Hope gets help from an unlikely source
While Ciara and Claire were spending time with Victor at the Kiriakis mansion, Claire began complaining about how her mother was always trying to control her life, even from Hong Kong. "Last night, on the phone, she was just, like, grilling me about how many hours I'm studying for finals," she continued with a dramatic sigh.
"Oh, no! You poor baby. How can you stand it?" Ciara sarcastically replied. Claire quickly apologized, realizing that she was being insensitive. Ciara wasn't upset with Claire but admitted that she couldn't help worrying about Hope all the time, and she found it particularly difficult to accept the fact that Hope was in prison because of a crime that had been committed due to a misunderstanding. "I mean, yeah, Stefano did horrible things, but he never kidnapped and tortured my dad. That was somebody else -- someone who hasn't paid, and probably never will," she pointed out as Victor made eye contact with Deimos, who was listening from the foyer.
Ciara abruptly excused herself so she could get some more tea from the kitchen, declining Victor's offer to summon Henderson to take care of the task. Claire assumed that Ciara had rushed off to get away from her, but Victor guessed that Ciara simply needed a few minutes alone because she was missing Bo. "Seems like Ciara's really special to you," Claire observed. Victor stressed that all of his grandchildren -- and great-grandchildren -- were special to him. "But you gave Ciara a trust fund," Claire pointed out. Victor explained that he had done that after Ciara had lost her father -- and she hadn't accepted it, anyway.
"It's none of my business, really -- and believe me, I do not expect you to do anything like that for me," Claire stressed, adding that she would probably get a trust fund of her own from John -- someday. Victor got the not-so-subtle hint and wondered why she needed money. She vaguely explained that she was working on a project for a friend and needed two hundred dollars or so to pull it off.
Victor handed over the money without hesitation but didn't believe for a second that Claire wanted it for a friend, warning her, "Don't kid a kidder." He assured her, however, that he didn't care what she was planning to do with it. "You know, you are, like, the only adult in this family that actually gets me," she mused as she thanked him with a hug and a kiss. "Well, I certainly do get you," he agreed with a knowing grin as she rushed off to get started on her project. When Ciara returned a short time later, she was disturbed to learn that he had given Claire money. She warned him that Claire was definitely up to something. "That's my girl," he dismissively replied.
Theo went to the hospital in search of Abe, who was there for a checkup, and found him talking to Valerie near the nurses' station. Theo offered Valerie a terse greeting then informed Abe that he had found the place that was selling the worst Christmas trees. Valerie thought the Carvers would be avoiding that particular place, but Abe clarified that he and Theo actually had a tradition of buying the worst Christmas tree every year and turning it into something special. Valerie found that heartwarming, knowing that even the worst real Christmas tree would put her artificial one to shame. She was pleasantly surprised when Theo invited her to tag along.
Later, after Theo finished picking out a Christmas tree and arranging for it to be delivered to the Carver house, he and Abe went to the town square with Valerie to get coffee. Theo was taken aback when Abe spontaneously decided to invite Valerie to spend Christmas with them, but he forced a smile and claimed that he was okay with the idea. Meanwhile, Valerie received a text message from someone but found herself unable to view it because her cell phone was frozen. When she started to complain about how it had been acting up lately, Abe volunteered Theo to fix it, explaining that he was really good at such things.
Abe and Valerie stepped aside to order coffee while Theo was working on the device. When he fixed it, the text message popped up on the screen, and he noticed that it was from someone named Eli, who wanted Valerie to know that he missed her. Theo managed to take a picture of the text message with his own cell phone before Abe and Valerie returned.
Later, Theo sneaked up on Ciara while she was staring intently at something on her cell phone. He jokingly wondered if she was trying to pick out the perfect Christmas gift for him. She smiled as she turned to face him, claiming that she wasn't going to get him anything at all because he had been too naughty that year. He said the smile on her face at that moment was enough for him, anyway.
Ciara clarified that she had actually been looking at a message she had gotten from someone on the dating profile Theo had set up for her. She thought the guy's profile seemed a bit sketchy, but she agreed to meet him when Theo offered to stick around and keep an eye on her during the meeting to give her peace of mind.
Theo took a seat at a nearby table, and while he was keeping an eye on Ciara from there, Claire joined him and started to tell him about her earlier visit with Victor. He interrupted and showed her the picture of the text message Valerie had received earlier. "Sounds like she's involved with another man," Claire observed. She resumed her earlier tale, informing Theo that she had convinced Victor to give her enough money to pay for some high-tech spy gear so they could get some dirt on Valerie. "Okay, let's do it," Theo replied.
Meanwhile, Ciara's date arrived and greeted her. "Rory?" she asked incredulously. He was pleased to see that she remembered him, since they had only met once before. She said she also remembered that he had often hung out with J.J. back when J.J. had been into drugs. Rory said it had been forever since he had last seen J.J. Ciara guessed that J.J.'s career choice had killed that friendship pretty quickly.
"Your bio says you're a grownup," Ciara pointed out. "Hey! I'm twenty-two," Rory stressed. Unimpressed, she argued that he would never qualify as a grownup. She guessed that he had lied about everything on his profile -- especially the part about being a pharmaceutical rep. "That's what I do," he insisted with a sly grin.
Rory told Ciara that she needed to calm down a bit, prompting her to guess that he had just the thing to help her do that. She made it clear that she would never be interested in going out with him because they had nothing in common. "Whoa, come on. No, I've been to jail, your mom's in jail -- we can totally bond!" he protested.
After angrily telling Rory to get out of her sight, Ciara started to walk away, but he chased after her and apologized for his insensitive comment. She eventually agreed to sit with him while he scarfed down several burritos to satisfy a serious case of the munchies. As he was stuffing his face, she watched Theo and Claire, who were still seated at a nearby table.
While playing cards with Hattie in the prison's recreation room, Hope admitted that she missed her family. "That's the good thing about not having a family -- you got no one to miss," Hattie replied. Hope said she was sorry to hear that, but Hattie dismissed the concern, insisting that she was just fine.
Changing the subject, Hope wondered how Hattie had ended up in jail. "I was working as a secretary. Had a good job in Chicago. Had a great little life, was making a good living -- life was good at that point. It was good. Then I thought I would try one of those speed-dating things, you know? Anyway, I met this guy -- he was tall...ish, dark, handsome...ish. Anyway, we hit it off right away, you know? We became an item. He took me out, he wined and dined me... It was perfect...'til it wasn't," Hattie explained.
After telling Hope to ignore Coco and Sheila, who were watching threateningly from a nearby table, Hattie continued her story. "I showed up for work one day, [and] the place was crawling with cops. Seemed that, um, somebody had embezzled a lot of money -- billions -- and, uh, they tracked that stuff down to my personal computer," she explained. She said she didn't know how that had happened; in fact, she didn't even know how to send an email properly, let alone use her computer for embezzlement. "Anyway, turns out the money had been, uh, transferred to an offshore account. I couldn't prove that I hadn't done it, so I copped a plea," she concluded.
Hope thought Hattie should have fought the charges, but Hattie insisted, "I didn't have it in me to fight it, okay?" She added that her guy had taken off the night before the embezzlement scandal had started. Hope suggested that he might have had something to do with the whole thing. Hattie admitted that the thought had crossed her mind, but she added that she didn't like to think about that possibility. Hope assured Hattie that she would keep her promise to look into the case as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, another inmate entered the room and joined Coco and Sheila, who started complaining to her about how Hattie was protecting Hope. The new arrival, Chillie, promised to take care of the matter. She approached Hope and Hattie's table and demanded Hope's chair, but Hope refused to give it up, and Hattie threatened to arrange for Chillie to go without meatloaf for the rest of the month if she didn't walk away immediately. Unfazed, Chillie revealed a shiv and once again demanded the chair. Hope rose from it and twisted Chillie's arm, forcing her to drop the weapon, which Hattie quickly picked up.
Someone started applauding the performance from the doorway, and when Hope turned to face the person, she was surprised to see that it was Deimos. Chillie demanded to know who he was and how he had managed to get into the recreation room. "My last name's Kiriakis. It opens a lot of doors," he explained before demanding a moment alone with Hope. As the other inmates were leaving, he commented on Hattie's resemblance to Marlena. "That again?" she asked with obvious annoyance, prompting him to guess that she had heard about it before. "Far as I'm concerned, she's not even in my league," she stressed before walking away.
Deimos told Hope that he was sorry about what had happened to Bo, knowing that she was only in prison because she had mistakenly held Stefano responsible for something he had done. She said that was her problem to deal with, not his. He guessed that she hated him. "With all of my being," she confirmed through gritted teeth. He said he understood, and he promised that he would nevertheless find a way to help her, since that was the least he could do to make up for the pain he had caused her. He then walked away without waiting for a response.
Later, Hattie rejoined Hope in the recreation room and wondered what "the Kiriakis guy" had wanted. Hope said he had told her, but she hadn't believed a single word he had uttered. She promised to tell Hattie the whole story later. Meanwhile, Coco and Sheila returned and started to threaten Hope again. Chillie soon joined them and warned them not to touch Hope. Disappointed, they reluctantly left the room.
Hattie guessed that Chillie had taken her earlier threat about the meatloaf seriously, but Hope guessed that there was more to the story. "I'll see if I can find out," Hattie promised. She approached Chillie and demanded to know what was going on. Chillie claimed that she simply wanted to have a cop on her side, but Hattie wasn't convinced. "I just talked to the head guard, and they are giving me serious money to offer loyalty and protection to my new homegirl," Chillie admitted, adding that someone on the outside obviously liked Hope.
Hattie shared the information with Hope, who guessed that Deimos was responsible. "Well, I guess you won't be needing my help anymore," Hattie realized with a sigh. Hope stressed that she had no intention of turning her back on Hattie, who was touched when Hope offered up a fist bump to reinforce the earlier deal they had made.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Victor overheard Deimos talking to someone on the phone about the deal he had made to keep Hope protected in prison. After Deimos ended the call, Victor thanked him for the kind gesture. Deimos said it was the least he could do to try to atone for the pain he had caused. Victor dismissively reminded Deimos that an untreatable form of cancer had caused Bo's death. "Are you really trying to lessen my burden of guilt?" Deimos asked incredulously. "I'm trying to say that I'm accepting part of that burden. I was responsible for turning you into the man that could do what you did to Bo and to Maggie," Victor clarified.
Touched, Deimos noted that Victor had never said anything like that to him before. "Yes, well, I'm saying it now," Victor replied. Deimos stressed that he would never forgive himself for having cost Bo valuable time with loved ones. Victor said he knew the feeling, since he had sent Bo on the mission that had delivered him into Deimos' hands. Deimos fretted that he hadn't done enough to help Hope yet. He insisted that he owed Hope nothing less than her freedom. "And a Kiriakis always pays his debts," he added.
Rafe and Shawn summoned Kate to the police station to see if she knew anything about a suspicious email Stefano had received three weeks before his death. The email had been from someone named George Kline, and it had alluded to some sort of bad news. Kate immediately recognized the name as that of the man who had been Stefano's doctor.
With Rafe and Shawn's suspicions suddenly further aroused, Kate agreed to contact George and try to get him to reveal what the email had been about. As soon as she mentioned that she was calling to talk to him about his time as Stefano's doctor, he hung up on her. Undeterred, she contacted Austin and enlisted his help, explaining to Rafe and Shawn that it sometimes helped to have a forensic accountant in the family.
After ending the call, Kate revealed that Austin had discovered that Stefano had been transferring funds from his corporate account into his personal account in the weeks prior to his death. "Makes sense. He didn't have any personal money [because] Sami had stolen it all," Rafe pointed out. Kate continued that Stefano had apparently written a large corporate check to a life insurance company a couple weeks before his death but had then canceled it when his application had been turned down.
Confused, Rafe noted that diabetes shouldn't have automatically disqualified Stefano as a candidate for the company's policy. Kate agreed that there had to be more to the story. Shawn argued that Stefano might have just been denied coverage due to old age, but Kate wasn't convinced, recalling that he had managed to get a rather large policy a few years earlier.
Rafe wondered why Stefano would want more life insurance if he'd already had a policy in place for years. "Maybe he knew that his death was imminent," Kate guessed with a shrug. She added, however, that Stefano hadn't been the kind of person who would have just sat around and waited for an inevitable death to occur. Rafe guessed that Stefano might have decided to goad Hope into killing him because he had known that suicide would have caused his family to lose his life insurance money. "If we could [prove that], that could be Hope's ticket to freedom," he excitedly added.
Gabi stopped by the DiMera mansion to drop off a suit for Chad to wear to a party. When Chad mentioned that the clients wanted to set him up on a blind date, Gabi encouraged Chad to go on the date. Grimacing in discomfort, Chad asked Gabi if she would be his date instead. Before Gabi could answer, Andre walked into the room and announced that it would be unprofessional for Chad to take Gabi as his date. Andre added that Gabi had nothing to contribute to the conversation at the function. When Chad asked for an apology, Andre suggested that Chad could decline any dates by noting that he had been recently widowed and was grieving.
When Chad went upstairs to change, Andre apologized to Gabi for being protective of his brother. Andre argued that Chad had not thought about the fact that he would be escorting an ex-convict. With her jaw set in anger, Gabi countered that an ex-convict was not a liability to the DiMera family's reputation. Gabi noted that she had already helped Chad, but Andre insisted that Gabi would have nothing in common with the guests at the party.
Andre accused Gabi of using Chad's grief so that she could replace Abigail. As Andre asked Gabi to look him in the eye and deny the charge, Chad returned to the living room. Andre left. Gabi told Chad that she could not be his date because she had not been hired to be a personal escort. Worried, Chad asked Gabi if she was upset because of something that Andre had said. Gabi shook her head no. Gabi claimed that she wanted to expand her business and needed to resign. Chad argued that quitting was counterintuitive to expanding her business, but Gabi disagreed.
When Chad asked if Gabi's resignation was because of "us," Gabi pointed out that there was no "us" because she was with J.J. Stammering, Chad asked Gabi not to quit and said, "I can't do this without you!" Gabi told Chad that Thomas would be proud of his father if Chad continued to legitimize the business. As Chad stared dumbfounded at Gabi, she left.
Confused, Chad sat on the couch and quietly drank a scotch. When Andre returned, Chad blamed Andre for driving Gabi away. With a shrug, Andre argued that he had only suggested that Gabi had not been a good plus one for the party. Andre said that it was a blessing that Gabi had quit because Chad had grown too dependent on her.
Upset, Chad walked to the church to light a candle for Abigail. Chad talked to Father Louis about how he had felt that his pain over Abigail's death had kept her alive. Chad said he felt as if he was letting his wife go by allowing the pain to lessen. With a knowing smile, Louis told Chad that he was going through the stages of grief, and it was all part of God's plan. Chad admitted that he had been having difficulty letting go because he had not been able to say goodbye to Abigail's body. Louis advised Chad to remember Abigail but move on.
In the Horton attic, J.J. chatted with Abigail while Jennifer ran interference with Doug and Julie downstairs. J.J. asked Abigail about her visit with Thomas. Beaming, Abigail said she had loved every minute with her son, but she could not see him again. Abigail reasoned aloud that she was protecting Thomas and Chad by remaining dead. Shaking his head no, J.J. argued that Jack had used the same reasoning when he had pretended to be dead. J.J. asked Abigail to remember how she had felt when Jack had lied to them about his death.
After J.J. left to meet Gabi, Abigail went downstairs to the living room to talk to Jennifer. Jennifer offered to retrieve Thomas from the mansion for a visit, but Abigail declined. Abigail said that she felt pressured to reunite with Chad and Thomas, and she did not want to discuss it. There was a loud knock at the door. Panicked, Abigail ran upstairs while Jennifer opened the front door. Lucas marched past Jennifer into the living room. Worried, Lucas said that Adrienne was sick and had run away.
Jennifer said she had not seen Adrienne. Spotting the two cups of coffee, Lucas asked Jennifer about the extra cup. Jennifer noted that J.J. had joined her earlier. Upset, Lucas noted that J.J. had been searching for Adrienne all night and could not have been there. Lucas felt the mug and noted it was warm. Frantic, Lucas called out to Adrienne, believing that she was in the house. Lucas searched the kitchen. As Lucas started to climb the staircase to check upstairs, Jennifer blocked his path. Jennifer argued that since it was a medical emergency, she would not hide Adrienne. Jennifer offered to help Lucas find his bride.
In the town square, J.J. met up with Gabi. J.J. and Gabi talked about pictures of Adrianna with Santa. With a sigh, J.J. noted that he had always visited Santa as a kid with his mother and Adrienne. J.J. talked about how worried he was about his aunt. Gabi was reluctant to tell J.J. that she had resigned from her job, but J.J. urged her to tell him what was on her mind.
When J.J. asked why she had quit, Gabi said that she needed more time available to deal with clients other than Chad. Sensing there was more to the story, J.J. asked what had happened. Gabi admitted that Chad had asked her to be his date, and she was worried that her status as an ex-convict would reflect poorly on Chad.
At Steve and Kayla's house, Joey fixed Jade a platter of fruit. Jade said she was grateful for the hospitality, but she did not understand why Joey's parents had forced them to sleep in separate rooms. Jade urged Joey to talk to his parents. Joey shook his head no. When Jade asked if they should get married before the baby was born, Joey's mouth dropped open in shock. Joey said he had not thought that far ahead yet.
At the hospital, Steve and Kayla fretted to one another about Adrienne's disappearance. Steve reminded Kayla that once Adrienne made up her mind, there was no changing it. Steve said he would meet up with Paul at the pub to talk about next steps in the search. When Kayla urged Steve to take a nap, he shook his head no and said that he could not rest with Jade in the house, regardless of whether he was tired. Steve suggested that they should talk to Jade about house rules, but Kayla did not think Jade would listen to them.
In the park, Joey spotted Jade sitting on the park bench as he was walking by. Joey was annoyed to learn that Jade had used Kayla's credit card to buy something other than prenatal vitamins. Joey sat next to Jade and flipped through a pregnancy book. Joey pointed out that in the first chapter, it noted that it was unhealthy to get pregnant unless a woman had been off of birth control for a couple months first. Joey urged Jade to see a doctor to check on the health of the baby.
With a sigh, Jade said that she had been off the pill for a couple months while she had been out of town. Upset, Joey said that Jade had told him that they had not needed a condom. Jade blamed the heat of the moment, and she reminded Joey that she alone was not responsible for birth control. Suspicious, Joey asked Jade if she had become pregnant on purpose. Jade said no. Not convinced, Joey said that he needed time alone to think.
In the park, Sonny and Justin compared notes on the search for Adrienne. Sonny left a voicemail on his mother's cell phone. Pacing the clearing, Sonny blamed himself for pressuring his mother and smothering her. Justin argued that Adrienne was the one that had avoided the doctor, and that was not Sonny's fault. Sonny worried aloud that Adrienne was alone. Clapping his son on the back, Justin assured Sonny that they would find Adrienne and deal with the situation together. Justin called Adrienne's cell phone and left a voicemail.
At St. Luke's, Adrienne ignored the buzzing of her cell phone as she thanked Father Louis for allowing her to spend the night in the church. Adrienne confided that the situation was her fault and that she was scared that she had hurt the people that she loved. Louis urged Adrienne to have faith in her loved ones. When Adrienne asked for guidance, Louis encouraged Adrienne to pray. After a prayer, Adrienne's phone buzzed with a voicemail from Justin. Adrienne placed her phone on the pew, and she walked out of the church.
Steve walked into the pub and saw Adrienne sitting at a table, eating clam chowder. Steve walked over to his sister and joked that if she had been craving the chowder, she should have asked him to fetch her a cup of it. His smile fading, Steve asked Adrienne why she had not called any of her family. Steve gently told Adrienne that she had scared them. Adrienne said she was not proud that she had run away. With a shrug, Steve said he could not judge her because he had run away on many occasions.
Adrienne noted that she had caused the mess because she had failed to follow up with the doctor. Steve reached across the table and held his sister's hand. "You don't have to run away, and by God, everyone wants you back," Steve said. With a nod, Adrienne said she needed to see the test results.
In the Horton attic, Abigail stared at pictured of Chad with Thomas. Abigail thought about after Thomas had been born when Chad had convinced her to move into the DiMera mansion. Smiling at the memory, Abigail jumped up and started for the exit. When Abigail opened the door, she found a smiling Andre standing in her way. Andre told Abigail that he had driven a wedge between Gabi and Chad. Andre urged Abigail to make a move soon before another woman swooped in and grabbed Chad. Andre promised to soften Chad up for the news that his wife was still alive.
At Steve and Kayla's house, Justin, Sonny, Lucas, and Adrienne gathered in the living room. Justin explained that Steve had located Adrienne at the pub and that they were on their way over. When Steve arrived with Adrienne, she apologized and hugged Sonny, Justin, and Lucas. Kayla asked Adrienne if she wanted to speak privately, but Adrienne shook her head no. Adrienne noted that they were all in it together. After taking a deep breath, Kayla announced that Adrienne had breast cancer.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Deimos tried to get Brady's take on a business deal, hoping that would keep his mind off what had happened with Theresa for a while. Brady, who was in the midst of ridding the place of the belongings Theresa had left behind, grumbled that he was no longer interested in business matters, since he had tried to involve himself in one a few days earlier and had been shut out.
Brady carried a trash bag into the foyer and left it next to another one he had already filled earlier. Meanwhile, Nicole entered the mansion with some luggage, having just returned from her business trip. Brady accepted a hug from her but quickly pulled away and dismissively informed her that Deimos was in the living room. She started to head in that direction, but when she made eye contact with Deimos, he silently indicated that Brady needed her more than he did at that moment.
Nicole rejoined Brady and gently revealed that Deimos had told her about Theresa's abrupt departure from Salem. Brady said he hadn't heard from Theresa since then. He insisted, however, that he and Tate were doing just fine without her. "But...why would she leave you, let alone a little baby?" Nicole wondered. "Because she's not like you, Nicole. You would have done anything to be a mother, and she had her chance, and you know what she did? She threw it away," Brady angrily replied.
Brady maintained that he and Tate were better off without Theresa, but Nicole doubted that he truly meant that. He didn't feel like sticking around to try to convince her, so he picked up the trash bags and abruptly excused himself. Deimos, who had been listening from the living room, rushed into the foyer and tried to stop Brady, pointing out that Nicole had a lot to tell them about her business trip. "She can catch me up later," Brady replied before exiting the mansion.
Sighing, Deimos explained to Nicole that Brady had been a mess since Theresa's departure. Nicole said she was grateful to Deimos for having at least tried to keep Brady distracted with work while she had been gone. Deimos stressed that he would always be happy to try his best to do whatever she asked of him.
Changing the subject, Deimos added that he was grateful to Nicole for all the hard work she had done during her business trip. He praised the results of Basic Black's launch in international markets as nothing short of phenomenal. She assured him that things were only going to get better, explaining that buyers in the Asian market had gone crazy over the company's eco-friendly designs.
Later, while Nicole was lying in bed with Deimos, she asked him to fill her in on what had been happening in Salem during her absence. She was particularly interested in knowing if Chloe's baby had been born yet. He said he didn't know the answer to that question because Philip hadn't been talking to him about the pregnancy -- or anything else, for that matter -- lately, thanks to hurt feelings over business matters.
Nicole said she had made several attempts to contact Chloe during her business trip but had never gotten an answer. "I don't know why you even bother, after the way she treated you [in Chicago]," Deimos replied. Nicole reminded him that Chloe had only gotten upset with her during that meeting because she had allowed him to crash it. "But I was hoping -- especially now, since the baby's not connected to you -- that she would find a way to get past the anger," she added. He thought it was obvious that Chloe couldn't let go of anything -- and just as obvious that Philip had dodged a bullet when she had left town for good.
Meanwhile, someone knocked on the front door while Philip, who had just returned to the mansion seconds earlier, was removing his jacket in the otherwise unoccupied foyer. He was surprised to discover that the visitor was Nancy, who insisted that she needed to talk to him right away. "[Chloe] told me everything -- and I mean everything," she continued. He quickly warned her not to say another word, fearing that other people might be in the mansion at that time. "Then let's go somewhere where we can talk freely!" she impatiently replied.
Philip took Nancy to a secluded section of the town square so they could continue to discuss the matter. She was disappointed to learn that Nicole's relationship with Deimos seemed to be getting more serious with each passing hour. She wondered if Chloe planned to spend the next eighteen years raising someone else's baby and passing it off as her own just to keep it away from Deimos. "I doubt she's thinking that far ahead," Philip replied. "I doubt that she's thinking at all!" Nancy countered.
Nodding in agreement, Philip said that was why Chloe needed a friend who was on her side and could help her sort everything out. Nancy wasn't surprised to hear that he wanted to be that person, since he had always been a good friend to Chloe. "That's just it -- I don't want to stay friends anymore," he clarified before proceeding to tell Nancy about how he had professed his love for Chloe the last time they had seen each other. "[And] I'm ready to do something about it, [but] I want to do it in person, face to face," he added.
Later, Philip returned home and packed for a trip to Chicago. As he was getting ready to leave again, he received a phone call from Nancy. He assured her that no one would ever know anything about the trip. "Especially not Nicole," he added before ending the call and rushing outside to greet the taxi driver who had just arrived. In his haste, he failed to notice Deimos, who was standing in the shadows on the staircase and had overheard Philip's end of the conversation while en route to the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice for Nicole.
Paul ran into Brady in the town square and seized the opportunity to say that he was sorry about Theresa's abrupt departure. Holding up one of the trash bags, Brady explained that he was trying to rid himself of everything that reminded him of her. "How the hell am I supposed to tell my kid one day about what happened? Because I don't even understand it myself, and I don't think I ever will," he added with a sigh, noting that although he knew what it was like to grow up without a mother, he at least had the comfort of knowing that his mother hadn't chosen to abandon him.
Paul assured Brady that Tate was going to be okay, pointing out that the child still had a great father as well as a bevy of loving family members. "And it may be too soon to think about [this], but you don't have to raise him alone, you know? Maybe someday you'll find love again," he added. Brady managed a laugh as he confirmed that it was definitely too soon for him to be thinking about moving on with someone else. He made it clear, however, that he appreciated Paul's words of encouragement.
At the Johnson house, Adrienne swayed slightly as she absorbed the bad news Kayla had just given her. Sonny rushed to Adrienne's side to stop her from collapsing, moving her to a nearby chair. She settled into it in a daze but eventually regained her composure. Once he was satisfied that Adrienne was going to be all right, Sonny asked Kayla to explain what was going to happen next. Kayla said she wouldn't be able to figure out a treatment plan until after she identified the exact type of cancer that Adrienne had developed. She added that she had already reserved a room for Adrienne at the hospital and would like to get the tests started right away.
Hoping to stop Lucas and Justin from getting into an argument about who would be driving Adrienne to the hospital, Kayla volunteered Steve for the task and suggested that Lucas and Justin could do other things to help out, such as packing a bag for Adrienne or buying books and magazines for her to read. Adrienne pointed out that she already had a bag packed. "For my honeymoon. Guess I won't be needing a swimsuit," she added with a mirthless chuckle before following Steve and Sonny out to Steve's car.
Lucas chastised himself for having failed to keep Adrienne on a tight schedule of mammogram appointments. Kayla pointed out that Adrienne was a grown woman who shouldn't have allowed herself to get behind on the tests in the first place. She urged Lucas and Justin to be civil with each other from that point forward so Adrienne wouldn't have to deal with any additional stress. As she was leaving the house to catch up with Steve, Sonny returned, looking completely devastated. Lucas followed her outside, and Justin did the same after giving Sonny a hug and assuring him that everything was going to be all right. Sonny stayed behind and sank to the floor, shaking his head in disbelief.
Later, while Sonny was sitting on a bench in the town square, Paul approached him and wondered what was wrong. Sonny told Paul about how Adrienne had fainted earlier. "All because of my juvenile, pathetic, idiotic plan. I was convinced I had this brilliant idea [to] solve my mom's problem. I wanted to take control because I thought my mom had lost it. But because of me -- because of all of that -- I might have put my mom's whole life at risk," Sonny fretted before telling Paul the worst part of the story.
Paul argued that Sonny might have actually saved Adrienne's life, reasoning that if he hadn't locked her in a room with Justin and Lucas to force her to decide which man she wanted to be with, she might not have found out that she had breast cancer until it was too late to do anything about it. "Stop beating yourself up, Sonny. Just be there for your mom. And lean on the people who love you, like your family [and] friends -- including me. You know, I'm here for you, okay? Anytime. No matter what," Paul stressed.
Justin entered the Kiriakis mansion and went straight to the bar to pour himself a drink. Brady, who was staring sadly at a picture of him and Theresa that was still stored on his cell phone, tiredly asked Justin for some privacy. "If you're looking for solitude, you're living in the wrong house," Justin pointed out. He added that bedrooms were usually more private than living rooms. "[My bedroom's] kind of a trigger for me right now -- it kind of reminds me of everything that I lost -- so it'd be really great if my own family could just respect what I'm going through [and] maybe give me just a little space," Brady irritably replied.
"Poor Brady. Such a sad situation. We all better treat him with kid gloves and make sure we don't offend him while he's going through his rough patch," Justin sarcastically countered. Confused, Brady wondered what was wrong with Justin. "With me? You're the one who's walking around here in a funk all day, insisting that everyone kiss your ass because your wife left you," Justin replied. Brady started to protest that Justin was exaggerating, but Justin ignored him and continued talking, pointing out, "Theresa isn't sick! It was her choice to be reckless and stupid, [and it was] her choice to throw her life away on drugs, whereas some people, they didn't have a choice; their life was taken away from them by illness -- by cancer!"
"Adrienne? She has -- she has cancer?" Brady realized. Confirming the bad news, Justin chastised himself for having allowed Adrienne to live in denial about her chances of developing breast cancer. "Every time the subject came up, and she wanted to do something more preventative, I told her not to do it. What the hell was I thinking? I mean, even though it was ultimately her decision, I know Adrienne well enough to know that if she sensed that I wasn't okay with something, that it would sway her," he continued. He admitted with a sigh that he had been okay with her living in denial because he had wanted to live in denial himself. Brady pointed out that there was no reason to fear the worst yet. "She'll be a survivor," he stressed as he embraced Justin.
When Kate received an unexpected visit from Lucas, she took it as an indication that Adrienne had chosen Justin, just as she had predicted. Lucas irritably insisted that wasn't the case. "Really? So, what, is there gonna be another wedding? Is there gonna be a second wedding? Would it be tacky if I wore the same dress?" Kate asked. Unamused, Lucas angrily explained, "She's got cancer!" Kate comforted Lucas with a hug and told him she was sorry to hear that.
After fetching a glass of iced tea for Lucas, Kate apologized for the things she had said earlier, explaining that she simply had a tendency to lash out at people when she sensed that they were going to hurt him. She reminded him that she was a lung cancer survivor, and she assured him that she had friends who were breast cancer survivors and had been in remission for so long that they considered themselves essentially cured of the disease. "Look, Adrienne has a really tough road ahead, no doubt about it," she conceded. She added, however, that Adrienne had an amazing, strong, fighting spirit and was surrounded with love. "I'm predicting that she's gonna beat it, okay? She's gonna be all right," she stressed.
Later, alone in the foyer of the Martin mansion, Lucas broke down as he tore up the tickets for his honeymoon flight. At the Kiriakis mansion, Justin gulped down a shot of whiskey then angrily tossed the empty glass across the otherwise unoccupied living room. Paul found Sonny sitting alone in a secluded section of the town square and took a seat next to him, draping a comforting arm across his shoulders. Kayla joined Steve in a break room at the hospital and comforted him with a hug. Meanwhile, Kate found Adrienne sobbing in one of the hospital rooms. Adrienne watched with trepidation as Kate silently approached her bed, but she was visibly touched when Kate gave her a look of understanding and placed a comforting hand on her arm.
While Doug and Julie were visiting Hope at the prison, Chillie introduced herself and assured them that keeping Hope safe was her top priority. After Chillie walked away, Hope explained to Doug and Julie that Deimos was paying the inmate to keep her protected. She scoffed at the idea that Deimos' gesture could somehow make up for the pain he had caused. Doug shared Hope's disdain for Deimos but admitted that he was grateful for any help she could get while in prison, regardless of the source.
Later, Hattie found Hope in the recreation room, using Popsicle sticks, pom-pom balls, and glitter glue to make a Christmas ornament for Ciara. Confirming Hope's suspicion that it looked like something a two-year-old had made, Hattie advised her to spruce it up with more glitter glue. Hope encouraged Hattie to make one, but Hattie didn't see the point because she didn't have anyone to send it to. "Make it for yourself. You can hang it on your Christmas tree when you get out of here as a free woman," Hope suggested.
With a wistful smile, Hattie admitted that she had once dreamed of spending holidays with the guy she had met through a speed-dating service, but that had been before he had bailed on her and left her with a pail of trouble. Hope advised Hattie to forget about the past and focus on the future. "Future? Ha! What future?" Hattie asked. Although she was worried about getting Hattie's hopes up, Hope revealed that during her earlier visit with Doug and Julie, they had informed her that Roman had agreed to meet with Hattie and take a look at her case.
Hattie leaped out of her chair and gaped at Hope for a few seconds before rushing over to give her a hug. "You're the best friend a girl could have! You're just the best friend! You're the best friend!" she tearfully declared as she hugged Hope tightly. Her mood quickly changed, however, when she realized that her meeting with Roman would have to take place behind prison walls. Panicking, she insisted that he couldn't see her in her present state. "I don't even know what I'd wear!" she fretted as she began primping her hair self-consciously.
Meanwhile, Chillie entered the room and offered Hope a fresh bar of French soap. Hattie was suspicious of Chillie's true intentions because the soap belonged to an inmate named Marcella, but Chillie insisted that she wasn't trying to set Hope up to take the fall for a theft. "[Marcella] wanted to offer a tribute, see? She wanted to make you see that you're welcome here," Chillie explained.
Hope wondered why Marcella would want to do such a thing for her. Chillie admitted that she'd had a talk with Marcella. "As long as Mr. K keeps the money coming, I'm gonna make sure everybody in here treats you right," she added before walking away, leaving the soap behind. Hattie observed that Hope had turned into quite the celebrity inside the prison walls. "Which only puts a bigger target on my back," Hope fretted.
Chad went to the police station to see if anything of interest had been uncovered in Stefano's emails. Before Shawn could fill Chad in on what had been found, Rafe arrived with a man Chad recognized as George Kline, the doctor who had treated Stefano for years before Stefano's death. Rafe explained to Chad that Stefano had applied for a life insurance policy shortly before his death but had been denied because he had refused to let the insurance company use its own doctor to conduct the mandatory physical.
Kline argued that it had been unreasonable of the company to demand such a thing, given the fact that Stefano had been a high-profile individual who had valued privacy and hadn't been able to trust many people. "[But] unlike you, Dr. Kline, the appointed physician would not have committed fraud," Rafe countered. Confused, Chad wondered what Rafe was talking about. Rafe explained that diabetes hadn't been Stefano's only medical condition, and Kline had helped Stefano hide that from everyone so it wouldn't affect his insurance eligibility.
Chad wanted to know what else had been wrong with Stefano, but Kline refused to divulge that information without a court order, citing doctor-patient confidentiality. He started to leave, but Chad stopped him. "My father is dead, [and] I am the only surviving son, so I don't give a damn about doctor-patient confidentiality. Now, I want to know the state of my father's health at the time of his death, and you are gonna tell me!" Chad demanded.
Kline tried to argue that if Stefano had wanted his family to receive that information after his death, he would have signed the proper documents to authorize the release of his medical records. Chad didn't buy Kline's desire to do everything by the book, since Kline had been summoned to the police station for questioning about falsifying medical records for a patient. Rafe and Shawn helpfully pointed out that Kline could lose his medical license -- or worse -- if they decided to pursue the case they had built against him. Sighing, Kline insisted, "I had no choice! [Stefano] forced me into lying on those documents."
"Was that so hard? I mean, do any of us look surprised?" Chad asked, reminding Kline that Stefano had been known for his ability to coerce people into doing his bidding. Adding that Stefano no longer posed a threat to Kline, Chad begged the doctor to reveal what Stefano had been desperate to hide from everyone before his death. "Very well, then. At the time of your father's murder, he knew that he was terminally ill, and he didn't have long to live," Kline explained, adding with a sigh that Stefano had developed colon cancer.
"There was no way to tell how long he had left. It had gone undetected for too long. And no matter how long he had, the end wouldn't [have been] pretty. Hit him really hard. [He] always believed he could defeat death, but this? There was no way around it," Kline continued. Chad realized that was why Stefano had developed such a defeatist attitude in the days prior to his death. "He was finally out of options," Kline confirmed.
Rafe asked for access to Stefano's medical records, and Chad assured Kline that it was okay to grant that request. Chad added that he had no intention of pressing charges against Kline or letting the insurance company know about the fraud that had been committed on Stefano's behalf. Kline thanked Chad then excused himself so he could start making arrangements for Stefano's medical records to be sent to Rafe and Shawn.
"So, maybe Stefano did prod Hope into killing him," Rafe mused after Kline left. "Suicide by cop," Shawn agreed. With a hint of irritation, Chad made it clear that he had no desire to be a part of that conversation. He started to leave, but Rafe stopped him and thanked him for the help, acknowledging, "You didn't have to do this, [but] you did, [and] I owe you." Chad nodded and walked away.
Later, Rafe went to the prison to tell Hope about what Kline had revealed. "Justin feels like this is really gonna [add] weight [to] your appeal," he assured her. She wasn't surprised to receive confirmation that Stefano had wanted her to shoot him, given the way he had taunted her during their confrontation, but she seemed reluctant to allow herself to believe that the new information would lessen the punishment for her crime.
At the Horton house, Doug and Julie decided to break out the Christmas lights and decorations, hoping that would help them forget about Hope's predicament for a while. Julie began singing a carol as she climbed up to the attic to get the items. She shivered as she entered the attic, and when she realized that the room was cold because someone had left the window open, she closed and locked it.
Meanwhile, Doug heard a noise outside. When he went to investigate, he found a stuffed animal that had once belonged to Abigail. He wasn't sure how it had gotten outside, but when Julie returned from the attic with a box of decorations, she guessed that it had been on the windowsill and had been knocked to the ground when she had closed the window. He expressed doubts, knowing that the stuffed animal couldn't have caused the noise he had heard -- a noise that had been loud enough to initially make him suspect that someone had jumped off the roof.
Julie feared that an intruder had been in the house, but after doing a thorough check of each room and concluding that nothing was missing, she decided that wasn't likely. Having done his own investigation of the surrounding property, Doug conceded that her theory about the stuffed animal had apparently been accurate. "[Or] it might just be the Ghost of Christmas Past," he mused, wistfully recalling how Abigail had often left the item next to Santa's milk and cookies as a kid. Julie admitted that she liked Doug's theory better because it was comforting to think that Abigail was still with them, at least in spirit.
Gabi ran into Dario as he was passing through a secluded section of the town square with several gift bags. She demanded to know how he had managed to screw things up with Blanca. He claimed that he didn't know why Blanca had suddenly decided to break things off with him.
Changing the subject, Dario wondered what Gabi had decided to do about Chad. She assured him that Chad would no longer be an issue because she had decided to give J.J. another chance. He was concerned that it might not be that easy for her to let go of her feelings for Chad, especially if they planned to continue working with each other, but she clarified that she had actually decided to quit that job so she could focus on taking her career to the next level. He told her that was probably for the best, given the conflict of interest between their family and Chad's. She insisted that hadn't factored into her decision at all.
As Gabi started to walk away, she brushed past Dario and accidentally knocked one of the gift bags out of his hand, revealing the handbag that had been tucked inside it. Because it resembled an expensive designer handbag she had been coveting for months, she assumed it was her Christmas gift, and his shifty behavior only served to confirm her suspicion. When he decided to play along, she argued that there was no point in making her wait for it, since she had already figured out what she was getting from him. Unable to think of a good counterargument, he reluctantly surrendered the handbag.
Later, Gabi ran into Chad and quickly realized that something was bothering him. "I've had better days," he confirmed. After telling her about what he had learned earlier that night, he sadly concluded, "[My father] was...not the man I thought he was." She grasped one of his hands in an effort to comfort him.
Dario met with someone at the docks and handed over nine of the handbags he had promised to deliver, assuring the man that the tenth one was already accounted for and would be acquired shortly. Dario watched as the man sliced into the lining of one of the handbags with a knife and dug out a microchip that had been hidden behind a zipper. "Thing of beauty," the man muttered approvingly as he inspected the item. Dario was pleased to see that the man was happy with it. "I'd be happier if I had the other microchip. I need that purse ASAP, or this project's over before it's even begun," the man stressed before walking away.
As Dario started to head off in the other direction, he heard a noise nearby. When he began to investigate, he was shocked to find Abigail hiding behind some crates. She begged him not to tell Chad that she was alive. When he refused, she warned that if he revealed her secret, she would reveal his. She admitted that she wasn't sure exactly what she had just witnessed, but she observed, "It looked pretty damn illegal to me."
At the Kiriakis mansion, Nicole awoke with a start after a dream about the day she had convinced Daniel to take Chloe up on her offer to be their surrogate. When Deimos wondered what was wrong, Nicole sadly admitted that she missed Daniel and couldn't keep pretending that she didn't. Deimos comforted her with a hug, stressing that he didn't want her to pretend with him, anyway.
Nicole didn't think it would be appropriate to confide in Deimos about her dream, since it had been about Daniel, but Deimos assured her that she didn't have to worry about sparing his feelings. She explained that she had been thinking about Daniel even more than usual lately, probably because of all the craziness surrounding Chloe's pregnancy. Deimos was sorry to hear that Nicole and Daniel had tried in vitro fertilization with Chloe before Daniel's death but had been told that it had been unsuccessful. "Having that baby -- a part of Daniel -- would have meant everything to me," she tearfully admitted.
After giving the matter some thought, Deimos suggested, "What if Chloe lied? What if she is carrying your child?" Nicole said that was impossible because it had been a whole year since the in vitro fertilization procedure had taken place. She changed the subject without a second thought, thanking him for listening. He seemed to still be pondering the matter as he assured her that he would be patient with her while she continued to mourn her loss.
When Deimos' phone rang a short time later, Nicole stepped into the bathroom to take a shower, urging him to join her after he ended the phone call. "He's tied up and waiting for you," a man informed Deimos when he answered the call. "Good. Do as we discussed. I'm on my way," Deimos replied. The man, who was in a hotel room, ended the call then filled a syringe with an unidentified drug and injected it into Philip's arm.
Chad and Gabi sat on the bench in the park, and he told her that Stefano had been suffering from terminal bone cancer. Chad said that Stefano's death might have been "suicide by cop." Chad lamented that his father was not who he had thought. With a frustrated sigh, Chad theorized aloud that Stefano had not told him the truth because he had known that Chad would have attempted to stop Stefano's plan.
Gabi asked Chad if he was upset that Stefano had hurt Hope or if Chad was upset that Stefano had not given Chad a chance to say goodbye. Chad admitted he was sad. Chad added that Stefano had thrown away his last chance at redemption in order to take revenge against the Brady family. Taking Chad's hand, Gabi reminded Chad that he was not like his father. Chad pulled his hand away, but he thanked Gabi for talking to him. As Chad walked away, Gabi looked in her purse to retrieve her phone, and she groaned out loud about Dario.
In a downtown alley, Abigail warned Dario that she would confess to the police that she had witnessed Dario trafficking in illegal goods if he did not promise to keep quiet about her fake death. Dario claimed that the goods he had shipped were legal, but Abigail did not buy his excuse. When Dario asked Abigail why she had pretended to be dead, Abigail stressed that she had not been scared of her husband but instead scared of herself. Abigail said she had left to protect her family from her mental illness. Dario called Abigail a coward for continuing to lie about her death.
Suspicious, Abigail asked Dario why he wanted her to tell everyone that she was alive, since it would give him no leverage to protect his secret. Dario thought about his conversation with Gabi about Chad. Shaking off the memory, Dario accused Abigail of hurting her family and risking losing her husband. Abigail asked Dario if he was suggesting that she would lose Chad to Gabi. Dario admitted that he did not want his sister to be mixed up with the DiMera family.
Curious, Abigail asked Dario if J.J. was the only reason that Gabi was not with Chad. From down the alley, Gabi called out to her brother. Abigail hid behind some crates. When Gabi spotted her brother, she told him that the bag he had given her was a counterfeit. Dario reached for the bag and promised to replace it. Gabi pulled away, and she noted that she wanted to keep Dario's gift.
As Gabi turned to leave, Abigail knocked over a box. Gabi asked Dario what woman he was hiding. Obviously guilty, Dario laughed off the accusation and pleaded innocence. Smiling, Gabi yelled out that she liked the smell of the woman's shampoo then she left the alley. After Gabi left, Abigail popped up from behind the crates and asked Dario if they had a deal. Dario agreed.
At the hospital, Brady asked Jennifer what was on her mind. Jennifer was reluctant to talk, but she complimented Brady for speaking about Theresa at their last A.A. meeting. After Jennifer checked on Adrienne, Brady asked her again what was on her mind. Jennifer promised Brady that she was not feeling tempted to fall off the wagon. Brady's phone rang with a call from Henderson about a female visitor.
"You're a great person. You're a very good mother. Go with your instincts on this one," Brady advised. Jennifer nodded. Brady left the hospital, returned home, and found Eve in his living room. Brady asked Eve why she was in Salem. Eve explained that she had heard the news about Theresa from Shane and that she wanted to help Brady. With a groan, Brady said he did not want to talk about Theresa.
When Brady reiterated that he did not want help, Eve argued that Tate needed a mother figure in the house. Brady noted that Tate had Nicole and Kim in his life. Shaking her head, Eve offered to live in the house for the holidays. Brady was resistant, so Eve argued that Brady was acting like he was fine, but he clearly was not.
Eve added that Tate had not chosen to be abandoned and that after she had lost a child, she could not fathom anyone willingly giving up their child. Brady nodded. Brady said he thought it might be good for Tate to visit with Eve. Grinning, Eve suggested that they get Tate's photo taken with Santa.
In the park, Kate and Eduardo enjoyed an after-dinner walk together. When Eduardo asked Kate why she had been quiet throughout the meal, Kate told him about Adrienne. Kate then told Eduardo about her own past struggle with stage four lung cancer. Eduardo asked Kate what they could do for Adrienne. With a sigh, Kate said that Adrienne had a lot of support.
Kate added that she had not had any support when she had been ill because she had not wanted to ask for help. When Eduardo shrugged and remarked on Kate's stubbornness, she countered that she found it hard to trust anyone. Eduardo agreed that he had the same issue. The lovers agreed to trust one another. Kate noted that their first attempt at dating had failed because she had had an unrealistic view about Eduardo. With a smile, Kate said she was okay with Eduardo having his own secrets.
When Eduardo worried aloud about business conflicts of interest, Kate smiled and said that she would show Eduardo no mercy if they were at odds with work. Eduardo agreed. "I always get what I want. I don't stop until I'm satisfied," Kate said. "We still talking about business?" Eduardo retorted. The two kissed.
Eduardo's phone rang with a call. While Kate checked her emails on her phone, Eduardo walked a few steps away to talk to the caller about the missing bag. Eduardo was furious, and he promised to take care of the problem. When Eduardo returned to Kate, she arched an eyebrow and commented that if Eduardo had used DiMera for shipping, he would not have lost any cargo. Eduardo apologized for cutting the date short, and he promised Kate a rain check. Before he left, Eduardo said, "I'm glad you're still kicking around, Kate. The world is a much better place with you in it."
Abigail returned to the Horton house and found a frantic Jennifer. Abigail explained that when Julie had entered the attic, she had been forced to go out the window. With a shrug, Abigail said that she had then been locked out of the house. Though Jennifer was relieved to hear that Abigail was okay, she gasped when Abigail told her that Dario had seen her. Overwhelmed, Jennifer ordered Abigail to tell Chad the truth before someone else did it first. Abigail agreed.
Abigail said she wanted her life back. When Abigail said that she needed to talk to Laura first, Jennifer shook her head no. Jennifer told Abigail that she was ready. Abigail pointed out that she needed to refill her medication so she could take her pills first, and a cheerful Jennifer offered to pick up Abigail's prescription for her. Elated, Jennifer left for the pharmacy.
In the Brady Pub, Dario met up with Eduardo to discuss the missing bag. Dario explained that Gabi had assumed that one of the bags was a gift from Dario and had taken it. Dario promised to retrieve the chip. Frustrated, Eduardo warned Dario to return the chip quickly before Andre discovered that they had been the ones to steal the microchips from the DiMera family.
In the town square, Brady cheerfully discussed with Eve how well Tate had behaved with Santa. As Brady and Eve chuckled over the photos of Tate with Santa, Jennifer rounded the corner and ran into Eve. Jennifer dropped her pharmacy bag. As Jennifer scooped up her pill bottle, Brady asked Jennifer if she was going to take any pills.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad told Andre about Stefano's terminal cancer. Andre swore he had not known about Stefano's illness. With a furrowed brow, Andre added that in the last few days before Stefano's death, Stefano had behaved like he had given up on life and had been uninterested in DiMera Enterprises. When Chad noted that Stefano had likely set up Hope, Andre said it did not matter because Hope had pulled the trigger. Andre urged Chad to be a united front against the Brady family.
As Andre left, Harold entered the living room with a wooden box. Harold placed the box on the desk in front of Chad. With a sigh, Harold said he had overheard Chad's conversation with Andre and had additional information. Harold explained that before Stefano's death, he had purchased an unregistered handgun. With a sigh, Harold said that when the seller had asked Stefano if he planned to shoot anyone, Stefano had laughed and said, "If I do my job correctly, someone will shoot me."
Confused, Chad asked Harold why he had not said anything sooner. Harold shrugged and said that he had believed that Stefano had been joking. When Chad asked why Harold had not said anything after they had learned that Stefano had been shot, Harold said he had thought the shooting had been a horrible coincidence. Harold noted that when he had heard Chad tell Andre that Stefano had been terminally ill, he'd known he had to tell Chad everything. Chad opened the wooden box and saw a handgun.
After Harold left, Chad poured a drink and sat in front of Stefano's chessboard. "I wanted to believe that you had changed. That you had become a better person. I'm sick and tired of the games this family plays. Even after your death, you're playing them," Chad said sadly.
