Tripp learns the truth about Ava's death
Chad reminded a confused Abigail that she was in the hospital because she had pushed him out of the path of a speeding vehicle but hadn't had any time left afterward to get herself out of harm's way.
Chad also revealed that he had not only learned the truth about Abigail's marriage to Dario but had also learned why she had been willing to enter the Witness Protection Program with Dario. Chad was ashamed of the hurtful things he had said to Abigail before the accident, but she assured him that she understood why he had been upset with her at that time. "I forgive you...'cause that's, like, kind of our thing, right?" Abigail said with a chuckle.
"I need to tell you something..." Chad began, but before he could say anything else, Jennifer and J.J. entered the room with one of Abigail's doctors, who had just informed them that she was awake. Chad quickly excused himself so Jennifer and J.J. could have a few minutes alone with Abigail. The doctor also left after confirming that, pending the results of another round of tests, he was hopeful that Abigail would make a full recovery.
Chad ran into Gabi at the nurses' station and gave her an update on Abigail's condition. Gabi wanted to talk to Chad privately, so he followed her to a secluded section of the town square, where she revealed that she knew about the incriminating photographs -- and that she also knew just how far Abigail had been willing to go to protect him. "She obviously still loves you very much -- [and] you obviously [still] love her, too," Gabi concluded.
Chad was surprised to learn that Gabi had been present for some of the things he had said to Abigail earlier that night. "That's the point, Chad -- when you're with Abigail, you don't know I'm there," Gabi stressed. Chad tried to insist that wasn't true, but Gabi assured him that he didn't need to worry about sparing her feelings. "It's time for us to be honest with each other -- [and] with ourselves," Gabi continued, adding that she loved Chad and knew that, in his own way, he loved her, too -- just not as deeply as he loved Abigail. Unable to deny any of the things Gabi had said, Chad hesitantly walked away without saying another word to her.
Later, J.J. ran into Gabi while on his way back to the hospital with takeout for Abigail. Realizing that Gabi had been crying, J.J. wondered what was wrong. Gabi seized a hug from J.J. and explained that she had just let Chad go so he could get back together with Abigail. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Chad told Abigail, "I should have fought for you, [and] I'm sorry [I didn't]. The truth is, there hasn't been a moment since the day I fell in love with you that you have not been in my heart -- or that I haven't wished that I could just hold you in my arms. I know it sounds...simple, but I don't know how to say it any other way: I love you." Abigail happily returned the sentiment.
Elsewhere, Steve tried to convince Tripp to let Kayla go. "Not until she confesses to killing my mother!" Tripp insisted. Steve maintained that he had killed Ava, but Tripp refused to believe that. "You found me, and you -- you brought me here, and you made me really think that you cared about me -- that we're a family -- [but] real families don't lie to each other, [and] they don't keep dark secrets! You -- you let me work with Kayla [and] follow her around! What kind of father are you? Why should I ever trust you again?" Tripp tearfully spat, glaring at Steve in disgust.
"Okay, I did it!" Kayla blurted out, suddenly realizing just how badly Tripp needed to hear that Steve wasn't the person who had killed Ava. Steve tried to stop Kayla, but she forged ahead, telling Tripp, "I'm not proud of [what I did], but Ava did a lot of terrible things to my family, and I -- I felt threatened." Tripp wanted more than just Kayla's confession, so she assured him that if he let her go, she would head to the police station right away and turn herself in. Tripp suspected that Kayla might be trying to play some sort of trick on him, but she insisted that wasn't the case, adding, "Honestly, I'm tired of living with the guilt."
While Tripp was trying to decide what to do, Joey entered the on-call room in search of his parents, wanting to fill them in on what he had just learned during a phone conversation with Jade. Stunned to see that Tripp was holding a scalpel to Kayla's neck, Joey hurriedly informed his brother that Jade had lied about the true identity of Ava's killer. Despite his parents' frantic protests, Joey continued, "Tripp, it was me; I killed Ava." After sharing the whole story, Joey expressed deep remorse and stressed that he had hated keeping the truth from Tripp. "I know how angry you are, so if you have to kill someone, kill me," Joey added.
Horrified, Steve and Kayla tried to stop Joey from offering himself up as a sacrifice, but he ignored them and didn't put up a fight when Tripp shoved Kayla aside and began threatening him with the scalpel. "Is this who you are? Come on!" Steve began in an effort to reason with Tripp. Overwhelmed, Tripp demanded silence so he could think for a second.
Steve soon began talking again, stressing that finding Tripp had been one of the best days of his life -- and that every member of the Johnson family was happy to have Tripp as its newest addition. "We love you, Tripp. Is this really what you want to do? You want to kill your own brother? You want to destroy the only real family you've got?" Steve tearfully continued. Tripp gave Steve's words some thought then shoved Joey aside with a cry of frustration. After making sure that Joey was all right, Steve carefully approached Tripp, who accepted a hug and broke down in his father's arms.
At the police station, Paul informed Sonny that Victor had orchestrated Deimos' murder. Sonny expressed doubts and insisted that he wouldn't be able to believe such a thing unless Victor actually confessed. "You might not have to wait long; Brady's trying to get a confession out of him as we speak," Paul revealed. Sonny stressed that if Brady succeeded, the police were not to hear about Victor's confession before he did. Paul couldn't understand why Sonny would want to protect Victor in that case, but he reluctantly agreed to respect the demand.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor admitted that he had indeed hired Xander to kill Deimos; he added, however, that things hadn't gone according to plan. "I thought it was only fitting that Deimos should die at the hands of a family that he nearly destroyed," Victor began to explain. "[But] that idiot [Xander] never could take direction," Victor continued with a sigh, adding that he had called off the hit when Xander had tried to demand a job at Titan in exchange for his services. "[Then Xander] tried to escape, [but] my men grabbed him [and] kept him in the Salem Inn overnight, [and] the next day, they flew him back to Greece," Victor concluded.
Brady was skeptical, but Victor insisted that he would never let Sonny take the fall for a crime Xander had committed. "I suspect that Sonny's [actually] guilty," Victor admitted with a sigh. Brady refused to believe that Sonny, of all people, had killed Deimos, but Victor wasn't willing to take any chances. "I'm gonna find somebody to pin the murder on -- and you're going to help me," Victor told Brady.
Rafe stopped by Eli's room at the Martin house. Fresh out of the shower, Eli wanted to meet Rafe at the station, but Rafe refused to leave. Rafe demanded information about Dario's case. When Eli argued that he could not divulge FBI information, Rafe noted that the rest of his family could be in danger. Rafe said that he needed to be proactive. Eli reiterated that he could not disclose any information to Rafe. Rafe vowed to learn everything with or without Eli's help.
In the park, Hattie told Anjelica that she had given the doctor at the mental institution instructions to keep Marlena sedated. After complimenting Hattie's quick thinking, Anjelica asked her to help eliminate Adrienne and sub in Bonnie. Hattie asked for her phone back. Hesitantly, Anjelica handed the phone to Hattie. Hattie chuckled. With a smirk, Hattie noted there were a hundred messages from John on the phone. Anjelica cautioned Hattie to be careful around John Black.
At the police station, Eric and John asked Hope to open a missing person report on Marlena. After recounting the messy apartment and lack of contact, Hope asked about patients. John said there were no patient issues. As Hope started to open a case, John's phone rang with a call from Marlena's phone. Hattie pretended to be Marlena. Hattie promised to explain her disappearance. John left to meet Hattie in the park.
When Rafe arrived at the station, he and Hope talked in the interrogation room about his conversation with Eli. Rafe announced that he was headed to Mexico to investigate El Fideo and the drug cartel looking for Dario. Sighing, Hope begged Rafe not to go. Rafe said no one would keep him from Hope, and he promised to keep in touch while he was gone.
In the Kiriakis living room, Brady called Paul and arranged to meet later to discuss Sonny. Once off the phone, Brady asked Nicole about her interactions with Victor. Nicole told Brady the harsh things that Victor had said to her. When Nicole said that Victor had ranted that she would betray Brady with another man in time, Brady disagreed. Nicole assured Brady that she would never hurt him again. A quizzical look crossed Brady's face.
Maggie walked in, and Nicole asked about Holly. With a giant grin, Maggie said Holly was doing well. Nicole asked about pictures, but Maggie said the camera on her phone was not working. Maggie added that the foster mother had not been able to use her phone for pictures because she had been in a hurry to take Holly to Horton Square. With a nod, Nicole said she needed to leave for work. Brady noted that it was too early for Nicole to leave, but she explained that her schedule had changed. Brady asked Nicole to say hello to Eric for him.
After Nicole left, Maggie asked Brady what was wrong. When Brady denied there was anything wrong, Maggie pressed by stating that Brady's face said otherwise. Maggie urged Brady to remember that Nicole needed to do her community service. With a faraway look on his face, Brady said that the community service was the perfect excuse for Nicole and Eric to be able to spend hours together every day. Maggie urged Brady to raise his concerns with Nicole and Eric directly.
Narrowing his eyes, Brady told Maggie that he had overheard her promise Nicole not to tell him about "what happened" between Nicole and Eric. Brady demanded Maggie tell him what she knew. Maggie advised Brady to talk to Nicole or Eric. Scoffing, Brady said, "Like I could trust either one of them." Maggie told Brady not to jump to the worst-case scenario. Snarling, Brady told Maggie that Nicole had sneaked out to see Eric, and he had followed her. Brady said he had overheard Eric and Nicole talking about "their secret." When Brady noted that Nicole had lied about the visit, Maggie advised Brady not to jump to conclusions.
"She and my brother slept together," Brady growled. Frustrated, Maggie told Brady that he sounded delusional. Maggie advised Brady to go to an A.A. meeting. Brady angrily declined. Brady said what he needed was for Nicole to stop cheating on him with his brother. While Brady stewed in the living room, Maggie stepped into the foyer and called Nicole's voicemail and left a message. Maggie said that she had kept Nicole's confidence, but she urged Nicole to talk to Brady. In the living room, Brady ranted to himself about Nicole. Brady stared at the liquor. Pouring a glass of whiskey, Brady chuckled. Brady whispered to the glass, "Who do you love?"
In the town square, Nicole lurked at the edges of the square, looking for Holly. Nicole spotted Holly and the foster mother at the café. Nicole chastised herself not to get too close, but she could not help herself from taking a picture with her phone. When the foster mother got up to feed the parking meter, she left behind a teenage girl to watch Holly. Holly started to cry. Nicole walked over, and the nervous teen asked Nicole if she could help. Nicole lifted Holly into her arms, and the baby stopped crying.
"Mommy's here," Nicole whispered. Nicole sang to Holly, and she settled down. As the teen opened her arms to take back Holly, Nicole suggested she hold on to Holly a little longer to make sure Holly was calmed. The teen nodded yes. When the foster mother returned, the teen explained what had happened. Nicole gently placed Holly back in the stroller. Cocking her head, the mother asked if she knew Nicole.
"Penny!" Eric called out to Nicole. Smiling warmly, Eric walked over and hugged Nicole. While the foster mom stuttered in confusion, Eric noted that Penny looked a lot like that local TV reporter. With his arm around her shoulders, Eric led Nicole away from the café. Back at the Martin house, Eric warned Nicole that she had violated the restraining order.
Nicole explained that Maggie had mentioned that Holly would be at the square, and she had wanted to take a picture from a distance. Getting emotional, Nicole said that Holly had started crying, and she had been desperate to calm her daughter. Eric pulled Nicole into a hug. Nicole marveled at how close she had been to getting caught violating the restraining order. Upset, Nicole thanked Eric for saving her from her bad decision. Nicole told Eric she was grateful.
In Eli's room, Hope asked Eli for information about Dario. When Eli declined, Hope reminded Eli that he was a Horton and that "Hortons stick together." Hope explained that Rafe was leaving for Mexico to investigate El Fideo. Worried, Eli urged Hope to stop Rafe. Eli said that the driver of the car was not connected to the drug cartel. When Hope asked who, Eli explained that Dario had made a deal to provide evidence against his partner in the counterfeiting ring. Eli said that he could not say anything further that would compromise an ongoing investigation. Hope thanked Eli for his help, and she promised not to tell Rafe anything about the case.
In bed at Adrienne's place, Lucas reluctantly left Adrienne's arms to go visit Jennifer at the hospital. Adrienne countered that she needed to check in at the paper while Jennifer was out. While Lucas jumped into the shower, Adrienne's phone rang. Anjelica asked Adrienne to meet her at the pub.
In the park, an elated John melted at the sight of Hattie, believing her to be his wife. John swept Hattie into a warm hug. At first surprised, Hattie smiled and settled into the embrace. John pulled away and presented a bouquet of flowers. As Hattie stared at him, John said he had been desperate to get home to Marlena. "But you weren't," Hattie said coldly.
Stumbling out an apology for his tardiness, John said he had been worried when Marlena had not contacted him. Hattie equated John's sleepless night of worry to the ongoing stress that she had been under while John had been away. Nodding, John said he deserved payback for what he had put his wife through. With a groan, Hattie said she did not want to hear John's manipulative excuses.
"It's not like you to make me worry," John said quietly. Hattie explained that her phone had died and that she had called John as soon as she had heard his message. Hattie continued that John had repeatedly put other people ahead of her. When John asked to talk at home, Hattie refused. Hattie added that she did not want to go home with John ever again. Hurt, John said, "You don't mean that."
Hattie said she wanted a divorce. Raising an eyebrow, John noted that they were not married. Recovering, Hattie said that they had been married so many times that she could not keep track. A confused John suggested that Hattie was overreacting, but Hattie ordered John to accept her decision. John refused. With a shrug, Hattie said she would move out. John was shocked.
"I can't believe we're even having this conversation. I can't believe that you just suddenly decided that what we have is over," John said. "There's nothing sudden about it. It's been coming on for months," Hattie said curtly. Shaking his head no, John said that Marlena was not acting like herself. John grabbed Hattie's arm and demanded to know what she was hiding from him. John asked if there was someone else.
"I need Ro...mance. I need romance. I haven't had a lot of that lately, and it's something that I've been missing," Hattie said. John apologized. Hattie angrily noted that she had repeatedly waited for John, and he had failed to show up. Shaking his head, John said "Marlena" did not sound like herself. Hattie asserted that her needs needed to be first. With a nod, John walked away. Hattie sighed with relief.
In the square, a shell-shocked John dropped his bouquet of flowers in the trash. As Lucas was passing by, he asked John what had happened. John explained, "It's kind of amazing how things can turn on a dime. You think you know somebody, and then they'll do something so unexpected, it's like you're trying to relate to a complete stranger." John urged Lucas to hold on to Adrienne and never let her forget that Lucas loved her.
At the pub, an annoyed Adrienne walked over to Anjelica's table and warned her that she did not believe Anjelica wanted to call a truce. Anjelica asked Adrienne to hear her out. Smiling, Anjelica noted that she had ordered Adrienne a latte. Adrienne sat down. The women bantered about Justin. When the talk got heated, Anjelica offered to order breakfast to alleviate the tension. Adrienne picked up the latte and sipped it. Suspicious, Adrienne asked Anjelica if she had returned to Salem for Justin.
Adrienne warned Anjelica that Justin would not be interested, especially once she told him that Anjelica was in town for him. Shrugging, Anjelica told Adrienne to go ahead and tell Justin. As an annoyed Adrienne rose to her feet, she stumbled, off-balance. Adrienne wobbled out of the pub. Anjelica looked in the empty latte cup and smirked. Anjelica followed Adrienne outside and watched her collapse on the bench. Panicked, Anjelica called Hattie's phone and demanded to know why she was not at the pub.
When Hattie arrived, she explained that she had broken up with John, but it had taken longer than she'd expected. With a nod, Anjelica urged her to help move Adrienne before someone saw them.
At the police station, Justin admitted to Sonny that things might not go their way at the impending hearing -- especially since they didn't really have anything viable to present to the court that would strengthen their defense.
"[Like] another suspect?" Sonny hesitantly concluded. Suddenly suspicious, Justin stressed that if Sonny knew of another potential suspect, he needed to share that information right away because his life was on the line. Sighing, Sonny reluctantly filled Justin in on Paul's theory that Victor had broken Xander out of prison and had paid him to kill Deimos.
Apparently finding it easy enough to believe that Victor could do such a thing, Justin angrily insisted, "[Sonny, you are] not gonna take the fall for that sneaky old bastard! He is not getting away with this!" Sonny urged Justin to stay calm and give Victor a chance to tell his side of the story. "There is no other side!" Justin countered.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady set aside his glass of whiskey and stepped away from the bar after hearing Henderson greet Paul at the front door. Brady tried to act casual when Paul joined him in the living room a few seconds later, but Paul noticed the poured drink while looking for a place to toss his keys. "Grandfather must've left that out from last night," Brady claimed with a shrug before segueing into a recap of the conversation he'd had with Victor about Xander. "You're telling me that your grandfather believes that Sonny is guilty?" Paul asked incredulously after Brady finished talking. Nodding, Brady added, "[And] I'm beginning to think so myself."
Refusing to believe that, Paul vowed that he was going to keep digging until he figured out who had really killed Deimos. "I'm not gonna let [Sonny] down -- especially not after I got his hopes up," Paul added. Brady wasn't particularly optimistic about Paul's chances of success, but he promised that he would do whatever he could to help out.
Paul thanked Brady then started to show himself out. Pausing at the bar, Paul said to Brady, "I wasn't gonna press it earlier, but that drink's fresh. It doesn't belong to Victor, does it?" Chuckling nervously, Brady dismissively insisted, "There's nothing fresh about [that drink]; it's thirty years old." Unamused, Paul wondered if Brady had recently started drinking again.
Brady feigned indignation at first but quickly dropped the act and admitted that he had poured the drink himself earlier that day; he stressed, however, that he hadn't actually consumed any alcohol recently, and he added that he wouldn't have even been tempted to start drinking again if he weren't convinced that Nicole was cheating on him with Eric. Insisting that there had to be another explanation for Nicole's recent shadiness, Paul urged Brady to talk to her before letting his suspicions cost him his sobriety. Brady conceded that Paul was right then made a point of dumping the whiskey in the ice bucket to further allay Paul's concerns.
After Paul left, Brady tried to get in touch with Nicole, hoping to clear the air with her right away. The Horton Center employee who took Brady's call innocently revealed that neither Nicole nor Eric had shown up for work yet that day. Suddenly suspicious again, Brady ended the call then picked up the empty glass and hurled it across the living room with a growl of anger.
Meanwhile, at the Martin mansion, Nicole expressed regret for the way she had treated Eric after Daniel's death, acknowledging that she should have taken his pain into consideration instead of focusing solely on her own pain. "We were both suffering, but we got to the other side, and now we're focused on the future," Eric stressed. Nicole fretted that she couldn't think about the future until Holly was back in her custody. "Seeing Holly today was wonderful, but it's also made things so much harder. What if she [forgets about] me? I mean, what if she doesn't remember her own mother?" Nicole continued.
Eric suggested that Maggie might be willing to record Nicole singing a lullaby so Holly could listen to it during their visits, but Nicole was worried that the recording would be useless if Holly couldn't put a face to the voice. Eric spontaneously offered to take a few pictures of Nicole, reasoning that Maggie could hang them next to Holly's crib so Holly would see them every morning and every night. Eric was confident that Holly's foster mother would be okay with the idea, and he was also confident that the woman wouldn't dwell on Nicole's obvious resemblance to the good Samaritan who had soothed Holly in the Horton Town Square, since he had already managed to explain away that particular issue. Nicole happily agreed to follow Eric back to his room so they could begin the impromptu photo shoot.
Later, Nicole thanked Eric for his help, adding, "You still have the same kind soul inside [that] you've always had." Nicole started to leave but stopped just outside Eric's room and turned to face him again. "Spending time with you does make me feel better," Nicole stressed, unaware that Brady was eavesdropping from an adjacent hallway. "I know it can't be easy to keep this quiet from Brady," Nicole continued. Eric assured Nicole that he would continue to do whatever made her feel most comfortable. Satisfied, Nicole said goodbye to Eric, adding, "I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures you took." Brady scowled as he watched Nicole walk away.
Steve entered Joey's apartment with takeout and greeted Kayla, who didn't hear him right away because she was too focused on trying to process everything that had happened at the hospital the previous night. "There's a lot to process," Steve acknowledged with a sigh, adding that Tripp had been pretty shaken up after the incident. Kayla was worried that Tripp might turn Joey in to the police, but Steve suspected that Tripp cared about Joey too much to do that. Joey overheard his parents' conversation and emerged from his bedroom to warn them, "Tripp may not tell the police what I did, but I sure as hell will."
Kayla tried to convince Joey not to make any rash decisions, but he clarified, "I've been thinking about this since the day I killed Ava. I've kept it buried long enough. I went to therapy, [and] I tried to move on, but the guilt [and] the shame -- it only gets worse." Kayla continued trying to change Joey's mind, but to her dismay, Steve didn't offer her much support. "I don't want to live with [this] anymore. I can't," Joey insisted. "Well, what about what I can't live with? Doesn't that count for something?" Kayla tearfully countered, adding that she couldn't just sit back and watch as Joey threw his life away.
"It's too late, Mom. I murdered someone. My life is already ruined," Joey numbly pointed out. Kayla dismissively reasoned that Joey had simply been protecting his family from a dangerous woman. "Why are you excusing what I did? I took someone's life," Joey reiterated. "[And] turning yourself in is not gonna bring her back!" Kayla argued. "But it will finally give me some peace -- and maybe Tripp, too," Joey countered.
Kayla tearfully begged Joey to think about his hopes and dreams for the future -- a future he would never have if he confessed. "Before you give all that up, will you please just think about it? For me?" Kayla continued. Joey reluctantly promised that, for Kayla's sake, he would give the matter some more thought. "But don't expect me to change my mind. See, nothing's felt right for me since that day. It's like...I don't look forward to anything anymore. Hanging out with friends, going to the movies, having a girlfriend -- I don't give a damn about any of that; not since that day. The only thing I look forward to now is being punished for what I did," Joey added.
Joey started to excuse himself, explaining that he was scheduled to work at the Brady Pub that day, but Kayla was worried about what he might do once he was out of her sight, so she offered to help him get out of the obligation. "I have responsibilities; I can't just bail on them," Joey insisted before exiting the apartment.
Furious, Kayla turned to Steve and demanded to know why he hadn't participated in the conversation. "I think [this is] a decision [Joey] needs to make on his own," Steve explained, adding that Joey had made a lot of bad decisions since the night of Ava's death and would probably continue spiraling out of control unless he was finally given the opportunity to confess to his crime and pay for what he had done. "Well, if you're so okay with our son going to prison, then your son should, too!" Kayla snapped.
At the police station, Justin continued his conversation with Sonny, complaining that Victor was hurting a lot of people, including Adrienne. Justin's concern for Adrienne led his son to conclude that he was still in love with her -- a suspicion Justin reluctantly confirmed after a lot of pressure. Satisfied, Sonny asked Justin, "What are you gonna do about it?"
Before Justin could respond, Paul entered the conference room and apologetically reported that Victor and Xander weren't responsible for Deimos' death. Sonny absorbed the news with a sigh of defeat.
Hattie went to Statesville to see Bonnie, who was thrilled to learn that she was going to be freed later that day. Bonnie confirmed, when asked, that she had been trying to learn everything there was to know about Adrienne; she added, however, that the prison's slow Internet service had made the process a lot more difficult than it should have been. Hattie explained that Adrienne, who was passed out in the trunk of Hattie's car, was going to be taking Bonnie's place inside Statesville. Bonnie feared that Adrienne would eventually start telling people that she didn't belong in prison, but Hattie insisted that wasn't going to be a problem, telling Bonnie, "You know I love you with all my heart, but everybody knows you're a colossal pain in the ass." Hattie instructed Bonnie to report to her regular kitchen job and wait there for the next phase of the plan to begin.
After Bonnie left, Hattie met with Chet, the man who had helped her break Hope out of Statesville. Hattie gave Chet an envelope filled with cash -- and flirted with him a bit for good measure -- to convince him to leave a gate near the kitchen unlocked. Chet feared that the prison officials would connect the dots if another prisoner escaped during one of his shifts, but Hattie promised, "[When] they check, every dame is gonna be accounted for."
Later, Adrienne awoke and looked around her unfamiliar surroundings in a daze, wondering where she was. A guard -- who had concluded, based on a nearby flask, that she simply had a drunk prisoner on her hands -- answered, "Same place you've been for the last ten years, Lockhart: Statesville Prison." Adrienne stared at the guard in confusion.
Meanwhile, Hattie led Bonnie to Adrienne's room at the Salem Inn. Thrilled to be free, Bonnie danced around her new pad, excitedly shouting, "Watch out, Salem -- Bonnie Lockhart's back in town!"
At the Salem Inn, Bonnie received a visit from Anjelica, who was pleasantly surprised to see just how closely Bonnie resembled Adrienne. "Still not sure that's a compliment," Bonnie said as she let Anjelica into Adrienne's hotel room. "You must be the brains behind the broads," Bonnie guessed, adding that she was grateful to Anjelica for including her in the plan.
Anjelica tried to hand Bonnie a thick binder that contained everything there was to know about Adrienne, but Bonnie rejected it, bragging that she had already found all that information online. "Oh, well, I'm so glad! What is her favorite book?" Anjelica asked. "She likes to read?" Bonnie replied, reluctantly accepting the binder. Suggestively joking that it would be more helpful to know what Lucas liked, Bonnie added that she had been thinking about having a bit of fun with him before breaking his heart, since he was really hot. Unamused, Anjelica insisted, "Just read it -- memorize it -- [because] those details are gonna make all the difference."
"Now, when we can pass you off as Adrienne, then we'll get you back together with Justin," Anjelica continued. Confused, Bonnie wondered why Anjelica wanted Justin -- who, according to Hattie, was Anjelica's love interest -- to get back together with Adrienne. "Oh, God, am I always the only one who sees the big picture here?" Anjelica grumbled before explaining that Bonnie needed to take Justin back then break his heart so he would finally get over his ongoing crush on Adrienne. "[And then] you swoop in and pick up the pieces," Bonnie realized.
After conceding that the plan sounded brilliant, Bonnie complained that it also sounded like Anjelica was the only one who was going to get anything out of it. Anjelica clarified that the plan would also benefit Bonnie because Justin lived at the Kiriakis mansion and would likely invite Adrienne to move back in with him once they got back together -- at which point Bonnie would be sharing a house with her targets, Maggie and Victor. "[But] the first thing we have to do is deal with Lucas," Anjelica continued.
As if on cue, Lucas knocked on the hotel room door and called out to Adrienne to further announce his presence. "Well, no time like the present," Anjelica said to Bonnie with a hint of nervousness. Bonnie quietly protested that she wasn't ready to play the part of Adrienne yet, but Anjelica reasoned, in an equally hushed voice, "The sooner you break up with him, the sooner we both get what we want." Bonnie gulped as Anjelica opened the hotel room door and greeted Lucas, who demanded to know what she was doing in Adrienne's room. "You know, just once, I would love it if someone in this town gave me a civil greeting," Anjelica complained.
Lucas assumed that Anjelica was harassing Adrienne, but Anjelica claimed that they had simply been discussing the idea of a truce. Bonnie nervously confirmed that she'd just had a lovely chat with Anjelica. "I'm so glad we're getting on with a new chapter in our lives," Anjelica added before showing herself out. Once the coast was clear, Lucas wondered if Adrienne truly believed that Anjelica was interested in a truce. Chuckling, Bonnie clarified that she had simply said what Anjelica had wanted to hear. Satisfied, Lucas dropped the subject and started flirting with and kissing his girlfriend, hoping to pick up where they had left off earlier that day.
Bonnie responded to Lucas' advances at first but eventually regained her composure and reluctantly backed away from him, insisting that they needed to talk about something important. Jumping to the wrong conclusion, Lucas assured Adrienne that he had actually been spending a lot of time thinking about their future lately -- and he, too, had reached the conclusion that it was time for them to finally get married.
Lucas wanted to elope right away, but Bonnie insisted that wasn't a good idea. Concluding that Adrienne didn't want to leave Salem while Sonny was still in police custody, Lucas apologetically acknowledged that he was being insensitive. "So we'll get married quietly. I just can't wait to spend the rest of my life with the one woman that shows me what true love is all about," Lucas continued.
Swooning, Bonnie told Lucas, "Oh, my God, you're such a good guy! Oh! You're so handsome, and charming, and so damn sweet!" Lucas wondered if that was Adrienne's way of agreeing to marry him right away. "Ugh, I really hate to do this," Bonnie said with a sigh before blurting out that she was breaking up with Lucas. Confused, Lucas wondered why Adrienne was suddenly pushing him away. "Is the cancer back? Is that it?" Lucas worriedly guessed. Scoffing, Bonnie dismissed Lucas' concern then explained, "Look, I'm sorry, Lucas, but I made a mistake when I chose you. My heart belongs to Justin."
While dining with Valerie at the Brady Pub, Abe produced a jewelry box and slid it over to her side of their table. She assumed at first that it contained an engagement ring, but he assured her that he would never propose in such an unromantic way. Relieved, she opened the box and found a pair of diamond earrings inside. Although she loved the gift, she was reluctant to accept it, insisting that it was too extravagant. "Look, it has been a long time since I've had anyone to lavish gifts on," he pointed out, adding that the earrings were his way of thanking her for helping him realize that he needed to start showing his son more trust.
At the police station, Commissioner Raines called Lani into one of the conference rooms and asked her to reveal everything she knew about the case that Eli was building against Dario. Lani apologetically explained that she wasn't allowed to share the details of the case with anyone, including Raines. Scoffing, Raines reminded Lani that she worked for the Salem Police Department, not the FBI, and that he was her boss. Lani stood her ground, even when Raines threatened to fire her for insubordination. "I can see it now: 'Mayor's Daughter Fired From Salem P.D.' Can't wait for my dad to read that," Lani coolly countered.
"[You just] couldn't help but remind me that your daddy's my boss," Raines bitterly mused. "Message received, Price. You're dismissed," Raines continued. Before leaving, Lani defensively reminded Raines that she could face federal charges if she divulged any part of the FBI's case against Dario. "I said that you are dismissed," Raines impatiently repeated.
Steve and Kayla continued arguing in Joey's otherwise unoccupied apartment, unaware that Tripp was standing in the hallway of the apartment complex and could hear everything they were saying. Steve acknowledged that it had been wrong of Tripp to frame Kayla, prompting her to stress, "He didn't just 'frame' me; he jeopardized the lives on my patients [and] threatened to kill me!" Steve tried to respond, but Kayla forged ahead, adding, "What he did was criminal, and he did it to people who have done nothing but accept him and love him, so if anybody is gonna go to prison, it should be Tripp!" Upset, Tripp rushed back into his own apartment and shut the door. Meanwhile, Steve reminded Kayla that Tripp was his son. "And so is Joey! Or have you forgotten that?" Kayla angrily countered.
Steve pointed out that although Tripp had indeed done some terrible things, the fact of the matter was that he hadn't committed murder, and he therefore wasn't living with the kind of guilt that Joey had been struggling with every single day since Ava's death. Steve added that prison would ruin Tripp's life, prompting Kayla to wonder why Steve didn't seem particularly worried about the possibility of prison ruining Joey's life. "Sweetness, Joey's soul is already in prison," Steve reasoned. Kayla fretted that a real prison would eat a young man like Joey alive. Steve stressed that he didn't want to see Joey go to prison any more than Kayla did; he insisted, however, that if Joey needed to receive punishment for Ava's death in order to feel whole again, he would support that decision.
"[And] ultimately, this has to be his decision, not ours. It's not about us," Steve continued. "Oh, the hell it isn't! None of this would be happening if it weren't for you!" Kayla countered. Pointing out that Tripp was only in Salem because Steve had wanted to make up for the rotten childhood the young man had experienced with his adoptive parents, Kayla added, "In your rush to help the son that you never knew, our son has been completely exposed!" Steve regretfully explained that he had been convinced that he could maintain control of the situation. "Why would you think that? Joey was already suffering; when he and Jade lost that baby, he thought for sure that he was being punished for killing Ava. Then her son comes into town, and he's asking questions, and there's resentment... There [was] no way that that was gonna end well!" Kayla argued.
Confused, Steve wondered why Kayla had never expressed such concerns before. "How could I say no? You put me in an impossible position! I couldn't deny you something that you wanted so badly! And now I could lose Joey!" Kayla tearfully replied. Steve promised Kayla that he wouldn't let that happen to their family. "If Joey goes to prison...there won't be a family," Kayla countered before storming out of the apartment.
Steve chased after Kayla and caught up with her at the Brady Pub, which she was trying to close for the day. Ignoring Kayla's request to be left alone, Steve conceded that it had indeed been selfish of him to encourage Tripp to move to Salem without first considering how the move could affect Joey. "I understand why you're angry," Steve continued. "This isn't about me being 'angry,' and I don't want to fight with you; I just want to keep Joey out of prison," Kayla stressed. Steve tried to assure Kayla that, together, they could figure out a way to handle the situation, but she argued that he had already decided how to handle it without any input from her, proving that her opinion didn't matter at all. "I feel like we always end up right back where we started: you make decisions, and you cut me out," Kayla continued.
Steve insisted that wasn't true, adding that he was simply trying to help Kayla realize that Joey was suffering and felt like confessing to Ava's murder was the only way to finally ease the torment. Steve optimistically suggested that Joey might be able to make some sort of deal in exchange for his confession, but Kayla thought it was more likely that Joey would receive a harsher punishment for keeping quiet about his crime for such a long time -- and that Steve would also be punished for obstructing justice in an effort to protect Joey. Kayla sarcastically joked that, on the bright side, Steve and Joey might at least be able to get side-by-side prison cells.
"[Meanwhile], Tripp gets away with everything that he's done!" Kayla continued. Steve tried to assure Kayla that he would deal with Tripp accordingly, but she expressed doubts about what that would entail. "While you're making nice with Tripp, I am gonna do everything in my power to protect our son from making the worst decision of his life!" Kayla vowed.
Steve insisted that he desperately wanted to protect Joey, too. "Really? Because it doesn't feel like it! It doesn't feel like it at all!" Kayla tearfully shouted. Sighing, Steve pointed out that it wasn't always possible for parents to keep their children safe from everything. Steve tried to comfort Kayla with a hug, but she recoiled and told him to leave. Steve reluctantly complied, and Kayla broke down as soon as the coast was clear.
While Claire was working at one of the Horton Town Square's restaurants, Theo approached and greeted her. Eyeing the bouquet of flowers that Theo was carrying, Claire smiled and hesitantly asked him, "Um...are they...?" Theo somewhat awkwardly clarified that the flowers were for Abigail. "Of course," Claire replied before changing the subject, declaring that she was glad that Abigail was going to be okay.
Theo admitted that he felt a bit guilty because things might have been different for Abigail if he had worked faster. Confused, Claire wondered what Theo was talking about. "Look, I can't talk about my job, okay? Just forget I said anything," Theo evasively replied. Claire agreed to drop the subject, but she stressed that if Theo ever needed someone to talk to, he could trust her with his secrets. "I know," Theo assured Claire.
Shortly after Theo left, Tripp approached Claire and gave her back an MP3 player she had recently let him borrow. Claire had stored many of her original songs on the device, and Tripp raved that hearing them had convinced him that she would one day be selling out arenas worldwide. Claire promised to give Tripp backstage passes to her concerts and after-parties.
Holding up a duffel bag, Tripp informed Claire, "I'm afraid that I won't be around for those." Claire struggled to understand why Tripp was suddenly planning to leave Salem -- a move that would mean saying goodbye not only to his family but also to the future as a doctor that he had recently begun planning. "Yeah, that's never going to happen [now]," Tripp sadly muttered.
Claire was stunned when Tripp regretfully admitted that he was the person who had sabotaged Kayla. "Now she hates me," Tripp continued. Claire encouraged Tripp to apologize to Kayla, but he insisted that it was too late for apologies. Claire wondered if Tripp was planning to return to Arizona. Shaking his head, Tripp reminded Claire that he had never really gotten along with his adoptive father.
"I'm...just going to...ride off into the sunset, you know? No big deal," Tripp hesitantly continued. Speaking from experience, Claire warned Tripp that life on the road could be really lonely. "Not having a place to call home -- are you sure you want [that]?" Claire asked. "Don't have much choice now," Tripp replied, adding with a sigh that Kayla would turn him in to the police if he stayed in Salem any longer.
Claire didn't think that Kayla, who was normally a very forgiving person, would do such a thing -- especially to a family member -- but Tripp remained convinced that Kayla wasn't going to be very forgiving in his case. "[But] it's not, like, completely impossible, right?" Claire maintained. Claire added that she knew a thing or two about screwing up relationships, thanks to her recent experiences with Theo. "A big part of me wanted to run away when that whole thing happened, [but] I didn't; [instead], I stuck it out, and, you know, the weird thing is that we're actually good friends now, so...maybe just...don't give up so easily," Claire advised Tripp.
Claire started to excuse herself so she could get back to work, but before walking away, she asked if she was ever going to see Tripp again. "I don't know," Tripp replied with a shrug. Nodding, Claire returned the MP3 player to Tripp and told him to keep it as a way of proving to future friends that he had known her before her big break, back when she had still been working as a waitress.
Chad took Thomas to the hospital to see Abigail, who reported that she was starting to feel better. Later, after leaving Thomas in Harold's capable hands, Chad rejoined Abigail and made it clear that he had meant everything he had said to her the previous night. Surprised to learn that Chad had broken up with Gabi, Abigail insisted that she didn't want him to be with her solely because he was grateful for the things she had done to protect him, and she also didn't want him to be with her solely for their son's sake. Chad clarified, "I want to be with you because you're my soul mate."
Wanting to make up for lost time, Abigail started to talk about the possibility of a family vacation in the near future, but Chad sadly clarified that he couldn't make plans for the future at that time because he was actually going to go to the police station later that day and confess to murdering Deimos. "[Sonny has] been sitting in jail too long for a crime he didn't commit," Chad continued. Abigail didn't want Chad to confess, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to talk him out of the idea because he was a good man who wanted to do the right thing. Chad promised to do everything in his power to return home to Abigail and Thomas as soon as possible.
After leaving Abigail's room, Chad ran into Theo at the nurses' station. Chad stressed that Theo couldn't blame himself for what had happened to Abigail. Chad regretfully added that although he was grateful to Theo for being willing to destroy evidence to protect him, the police were soon going to learn the truth, and they might have some questions for Theo at that point. "[But] I'm gonna do everything I can to protect you," Chad promised.
After saying goodbye to Chad, Theo delivered his bouquet of flowers to Abigail's room. Knowing that Abigail was worried about Chad, Theo optimistically reasoned, "When people do the right thing, it'll all work out in the end, right?" Meanwhile, Chad entered the police station and informed Raines, "I'm here to confess to the murder of Deimos Kiriakis."
When Lucas talked to "Adrienne" in her room, Bonnie, pretending to be Adrienne, told him that her heart belonged to Justin. Confused, Lucas asked why she had told him in bed earlier that no one made her feel like he did. Bonnie said she had been thinking about Justin while they'd been in bed. Lucas asked Bonnie what was going on. Bonnie yelled at Lucas, but he demanded Adrienne look him in the eye and tell him she did not love him. Bonnie looked Lucas dead in the eye and said, "I don't love you."
"When you didn't kick Justin's ass to the curb as soon as he broke up our wedding, I should have known. I should have known there was no chance for us to be together. I hung around. I let you delude me into thinking that maybe you would choose me over him. But, no. What am I, stupid?" Lucas yelled. Bonnie said she was a different person. Bonnie handed her engagement ring back to Lucas. With a scowl, Lucas snatched the ring out of Bonnie's hand and stormed out.
While Bonnie sat on the bed, there was a knock at the door. Frustrated, Bonnie called out to Lucas to leave her alone. Hattie yelled, "It's Marlena," in the hallway. Bonnie eagerly opened the door for her friend. Frustrated by her Marlena outfit, Hattie quickly stripped off her jacket and shoes.
Bonnie and Hattie poured two glasses of vodka, and they toasted to starting over. Laughing, the women cracked open junk food and picked a movie to watch on the TV. With shrieks of joy, the women decided to watch an adult movie. After watching a bit of the movie, the women turned it off and talked about men. Bonnie said she was excited to pursue Victor, and more specifically, his money.
In jail, Sonny wondered aloud if he had killed Deimos. An officer opened the cell to admit Chad. Chad said he had confessed to murdering Deimos. When Sonny asked why, Chad explained about the photo but that he had no memory of the murder. Sonny asked why Chad had confessed if there was no evidence. Chad said he could not bear to see Sonny rot in prison for a crime Chad had likely committed.
Sonny said a photo of Chad wiping off the weapon did not mean that Chad was the murderer. Sonny added that he did not understand why he would have moved the body if he had not been the murderer. When Sonny asked if the photo had been doctored, Chad said he did not know. Sonny reminded Chad that Dario had a motive to frame Chad. Chad recovered a memory of finding Sonny moving the body. After mulling over the memory of him wiping the prints off of the knife, Chad theorized that he had murdered Deimos, and Sonny had helped him move the body.
Shaking his head no, Sonny said Chad's theory did not sound right. Sonny urged Chad to think about what had happened before they'd moved the body. Chad remembered walking into the living room as Sonny had frantically searched Deimos' pockets for the amulet. Shocked, Chad had asked what Sonny had done to Deimos. In the cell, Sonny asked Chad what he'd remembered. After Chad related his memory, Sonny argued that he, not Chad, had killed Deimos. Chad countered that whoever had the amulet was the actual murderer.
In her hospital room, Abigail struggled to adjust herself in bed. Gabi stopped by to visit, and she apologized for what Dario had done. Abigail assured Gabi that she was the last person that needed to apologize. With a nod, Gabi asked Abigail if she was referring to her breakup with Chad. Abigail apologized for hurting Gabi. With a shrug, Gabi said she'd seen the writing on the wall after the night of the party. Gabi said she'd known Chad belonged with Abigail when she'd seen him at Abigail's hospital bedside.
Gabi said she loved Chad and Abigail, and she wanted them both to be happy. Talk turned to the picture of Chad, and Abigail said she was sorry she had lied to everyone about Dario. Abigail said she had looked at the photo and had worried that Chad was guilty. With a nod, Gabi changed the subject. Gabi handed Abigail a tablet with videos of Thomas and Chad. With a hopeful smile, Abigail said she wanted Gabi to be a part of Thomas' life. Gabi said she would like that. Abigail asked Gabi to stay, and the two women laughed as they looked at the videos.
In the square, Eric talked to Nicole on the phone and told her that he would print out the photos for Holly. After hanging up the phone, Eric spotted John walking by. Eric asked about Marlena. Distracted, John said Marlena was fine but upset with him for keeping her waiting again. John explained that Marlena had moved out of the penthouse.
Confused, Eric said that did not sound like his mother. John said he had taken Marlena for granted. Eric encouraged John to keep pursuing Marlena. John admitted that Marlena had felt remote and different. With a nod, Eric offered to visit Marlena at the Salem Inn.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole stared at a picture of Holly on her phone as Maggie walked in. Maggie was relieved to see Nicole but worried when she realized that Nicole had not heard her voicemail about Brady. Maggie told Nicole that Brady believed that Nicole and Eric were having an affair. Maggie explained that Brady had followed her to Eric's room. With a groan, Nicole called Brady's phone to stop him from doing anything rash.
At Club TBD, Brady sat at the bar. Since it was happy hour, the bartender placed two shots of tequila in front of Brady. As Brady stared at the liquor, Lucas sat down beside him. "You, too, huh?" Lucas asked. The two men compared sob stories about their women. Brady's phone rang with a call from Nicole. Sighing, Brady ignored the call then downed one of the shots of liquor. Lucas drank the second shot. Brady grabbed the bottle and poured more.
Lucas called himself stupid for believing that Adrienne had loved him. Brady said he had been stupid as well. As the two kept drinking, Lucas complained that Adrienne had been willing to give Justin another shot. "I thought I had found the love that would last a lifetime. How could I have been so wrong?" Lucas wondered aloud. As the two men grew more intoxicated, Lucas started to disparage Nicole.
"Hey! Watch what you're saying about my trashy girlfriend," Brady slurred. "She was my trashy girlfriend, too! Before you. She was many moons ago. And you know, she cheated on me with Eric, too!" Lucas said with a cackle. Brady groaned. Lucas listed all the women that had hurt him through the years. With a raised eyebrow, Brady asked Lucas if he had any naked pictures of his exes. Lucas shook his head no, but he asked Brady if he did. Brady explained that he had witnessed Nicole leaving Eric's room after a photo session.
Lucas cautioned Brady to find evidence before he accused Eric of anything. With a nod, Brady swore to find the camera and look at the pictures. Brady paid for the drinks and walked out. Lucas stared at his drink and muttered to himself. As Lucas reached for another shot of tequila, Chloe grabbed the glass from his hand.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole was worried when she could not track down Brady. Maggie warned Nicole that jealousy was a powerful thing. Desperate, Nicole decided to search for Brady around Salem. In Eric's room at the Martin house, Brady searched the contents for the camera. After tearing the place apart, Brady found the cursed amulet.
When Eric stopped by Marlena's room at the Salem Inn, he heard Bonnie and Hattie partying in Bonnie's room across the hall. Eric leaned close to the door and listened to the two women hooting and dancing.
In the psychiatric facility, a groggy Marlena woke up in a straitjacket in a padded room. Marlena called out for help. An orderly entered to answer Marlena's pleas. With a sarcastic tone, the orderly asked "Hattie" if she still believed she was Dr. Marlena Evans. Marlena stressed that she was not Hattie. The orderly said that the real Dr. Marlena Evans had explained the situation. Marlena vigorously disagreed. Marlena attempted to reason with the orderly, and she gently asked him to contact Dr. Ross.
Citing Dr. Ross's vacation, the orderly denied the request. When Marlena asked for a phone call, the orderly said the doctor had ordered no contact with the outside world. After the orderly left, Marlena whimpered with worry. Marlena paced her padded cell until the orderly returned with food. Marlena asked the orderly if he could let her feed herself, but the orderly was hesitant to untie Marlena's jacket. Marlena convinced him.
While the orderly undid the buckles, Marlena chattered on about the time her twin sister had committed her to the same psychiatric hospital. Marlena lifted the orderly's cell phone out of his pocket before he left. Marlena called John. When John answered the phone, Marlena joyfully called out his name.
