The police begin investigating Andre's murder
At the DiMera mansion, Stefan tried to convince Vivian that there was nothing to worry about, but she nervously insisted, "There's everything to worry about! Any minute now, they're going to find Andre, and the police are gonna get involved; in fact, I'm surprised they're not at the door right now!" Stefan calmly assured Vivian that nothing would ever be traced back to either one of them. "While I admire your confidence, I have often seen the best-laid plans unravel. That's why we have to get our stories straight [and] make sure our answers match, because we do not want to get implicated in the demise of Andre DiMera!" Vivian maintained.
Meanwhile, Chad and Kate discussed Andre's latest betrayal. "There will be consequences," Chad vowed. "Oh, there's no question of that," Kate agreed, outraged that Andre had fired Gabi -- and had seemingly been lying to her for weeks in the hope that she'd eventually be so wrapped around his little finger that she'd be willing to support his last-minute power play. "I should've known," Kate grumbled. Nodding, Chad mused, "[I did know] better than to trust him...but, you know, Abby kept defending him, and because I love her, and I trust her -- [I mean], it's not her fault, but I got sucked back into it again."
Kate, who hadn't gotten any sleep the previous night, seemed somewhat relieved when Chad insisted that they could start planning their next move after she took a shower and changed her clothes. Before heading upstairs, she warned him that reporters would soon start asking questions about what had happened. "We'll be ready for them," he promised as she left the living room. Turning his attention to his father's portrait, he muttered, "Yeah, you ruled with an iron fist -- I get it. Now I have to do the same..." Before he could say anything else, his cell phone began ringing. "Stay there. I'm on my way," he assured his hyperventilating wife.
Meanwhile, Stefan finished telling Vivian how they were going to handle the inevitable questions from the police. "Get it?" he concluded. "Got it!" she confirmed, suddenly feeling much better. "Good," he replied.
Later, Vivian joined Kate in the living room. "Good morning!" Vivian cheerfully greeted Kate. "What's good about it?" Kate irritably countered. "My, my -- someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Trouble in paradise?" Vivian asked. "Don't play coy with me. You know exactly what happened with Andre last night," Kate replied.
Vivian feigned ignorance, forcing Kate to elaborate that Andre had fired Gabi on the eve of Gabi Chic's relaunch. "Oh, yes -- I remember [seeing] something about that on the business crawl," Vivian innocently mused, adding that she hadn't paid much attention to the story because, after all, Countess Wilhelmina wasn't her domain. "Really? You expect me to believe that you had nothing to do with this?" Kate asked incredulously. Scoffing, Vivian insisted that Andre would never team up with her, of all people. "[Obviously, Andre] thought it was a good idea to fire [Gabi, and] if it wasn't, he'll be the one...removed," Vivian added, waving a hand dismissively. After Kate stormed off, Vivian picked up a framed photograph of Andre and Chad. "One down..." Vivian muttered, tracing an "X" over Andre's side of the image.
Chad found Abigail in Andre's office at DiMera Enterprises, still sobbing hysterically. Chad checked Andre's body for a pulse then tried to drag Abigail out of the room. "We can't leave your brother! I don't want to leave!" Abigail protested. "Listen, I understand that you love my brother, okay? But there's nothing more we can do here, okay? We can't help him now. We gotta call the police [and] get them here," Chad reasoned.
Eli ran into Gabi in a secluded section of Horton Town Square and quickly realized that she was upset about something. Gabi sadly explained that Andre had fired her. Outraged, Eli started to storm off to DiMera Enterprises to confront Andre, but Gabi stopped him. "You're not going over there, and neither am I. There's no point anymore," Gabi insisted. "What do you mean, 'there's no point'?" Eli asked incredulously -- just as his cell phone began ringing. After a brief conversation, Eli ended the call and apologetically informed Gabi, "They need me to investigate a possible homicide." She nodded and watched with a hint of concern as he rushed off.
Hope and Rafe, who had settled on a date for their wedding moments before learning of Andre's death, were already in the midst of securing the crime scene when Eli joined them at DiMera Enterprises. "What the hell? Isn't that Andre DiMera?" Eli asked when he got his first glimpse of the victim's face. "It was...until someone decided to bash his head in," Rafe replied, directing Eli's attention to something under Andre's desk. "A martini shaker?" Eli guessed. "An urn," Rafe clarified. "Like...for dead people's ashes?" Eli incredulously summarized. "Yep, just like that...and I think I know exactly who it belongs to," Rafe mused with a heavy sigh.
Meanwhile, in another office, Hope took Chad and Abigail's statements. Hope, knowing that Andre had always had his fair share of enemies, asked Chad and Abigail, "If either one of you can shed any light on any current issues Andre was having with anyone -- at work [or] otherwise..." Abigail stared at a poster for Gabi Chic while thinking about the threats Gabi had made during their brief encounter the previous night. Meanwhile, Chad admitted that he had been pretty angry with his brother the previous night, explaining, "He fired Gabi [and] stole [her] company out from underneath her." When Hope mused that Gabi had probably been pretty angry herself, Chad stammered that he hadn't meant to imply anything like that. "I don't think she's capable of --" Chad began to add. Interrupting, Hope pointed out, "Except we all know that she is, don't we?"
While passing through the town square, Gabi spotted Stefan, who was reading an online article about Andre's last-minute power play. Stefan claimed that the development was news to him, explaining, "Countess W is [merely] a subsidiary of DiMera, [meaning that] Andre is under no obligation to inform me of his decisions." Stefan denounced Andre's underhanded move but refused to override it, preferring to be the kind of CEO who employed a more hands-off approach to management. Scoffing, Gabi guessed that Stefan was really just punishing her for refusing to go on a date with him. "You couldn't be more wrong," Stefan dismissively insisted. "[Then] can't you just tell him that you're gonna override it? Please?" Gabi begged -- just as Stefan received a news alert about Andre's death. "[Well], now I can't," Stefan replied, showing Gabi the alert.
Kate arrived at DiMera Enterprises while Eli was telling the forensics team, "Comb the office for clues -- especially around the body. Whoever did this was sloppy enough to leave blood on the murder weapon...or smart enough to know that it would implicate someone." Confused, Kate neared Andre's office and noticed the crime scene tape. She broke down when she saw a coroner closing the bag that contained her husband's body.
Anna went to the Brady Pub to talk to Roman, who was pleasantly surprised to see her. "Guess you got my message last night," he said, joining her at one of the tables. "Uh, no...I haven't even checked my phone. Things got a little crazy after we parted ways; in fact, there's something I -- I really need to tell you," she replied, fidgeting nervously.
Roman stopped Anna from continuing, assuming that she wanted to talk to him about their recent argument. "I see, uh -- I see you're not carrying the urn now, but I know that Tony will always be a part of you, [and] I get that; I accept that," he assured her, adding that he regretted the way their previous conversation had ended. She appreciated his apology and stressed that she, too, wanted to forget about the whole thing. "[But I'm worried that] once I tell you what I need to tell you, [you will never] feel the same way about me again," she fretted. "It's a confession, really. [See], I always seem to get so emotionally caught up in the moment; common sense just goes right out the window..." she added, chuckling nervously. Somewhat confused, he made it clear that there was nothing she couldn't tell him. Meanwhile, the pub's front door swung open.
Roman cheerfully greeted Hope and Rafe and assured them that he would be with them shortly. "We're not here to eat," Hope clarified. "We're here for Anna," Rafe added. "In connection to what?" Roman asked, realizing that Hope and Rafe were on duty. "The murder of Andre DiMera," Hope answered, prompting Anna to shoot Roman a worried look.
In the square, Marlena and John told Will about one of their past run-ins with Stefano and how John had saved her from Stefano's evil clutches. As Will laughed about the craziness of the situation, Paul walked over. Will's face lit up. With a stern face, Paul told John that they needed to meet with Steve about work.
After Paul left with John, Will admitted to Marlena that he felt more comfortable with Paul than with most people in Salem. Marlena asked Will if he was looking for friendship. Will said he was attracted to Paul, and he did not think he should remain married to Sonny while he felt that way about Paul. With a shrug, Will said he did not feel a connection with Sonny. When Marlena asked Will what was on his mind, he said he could not stop thinking about Paul and how to get Paul interested in him. Will asked for advice about Paul.
"You need to stay away from Paul," Marlena said firmly. Will was surprised. Marlena explained that Paul was still in love with Sonny. With a nod, Will said he would think about Marlena's advice. Will changed the subject to his living situation. Marlena urged Will to stay with her and John. Will said Sami had sent him some money to help him find a place while he looked for work. "Surprisingly, there is not a huge market for unemployed amnesiacs," Will joked. Marlena suggested that Will return to bartending, since he was familiar with it.
At Doug's Place, John, Paul, Steve, and Kayla sat down for lunch together. When Steve got up to get a new fork for Kayla, he had another dizzy spell. Kayla was concerned, especially when Steve admitted that it had happened multiple times and that he had blurred vision. Steve assured Kayla that he was fine. With a nod, Kayla shoved a menu at Steve and ordered him to read it to her. Laughing, Steve blamed John for getting him drunk a few days prior. To test his hypothesis, Steve suggested they order a round of drinks.
While Steve and John had drinks, Kayla examined Steve. Kayla asked Steve to visit an ophthalmologist, but Steve was resistant. Steve grudgingly agreed to see the eye doctor. Kayla reminded Steve that they were a team, and he could not keep secrets from her. After Steve complimented Kayla, she softened a bit. Kayla said she believed Steve needed glasses. With business concluded, Paul left. At the bar, John collected two more shots of liquor and dumped a vial of liquid into Steve's glass.
At the pub, Roman swore to Hope that Anna was not capable of murder. Hope countered by reminding Roman of Anna's behavior in Prague when she had shot Steve. Roman asked about evidence. Hope said that the murder weapon implicated Anna. Roman was shocked to learn that Tony's urn had been used to murder Andre. Hope argued that Anna never went anywhere without the urn. When Hope asked Roman the last time he had seen the urn, Roman admitted that he had seen Anna with it the day before.
Hope suggested that Roman distance himself from Anna for a bit. Roman stressed that Anna was a good person grieving and that he could not abandon her. After Hope left, Roman thought about when Anna had said she needed to make a confession. Marlena and Will startled Roman out of his reverie. Marlena asked Roman if he needed a bartender at the pub. Preoccupied, Roman asked if they could talk later.
As Roman rushed into the back, Will smiled sheepishly at Marlena. Will and Marlena sat down and looked at ads for apartments. Will eliminated the first one Marlena read because it was the building where he had died. The second one was his parents' old building. With a grumble, Will read a third one. Marlena raised an eyebrow as Will grinned.
In the police station interrogation room, Rafe placed the bag with the murder weapon in front of Anna. Anna quipped that she did not want a martini. Rafe cautioned Anna to proceed carefully because he knew that the martini shaker had been Tony's urn. When Anna asked Rafe why he was showing her the urn, Rafe noted that it was the weapon used in Andre's murder. Anna said she had no idea why the urn had been at the scene of the crime.
"Did you lose it? Did someone take it from you?" Rafe asked. Anna stayed silent. When Rafe pushed, Anna asked for a lawyer. When Roman arrived at the station, he talked to Anna alone. Anna rushed into his arms and asked for help. Roman promised to help Anna, but he needed her to tell him the truth about whether she had murdered Andre.
In the Kiriakis mansion living room, Eve asked Brady if he had done anything to Andre. Brady said he did not know what Eve was talking about. Eve noted that Brady had said he had a plan, left for a couple hours, and returned home drunk. Eve added that Brady had not said anything when he had returned home. When Eve demanded to know what Brady had done, Brady said he did not want to implicate Eve in anything. Eve again demanded to know what Brady had done to Andre. In the hallway, Sonny eavesdropped on the argument.
"Yes, I did it! I killed Andre DiMera," Brady said. In the hallway, Sonny's jaw dropped upon hearing the confession. Brady claimed that Eve had wanted him to kill Andre. Brady explained that he and Andre had yelled at one another, and he had accidentally killed him. When Eve asked for details, Brady admitted that he had been too drunk to remember everything. Brady begged Eve not to tell anyone. Sonny ran out of the house before Brady could discover him listening to the confession.
In the square, Sonny ran into Paul. Paul wanted to walk away, but Sonny stopped him so that he could apologize. Paul said he understood why Sonny had lashed out at him. When Paul asked how Sonny was doing, Sonny said he had just returned from London. Sonny said he was still confused. Paul told Sonny that he could talk to him if he was hurting. Sonny changed the subject to Brady. Paul offered to talk to his brother, but Sonny said he did not want to put Paul in an awkward position. Paul admitted that he liked to be Sonny's "sounding board." With a nod, Sonny left.
At the Kiriakis mansion, a panicked Eve said, "I never once asked you to murder Andre. Are we clear about that?" Brady nodded yes. Eve was furious and refused to be Brady's alibi. Brady said he did not need an alibi. When Eve asked why, Brady chuckled and said he had been joking. Brady laughed.
"If you didn't kill Andre, where did you go last night?" Eve asked. Brady said he had gone to confront Andre but had not gotten past the lobby. Brady said he had instead gone to a bar before returning home. When Eve asked why he had not told her the truth first, Brady admitted that he did not remember everything about the previous evening. Brady added that he was positive he had not killed anyone.
Brady said he was hurt that Eve had been quick to believe that he was a murderer. When Brady noted that Eve's reaction meant that she had been innocent, Eve shrugged and told Brady not to be so sure. Brady said he knew Eve was joking. Sonny returned home and walked into the living room. "You two seem awfully jolly, considering a man just got brutally murdered," Sonny said. Sonny asked Brady if he knew anything about the murder. "Nope," Brady said.
At the Martin house, Paul ran into Will in the hallway. Paul said he was too busy to talk. With a smile, Will said he was not there to see Paul. Will explained that he was moving into the Martin house.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Sonny informed Brady and Eve that he had overheard their earlier conversation. Eve started to clarify things for Sonny, but Brady quickly stopped her, wanting to toy with his rival for a while.
"What were you thinking?" Sonny asked Brady incredulously. "I have spent every waking moment trying to rebuild the reputation of Titan, and you go off and kill someone?" Sonny continued. "What can I say? It happened," Brady explained with a shrug, sarcastically adding that it was a shame that the incident was going to make Sonny's job harder. Outraged, Sonny declared, "[This] is why Uncle Vic didn't put you in charge -- [because] you're an addict and a hothead!" Sonny added that people needed to finally start holding Brady accountable for his actions instead of enabling him all the time.
"I have worked way too hard to have what I have, and I'm not gonna risk losing it because of you, Brady! I'm telling you right now, I will not have your back!" Sonny warned. Brady dismissively countered that Sonny's support wasn't needed or wanted, anyway. "And I'm not gonna let someone else take the responsibility for what I did, [so] if you want to [turn me in to the police], make the call," Brady challenged Sonny, who thought about the matter for a second then dialed 9-1-1 and asked the operator to transfer the call to Commissioner Hope Brady's desk.
Brady quickly seized Sonny's cell phone and ended the call then began ranting, "You're so gullible! You're so weak! The dumbest mistake that Victor ever made was to put you in charge of Titan, and sooner or later, everybody -- including Victor -- is gonna know it!" Brady advised Sonny that it was usually best for an eavesdropper to listen to an entire conversation instead of just a portion of it. "When I told Eve that I murdered Andre, I was joking," Brady continued. "Well, more accurately, he was just testing me," Eve helpfully clarified.
"I don't believe a word you say," Sonny insisted, eyeing Brady suspiciously. Shrugging, Brady returned Sonny's cell phone. "I'm not gonna stop you [from calling Hope back, but you're just] gonna end up looking like a bigger loser than you already are," Brady warned, adding that he had several ways to prove that he was telling the truth. Sonny wondered how Brady could possibly joke about murder, of all things. "Like you care about Andre DiMera!" Brady dismissively replied. "I care about protecting this family!" Sonny clarified. "You have a strange way of showing it..." Eve countered.
Annoyed, Sonny told Eve to mind her own business. Eve defensively reminded Sonny that, like it or not, she was a member of the Kiriakis family -- and therefore had every right to participate in the conversation. "[And] at least I'm keeping my eye on the ball! Maybe you should try doing a little bit more business [instead of just] lurking behind closed doors!" Eve continued. "Eh, that's nothing new -- Sonny's always lacked focus," Brady interjected, adding that Will was Sonny's latest distraction. "[And] you call me a hothead," Brady continued, scoffing at Sonny.
Confused, Sonny tiredly asked Brady, "What are you even talking about?" Brady, clearly happy to continue taunting Sonny, clarified, "You could have had a great marriage with Paul, but you decided to throw it all away so you could have one last chance with Will -- Will, who has not only dumped you but wants nothing to do with you at all!"
Sonny insisted that Brady was in no position to comment on anyone else's love life while hooking up with Eve, of all people. "You know, for the longest time, I actually thought you supported me, [but all you've ever] cared about [is] that CEO position!" Sonny snapped. "I deserve it!" Brady argued. "Well, Uncle Vic doesn't think so -- and why should he? You disappoint him; you continue to let him down! How many times have you fallen off the wagon?" Sonny countered, prompting Eve to claim that Brady was sober again. "How long's that gonna last?" Sonny asked skeptically.
"Every single person used to think Theresa dragged [Brady] down, [but] I'm actually starting to think it's the other way around, [and] if you were smart, you would follow in your sister's footsteps and stay the hell away from him!" Sonny advised Eve, adding that Brady was clearly only using her. Brady laughed off the accusation, but Sonny warned Eve to take it seriously. "It's only a matter of time until you feel sorry that you ever got in bed with this guy," Sonny predicted before walking away. Eve seemed a bit rattled but assured Brady that she was on his side, just as he was on hers.
"It's never been more clear who our real enemies are," Eve continued. "Sonny and Victor," Brady spat. Nodding, Eve seductively promised Brady that Sonny and Victor wouldn't have control of Titan for much longer. Noting that Sonny had already lost Will, Brady admitted, as a wicked grin stretched across his face, that he was looking forward to ensuring that his rival eventually lost everything else, as well.
At the Martin mansion, Paul insisted that Will needed to find a different place to live. "Sonny is going to assume that you [chose this place] just to get close to me!" Paul fretted. "What if I did?" Will countered with a shrug, leaving Paul speechless. Grinning, Will clarified, "Relax -- [I'm only] playing with you. Look, I can't live with Marlena anymore. Don't get me wrong -- she's the world's coolest grandmother -- but I need my own space. And this place is really affordable. I don't have a job, Paul, and I don't want to rely on my family for money."
Paul admitted that was understandable. "But --" Paul began to add. Will quickly interrupted, wondering, "What, you don't believe that I could choose this place because it's a great location and the right price? Is it that hard for you to accept that not everything is about you?"
Unamused, Paul pointed out that Will was interested in him and had made that clear on more than one occasion -- and had even cited that as his reason for ending things with Sonny. "True," Will conceded, shrugging again. "Good, so -- so we can -- we can be honest?" Paul asked, still on edge. "Yeah, we can be honest...and, honestly, I did not move in here because you live here," Will stressed.
After a strategic pause, Will added with a grin, "But I definitely don't mind that you do." Speechless again, Paul stared at Will in disbelief. "You asked for honesty," Will pointed out. "[And] I told you [before], I'm very attracted to you. And I feel a connection to you. And I think that you feel it, too," Will continued. Clearly uncomfortable, Paul stammered while trying to think of a response.
Will eventually interrupted, stressing, "[Look], I don't want to hide my feelings anymore. You know what my life was like in Memphis, when I thought I was E.J. -- years wasted, pretending I was straight." Paul conceded that was no way for a person to live. Nodding, Will continued, "I tried with Sonny -- I did -- but he wants too much from me. With you, I feel like I can be who I am."
Changing the subject, Will retrieved his journal from one of the boxes he had been in the process of carrying to his new room. "My mom gave me this journal, and she said, 'Flip to a blank page and start writing the story of your new life in Salem, one day at a time,'" Will explained to Paul, who wondered if Sonny was in that story. "No...and you're not in it, either, because you're still in love with him," Will answered, prompting Paul to wonder how Will knew that. "Because he's the first thing you thought of when you saw me moving in here," Will replied. "[And] that's fine -- that's okay -- but we're gonna be neighbors, and I'd like it if we could [also] be friends," Will continued, extending a hand. Instead of shaking Will's hand, Paul picked up the boxes Will had set aside earlier. "What do you got in here, a weight set?" Paul joked as Will unlocked the door to his new room.
Paul followed Will into the room and awkwardly tried to set the boxes down on a dresser. Will reached for the top box in an effort to lighten Paul's load but ended up dropping it instead -- perhaps on purpose. Paul set aside the other box then knelt to help Will pick up everything that had spilled onto the floor. "Did I mention that I'm clumsy?" Will asked with a chuckle.
Paul grinned at Will, but his smile faded when he noticed an open wedding album among the items on the floor. "I never got one of those with Sonny," Paul noted with a sigh. "Because I came back and ruined everything," Will acknowledged. "Yes. You ruined everything," Paul agreed with obvious sarcasm. Changing the subject, Paul wondered how the pictures made Will feel. "Um...it's, you know, a nice wedding -- not that I remember any of it," Will replied with a shrug.
"So...now that Sonny and I aren't happening, are you gonna try and get back with him?" Will asked. Sighing again, Paul shook his head and hesitantly answered, "Sonny chose you. I'm, uh...I'm not interested in being somebody else's second choice." Nodding, Will agreed that Paul deserved someone who would always put him first.
Changing the subject again, Paul wondered what else Will had in the boxes. "[Looks] like a lot of memories," Paul observed. "And yet, none of them are mine," Will pointed out, adding that they were just things his mother had given him before heading back to Europe, and they didn't really mean anything to him; in fact, they didn't even feel like his belongings at all. "I mean, who still has CDs?" Will asked incredulously, pulling a CD out of one of the boxes. "[And] Tokyo Fab? Who the hell are they?" Will continued. "Wait, wait, wait -- Tokyo Fab?" Paul countered, seizing the CD for inspection. "They kick ass!" Paul insisted.
After making Will listen to one of Tokyo Fab's songs, Paul explained, "They're a Beatles heavy metal cover band." Paul, who considered Tokyo Fab his favorite Japanese band, added, "I used to have the stadium announcer play [their cover of 'The Fool on the Hill'] when I was warming up for games; [it was] sort of my little secret." Will understood that "the hill" was a sly reference to the pitcher's mound, but Paul elaborated, "[Plus], I felt like a fool and a fraud up there, pretending to be a ladies' man." Paul suddenly -- and somewhat sadly -- remembered that he had tickets to a fast-approaching Tokyo Fab concert in Chicago that he'd originally planned to attend with Sonny -- who actually hated the band, anyway.
Will curiously noted that the lyrics had seemed really familiar to him, even though he couldn't remember any other time when he had listened to the band's music. "Music stays with you," Paul reasoned. Nodding, Will vowed to listen to the rest of the band's songs soon. Paul offered to put a copy of a bootleg version of a Tokyo Fab concert on a flash drive for Will, who happily accepted.
"I know where to find you...neighbor," Will pointed out as a way of ending the conversation. "Friends?" Paul asked. Smiling, Will shook Paul's outstretched hand. After Paul left, Will flipped through the pages of the wedding album then closed it and tossed it back in a box. Then he opened his journal, flipped to the first blank page, grabbed a pen, and began writing: "Today I made a new friend. His name is Paul..."
At Doug's Place, John carried two shots of scotch back to Steve's table, making sure to give him the drugged one. "You are a bad influence, and you're poisoning my husband!" Kayla protested, giving John a playful look of disapproval. Steve dismissively insisted that John was the best friend a guy could ever ask for, and Kayla conceded that there was no point in arguing with that. "I can't do this," John muttered to himself as Steve jokingly asked Kayla if patients who only needed one functional lens still had to pay the full price for a pair of glasses. "Listen, you two, there's something I need to tell you..." John began in a louder tone.
Before John could continue, Marlena interrupted to announce that Andre had been murdered -- and that Anna seemed to be the prime suspect. While Kayla was trying to contact Roman, Marlena pulled John aside to inform him that Will was considering renting a room at the Martin mansion -- probably because Paul lived there. Marlena quickly realized that John wasn't paying much attention to her, and when she called him out on it, he apologized and vaguely explained that he was simply distracted because a lot was going on at that time. Changing the subject, John assured Marlena that he would check with Hope to see if there was anything he could do to help with Andre's murder investigation. "You know, when you're in town, everybody feels a little bit safer," Marlena raved, quickly softening. "That's all I want -- to keep the people I care about safe," John stressed.
As John started to contact Hope, Steve tried to stand -- and quickly sank back onto his chair, feeling dizzy once again. Concerned, Marlena joined Kayla at Steve's side and listened as they explained the strange symptoms he had been experiencing recently. "Feeling better, pal?" John asked, watching Steve closely. Steve's vision was still blurry, but in an effort to hide that fact from everyone, he claimed, "Yeah, I'm good -- but maybe you're the one we should be worrying about, [John]. What's with that guilty look on your face?"
John conceded that he did feel guilty -- because he had clearly gotten his friend a bit too plastered. Scoffing, Steve insisted that he could handle even more shots. "This is why we are never gonna have peace in this world -- because men are their own worst enemies!" Kayla told Marlena. "And with an enemy like him, who needs friends, right?" Steve joked, draping an arm around John's shoulders. John forced a smile and laughed off the comment then went to get another round of shots.
Later, while strolling through Horton Town Square with John, Marlena fretted about Steve's strange symptoms. "He'll be all right; he's one of the toughest guys I know," John assured Marlena.
At the police station, Anna privately admitted to Roman that she had been in Andre's office the previous day. "It all started when I received this letter..." Anna began to explain, retrieving the letter from her purse.
After reading the letter, Roman told Hope and Rafe that Anna had never been out of his sight for more than a minute the previous day. Hope suspected that Roman was lying, but he stuck to the story and even signed a statement to make it official. Forced to release Anna, Hope disapprovingly warned Anna not to take advantage of a good guy like Roman.
Later, outside the Brady Pub, Anna wondered why Roman had lied to protect her. Roman explained that he was trying to buy some time to figure out who had written the letter. Someone watched from afar as Anna, at Roman's request, read the letter aloud: "Dear Anna, you don't know me, but I thought it would interest you to know that Andre DiMera killed your beloved Tony. He was at University Hospital the night Tony died. Don't you think he should pay for that?"
Roman reasoned that the person who had written the letter had been hoping to goad Anna into hurting Andre. "And I did just that --" Anna began to point out, but Roman quickly stopped her. "Don't say another word about that, all right? Not to anybody, okay? Not 'til we figure out who wrote this letter -- and why," Roman advised Anna as someone continued watching them.
At the hospital, Valerie informed Kayla that Abe had just finished helping Theo get settled in South Africa and would soon be returning to Salem -- just in time to offer support to his other child. "I'm assuming you already know [Lani's] pregnant," Valerie continued. "I just didn't know that you knew," Kayla replied. Valerie casually probed for details about the pregnancy, but Kayla dodged each question.
At the Martin mansion, Gabi, who had spent the night with a restless Eli, guessed that he'd had a few bad dreams. "All I remember is a feeling that I was losing something really important to me," he claimed, not wanting to admit that his nightmares had involved him telling her about his one-night stand -- and losing her as a result. "Well, I can relate to that [feeling]," she mused with a sigh.
Eli pointed out, at the risk of sounding insensitive, that Andre was dead -- and that Kate, unlike Andre, had always been on Gabi's side. "[Maybe you should] go and offer condolences...and if the opportunity presents itself to discuss the future of Gabi Chic, take advantage of it," Eli suggested. Smiling, Gabi thanked Eli for always being there for her. "There's no place else I'd want to be. I don't ever want to let you down," Eli stressed.
Meanwhile, in J.J.'s room, Lani had a nightmare about what would most likely happen if the truth about her baby's paternity was ever exposed. J.J. eventually woke Lani, who had been tearfully apologizing to him in her sleep. He wanted to know what she had been dreaming about, but she claimed that she couldn't remember -- then distracted him with sex.
Later, J.J. curiously noted that Lani didn't even have a baby bump yet. "Every woman carries differently, especially with the first pregnancy," she evasively replied. When he wondered how much longer they would have to wait before an ultrasound would be able to show whether they were going to have a boy or a girl, she dodged the question, claiming that she didn't want to find out ahead of time.
As Lani started to get ready for work, J.J. admitted that it would be comforting to know that someone -- Eli, for instance -- had her back when she was on duty. Lani somewhat harshly insisted that she didn't want or need Eli, of all people, as a partner. J.J., sensing that it would probably be best to change the subject, pointed out that he was going to have to tell his mother about the baby soon. Lani encouraged J.J. to go ahead and do that; she stressed, however, that she really didn't want anyone else to know just yet. J.J. understood that Lani was nervous about getting through the first trimester of the pregnancy. "But that's almost over, [and] I'll bet [that] when it is, you'll be just like me and want to shout it out to the whole world!" J.J. added, beaming with excitement. Lani forced a smile as J.J. gave her a hug.
While passing through Horton Town Square, Eric spotted Jennifer, who was having breakfast with Henry Shah. Eric, who'd had a dream about Jennifer earlier and had been disappointed when it had ended, tried to avoid being seen, but Henry quickly noticed him and called him over. "I don't want to intrude," Eric protested. "As much as I enjoy having Jen to myself, that grant proposal for the Center needs to be reviewed," Henry countered -- just as his cell phone chimed. "It's the hospital. Looks like you're gonna have to review it without me," Henry continued. "Last night was really nice," Henry told Jennifer before rushing off.
Eric, clearly uncomfortable, assured Jennifer that they could go ahead and get the review done really quickly -- unless, of course, she needed to get back to the Spectator to continue covering Andre's murder. Jennifer clarified that another reporter was covering that story. Nodding, Eric started reading the grant proposal. Jennifer did the same -- and soon began raving that Henry really knew how to write such things. "You two dating?" Eric asked. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," Jennifer replied. "That's great. I mean, if you're happy, I'm -- I'm happy for you," Eric claimed. Jennifer somewhat irritably asked Eric to stay focused on the grant proposal.
Noticing something that needed to be changed, Jennifer began looking for her stylus so she could jot down some notes in her tablet computer. When Eric suggested that Jennifer might have left her stylus at Henry's place, she defensively demanded to know what that was supposed to mean. "I assumed, since you two had an early breakfast together..." Eric explained with a shrug. "That is one heck of an assumption -- and none of your business!" Jennifer snapped. Nodding, Eric apologized for overstepping. Softening a bit, Jennifer assured Eric that he no longer needed to concern himself with the details of her personal life.
"I'm gonna move on...and hopefully that means I'm gonna fall in love with someone who can love me back," Jennifer continued. "And why wouldn't you [want that]?" Eric asked supportively, misunderstanding what Jennifer was saying. Taken aback, Jennifer turned the question back around on Eric, who dismissively insisted that he didn't know where he'd even begin to look for love again. "I do...and I think you would, too, if you were just honest with yourself," Jennifer replied. "[Wait, so you think that I'm not] moving on with my life? Is that why you suddenly went cold on me -- on us?" Eric wondered.
Before Jennifer could clarify things for Eric, J.J. interrupted to share his good news -- with the hope that his mother would agree, eventually if not right away, that it was, in fact, good news. After taking a moment to absorb J.J.'s announcement, Jennifer hugged him and excitedly congratulated him. Relieved, J.J. reported that Lani was just as thrilled with the unexpected development as he was.
Valerie arranged a meeting with Eli and revealed, when he joined her in the park, that Lani was pregnant. Stunned, Eli reluctantly admitted that, because sleeping with Lani had been a heat-of-the-moment thing, the idea of using protection hadn't really factored into the equation. "[But that] doesn't mean the baby's mine, all right? We slept together once!" Eli stressed. "That's all it takes," Valerie countered.
Valerie explained with a sigh that doctor-patient confidentiality prevented Kayla from revealing how far along Lani was -- but if Eli was the baby's father, that meant that the second month of the pregnancy was just beginning. "That's a big 'if,'" Eli argued. "It's still a possibility!" Valerie maintained. "[And] considering how you grew up -- not knowing who your real father was because of me -- if this baby is yours, Eli, I think you should know," Valerie reasoned. Realizing that Valerie was right, Eli tracked Lani down at the police station, pulled her into one of the conference rooms, and demanded to know if she was carrying his baby.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad comforted Abigail, who had just had a disturbing dream in which Andre had attempted to tell her who had killed him. When Chad reported that Anna had been released because Roman had given her an alibi, Abigail reluctantly admitted that, in that case, she was concerned that Gabi might have killed Andre. Chad found it hard to believe that Gabi would risk losing Arianna all over again, even after Abigail revealed that Gabi had blatantly threatened to kill Andre just hours before he had been found dead. "That's a figure of speech; people say that all the time," Chad dismissively reasoned, but Abigail didn't share his certainty.
Kate dozed off while working in the living room but soon awoke with a start, ending a disturbing dream in which Andre had mockingly revealed that he had never really been in love with her and had, in fact, been using her all along as his ticket back into DiMera Enterprises' inner circle. Fearing that was true, Kate picked up a framed photograph of Andre and fought back tears as she angrily hurled it across the room.
Gabi arrived while Kate was picking up shards of glass. Kate refused to accept Gabi's help, not wanting her to get hurt. "Although I guess it's too late for that," Kate conceded with a sigh. Changing the subject, Gabi explained to Kate, "I came by to, um, tell you how sorry I am for your loss." Kate was touched that Gabi was able to look beyond Andre's betrayal and offer condolences to his family.
"Do the police have any leads?" Gabi asked casually. Kate revealed that Anna had been the prime suspect, mainly because her late husband's urn had been found at the scene of the crime and appeared to be the murder weapon. "[But] apparently Roman is so besotted with her that he gave her an alibi," Kate continued. "You think he's lying?" Gabi guessed. "Yes, I do. If Anna didn't do it, who did?" Kate reasoned.
Changing the subject again, Gabi hesitantly began, "You know, I wasn't gonna ask you -- and I didn't come here with the intention of asking you -- [but]...what's gonna happen with Gabi Chic?" Kate stressed that Andre's power play had been a complete surprise to her -- and, in fact, when he had told her about it on the night of his death, she had angrily vowed that she would leave him for good unless he reversed his decision. Kate admitted that she had stormed off without waiting for an answer. "Was that the last time you saw Andre?" Gabi asked.
Before Kate could respond, Chad entered the living room with Abigail, who somewhat suspiciously wondered what Gabi was doing at the mansion. Meanwhile, Kate received a phone call from the funeral director, who wanted to meet with her to discuss arrangements. Chad found that a bit surprising because Andre's body hadn't even been released yet. Nodding, Kate confirmed that the autopsy was still pending. Chad insisted on accompanying Kate to the meeting with the funeral director, refusing to let her go through such an ordeal on her own.
Alone with Gabi, Abigail hesitantly asked, "Did you kill Andre?"
At the police station, Hope and Rafe reviewed the forensics evidence that had been collected from Andre's murder scene. The evidence showed that the urn was Anna's but that the ashes inside could not be confirmed as Tony's remains. Rafe noted that the cause of death had been blunt force trauma. Rafe wondered aloud if someone had set Anna up. Hope said she believed that Roman had lied about Anna's alibi, but it was possible that someone had set Anna up.
In the interrogation room at the police station, Eli confronted Lani about her pregnancy. Lani lied and said that she was two months along. Suspicious, Eli asked Lani if she was telling the truth. Lani swore that she had not known she was pregnant when she had slept with Eli. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to add more pressure to you or anything, I just know how you are," Eli said. When Lani asked Eli what he meant, Eli reminded Lani that she had played the part of the hero during the Halo sting. Eli promised that he would be a father to the baby if it was his child.
"Even if that means ruining everything you have with Gabi?" Lani asked. Eli admitted he was not sure his relationship could survive the revelation. Referencing his history, Eli said he did not want a child to grow up not knowing his father. Lani assured Eli that the baby was J.J.'s. Rafe interrupted to ask for Eli's help in executing a search warrant.
After Eli left with Rafe, Lani joined Hope in her office. Hope noticed that Lani had been crying. Breaking down, Lani confessed that she was pregnant. Hope pulled Lani into her arms and assured her that she would feel like herself again soon. Lani chuckled. Hope said she was thrilled to hear good news for a change. Overwhelmed, Lani stepped outside for air.
In the DiMera mansion living room, Abigail asked Gabi if she had murdered Andre. Gabi was insulted. Abigail reminded Gabi that she had threatened to kill Andre the night he died. Gabi said she did not remember saying that. Gabi added that if she had said it, it had been an empty threat. Abigail continued to push Gabi. With a scoff, Gabi asked Abigail if she had an alibi. Abigail protested that she was the only person that had loved Andre. Gabi argued that Abigail had found out something unsettling about Andre and had killed him.
Taken aback, Abigail said she did not appreciate Gabi implying that she had murdered Andre. "Well, now you know how it feels when your friend accuses you of murder!" Gabi barked. Unfazed, Abigail argued that Gabi had killed Nick and was fully capable of murdering Andre. When Abigail said that Andre had pushed Gabi to the edge, Gabi countered, "Just like Ben did to you?" Gabi noted that just like Abigail would never set a man on fire again, Gabi would never kill anyone, either.
"What Andre did to me? It was rotten. But it was business," Gabi stressed. Gabi added that she wished Andre was still alive so that she could sue him for stealing her company. Abigail apologized. "I'm not going to stop looking for whomever killed Andre because I want to look that person straight in the eye," Abigail said. Right on cue, Stefan walked into the living room.
The women stared daggers at Stefan. Abigail coldly asked Stefan to knock before entering a room, especially in the wake of a tragedy. Stefan gave Abigail his condolences. With a shrug, Stefan remarked to Gabi, "If it had to happen, I'm sorry it wasn't before he fired you." Seizing her chance, Gabi asked Stefan to void Andre's decision to fire her. "I think we should wait to talk about that, out of respect for Andre," Stefan said.
Rafe and Eli arrived at the house and asked Stefan for a list of everyone that had had access to DiMera Enterprises the night of the murder. "I wasn't there, so I have no idea," Stefan said. Rafe reminded Stefan that there was a log and security camera footage at the business. When Stefan asked for a warrant, Rafe handed one over. Stefan promised his full cooperation. Concerned, Stefan asked how long the company would be shuttered to accommodate the investigation. When Eli questioned Stefan's priorities, Stefan countered that he needed to run a business that was in transition. Rafe stressed that anyone living in the DiMera mansion needed to stay in town and make themselves available for questioning.
Upstairs, Kate admitted to Chad that she had grown to love Andre. Seeing how upset Kate was, Chad called the funeral home and canceled her appointment. Kate rattled off the list of terrible things that Andre had done, but she added, "At least he had a human side. I never expected to love him." When Chad asked what had changed in Kate's marriage, Kate said she had believed that Andre had grown to love her.
"Why did he betray me?" Kate wondered aloud. "Because he was a chip off the old block. Why do you think Stefano could go from this lovable teddy bear one minute and then wanting to slit your throat the next?" Chad said. Kate blamed the love of power for Andre's downfall. Chad and Abigail talked about their history with Andre, and Andre's affinity for Abigail. "She liked [Andre], and she actually trusted him. I'm worried about her. She's taking it really hard," Chad said.
Kate wondered aloud why Andre had fired Gabi when he had to have known it would upset both her and Abigail. Chad shrugged. Kate confessed she had given Andre an ultimatum to rehire Gabi, or she would end the marriage. "I really thought he'd do the right thing. But now we'll never know," Kate said. Chad assured Kate that Andre had loved her. Kate told Chad that Andre had loved him, too. "Is it possible to be furious with someone and miss them at the same time?" Chad asked. Kate nodded yes.
"I kind of feel like a black widow, you know? Curtis. Stefano. Andre," Kate whispered sadly. Chad chuckled. "Andre always had the theory that father was still alive, though," Chad said. Kate noted that after the emergence of a new son and the death of an old son, it was the perfect time for Stefano to emerge from hiding. Chad and Kate agreed they did not want to deal with Stefano on top of everything else.
"I really did hate being on the outs with you. So, if there's gonna be anything good that could come from this, it'd be us getting over what happened to Theo," Chad said. "Thank God for that, because you knowing about my part in that was unbearable," Kate countered. Kate hugged Chad.
At the café in the square, Tripp was surprised to find Steve sitting at a table, wearing glasses. When Tripp chuckled at the sight, Steve warned Tripp, "You laugh, it will be the last time you laugh." Steve threw his glasses on the table. Steve explained that he was wearing the glasses to treat dizzy spells. Concerned, Tripp asked if his father was okay. Steve assured Tripp that the doctor had diagnosed his problem as eye strain. Steve asked Tripp about his life. Tripp said work was good, but life in the loft was difficult because Ciara and Claire were fighting. With a nod, Steve noted that a lot could change while Theo was away.
"Change how? Theo learns to walk all over again, comes back, and finds out I moved in on his girlfriend? You think that has a good outcome?" Tripp asked. Tripp said he had no choice but to move on with his life and get over Claire.
In the pub, John thought about when he had spiked Steve's drink. John shook his head in disgust. Roman noticed John's face and asked him if he was okay. John said he was fine then quickly changed the subject to Anna. Roman gave John the letter that Anna had found in her purse. After a cursory look, John advised Roman to give the letter to the police. John argued that the letter was motive for Anna to kill Andre. Shaking his head, Roman growled that he needed to know who had sent the letter.
"Are you covering for her?" John asked. Roman sat silently. With a groan, John warned Roman that Hope could pull John's investigator's license for helping Roman. Roman said he had no one he could trust. Reluctantly, John agreed to help Roman track down the person that had sent the letter.
"I figure you'll want to let Steve in on this. That's okay. I know you don't keep anything from him," Roman said. With a guilty look in his eye, John nodded. Roman asked John not to tell the police about the letter. John resisted, but Roman argued that he needed to protect Carrie's mother. Reluctantly, John agreed to investigate.
John met with Steve at the café and informed him about his new case. Steve examined the letter. "This sounds like someone is trying to goad Anna into killing Andre," Steve said. John warned Steve that the letter made them accessories after the fact. Steve said he would help John with the case. "We're partners," Steve said as he looked over the letter. While Steve was not looking, John poured a vial of liquid into Steve's drink.
In the DiMera living room, Stefan informed Gabi and Abigail that the security tapes at DiMera Enterprises had been turned over to the police. "I hope neither of you have anything to hide," Stefan said. Gabi said no. Gabi asked again about her termination. Stefan said he would need to discuss the matter with the board first. Unhappy with the answer, Gabi raised an eyebrow at Stefan. With a nod, Stefan asked Gabi to leave him alone to talk with his head of PR. After assurances from Abigail that they were okay, Gabi left.
"Don't play games with her. You can reinstate her at Gabi Chic right now, and you know it, so just don't drag it out," Abigail growled after Gabi left. Stefan said he needed to put out a press release, but Abigail said she was too upset about Andre to work. As Abigail wiped away tears, Stefan hugged her. Abigail pulled away and left to find Chad.
In the park, Gabi saw Lani sitting on the bench, looking sad. Gabi asked what was wrong. "I have something I need to tell you," Lani confessed.
At the police station, Rafe and Eli returned to report to Hope that they had collected the security footage and log books from DiMera Enterprises. Rafe, Hope, and Eli gathered around the laptop to watch the footage, but Hope's phone beeped with a text from the deputy mayor. With a grin, Hope apologized and rushed out; Rafe grumbled as he pressed play. The footage began with video of Andre talking on a cell phone. Eli reviewed the report from the crime scene and confirmed that no cell phone had been found with the body.
"If there is a God, the killer will follow him in there," Eli said. "Looks like your prayers have just been answered," Rafe said.
