.

“Kristen, you are a DiMera even if you were born a Blake. Stefano regarded you and Peter as his children, just as much as we were,” EJ said. EJ reminded Kristen that she was the most like Stefano. “My dear, old mother would be so disappointed to hear you say that. I mean, she was always trying to appeal to my better angels. And that was before things went wrong,” Kristen said. Kristen confessed that she had named Rachel after her mother because she had wanted Rachel to be more like a Blake than a DiMera. Kristen admitted she had failed in that.

“I may not know much about Rachel Blake, but it is my impression that your mother was a bit of a badass,” EJ said. Kristen chuckled and nodded yes. “It’s sad that she wasn’t able to be a mom most of our lives,” Kristen said. EJ asked about Rachel’s attempt to kill Stefano. Kristen explained that Rachel had triggered an explosion in Paris, but only Stefano had survived. “The phoenix always rises from the ashes,” EJ said.

“But my mother, not so lucky,” Kristen countered. Kristen lamented that she had not had Rachel spend time with her mother’s side of the family. Kristen offered to show EJ a scrapbook of her time in Aremid, but it was not in the desk drawer. “It’s gone,” Kristen said. EJ suggested that a servant had moved it and that they would find it. Kristen noted that she would be heartbroken if the scrapbook was lost.

“It’s all I have of my mother,” Kristen said. EL apologized for having to leave for an errand. “Where the hell is Brady?” EJ asked. Kristen explained that Brady had claimed to need a shower but that she suspected that it had been a cover story so that he could visit Ava. “I detest that two-faced bitch. She is the reason that Rachel ran away,” Kristen said. Kristen explained that although she had told Brady that Ava was not to blame, she still believed that if Ava were not dating Brady, Kristen would be with Brady, and Rachel would be home.

In the Horton living room, Chad ordered his employees at the paper to run a picture of Rachel on the front page and to push the amber alert notification on the paper’s social media accounts. JJ walked in and updated Chad on the lack of leads in the search. “It’s as though Rachel’s disappeared into thin air,” JJ said. JJ noted that Rachel was last seen on camera leaving the DiMera house with only the contents of her piggy bank. Chad asked if there had been money around the house that Rachel could have taken.

“I’ve been checking any of the transport options where she might have tried to use it, buses, trains, planes. So far nothing,” JJ said. JJ explained that Jada had sent him home to take a break from the search and rest up. Chad told JJ that he had directed the paper to use its influence to aid in the search but that there had been no new information. “I just feel so bad for Kristen. Her daughter is her life,” Chad said.

After a moment, Chad told JJ he had some unwelcome news for the family. “Cat Greene is back in Salem,” Chad said. Chad explained that Cat had returned to town to supervise her little sister’s final year of high school. JJ said he hoped he would not run into Cat. With a chuckle, Chad said that Cat might be working as Marlena’s assistant. JJ was stunned.

“Marlena knows the extenuating circumstances,” Chad said. “Nothing gave Cat the right to do what she and her brother did,” JJ argued. Concerned, JJ asked why Chad was defending Cat. Chad reminded JJ that Gabi had hurt the Horton family, but JJ was dating her. JJ argued that was different, but Chad disagreed. “Are you saying that you don’t want me to see Gabi?” JJ asked. Chad said no.

“What I’m saying is I’m not telling you who you should associate with, and I would expect that you would give me the same courtesy,” Chad said. Julie entered the room, and JJ asked Julie if she knew that Cat was living in Salem. “Apparently, Chad doesn’t have a problem with it,” JJ said. Julie smiled. “That doesn’t matter to me any more. Nothing matters to me any more,” Julie said. With a nod, Julie grabbed her reading glasses and walked out.

Concerned, JJ asked Chad if they should go after Julie. “I don’t think she really likes people fussing over her. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried,” Chad said. Julie returned with a cup of tea, and she admitted that she had not been sleeping well. Chad asked Julie if she had thought about his suggestion to talk to Marlena. “It’s not going to bring Doug back, is it, darling?” Julie said. Julie said she would be fine in time, and she told them not to worry.

“We are worried. What’s the harm in talking to Marlena? If it doesn’t work, just stop going,” Chad said. “You know that Doug would want you to feel better,” JJ added. Chad agreed. “And if [Doug] were here, he would tell you, you’ve got to start living your life again. Marlena can help you do that, okay? If you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for us, your family. Because we love you, we need you. And we really need you to take care of yourself,” Chad said. Julie agreed that Doug would say the same thing, and she thanked Chad. “I’ll call Marlena tomorrow, maybe,” Julie announced. Chad suggested that they visit Marlena that night instead.

Marlena was in her office at the hospital when Cat walked in. “Sorry to bother you. The front desk said you might be on a break right now,” Cat said. Marlena confirmed she had not had a chance to talk to Kayla about the assistant position. Cat started to say it was okay if Marlena had changed her mind, but Marlena assured Cat that was not the case.

“There’s a lot going on here right now, and we’re in a bit of a crisis. My granddaughter has gone missing,” Marlena explained. Cat apologized, and she noted that she had not realized that the citywide amber alert had been for Marlena’s granddaughter. “Do they have any leads?” Cat asked. Marlena said they believed that Rachel had run away. “She’s a very resourceful girl,” Marlena said. With a shake of her head, Marlena worried aloud about what danger Rachel might encounter.

As Marlena apologized for not having talked to Kayla, Cat assured Marlena that she understood. “I’ve been preoccupied with trying to reach my husband. He doesn’t know that Rachel is missing yet,” Marlena said. Marlena added that she had been unable to tell John the news about Cat’s mother either. “Is he away on business?” Cat asked. Marlena sidestepped the question, and she noted that if John were home, he would be able to track down Rachel. Marlena gave Cat a brief recap of John’s life and his history with Marlena.

When Marlena talked about her love triangle with Roman and John, Cat equated the situation to hers with Chad and Abigail. “You three were obviously in a situation where you were innocent victims, unlike the situation with me and Chad,” Cat said. “You were a victim of circumstance,” Marlena countered. Marlena blamed Clyde. With a shake of her head, Cat noted that she did not believe Chad could ever forgive her. Marlena noted that Chad was a compassionate person.

“Being nice to me is one thing, but having certain feelings about me is an entirely different situation,” Cat said. “Romantic feelings?” Marlena asked. Cat said yes, and she understood that there was no chance for a romantic relationship. As Cat noted that she was working to avoid Chad and bury her feelings, Chad knocked on the door.

“Come in!” Marlena said. Chad walked in with Julie, and Julie gave Cat the stink-eye. Cat and Chad left the room, and Julie commented that she was not there voluntarily. “I just ran out of energy arguing with Chad,” Julie said. “You don’t think this might be helpful to you?” Marlena asked. With a scoff, Julie said that she had been startled by Cat’s presence. Marlena apologized, but Julie said she understood.

“You’re my friend. My respected and treasured friend. And I do understand that psychoanalysis works. I mean, I’ve lived long enough to know that much. However, I’m not sick. I’m a new widow. And I have lost the love of my life. And I am terribly, terribly sad. Now, I think that’s just normal, don’t you?” Julie said. Marlena agreed. Julie said she did not want to stop thinking about her husband and their love.

“That was the stuff that dreams are made of. Who cares if I can’t sleep or I can’t move on with my life? All I have left are memories of him. I don’t want to lose that,” Julie said. “I understand,” Marlena said. Julie argued that therapy would be a waste of time for them both. “You could never, ever waste my time. I know you’re only here to appease Chad, but as long as you’re here, I don’t know, we’ve got the time. Why don’t we try a session? And if it doesn’t work for you, we never have to do it again,” Marlena said. Julie agreed.

In the hospital waiting area, Cat apologized to Chad for having upset Julie. “It’s my fault for not realizing you could have started your job already,” Chad said. Cat clarified that she had not been hired yet and had just been talking to Marlena. “About what?” Chad asked. Cat joked, “You know psychiatrists. Always trying to get you to talk about your feelings.”

Rachel looked around the living room of a boarded-up house. “It’s not how I imagined it,” Rachel said. There was a noise, and Rachel held up her stuffed snake and warned the intruder that her snake was a biter. A woman dressed in white entered the room. “Luckily for you, I don’t.” the woman said. Rachel asked the woman her identity. The woman noted that Rachel was trespassing, and she asked her name.

“Rachel,” Rachel said. “I see. What a beautiful name,” the woman said. Rachel explained that she was named after her mother’s mother. “She used to live here,” Rachel said. “And what is your mommy’s name?” the woman asked. Rachel said her mother was named Kristen. The woman smiled serenely, and she said that if she had a daughter, she would have called her Kristen. After Rachel introduced the woman to her stuffed snake, the woman asked why Rachel was there.

“I ran away from home,” Rachel said. “I suspect your parents must be very worried,” the woman said. Rachel admitted that she hoped her parents were upset. Rachel sat down with the woman, and Rachel gave her version of the story of her parents and Ava. The woman agreed that Ava sounded like “quite the pesky interloper.”

“There’s only one thing to be done about people like her. You need to get her out of the picture. Permanently,” the woman advised. The woman argued that Rachel did not need therapy because Ava was the only problem. The woman told Rachel her plan to deal with Ava, and she helped Rachel dial Ava’s phone number on a rotary phone.

When Ava answered the call, Rachel asked for help. “I couldn’t reach mommy and daddy. You have to come straight away,” Rachel pleaded. Ava asked where to find Rachel, and Rachel gave her the address of the house.

At the Bistro, Ava frantically called Brady’s cell phone, but he did not answer. Ava left a voicemail asking him to call her back because she had heard from Rachel. “I know where she is. I’m heading there right now,” Ava said.

At the penthouse, Brady jumped out of the shower and rushed to answer the front door in a towel. JJ stopped by to ask about Rachel. “I’ve been waiting for my phone to ring. Nothing,” Brady said. On the coffee table, Brady’s phone flashed a missed call notification. After JJ left, Brady saw the missed call from Ava on his phone, and he listened to the voicemail. The message was garbled, and he could not hear what Ava had said.

In the abandoned house, the woman told Rachel that they made a great team. “Not too many people visit Aremid these days. A bit far out of the way,” the woman said. She asked Rachel how she had known about the house.

Rachel pulled Kristen’s scrapbook out of her backpack. “It’s about my mommy, Uncle Peter, and their mommy, Rachel Blake. And I’m Rachel Black,” Rachel said. Rachel asked the woman for her name. “You can just call me the Woman in White.” the woman said.

When Ava arrived at Rachel’s location, she saw Rachel’s stuffed snake on the couch. The woman and Rachel snuck up behind Ava and hit her over the head with a candlestick. “That was even easier than I thought,” the woman said.

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