At the Brady Pub, Daniel challenged Nicole to an arcade basketball game. During the game, Daniel teased Nicole, who was losing. Nicole claimed that the stakes simply weren't high enough for her to care about the game.

Nicole challenged Daniel to a rematch, and they each agreed that the winner would receive whatever he or she asked for. A short time later, Daniel found himself twenty-eight points behind Nicole, and he realized that he had been hustled. Nicole mocked Daniel's gullibility.

Later, at the Horton Town Square, Daniel gave Nicole a foot massage. As Daniel shifted his attention to Nicole's shoulders, she suggested that they could race back to her hotel room. Nicole proposed that the loser would have to pay for room service, and Daniel agreed. Nicole pushed Daniel away and rushed off, and he chased after her.

Elsewhere, Austin wondered what Carrie and Rafe had been talking about. Rafe claimed that Carrie had been worried about a client, and Carrie explained that she wasn't sure if she could remain detached from the case. Austin seemed to accept Carrie's explanation, and he offered her some words of encouragement. Austin concluded that Carrie needed to relax, so he escorted her back to their hotel room.

Later, Austin used a tablet computer to show Carrie a virtual tour of a house that he believed would be perfect for them. Carrie daydreamed about Rafe as she looked at the images. Austin seemed oblivious to Carrie's disinterest, and he enthusiastically stated that they could be extremely happy together in that particular house. Carrie forced a smile and half-heartedly agreed.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady tried to convince Madison that he hadn't used the drugs that he had purchased the previous night. "Living with this is miserable. This -- this addiction that I have is awful, and some days...I just think I should give in and let it take me over. It'd probably be easier, but the thought of losing you has given me more strength to fight this thing than I've ever had before," Brady said.

Brady remained convinced that Ian was responsible for Brady's relapse. Madison acknowledged that Ian was capable of doing something like that, but she wondered why he would want to hurt Brady. "No, not me -- us. He's going after us," Brady said. Madison was still confused, and she said that she needed some time to clear her head. Madison started to leave, but Brady asked her to wait.

"I need you to understand why I became an addict. My whole life, I felt like something was missing -- like there was a void, an emptiness in me. Probably had something to do with losing my mom, you know? I tried to fill it up any way I could -- with women, with work, anything I could find. And then I found drugs, and that was something that -- that filled me up. I didn't feel anything -- I didn't feel sad, I didn't feel empty. I actually felt freedom. For the first time in my life, I felt freedom," Brady explained.

"That void -- the emptiness that ripped me apart before -- has been gone. It left the day I fell in love with you," Brady added. Brady promised that he would always choose Madison over drugs. Madison seemed to realize that Brady was being sincere, and she tearfully hugged him.

At Titan, a messenger delivered an envelope to Kate. Kate placed the envelope in a drawer, unaware that Ian was watching her. After locking the drawer, Kate returned to her desk. Ian entered the room, and he casually mentioned that he had passed a messenger in the hallway.

"All right, you caught me. I received a personal package on the company's dime. I apologize. Look, you can take it out of my salary," Kate jokingly stated. Kate excused herself so that she could go to a meeting. Kate started to leave the room, but Ian remained stationary. Kate hesitated, and Ian wondered if she had forgotten something. Kate shook her head and exited the room.

After Kate left, Ian rushed over to the drawer and tried to pick the lock, but a phone call interrupted his amateurish attempt. "I'm glad you called. Brady Black has broken sooner than we thought. Bring the materials to me -- I will dispose of them. No, they cannot be traced to me," Ian told the caller.

Later, a man entered the office and handed Ian a box of protein supplement packets. After the man left, Ian inspected one of the packets. Kate entered the room and wondered what Ian was doing. Ian claimed that he had ordered the protein supplements to satisfy his curiosity.

"You know, it looks just like the one that Brady uses. He can't live without it. I'm gonna try it -- I'm gonna see what all the fuss is about," Kate said. Kate grabbed the packet and dumped its contents into a glass of water. Ian watched as Kate stirred the water with a spoon. After licking the spoon, Kate raised the glass to her lips.

Ian pushed Kate's hand away, and he kissed her as he placed the glass on a nearby table. Ian intentionally tipped the glass over, and he apologetically stated that he had developed an irresistible urge to kiss Kate. Ian quickly called a janitor. Ian pointedly licked his lips, and he declared that the protein drink was disgusting. Ian assured Kate that she would have hated it.

Kate seemed amused, and she excused herself so that she could return to her meeting. Kate paused when she reached the hallway, and she stated that she had forgotten something. Kate walked over to the drawer and grabbed the envelope that she had received earlier. Kate exited the room, leaving the drawer unlocked. After Kate left, Ian rushed over to the drawer, and he cursed when he realized that it was empty.

At the police station, a technician prepared the lie detector test. Roman asked Will to wait outside, but E.J. said that he wanted Will to stay. Roman pulled Will into the hallway so that they could have some privacy. "Look, Will, I know things haven't been good between us lately, but it would mean a lot to me if we could sit down -- have a real talk, not in a police station. I love you, Will -- know that," Roman said, and Will nodded.

The technician announced that he was ready to start the test. Roman and Will returned to the room. "Even if he passes, I'm not buying it. E.J.'s got a lot of tricks up his sleeve. Wouldn't surprise me if he figured out some way to manipulate the results," Roman quietly told Spencer.

The technician asked E.J. a series of control questions to test the machine. After a couple of simple questions, the technician asked if E.J. was Stefano's son. E.J. hesitated, and the technician repeated the question. E.J. squirmed in his chair.

"You're wasting my time. I did not come down here to answer ridiculous questions, I came down here to tell you the truth. Now, can you please get to the point?" E.J. impatiently asked. Rafe entered the room and wondered what was going on. E.J. seized the opportunity to complain about Rafe's tardiness. The technician announced that he was going to have to restart the test due to E.J.'s outburst.

"That's exactly what you want, isn't it, E.J.? Throw the results 'cause you know you've got something to hide," Roman theorized. E.J. denied the accusation, and he impatiently urged the technician to continue. The technician started to ask E.J. a new series of questions. When the technician asked if E.J. had killed Stefano, E.J. hesitated for a moment before answering.

Later, E.J. and Will waited for the test results. Will noted that E.J. seemed confident, and E.J. agreed. Roman and Spencer returned to the room, and Roman announced that he had received the results. "You failed. The test shows you lied to me when I asked you if you had murdered your father. You said no, which means the real answer is yes -- you did kill Stefano DiMera," Roman said, as E.J. smiled nervously.

Meanwhile, outside the Brady Pub, someone handed the technician an envelope that was filled with cash. The mysterious person was wearing black leather gloves.

Entangled in a passionate kiss, Nicole and Daniel stumbled into her hotel room, and they began to undress one another. Nicole and Daniel fell back onto the bed and made love. As Nicole and Daniel cuddled afterward, she asked him if he wanted to talk about what had happened with Rafe. "I could swear I just heard the sound of a nice moment being killed," Daniel said. Changing the subject, Daniel asked Nicole if she was good at pool. With a grin, Nicole bet Daniel that she could beat him at pool.

After making love, Nicole called room service to order French fries and a banana split. When Daniel countered that the food was not healthy enough for him, Nicole joked, "You just don't strike me as the kind of man who worries about what's good for him." With a smile, Daniel responded, "Obviously not, or I wouldn't be naked in your bed, now would I?"

Offended, Nicole grabbed her robe and told Daniel that he could leave while she took a shower. Daniel gently grabbed Nicole and asked her to stay. Nicole urged Daniel to talk to her. Reluctantly, Daniel admitted that their situation was complicated. Daniel said that he did not want to be in a triangle situation with Nicole and Rafe. When Nicole started to protest, Daniel assured Nicole that her feelings were her own business.

After Daniel took a cold shower, he returned to the bedroom to find Nicole sitting on the bed with the food from room service. Nicole licked the whip cream off of the sundae provocatively. With a smirk, Daniel sat on the bed next to Nicole.

Sami was yelling into her cell phone about a late product delivery for Countess W when she returned home to her apartment. As Sami wrapped up her rant, Lucas took the cell phone from her hand and ended her phone call. Smiling, Lucas pulled an annoyed Sami into his arms and kissed her. Lucas joked that Sami should yell at him for hanging up her phone call. With a grin, Sami warned Lucas that she would get him, and then she kissed him.

As they fell onto the couch, Sami suggested that she and Lucas go to the bedroom. "I thought you'd never ask!" Lucas said in mock exasperation. With a groan, Sami remembered that they had to pick up the kids for a sleepover and that she needed to attend an afternoon meeting. Lucas and Sami agreed on a rain check. As Sami started to stand up, Lucas pulled her back down onto the couch and asked her to talk. Lucas asked Sami whether they were just friends with benefits, and she said that their relationship was stronger than that.

"I want this to work. I really think we have a shot this time. I mean we're smarter, older, and wiser. But I know what I want," Sami said. Pleased by Sami's response, Lucas pulled a gift box out of the drawer. Sami opened the box to find a bracelet. "Here's to getting it right this time," Lucas said, then kissed Sami.

As Sami admired her bracelet, Lucas explained that the bracelet had been Alice Horton's. Lucas said that Alice had wanted Sami to have the bracelet, but Sami was unsure. Lucas explained that Alice had sent him the bracelet in Hong Kong after his divorce from Chloe. Lucas noted that Sami had been with Rafe, and he did not know whether he would ever be with Sami again.

"It kept ringing in my head that my Grandma wanted you to have it and that she wanted me to be the one to give it to you," Lucas said. Sami reminisced about how, as a child, she had visited Alice while she was gardening. With a smile, Sami remembered how Alice had told Sami that her determination would be an asset. Lucas and Sami agreed that Alice had known they would find their way back to one another.

As Sami and Lucas cuddled on the couch, they talked about how well their relationship was going. Lucas pointed out that they knew everything about one another. Sami asked Lucas if he meant what he had said when he called her his best friend, and Lucas admitted that he had meant it. Sami thanked Lucas for returning home to help her, and Lucas teased her that she would have done the same for him.

At the police station, E.J. was stunned to learn that he had failed the lie detector test. E.J. stressed that the test was defective because he had not murdered his father. Roman disagreed and wondered aloud whether the test proved that E.J. was the killer. With a sigh, E.J. noted that he had agreed to sit for the test in order to clear his name and to motivate the police department to look for better suspects. E.J. reiterated that he believed the test was as flawed as the Salem Police.

E.J. reminded Roman, Rafe, and Spencer that the results were not admissible in court. Roman countered that the test results were enlightening. "I was under no obligation to come here. So why would I do so if I had something to hide?" E.J. said. Will agreed with E.J.'s reasoning, but Roman warned Will not to be naïve.

Roman explained that E.J. was cocky enough to believe that he could beat the test, but that unfortunately, E.J. was not as slippery as Stefano. Roman stressed, "That polygraph test shows we are on the right track. We have exactly the right suspect in the murder of Stefano DiMera."

Roman reminded E.J. that he had spent a lot of time attempting to clear the DiMera name and that getting Stefano out of the way would help E.J. legitimize the family. Stunned, Will noted that Roman's theory did not make sense because E.J. idolized Stefano. When Roman countered that E.J. would have let Will take the blame for the murder, Will argued that E.J. had bailed him out of jail and had encouraged him to tell Roman about his alibi.

Roman asked Will why he had defended E.J. "He helped me, and he didn't have to," Will said. E.J. argued that if he were guilty, he would not have helped Will because he could have used Will as a scapegoat. With narrowed eyes, E.J. noted that he was tired of the witch-hunt, then walked out with Will close behind.

Once E.J. and Will were gone, Roman argued that E.J. was the most likely suspect because E.J. could not gain control of DiMera enterprises unless Stefano had died. Roman pointed out that Stefano would never have been willing to relinquish control to E.J. Rafe chimed in and said that although he believed E.J. was the prime suspect, he was surprised that E.J. had failed the polygraph test.

Rafe argued that they needed to find more evidence. Spencer agreed with Rafe. Nodding his head, Roman agreed that Rafe should be the lead investigator in the case but he wondered aloud whether Rafe believed that E.J. was the killer. Rafe argued that he wanted to find the murderer but that they needed to go by the book. "If we're gonna take the DiMeras down, we have to think like a DiMera," Rafe said.

In Horton Town Square, E.J. lamented his decision to sit for the polygraph test. Will assured E.J. that the results were meaningless. E.J. worried aloud that the results would leak to the press and provoke a recall election. Will apologized to E.J. for urging him to sit for the polygraph, and he noted that he had wanted to help clear E.J.'s name. Will reminded E.J. that he was innocent and that there was no evidence against E.J. With a rueful chuckle, E.J. responded that he did not care what people believed.

Will shook his head and noted aloud that if the police knew that E.J. was not Stefano's son, it would strengthen their investigation. With a scowl, E.J. firmly responded that the police would not find out about his parentage. "Not if you honor your end of the deal. I did give you my word," Will said. "Your word had better be worth something. And I would stop referring to it in public, or it's not going to be a secret for long," E.J. said before he walked away.

As Will walked into the Brady Pub, he spoke to a car salesman on the phone about the delivery of a new car. When the salesman explained that he could not deliver the car, Will argued that he was E.J.'s right hand man and that he had the authority to order the car. Upon the mention of E.J.'s name, the salesman relented and confirmed that the car would be delivered to Will.

After dropping off the kids upstairs, Lucas headed downstairs and overheard Will's phone conversation. Lucas noted that Will appeared to be turning into E.J. Shaking his head, Lucas warned him that E.J. would turn on Will. With a confident grin, Will assured Lucas that E.J. would not turn on him because he had an understanding with E.J. about his past actions.

In Horton Town Square, Sami was headed into work when she overheard E.J. talking on his cell phone. E.J. stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Sami and hung up the phone. Concerned, Sami asked E.J. if he was okay, and he brushed her off. Sami urged E.J. to talk to her. Sami noted that E.J. traditionally talked to Lexie when he was upset, but since Lexie was gone, Sami offered to be E.J.'s sounding board in Lexie's absence.

E.J. admitted that he was worried about his reputation. E.J. explained that he had submitted to a polygraph test to clear his name. With a shrug Sami noted that E.J. had nothing to worry about. E.J. admitted that he had failed the test. Concerned, Sami asked E.J. if that meant that he had killed Stefano.

Outside the Brady Pub, the lie detector administrator, Hayes, met with a mysterious stranger and accepted a monetary bribe. Hayes stressed that the lie detector was not 100% accurate and that it was not admissible in court. "As long as you're clear on what your dollar has bought you," Hayes said. As Hayes walked away, the mysterious gloved stranger rubbed their hands together.

In an office, the mysterious stranger removed his leather gloves and thought about when he had retrieved them from the trash after E.J. had tossed them. The stranger put the gloves in a plastic bag and sealed it.

At the Brady Pub, Will tried to convince his dad that E.J. wasn't going to use Will's past actions against him. Lucas argued that the untrustworthy E.J. would never change, and would eventually make Will take the rap for one of E.J.'s crimes. Will wouldn't divulge why he was so confident that wouldn't happen, except that he had gotten to know E.J. really well ever since E.J. had bailed Will out of jail -- and E.J. had finally begun to see Will as someone deserving of respect. Lucas contended that E.J. never did anything without an ulterior motive.

Will asserted that E.J. had truly changed since losing his father and his sister. Lucas was worried that E.J.'s grief would fade and he would turn back into the same person he'd always been. Will softly stated that he had changed permanently after Grace's death. Lucas reiterated that E.J. was not Will's friend and could not be trusted. Will pleaded with his dad not to worry about him. Will then got a text message and had to leave, but refused to say where he was going except that it was work-related. "Can you just trust me? Please? I can handle E.J.," Will declared on his way out the door.

As E.J. followed Sami into her apartment, he admonished her of accusing him of murder in public. Sami countered that plenty of people believed E.J. had killed his father -- plus E.J. had just failed a lie-detector test. "I am innocent," E.J. insisted, adding earnestly that he needed her to believe him. "Fine. Whatever," Sami conceded rather unconvincingly. E.J. reminded Sami that she knew him, and she knew how he felt about his family.

"You really think that I would kill my own father?" E.J. asked. Sami admitted, "I do know you, E.J., and right now I wish I didn't -- because when I look into your eyes, I know you're lying to me." E.J. pointed out that if he had killed Stefano, he would have taken every precaution not to get caught. Sami maintained that every word out of E.J.'s mouth only made her believe even more strongly that he had murdered Stefano.

E.J. asked irritably, "If I killed my father, why would I do it in such a sloppy nature? It's not in my nature." Sami theorized that E.J. hadn't planned it. She pointed out that E.J. had been justifiably upset about the things Stefano had been doing to hurt him, and perhaps E.J. had just snapped that night. E.J. complained irritably that Sami wanted him to be guilty, even after all the times recently that he had been there for her.

Sami pointed out that she had been standing by him even though it had made her look foolish, and he couldn't give her one reason to believe him. The two began to argue in earnest until E.J. called Sami self-absorbed, and she angrily ordered him to leave. As she held the door open for him, E.J. spat, "It's little wonder that you're going to be alone for the rest of your life." From the doorway behind his mom, Will chuckled. "Yeah, he's kind of right," Will concurred.

Sami demanded to know why Will would say that. Will replied with a shrug, "Considering what you've done to people, I could see it happening." Sami blamed Will's bad attitude on his working for E.J., and then emphasized that she thought E.J. was "guilty as hell." Laughing incredulously, Will wanted to know why Sami was judging E.J., and why E.J. cared what Sami thought.

E.J. conceded that it was a complete waste of time to try to convince Sami that he was innocent. Sami gently pointed out that he couldn't tell her why he had flunked the polygraph, and urged him to explain himself. Will interrupted and warned his mom that she was only making things worse by butting in. Sami wanted to know what Will was talking about, but E.J. signaled to Will not to say any more, so Will shut up.

"I'm worried about you. What's he doing to you?" Sami softly asked her son. Will countered that she had never cared about what he was doing before unless it had involved her. "If you want to know why I feel more loyalty to him than to you, just -- I don't know -- just think about it," Will said, then left hurriedly.

Sami declared to E.J. that the reason she didn't believe that he was innocent was that he had stabbed her in the back countless times, and he was nothing but a crook. E.J. rose to leave, but Sami wouldn't let him go until he'd heard her out. She continued that she didn't have faith in him because she had given him the benefit of the doubt too many times, only to have him hurt her or someone she loved.

"I am sick to death of you! You are not kind; you are not compassionate. You haven't got a compassionate bone in your entire body!" she proclaimed. She added that she did think E.J. was capable of killing his father -- and enjoying it. E.J. tried again to leave, but Sami put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down to force him to stay. E.J. ordered Sami to take her hands off of him. She did, but she didn't move away.

"I hope they lock you away for the rest of your miserable life," she hissed. E.J. asked, "What about Johnny and Sydney?" Sami declared that the children were better off without E.J. E.J. countered, "You mean they're better off with you? You did such a spectacular job with William, didn't you? I mean, bravo!" Sami hauled off to slap E.J., but he caught her by the wrist. "How long do you think it's going to be before they get sick of you, Samantha?" E.J. asked. The two were nose to nose as Sami hissed, "God, I hate you."

At the townhouse, John and Marlena reveled in simply getting to snuggle on the couch and read -- without having to worry about Stefano. Marlena said that what had happened to Lexie made Marlena want to count her blessings that she and John still had each other. John agreed emphatically. Things had just begun to turn amorous between them when there was a knock at the door.

Marlena was taken aback to find Lucas on the doorstep. He apologized if he'd arrived at a bad time, but he didn't know where else to turn. "It's Will. He's in trouble, and he can't even see it," Lucas told John and Marlena. He explained that working for E.J. was having a negative effect on Will, because Will was claiming that E.J. had changed. Lucas maintained that it was Will who had changed because of E.J.'s influence, but Will was in over his head.

Lucas continued that for some reason, Will believed that he had the upper hand with E.J. "Even if that's somehow true, it's not going to last," John asserted. Lucas noted that Will respected Marlena, so Lucas hoped that she could get through to her grandson. Marlena agreed to try. Lucas also asked John to talk to Will about his history with the DiMera family -- and help Will see that his association with E.J. could possibly even cost Will his life.

Marlena pointed out that she hadn't had much luck when attempting to talk to Will previously. Lucas urged her to at least try to find out why Will had been on such a "power trip." John warned Lucas that if Will tried to make a move on E.J., it would only backfire. Marlena fretted that E.J. was just as dangerous as Stefano.

John noted that E.J. might be more dangerous, because E.J. was reckless where Stefano never had been. John declared, "I've spent my entire life protecting this family from the DiMeras, and this time I'm going to stop them -- once and for all." Marlena asked what John planned to do. John explained that the only reason E.J. was a threat was that he had all the DiMera money and power.

"What would happen if we took it away?" John posited. Marlena and Lucas said that John couldn't contest Stefano's will. John reminded them both that, like it or not, he was a DiMera. "I have been waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity to go after what is rightfully mine: the family empire," John declared.

In Horton Square, Gabi bumped into Chad, who worriedly noted that Melanie uncharacteristically had not updated her Facebook page in weeks. Although Gabi tried to stop him, Chad immediately called Melanie's mom, but got her voicemail. He left a message pleading with Carly to have Melanie call him just to let him know that she was all right.

When Chad stepped away to grab some coffee, Gabi called Andrew and chewed him out for kidnapping Melanie. Andrew reminded Gabi that she would still be "on the sidelines" if not for him. Unmoved, Gabi demanded to know when Andrew planned to let Melanie go. "I don't know -- when you get Chad to fall in love with you? We'll both get what we want," replied Andrew, gazing at Melanie through the speakeasy in the basement door.

Gabi urged Chad to give himself a break from worrying about Melanie all the time, especially after everything he'd been through. She offered to do something to thank him for letting her stay with him because of the stalker, and refused to take no for an answer. "Fine. What do you have in mind?" Chad asked. Gabi said that it was a surprise, and led him by the hand out of the square.

Soon Chad and Gabi were dressed in cycling gear and picking up a picnic lunch from the Brady Pub. Chad wasn't eager to go on the ride that Gabi had planned for them down by the lake, but she encouraged him to remember that his sister would want him to take care of himself. Chad reluctantly grabbed his helmet, and the two headed out.

A short while later, they returned to the pub after Gabi took a tumble off her bike. Chad helpfully pointed out that she'd also gotten peanut butter in her hair. Gabi seemed to just be happy that he was able to laugh at her when he'd been so glum earlier. She was touched when he cleaned up her skinned knee with a napkin and some water. Gabi apologized for ruining that afternoon, but Chad assured her that it had been good for him to get out and get some exercise.

Just as Gabi was offering to replace the sandwiches she'd wrecked, Chad's cell phone rang with a call from Europe. Assuming that it was Melanie, he answered it right away -- but it was Carly instead. After a moment, Chad said worriedly, "I don't understand -- if she's not with you, then where the hell is she?" He promised to call back if he heard anything from Melanie, and then hung up. Chad informed Gabi that Carly hadn't seen or even heard from Melanie. "I don't like this, Gabi. I really think Melanie's in trouble," Chad fretted.

Melanie was listening to music on Andrew's player when he delivered her lunch. Through the ski mask, he pointed out that he'd learned his lesson and had iced tea instead of hot tea for her. Melanie offered a halfhearted apology for throwing the hot tea at him. Andrew said, "I told you I don't want you to think of me as your enemy. You know, we could even be friends, okay?"

After some thought, Melanie admitted that Andrew had been right about their similar taste in music. Melanie asked if Andrew had ever seen one of the bands on his music player live. He admitted that he hadn't, so Melanie suggested that the two of them could go see them together sometime. Guffawing, Andrew said that would never happen, because Melanie hated him. "I don't hate you," Melanie gently reassured him.

As Andrew cleared away her lunch tray, Melanie asked him what he liked to do in his free time, and he rattled off a list of a few things. Melanie asked about one of the songs that didn't have a title listed on the playlist he'd made for her. Andrew sat on the edge of the bed and put one of the earbuds in to identify the song. Melanie then asked what the lyrics were during the chorus, so Andrew put in the other earbud and shut his eyes

Keeping a watchful eye on her captor, Melanie carefully tiptoed out of the room and darted up the stairs -- but the door at the top of the steps was locked. Melanie pounded on it and shouted for help. From below, Andrew informed her that no one else could hear her, and because she had tried repeatedly to escape, he had locked the door from the inside. He ordered Melanie to get back in her room -- or he would physically put her in there.

A fearful Melanie did as she was told. "I thought we were friends!" Andrew shouted once they were in the room again. When Melanie protested that they were friends, he screamed, "You're a lying bitch! And you just made a big, big mistake."

At John and Marlena's townhouse, Lucas agreed to help John take over DiMera Enterprises. Marlena urged John and Lucas to be careful, but John insisted that she had nothing to worry about.

"You and I have a lot of contacts in the business world, Lucas, we could reach out to. You know, they could quietly suggest to the other board members that maybe new ownership would be a very good thing," John said. Lucas was eager to get started right away, so he and John proceeded to make some phone calls.

With Marlena's help, John and Lucas managed to find people who were willing to talk to each of the board members about John's plan. "All we need is one lone board member -- just one member -- to side with you, John, and we can push E.J. out of this company," Lucas said. Unfortunately, later that day, the group learned that none of the board members had taken the bait.

"Everybody's scared to go head-to-head with E.J.," John guessed. Lucas suggested that a subtle approach might be more successful, and John agreed. John assured Lucas and Marlena that he would think of something. Lucas thanked Marlena and John for listening to his earlier concerns about Will, and he excused himself.

In Sami's apartment, Sami pushed E.J. away before they could kiss. "Oh, my -- ugh! How does that keep happening? Oh, my God, that is horrifying! You yelling at me, and then me yelling at you, and then all of a sudden -- just keep your hands off of me, all right? Thank God nothing happened," Sami said.

E.J. and Sami resumed their earlier argument. E.J. insisted that he had not killed Stefano, but Sami wasn't convinced. Sami's skepticism seemed to hurt E.J., who started to storm out of the apartment. Sami stopped E.J., and she said that she didn't want him to leave.

"You made me mad, okay? You always make me mad. You get under my skin, and -- and I'm sorry. I just -- I said things I shouldn't have said, and it happens to the best of us, but I know that you love your kids. I do know how important family is to you, and I know that you loved Stefano. For how twisted that family dynamic is, I know you do love him, and I don't want to believe that you're lying to me. I don't want to believe that you killed him. I don't want to have to explain to Johnny and Sydney that their father's in prison for something like that," Sami said.

E.J. realized that Sami still didn't believe that he was innocent. "Well, I didn't say it like that. I -- I just -- you freakin' failed the polygraph test! I mean, what am I supposed to believe? If the situation were reversed, you would think that of me. You would be suspicious of me," Sami said. E.J. conceded that Sami was right, but he maintained his innocence. Sami challenged E.J. to prove that he was telling the truth.

E.J. said that he could only give Sami his word, and he noted that she seemed unwilling to accept that. E.J. was worried that the murder investigation would negatively impact Johnny and Sydney. "Just promise me that if all this -- if all this goes to hell...you will look after them, okay? You'll make them a priority," E.J. said. E.J. added that he wanted Sydney and Johnny to know that he loved them.

"Sydney called me back into her room last night, uh, 'cause she wanted me to see that her night-light had burnt out, and I asked her if it was okay -- if it was too dark for her -- and she said, 'No, it's okay, Mommy. It's -- it's a bit dark.' Not 'a little dark' -- 'a bit dark.' And, man, you cannot convince Johnny to call it a soccer ball. It is not a soccer ball -- it is a football. I think about all the times that I have tried to eliminate you from their lives, and -- and as they get older, I realize...what special people they are, and -- and that you are a big part of what makes them so special," Sami said. E.J. returned the compliment.

"I tried to keep you out of their lives, you tried to keep me out of their lives, and we both realized how wrong it is, so I want you to know that no matter what happens, I'm not gonna try to turn them against you...ever," Sami promised. Sami acknowledged that E.J. had managed to get himself out of various predicaments in the past, but she noted that he had always had Stefano's help. Sami wondered how E.J. was going to handle his latest dilemma on his own.

E.J. insisted that he would be fine, but he added that if he did go to prison, he didn't want Johnny and Sydney to visit him. Sami hoped that the situation would never get to that point. E.J. sarcastically stated that Sami almost sounded supportive. E.J. surmised that Sami knew in her heart that he was innocent, and he thanked her for believing in him. Sami hugged E.J. "You have got to be kidding me," Lucas said, as he entered the apartment.

At the Brady Pub, Abigail called Maggie, who had gone out of town with Victor. Abigail was disappointed to learn that Maggie hadn't heard from Melanie recently. Meanwhile, Cameron contacted the hospital and the spa, and he learned that Melanie hadn't asked for time off at either location.

Cameron could tell that Abigail was worried, and he tried to assure her that Melanie was probably fine. Abigail wasn't convinced, and she wondered why Melanie hadn't tried to contact anyone recently. Abigail started to think about all of Jack's random disappearances, but Cameron pointed out that Jack had always safely returned at the end of those adventures.

Later, Abigail contacted Philip, who hadn't heard from Melanie recently. To distract Abigail, Cameron started to talk about his childhood. Abigail recalled that Cameron had grown up without a mother. "I kept trying to create her in my mind...depending on how old I was or what I was into. Sometimes she'd be Maya Angelou, sometimes she'd be Angela Bassett, but I never stopped thinking about her," Cameron said.

Cameron added that Celeste was nothing like he had ever imagined, and Abigail laughed. Cameron was pleased that he had managed to momentarily lighten Abigail's mood. Later, Abigail contacted Dario, who said that it had been months since he had last talked to Melanie. Abigail recalled that Melanie had once talked to a psychiatrist about Carly's drug addiction, and Cameron agreed to contact the doctor.

Cameron hugged Abigail as he waited for the psychiatrist to return his call. "Think about it like this -- when we were kids, you used to be afraid that your dad wouldn't come back, and I was afraid that I'd never know my mother, but your dad's still around, and my mother's in my life," Cameron pointed out. Abigail was glad that Cameron had found Celeste, because that was what had caused him to move to Salem.

At the police station, Chad and Daniel told Bo and Hope about Melanie's disappearance. Chad said that Melanie wasn't with Carly, Max, Chelsea, or Nicholas. Hope rushed off to search Chad and Daniel's apartments. Meanwhile, Bo checked for recent activity on Melanie's phone and credit cards.

Later, Bo returned, and he started to ask for specific details about Chad and Melanie's argument. Chad answered the questions, but he noted that he felt like he was being treated as a suspect. Daniel pointed out that Chad was clearly upset about Melanie's disappearance, and he insisted that Chad hadn't harmed Melanie. Bo seemed satisfied, and he revealed that there had been no recent activity on Melanie's phone or credit cards.

"All right, now that I -- now I know something's really wrong here, okay? Th -- this is bad. I've seen those crime shows on television, and when there's no activity on a missing person's phone or credit cards, that's -- that's not a good thing, you guys," Chad frantically stated. As Chad and Daniel started to panic, Hope returned, and she announced that she had searched Chad's apartment.

"All her personal items still seem to be there. You know, the things she would use every day -- makeup, medicines, toothbrush. I also checked out Daniel's storage unit, and there was luggage there with her name on it. Inside her carry-on, I found this -- it's hers, and it's current," Hope said, as she held up Melanie's passport. Bo summarized that Melanie obviously hadn't been planning to leave the country.

Chad was horrified. "Whoever sent that email to us, he's got her, all right? And he knew enough about her to know where to send it, what to say, so nobody would go looking for her," Chad noted. Daniel wondered what the kidnapper was doing to Melanie.

In Andrew's basement, Gabi revealed that Chad and Daniel had figured out that Melanie hadn't gone to Europe to visit Carly. Gabi added that Daniel and Chad had gone to the police station to report Melanie's disappearance, and she begged Andrew to release Melanie. Andrew shrugged and said that he would just tell the cops that Gabi had orchestrated the kidnapping plot.

"Look, if you don't let Melanie go, I will go to my brother, and I'll tell him how I just suddenly remembered that you had a thing for Melanie. I mean, do you really think he's gonna believe you over me?" Gabi asked. Andrew reached for his phone, and he assured Gabi that the cops would believe his story. Andrew revealed that he had recorded an earlier conversation which proved that Gabi was guilty.

"I mean, what did you think -- that I was so blown away by your sudden interest that I would forget all of my technical know-how? No. One click of a button, and this goes straight to the Salem Police Department. Who's in control now?" Andrew asked. Gabi couldn't believe that Andrew had recorded their conversation, and she started to panic.

"Did you think that I was so into you that you could just push me around and treat me like I was stupid? You wanted her out of the way, and I took care of that for you, so you don't get to push me around anymore," Andrew said. Gabi tried to reason with Andrew, and she suggested that he could just take Melanie to some remote location and release her.

"What if I don't want to? You know, Melanie's got it pretty good here, actually. I -- I give her plenty of food, and stuff to read. Did you know both of us actually like Janelle Monáe?" Andrew asked. Gabi wondered if Andrew was trying to say that Melanie liked living with him. Andrew admitted that Melanie didn't feel that way yet, but he was certain that she would eventually change her mind.

"I like Melanie's company. See, she's not going anywhere, and if you think -- you think you can change my mind on that...well, you better think again," Andrew calmly stated.

At Sami's apartment, Lucas walked in on Sami and E.J. hugging. "You have got to be kidding me!" Lucas exclaimed, chagrined. Lucas asserted that E.J. was a liar, a crook, and a killer. Sami tried to explain, but Lucas didn't want to hear it. "From now on, stay away from my family!" Lucas ordered E.J. E.J. wondered how that was possible, since his and Lucas' children were siblings, plus E.J. lived across the hall from Sami.

Finally Sami intervened before the argument became physical. She calmly explained that E.J. had been worried about rumors that Sydney and Johnny might hear about their father murdering their grandfather. Lucas maintained that he was just trying to protect his family -- and that meant keeping Will, Allie, and Sami as far away from E.J. as possible. "Do you really think that you can keep me away from Samantha?" E.J. asked somewhat snidely.

An infuriated Lucas reiterated his warning for E.J. to stay away from the people Lucas loved. "Man, the only thing that follows you is misery -- and we've had enough to last a lifetime," Lucas declared. "Go to hell," E.J. retorted, then immediately thought better of it. He pointed out that both he and Lucas loved their families. E.J. nearly slipped and declared that he loved Sami, but hastily covered. Lucas ordered E.J. to fire Will -- or E.J. would regret it.

Things between the men began to escalate, so Sami interceded again. She declared that no matter what E.J. and Lucas threatened each other with, she was in charge of what was best for her children. Sami also ordered the men to stop attacking each other. "I don't want anyone to get hurt here. Most importantly, I don't want our children getting hurt," Sami insisted. Lucas urged Sami to remember that was why she hadn't wanted E.J. to be a part of the children's lives -- and not to back down.

Lucas then ordered E.J. to leave and never return. Sami noted somewhat anxiously, "Just as a reminder: this is his place, and I don't want him to throw me out of it. And he is my boss, and I don't want him to fire me." E.J. added that he could also fire Lucas. E.J. then left, but on his way out, he said to Sami, "Sweetheart, I'll be back in a little bit to check on the kids."

As soon as the door had closed behind E.J., Lucas grabbed Sami and kissed her fervently. Sami kissed him back then pushed him away, declaring that the two of them were going to talk. "Lucas, you can't just come in here and tell me what to do," Sami asserted. Lucas argued that he wasn't going to apologize for protecting his family. "I love you, I love Allie, and I love Will. And after what I just walked in on? I'll be damned if I'm ever gonna let anybody -- especially E.J. -- come between us again."

At the police station, Rafe, Roman, and Spencer waited for a phone call about a warrant to search E.J.'s apartment. As the trio discussed whether E.J. would really be so stupid as to hold on to evidence that he'd killed his father, the judge called with approval for the warrant.

In the squad room, Chad quickly concluded that Melanie hadn't sent the email he'd received from her account. Chad and Daniel worried about who could have kidnapped Melanie and why. A bit later, Hope and Bo produced a map of the Salem area, and Hope explained that the email had originated from a Salem cell phone tower. Bo added that they could take Melanie's picture and do a door-to-door search of the area around the tower.

Chad quickly found a recent picture of Melanie on his phone, and sent it to the police department computer. Chad recalled the time he had taken the picture of Melanie. They had been on a date, and he had given her a bracelet. Melanie had beamed so happily that Chad had wanted to take her picture right then.

In the basement, Andrew declared to Gabi that Melanie wasn't going anywhere -- and Gabi could do nothing to change his mind. Gabi urged Andrew to let Melanie go before the police found her and arrested him. As Andrew played the recording of Gabi agreeing to go along with his plan, he wondered what Chad would do when he found out the truth. Gabi cautioned Andrew that they would get caught, because Daniel and Chad had already been at the police station for a while.

Fed up, Andrew acted as if he were sending the recording to the police. Gabi snatched the phone away and declared that she was deleting the recordings. Andrew burst out laughing, and explained that he had, of course, made copies of the recordings. Andrew grabbed his phone back when Gabi's ringing phone distracted her momentarily. It was Chad, who wanted Gabi to join him and Daniel at the station right away.

After Gabi hung up, she fretted, "What if it's a trap? What if they're onto us, Andrew?" She noticed Andrew fiddling with his phone, and asked what he was doing. "Just backing it up in the cloud," he explained, adding that he had been bluffing about the copies. Furious, Gabi stomped up the stairs.

In her cell, a bound and gagged Melanie scraped her bracelet against the brick wall as she tried to fray the ropes that tied her hands. She began to weep as she remembered a romantic date that Chad had taken her on. During the date, he had explained that he'd asked his brother, the mayor, for a permit to use the entire Horton Square to shoot a project for his film class. Chad had described the plot of his movie, which paralleled the stages of his relationship with Melanie.

When Melanie had asked how the movie ended, Chad had said, "It doesn't end. It just goes on and on." They had then shared a slow dance. Melanie had wanted to know about the ending of the movie, but Chad had pointed out, "They shot Casablanca without knowing whether Ingrid Bergman ended up with Humphrey Bogart or Paul Henreid." Chad had added that the guy in his movie knew that the girl was "the one." Melanie had agreed that the girl knew that the two belonged together. Melanie sobbed and struggled against her bindings.

Andrew let himself into Melanie's chamber, and locked the door behind him. Stroking her hair gently, he said that he had decided not to let her go. "We're gonna be together forever," Andrew said softly. A bit later, he returned with some lunch for Melanie. He untied her ropes, removed the gag, and ordered her to eat. Melanie tried to engage an obviously upset Andrew in conversation, but he left.

Melanie hallucinated that Chad entered her room and urged her to be strong until he could find her. She cried that she was scared, but he encouraged her to be strong. Andrew entered again and demanded to know to whom Melanie was talking.

Gabi arrived at the station as Hope and Bo were circling a smaller area on the map, and discussing how they would perform the search. Although obviously panicked, Gabi sank into a chair and just listened for a moment. Roman, Rafe, and Spencer entered just then on their way to E.J.'s apartment. Rafe and Roman offered some words of encouragement to Chad and Daniel. Spencer, Rafe, and Roman headed out.

Meanwhile, a masked and gloved figure entered E.J.'s apartment. After looking around for a few minutes, the person decided on a painting on a wall. The person opened a messenger bag and took out a plastic bag containing the gloves that E.J. had thrown away the night of Stefano's murder -- which E.J. had thrown away but the masked figure had retrieved from the dumpster. The masked figure taped the plastic bag to the back of the painting with black tape, then hung the painting back on the wall.

The masked person was still inside the apartment when Rafe, Roman, and Spencer arrived. Rafe was surprised that E.J.'s door was unlocked. While Roman videotaped the proceedings, the three men entered the flat and announced their arrival. The masked figure ducked into a doorway, while Rafe unpacked his equipment. The person managed to stay just out of sight as the cops ransacked the apartment.

Later, the cops were complaining that their search had been fruitless -- until Rafe suddenly had an inspiration when he spotted the painting on the wall. He quickly took it down and found the hidden gloves. "That's a hell of a place to keep gloves, wouldn't you say?" Roman remarked as he photographed the evidence.

Just as the cops were sealing the gloves in an evidence bag, E.J. walked in. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" E.J. demanded. He tried to order the cops to leave, but Roman informed him that they were executing a search warrant. When E.J. saw the evidence bag, he asked, "Where did you get those gloves from?"

Back at the police station, Chad quickly filled Gabi in that Melanie was apparently still somewhere in Salem. Daniel and Chad were eager to help with the search, but Bo and Hope wouldn't let them, pointing out that Daniel and Chad could hinder rather than help the investigation. While Chad and Daniel were arguing with Hope and Bo, Gabi quickly sent a warning text message to Andrew. After eying the map of the search area, Gabi declared that she was going home to email some of Melanie's classmates.

Bo and Hope left the room after promising to keep Chad and Daniel posted. Chad was determined to go out and search for Melanie himself, but Daniel pointed out that it might put Melanie in even more danger. Chad agreed not to interfere -- for the moment. While Daniel stepped out to call Carly, a frustrated Chad stormed out of the station. When Daniel returned and realized that Chad had gone, he hurried out in pursuit of Chad.

Gabi arrived at Andrew's place and pounded on the front door. She was surprised when she tried the door and it was unlocked. "Andrew? The police, they're on their way. Andrew, you have to let Melanie go!" Gabi shouted as she dashed inside and looked around. There was no sign of Andrew or Melanie anywhere -- and the basement room was empty except for a note from Andrew.

As he walked through Horton Square, Chad left a message for E.J., begging E.J. to do what he could to help find Melanie. Chad spotted Bo and Hope nearby, and then hurried out of the square after overhearing Bo and Hope discussing how he had bolted from the station.

Daniel ran into Bo and Hope a bit later. Daniel fretted about what would happen if Chad's stubbornness had put Melanie in more danger.

"I've still got Melanie. I'm going to keep her someplace where no one will ever find her," Gabi read aloud, then exclaimed, "Oh, my God, Melanie -- what have I done?" Gabi was headed out the front door when suddenly Chad knocked on it. Gabi quickly hid, but then noticed Melanie's bracelet on the floor. Gabi was just about to grab it, but then Chad peeked through the window and spotted the bracelet, too.

"What am I gonna do?" Gabi worried as she tried to make herself invisible. "Melanie's bracelet!" Chad exclaimed. Chad then kicked in the front door.