Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of October 5, 2015 on DAYS

Steve told Victor that Bo had been murdered. Bo escaped. The DiMeras tried to prove Clyde had framed Chad. J.J. and Roman's plan to trap Clyde worked. Aiden got his payback against Clyde. Aiden told Hope he had lied to her about Clyde to protect her and their children. Adrienne and Justin seemed at odds about their future. Ben murdered Will.

Bo's captors demand answers

Monday, October 5, 2015

by Mike

At Edge of the Square, Rafe abruptly ended Eduardo's plea for help and sent the television crew away, warning them not to air the footage. Rafe started arguing with Eduardo about the stunt, insisting that if someone else died as a result, their blood would be on Eduardo's hands. "Chad DiMera killed my little girl. I don't care if he gets strung up!" Eduardo countered. Rafe pointed out that Eduardo had no way of knowing for sure that Chad was guilty -- and Eduardo had no right to play judge and jury, in any case.

Justin stepped in and suggested that, while Eduardo should have talked to the police before publicly offering a reward for Chad's capture, it would be unwise to completely dismiss the idea. "Oh, that's great. So now the D.A.'s office is condoning vigilante justice?" Rafe asked incredulously. Justin pointed out that it wasn't unheard of for law enforcement officials to use monetary rewards as a tool to aid them in capturing criminals. Rafe argued that it was just going to create a lot of unnecessary chaos, adding that Eduardo had no intention of cooperating with the police department, anyway.

Eduardo asked if he was legally obligated to rescind his offer based on Rafe's objections, and Justin replied that, as a private citizen with First Amendment rights, Eduardo was not required to do so. Satisfied, Eduardo promised to contact the police station to let everyone there know that his offer was still on the table. "Okay. You know what? If Chad ends up dead before he even has the benefit of a trial, his blood's on your hands," Rafe told Justin before storming off.

Later, Eve approached Eduardo and thanked him for what he had just done, guessing that if anyone else had suggested offering a reward, Rafe would have been a fan of the idea. Eve was surprised that Eduardo actually had that kind of money to throw around, especially since they had lived on ramen noodles during their marriage. Eduardo explained that his security business had been doing pretty well for the past decade or so. "But honestly, I'd give it all away to see justice for Paige," Eduardo added.

Elsewhere, Brady told Theresa that, while he wasn't Chad's biggest fan, he still believed Chad deserved the benefit of a fair trial. Brady told Theresa about the recent conversation he'd had with Chad about blackouts, and he mused that Chad might not have even known himself if he had committed the murders or not. Theresa recalled how she had been blamed for the things Liam had done to Jennifer and Daniel the previous year, and she admitted that, while she understood why people had been quick to assume the worst about her then, she was glad she had been given another chance. Brady suggested that Theresa might want to give J.J. and Jennifer that same benefit of another chance. "Don't push it," Theresa replied with a smile.

When Brady went to get Theresa a refill, Eve approached Theresa and wondered why Brady was at the reception in the first place. Theresa said Brady was just trying to be nice, adding that they had put their differences behind them. Eve remained suspicious, stating that she didn't want to see Theresa get disappointed. "Guys like Brady, they just see you as a former conquest. Tate's mom -- I mean, that's how guys think. That's why girls like us end up getting our hearts broken over and over and over again...like I did with Eddie," Eve added.

Meanwhile, at the bar, Brady assured Justin that he wasn't falling for Theresa again. "I don't mean to interfere. It's just... I went through something similar with Alex's mother," Justin explained. Brady understood but insisted that he didn't have any romantic feelings for Theresa -- and he never would, either, especially after everything that had happened. "I get that. I just wonder if she does," Justin replied.

Elsewhere, Eduardo told Eve that Paige's funeral service had been lovely, and he admitted that he shouldn't have tried to take charge of the planning of it, since Eve had obviously had everything under control. Eduardo added that it had been nice to hear everyone talk fondly about Paige. Eduardo tried to praise Eve's parenting skills, but Eve insisted that she couldn't take any credit for the kind of person Paige had turned out to be. Acknowledging that there was nothing he could do to make up for what he had missed out on, Eduardo stressed that he wanted Eve to at least know that he was sorry -- and that he wished things could have been different.

Later, Justin approached Eduardo and stressed that, while he was on Eduardo's side and would fully support his actions as long as they served the investigation, he would appreciate a heads-up the next time Eduardo decided to go renegade. "Actually, Mr. Kiriakis, I don't really care if you support me or not. I want justice for my daughter. Somehow, I don't think that's what you're in this for," Eduardo replied as he glanced at Eve, who was sitting at the bar. Justin assumed the implication was that he was going after Chad just to make a name for himself, but Eduardo said that wasn't what he was talking about.

Before Eduardo could elaborate, Eve interrupted and said she was going to head home. Eduardo offered to take Eve home himself, and she accepted the offer, walking away after hugging Justin and thanking him for everything he had done for her. After Eduardo followed Eve out of the club, Justin placed a phone call to someone and asked them to find out everything they could about Eduardo Larson.

When Brady rejoined Theresa, she tried to apologize for the way she had kissed him recently, but he insisted that there was nothing to talk about because it was never going to happen again. "Right. Of course," Theresa replied, forcing a laugh as she turned away from Brady. Later, at the Kiriakis mansion, Theresa thanked Brady for his earlier support, and he headed off to the study to get some work done, leaving her alone in the living room with the baby monitor. While Theresa was sketching, Tate started crying, and she rushed off to check on him.

Maggie went to the police station to see Hope, who wanted to know if Kayla had changed her mind about administering the experimental drug to Caroline. Maggie shook her head and reported that Victor and Roman were on their way to the hospital to try to get through to Kayla. "I completely understand why she wants to proceed with caution, but Caroline just doesn't have any other options, does she?" Maggie mused, adding that Caroline's health would continue to decline unless her loved ones found some way to help her -- soon. Hope sadly noted that Bo didn't even have any idea that he might never see his mother again. Maggie pointed out that, while Hope was upset with Bo -- and had every right to be -- it was worth remembering that her experiences with him had made her who she was; in fact, she wouldn't have even applied to join the police force if it hadn't been for him.

Later, after Maggie left, Rafe arrived and started complaining to Hope about the stunt Eduardo had pulled earlier -- and about Justin's refusal to back Rafe up on the subject. Hope agreed that Justin had made a bad call, but she argued that Eduardo simply wanted to find Paige's killer. "You know nothing about him," Rafe countered. Hope replied that she knew that Eduardo had walked out on Eve and Paige years earlier, and she guessed that probably hit a bit too close to home for Rafe.

"You have no idea. You see, before Eduardo walked out on that family, he walked out on mine. Eduardo's my dad," Rafe informed Hope. After Rafe finished filling Hope in on the details, she hugged him and assured him that she would always be available if he needed someone to talk to. Hope also promised that she wouldn't say anything to Gabi about Eduardo.

At the hospital, Kayla was on the phone with Jennifer, apologetically explaining that she had been unable to attend Paige's funeral because she had been called in to work to perform an emergency surgery. As Kayla ended the call, Roman and Victor entered her office to talk to her about the experimental drug that could potentially cure Caroline's medical condition. Kayla put an abrupt end to the conversation before it even really began, insisting that, as the person who had Caroline's medical power of attorney, she wasn't going to allow the drug to be administered to Caroline, period.

Victor didn't understand why Kayla wasn't willing to consider the option, and Roman shared Victor's confusion, pointing out that Salinas' research seemed very promising. Kayla countered that, unlike Roman and Victor, she had actually received the education and training needed to comprehend what was in Salinas' research -- and, more importantly, what wasn't in it. Kayla pointed out that Salinas' research hadn't involved a control group or a placebo, and she added that, while there was no proof that the drug would even help Caroline, there were reasons to believe that the side effects could actually be quite devastating, given Caroline's age.

"She couldn't be much worse," Victor muttered. "She could be dead!" Kayla countered. Victor started to insist that there was nothing in Salinas' research that suggested that the drug wasn't completely safe, but Kayla interrupted, wondering if Victor would ever agree to take such a chance on one of his own family members. "Yes, I would," Victor replied without hesitation. Refusing to budge, Kayla reminded Victor that Caroline wasn't a part of his family; she was a part of hers. "This conversation is over," Kayla added before heading off to check on Caroline.

Victor told Roman that Kayla was simply too close to the situation to be objective, adding that there were no documented side effects to the drug. "And even if there were, isn't it a risk worth taking?" Victor wondered. Victor guessed Caroline would want to be able to remember her family and live life to the fullest. "And you know better than anyone, Roman -- [there's] one thing in this life that's not guaranteed, and that's time," Victor pointed out.

Nodding, Roman went to Caroline's room and took a seat next to Kayla as he began reminiscing about the speech Caroline had given at Will and Sonny's wedding, noting that, while people had feared that she had been rambling about something unrelated to the event, she had known exactly what she had been doing the whole time. "And what she said was beautiful. So eloquent. Funny. Do you think we'll ever see that Caroline Brady again?" Roman wondered. Kayla said she believed Caroline would still have lucid moments from time to time. "Yeah, but they'll be fewer and fewer as time goes on," Roman guessed.

Roman guessed Kayla was reluctant to give Caroline the drug because she wasn't sure she would be able to live with the guilt if that ended up being the wrong call to make. "What if you're making the wrong call now? What if that drug could help? And what if you are the only thing standing between Ma and her only real chance?" Roman asked. Kayla said Roman wasn't being fair, and he conceded the point but wondered if she would be as adamant about refusing the treatment if she were dealing with any other patient. Kayla insisted that she would never give any patient an untested drug that had dubious benefits -- especially not her own mother.

Kayla added that she had no way of knowing which of Caroline's symptoms were aftereffects of the stroke and which were from her underlying condition, and the drug was only designed to treat the latter. Roman pointed out that the odds had been against Caroline after the stroke, and she had fought hard to recover from that. Arguing that Caroline had probably never made a decision based on fear in her entire life, Roman cited the risk she and Shawn had taken with the Brady Pub as a prime example, noting that it had been crazy to turn the fish market into a pub -- especially with no prior restaurant experience -- but they had made it work, and Shawn had always credited the pub's success to Caroline's willingness to take chances. Roman suspected that he and Kayla both knew what Caroline's answer would be if she were able to make her own decision about her medical treatment.

Kayla asked for a minute alone with Caroline, and after Roman left, she grasped Caroline's hand and tearfully admitted that, while the doctor in her believed that it would be ethically wrong -- and potentially dangerous -- to administer an untested drug to Caroline, the little girl in her just wanted her mother back. Caroline stirred while Kayla was struggling to make a decision, so she seized the opportunity to ask if she could have a serious talk with Caroline about Caroline's medical treatment. "Sure. Well, I -- I think you -- my daughter, Dr. Brady, should be part of that conversation. Would you mind calling her for me?" Caroline replied.

Roman returned to the waiting area and found Victor standing with Maggie. Roman reported that Kayla was still on the fence and might not change her mind about administering the drug to Caroline. Victor insisted he could take care of the legal ramifications for the hospital if that was what Kayla was concerned about, but Roman said that wasn't the issue. Meanwhile, Hope arrived and, after receiving an update, wondered how Victor had found out about the treatment in the first place. "Oh, I didn't find out about it -- Bo did," Victor clarified. Maggie and Roman went to the cafeteria so Victor and Hope could talk privately.

Victor filled Hope in on how Bo had discovered Salinas and had asked Victor to fund the doctor's research. Victor explained that Bo hadn't mentioned the potential cure to anyone else because he hadn't wanted to get their hopes up. "[And] the other reason that we wanted to keep it under wraps is because it was potentially a huge breakthrough and a lucrative discovery. We didn't want people trying to get in just to make a quick buck; it would have compromised everything. I mean, if the doctor lost control of the research, we could be in clinical trials for years. If it fell into the wrong hands --" Victor added before letting his voice trail off.

"One thing Caroline doesn't have is time. We need to act now. I just hope that Kayla comes to her senses before it's too late," Victor concluded -- just as Kayla entered the waiting area. A short time later, Kayla, Roman, Hope, Maggie, and Victor gathered in Caroline's room, along with Salinas, who agreed to let Kayla administer the drug herself. Kayla injected the drug into Caroline's I.V. as everyone else watched with cautious optimism.

At the abandoned monastery, Steve contacted John and told him to be on the lookout for some pills that needed to be tested for Bo's DNA. After ending the call, Steve found some breadcrumbs on the floor. "Looks like I got here before the rats," Steve mused. Steve soon spotted a bloodstain on the floor, but as he leaned in to take a closer look at it, someone burst into the room and pointed a gun at him, warning him not to move.

Steve claimed that he had simply been doing some sightseeing, but when the armed man didn't buy that excuse, Steve made a sudden move for the man's gun, knocking it out of the man's hand and pulling his own gun before the man could recover. Steve demanded to know where Bo was, but the man insisted that he had never known the prisoner's name or why the prisoner was being held captive in the first place.

Steve wanted to know who had been giving the man his orders, but the man claimed that he had never been in direct contact with the person, adding that he had just been paid each week with cash that a messenger had delivered to him. Steve wondered if Bo had been hurt while being held captive. The man confirmed that extreme measures had been taken in an effort to get Bo to answer some questions, and Steve took that to mean that Bo had been tortured. Nodding, the man added that Bo had been very determined not to answer the questions, which had been about some type of formula or serum.

Pressing the barrel of his gun against the man's neck, Steve demanded to know where Bo was. The man insisted that was all he knew, and when Steve moved the gun away from the man's neck to grab the collar of his shirt, the man head-butted Steve, sending Steve falling back against the wall. Before Steve could recover, the man sprang to his feet and pulled something out of his pocket, which he tried to shove into Steve's mouth. Steve managed to knock the item out of the man's hand, so the man punched Steve and rushed off. "You tell your boss I'm coming for him!" Steve shouted at the man, too disoriented to chase after him at that time.

In an undisclosed location, a man approached Bo, who was strapped to a gurney. "You're a tough nut to crack, Mr. Brady. I thought the sodium pentothal would do the trick, but not even the torture would make you talk. So we have a new drug, the only side effect of which you need to know about is death. So, with that in mind, I would suggest that you start talking sooner rather than later," the man said as he injected something into Bo's right arm. After giving the drug some time to take effect, the man began questioning Bo about the secret serum that Victor was funding, wondering what it was being used for and who had the formula.

"It's for...foot fungus," Bo muttered with the slightest hint of a smile.

Chad warns Abigail about Clyde

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

by Spalding

At the DiMera mansion, Andre, Stefano, and Chad discussed Clyde's past. Andre discovered that Clyde had ties to the drug trade in town. From a burner phone, Chad texted Clyde, "I know what you're up to." Chad then left the mansion in order to run errands.

At the old Martin house, J.J. met with Roman to tell him that he was in trouble. When J.J. muttered about Paige paying for J.J.'s failure, Roman asked him if Paige's death was related to the drug trafficking. J.J. said he was not sure. J.J. said he did not want anyone else to be hurt. With a sigh, J.J. told Roman that Kyle's boss was Clyde. J.J. told Roman everything he knew about the operation and everything that had happened with Kyle and Clyde.

When J.J. mentioned Eve, Roman asked how she had been involved. J.J. told Roman about the bug in the living room. Roman did not want J.J. to pursue Clyde and said that J.J. he would not be a good witness in court. Roman ordered J.J. to stay out of his way. Angry, J.J. disagreed.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Tate cried uncontrollably while a confused Theresa cradled her son in an attempt to soothe him. Worried, Brady joined her in the living room. Theresa wondered aloud if they should take Tate to see a doctor. Brady called a doctor for advice. Theresa talked to the doctor about Tate's symptoms, and the doctor said that Tate was likely suffering from colic. Theresa performed baby massage on Tate, and he calmed down.

Theresa talked about how Tate liked her singing, and Brady chuckled. When Theresa mentioned that she had played "Moonlight Sonata" on the piano for Tate, Brady was taken aback. Theresa admitted that she had played at piano recitals when she had been a child. Tate began to cry again, and Theresa suggested that they take Tate for a car ride. Desperate, Brady agreed. With a grin, Brady asked Theresa to sing to Tate. Laughing, Theresa picked up Tate and sang "Ragtime Cowboy" to her son as they left the house.

After a long car ride filled with singing, Brady, Theresa, and Tate returned to the mansion. When Brady asked about the song, Theresa said her mother had sung the song to her when she had been little. Brady asked why Theresa and her mother did not get along. Theresa explained that Kim had suffered depression when Shane had been away. Nodding, Brady said he knew what it was like to be the child of an ISA agent.

Theresa explained that the popular kids at school had hated their parents, so she had joined the crowd. With a shake of her head, Theresa said that everyone had loved her parents and continued to be mean to her. Theresa said that once she'd been in high school, people had still been mean to her, so she had decided to be mean to everyone preemptively. With a sad smile, Theresa said Tate had changed her attitude.

"If anything ever happened to him, I just wouldn't want to live anymore. I really want to be the best mom ever, but I'm just afraid that I want it so much that I'll end up being the worst," Theresa said. Brady smiled and noted that Tate was asleep. Exhausted, Theresa fell asleep on the couch on Brady's shoulder. Brady stared at Theresa and smiled in spite of himself.

While getting dressed in her apartment, Abigail experienced a strange stomach cramp. Ben offered to cancel his meeting with his father and stay with Abigail, but she told him she was fine. After Ben left, Abigail pulled a sweater out of the drawer. Peeking out from the corner of the drawer was a red tie like the one that had been used in the murders. Abigail did not notice it. Startled by a noise, Abigail turned and found Chad creeping in through her kitchen window. Abigail was furious.

Chad explained that he was worried about Abigail because he believed that Clyde was the killer. In disbelief, Abigail shook her head and mumbled about Clyde's past history of abusing Ben when he had been a child. Chad was alarmed by the information, but Abigail stressed that the abuse was in the past. Chad countered that no one knew why Jordan had left town and that it might be because Clyde had not changed.

Shaking her head, Abigail said that Clyde made a lot of charitable donations. With a groan, Chad noted that Stefano made charitable donations all the time. Abigail nodded. Abigail asked Chad what Clyde's motivation was. Chad informed her that Clyde was likely the source of the increased drug trafficking in Salem. As Abigail raised her eyebrow at Chad, he added that Clyde had been at Club TBD the night of Serena's murder, and he had watched Chad and Serena drinking together. Chad reminded Abigail that the morning after the murder, Clyde had sought out Abigail to tell her that Chad might be the killer.

When Abigail suggested that Stefano was to blame, Chad said that Stefano had helped him evade the police. Abigail was upset that Chad had almost been arrested because of her choice of a hiding spot. Chad urged Abigail not to blame herself, because Justin had found a fishing lure that Chad had dropped at the DiMera mansion. After calming down, Abigail said that Clyde's presence at the bar did not prove that he had murdered Serena. Chad noted that his drink had been spiked and that Clyde had had the opportunity to access Chad's drink that night.

When Abigail asked about Chad's alibi, he told her that the homeless man he had fought with did not have a reliable memory. With a nod, Abigail said she would investigate Clyde. Worried, Chad begged Abigail not to do anything. Chad said he had told Abigail his theory because he wanted her to keep her guard up. Abigail told Chad he was wrong about Clyde. With a nod, Chad left through the kitchen window.

At the Edge of the Square, Ben met with Clyde to review the paperwork for the new house. Elated, Ben thanked Clyde for helping him. Clyde was pleased that Ben was staying in Salem. Clyde assured Ben that Chad would either go to prison or leave town. When Clyde mentioned that he had spoken to Jennifer, Ben was curious about the meeting. Clyde said that Jennifer was uptight, and he asked Ben to tell Jennifer that she had nothing to fear from Clyde. Ben told Clyde that Jennifer would warm up to him.

Clyde pulled out his phone to call Jennifer, and he saw the anonymous text from Chad. When Ben asked why Clyde looked upset, Clyde said he had received a message about business. Abigail interrupted to say hello and to thank Clyde for the house. Clyde told Abigail that he wanted to help pay for the wedding, but Abigail declined the offer.

Smiling, Clyde said he wanted to help with any extras so that Abigail did not have to worry about the budget. When Clyde mentioned Jennifer worrying about the cost of the wedding, Abigail shook her head. Abigail noted that Jennifer did not have any problems with money. Clyde's smile fell away.

Suspicious, Clyde asked Abigail if there were any other problems. Evading the question, Abigail noted that she did not feel well. Ben offered to order her food from the bar, and she nodded. After Ben went over to the bar, Abigail told Clyde that he did not need to pay for the wedding because he had already purchased their house. Clyde told Abigail that she was family, and he hugged her before leaving.

Ben delivered a bowl of soup to Abigail, but she had lost her appetite. When Ben asked if Abigail was upset by Clyde's offer, Abigail said that she was worried about how Jennifer would view Clyde's offer. Ben told Abigail that she sounded rude. Taken aback, Abigail stammered that she was not feeling well.

Suspicious, Ben asked Abigail if there was anything else bothering her. Abigail reminded Ben that he had once accused her of siding too much with Clyde. Ben shrugged and said that things were different since he had grown closer to Clyde. Before Abigail could respond, she doubled over in pain, clutching her abdomen.

Chad returned to the DiMera mansion to tell Andre and Stefano that he had gone out to watch Clyde's face when Clyde read the anonymous text. Raising an eyebrow, Andre noted that Chad had also stopped to see Abigail. Chad's burner phone beeped with a text. Clyde had texted to ask what Chad wanted. With a smirk, Chad informed Stefano and Andre that Clyde had taken the bait. Chad texted back, "Money for my silence."

As Clyde stood in the park and stared at the anonymous text, J.J. called his phone. J.J. used the code phrase for a face-to-face meeting, but Clyde was furious to hear from him. Growling, Clyde declined J.J.'s request to meet. J.J. ordered Clyde to meet him at the docks, but Clyde bristled at J.J.'s order. Raising his voice, J.J. threatened to tell Abigail and Ben about Clyde's business. As Clyde started to warn J.J. to back down, J.J. added that the police knew that Clyde was Kyle's boss. J.J. hung up the phone as Clyde demanded answers.

Down on the docks, a man harassed Gabi. J.J. walked around the corner and intervened. J.J. posed as Gabi's boyfriend and said that he was sorry he was late to meet her. The stranger shrugged and walked away. Gabi thanked J.J. for his help. When J.J. asked Gabi why she was down at the water, Gabi explained that she was delivering a letter from a friend at the prison to someone who lived near the water.

J.J. lied and said he was meeting a friend down at the docks. As Gabi smiled, J.J. directed Gabi to the building she wanted. After Gabi left, J.J. called Roman on the phone and said he was on the docks. As J.J. hung up the phone, Clyde grabbed him by the shoulders and spun J.J. around to face him. J.J. said that he was not wearing a wire as Clyde frisked him.

Clyde demanded to know how the police knew about his involvement in the drug trafficking. J.J. explained that Kyle had written a letter that was to be delivered to his mother if Kyle disappeared. Clyde did not believe J.J.'s story.

J.J. said the feds were interested in him and that he had demands if Clyde wanted to buy his silence. When Clyde asked for terms, J.J. said he wanted money. Clyde loomed over J.J. and countered that he preferred to kill J.J. and shut him up permanently.

Bo escapes his captors

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

by ChickenGrrl

At the monastery, Steve concluded that Bo's captors wouldn't have kept an armed guard around for no reason. As he used a flashlight to search Bo's cell for more clues, Steve spotted a scrap of open-weave cloth affixed to the wall, and when he removed it, he found a camera hidden in a hole in the wall. Steve looked around until he found an office with an ancient-looking video monitor and a computer. He sat at the computer and found the video files from Bo's cell.

Steve watched footage of Bo eating from metal trays, strung up by his wrists and doused with water, and being zapped with a stun gun. Further into the tape, Steve saw Bo lying on the floor, a knife in his chest and a large pool of blood on the floor around him. Later, a guard zipped Bo into a body bag and dragged him out, leaving a streak of blood on the concrete floor. Sobbing, Steve leaned back in his chair but unable to look away. "No, man!" he cried, moaning despondently.

Kayla, Hope, Victor, and Maggie were gathered around Caroline's hospital bed while Dr. Salinas made notes in her chart. Salinas assured the anxious bunch that Caroline's vital signs were good, but Kayla was even more worried than the others that they had administered an untested drug to her mother. Kayla suddenly realized that Roman had left without a word.

Meanwhile, outside Caroline's room, Roman was listening in on the conversation between J.J. and Clyde down on the docks via the phone line that J.J. had left open. Clyde maintained that his threat had only meant that he could kill J.J., not that he necessarily would. Roman quickly called Lani to patch the call through to the station so they could record the call and try to pinpoint J.J.'s location.

The group encouraged Caroline to fight to return to them. Kayla recalled a story from her childhood when she'd misbehaved, but Caroline had hugged Kayla instead of scolding her. As she slept, Caroline was dreaming about visiting Kayla and Steve in the hospital after Stephanie's birth. Beginning to cry as she emphasized how important Caroline was to her, Kayla was overcome and had to run out of the room. Hope and Maggie followed Kayla while Victor stayed behind with Caroline.

Victor sat at Caroline's bedside, took her hand, and told her that he had always felt lucky to have known and loved her. He added that he'd been unable -- and unwilling -- to help falling in love with her, even though they had both known it had been wrong. Victor noted that while he and Caroline hadn't been able to spend their lives together, she had given him Bo, for whom Victor would be eternally grateful.

Kayla headed to the waiting area and fretted tearfully that her mother hadn't responded to the treatment. Seeing Kayla's anxious, agitated state prompted Maggie to suggest that the two of them take a long walk. Hope promised to stick around and call Kayla if there were any news, so Kayla somewhat reluctantly left with Maggie. Hope called Rafe and proposed that he question the DiMera staff about Chad's whereabouts and offer immunity to anyone who might have taken revenge because of a beef with the DiMera family.

Aiden arrived just as Hope was telling Rafe about Caroline's condition. When Hope hung up, Aiden walked over and silently took her into his arms. After Hope filled Aiden in, he acknowledged how not knowing could be the worst part of something like that. He offered to help Hope out in any way he could, but she assured him that his presence was all she needed.

In the park, Kayla admitted that she'd been desperate because Caroline had been going downhill so quickly, and Kayla knew that some doctors would consider it unethical that she had given an experimental drug to Caroline. "Not if it were their mother and they were watching her slip away," Maggie asserted. Kayla confided that the events of the previous few months had been a tad overwhelming, and she needed her mother. Maggie firmly reassured Kayla that there was still hope for Caroline.

Maggie confessed that, even though he would never admit it, Victor had hoped Bo would be the one to deliver the serum to Caroline. Maggie knew how worried Victor was about his son, but she also knew that if the serum worked, Victor would just be happy that Caroline was well. Kayla wondered if it were difficult for Maggie to see how much Victor cared for Caroline. Maggie noted that Bo and Hope wouldn't exist without Caroline and Victor, and neither would Ciara -- so Maggie wouldn't want it any other way.

While Hope checked in with the station, Aiden listened to a news report about Eduardo Larson's $100,000 reward for information leading to Chad DiMera's arrest. When Hope returned, Aiden asked if there had been any leads about Chad. Hope couldn't discuss that, but she asked if Chad had ever told Aiden -- who was no longer Chad's lawyer -- where he might go if he had to disappear. Aiden maintained that Chad had only insisted that he'd been framed. Aiden left for his office, and Hope kissed him goodbye as he got on the elevator.

Later, Aiden showed up at the police station and asked Lani if there were any news about Chad DiMera. Lani said the phones had been ringing nonstop since the reward had been offered. As Lani hurried off, Aiden seemed to be formulating a plan.

With Victor still at her bedside, Caroline dreamed about the time Bo had been forced to arrest her for murder, even though no one, including him, had believed she'd done it. Suddenly, in the middle of her memory-filled dream, she had a vision of Bo in his cell at the monastery and undergoing torture. Frowning and groaning, an agitated Caroline flailed and struggled in her sleep. Victor was unable to calm her, so he shouted out the door for a nurse or Dr. Salinas.

Dr. Salinas rushed into the room a moment later and injected Caroline's I.V. with something, just as Hope ran in. Caroline startled all of them by sitting bolt upright in bed and shouting, "Bo! Bo!" Maggie and Kayla had returned by the time Caroline calmed down. Salinas cautioned the others that Caroline could awaken soon or that it could take a couple of days. "Or that serum could have destroyed whole sections of her brain and she is never going to wake up again!" Kayla fumed.

Just then, Steve arrived and silently motioned for Victor to join him outside without letting Kayla know he was there. After Victor slipped out, Salinas advised the others that he had drawn some of Caroline's blood and would get to work on running tests right away. He hurried out. Kayla sat at Caroline's bedside and spoke softly to her mother, "Mom, it's Kayla. Can you hear me? I just need you to squeeze my hand, all right?" Caroline slowly opened her eyes and smiled, to Kayla, Maggie, and Hope's utter joy.

Caroline became a little impatient -- but lightheartedly so -- while Kayla administered some simple, verbal cognitive tests. The women laughed as Caroline cracked jokes. "I am so glad that you're back!" Maggie declared happily, and Hope chimed in, "We all love you so much." Caroline admitted that she didn't know how she'd gotten there, but she felt very well rested. She told the others that she'd had lots of nice dreams -- except for those about Bo.

In the hallway, Victor gave Steve the highlights of what had been happening with Caroline's treatment. He quickly recognized that Steve had bad news and demanded to hear it. Steve explained that he'd tracked Bo down to a prison cell beneath an old monastery in Yucatn, but Steve had arrived too late, although it was still being guarded. Steve continued that Bo's kidnappers had been trying to get their hands on the serum that Victor's people had developed for Caroline. Victor understood that, but not why Steve wasn't still in Mexico looking for Bo.

"I don't know how to tell you this. Bo's dead. They murdered him," Steve said quietly, fighting back tears. Victor refused to accept it, but Steve described what he'd seen on the surveillance video. Numb, Victor lamented how hard Bo had worked to help get the research project started. "Now Caroline might be saved, and her son...our son..." Victor said, his voice trailing off. A devastated Steve put an arm around Victor's shoulder. "Wish I'd gotten there sooner," Steve admitted. Victor didn't want to tell Hope because it would only make her mourn Bo all over again.

Just then, Hope rushed out and breathlessly told Victor, "Caroline's awake, and she's doing really well!" As Victor headed into Caroline's room, Hope saw Steve's expression and seemed to sense that something was wrong.

Caroline beamed at Victor when he entered her room. Steve and Hope walked in as Caroline was describing, "I've been dreaming a lot about [Bo], only it was -- it was more than a dream. I mean, it was real. Bo was there, and he was uncomfortable. A lot of time went by. His beard was very heavy. He was in chains." Hope and Kayla tried to downplay it, but Caroline insisted that the dream and the chains had been real. "I hope he's all right," Caroline fretted.

While Roman continued listening in, J.J. mentioned Kyle to Clyde, who angrily ordered J.J. to reveal why he'd called the meeting with Clyde. J.J. said he'd been worried about the threats against his family that Clyde had made after Clyde had "taken care of" Kyle. Refusing to discuss the matter with J.J., Clyde again demanded to know what J.J. wanted. J.J. explained that a bullet had been delivered to his house, and he'd assumed that Clyde had done it to send a message.

Lani informed Roman that they had determined that J.J.'s phone was at the docks, but they couldn't narrow it down any more than that. A frustrated and worried Roman instructed Lani to order the nearest patrol cars to head down there -- without lights or sirens so as not to endanger J.J.

Clyde played dumb about the bullet. J.J. asserted that Clyde should be giving J.J. more responsibility instead of having him run errands, because J.J. could make a lot of money for Clyde. "Now [Kyle's] out of the way. I want in... I want to be your number two," J.J. declared. Clyde snarled that he didn't have a number two and never would. J.J. maintained that he had the connections and ideas to double Clyde's business. Clyde wanted specifics.

Roman made his way down to the waterfront, backed by at least one uniformed officer, Jenkins. As Roman carefully entered the area from the south, gun drawn, Lani advised him via an earpiece that another unit was approaching from the north.

J.J. asserted that Clyde needed to move in on the university campus and with high-powered business people who needed extra chemical help to get through their days. Although Clyde was impressed, he was ready to leave. J.J. urged Clyde to hear him out, and Clyde impatiently agreed. J.J. explained that Clyde needed deniability by building a blind network and limiting the number of people who knew who Clyde was. J.J. continued, "Nobody has more than one contact, two at the most. I mean, seriously, trusting a guy like Kyle? That was a bonehead move from the get-go."

Enraged, Clyde grabbed J.J. and shoved him against a wall. "You don't ever talk to me like that again!" Clyde growled, his eyes murderous. He warned J.J. against trying to tell Clyde how to do business. "I've seen more punk-ass kids like you come and go than I can even remember, and guess what? I'm still here. I'm still standing, and I'm untouchable. You hear me? You get your punk ass home, little man. You wait for my call. And if I contact you, make sure of this: you do what I say, when I say, and how I say it. Is that clear?" Clyde snarled, shaking J.J. Just then, Roman and Jenkins showed up and ordered Clyde to freeze.

As Roman commanded Clyde to turn around slowly, Clyde growled in J.J.'s face, "You set me up." Clyde finally let go of J.J., who ran over to duck behind Roman while Jenkins handcuffed Clyde. All the while, Clyde continued to glare fiercely over his shoulder at J.J. Roman announced that Clyde was under arrest for conspiracy to sell controlled substances, plus other charges that might follow, and read Clyde his rights.

At the monastery, Bo lay unconscious on a gurney, a bright surgical light flickering overhead, as the two guards entered the room. "Today, this man is either going to tell me what I want to know -- or die," the bald captor declared, uncapping a syringe. As the man injected Bo, he asserted that Bo wouldn't be able to fight the drug's effects. The other man seemed concerned that Bo could die with so high a dosage. "If he does, he does. He's useless to us unless he talks, anyway," the bald man pointed out.

As the drug seemed to take effect, the bald man shined a flashlight in Bo's eyes to check his reactions. Bo suddenly stiffened and began to tremble, arching his back and grunting as if he were going into cardiac arrest. The bald man ordered the other one to get the crash cart. The other man dragged the machine over and charged the defibrillator paddles. The bald man grabbed the paddles and started to apply them to Bo's chest. Lightning-fast, Bo suddenly punched the guy, unfastened his restraints, and got up off the gurney.

While the bald man tried to recover from Bo's sucker punch, the other man approached Bo, who pleaded with him, but the man hit Bo in the ribs several times. Bo found the strength to fight back, punching the man in the abdomen and elbowing him in the chin before grabbing the fully charged defibrillator paddles and shoving them against the man's chest. The man collapsed against the floor as the bald man watched helplessly. "It's business," the bald guy protested meekly. Bo walloped him in the head with a lead pipe. "I'm going home!" Bo bellowed as he fled.

Will finds himself in danger

Thursday, October 8, 2015

by Mike

While taking care of another matter at the police station, Aiden learned that Clyde had been arrested, so he offered to give Roman some additional information to ensure that Clyde would stay behind bars for a really long time. "But there is one condition -- you didn't get it from me," Aiden stressed.

After talking to Aiden, Roman went to see Clyde, who remained calm even after Roman revealed that he had heard everything Clyde had said to J.J. earlier. Roman teased that he had other evidence against Clyde as well, but Clyde suspected Roman was just bluffing. Later, Roman told J.J. that Clyde was going to be sent back to Florida to face murder charges that were pending there, giving the Salem Police Department time to build their own case against him. Roman admitted that, while tricking Clyde into confessing to crimes wasn't the smartest thing J.J. had ever done, it had been incredibly brave, and it was the only reason Clyde had finally been caught.

At the DiMera mansion, Andre ended a phone call and informed Chad that Clyde had just been arrested. Chad assumed the police had found proof that Clyde had murdered Serena and Paige, but Andre clarified that Clyde had actually been arrested after an altercation with J.J. Grinning, Andre added that the good news was that Clyde's arrest had provided the perfect opportunity to slip someone into Clyde's place to search for evidence that Clyde was the killer. Chad thought Stefano and Andre might have orchestrated Clyde's arrest themselves, but Andre blamed Clyde's downfall on Clyde's misperception that he was an invincible force.

Ben led Abigail into their apartment and helped her get settled on the couch, wishing that her doctor had decided to keep her at the hospital for observation instead of releasing her after her contractions had stopped on their own earlier. After instructing Abigail to keep her feet elevated, stay hydrated, and avoid stress, Ben blamed her premature labor scare on the ongoing drama surrounding Chad -- and the fact that she was actually worried about him. Abigail wondered if Ben would be able to stay completely detached from the situation if he had a friend who was going through the same sort of thing Chad was going through.

"What about what those poor women who he strangled went through, Abigail?" Ben countered. Abigail protested that Chad's guilt had not yet been proven, but Ben guessed that she would keep defending Chad even after he was proven guilty, finding a way to absolve him of responsibility due to his rough childhood or the fact that Stefano was a terrible influence. When Ben asked, Abigail conceded that she wouldn't like it if he were constantly going on and on about wanting to be there for one of his old girlfriends in her time of need.

"It's just that I've known him for a long time, and it would be just as unbelievable to me if someone were to tell me that you were a murderer," Abigail added. Ben stayed calm as Abigail continued that Chad hadn't had a motive to attack Serena, Paige, or Marlena. Ben argued that Marlena had seen Chad during her attack, but when Abigail countered that things weren't always as they seemed, he conceded the point. Abigail maintained that someone was trying to frame Chad for the murders, although she didn't know who would want to do that to him.

Abigail admitted that she was scared about what might happen to Chad, especially with Eduardo's reward money on the table. Ben reasoned that there was nothing he or Abigail could do to change the situation. Abigail agreed and changed the subject, stating that she just wanted to focus on taking care of her and Ben's baby. Deciding that she wanted to take a long, hot shower, Abigail invited Ben to join her, and after he accepted the invitation, she headed into the bathroom while he went to grab some fresh clothes from the dresser.

When Ben opened the top drawer and spotted a red necktie he had failed to dispose of, he started thinking about Marlena's attack. Meanwhile, Abigail peeked out from behind the bathroom door and asked if Ben was still planning to join her in the shower. Ben assured Abigail that he was on his way, and once the coast was clear, he stuffed the necktie under a bunch of garbage in a trashcan near the bed. Meanwhile, Ben received a phone call from Clyde, who explained that he had been hauled into the police station on bogus charges and needed Ben to contact his lawyer. Ben rushed off after filling Abigail in on what had happened.

Abigail considered calling Chad but decided to go see Stefano instead. When Abigail opened the apartment door, she found Will standing in the hallway. Will explained that, while he was supposed to be finishing an article that was due the following day, he had found something he wanted to share with Abigail and Ben first -- and he wouldn't qualify as a real writer if he weren't able to excel at procrastination, anyway. Will handed over a large manila envelope that was stuffed full of research he and Sonny had done on wedding vendors in the tri-state area in preparation for their own wedding the previous year, charting everything from prices to gay friendliness.

Abigail appreciated the gesture but was concerned that it might be painful for Will to immerse himself in her and Ben's wedding preparations. "Well, I mean, I wouldn't want all of that work to have been in vain," Will replied with a shrug. Nodding, Abigail told Will she was really pulling for him and Sonny to work things out. Will said he was, too. Clearing his throat, Will changed the subject, wondering if he had chosen a bad time to visit. Abigail shook her head and explained that she was simply tired. Doubtful that Abigail could ever be too tired to talk about wedding stuff, Will wondered what was really going on.

Abigail told Will about the earlier scare, and he reminded her that the same thing had happened to Gabi during her pregnancy. Will guessed Abigail was stressed out because of the situation with Chad, and she confirmed the suspicion. At Will's prompting, Abigail admitted that she couldn't blame Ben for being upset about the way she was letting the whole thing affect her, especially since she would be just as jealous if Ben were fixated on an ex-girlfriend the same way she was fixated on Chad. Will was shocked when Abigail confided that she was the one who had helped Chad hide from the police, but he promised to keep her secret.

Abigail explained that Chad believed Clyde was committing the murders and framing him for them. Abigail added that Clyde had been arrested earlier, but she didn't know if the arrest had anything to do with the murders. Abigail complained that being stuck in the apartment without answers was driving her crazy. Will encouraged Abigail to go down to the police station to check on Ben and offer her support. Abigail wanted to do that but couldn't because the cable guy was supposed to be doing some maintenance inside the apartment later, so Will offered to stick around and wait for the cable guy himself.

Abigail happily accepted the offer but headed to the DiMera mansion instead of the police station, intending to give Stefano a message to pass along to Chad. Abigail was surprised to find Chad in the study, since the mansion seemed like the worst possible place for him to hide from the police, but he showed her one of the secret passageways as a way of explaining why it was actually the safest place for him to stay.

Abigail told Chad about Clyde's earlier arrest, and when she realized that the information wasn't news to Chad, she wondered if he was responsible for it. Chad denied the suspicion and explained that the arrest wasn't even related to the murders but was instead connected to the drug ring in Salem. Chad advised Abigail to ask J.J. for more details, guessing he would know more about what was going on because of the recent rumors that had been spreading about him dealing drugs out of the Horton Center -- rumors Chad stressed that he didn't believe but suspected might have something to do with Clyde's arrest.

Abigail started to leave, but Chad stopped her. "Why don't you tell me the real reason why you're here tonight?" Chad asked. Abigail said she didn't think Clyde was responsible for the murders, and she didn't want Chad to railroad him just because he was Ben's father. Chad wondered if Abigail really believed that was the sort of thing he would do. When Abigail didn't respond, Chad added that the killer needed to be caught, regardless of who it turned out to be, and she agreed.

Changing the subject, Chad pointed out that Abigail and Ben had made plans to leave Salem, and he wondered why they hadn't done that yet. Abigail explained that she and Ben had changed their minds. "Can't say I'm surprised," Chad muttered. Laughing, Abigail wondered what that was supposed to mean. "It's just the two of us here, Abby. Why don't you tell me the real reason why you just can't seem to stay away from me?" Chad suggested. Abigail observed that it was pretty egotistical of Chad to believe that she couldn't stay away from him because he was just that irresistible, but he countered that she had done plenty of resisting.

Insisting that she wasn't going to tell Chad what he wanted to hear, Abigail started to leave again, noting that Ben was at the police station and needed her. "Well, maybe you should have stopped by there in the first place, then," Chad pointed out. Ignoring the comment, Abigail promised to make sure no one saw her exiting the property. "It might actually be easier if you used the hidden passageways to the underground tunnel. Sounds a bit gothic, [but] it's not that bad. Bunch of cobwebs, but... That way, you'll know where it is in case you -- you'll be coming to find me...again," Chad suggested, holding the secret entrance open so Abigail could pass through.

Later, Andre returned and informed Chad that Clyde's place had been searched -- and there hadn't been anything in it that could have tied him to the murders, the drugs, or any other kind of illegal activity. "Well, we know how that goes; doesn't mean he's innocent," Chad muttered. Chad added that Clyde was a lot of other things but wasn't sloppy. Andre agreed, noting that he and Stefano had been watching Clyde since Clyde's arrival in Salem.

"How long have you been here?" Chad asked incredulously, but Andre ignored the question. "As I was saying...Weston doesn't make many mistakes because he doesn't allow his emotions to get in the way of what he wants, and apparently, he's not foolish enough to leave evidence lying around in his house, where somebody else can find it!" Andre pointedly shouted at Chad.

When Ben entered the police station and saw J.J. talking to Roman, he demanded to know if J.J. was responsible for Clyde's arrest. J.J. said he had simply been trying to protect Abigail, and he asserted that Ben would have done the same thing if he had known the truth about Clyde. Ben insisted that J.J. needed to shut up because he had no idea what he was talking about, and J.J. challenged Ben to go ahead and try to make him shut up. Roman kept Ben and J.J. separated as they continued shouting at each other, with Ben accusing J.J. of just being jealous because he didn't have a father of his own anymore, and J.J. countering that, while his father had done some bad things, they didn't even begin to compare to the things Ben's father had done.

Meanwhile, Clyde's attorney arrived and asked to see Clyde. After warning Ben and J.J. to behave, Roman led the woman to the room where Clyde was being held. The woman was quite confident about being able to get Clyde released -- until she realized the severity of the charges. The woman promised to do what she could to fight the extradition order, but she didn't sound terribly optimistic. Clyde insisted that the woman needed to find a loophole and make the problem go away because he couldn't go back to Florida.

Roman soon escorted Clyde to a holding cell, passing Ben and J.J. on the way there. Clyde assured Ben that everything was going to be all right, promising that, even if he ended up being sent to Florida for a while, he would beat the charges and be back in Salem in time for Ben and Abigail's wedding. Staring directly at J.J., Clyde added that family mattered more than anything else. As Roman dragged Clyde away, they ran into Aiden, who mused that Salem wouldn't be the same without Clyde in it. Clyde predicted that he and Aiden hadn't seen the last of each other.

After Roman, Clyde, and Aiden left, Abigail arrived and wondered how Clyde was doing. Ben angrily told Abigail to ask J.J. then excused himself to get some air, insisting that Clyde was innocent. Confused, Abigail asked J.J. to tell her what was going on.

In Ben and Abigail's apartment, Will found one of his and Sonny's wedding photographs tucked inside the packet of research material. "We were really happy," Will muttered as he stared at the photograph. Retrieving his cell phone from his pants pocket, Will placed a call to Sonny and waited until it went to voicemail.

"Sonny, hey. Um... Um, it must be the middle of the night over there. I... I just wanted to hear your voice, and, um -- and I wanted to say to you that, um -- that I've been blaming just about everyone for what went wrong with us, but I'm finally able to admit to you, and to everyone else, that I'm the one who screwed up. And all of this talk that I've said about taking ownership of my mistakes -- I wasn't. And, um... I'm just finally able to accept that this is all my fault. I love you so much, Sonny. And even if I never get a chance to be back together with you, I have to make this right for you. Um... I love you. Good night -- um, good morning," Will said before ending the call and staring at the wedding photograph again.

Will tried to focus on writing his article but only ended up with a pile of crumpled sheets of paper to show for his efforts. Will started tossing the wads of paper across the room, one at a time, trying to get them in the trashcan near the bed. When Will went to collect the wads of paper so he could play his game again, he found the necktie Ben had hidden in the trashcan. As Will pulled the necktie out of the trashcan, Ben entered the apartment.

The killer claims another victim

Friday, October 9, 2015

by ChickenGrrl

As she waited in the park for Aiden, Hope got an obviously upsetting phone call from Roman. Aiden showed up just as Hope was finishing the call, but when he tried to hug her, she stiff-armed him. "Why have you been lying to me?" Hope demanded. Aiden owned up to helping get Clyde extradited to Florida and explained that he'd kept the truth from Hope because Clyde had threatened her and the kids. An incredulous Hope quickly deduced that Clyde had been the one who'd mugged Aiden in the hotel room.

Aiden insisted that as soon as Clyde had been arrested, Aiden had seen an opportunity to put Clyde away for good. Hope was furious that Aiden had deliberately kept her from investigating Clyde. Aiden acknowledged that it was a lot for Hope to accept after "the money thing" -- but he hoped they were still okay. Hope admitted that she wasn't sure because she was still trying to process everything. Aiden reassured Hope that he loved her very much, and he deeply regretted hurting her. He leaned in to kiss her, and she reluctantly kissed him back.

Later, Aiden was alone in the park when a man approached him. After making sure the man had already cased the DiMera mansion, Aiden gave him a key to the side door of the house on a fob that would disarm the security system. The guy complained that breaking into the DiMera mansion wouldn't be easy. "Well, something tells me that the huge payday I promised you will give you the courage to pull it off," Aiden retorted.

Aiden ordered the man to get inside the house and figure out where Chad DiMera was. He warned the man that the mansion had numerous secret passageways, and the guy wondered if the job would be worth it. "When I turn him in, it's a hundred grand. You get ten percent of that right off the top," Aiden said. The man proposed that, since he was doing all the work, he should turn Chad in himself and take all the money. "If that happens, you will not live long enough to spend one dime of that money," Aiden warned.

On the phone in the park outside Horton Square, Rafe ordered someone to stop the surveillance at the fishing shack. As Rafe hung up, Justin arrived. Instead of reading Rafe the riot act for letting Chad get away, Justin accepted responsibility, explaining that he'd obviously tipped his hand to Stefano about the fishing lure. "I wasn't going to say anything, but, yeah, it was an amateur mistake -- which isn't surprising, because that's exactly what you are. Yet you still want to tell me how to do my job," Rafe noted.

Rafe understood that Justin wanted a win because it was his first big case as D.A., but Rafe pointed out that they wouldn't be making the streets any safer if they arrested the wrong guy. Justin didn't understand why Chad had run if he weren't guilty. Rafe guessed that Chad didn't think he could prove his innocence and was afraid of being railroaded. Rafe added, "Chad might very well be guilty, but I just want to put a case on your desk that's a slam-dunk."

Justin admitted that he'd gone to Abe and offered his resignation because of the screw-up, but Abe had refused to accept it. Justin added that despite starting the job with somewhat selfish goals, he and Rafe both wanted an airtight case. "We got off on the wrong foot. That's my fault. How 'bout we start over?" Justin proposed, extending his hand, which Rafe shook. Justin left.

Lucas found Adrienne in Horton Square, holding an envelope from Salem University Hospital. When he saw the letter, he guessed that it was the results of her breast cancer gene test. Adrienne admitted that she hadn't been able to summon the courage to look at it. Lucas confessed that he'd done a little research, and he'd learned that having the gene didn't mean that Adrienne would get cancer, and if she did, she would have a lot of options.

"It's okay to be scared. I don't think you should open that envelope until you're good and ready," Lucas said. Adrienne admitted that just talking to Lucas had helped her feel ready. Hands trembling, Adrienne slid a finger under the flap of the envelope while Lucas edged closer to her in support. Adrienne had just gotten the letter out when Justin showed up, so she surreptitiously stuck the envelope in her purse.

Justin said he hoped he wasn't interrupting anything. Lucas claimed he'd just been asking Adrienne about Sonny. Lucas left, promising to give Arianna a hug from Adrienne. Justin asked Adrienne for a chance to make things up to her, since their first date hadn't gone well. She accepted, and they headed to Club TBD together.

Over drinks, Justin apologized to Adrienne for being so busy with work that he hadn't been able to keep up with what was going on in her life. She assured him that she understood, although it reminded her of when he'd first gone to work for Victor. "You became a stranger to me overnight," Adrienne said. She added that they'd both made a lot of choices since then that had taken them in many different directions. Justin acknowledged that they'd made lots of mistakes.

Adrienne clarified, "I didn't say mistakes. They were more like statements -- who we are, and who we want to be." Adrienne surprised Justin by saying, "I really thought we could make this work." She explained that she knew, once they were finished with the small talk, they would have to move on to subjects that were more painful -- and she didn't think she could bear to have her heart broken again. Confused, Justin reminded Adrienne that they'd just started trying to work on things again, and it had been her idea.

Taking Justin's hand, Adrienne requested, "I want you to look me in the eye. I want you to tell me that there's not some part of you that just wants to be free...to do what you want with whoever you want." A reluctant Justin admitted tearfully, "Sometimes... I mean, I don't really like that about myself. Maybe you feel the same way." Adrienne concluded, "I guess that's it, then."

At the police station, J.J. warned Abigail that her future father-in-law was a drug lord who was being extradited to Florida to face murder charges. Abigail didn't understand why J.J. was involved. J.J. explained that the DEA had recruited him to work undercover, and he'd agreed, at first to help Paige, who'd gotten involved with one of Clyde's dealers, but then Clyde had threatened Paige, Jennifer, and Abigail. "That's why I had to see this through. Ben's dad is a psychopath, Abs," J.J. warned.

Gabi stopped by the station to see Rafe, but Lani informed her that Rafe was out in the field. The women introduced themselves then Lani got back to work. Gabi spotted Abigail, and the women greeted one another with a quick embrace. As Abigail headed out to check on Ben, she made J.J. promise to tell her the whole story later and urged him to be careful. After Abigail had gone, Gabi asked J.J. what his sister had been referring to.

In the hallway, Abigail sent Ben a worried text message, asking where he was.

J.J. filled Gabi in about how his undercover work had led to Clyde's arrest. Gabi realized that she could have ruined J.J.'s operation when she'd run into him on the docks. J.J. admitted that he believed Clyde had killed Paige because she'd known too much, although J.J. couldn't be sure the real killer wasn't still out there. "I owe it to Paige to bring down the guy who killed her," J.J. declared.

Later, as J.J. and Gabi strolled through Horton Square, she suggested they stop for some frozen yogurt. J.J. admitted that Paige had worked at the yogurt shop. Gabi felt terrible, but J.J. pointed out that she couldn't have known. The two sat on the bench next to the Horton plaque, and Gabi confided in J.J. about how hard it had been to watch Arianna growing up while Gabi had been in prison.

Gabi admitted that when she'd first gotten pregnant, she'd thought it had been "the worst thing ever," but having Arianna had been the best thing that had ever happened to Gabi. "J.J., what I'm trying to say is that things get better, even the worst stuff," Gabi said. She left to stop by the apartment before picking up Arianna from the sitter.

Lucas headed to the park outside the square and called Will to ask him about a concert they could take Arianna to. Abigail arrived just as Lucas was hanging up and told him that Will had stopped by her apartment earlier. When Lucas heard why Will had been there, he guessed that Will had been procrastinating because he had a deadline. Abigail didn't think Will would still be at her place if Ben had gone home, since Ben probably wouldn't have been in the mood for company.

Justin was alone at the bar later when Lucas went to Club TBD. "Yeah, I'm here alone. No need to gloat," Justin said, gulping his drink and tossing money on the bar. Lucas insisted he hadn't planed to do that. With his finger in Lucas' face, Justin warned him firmly, "All I've got to tell you is: don't hurt her."

Adrienne crept into the dark Kiriakis living room. Without turning on the lights, she sat at the desk and opened her test results.

Rafe and Hope were both back at the police station when Lani handed Rafe a report. "No wonder our trail has gone cold. Looks like our man Chad is on the run," Rafe remarked, showing Hope the file. After checking it out, Rafe determined that a shell company owned by DiMera Enterprises had chartered a jet to Rio. Hope noted that, if Chad had been on the plane, he could disappear forever.

Lani asked Rafe, "It's kind of hard not to see this as an admission of guilt, isn't it? Are you finally convinced that he's our killer?" Rafe admitted that his gut was still telling him that Chad wasn't guilty -- plus Chad might not have been on the plane at all. "It would be a classic diversion tactic," Rafe pointed out, adding that the killer could still be in Salem -- and they needed to find him before he killed again.

Ben entered his apartment and found Will holding a red necktie, which Ben had thrown in the trash earlier. J.J. explained that he had stayed behind to wait for the cable guy after taking some wedding information to Abigail. Ben asked, "You going through my trash? ... I see you found my tie." Claiming he'd accidentally knocked over the wastebasket, Will asked why Ben had thrown out the tie. Chuckling, Ben joked, "I kept this around in case I ever decided to start acting like an adult." He added that he'd thrown it away because he'd decided the tie was ugly.

Ben offered the tie to Will, who declined. Will expressed his sympathy about Clyde's arrest, but Ben maintained that the whole thing had just been a big misunderstanding. Absentmindedly picking up the tie, Ben began wrapping it around his hands as he talked about how sick he was of people "talking trash" about his family, while real criminals like Chad went free.

When Will just shrugged at the notion of Chad's guilt, Ben pulled the necktie taut between his fists and demanded, "How much more proof do you people need? I mean, does another body have to turn up to finally have everybody convinced?" Glancing down at Ben's clenched fists, Will asked if Ben were all right. Ben relaxed his grip and casually flung the tie over his shoulder as he headed into the kitchen. Ben blamed J.J. for Clyde's arrest, adding, "I just know that my dad's innocent, Chad's guilty, and Abigail's believing all the wrong people."

Ben's phone vibrated just then, but he ignored it to complain about how screwed-up everything in his life was. Will said he wished he could help. When Ben's phone buzzed again, he reached into his pocket but didn't answer it. Ben apologized for taking his frustration out on Will. Citing his deadline, Will started to head out but offered to listen if Ben wanted to go somewhere and talk. While Will was talking, Ben's phone vibrated yet again. Although Will was clearly nervous, he tried hard to maintain his composure.

When Ben's phone buzzed a fourth time, he yanked it out of his pocket and hurled it against the wall, growling, "Damn it, don't these people know that I'm busy?" In the brief instant that Ben's back was turned, Will tried to make a break for it, but Ben stopped him by slamming the door shut in front of Will. His hand on the door next to Will, Ben demanded quietly, "You think you're a lot smarter than I am?" Will insisted that he didn't, reminding Ben that he had asked Will to be his best man. Will repeated the offer to go somewhere to listen to whatever was bothering Ben.

"Don't patronize me! You're clueless, Will. You and everybody else," Ben declared. Will panicked and tried to flee, but Ben stopped him and flung him against the refrigerator so hard the door swung open. A furious Ben sat astride Will, pinning him against the floor. Although Will pleaded and fought back as hard as he could, Ben strangled him with the necktie until the light went out of Will's eyes. Ben rolled off of Will and lay on the kitchen floor next to him for a long time, sobbing and pounding the kitchen table.

A little later, Ben sat up and closed Will's eyes. He retrieved a large laundry-type bag and put Will's body in it, followed by the envelope full of wedding research. Ben paused for a moment when he found the wedding-day photo of Will and Sonny in their tuxedos then he tied the bag shut. Soon, Ben was dragging Will's body into Will and Gabi's apartment. After planting Will on the far side of the couch from the front door, Ben wrapped the tie loosely around Will's neck, leaving one end draped across Will's chest.

Ben knocked chairs over and swept things onto the floor to make it appear as if there had been a struggle. He then went outside, closed the door, and rammed it open with his shoulder to break the doorjamb. He had just re-entered the apartment when Abigail called him from their apartment to ask where he was. Out of breath and perspiring, Ben explained that he hadn't returned any of Abigail's messages because his phone had been on silent. When Abigail asked where he'd gone after leaving the police station, Ben said he'd gone back to the apartment for a while.

Abigail asked if Ben had seen Will. "No, I guess we just missed each other," Ben lied, adding that he'd gone out for a run and would be home soon. After hanging up, Ben pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and left.

Ben paused outside the door of his apartment to compose himself before going in. When he entered, he found the lights dimmed and Abigail lighting candles all around the place. Abigail exclaimed, "You're not supposed to be here yet! I wanted everything to be perfect when you came home." Ben assured her, "Things are already perfect, as long as you're here." Kissing Abigail and holding her close, Ben said, "Sometimes, I can't imagine what it was ever like to live without you. I know I never want to find out again."

When Gabi arrived at home, alarm registered on her face when she found the doorjamb broken and the door ajar. She opened the door slowly and turned on the lights -- and saw Will's legs sticking out from behind the couch. Gabi screamed.