The first 8 hours or so of the #56A & #56B covers Nov 4, 2003 - Jan 21, 2004. Bo then takes off to look for missing Billie and is off the show from Jan 22 - Feb 18th (about a month total). There is a LOT of the Stalker storyline with the big Horton charity circus event. Hope is a key character in this big multiple episode production event that includes most of cast (that haven’t been killed yet). I decided to continue with a #56C bonus dvd to cover the time frame Bo is off the show and be able to give additional background for this storyline as my gift.

As the event begins, the tiger is drugged to be in a crazed state and the stalker releases the tiger to stalk terrified patrons and eventually attack and maul Tony. The killer sneaks into his hospital room and injects him with a syringe and he soon dies. Victor is the next Salemite to die, but he dies at the hands of Jan (Shawn’s stalker, not the serial killer). Shawn puts the pieces together and believes he knows who the killer is. The killer decides Shawn is the next victim as he knows too much. Jen snuck into his bed, when Shawn wasn’t home. She is there later when the killer attacks and Shawn finds his bed torn and bloody. The killer is shocked to see Shawn still alive and wonders who was stabbed instead!

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Bo & Hope #56 November 4, 2003 - February 26, 2004: 12 hour original edit, includes bonus 4 hour dvd

DVD #56A 11/4 Mickey headed downstairs thinking the alarm was off because of a power outage while Maggie was lying bloodied on the floor. Telling the attacker she was sure it couldn't be anyone she knew, Maggie added, "I was right in a way though, I don't know you like this. You're sick, you know that? But I can help you. If you let me live." Sobbing, Maggie pleaded, "Please, for Mickey. Please, please, you don't want to do this. It's not who you really are." Her last words were followed by a chilling scream. On the Salem PD's computer, the scene focused in on Maggie, unconscious, as Mickey found her. Turning to the knife-wielding attacker, Mickey said, "Oh my God, it's you."

11/5 Bo, Hope, Shawn and Mimi are at the police station, watching in horror as they realize the killer is in Maggie's house. The video comes back on, and they see Maggie slumped against the cupboards, her face covered in blood. Hope screams, clearly upset anyone would do this to Maggie. Shawn realizes the video isn't real time, and Hope and Bo decide to go over there. They instruct Shawn and Mimi to stay at the police station, to see if there are any more clues from the killer. Mickey comes to Maggie's rescue, only to be struck by the killer. Then comes officer Kent, who also gets whacked by the serial killer. Hope and Bo arrive on scene, wondering what's taking the paramedics so long, as Maggie tries to say something. Celeste and Bonnie are back at the pier, and they are looking in a store window at a Halloween display. They see a masked costume in the background, thinking its a mask with lights. They realize its a person, or so they think, trying to convince themselves it's just a trick mirror. Celeste and Bonnie slowly turn around to see none other than the killer standing behind them, holding a bloody scalpel. Bonnie screams, and nearby Shawn and Mimi hear them. Shawn races after the killer, catching up near a fenced area. Bo tells Hope he just received a phone call that their son is going after the killer. Hope is distraught with worry for her family.

11/6 Mickey will be fine, but Lexie tells Mickey that Maggie is not going to survive.


11/7 As Mickey kept vigil outside Maggie's room, Hope asked about his recognition of the killer but the killer had put on their mask. Mickey's reaction of, "You", to the attacker, was not recognition of their identity. Mickey said Maggie's trusting nature would have caused her to let anyone she knew into the house. Hope believed that Maggie's earlier comment, "He must be a madman" was a subconscious reference that the killer was a man. But Jennifer suggested the remark was generic and perhaps not an absolute identification.

11/10 Hope and Jennifer stood outside Maggie's hospital room and wondered why they had taken Mickey inside. Hope told her cousin that she thought it was so that Mickey could tell his wife goodbye. They watched through the window as Lexie told Mickey that Maggie didn't have much time left, and then went to find Alice so they could tell her the update as well. As the group all filed into the small hospital room to bid their farewells, Alice assured Mickey that Tom was watching over Maggie and that she was in good hands. Just as Tom's image appeared in the monitors, they flatlined and Lexie announced that Maggie was gone. Mickey stood, took Maggie's hand and told her goodnight.

At the police station, Shawn hurried into Bo's office to give him the bag of clothes he had found on Rex's closet floor. He told his dad that the sweatshirt had a bloodstain on it and that it matched the costume that the killer had been wearing the night Mickey and Maggie were attacked. Bo sent the clothing for testing and then took Rex into the interrogation room against Tony's wishes. Rex agreed anyway and claimed that he had nothing to hide and would answer Bo's questions. The evidence report came back with the results of the test. Bo told the group that forensics had lifted fingerprints off the whiskey bottle that had hit Maggie, and that they would have the results soon. The test results from the whiskey bottle arrived and Bo announced that the sweatshirt was stained with Maggie's blood. Roman immediately placed Rex under arrest.

11/11 Bo was shocked to learn that Caroline's were the only fingerprints on the bottle used to attack Maggie. Bo thought it was a DiMera message to cast suspicion on Caroline, meant they could get to any family member. Treating his mother like any suspect, Bo arrived at the Pub to question Caroline. She admitted she was not at a quilting party as had been thought. As Tek and Philip examined the attacker's video for clues, a message appeared warning the PD computer would explode in five seconds, destroying the video evidence.

11/12 Bo and Roman question their mother on her whereabouts last night. Shawn Sr produces an invoice that proves a bottle was stolen from the pub; Caroline swears she never touched the bottle and staunchly refuses to say where she was last night. Hope joins Bo and shares her theory that the killer is trying to signal that Caroline is the next victim. Bo is determined to protect his mother. Caroline still refuses to say where she was last night and Victor enters and drops a bombshell.

11/13 At Brady Pub, Roman, Bo, and Shawn Sr. react to the surprising news that Victor was with Caroline when Maggie was attacked. Victor arrived late so he is still a suspect. Shawn is angry and jealous even though Victor assures him Caroline was just lending a sympathetic ear. Shawn joins them as Victor puts forth the theory that Caroline's fingerprints were planted on the murder weapon as a signal that she's been targeted as the killer's next victim. They all head to the church for Abe, Jack, and Maggie's triple funeral. The pub will be the gathering place before and after the funeral. Hope has been at the church with a bereft Mickey. Bo, Roman, and Hope check security at the church when Bo starts to get horrifying messages on his PDA: clues that someone else will die within the hour.

11/14 At St. Luke's, family and friends gathered for the funerals of Abe, Jack and Maggie. Outside the chapel, Celeste had a premonition of wiping blood from a fourth coffin. As she told a disbelieving Roman she realized the fourth victim was Caroline. Meanwhile, Bo & Hope were inside watching as their PDA posted a one-hour countdown to the next murder. A fourth coffin and Caroline's name appeared. Caroline overheard as they told Roman about the PDA. Questioning the killer's motives, Caroline nervously laughed at her life ticking away. Resigning herself to God's Will, Caroline refused Roman's suggestion to cancel the funeral and asked not to tell her husband, Shawn.

The service was interrupted by a delivery that came with special instructions. A funeral wreath with the message "Rest in Peace, Caroline Brady" had been paid for in cash with the request that it be there for the service. As Alice watched a candle flicker, she told Celeste,'the worst is yet to come, death is near.' Hope later introduced a Seth Caldwell whose eulogy was gratitude for Jack's eyes donated to him. Roman eulogized Abe, noting that Abe's family meant everything. As the priest began to pray, the church lights dimmed. Celeste let out a chilling scream as the lights blacked out. Once the lights were restored, a fourth coffin was in the chapel. As Celeste had done in her premonition, Mickey now wiped off blood to reveal the name on the coffin was Caroline's. Sending the children from the chapel, Caroline demanded the casket be opened. Inside, a decayed corpse held a sign reading, "Caroline Brady, you will rest in peace."

11/17 At the church, Shawn asked Hope about the coffin and wreath that had arrived with Caroline's name on it. He vowed to kill whoever was responsible, and that he would prove the DiMeras were behind the murders and make them pay. Out the window, Shawn spotted Cassie and Tony standing and angrily headed out to talk to them against his mother's warnings. Hope followed as Shawn stormed out of the church, and asked why they were there. Cassie taunted that they were stalking the Brady's to give them a taste of their own medicine. With that, Shawn attacked Tony, who readily used fancy footwork to knock Shawn to the ground and then cartwheel away to safety. Hope apologized to Tony and then Bo called Shawn inside to speak with Caroline who had requested his presence. As Shawn walked away, he told Tony, "This isn't over, not by a long shot," to which Tony replied, "I'm counting on that."

Inside, Roman told everyone that the director's story checked out, and the coffin had been bought anonymously with cash and that they weren't certain whether it had been a man or woman. Roman and Bo asked Caroline if she was sure she didn't know any information regarding the murders, and she recalled that Maggie had told her about a television show and the murderer had evil looking eyes. Roman pulled out the drawing of the killer's eyes that she had composed while under hypnosis. Caroline recognized the drawing as the same as what Maggie had described to her and the group decided that the killer must have somehow known Caroline had this information and now she was the next victim. As the group separated, Roman and Bo heard a noise and ran to tackle an intruder! To Bo's amazement, it was his father, Victor! Hope entered the room just as Roman tried to arrest Victor, and told them that she had let Victor in to see Caroline.

In the Bride's room, Caroline took showed Shawn her Hope Chest. She told him that she had seen Belle dressed in her wedding dress, and wanted Shawn to keep the Brady's legacy alive. Shawn assured her that they would keep her safe, and she told him that there was something special to her about Shawn Douglas. There was a knock at the door, it was Bo and Victor. Caroline and Victor took time to speak and Victor expressed his love for her. They reminisced about when Caroline admitted to Victor that Bo was his son. They agreed that in spite of the hurt and anger it caused, they had come a long way since then in their friendship, and Victor vowed to do anything in his power to keep her safe. They rejoined Caroline's family and she asked for a moment to pray before they left. As she recited the Lord's Prayer inside the chapel, outside Bo watched the clock count down and everyone was relieved when it reached zero without any incident. Bo headed inside to take his mother home, but was devastated to find his mother already dead.

11/18 Bo cradled an unconscious Caroline in his arms at St. Luke's. The PDA's clock flashed the zero hour of the countdown followed by the words, "I told you she would die." Attempts to revive Caroline stopped when Marlena declared her dead to Roman who was shocked into silence. As Shawn, Sr., broke down, a disbelieving Bo looked up angrily from his dead mother to Victor - also silent. Now suspicious of Victor, Bo believed he had given his father an alibi by allowing him to stay at St. Luke's. Victor's gratitude for those last minutes with Caroline was repaid by Bo's denial of Victor as family. Told he was unwelcome, Victor left in stunned silence. Marlena's suggestion of medically documented "voodoo death" was considered as Hope mentioned the unpublicized lunar eclipse that night.

At St. Luke's, Bo stopped the Medical Examiner from taking his mother, not ready to say goodbye. Spending a few last moments speaking to her, he closed the body bag himself. With Hope at his side, he prayed for Caroline promising to avenge her death. As Hope promised to help catch and build a strong case against the killer, Bo added "if this maniac lives that long."

11/19 The next morning, Bo and Hope lay in bed together holding each other, still stunned and mourning Caroline’s death. They learn that it's impossible to trace the origin of the file that was sent to Bo's PDA. Caroline's autopsy report arrives and they learn that she was poisoned. Bo and Hope realize it must have happened at the pre-funeral reception, which all seven suspects attended. Bo's PDA beeps and he receives another shocking message from the killer.

11/20 Bo's PDA receives a distorted image of Caroline, blaming Bo for letting her die. Hope tries to tell Bo it's an evil attempt by the killer to hurt him. In agony, Bo pushes Hope away. The killer also sends Bo a loaf of his mother's Irish soda bread explaining that the day his mom baked the bread, Bo came into the pub and was standing right next to the killer.

Later, Bo and Hope arrive at the pub and Bo talks with his sister, Kimberly. She advises he do what their mother would have wanted, to forgive the killer. Kim warns Hope that Bo's anger could end up hurting him and his family. Kimberly tries to comfort a devastated Grandpa Shawn. Alice fears the killings are far from over. 

11/21 At Brady's Pub, family and friends paid their respects to Caroline. As Celeste told Alice she had a feeling things would get worse, Caroline's Rosary-wrapped fingers moved in the coffin. Feeling her soul was in pain, Celeste offered a prayer at the coffin for Caroline. As attendees sang "Danny Boy," Celeste was shocked as Caroline joined in, saying it was her favorite. While Alice sensed Celeste's uneasiness about something happening, Celeste approached to pray. Caroline's eyes popped opened, saying "I'm glad you're back, we need to talk." Addressing her as Frankie, Caroline said it wasn't over, and no one was safe, and then closed her eyes. At that moment Roman's PDA flashed a message "right here, right now!" With that, Marlena clutched her throat and collapsed to the floor.

11/24 Rex rolled off his bunk when he heard the prison guard opening the cell door. Tony hugged Rex and told him that he was taking him home. As they happily prepared to go, Bo came in and menacingly told Rex that there was no way that he was walking out. Hope was right behind Bo, and tried to stop him when he shed his gun and badge to attack Rex. She reminded Bo that the truth was that the DiMeras could actually be innocent. Bo received a call from Roman and on the way out he ordered a police officer to put a tail on the DiMeras.

At Caroline's wake, Celeste stood at the casket and spoke to Caroline who had opened her eyes and warned of other deaths to come. While Celeste tried to find out who would be next, Marlena collapsed to the floor. They moved Marlena to another room, and Lexie worked quickly to find out the problem. Downstairs, Caroline told Celeste that she had to convince Lexie to do something quickly or Marlena wouldn't make it. Celeste told Lexie of speaking to Caroline. She was skeptical at first, but then after Roman and John had subliminal messages from Caroline, they insisted that she do something also. She administered a medication to induce vomiting and saved Marlena from the poison. They told Marlena that they needed her to wake up so that they could find out how she had become sick. In her coma, Marlena remembered eating dip from the table downstairs right before she collapsed. She tried to speak to tell them the culprit, but couldn't move her mouth or open her eyes. In the entryway, Shawn Sr. saw Tony and Rex and began yelling at them at their nerve for coming to a Brady's wake. As he became angrier, he also collapsed, and Kim asked them to leave. Bo stopped Rex and said that since he had done a complex analysis before on the killer and knew his next victim, did he know who the next victim would be? To which Rex replied, "Yes, I do know."

11/25 Celeste's warning of impending death nearby interrupted Hope's tasting the tainted dip herself. Incredulous at Celeste's claim of speaking with Caroline, Hope was nearly poisoned before Bo stopped her from eating the dip. Bo still suspected and accused Rex of the murders. Hope convinced Bo to wait for evidence. But she couldn't convince him about Celeste's premonitions, until he saw Caroline step out of her coffin with attitude. A shocked Bo heard his mother tell him to solve the crime before it's too late. With those words two pictures fell from a table and shattered, one of Bo and Hope and one of Roman. Celeste called it an omen. While Lexie continued defending the DiMeras, Sami hinted that Cassie and Rex might not be DiMeras. Rex's threat to shut her up made him more seem guilty in Bo's eyes. But Rex offered his help in analyzing facts to help. His opinion was the next victim could be Bo, Hope or Roman. Caroline told Celeste that John would kill Marlena.

11/26 Sami drops the huge bombshell that Cassie and Rex are not Tony DiMera's children. They have Brady DNA. Roman Brady is the twins' biological father! Everyone reels. Rex stares daggers at Sami.

Bo & Hope remember Rex's prediction that Bo, Hope, or Roman, could be the next victim. Bo gets a PDA message from the killer: the Brady’s Thanksgiving is cancelled due to a death in the family. Bo wonders if another murder is about to take place. Hope thinks the killer is taunting them about losing Caroline. Hope vows they will celebrate Thanksgiving, after all. As Bo & Hope kiss, we see another ominous message from the killer.

11/28 Bo and Hope planned Thanksgiving dinner at their home for the children's sake, to continue Caroline's tradition. Celeste came to the Brady's to tell of her latest vision. She had seen blood dripping from a Fall Festival sign in Salem Place and a bloody, torn piñata. Recalling Caroline's words from the coffin that blood would stain the Thanksgiving celebration, Celeste warned of her fear that a murder would take place there. Consumed with grief and anger, Bo angrily refused Celeste's warnings, but Alice believed her.

12/1 At the Fall Festival, Roman, Lucas, and Kate watched while kids hit a piñata. As a little boy hit it with a stick, blood began to drip from it, and suddenly a body fell from it onto the ground. The crowd gasped, and Rex ran onto the scene and found his sister's dead body on the ground. "How could you? You're her mother!" Rex yelled at Kate, who shook her head in spite of the bloody knife she grasped in her hand.

12/3 Bo worked at home on the serial killer case. Hope distracted him temporarily with dinner, homemade stew made from his mother's recipe.

12/5 Bo was having difficulty accepting Caroline's death. Although he refused to believe in Celeste's conversations with his mother, Bo felt Caroline wasn't at peace. As he confided in Hope.

Dvd #56B While Bo napped, Caroline's ghost visited him and foretold that the serial killer would be caught but not before more suffering. When she said Bo wasn't "ultimately in charge," he asked if something would happen to Hope. With downcast eyes, Caroline nodded yes and warned Bo to keep a close eye on Shawn. Saying he never disappointed her, Caroline left her son with a kiss, as Bo returned an "I love you" to his mother. Waking before Hope, who heard him, Bo told her about Caroline. Outside the house, Caroline's ghost wept for Bo.

12/8 Hope begged Bo not to let the murder investigations take over his life. He told Hope that he couldn't deal with losing her and the boys and that he would never let it happen. Bo tried to convince Hope that he had seen his mother in a dream and that he thought the killer would go after Shawn next in order to get to Hope and Bo. They both panicked when they couldn't reach Shawn on his cell phone. Jan held a dagger ready to strike as she followed Shawn, but he stopped when his parents appeared after tracking him with his cell signal. They asked him why he wasn't answering any of his calls. Hope begged him to stay at home with them at least for the night, and as they all left together as Jan peeked out the door.

12/9 At St. Luke’s the Brady family prepared for Caroline's funeral. Bo was displeased with Kate's presence. But Roman pointed out to Bo that Victor was present which is as equally disturbing to Shawn Sr. While Bo said Victor had cleared his attendance with Shawn, Sr., Roman believed Caroline would have wanted Kate there, just as Victor was there. Bo, Shawn D., Hope, Jennifer, and Roman all spoke during the services. Afterwards, Bo & Hope are horrified when Bo’s PDA was received another message, ”A murder is announced”. Then an obituary headed, "Veteran Salem Cop Killed in the Line of Duty" as Hope cried a police officer, but who? Then Roman’s picture appeared.

12/10 In the church foyer after Caroline's funeral, Bo and Hope tell Roman they had just received another PDA message, an obituary with a photo of Roman. Sami freaked out, begging her father to arrest John for the murders. She tried to fight Rex but Roman pulled her away. Soon everyone was arguing loudly with everyone else. Hope broke it up, reminding everyone that they wouldn't be able to get through this without some sort of sense of community. 

Roman not only refused Bo's recommendation that he take himself off the case, but he also refused his proposal for around-the-clock protection. Roman announced to a shocked Bo, Hope and Marlena, that he plans to use himself as bait in order to trap the killer.

12/11 Back in the church, Roman declared his plan to let the killer get at him. Marlena was angry that he would be so careless as to use himself as bait, but Hope thought it might be a good idea. When she began discussing the possibilities in support of Roman’s plan, Bo asked Roman to take her off the case. Bo is worried as she has already been targeted several times. Hope was incensed, as she was just as committed to this case as anyone else. He insists that he doesn’t want her off the force, but he can’t deal with the nightmares since Caroline told him that he would be without Hope.

Bo explained that he was terrified of losing her since his mother's death. Hope reminded him of all the rough times they'd survived by believing in each other. They resolved to stop the killer together, side by side. Bo stated his belief that the killer's plan was to turn them all against each other. The killer was picking off Carvers, Hortons, Bradys, one at a time in the ultimate mind game, isolating them into solitary hells. They must beat the killer by stick together, including John. Roman agreed, and Marlena thanked him, feeling that seeing John and Roman work together would be good for Sami. John and Kate walked back into the church just in time to see Marlena and Roman hold each other. Bo receives another PDA message, "Roman Brady is dead."

12/17 Bo was working at Brady's Pub, studying Rex's file. Tex arrived to discuss the case. He said that Salem's criminal underground wagered that Bo would be next. They were interrupted by Jennifer, who was meeting Abby at the pub. Together, they dragged Bo off to Alice's. Unknown to them, they were followed by a shadowy figure. At the Horton residence, Alice helped Zack, Theo, and Abby make a gingerbread house. Lexi and Jen joked over Hope's first attempt at baking Christmas cookies. Celeste, as usual, was talking to herself making dire predictions as she warmed her hands by the fire. Bo found a ticking package at the front door. The Hortons evacuated the house, joined by an inebriated Mickey. Bo soaked the bomb in the kitchen sink. Hope found the note, left by the neighbors who'd signed for the package. It was a Swiss clock from Doug and Julie, now ruined.

12/18-12/19 Roman spots a figure hiding behind the trees at the Christmas tree lot. Roman demands they put their hands up and come out. Roman is distracted just long enough for the stalker to escape. Soon he comes upon Sami, and Roman hears her screams and rushes to the rescue. Roman spots Rex hiding behind some crates and demands he comes out, but the stalker is behind him making his getaway.

12/22 Roman, Rex, and Shawn rush to the aid of Mimi and her mother who are screaming in terror as they spot the killer stalking them. Rex tackles the killer as he is trying to get away and slows him down. As the killer breaks free and starts to run, Roman shoots and the killer drops. Roman stops to check on Rex to make sure he isn’t seriously injured and the killer gets away. Roman notices drops of blood.

12/23 At the Salem PD, Bo insisted on police protection for Roman after his attack by the Salem Killer. Roman refused saying he wanted to be the target to draw the killer out. Telling Bo and Hope of his plans to propose to Kate, Roman was worried she wouldn't accept. Convinced to go for it, Roman left as the three shared an ominously sentimental Christmas wish. Because of the Salem tragedies, Roman remarked that people never knew if each parting would be their last, but added he had too much to live for. Hope stopped by the loft to see Shawn D. but found he was out. Thinking Belle and Shawn were becoming more intimate, Hope choked at Belle's remark that she was eager to have a baby. But Belle put Hope's concerns to rest about the relationship, and after some girl talk they went to Salem Place.

At Salem Place, Bo was as uncomfortable as Hope had been at the Loft, discussing personal issues with Shawn. The two men struggled to find negligee for the women in their life. Cute as they are wearing matching black leather jackets and Bo has a red hoody on underneath while Shawn is sporting a red plain scarf, they very much look like father and son. Unseen, Belle and Hope were amused as they watched the styles their men were choosing. As they planned to have a salesgirl secretly switch the purchases to preferable items, Hope was taken aback when Belle called her "Mom."

12/24 Hope and Belle open their gifts from Shaun and Bo, two lovely negligees. But they aren't the gifts that Shaun and Bo bought! Since the women love the lingerie, they keep their mouths shut about the mix-up. Hope and Belle are shocked that for once, Bo and Shaun displayed some taste in picking out clothing. Bo, Hope, Shaun and Belle arrive at the Horton’s on Christmas Eve. Jennifer tells Hope that she is expecting a phone call about hints that it is possibly a very special surprise from Jack. They put the traditional family ornaments on the tree. Jennifer receives the call from her doctor that she has been waiting for. She joyfully announces to her family that she went to the hospital for a test, and that she is pregnant with Jack's baby. “Silent Night” montage of various couples kissing, Bo & Hope are under the mistletoe.

12/25 John and Marlena arrive at Bo and Hope's, where John worries when he hears Marlena asking Bo where Roman is. Roman and Kate are just waking up. He tells her he wants to marry her right away. She is at first worried that without police protection form the killer, their wedding could turn into Roman's funeral, but she does agree to marry him tomorrow. Roman gets a PDA message at the hospital, "You won't live to see your honeymoon night."

12/26 In a storefront window, Celeste watched in horror as the groom's boutonnière and the bride's veil began to drip blood.

12/30 Bo (wearing his tux) arrives at Tony’s jail cell and tells him that he is responsible for killing his mother and it is payback time! He warns him that they are going to end this right here and right now and takes off his tux jacket. Hope and Roman found Bo in Tony's cell and pull him away just as he is about to attack Tony. Still declaring himself innocent, Tony offered Roman a wedding gift, "Watch your back. I'm warning you. Take care of yourself. Otherwise the Killer will get you." Kate and Roman exchanged their vows. As Sami wished Kate would be the Killer's next victim, Celeste's premonitions began again, showing blood on Kate's hands. When the Bride and Groom ceremoniously cut the cake, Celeste murmured in shock, "murder, death..." as the guests saw blood flow from the cake.

12/31 Trying not to let the grotesque blood filled cake ruin their wedding reception; Roman and Kate try their best to start their new life together. Alice replaces Roman and Kate's wedding cake with a platter of her donuts. Celeste feels that the killer is near.

Bo, Hope, and John search the perimeter of Tuscany. Bo decides to question Tony so he takes Shawn to the jail cell where they learn Tony has been released. Worried, Bo returns to the party to tell Roman about Tony's early release but Marlena won't let him. 

The revelers enjoy the final moments of 2003 as Celeste has another premonition that another victim will fall at midnight. Roman goes into the kitchen where he finds the envelope with the evidence he needs, but the Salem Stalker is there as well!

1/2 At Tuscany, Bo and Hope were outside, finding a cuff link they thought was Tony's. Surprised at the contents of a note addressed to "R.B.", Roman suddenly found himself facing the masked Killer. As the lights went out, then on again, Roman addressed the Killer as Tony. But pulling off the mask, Roman uttered his last, shocked words, as he saw the Killer's face, "My God. It can't be. This can't be happening." As the lights switched off, the Killer fatally attacked Roman with one swipe of a sword. The Killer then methodically wiped some spattered blood from the mask before putting it on. Leaving Roman on the floor, almost as an afterthought, the Killer removed the bride and groom figurine from atop the bloody wedding cake. At midnight, Bo and Hope embraced. Celeste froze as she saw her premonition become reality. Kate walked through the doorway, covered in blood, and painfully shrieking at the blood dripping down her hands.

1/5 As the hooded figure tried to escape into the woods, John, Bo and Hope surrounded him and managed to pull back the hood to reveal Tony! Bo accused him of being there in order to kill Roman, but Tony said that he wasn't there for that reason, but that they wouldn't believe him if he did tell them the truth. Suddenly they heard Kate scream from inside Tuscany, and they dragged Tony with them to find out what the commotion was about. Appearing in the kitchen doorway, Kate held up blood covered hands that matched her stained wedding gown. Astonished guests watched on as John, Sami, Marlena, Bo and Hope rushed to the kitchen to investigate. Sami and Marlena nearly panicked as they watched John pull the table covering up and Roman's bloodied hand fall to the ground. Bo tackled Tony, but was stopped by Hope who insisted that Roman would not want him to react this way. Bo admitted that Roman would have wanted him to trust the system, but blasted "the system" for letting him down once again. Bo thought quickly and checked Tony's cuff links. He was not surprised to find that the cuff link he had found in the snow earlier belonged to Tony after all.

Back in the kitchen, Lexie examined Roman's body and noted that he had not been dead for long. She sadly pulled the bride and groom cake topper that had been stuffed in Roman's mouth. Tek came back inside and showed John and Bo a samurai sword he had discovered in the bushes outside. Lexie spied the accused weapon and then ran to confront her brother for masterminding all the killings which included her own husband, Abe! Celeste stopped her ranting and insisted that she redirect her anger and feelings into helping Roman. Bo began a struggle for strangulation with Tony as others tried to stop him. Kate continued to refuse that Roman was gone while she scrubbed at her dress and hands in an attempt to get the blood off her. The gurney was then brought out, and Sami began crying harder as her dad wheeled by. Kate walked over and pulled back the sheet to reveal Roman's body. While she held his limp hand, Kate wondered what she should do next. As they wheeled him away, Bo held her back. He yelled for the guards to take Tony out, but Tony began a struggle and yelled over his shoulder, "It's not over Bo! Roman will not be the last to die!"

1/6 At the Salem PD, Bo mourned his mother and now his brother. Despite Hope's assurance that a jailed Tony would be convicted, Bo threatened to kill him first. Calling Roman his conscience, as well as his brother and friend, Bo felt unable to step into his brother's job. But he accepted The Police Commissioner's offer to become Acting Police Commander to honor Roman. Finding a file that Roman had kept on him, Bo was touched by Roman's opinion of him as the "best all-around cop on the force"... "very proud to all him my brother."

At Tuscany, Celeste approached the evidence table when the police left it unattended. Unwrapping the bloody sword, she was hit by a blinding light, which seemed directed at her left shoulder. Putting the mask to her face, she saw Roman's murder replay through the eyes of the Killer. Celeste suddenly realized that Tony was telling the truth and the wrong person had been arrested. With a premonition of more innocent lives taken, Celeste had a vision of Bo assuring Hope, "Don't worry about me, Fancy Face. I'll be fine."

1/7 Celeste dreamed that she found the killer's mask. When she tried it on, she could see through the killer's eyes. "Tony was telling the truth," she exclaimed, "He's not the killer. They've arrested the wrong person." When she awoke, her curtains were fluttering, the windows open. Roman appeared in her room. He wanted her to warn Bo that the danger isn't over. Suddenly, Maggie was beside Roman, asserting that Celeste knows who the real killer is. She is just missing a piece, but if she solves the mystery she will be able to stop the killer.

1/8 Shawn is at the police station with Bo and Hope where Shawn has shared his feeling that he is being followed. Jan is almost dragged into the office to see Bo but wiggles out of it when Tek enters with urgent news for Bo. Tek tells Bo that no trace of blood was found on Tony's samurai sword/the suspected murder weapon. Frustrated, Bo orders Tek to run more sophisticated tests. Bo is convinced DiMera is guilty. 

Jan covers with the cop, Ruiz that she is only at the PD to extend her condolences for the death of commander Brady. Hope suggests that Ruiz advise the visitor to simply sign the condolence book. Shawn looks out and sees Jan (from the back), thinks he recognizes her and starts to follow. Jan is able to make her escape as Shawn checks the entry in the condolence book an obvious alias. Shawn takes chase through the park and Jan, aware that Shawn is pursuing her, barely gets away. It looks as if Shawn corners Jan outside the Kiriakis’ estate. 

Later, Bo and Hope try to interrogate Tony and Mickey stuns them Hope at Tony's jail cell, Mickey is now Tony's lawyer!

1/12 Celeste puts on the killer’s mask and realizes Tony isn’t the killer!

1/13 At Tony’s hearing in the Salem courthouse, the judge announces that the defense has moved to have all charges (6 counts of premeditated murder) against Tony be dropped due to lack of evidence. Bo jumps up and says that they have enough evidence to put him away for life! The judge admonishes Bo for his outburst. The prosecutor calls Bo to the stand to detail the evidence against Tony. Abe and Roman appear to Celeste and tell her that no one else can see her. They know Tony is not the real killer and tell her that she has the key to the truth.

As Tony testifies that he was at Tuscany, he was there to try to catch the killer. Bo jumps up again and interrupts announcing that Tony is lying and is guilty as sin. The judge warns Bo for the last time that if he interrupts again, that he will be held in contempt of court. Abe warns Celeste that she has to do something or it will be too late. She walks out of the courthouse to find Abe and Roman in the hallway waiting for her. They know she is afraid but they are there to help her. Mickey had just declared there was no one to vouch for Tony's innocence, when Marlena interrupted the hearing and asked to be heard.

1/14 During a brief recess, outside the courtroom, Celeste explained to Hope about Abe and Roman's ghostly appearance. She tells her that Roman told her that Tony is not the killer. Since Marlena was formerly a witness for the Prosecution, Marlena was questioned by the Judge personally who was curious at the turn of events. All connections and conflicts of interest were cited, including the murdered victims' relationship to Marlena, as well as Marlena and Tony's supposed parentage to Cassie. Having no solid evidence, Marlena testified based on professional opinion. Claiming Tony was "on the defensive" after the murders, she compared him to others who at some time would have considered taking the law into their own hands. Marlena's plea to release Tony, brought Bo to his feet accusing her of turning on Roman twice, and saying the blood of future victims would be on her hands. The judge warns him again that if he interrupts again that he will be barred from the courtroom.

Waiting for the Judge's decision, Bo asked Victor to use his underground ties to determine what Tony was up to. Victor disappointed Bo saying he couldn't help because of previous agreements with Tony. Thanks to Marlena's testimony the judge decides there isn't enough evidence to prosecute Tony for the murder of Roman Brady. The charges against Tony are dismissed. Hope has taken Bo to the park for some fresh air but Bo still wants to pursue DiMera as the killer. Hope tells him about Celeste having spoken to Roman and Abe's ghosts. Bo doesn't want to believe but Hope tells him she does and takes Bo home to relax. Bo looks at a photo of Roman and wonders why his brother hasn't visited him.

1/15 Hope and Jennifer talk about the possibility of Jennifer having to terminate Jack's baby. Celeste shows up at Jennifer's and goes into a trance in which she walks through the park and is unable to remove the killer's mask. Concerned for her mother, Lexie tells Hope to call Marlena ASAP. Marlena arrives and eventually pulls Celeste out of her trance and Celeste says she saw two piercing yellow eyes.

1/16 The day of Roman's funeral, nightmares plagued Hope and Marlena. Hope dreamt she was attending Bo's funeral, instead of Roman's. While Tony DiMera meditated with the tiger's tooth in hand, Marlena saw eyes appear before her. Addressing someone as the one who killed Roman, she saw a tiger leap at her. Shortly after, she saw Roman’s ghost holding out his hand and asking to take her home. While Hope woke from her dream, Marlena remained in a deep sleep.

Doug and Julie arrive home just before the funeral begins. Delivering a eulogy for his brother, a tearful Bo called Roman a "true hero". Bo's words that Roman died happier than he had been in a long time brought bitterness to Sami's face. As the priest asked for Roman's wife to speak, Kate stood up. But at that moment, Marlena arrived asking to speak for Roman's children. Nodding quietly to the priest, Kate deferred to Marlena who then read a letter from Eric. Adding her own sentiment, Marlena said, "...I'm sorry, Roman, I wish things had turned out differently. But you will always remain alive in my heart." As family members wept, Marlena returned to a sobbing Sami as a somber Kate watched behind them. At the end of the Church service, Sami want to Lucas and Marlena to John's arms for consolation.

At the grave site, shocked mourners found the gravestone engraved with Marlena's name next to Roman's. Stunned and unaware of the engraving, an apologetic Kate reminded Marlena that she had been unwilling to give up the plot. Marlena replied, "I never should have left this in your hands, any of it." Following a gun salute to Commander Brady, Taps was played as Bo offered the flag from Roman's coffin to Kate. Bo was forced to leave to answer a 911 page. No sooner had he left, Hope turned to the gravestone, and just like in her dream, she saw Roman's name change to Bo's. Arriving home, Bo found Agent Spector waiting for him. Now the Director of the ISA, he warned that someone very dear to Bo was possibly facing death. Saying Bo was the only one who could help "her", Bo asked if it was Hope?

1/19 Bo demanded to know who the ISA inspector was talking about when he had said that someone close to him was in danger. Hope arrived and wanted to know what was going on as well. The inspector admitted that Billie Reed had gone missing. She had disappeared in Europe on a routine assignment. They had found an envelope full of newspaper clippings from the Salem murders and had also intercepted a voice message to Bo that was garbled. Bo was certain it was his fault for running her out of town, but Hope disagreed and said it had been Roman who had encouraged Billie to work in Europe for the ISA. Bo told the inspector that he couldn't help Billie because he had to stay in Salem to protect his family and to help Salem's people. Hope tried to talk him into helping his ex-wife, but Bo declined. The inspector got word that the voice message had been deciphered, and they all listened to Billie's message. Billie told Bo that she needed his help, and that she knew who the Salem Stalker was, but could only tell him.

Celeste spoke fearfully to Tony as she recounted what she had seen through the mask of the killer. She noted that the tiger's eyes that she saw combined with seeing Tony holding the bloody tiger's teeth were an omen and were surely connected to the Salem serial killings. She believed fully that the omen suggested that the killer is ferocious and deadly. The duo set out for the library to research the killing instincts of tigers and to gain insight into the Salem Stalker.

At the marketplace, Marlena eyed the tiger that Julie and Doug Williams had brought to town with them. She couldn't stop the vivid images from her nightmare when a tiger had pounced on her. John asks how the tiger came to be in Salem? Doug and Julie share that the heard about Alice’s Circus event for charity and are sharing their rescued tiger, who will later go to a private wild animal reserve in Florida. Celeste and Tony rounded the corner. Celeste flashed back to her vision and became agitated. With that, Celeste insisted that this tiger was the one from her vision for sure.

1/20 At the Brady's, Bo & Hope listened to Billie's message claiming to have proof of the Salem Stalker's identity. Urging Bo to save Hope and his sons, Billie said she could only tell him. While Bo was concerned this could just be a ploy for Billie to get him back, Hope convinced him that finding Billie might end the killings. Determined to accompany her husband, Hope finally agreed with Bo that staying in Salem was best. As they said their goodbyes, Bo gave Zack three words to say whenever Hope looked sad that "Daddy loves Mommy." As Bo walked away, Hope closed the door, unaware of someone watching the house.

Fascinated by the tiger at the circus, Tony described the animal to Shawn Douglas as a perfectly efficient killing machine. Tony's observation that the tiger's kill-or-be-killed nature was an ideal method of murder, made Shawn D. think Tony was threatening. But Shawn's accusations were interrupted when Tony sensed someone listening in the bushes. The two found a metal spike left behind by an unknown figure, leaving Tony to speculate the killer was at large.

1/21 Salem residents wake up to an anonymous ad in the newspaper announcing that the identity of The Salem Stalker will be revealed today at the Horton Foundation Circus! John shows up to tell Hope he suspects Tony placed the ad and he is correct. Hope gets a call from Bo with an update on the search for Billie. Hope chooses not to tell Bo about Tony's intention to name the killer today. Hope is still distressed over her dream of seeing Bo's gravestone, she wants to keep her husband out of danger. Shawn has brought Belle over to see Hope and John, as she freaked when she saw the killer was going to be revealed today. Hope reassures them that the cops and the ISA will handle security.

Celeste warns Tony he may have signed his death warrant by publishing the ad. She remembers her premonition of the tiger's eyes through the killer's mask. Hope and John barge in and John demands DiMera name the killer right now. Tony tells them they have to wait for the circus and Hope warns Tony the cops and the ISA won't allow him anywhere near the circus tent. After they leave, Celeste hopes Tony has changed his mind about going to the circus but he is determined. Celeste arrives at the circus and sees Tony miraculously emerge from a very small crate. Max, the dog, sniffs out the killer who has also made it into the big top.

Dvd #56C 1/22 The Horton Foundation Circus begins. Tony is lurking in the shadows, still planning to reveal the identity of the stalker during the finale. The masked killer stalks the tent and overhears Celeste reminding Tony about her premonition of an out-of-control tiger. The killer breaks into a supply tent and steals a drug that will send the tiger on a wild rampage, injects the drug into a blow dart and shoots the dart into the tiger's rump, the docile tiger turns into a raging beast.

Hope goes to visit Jennifer who thinks she has to postpone attending the fund-raiser, since Lexie has made arrangements for her to have another ultrasound. Hope calls Doug, Julie, and Alice away from the Horton fundraiser to be at Jennifer's side at the hospital. Lexie has to give them bad news, the baby probably will not survive and Jennifer's life is also threatened. Lexie strongly urges Jennifer to terminate the pregnancy for the sake of her own health and points out if Jennifer were to die, Abby would be left an orphan. Jennifer is forced to make an excruciating decision. Hope and Lexie know that this decision may well cost Jennifer her life.

1/23 Tony surprised everyone saying the show must go on, appearing in top hat and tails, promising "more thrills and chills than any of you could have ever imagined." John accused Tony of attacking the circus performer in order to take his place. Tony questioned why John was so opposed to his revealing the truth. Tony assured Hope he had evidence to back up the identity of the Salem Serial Killer. With a drum roll, Tony incited the crowd to hear the name of the "Salem Stalker." While behind the scenes, the Killer unlocked "Horton's" cage, setting a now ferocious tiger free and the eyes of the tiger lit up behind the Killer's mask.

1/26 Tony began to announce his big secret and told John to make sure that the real killer was caught as she was there among them. Before he could go any further, Hope stopped Tony and asked him if he had any evidence. Tony replied that they would be shocked when they found out who had betrayed them. The music started and Tony tried to build the crowd up for the climax of finding out who the Salem Serial killer is. John decided he had had enough and tried to drag Tony off, but Tony reminded him that the people would only demand their money back and the fundraiser would be a failure.

When Hope suggested that he was putting his life at risk, Tony admitted that he was ready to go head-to-head with the killer. Just then, a guard interrupted them saying that the tiger was loose and all the radios were dead. John and Hope hurried off and found the empty cage. John sent the guard to have Mickey evacuate the tent and he and Hope went to the supply tent to find larger guns to ward off the animal. The guard met up with a friendly face in the next tent and asked them to relay the message to Mickey, but when he turned the person knocked him unconscious.

Meanwhile, Hope and John found a tranquilizer gun and tried to get it to work. Just as they had a direct aim on the tiger, Marlena came in and whimpered when she saw the tiger nearby. John's gun misfired and he leapt on top of Marlena as the tiger pounced. John realized that Marlena was bleeding and worried that the scent of blood could bring the tiger back. He cleaned her wound, but the tiger returned anyway. John reloaded and shot, but hit a balloon instead. However, the tiger suddenly turned and walked away. John offered to stay with his wife, but Marlena insisted that he help get the tiger. Before he left, John kissed Marlena.

Tony told the crowd that the killer was a woman that was part of an upstanding family in the Salem community. He explained how he had come to the conclusion that he held the answer Salem had been searching for, but before he announced the big secret Tony asked for a moment of silence for the dead. Just as Tony began to reveal the killer's name, the bucket overhead dumped and Tony was covered in blood. Tony yelled that even blood and a tiger would not keep him from revealing the killer's name. He pulled out his sword, but was stopped when the bucket overhead fell and hit Tony on the head. Tony staggered and the tiger closed in. Tony was helpless to fend off the tiger and was mauled.

1/27 At the circus, Tony seemed mortified when a pail of blood was poured on him, as he was about to announce the killer's name. Tony refused John's warnings to leave the ring because the tiger on the loose. Regrouping, Tony called out, "A crafty killer, but not even blood or a tiger are going to stop me from bringing you down." As he withdrew his Samurai sword, Tony defied the tiger saying, "Come and get me!" But the pail tipped off the ledge above, hitting the Count on the head. A now unsteady Tony was no longer a match for the ferocious predator. Tony's sword flew into the air as the tiger savagely attacked him. Celeste realized she was seeing her premonition come to life.

Tony's screams continued as John retrieved the sword, but the Killer's hand pulled the lighting cable as John swung a blow at the tiger. After the blackout, John found the tiger had carried Tony's body away. The next minutes were filled with a frenzied search for the tiger and the Killer. Hope sent the screaming crowd out of the tent, and Marlena rushed in to John, who told her he believed the Killer was still there. Once alone, Marlena found herself face to face with the tiger briefly. When he walked away, she refused workers' suggestion to leave the tent. Instead of mentioning the tiger, she went further into the tent after watching the workers take the same direction the tiger had.

In their search for Tony, Lexie and Celeste came face to face with the tiger. Retreating, they found themselves trapped between the predator and the masked Salem Killer. As John arrived, both the tiger and the Killer disappeared, but Lexie and Celeste continued searching for Tony despite John's advice. Recalling her deadly warnings to a confident Tony, Celeste saw the same determination in Lexie who refused to abandon her brother. Believing she might be fated to save Tony, Lexie convinced her mother to overpower the evil she sensed.

Bonnie, Julie, Kate, Mimi, and Sami took refuge in the tiger's cage for safety. They saw the killer approach the cage shortly after. With Kate screaming at the knife-wielding figure, Sami locked the cage. Finding they were now trapped, Bonnie pulled a small flame-throwing device, which chased the Killer away. But Bonnie's lit cigarette started a fire in hay surrounding the cage. Some of the young men (shirtless) answered their screams for help and began to fight the fire. The killer knocked out one of the roustabouts to steal the keys to the tiger’s cage. Belle was wandering through areas of the tent unaware the tiger was behind her. Whispering a warning to her, John waited to shoot the tiger when Shawn began distracting it. A moment later, the tiger attacked John. Shawn's shot at the tiger scared it away. Marlena rushed in to find John alive, but severely scratched on the face. A sudden piercing scream from Lexie and Celeste brought everyone to Tony's mangled body holding on to life. John told a wide-eyed Marlena that Tony had to survive, at least long enough to name the killer.

1/28 Reliving the events of the tiger's rampage, Doug remembered bumping into the killer. Doug told John about seeing someone in black, assuming it was a mime but now realizing it might be the killer. Julie worried that if Doug was able to recognize the killer, he could be the next victim. Doug overheard Marlena tell John she was in a backstage dressing room during the entire rampage. Suspicious, Doug asked Marlena why she had lied, since he had found all the dressing rooms empty after the fire broke out. Marlena changed her story, now claiming to have taken cover in a supply room on the other side of the tent. She said the "chaos and panic" made her unaware of where she was. Hope finished her investigation at the scene by reviewing a list of all the women in attendance at the event.

Based on Marlena’s expertise as a psychiatrist, Hope asked what other woman besides Nicole could be the Killer. Marlena said she couldn't see anyone else besides Nicole. Shawn went to University Hospital after suffering smoke inhalation, accompanied by Hope, John and Marlena. Meanwhile, a figure in physician's coat, wearing medical gloves carried a medical bag to the hospital’s pharmacy storeroom. Having the necessary keys for access, the figure entered the pharmacy and disposed of a mask and black clothes from the bag. Unlocking a cabinet, the figure filled a syringe with a liquid substance, placed it inside the bag, locked the pharmacy storeroom door, and left.

Hope told John the forensic tests showed the syringe found on the scene contained remnants of a very powerful drug intended to send the tiger into its rampage. The missing keys helped confirm the entire scenario was premeditated. While John said Tony was lucky to be alive, Celeste added her sense of great danger. Telling Hope soon they would know who the killer is, Celeste declared Tony's time was running out.

A police guard allowed the white-clad figure access into Tony's cubicle. Tony awoke to the sight of a syringe over him held by the white-clad, gloved figure. Trembling, he said, "Oh, my God, I knew it was you. I knew it was you." Preparing the syringe, Marlena coldly replied, "You're just too smart for your own good, Tony."

1/29 At University Hospital, Hope and Lexie tried to convince Celeste that Tony was in critical condition, but safe but Tony was now at the mercy of killer Marlena. "You've beaten death so many times; Now, you're flat out of luck." she told him. As Tony struggled for the nurses' pager button, Marlena smiled saying, "Prepare to meet your maker, Count."

Resting in Lexie's office, Celeste saw herself at Tony's bedside in half-dream, half-premonition. Celeste heard Tony try to reveal the killer saying it was already too late. As Celeste saw the masked killer enter Tony's cubicle, she couldn't believe it was real. Tony scolded Celeste that it wasn't a dream but that he would be dead in a few minutes. A hysterical Celeste awoke finding herself locked in the office. The lights blacked out as she sank to floor sobbing Tony's name.

In Tony's cubicle, Marlena taunted DiMera regarding her motives, saying "You'd like to ask me why. Our beloved Cassie had the same question as she was pleading for her life. She just wouldn't understand, Tony. Neither would you." Impressed that Tony had found her out, Marlena continued, "Nobody else did, except for Cassie. You would have caught me, too, if it hadn't been for your Big Top ego getting in the way. You're just like Stefano, the image of him..." But Marlena's chilling words were interrupted as she caught Tony's hand trying to ring for help. "Nobody is going to save you this time, not even your heroic half-brother, John."

Hearing John's voice outside startled Marlena and brought hope to a nervous Tony. When the Police Guard said an unidentified female doctor was with Tony, John looked in to see only the Count, who tried unsuccessfully to convey that Marlena was hiding behind a curtain. Feeling safe once John left, Marlena taunted the Count further. Preparing the syringe, she said it wouldn't be half as much fun as watching tiger take Tony apart, and added laughingly, "But I'm sorry. It will be lethal." Marlena chillingly described the excruciatingly painful drug would slowly paralyze his body. The Count coughed and wheezed in desperation, as Marlena predicted the collapse of his lungs and his heart stopping, while leaving enough blood and oxygen in his brain to know every second he was dying.

"Pretty creative, huh?" Marlena laughed and then said, "I'll bet you wish you'd never come back to Salem." Summoning his strength, Tony spit at her. Inserting the syringe into his IV, Marlena said, "This Phoenix has risen before, but it's never, ever going to rise again." Tony could only watch as she injected the drug. As it coursed through his veins, Marlena said, "Go to hell, Count" and then bent over and kissed him on the lips. Monitors signaled as Tony went into cardiac arrest, Marlena protested as Lexie revived Tony long enough to try to get him to identify the killer. As John asked him, "Who's the killer?", Tony eyed everyone in the room as his head turned and fixated on Marlena.

1/30 Unsure why his stable condition changed so radically, Lexie administered a shot of adrenaline to keep Tony alive long enough to identify the killer. Though his mind was clear, the now-paralyzed Count couldn't speak Marlena's name. With Celeste's encouragement to focus, Tony grabbed Marlena's hand, causing her to jump. Nervously covering her feelings, Marlena said, "Tony, it's Marlena. I'm right here. You're holding my hand. Was there something you wanted to say?" But Tony could only answer mentally, "It's you! You're the killer! That's what I want to tell them."

"John, your precious Doc is Salem's Serial Killer." Marlena told Lexie that Tony's grip was growing weaker. Pleading for her brother to hang on, Lexie tried to revive Tony when his monitor flat-lined. Marlena watched and whispered, "Time of death, any minute now."

John mumbled aloud, wondering what Tony was thinking when he grabbed Marlena's hand. Marlena explained it away as Tony's memory of past feelings for her. Lexie declared her brother dead at 9:29 pm. But as she gave the news to everyone waiting outside his cubicle, Tony's covered body twitched. Sitting up, he looked out at Marlena comforting Lexie. Cursing Marlena, Tony said, "You're not going to get away with this."

Passing Lexie's office Marlena listened at the door to Celeste speaking inside. Appearing in Samurai garb and sword, Tony's ghost appeared to Celeste saying she would bring the Salem Killer to her knees with his assistance. Not wanting to die, Celeste was afraid to accept the deadly task. Tony assured her she would not die if she used the knowledge she already possessed. Quoting his Samurai teacher, Tony said, "Reach inside, and look within”. Stepping back, The Ghost of Count DiMera disappeared. Marlena knocked and asked if Celeste wanted to talk.

2/2 In the hospital lobby, Hope asked Lexie if she had any new information. Lexie relayed the results of the lab reports that confirmed that Tony had been poisoned while at the hospital with a drug that caused paralysis. Lexie explained that the drug couldn't have been accidentally administered and that the killer would have had to know its effects ahead of time. She told them the drug caused its recipient to lose their speech, become confused, and eventually die. With the new information, John and Hope determined that the killer had to be on the hospital staff.

Hope questioned the guard that had been outside Tony's cubicle, and he promised her that he hadn't allowed anyone except medical personnel inside. At the last minute, he remembered that there was one doctor that he couldn't identify and vaguely described her as tallish and blondish before shouting, "There she is!" implicating Marlena, who was quickly walking away. She turned and acted surprised that the guard was talking to her.

When John and Hope asked her about being in Tony's cubicle, she told them that she had taken him some holy water and had forgotten to mention it to them earlier. The guard reminded the group that Nicole Kiriakis had been hanging around nearby earlier, and Marlena suddenly remembered "important information" to tell them. She recalled a nurse with a surgical mask on who appeared to be tall and blonde in the cubicle around the same time that she had been there. John asked if it could've been Nicole, but Marlena was unsure and was even more unsure that the nurse had done anything wrong. Marlena apologized that she couldn't help more and made a quick exit.

2/4 Marlena, alone, went through a scrapbook of her victims. Marlena was especially angry and vitriolic when she got to Roman. He never should have married Kate, that was his fatal mistake. Overcome with guilt, she decided to go to John and confess.

2/5 John vowed he would never do anything to hurt Marlena, and he knew she would never do anything to hurt him. Marlena's expression was troubled as she had murdering flashbacks. We see she has a scalpel in her pocket just behind his back.

2/6 At the penthouse, Marlena was reliving each murder in her sleep. She saw herself shooting Abe and attacking Jack, and the headlines that followed. She murmured apologies to Abe and Jennifer, adding, "I didn't have any choice." Marlena's dream continued as she heard Maggie's pleas and saw Caroline moments before their deaths. Checking in on Marlena, John heard her sobbing upstairs. As she sat up, Marlena shocked John, saying, "I have a confession to make. I didn't mean it to happen. I didn't mean to have those people die." Realizing she was still asleep, John woke Marlena, who denied knowing what she'd meant but still saying she felt responsible for the killings. John promised Marlena the killer wouldn't be breathing for long once caught.

2/9 In Marlena's bedroom, once Celeste was "under," she saw a vision of the killer, but was unable to decipher the face. Marlena urged her to try harder and Celeste told her that the killer was wearing a blue jacket. Marlena hurried to grab her blue jacket that was in plain sight nearby and realized that it was missing a button. Celeste then said that she had seen the jacket before, but was still unable to identify the killer's face. Marlena then moved to get the knife she had placed under her pillow. Celeste began to cry and begged Marlena to erase the killer's name from her memory. Marlena was sure to ask Celeste if that was what she really wanted, and then while she poised the knife over Celeste ready to strike she said she would make sure that Celeste never uttered the killer's name.

2/10 After meeting with Shawn and Belle at the circus, they showed him the button that he found and he said, “Oh my god!” John noted a trace of blood on the blue button. He tells them this is a major clue but cautions them to stop investigating and leave this to the professionals. Shawn points out that while his dad is out of town, the police need all the help they can get.

2/13 At the Salem PD on Valentine’s Day, Hope left messages for Bo receiving no reply. Piecing clues together, she came up with the names of twelve women who knew the victims. Sharing the information with John and Shawn D., her son recalled Belle's close call at the circus.

2/16 Shawn suspiciously watched Marlena and John as they danced at Tuscany. All the new evidence he had learned tossed around in his mind, but he was jolted back when he heard Kate scream nearby. After opening her roses, she found they were covered in blood, and Belle rushed to open hers also. Shawn quickly drew it all together and turned to Belle and said, "I know who the killer is. It's your mother."

2/17 Hope spent Valentine's evening with Jen and Lexie. Celeste arrived at Jen's bringing what she believed was good news. A premonition of three shiny wedding rings foretold new love for Jennifer, Lexie and Hope. Jen and Lexie had no desire to dismiss their commitments to Jack and Abe. Hope worried that Celeste's vision did not include Bo. Trying to reach Bo through an ISA contact, Hope's fears grew when Bo could not be found. Tuscany's festivities became a scene for forensic investigation of the bloody roses. Marlena's distant personality wavered, seeking refuge in John's arms. When a distressed Kate asked when it would be over, Marlena hugged her promising it would get a little better every day. But Marlena's thoughts added, “ until your life is over. Roman paid the price for marrying you, but you're the one who deserves to die."

Outside, Belle was infuriated when Shawn said he could prove Marlena was not above suspicion based on the evidence. Joining the discussion, John claimed that Shawn could never prove his accusations. But a defiant Shawn asked if John was withholding something, and overlooking the facts where Marlena was concerned. Unaware that Marlena was found cutting up her designer suit, John listened as Shawn presented all the clues. Belle walked out on Shawn when he said he would present the facts to Hope and let the police investigate. As John watched Marlena, he recalled Shawn's remarks, unaware that Marlena was recalling her attack on Roman. Telling Marlena he could never harm her, as foretold by Celeste, John thought, "but what if there was reason that it had to be?”

2/18 Shawn and Belle are having an argument as who Belle should pick, either Marlena or Shawn. Marlena finds out that Shawn knows about the killer. Jen hit someone with her car as she was backing out of the driveway. Lexie and Hope were there to help out, but then Jen collapsed and went into shock. While she is down she saw flashes of her and Jack. After taking Jen to the hospital as Hope is coming out of the hospital someone grabbed and gagged her.

2/19 At Tuscany, Belle relentlessly defended her mother and threatened to leave Shawn if he reported Marlena as the serial killer. As Hope left University Hospital, she was overtaken from behind. Flipping the assailant over her head, Hope found herself pointing her gun at Bo, who had returned home as a surprise. Finding the message from Shawn, they left for Tuscany. Before Shawn was able to reveal his suspicions, Brady called John regarding Victor. Before they all left for the Kiriakis Mansion, Hope wondered if the killer had claimed another victim. But Marlena said, "It's just not possible."

2/20 While Bo refused to take himself off the case, Hope convinced him to say a proper goodbye to his father. As Victor's body was brought past him, Bo uncovered his father's face. Having never related with Victor's lifestyle, he acknowledged that Caroline and Victor loved one another. Knowing Caroline would want him to, Bo promised to "make it right" and find the murderer. Investigating the bathroom crime scene, Bo declared, "This was no accident." Henderson affirmed that Victor had strict instructions to keep the CD player plugged away from the tub, leading Bo and Hope to deduce the crime was pre-meditated. But based on Brady's testimony that the door was locked from the inside, Hope wondered how the killer got in and out.

At the Kiriakis Mansion, Marlena listened to Shawn promising his dead grandfather that if his death wasn’t an accident that he, his mom and his dad will find out who it is and they will stop her. He vows the killer will pay with her life, he doesn’t care who she is! Overhearing Shawn tell Belle he couldn't declare Marlena's innocence, Marlena thought, "Shawn is becoming a problem, and problems need to be eliminated." As Victor's widow made her entrance in black, welcoming everyone, Bo was quick to reply with no condolences. Saying, "My father's word is good enough for me", Bo placed a stunned Nicole Kiriakis under arrest.

2/23 Bo and Hope disappeared to look for new evidence, and Bo realized he had a message on his phone from Victor. The message stated that he wanted Bo to know the combination to his safe, but that it could wait until the following morning. Just then, Mr. Briscoe, Victor's attorney, arrived to pay his respects. He set up an appointment for the next morning to open the safe and read Victor's updated will to his survivors. Nicole tried her hand at opening Victor’s safe, but Bo caught her red-handed. She deterred him by stating that she was only making sure the safe was secure, but Bo was still suspicious.

As Doug laid in bed trying to sleep, he had a vivid image of the killer's mask. He dreamed of seeing the hooded figure at the circus and then of later catching Marlena in a lie regarding her whereabouts. He startled awake and whispered that he'd seen the killer. As he drifted back to sleep, he saw Marlena entering Tony's treatment bay at the hospital, and as he put the facts together, Doug woke up and realized that Marlena was the killer.

Marlena wonders to John whether Shawn will tell his parents about suspecting she is the killer. Marlena listened as Bo and Hope asked Shawn what he had to tell them about the killer, but Shawn dodged the question and said he had had a theory but was sure that his theory was wrong. Bo reminds his son that he can always talk to him. After Bo & Hope leave, Shawn points out to Belle and Marlena that he didn’t tell his parents about his suspicions. He knows know that he was wrong since Marlena had an alibi for the time of Victor’s murder. John tells Marlena that he knew she couldn’t have been the murderer. She explained her thoughts that if he thought she was guilty, then Celeste's premonition might happen, after all that John would kill her. John denied it and reaffirmed his trust in her, but when Marlena walked away John whispered, "It can’t be her. I just know it can’t!” As Belle bid Marlena goodbye, Marlena thought to herself as she stares as Shawn, "No one is ever going to catch me. Anyone who tries is dead."

2/24 At the Bradys', Bo blamed himself, as a cop, for not preventing Victor's death. Fearful for family members, he worried how far the serial killer would go to not get caught. Hope and he cling to each other as they lay in bed, afraid for who the killer’s next victim could be. Shawn stopped by and confided in Bo about his argument with Belle. Confused over his suspicions, but withholding Marlena's name, Shawn took Bo's advice to apologize to Belle. Bo told Hope he was confident in Victor's evidence inside the safe.

Outside as Marlena walks alone, she mumbles, "Shawn is definitely a problem, and problems need to be eliminated. The only question is, what is the best method of disposal?" Recalling her past murder weapons, Marlena looked at the carving knife in her hand.

At the loft, Belle surprised Marlena as she headed for Shawn's apartment. Belle told her mother it was the end for them, as Marlena thought, "Well, it's the end for Shawn, that's for sure.” Marlena found the key to Shawn's apartment in a cabinet, saying, "Well, now all Belle's problems with Shawn are about to be over." Giving Belle tea with honey, Marlena stood outside, echoing some of her daughter's words, saying, "No, I wouldn't hurt a fly." But she added, "I'm just going to kill your boyfriend. That'll teach him to point a finger at me."

Marlena was approaching Shawn's bedside. The blade glistened as she said, "You shouldn't have guessed I was the killer, Shawn. Now, you've left me no choice." With six to seven savage blows, Marlena attacked the sleeping body, leaving a pool of blood. Catching her breath, she stepped back, holding the bloody knife upright and saying, "All right. That is the end of Shawn Brady."

2/25 Shawn showed up at Belle's apartment. He said that he had hurt her and that he was sorry because he had known Marlena ever since he was little and knew that she was not capable of murder. He said that he wanted to be part of the family if Marlena would have him. Shawn decided to spend the night with Belle, but he had to go home to get a few things. Belle went over to Shawn’s and found the door to his apartment open. Someone had broken into his apartment, and he thought it was Marlena because whoever it had been had cut his sheets and bloodied them too. Marlena stopped at Belle's and was shocked to find a very much alive Shawn there. Marlena had thought she had killed him and then wondered who it could have been that she had stabbed. Jen had slipped into Shawn’s bed to wait for him. Jen is Shawn’s stalker who also killed Victor.

2/26 Hope arrived at the loft and found Belle in tears. Shawn took her into his apartment and showed her his room. Hope was stunned by Shawn's bed drenched in blood. Intimidated by Belle's facial expressions, Shawn still said nothing about Marlena. Tek's investigation found evidence of long, dark hairs in Shawn's bed. Belle accuses Shawn of having sex with another girl and demands to know who it was!

At the Williams house, Doug couldn't sleep. Realizing that he knew who the killer was, Doug recalled seeing Marlena leaving Tony's treatment bay with a syringe. After Doug left, Julie awoke to see Maggie's ghost warning her that Doug was in grave danger! **The End**