04-28-2017 (Friday) A Stranger in the House

Joey sees Jade and asks how the move is going; she says she’ll get the rest of her stuff soon.  He says no rush; he tells her this is for the best though.  Not for her, she mumbles.  She tells him (after he leaves) that someday he will love her as much as she loves him.  Tripp comes into the Pub and sees Kayla and Brady kissing at a table; he looks annoyed.  He apologizes for interrupting, and admits that it’s strange to see a married couple getting along so well.  She brags about how well he handled the pressure today and Tripp admits that he may have an interest in becoming a doctor.  He tells them he has an undergraduate degree from Arizona State University already; says he put himself through.  They tell him they are proud of him.  

He talks about the videos his mom left him, and then says if he’s having dinner with his father, starts tearing up and says he can’t do this; he calls him “pops” and says he’d like to be friends, but this is too much for him.  He leaves.  Kayla goes after him.  She tells him she knows this is hard for him and he is still processing everything, but she says she feels like his friend and she wants to know what Steve could do to fix this; he says he just doesn’t think he can ever let go of the fact that his father killed his mother.  She goes back in and tells Steve Tripp is struggling, but she believes he will let go of his mother’s death and want to be a part of the family.  Jade tells Tripp that Mr. Johnson is basically a good guy; he says he seems like a good dad too… until you throw in the part about him killing his mother.  Jade agrees she would have a hard time forgiving something like that, but she says this is different; he can’t imagine ever being one big happy family.  Steve thanks Kayla for trying; he says if he gets his son back, it will be because of her.

Abigail rounds the corner and sees Gabi kissing Eli, pretty passionately now.  She is obviously irritated.  When she catches Gabi walking home, she tells her that she left Chad so they could be together, so she is a little bit miffed that Gabi’s now going after her cousin.  Gabi reminds her that she lined them up in the first place; Abigail says that she wants her to be with Chad and Gabi says that is not going to happen.  Funny.  Gabi reminds her that she and Chad only got together because they thought she was dead; Abigail says she knows that and doesn’t feel betrayed.  She’s only leaving because Chad’s heart isn’t wholly in their marriage.  Gabi tells Abigail that she is difficult to figure out; she summarizes everything Chad has been through with her and how he has done everything humanly possible to prove his love to her.  Abby brings up her “front row seat to the Chad and Gabi yearning for each other show” and says trying just isn’t good enough for her anymore.  

Gabi says Chad loves Abigail and needs her; Abby says he was “trying” and she needs more than for her husband to try.  Gabi says she needs to stop trying to play God and stop making decisions for her and Chad; she gets a phone call and walks away.  Abigail talks to Eli for a minute and excuses herself.  Eli tells Gabi he has the antidote for her broken heart and he kisses her again.Nicole tells Brady everything is perfect; he calls it Heaven on Earth.  The masked man wanders through their home; he kicks a toy on the floor and it makes noise.  Brady goes to check it out; he finds the toy going off, but no one near it.  He looks around the room, but sees nothing; the masked man is hiding around the corner.  He comes back in and tells Nicole the car must have a mind of its own; Nicole tells Brady she’s hungry.  As Brady and Nicole talk, right on cue, Holly starts crying; Nicole goes to get her.  The masked man is standing there, holding Holly; he points his gun at Nicole.  Brady comes in and stands by Nicole; Holly starts crying.  Brady rushes the man and gets shot in the stomach; Nicole pulls the mask off of the man.  It’s Xander; he says, “surprise.”

Paul tells Sonny he talked with a guy who has some information; he wants an incentive.  Sonny says he’ll get the money; Paul is going to handle the transaction.  Together, he says, they will get Deimos.  Paul describes some guy who has been seen working for Deimos; Sonny says he knows who that is.  Sonny calls this man and gently threatens him about going again his Uncle Victor; he says his only hope is to tell him why Deimos is in Manatoba.  He tells Sonny he is there for Nicole and the kid.  Sonny gets an address and calls for the company jet.

04-27-2017 (Thursday) How to Save a Life

Tripp questions Kayla about his mother’s murder; he says something just doesn’t seem right.  Kayla does her best to skirt around the truth; the conversation is interrupted by Roman, dropping a tray and falling to the floor, gasping.  Kayla says it seems like he is having an allergic reaction; she sends Tripp to her car for her medical bag.  He doesn’t respond to the ‘epi’ injection; Kayla decides to do an emergency tracheotomy… Tripp is on the ball, getting her everything she needs.  Tripp is thoroughly impressed with Kayla’s work; he tells her, “you were awesome.”  He may have found his calling.  Roman thanks his sister for saving his life; she tells him she couldn’t have done it without Tripp.  Roman says he owes Tripp one.

Tripp tells Kayla he was fascinated by the whole thing; she suggests he may want to consider a career in medicine, and admits that she was always a little disappointed that her kids didn’t want to go into medicine.  She invites him to join them for a family dinner tonight and he accepts.  Tripp goes in to see Roman; he apologizes for taking a swing at him and says he owes him one.  Roman tells him they all help each other and nobody is keeping score.

Eli thanks his mother for taking care of Gabi; Valerie invites the two of them to dinner.  He tells her that he is still angry she let him grow up without his father and leaves.  Gabi apologizes for him, saying he is just having a hard time; Valerie asks Gabi if she would tell Julie about this app that will help remind her when to take her meds.  Gabi says Julie doesn’t need anything like that; as “she doesn’t miss a trick.”  Valerie tells her she feels like that woman is trying to alienate Eli from her; she can tell Julie has been given Gabi a hard time too.  Abe says he is going to talk to Raines and having Lani take off this case; she protests, saying this is her job.  Eli comes in with a report of the drug; it’s a synthetic, called “halo.”  Causes erratic behavior and loss of memory; Lani says with a drug like that, so many people could be hurt.  She refuses to back out of the investigation.  Abe tells her she is stubborn; she sarcastically ponders whom she got that from.  She tells her dad, he can’t talk to JJ about this, though; she says she is doing this one solo.  He tells her just not to take too many risks.  Eli tells JJ about the drug; he tells Eli they need to get this guy.  He says he wants to keep Lani out of this one though.  

Lani gets another call from Snake; he sets up another meeting for tomorrow.  She packs her bag and starts to leave her room; JJ is standing there and asks if she’s going somewhere.  She tells him she is being discharged; she tells him her dad is driving her home and she promised Kayla she would take it easy.  He tells her he doesn’t ever want to see her hurting like that again.  Gabi runs into Abe; he tells her he is sorry about her father.  She tells him thank you and asks if she can talk to him about Eli and his mom; he tells her to sit down.  She explains what she has seen, says, “Julie doesn’t help” and suggests that together they think of something.  Eli and Gabi meet later; after talking for a while, he makes his move to kiss her.  She is receptive.

When Brady’s phone goes off, with a notification from the bank, Nicole worries that means the police or Deimos has found them.  He promises her that is not what it means, but he says he is going to get dressed and go see this guy at the bank.  Brady tells her they will handle whatever problem comes their way; she goes to look online to see what is happening in Salem.  She notices them missing prostitutes; Brady tells her they are safe and he leaves.  Somebody is looking through the window at Nicole.  She cleans up her dishes and goes to the room; Brady walks back in and hear her scream.- they come out laughing.  The water faucet broke and squirted her in the face; he tells her he just bought the local hardware store, Elkhorn Hardware.  She asks if he can be happy selling people hammers and toilets; he says he would much rather run an honest business than listen to Deimos make another shady deal.  He tells her she is going to work there too; he says he’s going to coach the kids’ soccer team, because he won’t be in Hong Kong.  He tells her he is so looking forward to this, a normal life, and a wife that loves him.  She says that is exactly what she wants too.  They kiss and race each other to the bedroom; somebody is still watching through the window.  As Brady and Nicole discuss how they have everything they want now, and no worries, a masked man with a gun comes through the front door.  

04-26-2017 (Wednesday) What happened to Lani??

Lani wakes up, on the park bench, nylons torn, dirty and with her hair all messed up; she calls JJ.  When he gets there, she tells him she cannot remember what happened.  JJ tells her they need to go to the hospital to check for evidence, in case she was raped… Kayla tells her it doesn’t appear that she was sexually assaulted.  She does say there is some unknown chemical in her body though.  JJ says he never should have let her meet with that guy; she snaps at him, that he didn’t “let” her do anything.  Kayla tells JJ that Lani has still been through a trauma and may need some time to recover, even with her police training; he says he will take care of her.  Her phone rings; it’s Snake.  She plays it cool, and asks what happened to her; he says all in good time.  He tells her to wait for his next set of instructions; she says okay.  JJ comes in the room and hears her on the phone; she lies and says it was her dad.  He tells her Kayla wants her to stay until they can identify the substance that’s in her system; he tells her to focus on getting better, and let him take care of everything else.

Kayla and Steve meet; she asks him if these lunch dates are going to be a regular thing.  Steve says they can be if she wants them to; she says he makes it hard to go back to work.  Steve goes to see Joey.  Tripp and Jade tell Joey that she is moving in with him; he asks Tripp if he is sure he wants to take her on.  He says she has a lot of baggage; Tripp says he does too.  He tells Joey she is the closest thing he has to a friend in this town.  Joey tells Jade that he isn’t sure how he feels about her living with Tripp; she asks if he wants her to stay.  He says it’s complicated and confesses that he is worried about what she knows; she promises she wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt him.  He says he knows she wouldn’t, on purpose.  Steve offers to take her shopping for some things for the new place; he promises Steve that she will never tell Tripp what happened with Ava.  She says she wants to help Tripp see what a great family they are; she says she is sorry Kayla hates her now.  Steve says Kayla doesn’t hate her, she just worries; Jade kisses Steve on the cheek and tells him it’s really good to have him on her side, especially since they are going to be family soon.  He isn’t sure what to think about that; she leaves.  Tripp comes to see him and thanks him for the can opener; they start talking and the subject of abuse fathers comes up again.  Tripp says he doesn’t want to talk about it, but Steve still shares a story from his past; he tells Tripp he was angry at the world.  He tells him all that saved him was a woman who loved him no matter what; he tells Tripp he isn’t giving up on him, and never will.  He leaves.  Kayla meets with Steve again and he tells her about Jade moving in with Tripp; she is concerned.  Steve is frustrated that Tripp won’t listen to him; he says he grew up with a father who pushed him around and he can’t tell him what to do.  Kayla says she can.

Chad is calling Abigail; he tells her he still considers her a part of the family, and the business, and asks her to call him back.  She is sneaking into the mansion; she goes up and sees Thomas, and writes Chad a note.  The nanny meets Chad at the door, on her way out, and tells him that Abby took the baby and left about an hour ago.  He says that’s fine; he reads Abby’s note and crumples it up.Abigail meets her mom for lunch.  She tells her mom that she got the job as the new Salem PD receptionist; Jen tells her she is very proud of her.  She also tells her that Chad is never going to give up on her.  She tells her that Eric suggested she give her the space to find herself; Abby questions how close of friends she and Eric are.  Jennifer says there are some feelings there, but they are both still figuring things out, rebuilding their lives after addiction almost ruined them.  Abby wishes them the best, saying she wants her to be happy; Jen tells Abby that’s what she wants for her too.  Anne sees Lucas and questions where Adrian is; he tells her she went to see her kids.  She offers to help him get his mind off of her for a bit, by buying him French fries.; he agrees to sit with her for a few minutes.  Jen is appalled when she sees them sitting down at a table together.  

When he leaves, Jen asks Anne if she is going after her brother; Anne says no, but Jen tells her she is going to keep an eye on her.  Kate comes in and tells Chad they need to be more proactive about their acquisitions; he says he is not doing anything illegal.  She tells him Abigail has left him twice now; he doesn’t owe her a thing.  He asks her if she thinks they can really get away with this; she says she knows people and he reluctantly concedes.  Abigail walks in to hear Kate say, “that’s my boy.”  She opens the door and sees them toasting to “making money the old fashioned way… stealing.”  Abigail comes in when Kate walks out; she tells him she accidentally heard them talking about stealing artwork.  She asks if this is the legacy he wants to leave for his son; he tells her she doesn’t have the right to make decisions for him anymore.  She congratulates him on his new big business deal and leaves angry.

04-25-2017 (Tuesday) Going Undercover

Paul and Sonny tell Hope and Rafe, it’s only a matter of time before Deimos cracks because of his obsession with Nicole.  Sonny says his “monumental ego will never allow him to let her go.”  Victor asks Deimos if he has seen Sonny; Deimos says not since he left this morning.  Victor asks Deimos why he’s smiling; he tells Victor about his conversation with Maggie, and the phone call he received afterward.  He says Nicole is the woman he loves, he is going to find her and bring her back and in time, she will realize he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to her.  Meanwhile, Nicole and Brady are about to make love; he carries her into the bedroom and lays her gently on the bed.  Holly interrupts them and Brady puts her back to sleep; Nicole tells him there is nothing more sexy than a man holding a baby.  While talking to Holly, Nicole refers to Brady as “daddy”; she apologizes.  He thinks she is crying because Daniel is gone; he tells her he would never try to replace Daniel.  She tells him these are tears of joy because she never thought she’d be able to tell Holly that.  She feeds Holly, gets food all over her, goes to shower and they decide to pick up where they left off earlier; back to the bedroom they go.The commissioner tells JJ and Lani that six girls have disappeared in the last two months down by the docks; he says he got a tip about a pimp who calls himself “Snake” and tells them to check for priors, and past associates; Lani mentions a girl she brought in last week, named Dolly, who mentioned more than once that her pimp was a real snake.  She says she will try to have Dolly set up a meeting.  The girl agrees to help; she says all the girls are afraid they will be the next to vanish.  JJ doesn’t like it, but Lani is going to meet with Snake, pretending to be a potential ‘new girl.’  Roman tells JJ that he is familiar with this character, “Snake.”  He warns him to be very careful. JJ tells Lani that he doesn’t want her going undercover; she tells him she is not leaving those poor girls alone.  She is going to the meeting, she says.  She dresses up and goes to meet Snake; I recognize the actor as a former pimp from One Life to Live.  He tells Lani she has beautiful eyes and invites her to go get a drink; JJ watches as they walk away.  He takes her to a room and tells her she has to pass a test; he pours he a glass of champagne.  She starts to get woozy as she finishes her second sip; he sits her down on the bed.Abigail runs into Dario; she tells him she has an interview.  He is surprised it happened so fast; she says right place, right time.  He offers to be a reference, although he knows his name doesn’t carry much value around there; she thanks him.  He tells her best of luck and she goes on her way; he watches her longingly as she leaves.  Abby walks into the station; Hope seems surprised to see her.  Abigail says she is applying for the receptionist position and it would be the first time she’s gotten a job on her own that wasn’t handed to her by someone.  Hope tells her she’s proud; Abby says the same of Hope, saying she’s the perfect example of survival.  She hugs JJ when she sees him and asks if he would mind her working there; she jokes that he shouldn’t put in a good word for her and he tells her it wouldn’t help because Commissioner Raines doesn’t like him. She’s not impressed when she tells him JJ is her brother.  Abigail charms the commissioner, of course, and gets the job.Paul tells Sonny he is moving into a room at the new Horton B&B, fully staffed kitchen downstairs; he asks Sonny to move in with him.  Sonny says no, lovingly, telling him he is just not ready to live together yet; he says, when he is though, he wants Paul to move in with him, into the mansion.  Deimos hires a private jet; he tells Victor he doesn’t trust any of their pilots these days.  Victor tells him if he does anything to harm Brady or the children, there will be hell to pay; he says he doesn’t care what he does to Nicole.  Deimos tells Sonny he is going on a business trip to Quebec and tells him not to screw up Basic Black while he’s gone; Victor tells Sonny that the man Deimos claimed to be meeting with is on sabbatical for a month.  Sonny verifies this and calls Paul; they think this trip may have something to do with the antiquities Deimos is moving.