At the Brady Pub, Will, Gabi, Kinsey, and T celebrated their graduation. Chad congratulated the graduates, and he told Will that Kate was sorry that she wasn't going to be able to make it to the party. Chad explained that Kate and Stefano were at the hospital with E.J.

Sami and Rafe quietly discussed their plans for revenge against the DiMeras. Sami admitted that the DiMeras were probably going to manage to get away with what they had done to Rafe. Sami was determined to punish E.J. in a different way. "I'm gonna make sure that every single person in this town knows what he is capable of, and he is never able to con another woman into his poisonous web, which means...he's never gonna find love. E.J. DiMera's going to be all alone, for the rest of his miserable life," Sami vowed.

Later, Chad greeted Sami and Rafe, and he noted that Will and Gabi had said that Rafe was acting like his old self again. Sami tried to downplay the changes in Rafe's behavior. Rafe wondered if the police had figured out who had attacked E.J. Chad eyed Rafe, and he said that he had a pretty good idea about who was responsible for the assault. "You see, my family has a lot of enemies, and I'm sure any one of them would happily like to see my brother -- and father, for that matter -- out of the picture completely, permanently. Talk about stating the obvious, right?" Chad dryly stated.

At the pier, Jennifer started to have second thoughts about sneaking into Carly's hotel room. As Jennifer muttered that she was making a huge mistake, Abigail stepped onto the pier, and she wondered what Jennifer was talking about. Jennifer reluctantly admitted that she was worried about Carly. Jennifer wondered if Abigail had noticed anything suspicious about Carly's recent behavior.

Abigail told Jennifer that she had seen Carly getting a prescription filled for Katerina Von Leuschner. Abigail said that Carly had claimed that she needed the medication because she was ill. Abigail added that Carly had begged her not to say anything to Jennifer about the illness. Jennifer told Abigail about Carly's odd behavior, and she added that she had found powder residue in Carly's hotel room earlier. Jennifer explained that she had taken Carly's key card, and she added that she had been planning to return to Carly's room to obtain a sample of the residue.

Jennifer admitted that she had been doubting her instincts, but she added that Abigail had confirmed her suspicions about Carly. Jennifer said that she was certain that Carly was in a lot of trouble. Abigail offered to help Jennifer, but Jennifer insisted that she didn't want Abigail to get involved. Jennifer reminded Abigail that she was supposed to be at the graduation party, and Abigail reluctantly agreed to let Jennifer handle the situation.

At the hospital, Daniel tried to convince Carly to distance herself from E.J.'s assault, because he didn't want her to have to deal with the extra stress. Daniel started to say something about Carly's desire to protect Melanie, but Carly interrupted him. "'Protect Melanie' -- wow, you know, you make it seem like it just occurred to you that I might actually care about my daughter's safety, and her well-being. I have been trying to protect Melanie my entire life; that's why I gave her up at birth, so I could protect her, keep her from Lawrence," Carly snapped. Daniel assured Carly that he understood.

"I don't think you do; otherwise, you wouldn't suggest that I turn my back on her to save my own ass!" Carly shouted. Carly admitted that she had made some terrible mistakes; she said that she should not have handed Melanie over to a monster like Trent, and she added that she should not have lied to Daniel about Melanie's existence. Carly said that she would always regret those decisions. Daniel assured Carly that he and Melanie had already forgiven her for those things.

"If helping Melanie cover this up -- if this is your way of atoning...Carly, our relationship as a family cannot be about regret, or remorse over the past; it's gotta be about moving forward. It's about both of us, just being there for our daughter, fighting like hell to keep her safe," Daniel said. Carly apologized for her behavior, and she admitted that she had been dealing with a lot of stress. Meanwhile, in Carly's hotel room, Jennifer collected a sample of the powder residue.

Carly changed the subject, and she suggested that Daniel should have been focusing on Jennifer. Daniel tried to object, but Carly assured him that she could handle E.J. on her own. "You know, sometimes I think...you don't really know how I feel about you, do you? I look at you and me as a team; we've got each other's backs, right? And I have tremendous admiration and respect for you -- your work ethic, and more importantly, how fiercely you fight for the well-being of those you love -- especially our daughter. It's amazing, and we are connected through Melanie; we always will be, and I am so grateful to know that," Daniel said, as Jennifer entered the hospital.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Bo warned Brady to keep his mouth shut about the fact that he had attacked E.J. Brady insisted that he wasn't afraid of the DiMeras, but Victor reminded him that it would be foolish to underestimate Stefano. Victor assured Bo that he would not let Brady confess. Victor wondered what Bo was going to do about Nicole. Brady was certain that Nicole would keep his secret, but Victor wasn't convinced.

Bo suggested that Nicole might be able to help them build their case against E.J. Before Bo could explain, he received a phone call, and he abruptly excused himself. After Bo left, Brady impatiently offered to go to the hospital to finish E.J. off. Victor warned Brady to listen to Bo's advice, and he pointed out that Melanie had implicated herself in order to protect Brady. "For God's sake, Brady, think about somebody else for a change! Or are you so hell-bent on avenging Arianna's death, that you're willing to sell Melanie down the river, after what she's sacrificed for you? What kind of a friend are you?" Victor asked.

Brady insisted that he wasn't going to let Melanie or Bo put themselves in danger to protect him. "Brady, there is something you have got to understand -- you are not alone in this world. You have family, you have friends...who care about you, who want to protect you," Victor said. Brady nodded impatiently, as Victor continued. "All you know is that you know all the answers; 'act now, and to hell with the consequences,' that's your mantra, isn't it? Well, you can't do this anymore -- you can't do it to me, you can't do it to Bo and Hope, and you sure as hell can't do it to Melanie," Victor firmly stated, as Brady stormed off.

At the police station, Nicole realized that Taylor believed that Rafe had attacked E.J. Nicole tried to convince Taylor that E.J. was not an innocent victim. "You're so in love with this guy that you can't even see straight, but he's a bigger son of a bitch than anyone even imagined," Nicole said. Before Taylor could respond, Hope entered the room, and she quickly separated Nicole and Taylor. After Taylor left, Nicole told Hope that Rafe was not the person who had attacked E.J., and she wondered how Bo and Hope were going to handle the situation.

Later, Hope told Bo about Taylor's suspicions; they agreed that they needed to release Taylor. Bo went to talk to Nicole, and he said that he wanted to have an honest conversation with her. Nicole dryly stated that honesty was something that she had always tried to achieve. "For once, you and I want the same thing -- to put E.J. behind bars. You're the key; all I need is rock solid evidence that the DiMeras are responsible for your mother's murder," Bo said. Nicole agreed that it was time for her to tell Bo everything.

Nicole and Bo met with Nicole's attorney, James Rosen. James was carrying a safety deposit box, and Bo wondered what was inside the box. "Proof -- against E.J. and Stefano. You want the truth? There it is. The DiMeras kidnapped Rafe after his accident, and locked him in their basement so they could control his mind," Nicole announced. Nicole explained that she had obtained DNA evidence that proved that she was telling the truth, but when Bo opened the safety deposit box, Nicole discovered that the DNA evidence had been replaced with a fake copy of her will.

Meanwhile, Taylor confronted Hope; Taylor demanded to know why Rafe had not been arrested for Fay's murder. Hope claimed that they didn't have enough evidence to arrest Rafe. Hope pointed out that Rafe had been drunk when he had made his confession. Hope begged Taylor to trust her, but Taylor refused to do so.

Later, Bo and Hope wondered how E.J. and Stefano had managed to get their hands on the DNA evidence. Hope cryptically suggested that they were going to need to move forward with their plan. Bo agreed, and he quickly placed a call to someone.

Back at the Brady Pub, Will and Gabi opened their graduation gifts. Rafe pulled Sami aside, and he told her that Bo had called; Sami and Rafe abruptly excused themselves from the party. After Sami and Rafe left, T told Will that they should move into their own place together. Will was hesitant, and T was confused by Will's reaction to his offer. T wondered if Will had another friend that he wanted to live with. Will chuckled nervously, but he quickly regained his composure. Will agreed that T's suggestion might work, and he said that they could discuss the matter later.

Will went to talk to Gabi, and he said that he had already started to miss high school. Will said that he didn't like change, and he noted that college was going to be a lot different than high school. Gabi assured Will that he would be able to handle college, because he was the smartest, most responsible person that she knew. Will jokingly stated that Gabi obviously didn't know many people. "I'm serious, though...you know, I don't know if I'm ready to face this new life, and everything that comes with it," Will admitted.

Abigail entered the pub, and she apologized to Chad for being late. Chad wondered if everything was all right. Abigail confirmed that something was wrong; she jokingly assured Chad that the DiMeras were not involved. Abigail changed the subject, and she suggested that they should make the pub a problem-free zone. "Okay, so you mean...be, like, in total denial about anything that's not great and wonderful? I just happen to be the total denial expert," Chad said, as he kissed Abigail.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Melanie assured Detective McCarthy that Dario had not been involved in E.J.'s assault. Melanie claimed that she and Dario had spent the night together. Detective McCarthy wondered if Adrienne believed Melanie's story. Adrienne said that she believed that Melanie was telling the truth. Later, Detective McCarthy received a phone call from Bo, and she informed Dario that he was no longer a suspect in E.J.'s case.

After Detective McCarthy left, Adrienne gave Melanie the scarf that she had found in Dario's pocket earlier. Melanie assured Adrienne that they had not done anything wrong. Adrienne wondered why they were acting like they were hiding something. Melanie respectfully suggested that Adrienne would be safer if she didn't ask any questions about the events of that night. Adrienne warned Dario and Melanie to be extremely cautious.

Later, Dario noted that Melanie had risked her reputation by claiming that she and Dario had spent the night together. Melanie shrugged and said that sacrifices needed to be made. Dario realized that he had probably missed Gabi's graduation ceremony due to Detective McCarthy's interrogation. "Well...I should probably thank you," Melanie said, as she leaned in to kiss Dario. As Dario and Melanie continued to kiss passionately, Brady walked into the bar.

Back at the police station, Detective McCarthy told Taylor that she was free to go. After Taylor left, Nicole wondered when she would be allowed to leave. Detective McCarthy informed Nicole that she was going to be staying at the police station indefinitely.

At Sami and Rafe's apartment, Bo and Hope told Sami and Rafe about the latest developments in the case against the DiMeras. Hope explained that she and Bo had devised a plan to prove that E.J. and Stefano had kidnapped Rafe. "We just go ahead and let E.J. think that you tried to kill him," Bo explained.

Bo started to tell Rafe about the plan. "Look, man, I know you know this, but it's just got to be said...if you go through with this, the DiMeras will literally be gunning for you, and I'm sure you understand that they won't stop until you're dead," Bo warned Rafe.

When Vivian ran into Quinn at the Sapphire Club, she reminded her son that he'd told her he'd gone to Salem in order to find out more about her. She offered to allow him to do just that, but Quinn pointed out that he'd only said that he wanted to prove his value to her. Vivian invited him to join her at Chez Rouge for dinner later, and left before he could refuse.

After Vivian had gone, Rob joined Quinn. He wanted to look at photos of Quinn's girls again, because "Lola" had failed to satisfy him. Quinn was taken aback, especially when Rob grumbled about how he'd paid for the whole night, but Lola had two-timed him with another guy.

At the loft, Sami lashed out at Bo and Hope for suggesting that they use Rafe as bait by allowing the DiMeras to think he had attacked E.J. Bo pointed out that they had no other options, and Sami understood, but she didn't want Rafe to get killed. Bo and Hope warned Sami that people were starting to notice that Rafe seemed more like his old self, and it wouldn't be long before the DiMeras caught on that he wasn't the imposter.

The Bradys asserted that they had to provoke the DiMeras into going after Rafe, and all he had to do was lie low and wait. Rafe reminded an unconvinced Sami that he was trained for just that sort of thing. At last Sami reluctantly announced that she would go along with the plan.

On the pier, Taylor gazed forlornly at a picture of her mother. "Oh, Mom, how I miss you... Especially now," Taylor confided to the image.

In a waiting area at the hospital, Stefano was on the phone, trying to find out what Marco had learned from his mole at the police department about the attack on E.J. When Stefano was finished, he went in to see his son. E.J. divulged that the police had arrested Taylor -- but before that, E.J. had learned from her that the Rafe imposter had murdered Fay. E.J. asserted that since the imposter was their creation, they were responsible for Fay's death -- and Taylor deserved to know the truth.

A furious Stefano forbade E.J. to say anything to Taylor. E.J. believed that Taylor would forgive him. Stefano demanded to know how he could be sure that the imposter had killed Fay, and E.J. replied that faux Rafe had confessed. Stefano was just relieved that E.J. finally understood why the impersonator had to be eliminated, but he urged his son not to do anything about it right away. Taylor entered E.J.'s room then, and E.J. asked for some privacy, so Stefano left.

E.J. jokingly praised Taylor for getting arrested for assaulting Hope. Taylor admitted that she had told the cops her theory that Rafe Hernandez was the one who had attacked E.J. Outside, an eavesdropping Stefano scowled and shook his head. E.J. tried to soothe Taylor as she became upset wondering why the "homicidal maniac" Rafe would have wanted to kill both her mother and E.J. E.J. expressed his guilt and remorse that Rafe had killed Taylor's mother in the DiMera mansion. Taylor wanted to know why Rafe had been at the mansion in the first place, but E.J. couldn't answer that.

Vivian tracked Stefano down at the hospital because she'd heard about E.J.'s attack. Annoyed, Stefano growled that she should have sent flowers, and ordered her to get out of his sight. Vivian was offended, but Stefano ignored her.

Once he could get away from Vivian, Stefano called Rafe. "Since you refuse to get out of town, I have another assignment for you," Stefano declared. Pretending to be "the creature," Rafe only wanted to know if the job paid well. Stefano instructed Rafe to meet him at the pier that evening, and then hung up. Pleased, Rafe told Hope, Bo, and Sami, "Looks like Stefano's taken the bait already."

Taylor informed E.J. that the police had also arrested Nicole. Trying to hide his worry, E.J. asked Taylor to get a cup of tea for him. As soon as Taylor had gone, Stefano returned. E.J. was worried about what Rafe might say to the police, but Stefano promised to get to Rafe before the police did. "We created this monster; we will destroy this monster," Stefano vowed.

When Taylor returned with E.J.'s tea, Stefano left. E.J. then informed Taylor that Nicole had agreed to give him a divorce, but Taylor didn't respond happily, as E.J. had expected. He pointed out that there were no more obstacles to their being together. Taylor managed a smile, but noted that she had spent her entire life wishing that she and Nicole could have a good relationship.

E.J. assured Taylor that he understood why she felt guilty, because he'd had the same kinds of feelings about Tony, but E.J. had finally realized that it was okay for him to be happy even if Tony wasn't. "We cannot live our lives feeling guilty that other people are not as blessed as we are. If we do that, we would allow ourselves no joy at all," E.J. asserted. Taylor kissed him.

Justin and Adrienne were having dinner with their son, Sonny, at Chez Rouge. After a champagne toast to Sonny's return, he produced gifts from his world travels for each of his parents to celebrate their remarriage. Adrienne's gift was a rock set in gold from the summit of K2, and Justin's was an antique watch that Sonny had gotten from a Sherpa in Tibet. Justin and Adrienne were both touched.

When Justin saw Chloe enter, he excused himself to talk to her. Justin thanked Chloe for meeting him, and then divulged, "I have a surprise for you." Chloe was surprised and elated to see the social worker enter with baby Parker. Beaming, Chloe thanked Justin for arranging the visit. Justin asked if Chloe would like to meet Sonny, and she was more than happy to.

As Justin, Chloe, and Parker reached the table, Adrienne exclaimed how gorgeous Parker was. Adrienne then bragged that Sonny was one of the youngest men to ever climb K2. Sonny was much more impressed with Parker, and stroked the boy's head affectionately. "He's really lucky to have a mom as caring and as beautiful as you," Sonny asserted. Chloe thanked him, and then expressed her appreciation for everything Justin and Adrienne had done to help arrange visits with Parker.

Chloe then left so the Kiriakises could get back to their dinner, and was startled to see Quinn enter the restaurant. Quinn joined Chloe at her table, and pretended to fawn over Parker. Chloe tried to encourage Quinn to leave, but he reminded her that she worked for him. Justin noticed the tension on Chloe's face and walked over to check on her. Chloe assured him that everything was fine.

Once Justin had gone again, Quinn filled Chloe in about his meeting with Rob. Indicating Justin, Quinn stated that Rob had claimed Chloe was "freelancing" with another man. Chloe defensively replied that Justin was her agent, but Quinn firmly reminded her that she had only one job -- working for him.

Sonny happily reported to his parents that he'd seen his Grandma Jo and Vern earlier, and Justin was sorry that Sonny hadn't gotten to see his great uncle Victor yet. Sonny noted, "I didn't inherit my father's ability to be my own man and suck up to Uncle Victor at the same time."

Vivian entered Chez Rouge through a side door, and watched as Chloe returned Parker to the social worker. The social worker asserted that the visit had gone well, and Chloe was one step closer to getting partial custody of her son.

Vivian then joined Quinn, who asked about Justin. Vivian clarified that Justin was a lawyer, but not a very good one. She added, "I just saw Chloe Lane make a very grand exit. Washed-up songbird who can't even afford to take care of her own chick -- pathetic, isn't it?" Quinn asserted that Chloe's problems might ease up a bit if she were more successful in her new line of work.

At the Cheatin' Heart, an annoyed Brady watched Dario and Melanie kissing until he couldn't take it anymore and interrupted. "Glad to see you guys are getting along," Brady remarked sarcastically. Dario retorted that he and Melanie had "alibied" each other for the night Brady had beaten E.J. by telling the cops they had spent the night together. Brady was worried about Melanie's reputation if people believed that she'd spent the night with a "lowlife" like Dario.

Dario pointed out that they had only been covering for Brady, who had done far worse by leaving Melanie to clean up his mess than she had by lying about sleeping with Dario. "You wanted to beat this guy up for killing my sister? You should have told me; I would have been the first one on your side, you idiot," Dario snarled, adding that Brady wasn't worth risking his -- or Melanie's -- neck for any longer.

Before Dario and Brady could start throwing punches, Bo arrived to inform them and Melanie that Rafe was going to take the fall for beating up E.J. "There is no way in hell!" Dario retorted. After Bo and Dario had both gone, Melanie suggested that Brady could let what Dario had done be restitution for Brady's paying off Dario's gambling debt. To Melanie's dismay, Brady was still determined to make sure that E.J. paid for everything he'd done.

After Bo and Hope had left the loft, Sami had a hard time keeping a lid on her anger and fear about what might happen to Rafe. He reassured her that he would be fine. As Sami and Rafe were kissing, Dario pounded on the front door. Dario lit into Rafe for what he was about to do, and told Rafe to go to hell. Sami left the room to check on the kids so Rafe and Dario could have some privacy.

Rafe asserted that Dario was only angry because he cared -- as did Rafe. Rafe pointed out that although he had never been able to find out who'd killed Arianna, Dario had done so. "I can't lose anyone else," Dario stammered, taken aback by his brother's praise. Promising that Dario wasn't going to lose him, Rafe embraced his brother.

After Dario had gone, Rafe and Sami decided to make the most of their night together before they put the plan in motion. They kissed, and began to undress each other.

When Jennifer arrived at the hospital, Daniel and Carly were surprised to see her. Jennifer covered that she had gone home, but realized she'd forgotten something in her office. Daniel greeted Jennifer with a hug. When Daniel was paged, Carly jumped in to respond to it before he could object. After Carly had gone, Jennifer remarked that she felt like she had interrupted something between Daniel and Carly.

Taking her into a waiting room, Daniel reassured Jennifer that she hadn't interrupted anything. She admitted that she was upset about something else, and showed Daniel the baggie of powder she'd retrieved from Carly's room. Jennifer wouldn't reveal where she'd gotten it except to assure him that it wasn't Abigail's. Daniel agreed to take it to the lab and have the contents analyzed.

Jennifer furtively returned the room key to Carly's purse, and then asked if Carly was up for a girls' night out. Carly liked the idea, but maintained that she might be too busy for a while. Jennifer emphasized that Carly was her oldest and dearest friend, and she didn't want anything or anyone to get in the way of their friendship. Carly concurred.

A bit later, Hope approached Daniel, Jennifer, and Carly. She told them that she knew about their involvement in covering for Brady, and cautioned them that another suspect was about to be revealed, and they would have to continue to keep quiet and not ask any questions -- for Brady's sake and Melanie's. All three of them assured Hope that she could count on their silence.

Bo and Hope met in the waiting room to update one another about their progress. Hope advised her husband that she had spoken to Maggie and Victor, who had promised to cooperate with the plan. Hope and Bo concurred that it was time for phase two.

Daniel returned to Jennifer with the plastic bag and the test results. "Prescription drugs, highly potent -- highly addictive," Daniel reported. As he walked away, a concerned Jennifer observed Carly fighting against her shaking hands to make notes in a patient's chart.

Stefano paced on the pier, scowling and grumbling to himself. "You bring me Rafael Hernandez, dead or alive -- preferably dead," he ordered one of his minions on the phone. "Lousy son of a bitch," Stefano muttered to himself after he slammed his phone shut.

On Kate's way to the Brady Pub, she spotted Marco on the pier. When Kate asked Marco what he was doing, Marco noted that he was waiting for a shipment. Curious but unwilling to learn more, Kate continued walking.

At the Brady Pub, Abigail and Chad were finishing up a meal when Abigail excused herself from the table in order to go to the ATM. When Abigail walked out of the pub, Kate sauntered inside and greeted Chad. "Your father really needs you," Kate told Chad. When Chad asked what Stefano needed, Kate explained that Stefano needed Chad to warn Marco to be careful when making deliveries to the DiMera house. Uncertain, Chad's loyalty won out and he agreed to find Marco on the pier and give him Stefano's message.

When Abigail returned to the pub, Kate informed Abigail that Chad had gone to the pier. Down on the pier, Chad hailed Marco and told him, "Be very careful you are not followed." Out of the corner of Chad's eye, he spotted Abigail, who fled from the pier. Chad chased after Abigail, but after losing her, he returned to the Brady Pub. Kate eagerly informed Chad that she had told Abigail where he was and did not think it was a problem, since Chad was only delivering a message.

Annoyed, Chad called Abigail's phone but it went straight to voicemail. Kate reminded Chad that Abigail was a Horton and that the Horton clan tended to see issues in black and white. Kate warned Chad that his family would get between him and Abigail. Shaking his head, Chad countered that he talked honestly with Abigail about his family and that his relationship was strong.

When Kate scoffed that Chad was being naïve, Chad smirked. "Is it naïve to trust that someone has enough integrity not to judge me by my name?" Chad asked, then added that he appreciated Kate's efforts to push him toward the DiMera family but that he would not let his growing closeness to the DiMeras cause him to give up on Abigail.

Desperate to find Abigail, Chad went back toward the pier and found Abigail down by the water. Chad begged Abigail to let him explain. When Abigail nodded, Chad noted that someone was attempting to split them up. Chad explained that he wanted to remain faithful to his family but that he would stop short of doing anything illegal. With a hurt look on her face, Abigail said that she did not think it was possible for her to continue her relationship with Chad.

At the loft, Bo and Hope met with Sami and gave her a bug to plant at the DiMera mansion. Bo explained that his informant had told him that something was "going down today."

At the hospital, Taylor was shocked to find E.J.'s hospital room empty. Lexie spotted Taylor and informed her that E.J. had checked out of the hospital against doctor's orders. When Lexie asked how Taylor was doing, Taylor announced that E.J. was leaving Nicole and that she was going to be with E.J. With a smirk, Taylor added that Stefano was not happy about E.J.'s relationship with Taylor. Lexie smiled and said that E.J. would get Stefano to come around to his way of thinking.

When Lexie asked what else Taylor could want, Taylor mentioned that she would like to lock up her mother's murderer. Taylor informed Lexie of the scene she had witnessed at the mansion with Rafe and Sami and then Taylor explained her theory that Rafe had beaten E.J. up. Lexie admitted that she had found Fay's injuries to be strange, but that she had not trusted her instincts because the injuries were not uncommon for a fall down a flight of stairs.

With a sigh, Taylor noted that she needed to determine the truth about her mother's murder before she could move forward with E.J. Lexie warned Taylor that there usually was no happily ever after with the DiMera family.

In the DiMera living room, Stefano was displeased to learn that E.J. had checked himself out of the hospital and returned home. Stefano told E.J. that faux Rafe had spun out of control and showed the morning newspaper to E.J. The headline in the paper charged that Rafe Hernandez was the main suspect in E.J.'s beating. "He needs to be eliminated before the police can find him," E.J. growled. Stefano assured his son that he had men out looking for faux Rafe.

When E.J. asked where Nicole was, Stefano explained that the police had arrested Nicole in connection with E.J.'s beating. Stefano noted that he did not believe that Nicole was involved in the attack on E.J. Stefano assured E.J. that he had destroyed Nicole's DNA evidence and replaced the paper with a will and that he had destroyed all evidence in the basement. Frustrated, E.J. yelled out that the imposter was ruining his life.

"Imposter? What are you talking about?" Sami asked as she entered the living room. Backtracking, E.J. explained that Rafe's behavior since the accident made it seem as if Rafe was an imposter and not the real man. Sami defended Rafe, noting that she believed that E.J. and Stefano had done something to provoke Rafe. Sami noted that Rafe had gotten better, but if he had beaten E.J., then E.J. must have backed Rafe into a corner. As Sami ranted aloud, she turned her back toward E.J. and slipped the bug into a flower arrangement.

"What are you doing?" E.J. asked suspiciously. Sami continued to rant in defense of Rafe and explained that she was coming to terms with her emotions. With a sigh, E.J. explained that he had no memory of the night of his beating and did not know if Rafe had been involved. Flustered, Sami left the mansion. Once Sami was gone, E.J. wondered "what that lunatic will do next." E.J. left to run an errand, and Stefano called his security team and asked them to follow E.J.

Marco returned to the pier with a bag of money. Muttering that he needed to double-check the amount before he delivered it to Stefano, Marco opened the bag as a disguised Hope sauntered on to the pier. Hope pretended to hit on Marco, but he was not buying it. As Marco politely asked Hope to walk away, Bo crept up behind him and knocked him out. When Marco fell to the ground, his bag of cash spilled out onto the pier. Bo snatched up the money and the bag, then put a letter into Marco's pocket.

Bo and Hope returned to the loft to meet up with Sami. Sami informed Bo and Hope that she had placed the bug in the flower arrangement. Bo turned on the feed to the bug and the three listened intently for signs of life. As the sounds of the DiMera mansion streamed on the computer, Bo, Hope, and Sami listened as Mary entered the DiMera living room and informed Stefano that she needed to clean.

At the DiMera mansion, Mary started to dust as Marco walked in the back door. When Marco announced there was a problem, Stefano asked Mary to leave. On her way to the doorway, Mary fluffed the flower arrangement causing the bug to drop out of the flowers and into the water in the vase, shorting out. Marco informed Stefano that he had been jumped on the pier and had found a letter in his pocket. Stefano took the letter and dismissed Marco.

The letter read, "I'm tired of your family thinking you call all the shots. I'm taking charge. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Your loving creation, Rafael." Angry, Stefano crumpled up the letter in his hand. Stefano called his security team and was dismayed to learn where E.J. had gone.

Back at the loft, Bo, Hope, and Sami realized what had happened to the bug. Sami was upset that she had been the one to place the bug in a position to be shorted out, but Bo assured Sami that his plan was still in motion. "The DiMeras won't know what hit them," Bo said.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie asked Victor why Rafe had been accused of attacking E.J. when Bo knew that Brady was the attacker. Victor shrugged and noted that since both Bo and Rafe were cops, they likely had concocted a plan. Maggie informed Victor of Melanie's worries about Brady and also that Melanie was concerned about the relationship between Maggie and Victor. With a raised eyebrow, Maggie noted that Melanie had urged Maggie and Victor to leave town together on a vacation.

Victor scoffed at the idea of running. Maggie admitted that she felt the same way, but added that Melanie knew them better than they did. Maggie said that she did not like that Victor ended their budding relationship without consulting her. With a grin, Maggie said that she wanted to leave Victor with something to think about. Maggie kissed Victor passionately, then walked out of the mansion.

At the park, E.J. met up with Taylor and apologized for not going to see her when he left the hospital. E.J. explained that he had needed to handle some business that morning. When E.J. noticed the sad look on Taylor's face, he asked Taylor what she had been thinking of before he walked over. Taylor admitted that she was thinking of her mother's murder and of E.J. E.J. assured Taylor that everything was going to be okay.

"What if I told you that I knew for a certainty exactly what the future had in store for both of us?" E.J. asked with a grin. With great effort from the pain of his injuries, E.J. slipped to one knee and pulled an engagement ring out of his pocket. "Our future is perfect if you would just agree to be my wife," E.J. asked hopefully.

Due to NBC Sports coverage of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, Days of our Lives did not air today. This programming change was anticipated, and there will be no lost episodes as a result of the preemption.

Regular programming will resume on Monday, July 4, and pick up where the Wednesday, June 29 episode concluded.

Due to NBC Sports coverage of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, Days of our Lives did not air today. This programming change was anticipated, and there will be no lost episodes as a result of the preemption.

Regular programming will resume on Monday, July 4, and pick up where the Wednesday, June 29 episode concluded.