Jada Faces Off Against EJ

On today’s Days of Our Lives, Belle tries defending EJ to Jada, who insists that she’s being set up. “My God, Belle, why are you defending EJ?” Jada doesn’t want to argue, she just wants to know where EJ is. Belle plays dumb, pretending she just showed up to see Johnny. On her way out, Jada sees the “secret” door open. She goes barging in, despite Belle’s protestations that it’s probably just construction crews.

Down in the secret-ish room, EJ fills Rafe in on the wedding disaster, assuring his hostage that he did Jada a favor in the long run. Rafe, though, is sure that Jada’s going to see through it all. He insists it’s only a matter of time before EJ’s caught, but EJ just gags him again and heads out into the tunnels — where he runs right into Jada!

He demands to know what she’s doing there, and she tells him, “You know why. I know exactly what you’re up to.” What she knows is just that EJ set her up to look like a crooked cop. In the room, Rafe tries yelling through his gag, and Jada hears something. “What was that noise?” EJ plays dumb, then, when it comes again, says it’s workers fixing the room up after Connie’s bomb.

Then he insults Jada enough until she goes upstairs with him where he spins a tale about being suspicious of Jada’s stellar record standing out from the rest of the “Keystone Cops.” He then shoves her out the door, as Belle chides him for kicking her when she’s down. After Jada’s gone, Belle tells EJ that Jada doesn’t know about the two of them. “Good, good.”

When Belle flat out asks EJ if he manufactured the evidence against Jada, EJ just stares at her. Then he tells her that Rafe was the one who dug up the evidence and plays innocent. “OK. I just hope that you’re telling me the truth.” Then she shuts down his flirting and heads to work — after they kiss and say they’re glad they spent the night together.

“This is all getting too close for comfort,” he bemoans when she’s gone.

Steve and Brady Join Forces

Off in the hospital, Steve, as he did on Friday’s episode, finds out from Tripp that Ava’s not in Hong Kong. Brady asks to talk to Tripp, who tells him he hasn’t even spoken to his mom. Steve demands the phone back to assure Tripp Ava’s fine and he’ll get to the bottom of it. Brady is sure something is very wrong.

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Brady hands his phone over to show the text from “Ava,” and Steve tells him Ava may have just been trying to spare his feelings and Hong Kong was just a cover. OK… then where did she go? None of this makes sense. Steve starts going through scenarios, finally landing on the idea that someone else sent that text.

It could be the mob, Clyde Weston — a lot of bad people. They rehash the last time Ava and Brady spoke, and Steve has Brady play the garbled voicemail. If she didn’t mean she was leaving for Hong Kong… Where did she go? Steve promises to work her old contacts and try to enhance the voicemail audio. He thinks she’s in real trouble.

Kristen Reunites With Her Mom

Over in Aremid, Kristen is about to undo Ava when the Woman In White enters. “Mother? It can’t be!” It is! She’s Rachel Blake, and she’s alive. The two joyfully embrace. Kristen’s in disbelief and asks her mom about her scars. “Fixed. A long time ago. What brings you here, my darling girl?” Kristen says she came looking for Ava, then realizes that her mom has been here the whole time — and she did help little Rachel with Ava.

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Kristen lays out how she figured it all out, as Ava adds commentary, until Rachel gags her again. “Mother!” But Kristen’s not too upset, so instead they play catch up. Rachel tells her she doesn’t know how she survived, but she spent years in a French sanitariuam, then more years trying to piece together who she was. She’s been hiding in Aremid ever since, unaware that Stefano had died.

Kristen asks why she never reached out to Kristen or Peter, and Rachel tells her she was afraid she’d be trouble. Kristen’s just so happy to see her alive. As is Rachel, who knew when little Rachel showed up, it was time to reveal herself “and do whatever it takes to help my family.”

She just wanted to help little Rachel get her happy family by taking Ava out — and make it up to all the years she missed with Kristen. That’s wonderful, Kristen says, but “I can’t be party to what you’re doing to Ava.” She urges her mom to let her rival go, but Rachel tells her nothing is more important than fighting for love and family.

Yes, yes, Kristen remembers her teaching that. “That part definitely took.” But Rachel keeps going saying that Rachel deserves the family Kristen never had when Stefano took Rachel away. Kristen’s not sure, so Rachel makes the point that if her folks find out her granddaughter was involved in a kidnapping plot, the authorities could take her away forever.

She’ll just hold Ava here for now until they can figure out a more permanent solution. “What does that mean, Mother?!” Kristen tells her mom not to hurt Ava. They used to be friends. And she still has some empathy. Rachel tells Kristen that Stefano gave her the DiMera spine, so she has to do this to protect little Rachel.

After taking a beat, Kristen turns to Ava. “I’m sorry, Ava. She’s right. I have to protect Rachel.” Ava looks horrified.

Paulina Demands Loyalty

Back at the police station, Paulina thanks Shawn for his interview with Jada. She’s counting on him to help ease the transition… back to Rafe. Shawn calls it a slap in the face and refuses to believe Jada’s dirty. Paulina hopes her name is cleared and if she is, the job is hers, but in the meantime, they need to assure the people that everything’s fine. Now isn’t the time to put a newbie in the role.

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Like it or not, it’s her decision. So get on board or else. “Yes, ma’am.” Shaw, though, wants to tell Jada, not Paulina. In the show’s final moments, Shawn shows up at Jada’s door with coffee, apologizing for grilling her. She’s just grateful it was him who did it. Then he breaks the news: Rafe is taking back over. “Things just keep going from bad to worse.” She doesn’t understand any of it. It’s like Rafe is a completely different person.

And Finally…

In the show’s final moments, Shawn gets an idea. But it’s the wrong one. He wonders if Rafe’s coma had something to do with this. Maybe it’s worth checking out. Maybe, but Jada’s afraid it has nothing to do with the coma. Rafe just doesn’t love her like she thought. Shawn reaches out to hold her hand.

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EJ heads back down to Rafe, who starts yelling for Jada. EJ tells him to save his breath, then whips out a needle, laughing evilly when Rafe demands to know what he’s doing. Belle heads over to the police station where she’s shocked to hear Paulina reinstalled Rafe back as temporary commissioner. She wants Belle prepared in case she has to prosecute Jada.

Brady brings Rachel back to the DiMera house, just before Kristen gets home. Therapy went fine, he says, and Rachel is doing well. But he’s not sure about Ava. She’s not in Hong Kong and he’s sure “something is very wrong.”

Back at the Blake house, Rachel looks forward to Kristen’s visits, then wheels a gagged Ava out for a constitutional. As soon as they’re gone, EJ shows up, dragging a body bag with Rafe in it. This is the perfect place to dump him, thanks to Kristen telling EJ all about the house the other day.

On the next Days of Our Lives, Stephanie has an honest conversation with Kayla, and Abe and Kate deliver news of Body and Soul‘s fate.