Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of September 16, 2013 on DAYS

A desperate E.J. begged Stefano to help Sami. Compelling new evidence forced Melinda to drop the charges against Sami. Chad, who was actually faking his brain tumor, took his relationship with Abigail to the next level. Eric feared that there was more to his recurring sexual dream than he had originally believed.

Monday, September 16, 2013

by Mike

At the Brady Pub, Chad ran into Kayla, who expressed a somewhat unusual level of interest in his health. Chad quickly realized that Kayla knew about his brain tumor. "Cameron had no right discussing my illness with you, okay? It's a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality, and I may just have that bastard sued," Chad warned. Kayla insisted that Chad was overreacting, adding that it was perfectly normal for doctors to consult with the chief of staff about their cases.

Chad softened slightly, but he stressed that there was no reason for Cameron and Kayla to continue discussing his case, since he had found a new doctor -- the best one that his family's money could buy. Kayla didn't understand why Chad was unwilling to reveal his specialist's name, so he explained that he didn't want Cameron to ask too many questions about a matter that was none of Cameron's business. Chad assured Kayla that he was fine, adding that he didn't want anyone else -- especially Abigail -- to know about his condition.

Chad explained that he didn't want Abigail's pity, nor did he want conversations about depressing things to spoil their recently rekindled romance. Kayla advised that it was a bad idea to start a relationship with a secret. "Okay. Well, I'm in treatment, and I'm gonna beat this damn thing, and then, when it's over, I'll have spared Abigail from ever having to worry about me. No, look, I -- I care about her a lot. I would never hurt her, so please, trust me on this, and don't say anything to her, okay? Not a word," Chad replied before exiting the pub.

At the Horton house, Jennifer told Abigail about the earlier argument that had led J.J. to decide to move out. Abigail feared that being on his own would cause J.J. to get into even more trouble, but Jennifer hoped that he would have enough sense to stay out of further trouble, since he was still facing misdemeanor charges for his recent crime. "Because he's been so sensible so far?" Abigail skeptically asked.

Jennifer explained that she was exercising tough love and that she had even called in reinforcements to set J.J. straight. Abigail warned that Jennifer's plan could backfire and that they might never see J.J. again. Jennifer didn't want to consider that possibility, but Abigail insisted that there was a chance that it could happen. Abigail added that she didn't want to lose J.J. the same way that she had previously lost Jack.

At the park, Bev returned some cash that J.J. had previously given her for safekeeping. Rory held his hand out expectantly, hoping that Bev would also give him some cash, but she ignored him. Bev guessed that Jennifer would freak out if J.J. followed through with his threat to move out of the Horton house, but he pointed out that he was free to do whatever he wanted to do because, as an eighteen-year-old, he was officially an adult.

Hope arrived in time to hear J.J.'s comment, which she agreed with before wondering when he was going to start acting like an adult. J.J. guessed that Jennifer had asked Hope to drag him back home. Hope shook her head and acknowledged that no one could force J.J. to do anything that he didn't want to do. Hope added that she simply wanted J.J. to know that his decision to move out of the Horton house had hurt Jennifer deeply.

J.J. insisted that hurting Jennifer had never been his goal, adding that he simply needed some space and a bit of time to cool off. Hope nodded and wondered where J.J. planned to live during his cooling-off period. J.J. revealed that he had been thinking about spending a few days with Hope and Ciara.

"You won't even know that I'm there. And I -- I know that Bo's out of town, so I could really help you out around the house, you know? And I don't eat -- I don't eat a lot. Uh, okay, yeah -- that was a lie, but I'll try not to clean out your refrigerator, I promise. And I would love to spend some more time with you and Ciara. She's -- she's just so unbelievably cute," J.J. added in an effort to convince Hope.

Hope said that, while she would love to help J.J. out, he needed to return to his real home. Hope advised J.J. to refrain from pitching similar ideas to the rest of the Hortons and Johnsons in Salem, assuring him that they would all tell him the same thing that she had told him. J.J. bitterly guessed that Jennifer had already managed to warn all of their family members that he would be looking for a place to stay.

"J.J., listen up -- the charges against you are very serious. Do you not understand that? And as a cop, I have seen up close where that path can lead, and it's not warm and fuzzy, so stop being a jerk before you end up behind bars for the rest of your life, okay? Okay? Hey, we're family, but I'm also a cop, and I'll be watching you. Actually, the entire force will be watching you," Hope warned before walking away. After Hope left, J.J. received a phone call from Abigail, who wanted to talk to him in person. J.J. agreed to meet with Abigail, but he stressed that Jennifer wasn't allowed to attend the meeting.

When Abigail arrived a short time later, Rory and Bev left so that J.J. and Abigail could have some privacy. Abigail reported that Jennifer was worried sick about J.J. "Well, maybe Mom should have thought about that before she started playing prison guard," J.J. replied. Abigail decided to try a different approach, vaguely informing J.J. that she had done some horrible things while he had been living in London the previous year.

Abigail explained that Jennifer and Jack had forgiven her because she had taken responsibility for her mistakes. Abigail begged J.J. to return home and take responsibility for his own mistakes -- for her, if not for Jennifer. Abigail insisted that, while J.J. might be feeling upset and betrayed, hanging out with his "loser friends" wasn't the answer. J.J. countered that, unlike Jennifer, his friends actually wanted to be around him.

Abigail wondered when J.J. had turned into a selfish, cold-hearted person. Annoyed, J.J. tried to leave, but Abigail blocked his path. Abigail wondered how J.J. had expected Jennifer to react to the fact that he had been arrested for dealing drugs after previously being expelled from school for doing the same thing. J.J. said that he had expected Jennifer to try to understand him.

Abigail snapped that Jennifer had tried -- for months, with every cell of her being -- to understand J.J., who, in return, had disrespected Jennifer, lied to Jennifer's face, and made Jennifer's life miserable. Abigail added that instead of ultimately apologizing for his actions and correcting his behavior, J.J. had simply continued to do dumb, destructive things. "You know what was dumb? Me agreeing to talk to you," J.J. bitterly replied, angrily slamming his backpack down on a nearby bench and breaking one of its slats in the process.

"You know what was even more dumb, J.J.? Me thinking that I could actually get through to you! So go ahead, J.J. -- run along. You go play with your juvenile friends who love you so much more than we do. I am officially giving up. You know what? I get it now, J.J. Let me tell you something -- I loved Dad a lot -- just as much as I love you. But Dad? He was always making excuses for taking off, for abandoning his family. And now, J.J., you are doing the exact same thing. You are your father's son. You are just like him!" Abigail shouted before storming off.

Abigail went to Chad's apartment, where a shirtless Chad greeted her. Abigail apologized for her unannounced visit, but Chad assured her that he didn't mind, adding that he had just been unpacking some boxes before she had arrived. Chad hugged Abigail as she tearfully told him about her earlier argument with J.J. Chad wished that he could do something to help Abigail, who replied that being there for her was enough.

Chad promised that he would always be there for Abigail, who admitted that she didn't know what she would do without him. Chad assured Abigail that she would never have to worry about that, since he was never going to leave her. Abigail kissed Chad, and as they continued to kiss, she led him over to the nearby bed.

Rory and Bev returned to the park with a cup of hot chocolate for J.J. J.J. was surprised that Bev and Rory had purchased hot chocolate, since they had previously stated that they were going to purchase smoothies. Rory explained that it was too cold for smoothies, and Bev guessed that J.J. had failed to notice that the temperature had drastically decreased after they had left earlier. Bev added that it looked like it was going to rain soon.

At the Horton house, Hope assured Jennifer that J.J. would turn out to be a fine man, just like Shawn-Douglas had. Hope believed that Jennifer was handling the situation with J.J. properly, but Jennifer wasn't convinced, admitting that Abigail was worried that Jennifer's tough-love plan would backfire. Jennifer considered calling J.J. to check on him, but she ultimately decided to stick to her original plan, reasoning that he needed to know that she wasn't going to back down and that he had to follow her rules.

A short time later, Jennifer heard the front door open, and she and Hope found J.J. standing in the foyer. Hope quickly excused herself. Jennifer was glad to see J.J., and she hoped that they could sit down and talk about everything that had happened earlier. "I didn't come to talk; I came to get my jacket," J.J. clarified before stepping into the living room, where he found his jacket draped on the back of the couch.

Before J.J. could grab his jacket, Jennifer snatched it and suspiciously checked its pockets. J.J. scoffed and assured Jennifer that she wasn't going to find any drugs in the pockets. "Can I have my jacket, or do you want me to freeze to death while I'm living on the street?" J.J. asked as he held out his hand expectantly. Jennifer reluctantly gave the jacket to J.J., who shook his head with frustration before starting to leave.

Jennifer stopped J.J. and admitted that she owed him an apology. "I should have brought you home after your father died, but J.J., I honestly thought that it made sense not to disrupt your life. That was a really bad call on my part. You needed to be with me and Abigail. And then, once I got you home, I needed to pay more attention to you, to -- to see how you were doing," Jennifer acknowledged.

J.J. impatiently wondered what Jennifer's point was. Jennifer clarified that she was simply owning up to her mistakes, and she encouraged J.J. to follow suit. "So -- so nothing's different; you're still being impossible," J.J. incredulously summarized. As J.J. put his jacket on, Jennifer wondered if the time that they had spent apart from each other had really changed him that much.

"We used to be so close; we had this crazy bond, remember? And I think it was because you were my miracle baby, you know? The doctors said you were never gonna make it, and I didn't believe them, because I knew that this little baby inside me was so strong, and that he was gonna survive, and he was gonna grow up to be someone very, very special. And I was right. I didn't give up on you then, and I am not gonna give up on you now. Because I am your mother, and I love you unconditionally, and that is never gonna change. And because I'm your mother, I'm not gonna let you destroy your life, so maybe you think I'm being unreasonable, or maybe you think I'm being mean, but I'm trying to help you, J.J. Please, I am begging you -- don't walk out that door. Please, just stay here with me, and let's rebuild that bond that we had, okay? Let me help you get your life back on track, please," Jennifer tearfully implored J.J.

"I'm not interested in you fixing me. I just -- I don't need your help. I just want you to leave me the hell alone," J.J. replied before exiting the house. Jennifer sobbed as J.J. slammed the door behind him.

At the courthouse, after an extended period of evasion and several warnings from the judge, Marge finally admitted that she didn't know how one hundred thousand dollars had found its way into Timmy's bank account. Justin forced Marge to confirm that she, Bernardi, and Timmy were the only three people who had been given access to the account, but she added that she was certain that E.J. had also gained access to the account and deposited money into it, because that was the only explanation that made sense to her.

After warning Marge to stop offering her own speculations about the matter, the judge urged Justin to proceed, but Justin replied that he had no further questions for her. The judge dismissed Marge, but she remained on the witness stand, hysterically insisting that Bernardi had been set up and that Sami was a murderer. The judge was forced to instruct the bailiff to escort Marge out of the courtroom.

Due to Marge's outburst, the judge offered to grant the defense a fifteen-minute recess, but Justin declined the offer. As Melinda called her next witness -- Adrienne -- to the stand, Sami quietly stated that she had hated seeing Marge get upset earlier, prompting E.J. to unapologetically insist that they had nothing to feel guilty about.

After Adrienne recounted the series of events that had led to her discovery that Timmy's bank account contained over one hundred thousand dollars, Melinda skeptically observed that it seemed like an amazingly coincidental series of events had coincidentally befallen the defense attorney's wife. Justin objected that Melinda was leading the witness, and the judge agreed, warning Melinda that she had gone far enough.

Melinda concluded her questioning, and E.J. took Justin's place in the cross-examination, due to Justin's connection to Adrienne. E.J. proceeded to establish that the initial charges against Sami had been dropped before Adrienne had discovered the video of Sami's argument with Bernardi, and that a second round of charges had been issued only after Adrienne had given the video to the police.

Melinda started to object, but E.J. interrupted her. "The prosecution has made every attempt to portray the witness as colluding with the defense when, in fact, we would not be here in this courtroom today were it not for Mrs. Kiriakis. Is that not correct?" E.J. asked, and the judge replied that E.J. and Melinda had each made their respective points about Adrienne. The judge dismissed Adrienne after E.J. confirmed that he had no further questions for her.

Melinda called her next witness -- Edward Craig, a man whom the defense had never been informed of. "Your Honor, Edward Craig is with the FBI, and defense opened themselves up to this questioning by accusing Detective Bernardi of corruption and wrongdoing within the police department," Melinda argued, and the judge agreed to allow the witness to take the stand. Sami quietly asked Justin to explain what was going on. "I think we've been set up," Justin replied as E.J.'s face turned pale.

Edward -- the head of the FBI's computer forensics division, whose team had been asked to investigate the money in Timmy's account to determine if computer fraud had been involved -- explained that, after a lot of digging, his team had confirmed that someone had recently hacked into the account. Edward explained that the record of regular deposits into the account had been falsified and that the money had actually been added to the account as a lump-sum deposit two months after Bernardi's death.

Edward added that his team had traced the funds to an offshore account in the Cayman Islands. As Melinda pointedly leaned over the defense table and stared directly at E.J., she asked Edward to describe the type of person who, in Edward's experience, usually had the ability to pull off that sort of complicated business transaction. "In my experience, the people who have the [unlimited] means to hire the very best hackers in the world," Edward replied.

Justin objected, and the judge issued another warning to Melinda, who announced that she had no further questions for Edward. Justin declined to cross-examine Edward, so the judge seized the opportunity to call a one-hour recess that would serve as a lunch break. As everyone else cleared out of the courtroom, Justin told Sami and E.J. that he needed a minute to think about what had just happened.

After Justin left, a defeated Sami summarized that she was going to go to jail for the rest of her life. E.J. started to issue promises to Sami to keep her from giving up, but she interrupted and gently told him that she didn't want to hear any more promises. Sami assured E.J. that she knew that he had done everything that he could possibly do for her, and that she also knew that he was sorry that his attempts to help her had all backfired.

The guard interrupted to escort Sami back to her holding cell. After Sami left, Justin reentered the room, and E.J. wondered if the case had been damaged as badly as they had originally suspected. "Oh, yeah. We are royally screwed. I put Marge Bernardi through hell on the witness stand, and now, the jury believes the whole thing was a setup. They hate me, they hate you, but much worse, they hate Sami," Justin summarized.

E.J. reminded Justin that they hadn't even presented their case yet, but Justin countered that they didn't have a case -- they just had a bunch of character witnesses who, on cross-examination, would each be forced to admit that Sami had lied to them in the past, damaging her case even more in the process. "We have no evidence, we have no proof; all we have is some -- something that looks like a complete frame-up executed by you to keep your fiance out of prison! The only thing that's gonna save Sami is a miracle," Justin added before storming off.

Meanwhile, Kayla visited Sami's holding cell to give her one of Caroline's good-luck charms. Sami admitted that she was glad that the trial wasn't open to the public, since she didn't want her family to witness what had been happening in the courtroom each day. "I can't pretend anymore. I'm going to prison for the rest of my life," Sami informed Kayla.

Back at the courthouse, E.J. found Melinda in a conference room, where she had been bragging to a colleague that her case was a slam dunk. The colleague left so that Melinda and E.J. could have some privacy. "I know how much you want to put my father and myself behind bars, so I'm here to give you the opportunity to do just that," E.J. announced.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

by ChickenGrrl

At the hospital, Maxine asked Cameron if he'd seen Jennifer Horton. When Cameron said that he hadn't, Maxine noted that Abigail was lucky to have someone special in her life to lean on with everything that had been going on with J.J. Cameron quickly corrected Maxine that he and Abigail were just friends. After Cameron left, Maxine remarked to herself, "Poor thing. You've really got it bad for that girl."

Sonny started to enter the apartment he shared with Will and Gabi but paused to listen when he heard Gabi and Will arguing about Nick. Just as Sonny walked in, Will declared that he was glad that Gabi and Nick weren't friends after Nick had said harmful things about Sami on the witness stand. Gabi pointed out that Nick had only been honest in describing how Sami had pulled a gun on him. Will noted that no matter how many times Nick apologized, Will would never trust his cousin.

"What? You wanted him to commit perjury in court?" Gabi asked incredulously. "No, of course not. Nick would never lie. You know that better than anybody, don't you, Gabi?" a sarcastic Will retorted as he went into the bedroom. Once Sonny and Gabi were alone, Gabi expressed her irritation about Will to Sonny. Sonny pointed out that Gabi should be happy that Will didn't know that she was sleeping with Nick. Gabi threatened to move out if Will ever found out and blew up about it.

"You would take Will's daughter away from him?" Sonny asked in disbelief. Gabi quickly backpedaled. Sonny grumbled about lying to Will, since the two of them had no other secrets from each other. "You're not hurting Will; you're helping Ari's parents get along," Gabi pointed out cheerfully. When Will returned, Gabi stated that she had to go check on Rafe -- but before she left, Will cautioned that they still had to deal with the situation regarding Nick. Gabi replied that there wasn't much more to say.

In Horton Square, Hope admitted to Nick that she was worried about him after Vargas -- who she believed had turned his life around -- had gone back to prison. Hope added that she was grateful to Vargas for helping her save the lives of Will, Sonny, Gabi, and the baby. Nick assured Hope that he, too, was grateful -- but not to the point of helping Vargas with anything illegal. Admitting that she was concerned about some of the choices Nick was making, she asked him to tell her what was going on with him and Gabi.

Hope informed Nick that she already knew what was going on with him and Gabi and the modeling situation. Nick was annoyed, but Hope pointed out that Maggie had only agreed to keep it a secret from Gabi. Hope asserted that Nick's family wouldn't let him go off the rails again. Hope then got a page summoning her to court.

Later, Gabi was walking through Horton Square when she dropped the armload of books she'd been carrying. Nick was nearby and started to help her, but Cameron beat him to it. Nick greeted Cameron with a bit of veiled hostility, but Cameron merely returned the rest of Gabi's books to her and left. "What was that about?" Nick demanded of Gabi.

A confused Gabi said that it had been nothing. Nick asked how Sonny and Will had taken the news that Gabi had slept with Nick. Gabi explained that her roommates didn't know anything. Gabi then had to hurry off to see Rafe before his physical therapy session started.

On the bed at Chad's apartment, Abigail began to kiss a shirtless Chad more fervently, but just as she pulled him into a reclining position on the bed, he pulled back. Chad admitted that although he would like to go through with things, he didn't want her to do anything she wasn't ready for because she was upset about what was going on in her life. Abigail assured him that she was ready to go through with it -- then, for the first time, with him.

Although a bit tentatively, Abigail undressed in front of Chad, then got back in bed with him. Chad had sex with her gently, tenderly, and she responded with passion and fire. Afterward, Chad asked if Abigail were all right. Eyes twinkly, she noted that she was only sorry that she had waited so long because her virginity hadn't been such a big deal. As they lay in each other's arms, Chad assured Abigail that there had been nothing wrong with waiting for the right time and the right person.

"So did you...was I..." Chad began. Abigail interrupted, "Yes and yes." Chad reassured her that she had been a "total pro." Cutting him off playfully, Abigail said that he was better when he wasn't talking. Chad got a call from the club just then, so he got out of bed to take it. By the time Chad returned, Abigail had gotten dressed again. She explained that she'd gotten a message from her mom, who needed to see Abigail. As they kissed goodbye, Chad and Abigail promised to see one another very soon.

Alone later, Chad got a text message from Cameron stating that they needed to talk. "No, we don't," Chad said to his phone's screen, adding, "But I'd better get my story straight." He recalled how Dr. Landrum had informed him that the scan had conclusively shown that the shadow on Chad's CT scan had been merely an artifact. "You're in perfect health, Mr. DiMera," Landrum had said. Chad muttered to himself, "Telling Cameron I had a brain tumor got him right out of the picture. Let's find the treatment that'll keep him there."

When Abigail ran into Gabi at the hospital, Gabi could tell from Abigail's face that something good had happened. The two went into a waiting room.

Cameron arrived a little later, and Maxine informed him that Gabi had been looking for him to inquire about her brother's physical therapy. As Cameron approached the waiting room where Maxine had directed him, he was dismayed to overhear a giddy Abigail admit that she had lost her virginity to Chad.

In the special prosecutor's office, E.J. offered to give Trask his and Stefano DiMera's head on a platter in exchange for her dropping all charges against Samantha -- as long as Trask made it look like Sami had provided the damning information. Trask was dubious. E.J. pointed out that no one who knew Sami believed that she had killed Bernardi in cold blood, including those who'd been quick to believe the worst about her over the years.

Something E.J. said made Trask think that he was threatening her, but E.J. countered that he was giving her the opportunity to put the DiMera family out of business. E.J. pointed out that Trask could run for senate or even governor as long as she made sure that Samantha went free. "You really love her, don't you?" Trask asked, admittedly a bit taken aback because she'd assumed that the DiMera men used up women like tissues.

Although E.J. was confident that Sami would be free by the end of the day, Trask informed him that Sami was going down for Murder One because she'd killed a cop. E.J. argued that Trask would never be able to try another case in Salem after locking the police commissioner's daughter up. Trask infuriated E.J. by asserting that he would lose it when Sami was convicted -- and Trask would be able to make a deal with him to get his father. "I'll have all of you in jail before the year's out," Trask predicted before strolling out confidently.

When Justin visited Sami at the jail, he seemed worried that E.J. wasn't there because he was doing something to make things worse for Sami. "How could he do that?" Sami noted wryly. She acknowledged that E.J. had seriously hurt her case by planting the money, but she maintained that she would have done the same thing.

When Lucas arrived to see Sami just then, Justin left to give them some privacy. Lucas wanted to know how things had gone, and Sami admitted that it looked very bad. She asked Lucas to deliver some letters to the kids for her. Lucas irritably demanded to know what E.J. was doing to help Sami. She meekly explained that E.J. was trying to be positive. Lucas argued that E.J. should be doing everything possible to get Sami out of jail.

Sami insisted that E.J. was desperate to help her, but Lucas darkly pointed out that desperation in a DiMera was never a good thing. Sami pleaded with Lucas to try to get along with E.J. for the sake of the children, because the three kids really needed to be together. Lucas reluctantly gave Sami his word. A guard arrived to take Sami back to court. She gripped Lucas's hands through the bars until the cell door opened and she couldn't hold on any longer.

Lucas dropped by Sonny and Will's apartment a little later. While Lucas tiptoed into the bedroom to see Arianna, Sonny left for the club. Lucas then gave Will a gift. A touched Will asked where his dad had found it. "I didn't; your mom did," Lucas explained. Will was touched that Sami had found "Snuffy" because he hadn't thought that anyone had kept the small stuffed toy.

Lucas explained that Sami hoped that Will would give the toy to Arianna. Will asked how things were going with the trial. Lucas admitted that Sami was scared -- and Will should just stay home with the baby.

Later, Will and Sonny compared notes about what bad shape each of their dads was in. Will showed Sonny the toy that Lucas had delivered from Sami, as well as a childhood picture of Will holding "Snuffy." "Ari looks just like you did," Sonny concluded, beaming. "I don't know; I thought she looked a little more like Mom," Will observed.

As court resumed, Sami fretted about where E.J. was. Although Justin said that E.J. hadn't been answering calls or text messages, Sami was sure that her fianc wouldn't just leave her there. She had to reassure Justin that E.J. wouldn't do anything else to damage their case. Judge Sims returned to the courtroom, and court resumed. Trask called Detective Hope Brady to the stand

Trask got Hope to confirm that Sami hadn't admitted to knowing Detective Bernardi after shooting him. Trask asked, in the ten years that Hope had worked with Bernardi, if she'd ever suspected him of being anything other than a good cop. Hope admitted that she hadn't. Justin asked Hope about her work with Adam Davis.

"In all those years that you knew him, did you ever suspect that he was anything but a good, honest cop?" Justin asked. "Not till the day we found out he was dirty. That's how it goes," Hope said, looking pointedly at the jury. Trask asked if there had been any reason for Hope to suspect that Bernardi had been living beyond his means. Hope admitted that there hadn't been -- yet.

Before Trask called her next witness, Sami admitted to Justin that she wished E.J. were there. Trask then called Roman Brady to the stand.

E.J. returned to the DiMera mansion and opened the safe in the living room, behind the painting of him and Sami. He removed an enormous stack of cash, as well as passports under fake identities for himself, Sami, Johnny, Sydney, and Allie. E.J. then dialed an encrypted number. "It's me... Yes, I understand there's no turning back... I'm certain... No, this is our only option," E.J. was saying on the phone -- just as Johnny burst into the living room.

E.J. hung up quickly to talk to his son. "I'm tired of this. Mommy needs to come home now," Johnny declared. When E.J. learned that Sydney had cried out the night before, Johnny assured his dad, "I handled it... I tucked her in and told her you would bring Mommy home soon." E.J. thanked Johnny for looking after the girls.

When Stefano entered just then, Johnny ran over to his grandfather, calling out excitedly, "Nonno!" Stefano happily kissed his grandson on the head. Stefano presented Johnny with a Goliath tarantula under glass, plus some dolls for Johnny's sisters. After getting permission from his dad, Johnny ran upstairs to display the spider above his bed.

Once the two men were alone, E.J. confronted Stefano, "My contact called you, did he? And you shut him down." Stefano pointed out that living as a fugitive was hardly freedom. E.J. pointed out, "You're the reason that my children cry for their mother every night. Does that make you happy?" Stefano maintained that it did not. E.J. urged his father to release something -- something that wouldn't implicate Stefano but that would prove that Bernardi had been dirty. Stefano didn't think anyone would believe him if he did.

Stefano marveled that E.J. seemed to truly love Samantha. "I won't lose her. The children will not lose their mother. So what do you want? What will it take?" E.J. demanded. Ignoring his son for the moment, Stefano observed the portrait of Sami and E.J. in the living room. "You look happy there... Of course, it's hanging in the wrong place," Stefano noted. "What do you want?" E.J. questioned Stefano. Stefano maintained that he only wanted his son to be happy.

When E.J. stated that he wanted Samantha home, but that would be difficult without proving that Bernardi had been crooked. Stefano hinted that Sami merely needed something solid to support her story. Realization slowly dawned on a stunned E.J. as he realized that Stefano might have the razor. E.J. quickly deduced that the razor had been in Stefano's possession all along.

"Turn it in! You can do that, father. Turn it in anonymously... You can do that with no harm to yourself. Father! For Johnny, for Sydney -- you have the power to bring their mother home. You have to!" E.J. pleaded with Stefano. "I don't have to do anything," Stefano countered.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

by Spalding

In the Dimera mansion living room, E.J. realized that Stefano had the razor that Joe Bernardi had held when he attempted to slice Rafe in the hospital. E.J. begged Stefano to turn over the evidence to the police. With a scowl, Stefano remarked that he did not need to do anything to help. E.J. reasoned aloud that if Stefano failed to turn the evidence over to the police that it would hurt Stefano's grandchildren.

With tears in his eyes, E.J. made an impassioned plea to Stefano to help. E.J. offered Stefano the house and Dimera Enterprises. "I will give you anything you want," E.J. cried out. With a grunt, Stefano countered that E.J. knew what Stefano wanted. As Stefano reached out to the chessboard, a furious E.J. flipped over the chessboard table. Stefano noted that E.J. had no leverage to threaten Stefano if Stefano did not step in to help Sami.

With a look of horror on his face, E.J. remembered the night that he had kicked Stefano out of the house and how Stefano had warned E.J. that he would beg Stefano to move back in. E.J. noted that Stefano had been five steps ahead the whole time. As Stefano smirked, E.J. desperately screamed that he would give up everything to have Sami back. E.J. fretted aloud about how Sami was alone in court. At his wit's end, E.J. dropped to his knees and begged Stefano to help him save Sami.

"You break my heart again," Stefano muttered. Stefano explained that his price for helping was that E.J. would live in the mansion with his family and Stefano and that E.J. would work with Stefano at Dimera Enterprises. E.J. gave his word to meet Stefano's demands. Stefano held out his hand for E.J. to kiss, and E.J. hesitantly obliged. Stefano informed E.J. that he needed to make some phone calls and sign some papers before E.J. returned to court. E.J. did as Stefano ordered.

"Who knows, pretty soon our whole family will be together again," Stefano said cheerily. As E.J. started to leave, he stopped in the doorway, shoulders slumped. As a broken E.J. stared at his father, Stefano counseled E.J. to believe that the situation was for the best. E.J. shuffled out of the house, beaten. After E.J. left, Stefano called someone on his phone. "Make the move," Stefano ordered. Stefano pick up the king on his chessboard and muttered, "Checkmate."

In a hospital lounge, Abigail and Gabi talked about Abigail's night with Chad. In the hallway, Cameron eavesdropped as Abigail informed Gabi that she had lost her virginity to Chad. Abigail explained that she had not thought about having sex, and that she had been taken by surprise. When Gabi asked Abigail if she had rushed into sex because of the troubles with her family, Abigail answered that the choice had been her decision. Abigail said that her family troubles had convinced her to live in the moment. Upset, Cameron walked away.

In the lounge, Abigail confided to Gabi that she had long believed that Abigail would lose her virginity to Cameron. Abigail quickly added that she was not disappointed that she had slept with Chad. With a sigh, Abigail worried aloud about her mother's reaction to the fact that Abigail had lost her virginity to a Dimera. With a chuckle, Abigail said she would keep the news to herself.

Down the hallway, Kate arrived at the hospital and asked Jordan about Rafe's condition. Jordan curtly announced that Rafe was getting stronger and that Jordan would soon be able to chart a timeline for Rafe's progress. Kate joked that Jordan did not like her. With no expression on her face, Jordan admitted that she had no feelings about Kate. Jordan stressed that her patients were her only concern.

In Rafe's room, Abe updated Rafe on Sami's case. Abe explained that without any physical proof of Sami's innocence, Sami would likely go to prison. Frustrated, Rafe muttered that if Joe had been a dirty cop, there would have been a trail. Kate entered the room and asked Abe about Sami's case. Bristling, Abe said that Sami would be doing better if not for Kate's testimony.

After Abe left, Kate explained to Rafe that the prosecutor had asked her about the threat that Sami had made against Nick and that Kate had been obligated to tell the truth under oath. Kate argued that Justin would easily be able to discredit Nick. Kate added that for once she did not want to hurt Sami because she was grateful that Sami had saved Rafe from Joe.

Jordan interrupted and insisted that Kate needed to leave so that Jordan could work with Rafe on his therapy. Kate reluctantly agreed and left. A hopeful Rafe asked Jordan if they could go to the rehabilitation room to work, but Jordan stressed that Rafe was not ready yet. Jordan and Rafe worked on his strength training, and during a break, Gabi stopped by to update Rafe on the baby.

After the rehab session, Jordan informed Rafe that he had made "real progress." Rafe wondered aloud where Kate was hiding. Jordan joked that Kate was somewhere berating a barista. Rafe appeared shocked by Jordan's joke.

In the town square, Kate ran into a smiling Stefano. When Stefano noted that it was a beautiful day, Kate narrowed her eyes. Kate pointed out that with Sami on trial and Rafe in the hospital, Stefano had plenty to be happy about. Shaking his head, Stefano countered, "I wonder if you ever truly knew me, Katerina."

In Chad's apartment, Chad stared at his computer. "Telling Cameron that I had a brain tumor got him out of the picture. Let's find a treatment that will keep him there," Chad said. Chad searched online for cancer treatment options. Chad discovered a drug treatment called Polycetin that was a perfect treatment for a tumor if he had one. Distracted by a phone call, Chad left the research on the table and his laptop open as he paced the room.

Cameron knocked on the door, and Chad was surprised to find Cameron in the hallway. "How could you?" Cameron asked angrily. Cameron argued that Chad was setting Abigail up to be hurt by sleeping with her and not telling her about the cancer. Chad noticed the cancer research on the table and feigned a headache. While Cameron went into the kitchen to get water, Chad closed his computer and hid the papers under the laptop.

When Chad apologized for the fact that one of the two of them would lose out on Abigail, Cameron waved Chad off. Cameron reminded Chad that Abigail was vulnerable because of her family issues. Chad swore that he had not taken advantage of Abigail because it had been her choice to have sex. Chad stressed that he would never hurt Abigail or use her as a caregiver if he grew incapacitated.

Confused, Chad asked Cameron how he had learned that Chad and Abigail had slept together. Cameron changed the subject and urged Chad to get better. Narrowing his eyes, Chad asked Cameron if he was in love with Abigail. Cameron argued that Abigail was his friend and he did not want Chad to pressure her.

Upset, Cameron returned to work at the hospital. As Cameron exited the elevator, he ran into Abigail. Nervous, Abigail explained that she was at the hospital to drop off some files in Jennifer's office. Abigail and Cameron talked awkwardly.

In the courtroom, Roman took the witness stand. Roman testified that Sami had never lied in criminal court. When Melinda Trask asked whether Sami had lied in family court, Roman admitted that Sami had lied in court but only to protect her son from his alcoholic father. Roman was also forced to admit that he had not had any suspicions that Joe was a dirty cop when he had worked with Joe. Sami fretted that E.J. was missing. When E.J. arrived in court, a relieved Sami grabbed his arm as he sat down.

"I hope you brought a shovel, cause this bitch is burying me alive," Sami joked quietly. When E.J.'s face remained grim, Sami raised an eyebrow. E.J. assured Sami that things would be fine. The next witness on the list for the prosecution was Abe, who arrived in court, breathless. Abe walked up to Melinda and informed her that there was a "bombshell" in the case. Melinda asked for a recess so that Abe could attend to business.

Abe rushed into the hallway and called the station. Abe barked into the phone that he needed the lab to rush through the test results as quickly as possible. When Roman asked Abe what was going on, Abe walked away.

An officer escorted Sami to her cell during the recess, and E.J. and Justin followed. When E.J. said that the news could be good, Justin appeared concerned. E.J. noted that it was about time that there was a break in the case. Suspicious, Justin wondered aloud if the break in the case would do more harm than good.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

by Mike

In Hope's office at the police station, Hope and Abe scrambled to follow up on a new lead in Sami's case before the trial resumed. Justin entered the room and demanded answers, but Abe refused to explain what was going on. Hope ushered Justin out of the room, urging him to trust her and Abe. A short time later, Hope and Abe rushed off after she received a phone call and accompanying text message from someone.

Elsewhere, in Sami's holding cell, E.J. tried to offer Sami some words of encouragement as they waited for information about the earlier unexplained interruption in the trial. When Justin arrived, he revealed that something big had happened -- something that Abe and Hope were being extremely tight-lipped about. Justin believed that Sami had a reason to be optimistic about the mysterious new development, since Hope and Abe, who were both on Sami's side, seemed to be excited about it.

Justin knowingly theorized that Melinda would do everything that she could possibly do to prevent the jury from hearing about the new development. Justin assured Sami and E.J. that he had already taken steps to ensure that Melinda's plan would fail. "Let's just say...never underestimate the power of social media," Justin vaguely clarified before walking away.

Due to the suspicious timing, Sami guessed that E.J. was responsible for the new development, but he insisted that the timing was purely coincidental. Sami worried that the new lead might backfire like the last one had. "No, that is not going to happen, all right, Samantha? I told you I will get you home to the children, and I will. That's worth anything, all right? I mean, that is worth any cost," E.J. cryptically asserted.

At the hospital, Kate walked into Rafe's room and found Rafe laughing at something that had happened before she had arrived. Rafe started to explain the joke that Jordan had made earlier, but he stopped himself when he realized that he was making her uncomfortable. "You know, uh, you just kind of had to be here," Rafe vaguely summarized.

"Okay, so -- but I wasn't here, you know? And the reason I wasn't here -- the reason I was so late -- is that this barista -- I swear, I'm sure she couldn't even spell her job title. She could not get the order straight. I mean, I don't know what is so difficult about a no-foam, low-caf latte, but, I mean, it's not like it's quantum physics," Kate explained. Jordan and Rafe tried to stifle their laughter, prompting Kate to wonder what she had missed.

Rafe and Jordan remained silent, leading Kate to conclude that they were laughing at her. Rafe clarified that Jordan had painted a verbal picture of an imaginary encounter between Kate and a barista earlier -- a verbal picture that had turned out to be amusingly accurate. Kate forced a laugh and said that she had been unaware that the hospital had acquired its very own Kathy Griffin, complete with the ability to paint verbal pictures.

As Jordan exited the room, Kate encouraged her to continue to spread merriment, adding that everyone loved to hear jokes that were being told at another person's expense. Rafe jokingly offered to ask the Salem Police Department to search for Kate's missing sense of humor, but she smiled and assured him that she had always been known for her sense of humor and that she wasn't upset about Jordan's joke.

As Rafe marveled at the fact that the extremely serious Jordan had actually cracked a joke for a change, Abe and Hope entered the room and asked to talk to him privately. After Kate left, Hope used her cell phone to show Rafe a photograph of an unidentified woman. The woman looked familiar to Rafe, and after pondering the image for a few seconds, he realized that he had seen Bernardi talking to her on more than one occasion.

Hope asked if Rafe remembered that he had once covered a shift for Bernardi after Bernardi had called in sick. Rafe clarified that Bernardi had lied about being sick so that he could treat Marge and Timmy to a dinner at a fancy restaurant. Rafe recalled a fragment of the Italian restaurant's name, and Abe wondered if he was talking about Verducci. Rafe immediately confirmed that Abe was thinking of the correct restaurant.

Abe explained that Verducci was a quiet place on the opposite end of Salem that was known for having a very discreet staff. "Whoa, whoa -- wait a second. Are you saying that Joe and this woman -- wow, they were having an affair, weren't they?" Rafe guessed, but Abe wasn't willing to confirm the suspicion. Abe excused himself so that he could take care of something else, leaving Hope to finish taking Rafe's statement alone.

As Abe exited the room, Kate returned and caught a glimpse of the image on Hope's cell phone. Kate recognized the woman in the photograph as someone who had been in the hospital on the night that Sami had shot Bernardi. Meanwhile, Hope received a phone call from someone and abruptly excused herself, instructing Rafe and Kate to refrain from talking to anyone else about the nature of Hope and Abe's visit.

After Hope left, Kate questioned Rafe about the woman in the photograph, but he refused to elaborate on the woman's identity. Kate guessed that being unable to help Sami was killing Rafe. Rafe shook his head and sarcastically assured Kate that he loved being confined to a bed, powerless to do anything to help anyone. Meanwhile, Jordan returned and announced that it was time for Rafe to get back to work.

Acknowledging Kate only long enough to inform her that she was in the way, Jordan started to prepare Rafe for his next round of exercises. Kate took the hint and exited the room. Still optimistic about the implications of Abe and Hope's earlier visit, Rafe started to tell Jordan that he was having a good day, but she made it clear that she wasn't interested in engaging in a round of small talk with him.

Later, Rafe apologized for calling Jordan a drill sergeant during their physical therapy session, insisting that he had never intended to offend her. Rafe explained that the physical therapy sessions were simply reminding him of boot camp. Jordan assured Rafe that she had been called worse things. Rafe said that Jordan was a really good physical therapist who was worth every penny. "You haven't seen my bill yet," Jordan dryly replied.

Rafe grinned and wondered if Jordan had really just made two jokes in one day. Jordan protested that Rafe needed to give her a break, but it was clear that he wasn't really bothering her. Rafe observed that it seemed like his teasing comments were starting to loosen Jordan up slightly. Jordan ignored the comment and abruptly excused herself, stating that she had other patients to attend to.

Outside Rafe's room, Jordan smiled and shook her head before walking away. Elsewhere, Kate wondered why Stefano had seemed happy during their earlier encounter. Kate returned to Rafe's room and asked him about his physical therapy session. Rafe admitted that things were actually starting to get better.

When Hope returned to her office, she found Melinda waiting for her. "Just cut to the chase -- am I getting screwed with this?" Melinda wondered. Hope shrugged and said that might be exactly what Melinda deserved. Before Melinda could respond, Abe entered the room, and she reported that one of his detective's priorities were out of whack. "Oh, I think priorities are way out of whack when the prosecutor cares more about her win-loss record than finding out the truth," Hope countered.

Melinda complained to Abe about the comment, accusing Hope of insubordination. Hope defiantly replied that she would be happy to put her earlier statement in writing. Abe advised Hope to calm down, and she gave him a knowing grin and agreed that he was right. Confused, Melinda demanded to know what was going on. Abe vaguely stated that he and Hope were waiting on a call from their forensics department.

Melinda demanded more information, but before Abe could respond, he received the phone call that he and Hope had been waiting for. After ending the call a short time later, Abe told Hope that the evidence had been verified. Melinda countered that she hadn't verified Abe and Hope's so-called evidence, and she refused to walk back into court blind.

Abe started to say something, but Melinda interrupted and informed him that when the trial resumed, she was going to proceed with her original plan to call him to the witness stand. Melinda warned Abe to refrain from saying a single word about whatever it was that he and Hope had been pursuing during the recess. Melinda insisted that it was too late for Abe and Hope's so-called evidence to matter. "Can you spell 'suppression of evidence'?" Hope incredulously protested.

"Can you spell 'no pension'? Get her in line, and then get down to the courthouse. Sami Brady's going down, and she's going down today," Melinda told Abe before exiting the room. After Melinda left, Abe quickly calmed Hope down and assured her that they weren't going to let Melinda win. Abe said that he was going to do exactly what Melinda had asked him to do, and he told Hope to round up everything that they had recently discovered and take it over to the courthouse.

A short time later, Melinda rushed into the courtroom and apologized for her tardiness. Without pausing to take a breath, Melinda immediately started to call Abe to the witness stand, but the judge, whose patience she had already tested to the limit, stopped her. "Not quite yet, Ms. Trask. Before we bring the jury back in here...I may be a Luddite, but my staff informs me that social media is lit up with rumors and stories about some kind of new evidence in this case? Tabloid TV news is all over it, and I'm somehow out of the loop?" the judge asked incredulously.

Taken aback, Melinda stammered that she believed that it would be best to ignore outside pressures. Feigning ignorance, Justin wondered if Melinda was trying to say that there wasn't any new evidence in the case. After silencing Justin, the judge asked the same question himself, forcing Melinda to admit that there might be some new evidence. Justin innocently wondered if that was why Melinda had called Abe to the stand.

The judge posed the same question to Melinda, so she nervously claimed that Abe needed more time to examine the evidence. The judge wasn't convinced, pointing out that Melinda had been prepared to call Abe as her next witness moments earlier. Melinda claimed that she had been planning to call Abe to the stand so that he could tell the court that he needed more time. Conceding that it was no longer necessary to call Abe to the stand to establish that fact, Melinda requested a recess, but the judge refused her request, insisting that he wasn't going to be the last person to find out about the new evidence.

"We'd like to hear about it, too. I guess counsel has forgotten about the rules of disclosure," Justin pointedly stated. Melinda started to protest that she hadn't had time to examine the evidence yet, but Justin interrupted and generously offered to waive the defense's right to disclosure so that the trial could proceed immediately. "Your Honor, in the interest of justice --" Melinda started to say, but the judge interrupted her.

"In the interest of justice, bring the commissioner in here -- now, Ms. Trask. Right now," the judge impatiently ordered Melinda, who reluctantly nodded to the bailiff. Abe entered the room a short time later, and the judge gave him the floor so that he could present his new evidence.

In Daniel's apartment, Maggie arrived to watch Parker so that Daniel could go on an impromptu trip. Maggie hoped that the trip had something to do with Jennifer, but Daniel vaguely clarified that it actually involved Eric. Daniel added that there was nothing that he could do to help Jennifer.

At the Horton Town Square, Brady was showing something to Kristen when Nicole, who was staring at her cell phone instead of paying attention to her surroundings, accidentally bumped into him. Kristen wondered if Nicole was still a bit tipsy, and Nicole replied that she was as sober as a judge. Nicole feigned appreciation for Kristen's unnecessary concern, and Kristen countered that it had also been unnecessary for Nicole to attack her earlier.

Confused, Brady tried to figure out what Kristen and Nicole were talking about. Nicole dismissively referred to the encounter as a stupid little incident, adding that she was sure that the "lying, sociopathic drama queen" that Brady was engaged to would probably find a way to make it sound like World War III if given the chance to do so. Before Brady could probe for additional information, Nicole abruptly excused herself.

Kristen assured Brady that she hadn't exaggerated about the attack. Kristen said that Nicole was a sad, pathetic human being, adding that Marlena agreed and had stood up for Kristen during the attack. Kristen reasoned that Nicole had lashed out at her because out-of-control, over-the-top people like Nicole always wanted to blame their problems on others.

Knowing that hearing about Nicole's erratic behavior had upset him, Kristen apologetically reminded Brady that, while she would love to stick around so that they could continue to discuss the matter, she had an errand that she had to run first. Kristen invited Brady to join her, but he declined the offer. After Kristen left, Brady rushed after Nicole, eventually catching up with her outside the Brady Pub.

Brady urged Nicole to tell him exactly what had happened between her and Kristen earlier. "Well, I got mad, so I kidnapped her and held her captive in a secret little room -- oh, wait, no. That's what Kristen did to Marlena," Nicole replied. Unamused, Brady insisted that he wanted to hear the truth. Nicole evasively wondered why Brady was making such a big deal about a fight between two people who had never liked each other in the first place.

Brady conceded Nicole's point, adding that he was more concerned about the fact that she had been drunk during the attack -- an attack that had occurred before noon. Nicole clarified that she had never intended to get drunk earlier. "I'm sure you didn't. I'm sure you didn't mean to get drunk. I'm sure you didn't mean to attack Kristen. Doing things you don't mean to do, Nicole -- these are called warning signs," Brady said.

Brady wondered if Nicole was having a tough time dealing with the fact that she would never be able to have the same kind of relationship with Eric that Brady had with Kristen. "Just get over yourself and mind your own business!" Nicole replied, groaning with frustration as she walked away. Meanwhile, Maggie arrived at the pub, and she wondered what had just happened between Brady and Nicole. Brady explained that Nicole had lost her temper after he had asked her about her drinking habits. As Maggie shook her head knowingly, Brady excused himself so that he could answer a phone call.

At St. Luke's, Father Matt theorized that Eric would start to rest more peacefully once Sami's trial concluded, but Eric believed that would only prove to be true if she were acquitted. Eric admitted that he was still being plagued with the same recurring sexual dream that he had previously talked to Father Matt about. Eric explained that, while the woman's face was never visible during the dream, he felt certain that she was someone whom he knew.

Eric knew that he couldn't do anything about the dream, so he had decided to instead focus on figuring out what had happened to him at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. Eric explained that he had cleared his schedule for the day so that he could return to the hotel and hopefully solve at least one of the two riddles that he had been struggling to decipher. Later, as Eric was leaving the church, he ran into Kristen in the hallway.

Eric realized that he had forgotten that Kristen had been planning to visit him that day so that she could schedule her and Brady's first Pre-Cana counseling session. Eric apologetically informed Kristen that their meeting would have to be postponed, vaguely explaining that he was going on an impromptu trip that day. Kristen excused herself after assuring Eric that she understood.

After leaving the church, Kristen rejoined Brady at the pub. Kristen told Brady about her earlier encounter with Eric, prompting Brady to wonder where Eric had gone on his trip. Kristen shrugged unknowingly and changed the subject, handing Brady a Pre-Cana questionnaire so that they could fill it out together.

At St. Luke's, Nicole received a visit from Maggie, who wanted to talk about Nicole's drinking habits. Nicole insisted that she didn't have a drinking problem, adding that she had never been less like herself in her entire life. Maggie wasn't entirely convinced, but she agreed to drop the subject. "You know, I'm just trying to look out for Eric; I'm trying to look out for Brady. I live like an expletive-deleted nun. Really? What -- what is going on here? You know what? You know what this morning did to me? Now I want a drink. I mean, why won't you get on Kristen's case, huh? Why don't you get off your throne there and make sure she gets what's coming to her? How 'bout that? Ugh!" Nicole muttered after Maggie left, groaning with frustration as she stared at a nearby cross.

Later, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, a staff member escorted Eric and Daniel to the room that Eric had stayed in during his previous visit to the hotel. As Eric waited for the staff member to open the door to the room, he suddenly remembered the woman whom he had encountered in the lobby during his previous visit. The staff member -- who had started working at the hotel after Eric's previous visit -- was unable to help him identify the woman.

After the staff member left, Eric looked around the room while Daniel went into the bathroom to get a water sample. Afterward, Daniel excused himself so that he could ask the desk clerk some questions, leaving Eric alone in the room. After Daniel left, Eric got frustrated and decided to leave, muttering that he was wasting his time.

As Eric exited the room, his eyes fell directly on the bed, and he recognized the headboard as the same one that had been appearing in his recurring sexual dream.

Friday, September 20, 2013

by Mike

At the courthouse, Sami was shocked and relieved when Abe produced the straight razor that she had always maintained that Bernardi had been wielding on the night that she had shot him. "Once this razor came into [the] possession of the police department, Forensics did a thorough examination of it. Detective Bernardi's fingerprints were all over it, as was his blood, in a splatter pattern that was consistent with the gunshot wound. Obviously, he was holding the razor when he was shot, just as Samantha Brady claimed when she made her original statement," Abe explained.

Melinda tried to object, but the judge silenced her and asked Abe to explain how the police had discovered the razor in the first place. Using the courtroom's television, Abe showed everyone a photograph of the woman whom Rafe and Kate had identified earlier. Abe explained that the woman -- Gloria Nash -- had been employed as a nurse at the hospital until a few hours earlier, when she had learned that police officers were being sent to the hospital to reinterview all of the nurses who had been on duty on the night that Bernardi had been killed.

Gloria had left the hospital -- and Salem -- in the middle of her shift. Abe believed that Gloria was on a plane that was headed to Morocco -- a country that, as the judge noted, did not share an extradition treaty with the United States. "We obtained a search warrant for Ms. Nash's locker at the hospital and her apartment. We found a receipt for a one-way, open-ended ticket to Morocco. We then searched her apartment, and that's where we found the razor," Abe explained.

When the judge asked if the police had found anything else in Gloria's apartment, Abe replied, as he reached for a stuffed folder to hand to the bailiff, that they had found plenty of things. "These are financial records from a bank in Morocco. We lifted fingerprints and recovered DNA from a male who, apparently, had been a frequent visitor at the apartment. The prints and the DNA were in every room, including the bedroom. We accessed Ms. Nash's email and recovered copious communications sent via an untraceable proxy account from the man who had been visiting the apartment. The man I'm talking about is Detective Joseph Bernardi," Abe continued.

Abe added that Bernardi's name was also on the Moroccan bank account and that the police had discovered documents that proved that Gloria had allowed Bernardi to use her bank account to transfer funds into the Moroccan bank account. Melinda impatiently protested that Abe's new evidence didn't change the fact that Sami had killed Bernardi.

"She did shoot him, but we're no longer certain that the gunshot wound is what killed him. I have affidavits from Dr. Kayla Brady, who was the first physician to attend to Detective Bernardi after he was shot. She states that she believes that Detective Bernardi would have survived the wound, and the surgeon who performed the surgery felt the same way after the surgery. Now, Detective Bernardi suddenly bled out in the recovery room, and the death certificate reads that he died of complications after surgery from a gunshot wound. However, Dr. Brady now believes that he died from causes unrelated to the shooting," Abe revealed.

Abe reported that Gloria had been on duty on the night that Bernardi had died. Abe added that a coworker had recalled seeing Gloria in the vicinity of the recovery room immediately following Bernardi's surgery, giving Gloria the means and the opportunity to cause Bernardi's death. When the judge asked if the police had found a motive for Gloria to kill Bernardi, Abe revealed that they had found a series of emails that Bernardi had sent to Gloria that had established that he had been unwilling to leave Marge for Gloria because he had feared that doing so would hurt Timmy too much.

After thanking Abe for the information, the judge called Justin and Melinda into his chambers for a meeting. A short time later, the trio returned, and the judge asked Melinda if the people wished to proceed with their case against Sami. "No, Your Honor. In light of the new evidence -- and in spite of all the unanswered questions -- the state wishes to officially withdraw all charges against Samantha Brady," Melinda reluctantly replied. The judge announced that Sami was free to leave, and she tearfully celebrated with E.J. and Justin.

At the Horton house, Jennifer told Maggie that she had spent hours calling all of the Hortons and Johnsons earlier to ensure that none of them would agree to give J.J. a place to stay if he asked for their help. Maggie wondered if Jennifer really wanted J.J. to spend the night, which was reportedly going to be cold and rainy, on the street. Jennifer replied that, while she was worried about J.J., she couldn't ask him to return home because he would interpret that as a sign of weakness instead of a display of kindness.

Meanwhile, Jennifer received a text message from her cell phone company, along with a report of J.J.'s cell phone usage. Jennifer explained that she had requested J.J.'s cell phone records so that she could alert the parents of the kids whom he had been selling drugs to. Maggie nodded and excused herself so that Jennifer could focus her attention on the report. One of the phone numbers that frequently appeared on the report seemed familiar to Jennifer, and after thinking about it for a few seconds, she realized that it was Theresa's cell phone number.

In Jennifer's office at the hospital, Theresa found an envelope laying on her desk. Inside the envelope, Theresa found a check for the money that she had previously requested from the public relations office's discretionary fund. Stunned, Theresa muttered that she probably should have asked for more than twenty-five hundred dollars, since it had been shockingly easy to obtain the money.

Meanwhile, Theresa received a phone call from J.J., who asked her to meet him in the park right away. After ending the call, Theresa started to place the check in her purse before changing her mind, deciding that it would probably be safer to leave the check behind. Theresa tucked the check under her desk calendar and exited the office. Theresa found J.J. waiting for her at the park a short time later.

After assuring Theresa that he hadn't told the police that she was one of his buyers, J.J. reported that, thanks to his lawyer, he was only facing misdemeanor possession charges. "Dude, that's nothing! I mean, dealing could get you a bid in prison, but misdemeanor possession? Even if you get convicted, the jails are so crowded, you'll end up getting kicked. Yeah, you'll be back in your comfy little bed that same night, like none of this ever happened," Theresa assured J.J.

J.J. admitted that he no longer had a comfy little bed to sleep in -- a problem that he hoped that Theresa might be able to help him solve. Theresa apologetically declined J.J.'s request, fearing that she would get fired if Jennifer or Kayla found out that he was staying with her. Theresa suggested that J.J. could just manipulate Jennifer into forgiving him so that he could return home, but he insisted that he was done playing that game.

Theresa recalled that she had previously given J.J. some cash so that he could buy some marijuana for her. Theresa suggested that J.J. could use the money to rent a cheap hotel room, but he informed her that the money had been confiscated when he had been arrested. J.J. assured Theresa that he would think of something eventually, but she could tell that he was out of options.

Theresa retrieved some cash from her purse and handed it to J.J., explaining that it was all of the money that she had. Theresa told J.J. that he could take his time paying her back. J.J. was surprised that Theresa wasn't worried about getting the money back right away, since she was always complaining about being strapped for cash, but she cryptically informed him that her financial situation was starting to improve.

When Theresa returned to Jennifer's office, she found Jennifer waiting for her. Noting the serious expression on Jennifer's face, Theresa guessed that she was in trouble again. After revealing that she had learned that Theresa had been talking to J.J. regularly, Jennifer fired Theresa. "You can't take it out on me just because you can't control your own son. And by the way, I read the employee handbook. You can't fire me -- not without grounds, bitch," Theresa defiantly replied.

Jennifer said that she had been keeping a record of Theresa's tardiness and laziness, but Theresa wasn't concerned, since that wasn't concrete evidence of wrongdoing. "Oh, you want concrete? Hold on. How's stealing for you?" Jennifer asked as she produced the check that Theresa had hidden -- poorly, with a corner of the check clearly visible -- under her desk calendar earlier.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Marlena told Victor about her disastrous earlier attempt to retrieve sensitive information from Kristen's cell phone. Victor laughed when he heard that Nicole had pretended to be drunk in order to create a diversion for Marlena. "Well, at least she's had the empirical experience to make it convincing," Victor dryly stated.

Victor told Marlena that it might be a good idea to include Nicole in their scheme, prompting Marlena to wonder if he had lost his marbles. Marlena insisted that enlisting the help of a loose cannon like Nicole would be too risky. Marlena admitted that, considering the way that Nicole had behaved earlier, she was surprised that Kristen hadn't seen through the ruse right away. Meanwhile, Marlena received a phone call from Sami. After ending the call, Marlena excused herself, happily informing Victor that all of the charges against Sami had been dropped.

At St. Luke's, Kristen entered Eric's office and cheerfully greeted Nicole, claiming that she had wanted to make sure that Nicole, who had been drunk earlier, had made it back to the church safely. Nicole confirmed that she was fine, joking that she had just driven back to the church with one eye closed the entire time to compensate for her impaired vision. Taking the joke seriously, Kristen suggested that Nicole needed to seek professional help.

Nicole was amused, but Kristen failed to see the irony in her previous statement, insisting that she, unlike Nicole, didn't have any addiction issues. "Yes, you do. You get a buzz off making misery, and your specialty is doing it sneakily, insidiously, sub rosa," Nicole countered. Kristen wondered if Nicole was speaking Latin or Pig Latin, but Nicole ignored her. "I'm guessing nobody really knows the worst, most miserable thing you've ever done," Nicole knowingly added.

As Kristen suspiciously sniffed Nicole's coffee mug to see if the drink had been spiked with alcohol, she mused that, while she had admittedly done some horrible things in the past, she could probably still learn a few tricks from Nicole. Changing the subject, Kristen observed that something about her earlier drunken encounter with Nicole wasn't adding up. Kristen wondered why Nicole had attacked her in the first place.

Nicole simply summarized that she would rather see Brady with Lindsay Lohan than with Kristen. After sarcastically praising Nicole for the hilarious comment, Kristen suspiciously observed that Nicole wasn't displaying any of the typical aftereffects of heavy alcohol consumption. Kristen guessed that Nicole had feigned drunkenness, and Nicole sarcastically confirmed that starting fights while pretending to be drunk was her way of having fun.

Kristen suspected that Nicole was up to something, but Nicole dismissed Kristen's concerns and advised her to get a life. Kristen happily reported that she already had a life, seizing the opportunity to taunt Nicole with the Pre-Cana questionnaire that Kristen and Brady had filled out together earlier. Kristen added that the extra time that she had been spending with Eric lately had made her feel protective of him -- protective enough to consider warning him that his secretary had been having indecent thoughts about him.

Nicole ordered Kristen to leave, but before complying, Kristen teased that Eric probably looked even hotter without his clothes on. Meanwhile, Kristen received a phone call from E.J., who informed her that the charges against Sami had been dropped. Kristen ended the call and excused herself, neglecting to share the news with Nicole, whom Kristen referred to as a sad, pathetic, lonely, jealous loser. Nicole gritted her teeth and watched as Kristen walked away, resisting the urge to strangle Kristen.

In one of the rooms at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, Eric struggled to make sense of the realization that the bed that had been appearing in his recurring sexual dream looked identical to the bed that he had slept in during his previous visit to the hotel. Eric apprehensively approached the bed and placed his right hand on the bedspread. "It doesn't make sense. It goes against everything that I believe," Eric whispered, shaking as he tried to maintain his composure.

Meanwhile, Daniel entered the room and quickly realized that something was bothering Eric, who vaguely reported that he was starting to figure some things out. Before Eric could elaborate, he received a phone call from Marlena. After ending the call, Eric excitedly informed Daniel that all of the charges against Sami had been dropped. Daniel handed his car keys to Eric, who had ridden to the state capital with Daniel. Daniel encouraged Eric to take the car so that he could get back to Salem right away. Daniel added that he would rent a car for himself later.

Daniel returned to his apartment later that day and informed Maggie, who was watching Parker, that his trip with Eric had been cut short because the charges against Sami had been dropped. Daniel asked Maggie to watch Parker for a while longer so that he could run an errand. Before leaving, Daniel promised to take Parker on a father-son road trip when he returned.

At the DiMera mansion, Marlena watched as Sami shared a joyful reunion with Johnny, Allie, and Sydney. Meanwhile, E.J. thanked Justin for helping Sami. Justin pointed out that E.J. really needed to thank the person who had made the razor suddenly materialize. Justin curiously wondered who had led the police to the razor. E.J. shrugged and guessed that the person who had tipped off the police had been someone who had not wanted Sami to pay for a crime that she hadn't actually committed, prompting Justin to nod skeptically.

Kristen entered the mansion and hugged E.J., observing that her cynical brother appeared to have tears in his eyes. "Wait till Father hears about this," Kristen muttered, and E.J. nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Sami hugged Marlena and thanked her for taking care of the kids when Sami had been unable to do so. Later, as Sami, E.J., and Kristen were celebrating with some champagne, the doorbell rang, and Kristen volunteered to take care of the interruption herself.

While they were alone, E.J. suggestively told Sami that, since the kids were playing upstairs and Will and Brady couldn't visit her until later that night, they were going to have to find some other way to pass the time. Sami and E.J. kissed as they started to move toward the stairs, unaware that Eric -- the visitor whom Kristen had gone to the front door to greet -- was waiting in the foyer.

Sami hugged Eric as Marlena, who had been with the kids upstairs, returned to the foyer. Eric said that he couldn't stay because he was needed at the church. Marlena reported that she was also going to leave, eyeing Kristen as she pointedly stated that she believed that Sami and E.J. needed to spend some time alone with their family. Kristen took the hint, and she, Eric, and Marlena exited the mansion together.

Outside, after informing Eric that she had left the Pre-Cana questionnaire in his office earlier, Kristen walked away. After Kristen left, Eric asked if Marlena could spare some time so that he could talk to her about something. Marlena agreed, and she and Eric went to the Brady Pub, where he proceeded to ask her several pointed questions about hypnosis. Marlena suspiciously promised to answer Eric's questions after he told her why he was suddenly asking them.

At the DiMera mansion, while Sami and E.J. were lying in bed together, she asked him to explain how he had managed to get all of the new evidence in her case to suddenly materialize. Sami guessed that E.J. had given Stefano some sort of ultimatum to force Stefano to help her, but E.J. evasively replied that the only thing that mattered was that she was back at home with the kids, where she belonged.

At Club TBD, Nicole and Victor made a toast to Sami, who always seemed to emerge from every situation, smelling like roses. Nicole wished that she could have Sami's luck for five minutes, adding that she would use those five minutes to do the world a favor and get rid of Kristen for good. Victor revealed that he had heard about Nicole's earlier encounter with Kristen.

Victor advised Nicole to take a step back and let Marlena handle the situation herself. Nicole scoffed, realizing that Victor had sought her out specifically so that he could deliver a message to her. Victor feigned ignorance, but Nicole wasn't convinced. "Okay, you know what? If you don't think I'm good enough to help both of you get Kristen, fine. I will try to take a step back, but since you're not very good at whatever it is you're doing, why don't you just tell me your plan so I know what to avoid?" Nicole asked as Kristen entered the club.

At the Kiriakis mansion, J.J. greeted Justin and pointedly admired the warmth and coziness of the place. Justin predicted that J.J. would start to appreciate warmth and coziness even more if he ended up in a cell. Taken aback, J.J. said that he thought that lawyers were supposed to be supportive of their clients. Justin said that he would start to act supportive once J.J. stopped acting like a punk and reconciled with Jennifer.

J.J. insisted that his relationship with Jennifer was none of Justin's business. J.J. also made it clear that he wasn't going to move back into the Horton house. Justin asked for J.J.'s updated contact information, and when J.J. hesitated, he realized that J.J. was living on the street. J.J. dismissively advised Justin to focus on J.J.'s legal problems and let him worry about everything else.

"And I thought my troubles were over," Justin muttered after J.J. left. A short time later, Daniel arrived and said that he wanted to talk to Justin about the mess that J.J. was in. As J.J. quietly reentered the mansion so that he could retrieve his backpack, Daniel gave Justin his contact information and urged Justin to call him if there was ever anything that he could do to help Jennifer. Daniel stressed that no one could ever know that he had offered to help Jennifer, since his involvement always seemed to make things worse for her.

As J.J. continued to eavesdrop, Daniel revealed that he was planning to take Parker to see Chloe that night. Daniel stressed that if Justin needed anything in the near future, he would have to call Daniel's cell phone, since no one would be at Daniel's apartment until the following afternoon or evening. "Yeah, don't count on it, Danny Boy," J.J. quietly muttered as he crept out of the mansion.