Days of our Lives Recap for Monday, December 23, 2024: Hattie faces the music

At Rafe and Jada’s place, Gabi marveled that Jada had already almost finished wrapping Christmas presents. Jada noticed Gabi’s attire and asked if Gabi had plans. Gabi indicated she was going out for drinks, but before she could name her companion, Jada’s phone rang. It was Shawn, who had bad news for Jada. When the police had gone to apprehend Hattie, the woman was nowhere to be found.

After Jada ended the call, she updated Gabi about the investigation into Hattie for the tainted cupcakes incident. Gabi thought Hattie might have skipped town, but Jada believed Rafe might have gotten to her first. Jada filled Gabi in on Rafe’s theory that Hattie was Lady Whistleblower. Gabi couldn’t understand why Jada was angry if Hattie had been found by Rafe since that outcome had been the goal. Jada suggested that Rafe’s interference could “screw up” her own case against Hattie.

Jada turned the subject back to Gabi’s date, and Gabi insisted it wasn’t really a date. She explained that JJ was back in town for a short time and probably wanted to catch up. Gabi also clarified that Javi had been the one to accept the invitation. Jada thought Gabi might be protesting too much and suggested that it was a date. Just then, JJ arrived and knocked on the door.

When Gabi answered, JJ took her in and said that she looked amazing. Gabi returned the compliment. JJ asked if Gabi was ready for their “date.” At his choice of words, Jada smiled knowingly.

Gabi invited JJ inside and introduced him to Jada. She then left the room briefly to retrieve something. During their moment alone, Jada mentioned JJ’s past as a cop. She asked him to consider rejoining the force.

Later, Gabi and JJ settled in for their date at Small Bar. They got drinks, and JJ admitted he was surprised that Gabi had taken him up on his invitation. Gabi claimed that she had wanted to connect with JJ again before he left town. JJ expressed how glad he had been to see Gabi, and the two toasted to their renewed friendship. When Gabi brought up JJ departing Salem, he told her about Jada’s offer.

JJ confided that he was hesitant about working on the force again after what had happened with Theo. Gabi reassured him that the shooting hadn’t been his fault. JJ recalled how Gabi had found him on a past Christmas Eve as he was about to commit suicide. He affirmed that if not for Gabi, he wouldn’t be alive. Gabi took his hand and gave him a comforting smile.

At Leo’s apartment, Leo posed with Alice’s necklace in front of a mirror. As he admired the way the jewelry looked on him, he debated whether or not he should honor his word to Doug or keep the necklace for himself. Someone knocked at the door. After pocketing the necklace, Leo answered and saw Rafe, who indicated that he had “a Christmas present” for Leo. Rafe then presented a displeased Hattie to Leo.

Hattie sauntered inside and immediately began insulting Leo, who readily returned the banter. Before Leo could confront Hattie about Lady Whistleblower, she launched into a rant about Leo using her “likeness” to film the death scene for Charlemagne. She commanded to a perplexed Leo that she wanted an ironclad contract. Things became clearer for Leo when Hattie said that Rafe had told her she was wanted back on Body and Soul. Leo turned to Rafe and sarcastically asked if Rafe had informed Hattie that she would have her old role back, to which Rafe shrugged.

Hattie listed her demands, including a higher salary, Bonnie's firing, and “groveling” from Leo, Abe, and Kate. Leo snarkily added a private jet, a Ferrari, and a “lifetime supply of pork rinds” to the deal. Hattie’s growing excitement deflated when Leo harshly replied that if Hattie ever stepped foot on the set again, she would be sent down an elevator shaft “for real.” Hattie was even more dumbstruck when Leo called her “Lady Whistleblower.” Hattie reminded Leo that he was Lady Whistleblower.

Leo accused Hattie of being a “thieving plagiarizer” who had betrayed his trust and friendship. Hattie asked how she had betrayed Leo, and he shot back that she had hacked into his computer and leaked his stories in her “so-called gossip column.” Hattie claimed the only things she did on computers were shopping and playing “that Cyborg game.” Undeterred, Leo reminded Hattie that she’d vowed to make the show pay. She corrected that she’d put a curse on the show, which was different.

Hattie prepared to leave, but Rafe stopped her. He announced that he was making a “citizen’s arrest.” Hattie retorted that allegedly leaking spoilers for a TV show was not a crime. Rafe revealed that Hattie was the prime suspect in the mass poisoning of the Body and Soul cast. Hattie acted as if she didn’t know about the incident and expressed shock that anyone would believe her guilty.

Later, Leo was alone and ranted about Hattie's audacity to lie to him. He received a news alert that he had made informing him about anything Lady Whistleblower-related. With trepidation, Leo looked at a newly released gossip column. Lady Whistleblower had written a response to the rampant speculation about her identity. She offered one clue in the column: “I am not Hattie Adams.”

At Ava’s apartment, Ava read a text from an unknown number inquiring about her date. When she asked for the identify of the person, they responded, “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Ava began pacing around the room until she received another message. It read, “Too bad about The Nutcracker.” Ava smirked and had one response for the exchange: “Kristen.”

At John and Marlena’s place, Belle arrived home and greeted Brady. She asked him how his date with Ava had gone. As Brady recounted the various mishaps with the date, Belle remarked that it seemed “quite the comedy of errors.” When she suggested that “something” might have conspired to make the date go awry, Brady corrected the suggestion to “someone.” He presented his theory that Kristen had sabotaged the date.

Belle was skeptical until Brady reminded her that such tactics were “child’s play” to Kristen. He didn’t believe he could prove her culpability, though. Just then, someone knocked frantically on the door. When Brady went to answer, Ava rushed in and declared, “Kristen’s after us.” Ava showed Belle and Brady the texts she had received, which confirmed to Brady that Kristen was the saboteur.

Brady went to confront Kristen but urged Ava to stay behind. Once they were alone, Belle cautioned Ava about getting involved with the Kristen drama. Ava wondered if Belle really had reservations about Ava, considering what Ava had done to Belle's family. Belle said that she didn’t blame Ava for those actions because of Ava’s mental health issues at the time. She was more worried about Ava going up against someone who currently had mental health issues.

Belle told Ava about the lengths to which Kristen had gone to keep Brady and Chloe apart. Ava assured Belle that she wasn’t afraid of Kristen and that she could handle anything Kristen threw her way.

At the police station, Jada answered a call from Rafe informing her that he was going to deliver a Christmas present to her. Jada sarcastically replied, “Let me guess.” As she expected, Jada was soon greeted by Rafe, who had a struggling Hattie in tow.

Jada took Hattie into the interrogation room for questioning. Before Jada could begin, Belle arrived and demanded to speak with her client alone. Once Jada left the room, Hattie beamed and asked if Belle was her lawyer.

Outside the interrogation room, Jada testily told Rafe that Belle had stopped the questioning. She asserted that if Shawn had brought Hattie into custody, the outcome would have likely been different. “Some Christmas present,” she snapped at Rafe before storming off.

At the DiMera mansion, Kristen was busily texting when EJ came into the room for a drink and startled her. Kristen yelped and almost dropped her phone. When she turned to EJ, she berated him for coming into the room “like a herd of elephants.” EJ didn’t believe Kristen’s claims that she had merely been texting, and he challenged her on what she was hiding. Kristen snarked that she was always hiding something from EJ because she didn’t trust him.

When Kristen added that she had been “guarding” her phone because of DiMera business, EJ dropped the subject and lamented that he had his own problems. Someone had messed up his case against Mark. EJ complained that Belle had ruined his chance to punish the people who had hurt the family. He also didn’t look forward to another loss on his prosecution record. Kristen joked about EJ’s “impeccable reputation,” and EJ chastised her for not giving him any empathy.

Kristen said she was sorry about the case but that nothing could be done. EJ disagreed, and he wanted Kristen’s help in teaching Belle a lesson. He mused that Kristen could fire Belle from Belle’s consulting work for DiMera. Kristen couldn’t see why the move would benefit her.

EJ reminded his sister that Belle also represented Philip. EJ put forth the idea that Belle could spill company secrets to help Philip. Kristen balked, which prompted EJ to suggest that firing Brady’s sister could be a way for Kristen to get back at Brady.

Kristen implied that she had other plans for Brady. Before EJ could get more information out of Kristen, Brady stormed into the room and yelled at Kristen to back off. When Kristen cheekily asked how Brady’s date had gone, Brady raged that she already knew. Kristen implied that Brady should have expected his date to end in disaster, given it was with a “mafia princess.” EJ sipped his drink in enjoyment at the spectacle.

After Brady directly accused Kristen of interfering and mentioned the texts Ava had received, Kristen scoffed at the notion that she had been involved n any of it. EJ inserted himself into the argument and told Brady to rein in his sister, Belle. Brady lashed out at EJ as well but realized that Kristen would not admit to anything. He wished Kristen and EJ a “terrible day” and left. EJ was quick to bring up Kristen’s previous suspicious activity with her phone.

Kristen continued to insist that she hadn’t done anything wrong. EJ was unconvinced, so Kristen threw up her hands in frustration and went into another room. She pulled out her phone again along the way.

Later, as EJ was descending the staircase, someone knocked at the door. He impatiently answered and barked at the unseen person, “What the hell do you want?”

Brady went home and updated Ava on his confrontation with Kristen. Ava became doubtful that Kristen had sent the texts, as she believed Kristen would directly warn her against spending time with Brady. Right after Ava’s statement, she received another text. It read, “Stay away from Brady.”

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