Bo & Hope #81 July 7 - November 2, 2011: 8 hour original edit

DVD #81A At the safe house, Nicole frees fake Rafe. Rafe reminded Sami that fake Rafe was a loose cannon, and he pointed out that they couldn't risk the possibility of fake Rafe ruining the entire plan. Bo said that he needed Sami to keep Taylor away from the mansion; Sami reluctantly agreed to do so.

Meanwhile, E.J. and Taylor returned to the mansion. Stefano greeted Taylor, and he congratulated her on her engagement to E.J. Stefano admitted that he had not been thrilled about the news at first. Taylor claimed that Stefano had managed to hide his disappointment. "I see, you are being sarcastic, are you not? Now I know why you get along so well with my son; you're both wonderful, you're entertaining, you're, uh...wry, sardonic," Stefano said, but E.J. wasn't convinced that Stefano was being sincere.

E.J. pointed out that Stefano had repeatedly mentioned that he despised sarcasm. E.J. insisted that Stefano needed to treat Taylor with respect. "Hmm. You know, you're getting all funny in the face," Stefano said, as E.J.'s temper flared. Stefano added that he was certain that Taylor understood that he had just been trying to make small talk earlier. Taylor nodded, and Stefano claimed that she was going to be a wonderful addition to the family.

"You know, something you should prepare yourself for, Taylor, is drama, because we are a very passionate people, we DiMeras. We're unpredictable; as a matter of fact, surprises are a way of life for us around here," Stefano warned, as he toasted the couple. Later, Johnny ran into the living room. Johnny said that he had missed Taylor, and Taylor wondered if Johnny would enjoy spending more time with Taylor. Johnny nodded enthusiastically, then he escorted Taylor up to his room so that he could show her his train collection.

Outside the DiMera mansion, Bo tuned in to the DiMera radio frequency, and he used Rafe's voice-altering program to distract the guards. "Okay, everybody, listen up. I need you to move to the outer perimeters; once there, stay put until you hear from me directly. Stay off your radios; our security has been breached. I repeat, our security has been breached," Bo announced over the frequency.

7/8 As Bo and Hope waited for Rafe to make his move, Bo received a phone call from Sami. "Look, I know my job is to try to find Taylor, and make sure she stays away from the mansion, but I can't find her anywhere, and you are not keeping me away from that mansion for one more second; I'm coming, Uncle Bo there's no stopping me," Sami said, as she abruptly ended the phone call. She hung up abruptly before he could persuade her otherwise. Hope then turned up the volume on her transmitter so Bo could hear that Rafe had found the DiMeras in the living room. Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Rafe calmly walked into the living room. Stefano demanded to know what fake Rafe wanted. "Well, what do you think I want, huh? The rules have changed, get it? I'm not your little bitch anymore. You're gonna give me a raise," Rafe said. Before Stefano could respond, the terrace door opened and fake Rafe stumbled into the DiMera mansion. Just as Rafe was demanding more money from the DiMeras, his double entered through the terrace door.

Indicating the real Rafe, imposter Rafe complained, "This guy, he's been pretending to be me. They're going after your whole operation. Him and Sami, they've been playing games with you while I've been tied up for real!" Just then, Taylor entered from the kitchen, and stopped cold when she saw the doppelgängers. "There's two of them?" Taylor asked E.J. shakily, before continuing, "What's going on? Do you know about this?" E.J. tried to get Taylor to wait for him in the kitchen, but she demanded to know what was going on. Rafe answered her first, "You're right, there are two of us. Well, there are now, anyway. Suffice to say, I'm the original, and this one here... Well, he's the one who killed your mother, Taylor." Taylor demanded to know if the two Rafes were the reason that E.J. had asked her to take a leap of faith. Stefano shouted that the DiMeras didn't owe anyone an explanation. Just then, Sami entered from the foyer. "No, but you sure as hell owe me," Sami declared. She walked right up to E.J. and punched him in the face, and before he could recover, she punched him again. "You are going to pay for what you did to me!" she roared.

E.J. tried to get Taylor to go upstairs to check on Johnny, but Sami urged E.J. to let Taylor stay. "Don't you think you should explain why you locked Rafe up in your dungeon? Why you gave him drugs to make him lose his memory? Why you tortured him and tried to kill him? Why you put that creep in my house with me and my children -- our children?" Sami demanded, then added to Taylor, "He made sure I was living with the creep who murdered your mother. You heard him admit to it." Interjecting that he would have said anything after they'd injected him with drugs, faux Rafe swore he hadn't killed "that lady." He announced that he was leaving, but as he reached the side door, Bo and Hope stopped him. "Oh, God, I should have known this was a Bo Brady operation," Stefano groaned. While Hope held a gun on the imposter, Bo sat phony Rafe down in a chair. Faux Rafe watched the ensuing argument as if it were a tennis match. Stefano demanded to see some evidence against them, and Sami declared that the impersonator was evidence. Bo pointed out that creating doubles and inserting them into other people's lives to destroy the lives of those people was "the DiMera M.O."

E.J. asserted that nothing they were saying was admissible as evidence. Rafe noted that the DiMeras had kept him prisoner, gave him drugs to erase his memory, and sent him to a mental institution. Stefano maintained that the Bradys had hired the imposter to frame the DiMeras. Sami wondered aloud whom a jury would believe -- Rafe, the former FBI agent, or E.J., the "resident lowlife." Fed up, Taylor demanded that Sami leave E.J. alone. E.J. thanked Taylor for defending him, but his conscience was clean. Sami admitted that she had spent a lot of time wondering about the imposter and why he would have subjected himself to all the plastic surgery -- not to mention giving up his whole life -- just for money, but then she'd realized that E.J. was far worse for having plotted the whole thing. Sami continued that because she loved her husband so much, she had been willing to do anything to get him back -- and that included having sex with the imposter. Bo noted that Sami would never have consented to have sex with the ringer if she'd known the truth, and Sami clarified, "Which means there's a legal definition for what happened to me."

Bo finished, "It's called rape." He added that because the DiMeras had orchestrated it, that made them accessories to rape. E.J. calmly insisted that none of it had anything to do with him. Bo theorized that the DiMeras had killed Fay because she had figured it all out. Taylor bristled at Bo invoking her mother's name to solve his case. Bo reminded Taylor that she'd heard the imposter confess to murdering Fay, and Hope guessed that Taylor wanted to know why. Taylor replied angrily that she wanted to know a lot of things, adding, "Can someone please explain to me why Sami was lying on the floor that night wearing my mother's cameo?" Rafe divulged that he'd found the cameo in phony Rafe's possessions. The imposter denied it. Sami declared that she would never fall for E.J.'s act again, but Taylor had a decision to make: "If you want to marry him and then find out that he created Frankenstein's monster over here, the man who murdered your mother." Taylor was convinced that E.J. hadn't had anything to do with her mother's death, because she had seen no proof.

Exasperated, Sami acknowledged that she had been in Taylor's shoes, and she understood how persuasive E.J. could be. Sami continued that she had overheard E.J. promising God that he would change his ways when Johnny had been ill with cancer. "If he can look God in the face and pull a scam, you gotta know he'll do the same thing to you," Sami contended. Taylor turned to E.J., and begged him to tell her that what Sami and the others were saying was not true.

7/11 At the DiMera mansion, E.J. tried to convince Taylor that Sami and Rafe's allegations were false, but Taylor remained skeptical. "The truth is, if you are not responsible for my mother's death, or any of the other horrific things that these people have said about you tonight, then you would say it," Taylor pointed out. E.J. tried to remind Taylor that fake Rafe had killed Fay, but Taylor realized that E.J. was dodging the question. Taylor pointedly asked E.J. if he was the reason that fake Rafe was in Salem, but E.J. refused to answer her question directly. Sami told Taylor that E.J. was lying to her, because he was aware that he would lose her otherwise. "You're in love, and you're so desperate to believe what you know in your heart not to be true, but it is. Love can't fix this, Taylor; all it can do is blind you to the truth. Don't let it," Hope gently added.

Bo told Taylor to trust her instincts. "You know what that means? Could there be a more heartless person? Could I be in love with him? Oh, my God...it's true -- you're lying. My mother is dead because of you," Taylor realized, as she turned to face E.J. E.J. tried to convince Taylor that she was wrong, but Taylor refused to listen. Taylor admitted that she could tell that E.J. was lying, because he wasn't even willing to look at her.

"God, you're empty, there is nothing, your whole life is a lie! You thought that you could just skate through this catastrophe, the way you always, always have; you thought that I would be some stupid woman who was so in love with you that I wouldn't see the truth? Is that what you think of me? My mother is dead because of you! And do not say that you're not responsible because that pig you hired to impersonate your ex-wife's husband killed her. You are disgusting, and you dare to say that you love me?" Taylor asked incredulously. E.J. insisted that he did love Taylor. Taylor said that the only person that E.J. loved was himself. As E.J. begged Taylor to believe that he was telling the truth, Taylor added that E.J. was worse than Stefano. Rafe agreed, and he started to lash out at E.J. Meanwhile, Johnny crept down the stairs. "You kill people -- you don't even give a damn. Your own fiancée's mother? And you know what? You know who I feel sorriest for? Your own children, 'cause they have to grow up knowing their father, who supposedly loves them, loves nothing more than power, and will do anything to get what he wants," Rafe shouted, as Johnny listened from the foyer.

Before E.J. could respond, Johnny ran into the room, and he wondered what was going on. As Sami and Rafe rushed to Johnny's side, Bo and Hope quickly stepped in front of fake Rafe. "Why did you hurt people, Daddy? Rafe said you were evil," Johnny said. Meanwhile, Taylor grabbed her purse, and she quickly rushed out of the mansion. As Rafe and Sami tried to comfort Johnny, fake Rafe peeked his head out from behind Hope's back, and Johnny caught a glimpse of the impostor.

Bo and Hope dragged fake Rafe out of the mansion, and Bo warned E.J. not to go anywhere. E.J. tried to assure Johnny that everything was going to be all right; he reached out to grab Johnny, but Johnny ran away from him. Sami and Rafe rushed after Johnny. E.J. started to follow them, but Stefano grabbed his arm. "Don't you think you've caused enough damage tonight?" Stefano asked. As the night ended, Bo and Hope escorted fake Rafe to a prison cell.

7/13 At the police station, Abe explained that the D.A. was upset because a convicted felon had been named as the lead investigator on the DiMera case, and he announced that the D.A. had threatened to contact Internal Affairs. Abe asked Bo to remove Hope from the case, but Bo refused to do so. Bo pointed out that the D.A. was going to forget all about his temper tantrum after the DiMeras were behind bars.

Meanwhile, down in the prison cells, Hope tried to convince fake Rafe to turn on the DiMeras. After toying with fake Rafe for a while, she offered him a new solution for his problems, the Witness Protection Program. Fake Rafe took the bait, but before Hope could tell fake Rafe about the terms of the agreement, Roman stepped into the room. Roman dismissed Hope, and he explained to fake Rafe that he was going to be handling the situation from that point forward. Hope learned that the D.A. was upset about her involvement in the case. Hope admitted that she had been making progress with fake Rafe. Bo told Abe that they were trying to convince fake Rafe that witness protection was an option. Bo explained that they were hoping that fake Rafe would insist that he would only deal with Hope, because that would force the D.A. to cooperate.

Later, Roman announced that fake Rafe was refusing to talk to anyone other than Hope. Meanwhile, Bo asked Detective McCarthy to try to recall important details about her interactions with fake Rafe. McCarthy managed to remember a particular mug shot that fake Rafe had been interested in one day at the police station. Back in the prison cells, fake Rafe wondered why Hope had been removed from the case. Hope admitted that she had a prison record. Hope said that she wanted to help fake Rafe, because she knew what it was like to wish for a second chance. Hope promised that she would help fake Rafe, if he agreed to help her. Fake Rafe refused Hope's offer, and he explained that he didn't trust Roman to honor Hope's pact.

7/14 At the police station, Hope reluctantly admitted that she had not been able to convince fake Rafe to turn on the DiMeras. Bo asked Detective McCarthy to tell Hope about the suspicious mug shots that she had seen fake Rafe staring at. As McCarthy described fake Rafe's behavior to Hope, Hope theorized that fake Rafe might have been looking at his own mug shot. Bo agreed with Hope's suspicions, and he asked McCarthy to search for the mug shot. Meanwhile, Bo and Hope headed over to Sami and Rafe's apartment.

Bo and Hope arrived at Rafe and Sami’s apartment. Bo quickly updated Sami and Rafe, and Bo asked Sami to help them figure out fake Rafe's real identity. Rafe started to protest, but Sami assured Rafe that she was eager to help. Bo asked Sami to think about all of fake Rafe's interactions with the DiMeras. Sami started to recall past encounters between E.J. and fake Rafe, and she remembered that fake Rafe had tried to hit on Stephanie. Rafe added that fake Rafe had tried to hit on Nicole, as well. "I will scratch her eyes out. Did he hit on everything that moved?" Sami asked incredulously. Sami suggested that Bo and Hope might want to talk to Dario, and she told them about the woman that fake Rafe had picked up at a bar. Rafe added that her name was Alicia; he gave Bo and Hope a description of the woman, and he said that Dario might be able to give them more information. As Bo and Hope excused themselves, Sami added that there was one more thing that she could do to help them. Sami told Bo and Hope to give her thirty minutes alone with fake Rafe. Sami promised that she would be able to get them all of the information that they would need.

Back at the station, Detective McCarthy announced that she had found something. As Bo and Hope stared at the mug shot of the man who had been transformed into fake Rafe, McCarthy explained that his real name was Arnold Feniger. Hope was certain that she could use that information to convince fake Rafe to turn on the DiMeras.

7/15 At the police station, McCarthy showed Bo and Hope the mug shots and long, storied rap sheet of Arnold Feniger, also known as imposter Rafe. As Bo and Hope were discussing how to use the information against the imposter, an irate D.A. Woods entered the squad room, fuming about how Internal Affairs wanted Hope off the case immediately. Hope quickly made herself scarce, while Bo pointed out that Hope had been deputized, so the D.A. couldn't remove her from duty without a written request. D.A. Woods promised to have the paperwork on Bo's desk within the hour. When the two of them were alone, Abe hinted that Bo could count on Victor's help, so Bo reluctantly called his father.

Outside, Hope and Detective McCarthy overheard Woods's ranting. McCarthy asked Hope what she could do to help, and Hope instructed McCarthy to follow her with Feniger's file. Abe soon produced a document that required Bo to relieve Hope of her duties. Hope returned, and Bo filled her in on what had happened in her absence. After Abe left the room, Hope got what seemed like a promising text message about the faux Rafe investigation, but before she could reveal anything, Brady arrived. "I need to talk to Bo about what I did to E.J.," Brady explained. After Hope left the men alone, Brady admitted that he didn't regret what he had done; he only regretted having put other people, like Bo, in bad positions. Brady worried that Bo would be in hot water if people found out he'd known that Brady had attacked E.J. With a shrug, Bo suggested that Brady should pray E.J. never remembered what had happened, but he hoped that Stefano and E.J. would be behind bars before that occurred.

Abe returned to Bo's office and declared, "Victor came through." The two of them found Hope in the squad room. Abe and Bo informed Hope that the governor had just given her a full pardon, and expunged her record of all of her crimes. Bo added excitedly that there was nothing to keep him from reinstating her on the force. Overcome, a tearful Hope threw her arms around her husband and kissed him. Abe produced a Bible, and immediately swore Hope in as a police officer.

7/18 Harold informed Stefano that he had a visitor, Bo Brady. Stefano casually poured himself a drink, and Bo observed that Stefano seemed quite relaxed, for a man whose whole world was crashing down around him. "I know what you were gonna do to your Rafe imposter, to shut him up so he wouldn't talk to us. Notice the tense that I used; that leak has been plugged," Bo announced. Bo mentioned an Officer Davis, and he wondered if the name sounded familiar to Stefano. Stefano stoically claimed that he had never heard of that name before. "Yeah, well, that kind of thing happens with age. Let me see if I can spark your memory. This Officer Davis pulled some magic -- you know, changed the schedule around down at the jail. He was the only one guarding your Rafe impostor tonight; we're pretty sure it was on your orders," Bo said. Stefano sarcastically applauded Bo's confidence.

"Bottom line...this Davis is being interrogated by Internal Affairs, and the Rafe impostor...he's getting rather antsy, sitting in that cell all by himself, thinking about what he's done. I got this feeling he's gonna find his voice tonight, so...if you have any affairs that you should get in order, I'd get right on that," Bo said. After Bo left, Stefano started to pour himself a drink, but his hand was shaking as he picked up the decanter. Bo told Hope about his encounter with Stefano earlier. "He's scared, in a 'Stefano' sort of way...which is to say, he didn't say a damn word, but I could tell in his eyes, he's on the ropes," Bo said. Hope wondered if Sofia would be able to convince fake Rafe to turn on the DiMeras. Bo assured Hope that fake Rafe was ready to talk, and he added that one extra nudge would probably be enough to push fake Rafe over the edge. Hope grinned, as she realized what Bo was planning to do.

Bo and Hope went down to the cells. Bo announced that he and Hope had saved fake Rafe's life; Bo explained that he and Hope had thwarted a DiMera plot to kill fake Rafe earlier that night. Bo and Hope started to leave, but Hope paused. "Oh...there's one more thing. Just because Stefano didn't get you this time...doesn't mean he won't the next," Hope warned fake Rafe, as Bo snickered.

After Hope and Bo left, the guard returned with Sofia. Sofia announced that she was going to be returning to Colombia. Fake Rafe was taken aback by Sofia's announcement, and he begged her to take him back to Colombia with her. Sofia admitted that they would make a great pair, but she apologetically pointed out that the timing was wrong. Sofia started to tell the guard that she was ready to leave, but fake Rafe stopped her. Fake Rafe asked Sofia to wait for him. Sofia pointed out that fake Rafe was going to be in prison for a long time, but fake Rafe suggested that he might be getting released soon. Fake Rafe begged Sofia not to return to Colombia until she had heard from him. Sofia smiled at him, and then she walked out of the cells. After Sofia left, fake Rafe shouted for Bo and Hope. When Bo and Hope entered the cells, fake Rafe said that he was ready to talk. Bo told fake Rafe to stop wasting their time. "What if I tell you everything you want to know? Would that be a waste of your time? I'll tell you everything...just promise that I walk," fake Rafe said.

7/19 At the police station, Bo and Hope were excited about the strength of their case against E.J. since the faux Rafe, Arnold, had agreed to testify. While Bo and Hope reviewed the case file, District Attorney Woods walked in and was annoyed to see Hope was in the station. Bo informed D.A. Woods that the governor had pardoned Hope and had officially reinstated her to the police force. With a grin, Bo told the district attorney that Hope had cracked open the Rafe case.

Arnold's attorney presented Bo and Hope with an addendum to the plea deal, which asked for money on top of Arnold's amnesty. Painted in a corner, Bo had an officer escort Arnold from his cell to Bo's desk. Bo warned Arnold that he was a murderer and that Arnold's best option was to take the plea deal "as is." As Arnold smirked, an officer led in a line of prisoners chained together. When the prisoners leered at Hope, she leaned over and informed Arnold that if he did not take the agreement, he would never be closer to a woman than the prisoners were to her. When the lawyers returned, Arnold's lawyer counseled him to take the deal that the District Attorney was offering. With a smirk, Arnold asked to review the papers again. Bo ordered Officer Lopez to escort Arnold to his cell so that he could review the plea deal. Once Arnold was gone, Bo expressed his confidence that Arnold would sign the plea deal. Arnold's attorney hurried into Bo and Hope's office to show them the signed plea agreement. Elated, Bo called for a stenographer to head to Arnold's cell.

Back in Arnold's cell, the chained prisoners were placed in Arnold's cell. When Arnold made a joke about the prisoners being losers, one took offense to the statement. When Arnold continue to make cracks, the offended prisoner noted that he remembered Arnold and that he was FBI agent Rafe Hernandez, who had previously arrested him for bank robbery. Sensing he was in danger, Arnold explained that he was not Rafe. "I never forget the face of someone that screwed me," the prisoner said as his hands gripped onto Arnold's shoulders.

In the main room of the police station, Abe was looking over some paperwork when he overheard Officer Chan inform Officer Lopez that he had placed the bank robbery suspects in the cell with Arnold. Shocked, Abe spun around and noted, "He is supposed to be in solitary. He is a witness protection candidate" "I vetted them. They had no ties to the DiMeras. What's the big flippin' deal?" Officer Chan said.

Bo and Hope arrived at Arnold's cell and were concerned to find a gaggle of prisoners standing around. As Bo opened the door to the cell, he was shocked to find Arnold's bloody body on the floor. After feeling for a pulse, Bo announced that Arnold was dead.

7/20 At the police station, Bo cursed as he checked the lifeless body of Arnold Feniger, Rafe’s doppelgänger, for a pulse, and found none. "He's dead," Bo growled. As he stood and glared furiously at the orange-jumpsuited prisoners responsible for Arnold's death, he demanded to know what had happened. The inmates just shrugged and pretended not to know anything. Hope and Bo exited the cell, leaving the four prisoners locked in the cell with the corpse. As Bo and Hope entered the squad room, Taylor was ranting to Roman and Abe that the man who had killed her mother could not be set free. Bo informed Taylor that the Rafe imposter had signed a full confession that implicated Stefano and E.J. in the scheme. Although each was handcuffed, the DiMera men were unconcerned. District Attorney Woods then stormed into the room and lit into Bo because the imposter had been killed. E.J. and Stefano chuckled smugly, and pointed out that the police had no cause to hold them any longer. "Woods. In my office now," Bo ordered the D.A. Roman accompanied the other two men into Bo's office.

When Sami and Rafe arrived at the police station, Rafe went into Bo's office to find out what he could about what had happened. Sami accused Stefano and E.J. of having had "the creature" killed so he couldn't testify. The DiMeras calmly maintained that Arnold would have had nothing to testify about. An irate Sami began shouting at them, so Abe gently pulled her away. Just then, the others exited Bo's office, looking grim. Indicating Stefano and E.J., Sami demanded, "Tell me what's going on! You're not just going to let them walk, are you?" Bo promised to make sure that whoever had killed the imposter got the punishment he deserved, and then ordered a uniformed officer to removed the DiMeras' handcuffs. Woods declared that Commissioner Brady had blown it, and stormed off. The officer escorted Stefano and E.J. away to process their release papers. Sami determinedly asserted to her assembled family members that the battle wasn't over yet.

Rafe went back to Bo's office, where he found Hope and Bo going through case files. He told them that none of the inmates had admitted to anything, but added, "One of the prisoners is an old perp of mine from the Bureau days -- and this was his third strike. Blames me for it because I was behind the second collar." With nothing left to lose, Rafe concluded, the guy had killed the double, believing it was Rafe. Bo and Hope concurred that Rafe's theory made sense. Bo apologized that their plan had gone so wrong, and encouraged Rafe to head home to be with his family.

7/25 At the police station, Hope desperately tried to find another piece of evidence that would incriminate Stefano and E.J. Bo told Hope that she was going to have to accept that the case was over. Hope admitted that she didn't think that she would be able to do that. Later, Roman escorted someone into the station. The suspect, Ellis Pendleton, had broken a homeless man's arm, and he had also stolen six dollars from the man. Hope told Ellis that he was looking at some serious jail time. "I'm not worried; in this town, you can set your husband on fire and get away with it," Ellis dryly stated. As Hope's temper flared, she grabbed Ellis and shoved him into a nearby chair. Roman assured Bo and Hope that he would take care of Ellis, and he quickly escorted Ellis out of the room. After Roman and Ellis left, Hope insisted that she was fine, but Bo wasn't convinced. Bo theorized that Hope had lashed out at Ellis because she was upset about the DiMera case. Bo reminded Hope that her position on the force was precarious. Bo wondered what would have happened if the D.A. had been in the room. Hope conceded that Bo was right, and she excused herself so that she could clear her head.

Hope entered the pub, and she asked to talk to Melanie. Outside the pub, Hope asked Melanie if E.J. had said anything about the fake Rafe scheme on the night of his attack. Melanie apologetically admitted that E.J. had been unconscious the entire time. Hope conceded that she was grasping at straws, and she thanked Melanie for her help. Back at the police station, Roman wondered if Hope was all right. Bo explained that Hope was upset about the DiMera case. "There's a couple other things...the D.A. is a bit ticked off because we went over his head to get her reinstated; Internal Affairs, not an easygoing bunch at the best of times, they're breathing down my neck, watching her like a hawk, watching us like a hawk," Bo added. Bo warned Roman that Hope wasn't aware of the Internal Affairs investigation, and he said that he wanted to keep it that way. As Bo and Roman continued to discuss the Internal Affairs investigation, Hope entered the room. Bo told Hope that Roman had managed to get Ellis to agree to keep his mouth shut about what had happened earlier. Hope thanked Roman for covering for her. Roman assured Hope that it wasn't a problem, and he excused himself. After Roman left, Hope told Bo that she wasn't going to lose her temper again. "It's just...this thing with the DiMeras, Bo. I mean, they do what they do, and they never pay for it, they just walk, and I keep asking myself, 'What is the point?'" Hope explained. Bo cryptically stated that he had an answer for that, and he asked Hope to follow him.

7/28 At the police station, Bo met with the D.A. to discuss the fake Rafe disaster. Bo insisted that fake Rafe's death had been a fluke, but the D.A. wasn't convinced. Bo said that he knew exactly what the D.A. was trying to do. "You sandbag someone to take the blame; the pristine D.A. gets off unscathed," Bo noted with disgust. D.A. Woods said that he was glad that he and Bo understood each other, and he abruptly excused himself from Bo's office. Later, Bo told Hope that the D.A. was probably going to tell Internal Affairs that the disaster had been caused by Bo and Hope's negligence. Hope noted that the D.A. was still upset because Bo had pulled some strings to get Hope reinstated. Bo said that he stood by that decision, and he added that it was one of the best decisions that he had ever made as the police commissioner.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, because...you're gonna have to pay the piper on this one, little brother," Roman said, as he entered Bo's office. Roman explained that Bo had been demoted. Roman noted that the good news was that Hope was going to get her partner back. Bo added that he wasn't going to miss doing all of the paperwork, and he grinned as he realized that he could finally burn his collection of ties. Bo wondered who the new commissioner was going to be. Roman hesitated, and he said that he had turned down the position the last time that it had been offered to him. Roman said that he might change his mind if the position was offered to him again, but he admitted that he wasn't sure. Before Roman could continue, Detective McCarthy entered the office, and she announced that there was something that Bo, Hope, and Roman needed to see right away. Detective McCarthy used Bo's computer to access the photograph of Carly that had been posted online earlier; Bo, Hope, and Roman were stunned by the photograph.

7/29 In Bo's office at the police station, Bo and Hope were shocked when they saw the photo of Carly passed out with a pile of pills. Hope commented on her own past drug use, but Bo noted that Hope's situation was different because Hope had a bad reaction to pills that a doctor had prescribed. Hope theorized that Vivian could have Photoshopped the picture of Carly, but Bo thought about Carly's recent odd behavior and shot down Hope's suggestion. "I should have seen this coming. She was in trouble. Big trouble," Bo said. "Then you and I are gonna help her," Hope said.

Jennifer and Daniel went to the police station to report Carly missing. Jennifer gave a statement to Bo, Hope, and Roman about Carly's drug problem. Daniel and Jennifer explained the situation leading up to the overdose and what had happened after they confronted Carly. Citing the photo circulating online, Roman noted that they did not need to wait 24 hours to begin searching for Carly. While Jennifer talked to Bo, Hope spotted a familiar face on the surveillance cameras in a nearby alleyway. Noting that the man on the camera was a "frequent flier" occupant in the county lockup, Bo and Hope left to pick up the man for questioning about Carly.

Bo and Hope tracked down the "frequent flier" Lewis to an alleyway. Hope showed Lewis a photo of Carly and asked him if he had seen her. When Hope noted that surveillance cameras in the area had shown Lewis on camera in the alley with Carly, and Bo threatened to haul Lewis down to the police station, Lewis caved in and informed Bo and Hope that he had found Carly passed out on the ground. Lewis noted that a man had taken Carly, and Bo took Lewis down to the station for questioning. At the police station when Bo and Hope returned with Lewis, they had him work with a sketch artist to create a composite of the man last seen with Carly. Bo showed Jennifer and Daniel the sketch. Hope urged Jennifer and Daniel to head home and rest. Back in Bo's office, Hope stared at the sketch and noted that the face looked familiar to her.

8/4 At the police station, Bo and Hope continued to worry about Carly. Roman reminded Bo and Hope that Carly had checked in with the hospital staff earlier. Roman added that the investigation into Carly's disappearance had been officially closed. Roman announced that he had another case that he wanted Bo and Hope to work on. Roman explained that a prostitute had been stabbed the previous night. Roman said that the woman had been taken to the hospital. Roman added that the officer who had responded to the call had not been able to get a lot of information out of the woman. Roman said that he wanted Bo and Hope to try to convince the woman to talk about the attack.

At the hospital, Hope tried to talk to the assault victim; meanwhile, Bo went to check out the crime scene. The woman, who introduced herself as Charity, told Hope that she had been attacked from behind. Charity insisted that she had not seen her attacker's face. Charity added that she wasn't sure about the assailant's gender. Hope realized that Charity believed that the cops were not going to take the case seriously. Hope said that she was genuinely concerned about protecting Charity. Hope said that she wasn't going to judge Charity for being a prostitute, and she promised to find Charity's attacker. Charity warned Hope that there would always be plenty of other attackers.

Back at the police station, Hope told Roman about her earlier conversation with Charity. Bo told Roman that he had not been able to find anything at the crime scene. Roman apologetically informed Bo and Hope that they were going to have to drop the case; Roman explained that he didn't have the manpower to continue the investigation. Hope offered to work on the case on her own.

"You do that, and somebody else will have your job by the time you get back to your desk," Roman said, as Rafe listened nearby. Hope tried to protest, and she wondered if Roman would have taken the case more seriously if the victim had not been a prostitute. Roman warned Hope not to push him. Hope muttered that she wouldn't dream of doing that; before Roman could respond, Hope stormed off, and Bo followed her.

Later, back at the hospital, Hope tried to question Charity again. Maxine explained that Charity was heavily sedated, and Hope promised that she would return the next day. After Maxine left, Hope realized that Bo had been standing nearby. Bo assured Hope that he wasn't going to tell Roman about her plan, and he added that he was going to help her with the case. As Bo and Hope started to leave, they ran into Rafe. Rafe said that he had guessed that Bo and Hope would ignore Roman's orders. Rafe promised that he wasn't going to tell Roman that Bo and Hope were still working on the case. Rafe added that he wanted to help with the investigation.

8/5 Maggie is shot as she spies on a secret meeting between Stefano and Victor. Victor is horrified to hear the shot ring out, and realise Maggie has been shot. He rushes towards her and she collapses into his arms.

8/9 After Lexie went to scrub in, Abigail and Jennifer went into a nearby room to talk. Jennifer left a message for Melissa and hoped that there would be good news by the time Melissa called back. Hope joined Abigail and Jennifer in the room and informed them that she had called Doug and Julie on their cruise to give them the news. Abigail called Chad, but he did not answer his phone. Hope advised Abigail to cut Chad loose because he was Stefano's son. Victor paced the hospital waiting area nervously. When Victor saw Bo, he asked if there was an update on the investigation into the shooting. Victor blamed himself for Maggie's injury. "You were trying to clean up Brady's mess, weren't you?" Bo asked Victor.

8/10 At the docks, a uniformed officer was reviewing the physical evidence in Maggie's shooting with Bo and Hope when a peeved Roman arrived. Roman reprimanded Bo and Hope for aiding in the investigation despite their obvious conflict of interest, since Maggie was Hope's aunt and had been shot while standing next to Bo's father, Victor. Hope and Bo argued that all of them wanted to put the DiMeras away for their crimes, but Roman officially removed both Bradys from the case. When Roman announced that Rafe was in charge of the investigation, Bo contended that Rafe couldn't be objective any more than Hope or Bo could. Roman held his ground, and ordered Bo and Hope to leave the crime scene.

As Hope and Bo made their way to the Brady Pub, Bo seethed about how the promotion to commissioner had gone to Roman's head. Hope did her best to calm her husband's rage, and pointed out that Rafe was more than willing to let them help with the investigation. She added that they needed to get moving on what they knew before Stefano could create an alibi, so the two headed to the DiMera mansion. Bo and Hope arrived. Kate tried to put off the cops' questions until Stefano was feeling better, but Stefano insisted that he wanted to get it over with. Hope questioned Kate and Stefano in the living room. Kate tried to claim that Stefano had been with her when Maggie had been shot, but Stefano wouldn't let Kate lie for him. Hope stated that phone records showed that Stefano had made the call to 911 about Maggie, and asked what Stefano had been doing on the pier at that exact time. Stefano maintained that he'd been conducting business on another part of the pier when he'd heard a gunshot and a woman's scream, so he'd gone to help. Hope pointed out that Victor's story contradicted Stefano's, but Stefano shrugged it off.

Meanwhile, Bo was grilling E.J. in the foyer. Bo divulged that he'd spoken to Brady, who believed that E.J. had called Brady for a meeting to get Brady out of the way, so that Stefano could carry out the hit on Victor. Bo surmised that Stefano had instead used E.J. and Brady's sincere desire for peace to ambush Victor but Maggie, an innocent bystander, had gotten in the way. Bo offered immunity to a dubious E.J. in exchange for the truth about Stefano. E.J. wondered why he needed amnesty if he were innocent. Bo replied calmly, "Since you walk on crimes that you do commit, I won't have an ethical problem with nailing you for a crime you didn't. So who do you think should go down for this, you or your father?" Just as calmly, E.J. stated that he was going for a walk, and he hoped Bo was gone when E.J. returned.

Hope hung up from getting an update from the hospital about Maggie. She informed Stefano and Kate that Maggie was in a coma, on a ventilator, and might not make it. Stefano tried to express his sympathy, but Hope cut him off. "You did this to her, you son of a bitch!" Hope shouted. Bo returned just in time to calm her down before she could physically attack Stefano. As Bo was leading Hope out, Chad returned. "God, what is going on now?" Chad demanded, rolling his eyes with disgust. Stefano tried to deflect any questions directed at Chad, but Hope pointed out that Chad might have witnessed events leading up to and following the shooting. Chad answered honestly that he'd had nothing to do with any of it. "But you do know what happened, right? Do you know who shot Maggie Horton?" Bo asked.

8/11 At the DiMera mansion, Bo and Hope questioned Chad. "Here's what I know about the shooting, nothing,” Chad firmly stated. Chad added that Stefano wasn't feeling well, and Kate quickly ushered Bo and Hope out of the mansion. Back at the police station, Hope noted that Chad was definitely hiding something. Hope added that she wanted to strangle Brady. Bo agreed, and he wondered what Brady had expected to gain from assaulting E.J. Before Hope could respond, D.A. Woods entered the station. The D.A. said that he wanted Bo and Hope to find the person who was responsible for Maggie Horton's shooting. D.A. Woods added that he wanted Bo and Hope to promise that they were going to hand him an airtight case. Bo explained that Roman had taken Bo and Hope off of the case. The D.A. wondered who Bo and Hope had interviewed. Bo hesitantly explained that they had interviewed Chad.

The D.A. wasn't surprised that Chad had covered for Stefano. "Okay, we're gonna put this together; we're gonna nail the DiMeras, each and every one of them, and I don't care what Roman wants. You're employees of the city, officers of the court, and as far as I'm concerned, you're still on this case," D.A. Woods said. After the D.A. left, Bo dryly stated that he was sensing a bit of hatred from D.A. Woods.

Bo entered Maggie’s hospital room, and he said that Justin was right. Bo asked Victor to promise that he wouldn't try to retaliate. Victor said that he couldn't promise anything. Victor reiterated that his focus was on Maggie, but he added that he wasn't going to forget why she was lying in a hospital bed. Bo promised that he was going to find the person who was responsible for Maggie's shooting. Victor said that he was worried that Bo would not be able to connect that person to Stefano. Victor added that he just wanted to see results. Bo said that the D.A. wanted the same thing. Bo wondered if Victor really wanted to risk giving the D.A. information that might lead him straight to Brady. Justin pointed out that Maggie wouldn't want Victor to seek vengeance. Bo assured Victor that the DiMeras had screwed up. Bo explained that he had questioned Stefano, and he said that he could tell that Stefano was scared. Bo suggested that Stefano and E.J. were probably going to forget about going after Brady, because they were going to want to keep a low profile. Bo added that if Victor continued to provoke the DiMeras, then they might start to reconsider that strategy. Bo begged Victor to stay at the hospital with Maggie, and he asked Victor to forget about retaliation. Victor reluctantly agreed to take Bo's advice.

Back at the hospital, Hope greeted Adrienne. Hope said that the D.A. was looking at Maggie's shooting as an opportunity to take down the entire DiMera family. Hope added that she was worried that the Kiriakis family might go down with the DiMeras. Adrienne said that Sonny had been called in to start his job at the D.A.'s office a day early. Hope wondered if Sonny knew anything about the shooting; meanwhile, in another area of the hospital, Sonny received a phone call from the D.A. As Adrienne tried to evade Hope's question, Sonny greeted them. Sonny explained that the D.A. had asked him to deliver a message to Hope. Adrienne excused herself so that Sonny and Hope could have some privacy. After Adrienne left, Sonny explained that the D.A. wanted all of Hope's notes about the E.J. DiMera assault. Hope said that if the D.A. wanted to give her orders, then he could deliver them himself; Sonny smirked and said that he would let Hope tell the D.A. that part of the message. After Sonny left, Hope muttered that it was time to put her game face on.

8/15 Hope tells Daniel that she really believes Victor has a point. Maggie will be safe there. Dan says when Maggie is well enough to be moved, they'll talk. Mel hears this. Hope thanks him, she has to get back to the station. Jen is going to go with her. She just wants to see what they're looking at with Carly, maybe she'll see it differently. Hope says they could use all the help they could get questions isn’t Jennifer working? Jennifer reports not anymore she isn’t.

Down at the PD, Hope hands Jen the file on Carly but there's hardly anything in here. They found some beer bottles and ran the prints, they're Carly's. Evidence that Carly was drinking beer in the alley. Hope holds up the sketch and suggests that this person is their best bet. The only problem is they have no idea who the guy is or where to find him. Hope has another file but she warns Jen that technically she's not supposed to be working on this case, and says don't ask. Hope tells her a prostitute was attacked and left for dead, bleeding. Because of all the cutbacks technically she is not supposed to be working on this case. Jen questions what if she provides some publicity? Hope thinks that would be great but they will have to be careful. Roman said he'd fire her when she suggested she would work this case on her own. Jen points out that she is doing exactly that. Jen had something similar happen to her at work today which is way she has so much time on her hands. She'll talk to some of her friends at the paper and see if they can get started on this.

8/16 At the hospital, Lexie asked Hope to sign the paperwork enforcing Maggie's DNR (do not resuscitate) orders, since Hope had Maggie's power of attorney to execute Maggie's living will. Lexie and Hope entered Maggie's room to talk about Maggie's living will. "She was very specific in her will. I have no choice but to honor it," a haunted-looking Hope whispered as she stared at Maggie. Hope asked for some time alone with Maggie, so everyone but Victor and Hope left. Hope assured Victor that he had made Maggie happy. Hope kissed Maggie goodbye, then left the room.

In the hallway, Hope met with Lexie after calling Melissa and telling her about the decision to take Maggie off of the ventilator. With a nod, Lexie led Hope back into Maggie's room. Alone with Stefano, Kate whispered that she was sorry. "Not as sorry as I will always be, Katherine," Stefano lamented. Back in Maggie's room, Lexie explained to Victor and Hope that she would remove the breathing tube. Victor kissed Maggie goodbye, then Lexie sent Hope and Victor into the hallway. With a sigh, Lexie removed the breathing tube from Maggie's throat. As E.J. walked into the waiting area, he witnessed Stefano express his condolences to Victor. Stefano urged Victor to accept the truce. "The woman that I love is dying. Your peace offering and reassurance of safety is the last thing I care about, Stefano," Victor said curtly.

Once Lexie removed the breathing tube from Maggie, Lexie let Victor and Hope back into the room. Victor pleaded with Maggie not to leave him. When Lexie leaned over to check Maggie's vital signs, Maggie twitched. Shocked, Lexie stammered that Maggie was breathing on her own. Victor assured Maggie that she was going to be fine. Thrilled, Hope left to make some calls with the good news. Lexie left to order tests, and Victor promised Maggie that no one would hurt her again. Maggie moaned softly.

8/17 At the police station, Bo hugged his wife with relief upon learning that Maggie had begun to breathe on her own. As Bo and Hope were talking, an officer delivered a case file to Bo. Hope and Bo were dismayed when they read the file and learned that another prostitute had been attacked. Hope noted that the woman was a high-priced call girl instead of a streetwalker like the other woman. Bo hoped that Roman would let them investigate it officially, but Hope didn't think Roman would approve that.

Jennifer called Hope just then, and informed her that Carly had returned home and was on her way to rehab. Hope relayed the information to Bo, and they agreed that they hoped Carly got the help she needed. Bo and Hope then decided to try to find attacks in other areas with similarities to the assaults on the Salem prostitutes. Bo got one of his contacts to ask around about other women who might have been attacked, and Hope theorized that the attacker had surely assaulted other women. Grinning, Bo declared that he'd forgotten what a great team the two of them were.

After working for a while, Hope and Bo were unable to track down any leads, and a worried Bo hoped they could catch the culprit before anyone else was seriously hurt. Hope left to question some of their contacts on the street, and Bo walked out with her. Roman watched them leave, and scowled when he saw which file Hope had been working on. When Bo returned, Roman confronted him about working on the case without permission. Bo insisted that because two call girls had been attacked, the case deserved an investigation. Roman pointed out that there were other cases to work on that could actually be solved. "Since when do we pick and choose who matters? What the hell's going on here, Roman?" Bo demanded. Roman firmly cautioned his brother, "I told you and Hope to drop this. This is my second and final warning." Hope rummaged through the garbage in an alley, looking for clues. "Who is this guy? What does he have against all these women?" she wondered aloud, while someone watched her through the chain-link fence.

8/18 In the alley, someone watched as Hope rummaged through the trash. When Hope turned around, she saw Justin standing in the alley. Justin explained that he was doing some pro bono work for the women's shelter across the street. Hope told Justin about the prostitution cases, and Justin warned Hope to be careful. Hope assured Justin that she knew what she was getting herself into. Justin said that he wasn't talking about the perpetrator, he was talking about Roman. Justin noted that it was odd that Roman was willing to back off of the investigation. Hope realized that Justin was suggesting that someone higher up in the department was calling the shots, but she insisted that she didn't care. Justin said that he had forgotten just how feisty Hope was, and he offered to help her. Justin said that he would ask the women at the shelter if they had noticed anything suspicious. After Justin excused himself, Hope started to wrap up her investigation in the alley; meanwhile, someone continued to watch her.

At the hospital, Hope found Rafe looking through some medical files from the second prostitute's assault. Rafe admitted that he had not managed to find a solid connection between the two cases yet. Hope said that she didn't want a third victim. Rafe agreed, but he said that he was afraid that things were just going to get worse. Rafe pointed out that the time gap between the first and second attacks had not been very long. Rafe suspected that a third attack might happen at any time.

Back in the alley, Chloe waited for her client to arrive. Hope stopped by to check the area again, and she wondered why Chloe was there. Chloe claimed that she had gotten lost on her way to a music lesson. Meanwhile, a man approached them, and Hope wondered what he was doing in the alley. The man realized that Hope was a cop, and he claimed that he was trying to cut through the alley to get to another street. After the man left, Hope warned Chloe that the area was dangerous. Hope offered to give Chloe a ride, but Chloe declined. After Chloe left, Hope muttered that Chloe was really dressed up for someone who was just going to a music lesson.

8/23 In the Salem police precinct, Abe explained to Bo that it was politically risky to throw too many resources into tracking down the serial attacker. Hope asked Abe if he would oppose the investigation if the women were not prostitutes. Abe noted that he believed all Salem residents deserved to be protected, but he added that he could not go public until there was more evidence. Abe explained that he did not want to cause a panic. After Abe left, Hope and Bo settled in at their desks to review the case. Taylor eavesdropped from nearby as Hope discussed the mystery pimp. Taylor offered her help, and Bo asked her to track down the family of the latest victim. While Taylor made calls at a nearby desk, she continued to keep one ear trained on Bo and Hope's conversation. "We have got to find this guy and who he is connected to. And it has to be our top priority," Hope said. Bo received a call from Rafe informing him about Abe's change of heart. Hope returned to her desk, and Bo gave Hope the good news. Excited, Bo and Hope left for the hospital hoping that they could get Mandy to talk to them.

When they arrived at the hospital, Bo and Hope went to the nurses' station to find out about Mandy's condition. Taylor arrived at the hospital and informed Bo and Hope that she had tracked down Mandy's family. Suspicious, Bo asked Taylor why she had gone over to the hospital rather than calling him. Nervous, Taylor explained that she had talked to Mandy's sister who had asked Taylor to check on her sister for her. Taylor asked if she could honor the sister's request and sit with Mandy. Hope agreed and escorted Taylor into Mandy's room. As Hope stared at a sleeping Mandy, she whispered, "I'm determined to nail this bastard." After Hope left the room, Taylor sat at Mandy's bedside. Talking in her sleep, Mandy muttered Quinn's name. Hope returned to the hallway and told Bo that she wanted to go undercover. Worried, Bo said that he did not want to put his wife at risk.

Hope reminded Bo that she would get her way in the end, so he should give up arguing with her. "Bad idea, not gonna happen," Bo said. As Hope stared blankly at Bo, he shifted his weight nervously and relented. Bo warned Hope that he would pull the plug on the undercover operation if it got too dangerous. Hope went back into Mandy's room and asked Taylor if there was any change. Shifting her eyes, Taylor lied that Mandy had been unconscious the whole time she had been there.

8/25 At the police station, Roman refused to authorize Hope's request to work undercover. Hope noted that Roman's administration was obviously going to be authoritarian in nature. Bo dryly stated that he was starting to understand why some people believed that working with family members caused an increased level of stress. Roman smiled and ignored Bo and Hope's friendly jokes. As Bo was opening the mail, he found a hand-written letter. Bo read the letter to Hope and Roman. "'I am your ally. I come to bring justice. Evil women must pay.' I don't think this guy's stopping anytime soon," Bo said. Roman took the letter so that he could have a forensics team look at it, and he warned Bo and Hope to stay out of trouble while he was gone.

Bo and Hope approached Nicole and EJ, and they proceeded to taunt E.J. about his recent crimes. E.J. started to leave, but Bo stopped him, and he explained that someone had been attacking prostitutes. Bo said that when he tried to think about who might be sick enough to do something like that, his first instinct was to talk to E.J. E.J. wondered if Bo and Hope were accusing him of being the assailant. Bo pointed out that he had not actually accused E.J. of anything. Hope added that the crimes had taken place around the pier, and she noted that the DiMera family owned most of that property. Hope asked E.J. to grant them permission to view the security camera footage. Bo guessed that E.J. would refuse to do so, because the footage probably contained evidence about the illegal activities that the DiMeras were involved in, like the family drug business.

Nicole matter-of-factly stated that E.J. had sold that business. E.J. glared at Nicole, and he sarcastically thanked her for her help. Bo laughed, and he noted that drugs and prostitution typically went hand in hand. Hope added that it was like crime lords and porn stars, as she looked at E.J. and Nicole. Bo asked E.J. to tell them who he had sold the drug business to. Bo said that it would be the perfect chance for E.J. to prove that he was an upstanding citizen. Nicole laughed, and she wondered if Bo and Hope really believed that E.J. was going to answer that question. E.J. interrupted Nicole, and he told Bo and Hope that he would get them the surveillance footage that they had requested as soon as possible. E.J. added that he couldn't tell Bo who was dealing drugs in Salem, because he didn't know.

At the pier, Bo and Hope started to formulate a plan. Meanwhile, someone lurked nearby, clutching a club in their gloved hand.

8/26 When Bo awakened Hope with breakfast in bed, she asked what she'd done to deserve such a wonderful husband. Joining her in bed, Bo declared that she was the woman he loved, and he planned on reminding her of that for the rest of her life. They began to kiss, which led to lovemaking. Afterwards, Hope lovingly proclaimed that every day was perfect as long as she was with Bo. As they lay in bed, they relished their first day off together without Ciara in a long time. After making love again, Bo and Hope finally ate their breakfast. Hope was glad that Bo was such a good cook, since she definitely was not. Text messages from Roman asking them to meet him at the hospital interrupted Bo and Hope's bliss. But they were both grateful for the time they'd had together, and hopeful that there was a break in the case.

Bo and Hope were still beaming when they arrived at the hospital. Roman informed them that Mandy seemed almost ready to talk, but he thought she might feel more comfortable talking to another woman. Hope was more than happy to give it a try, and headed into Mandy's room. Roman apologized if he'd interrupted Hope and Bo's time off, but Bo acknowledged the importance of the investigation. Roman asked how things were between Bo and Hope, and Bo couldn't hide his happiness. He admitted he'd forgotten what it was like to work side-by-side with Hope. Roman declared that Bo and Hope were the greatest pair of detectives the department had ever had and probably ever would have.

In Mandy's room, Hope recognized how hard it could be to talk to police, but she hated to see Mandy suffering. Mandy blamed herself for what had happened, but Hope firmly declared that it was in no way Mandy's fault. Hope added gently, "I understand what it's like to feel desperate, to feel like you have no other choice. Whatever you need to do to take care of yourself, that's what you do. I know; I've been there." Mandy realized that Hope really meant what she'd said. Hope vowed to make sure no one ever hurt Mandy again, but Mandy was worried that the man would attack her again if he found out she had talked. Hope asserted that no one deserved to be hurt the way that Mandy had been, and urged Mandy to tell what she knew before the man could harm anyone else.

8/29 In Mandy's room, Roman and Rafe joined Bo, Hope, and Daniel, and Mandy told Hope that she was ready to begin the interview. Mandy stated that her full name was Amanda Raye Pierce, and she explained that she was a professional escort. Hope asked Mandy to tell her about the night of the attack. Mandy said that she had gone to the pier to meet a friend.

"I thought I heard something, then this guy appears out of nowhere, holding some kind of stick, and he started hitting me with it...and then I blacked out," Mandy said. Hope wondered if Mandy had seen her assailant's face. Mandy hesitated, so Hope added that even small details would be helpful. Hope suggested that Mandy might be able to recall the attacker's height, or his build, or the shoes that he had worn. Mandy closed her eyes, and she briefly recalled the attacker's nightstick. Mandy screamed, and Daniel rushed over to calm her down. Mandy said that she couldn't continue to talk about that night. Daniel asked everyone to leave so that Mandy could get some rest.

In the waiting area, Hope worried that she might have pushed Mandy too hard during the interview. Bo said that Mandy just wasn't ready to talk about her attack. Hope noted that the attacker had approached Mandy from the front. Hope said that she was certain that Mandy had seen something that would help them identify the assailant. Later, Bo and Hope asked if they could talk to Mandy again, but Daniel explained that she had been sedated.

9/2 Jennifer and Hope arrived at the Kiriakis mansion with a flowering plant, a get well gift for Maggie. Maggie hugged them affectionately. Both women noted how great their aunt looked, and Maggie stated that Victor was taking very good care of her. Hope and Jennifer then revealed their true motive in visiting: they wanted to take Maggie back home to her house. They were both very eager to help Maggie recuperate, and explained that they had filled her kitchen with snacks. But Maggie told them frankly, "I'm not going anywhere." Jennifer and Hope insisted that they wanted to wait on Maggie hand and foot, because she was family and they adored her.

Maggie assured them that she was happy there, and spending time with Victor had been "wonderful medicine." Maggie acknowledged that Hope and Jennifer were worried about her because of the shooting, but reminded them that the DiMeras and Kiriakises had called a truce and she trusted Victor not to let anything happen to her. Hope and Jennifer still strongly objected, so Maggie declared bluntly, "I love him. It's just as simple as that. I see him for who he is, all sides, the good and the bad. I'm not deluded." Jennifer argued that if Victor loved Maggie the way she deserved to be loved, he wouldn't put her in harm's way just as Victor entered the room.

"I have never denied my responsibility in what happened to Maggie, but I can assure you, my sole focus now is on her recovery," Victor stated gently. Hope asked Victor to prove just how much he loved Maggie by letting her go home to her family, but Victor maintained that Maggie was safe in his house. Hope suddenly realized that she was late to interview a witness at the hospital. Maggie thanked her nieces for visiting, and promised to take them up on their offer if the need arose.

At the hospital, Bo and Roman tried to convince Daniel to let them re-interview Mandy, but Daniel was very reluctant after what had happened the last time the cops had questioned her. Bo pointed out that none of them wanted anyone else to get attacked because the next victim might not survive. When Daniel left to examine Mandy, Roman and Bo expressed their hopes that Mandy could remember at least some small detail about her attack to help them solve the case. They agreed that the culprit was probably a john who hated women and targeted prostitutes because he viewed their sexuality as power. Daniel returned, and informed Bo and Roman that Mandy was ready to talk. Bo noted that Hope was late, and worried that things hadn't gone well at Victor's.

Hope and Jennifer soon arrived at the hospital. After Jennifer left to check her email, Bo asked Hope how Maggie was. Hope replied that Maggie was doing much better, but she'd refused to let Hope and Jennifer take her home. Hope and Bo concurred that the truce wouldn't last, but they knew that Victor believed the mansion was the safest place for Maggie. Acknowledging that Hope was worried about Maggie, Bo reminded his wife that Maggie was a grown woman whom they had to trust to make her own decisions. Hope relaxed a bit, and asked about their interview with Maggie. Bo informed her that Daniel had cleared Mandy for questioning, and Mandy had insisted that Hope conduct the interview again.

Daniel warned Bo, Hope, and Roman that if Mandy got upset, the interview was over. Roman set up the video camera in Mandy's room, and then Hope sat on the edge of Mandy's bed. Mandy apologized for not being able to finish when they'd done the interview before, but Hope assured her that it was completely understandable. After making sure that Mandy didn't want to have Daniel present, Hope asked if Mandy had seen her attacker's face. Mandy replied that she had. She described how the man had been wearing a mask, but she'd pulled it off, trying to get him off of her. Hope asked if Mandy remembered anything about the man's appearance. Mandy stated, "His hair was dark... His face, it was round. And his eyes, they were boring into me, darting all over the place -- like, wild." Mandy finished by saying that she couldn't remember anything else, but she hoped it would help. Roman asked if Mandy could identify her attacker if they showed her some mug shots, and she replied that she thought she could. Hope acknowledged that it wasn't easy to relive something traumatic, but the police were very grateful to Mandy.

Bo expressed his appreciation to Hope for how she'd helped Mandy, and proclaimed that his wife was "a damn good cop." Hope declared that Bo was, as well. They agreed that if Mandy could pick out her attacker's mug shot, they could catch the guy.

9/6 While Daniel monitored Mandy's vital signs in his office, Bo and Hope encouraged Mandy to concentrate on getting better. Once Taylor arrived, Daniel left, and Mandy started to review the mug shots with Hope. Roman poked his head in Daniel's office and asked Bo to join him in the hallway. Once outside the office, Roman explained to Bo that there had been another attack. After Roman left to examine the crime scene, Taylor joined Bo in the hallway and asked him what was wrong. Bo explained that there had been another beating and that the woman had arrived in the emergency room, unconscious. With no way to help Bo, Taylor excused herself and left. Bo checked in with Hope and Mandy, but Mandy did not see any photos of the man that had attacked her. Mandy was frustrated, but Hope encouraged her not to give up hope. Bo stepped aside with Hope and whispered that the police were wrapping up at the new crime scene. Hope confided that she believed Mandy would shut down if she heard about the new attack.

Roman walked down the hallway to meet up with Bo and Hope and brief them about the latest attack. When Roman told them that the victim was Chloe, he added that they needed to put out a warning to the public since the attacker had expanded his pool of victims beyond prostitutes. After talking to Roman, Bo and Hope returned to Daniel's office to check on Mandy. With a sigh, Hope informed Mandy that there had been another attack. Mandy was concerned about the victim, but Bo told Mandy that the woman was being treated by the doctors. Gripping Mandy's hand, Hope told Mandy that they needed her to keep looking through the books. Frustrated, Mandy admitted that she had reviewed the last book of mug shots twice and did not see her attacker in any of the photos. "He's not in any of these books. What does that mean?" Mandy asked with worry. "It means he may not have a record," Hope said with a sigh. Furrowing her brow, Hope suggested that Bo call for a sketch artist.

9/8 In the alley where Chloe had been found, Brady watched as a police officer cordoned off the area. As Brady stared at the crime scene, Hope realized that Brady was hiding something. Hope wondered how Brady had known to look for Chloe in the alley. Brady insisted that he wasn't keeping anything from Bo and Hope, and he wondered why Hope was hassling him. Hope noted that Brady seemed upset about something. "I sure am, Hope -- my ex-wife, who I loved, has been beaten up and left as garbage, okay? I'm a little upset. She didn't deserve this," Brady said. Before Hope could respond, Bo joined them, and he guessed that the attacker had mistakenly assumed that Chloe was a prostitute. Brady sighed uncomfortably as he listened to Bo and Hope's conversation, and he abruptly excused himself so that he could check on Chloe.

After Brady left, Hope noted a blood trail on the ground. Bo and Hope followed the trail to the back of the pier. As Bo and Hope started to search the area, Hope found a photograph of Parker. Bo found Chloe's purse, and he noted that the contents of the purse were scattered on the ground. Bo guessed that Chloe had used the purse defensively. Meanwhile, Hope found a torn piece of Chloe's dress on the edge of a nearby crate. Bo noted that there was an indentation on the crate. Bo suggested that the attacker might have struck the side of the crate with a weapon. Hope muttered that the attacker might have finally made a mistake. Hope added that the indentation might help them determine what the assailant was using as a weapon.

Bo walked over to a specific area of the pier. "Here's my theory. So, Chloe's standing right in here, distracted by her phone or something. The attacker comes out of his hiding place and hits her, but she doesn't go down. She uses her purse to defend herself, and the purse gets knocked out of her hands. She tries to get away from him. She goes over here, her dress gets caught on the crate. Swinging at her again, she ducks out of the way, and he hits that crate, and that mark was made by the attacker's weapon," Bo suggested. As Hope inspected the crime scene, she started to add a few notes of her own to Bo's theory. Hope said that their theory fit the profile, but Bo wasn't convinced. "Roman says this guy's widening his net, but this attack on Chloe is a sea change from what we know about him. He goes after prostitutes and Chloe's not a hooker," Bo pointed out. Hope recalled her earlier encounter with Chloe in the alley. Hope said that something about that encounter had been bothering her, but she admitted that she probably didn't have any reason to be suspicious. Later, Bo received a phone call from someone at the police station. After the phone call, Bo told Hope that the sketch artist was headed over to the hospital to talk to Mandy.

9/9 As Bo and Hope pushed Mandy's wheelchair toward an office to meet with the sketch artist, they passed Chloe's room. Realizing whose room it was, Mandy felt terrible that another girl had been attacked, and blamed herself for having been too afraid to talk to the police sooner. Hope reassured Mandy that no one was to blame except the "lunatic" who had beaten Mandy and Chloe and left them for dead.

While Bo and Roman hovered nearby and the sketch artist got set up, Hope sat next to Mandy in a private office. Mandy was nervous, so Hope reassured her that there were no right or wrong answers. Hope explained that the sketch artist would want to start with the shape of the assailant's face. Acknowledging that Mandy had only seen her attacker for a couple of seconds with his mask off, Hope instructed the girl to close her eyes, and imagine the night of the attack. Mandy was able to remember a few details about that night, but the memories began to upset her. Undeterred, she took a deep breath, and told Hope that the attacker's face had been oval. The sketch artist began to draw, and with direction from Mandy, he filled in the rest of the face.

Back at the hospital, the artist had finished his rendering, and he held it up for the others to see. Hope asked Mandy if the drawing looked like her attacker. "That's him," Mandy declared of the sketch, which looked a great deal like Gus.

9/12 In the alley where Chloe had been attacked, Bo and Hope showed Roman the sketch of the attacker's face. Roman noted that the face looked familiar, and Bo and Hope agreed. Roman said that he didn't want to release the sketch to the press until he was sure that it was accurate. As Bo and Hope started to take another look around the crime scene, Gus lurked nearby. Gus reached out and grabbed a two-way radio that one of the officers had left on a nearby crate.

As Bo and Roman talked about consulting with a profiler, Hope spotted a hair on a nearby crate. Bo noted that the hair was too short to be Chloe's hair. Hope was suspicious, and she wondered why they had never spotted the hair before. Bo pointed out that the hair might have fallen off of one of the officers. Roman optimistically noted that it might be the attacker's hair. Roman used his two-way radio to call another officer, and he explained that he had a hair sample that needed to be delivered to the lab immediately. In a nearby building, Gus smiled as he listened to Roman's radio communication. Gus listened as Roman suggested that the attacker might have left his weapon in the area. Gus grinned devilishly as he glanced at his nightstick.

9/14 At the PD, Bo and Hope are waiting for DNA test results. While they are waiting, Hope declares she is going to put their police sketch through the facial recognition software. We don’t get an answer as they have to wait for the response. In the next scene, Bo and Hope enter the pub as they discuss their party preparations. Hope wants to knock everyone off their feet! Hope gets emotional as she tells Bo about the receipe book that Alice made for her. Hope regrets that she has never made one of them after all the time and love Alice put into it. Hope is missing her grandma and so wishes she could be at the party. She observes that restoring the Town Square was her grandparents big dream and the only reason the town was able to finish it was due to their donation to the project, including funds to plant spring flowers.

Hope can’t believe it has been almost a year since she lost her gram. Bo reminds her that they will alway be with them and be part of their hearts always as he gets teary eyed. She is saddened by the knowledge that Ciara will grow up not really knowing Alice, though Bo measures Hope that they will keep her alive by sharing their memories of her. Bo and Hope return to the PD to await results and take a sweet moment to say how much they love each other. They are disappointed when the facial recognition doesn’t give them a result.

Dvd #81B 9/15 At the police station, Bo waited impatiently for the lab to finish testing the strand of hair that Hope had found at the crime scene. Meanwhile, Hope rushed into the room, carrying several bags of food in her arms. Hope explained that Maggie had recommended a caterer for Hope's big party, and she added that the caterer had given her some free samples so that she could finalize the menu. Hope warned Bo that he was going to have to help her taste all of the foods, and she added that it would be a good way for them to distract themselves until the lab was finished testing the strand of hair. Bo apprehensively tasted the first sample, and he claimed that it tasted like cat food. Hope noted that Bo didn't like the pâté, and she moved on to the next sample. Bo admitted that the second sample was all right, and Hope explained that it was squash blossom medley. Bo gasped as he realized that he had just approved a vegetable. "Whatever happened to the guy whose idea of a gourmet menu was something you could eat standing up, with your beer in one hand, and your food in the other?" Bo asked, and Hope reminded him that he had gotten married.

"This food, I’m sure it's gonna work out great, but it's not what people are gonna remember from our party. Once the surprises start rolling out, they're not gonna think about anything else," Bo assured Hope. Later, Hope thanked Bo for his help, and Bo groaned uncomfortably as he surveyed the stack of empty food containers. Hope checked her notes, and she correctly guessed that Bo had enjoyed the individual wood-fire pizzas more than any other item that he had sampled. Bo tried to describe Hope's favorite item, and Hope laughed. "'The little meaty things with the rice?' You completely butchered it. That would be pan-roasted rosemary duck breast over a beautiful bed of risotto," Hope said, and she wondered how Bo had guessed that she had chosen that item. Bo told Hope that they might be able to hide their party plans from everyone in Salem, but he added that they would never be able to hide anything from each other.

Later, Bo and Hope continued to wait for the lab results. Hope pointed out that the attacker's rage had increased with each attack. Hope told Bo that they needed to figure out what was triggering the attacker's rage. Bo suggested that the attacker was probably angry with a woman in his life. Hope theorized that the pier was probably significant, because all of the attacks had occurred near the pier. Bo contemplated Hope's theory for a moment, then he announced that he had an idea.

Later, Rafe arrived at the station. Bo explained that he and Hope were searching the department's database for any significant events that might have occurred at the pier. Rafe agreed to help with the search, and he noted the stack of empty food containers that had been placed near his computer. Hope joked that Rafe had picked the wrong day to work the late shift. "So, I got to tell you, Sami's really fired up about this shindig, you know? Big secret surprise. What's going on? Guys, seriously, come on -- she's killing me with all the guessing. I mean, at least five times a day, she thinks she's figured it out, what the big surprise is, who's coming," Rafe said. Bo and Hope assured Rafe that Sami would never be able to guess what was going to be happening at the party. Later, one of the lab technicians called to let Bo know that they had finished testing the hair sample, and they said that they would fax the results over to Bo's desk. When Bo inspected the results, he announced that the lab had matched the hair sample to someone named Quinn Hudson.

9/16 At the police station, Bo, Hope, and Rafe discussed the DNA lab's findings, which showed that it had been Quinn Hudson's hair at the scene of Chloe's attack on the pier. Rafe looked up Quinn in the FBI's database, and discovered that Hudson had a criminal record in San Francisco, where he'd been arrested for running an escort service. The three cops chuckled when they saw that Vivian Alamain was Quinn's mother, then Hope got to work on obtaining a search warrant. Hope returned a few minutes later with the news that Quinn had been arrested in Eastern Europe for civil disobedience, with Taylor Walker. Bo wondered if Taylor had been feeding Quinn information the whole time she'd been working there. Hope got a phone call alerting her that the search warrant was ready, so the trio hurried out to pick it up and carry it out.

The police pounded on the Quinn’s hotel room door. Hope showed Quinn the search warrant, and then pushed her was past him into the room. Bo, Rafe, and Hope asked where Quinn had been on certain dates, and Quinn guessed that they were the dates of the prostitute attacks. He declared nonchalantly that he didn't care if they searched his room because he had nothing to hide. Gus warned the cops, "Do you know who this man is? He's the son of Vivian Alamain! You'll have to answer for this outrage!" The detectives merely ignored Gus as they began searching the room from top to bottom. A bemused Quinn demanded to know what the police were looking for. Rafe discovered the nightstick in the closet. Hope noted that the baton had dried blood on it, and Bo asked if the weapon belonged to Quinn. Shocked, Quinn insisted, "I have never seen that thing in my entire life!" Bo handcuffed Quinn while Hope read Quinn his rights. Quinn adamantly maintained that he'd lost his key card, and pointed out that there were maids in and out of his hotel room all day, so anyone could have left the weapon there. He swore he hadn't hurt anyone. Rafe scoffed, "Yeah. We'll see how that flies in court." After ordering Gus to leave, Bo and Hope led a handcuffed Quinn out the door.

9/19 At the police station, Quinn tried to convince Bo, Hope, and Rafe that he was being framed. Meanwhile, Vivian, Taylor, and Gus barged into the room, and Vivian demanded to know what was going on. "Whatever evidence you have is corrupted. My son is not a homicidal maniac!" Vivian insisted. Vivian assured Quinn that she was going to get him bailed out right away. Before Quinn could respond, Rafe escorted him into another room to begin the booking process.

Later, Bo showed Vivian a summary of Quinn's previous arrests. Vivian wondered why her investigators had never mentioned anything about her son's criminal record. Taylor explained that Quinn had gone to great lengths to hide his past mistakes. Taylor added that she had been with Quinn when he had been arrested in Europe. Vivian was shocked, and she immediately assumed that Taylor was one of Quinn's prostitutes. "Oh, my God! When Quinn introduced you to me, he said you were special, what was that, a special whore? I can't believe we had lunch. We were talking about Alexander McQueen. I thought we were bonding, and I even asked you about his time in Europe," Vivian said. Vivian remembered that Taylor's last name was Walker, and she wondered if Taylor was related to Nicole Walker. Taylor confirmed that Nicole was her sister, and she wondered why that was relevant.

"Well, you have a pedigree that suggests this line of work is in the realm of possibility. You're the one who started Quinn in this business, aren't you?" Vivian asked. Taylor denied Vivian's accusation, and Bo confirmed that Taylor's arrest had been for civil disobedience. Hope suggested that Taylor had accepted the job at the police station so that she could give Quinn confidential information.

"I knew Quinn years ago, and no, I did not work for him, or encourage him to do what he did. I know who that man is, and he is not the man that you are looking for, that much is true, no matter what it looks like to all of you. And as far as me working here to help a criminal beat up poor, defenseless women...no, you are way off-base, and if you knew me at all, you would know that to be true," Taylor insisted. Vivian interrupted, and she demanded to see Quinn. Bo reluctantly agreed, and Vivian and Gus followed one of the officers to Quinn's cell. After Vivian and Gus left, Taylor insisted that she had not given Quinn any information about the case. Taylor wondered if Bo and Hope had any evidence to support their theory. "We have enough to hold you for twenty-four hours, until we're satisfied you're telling the truth...or not," Hope announced.

9/20 At the police station, Bo and Hope continued to interrogate Quinn. Though Quinn had allowed the interrogation without the presence of his lawyer, he did not change his story and continued to protest his innocence. When the forensics report came back with a confirmation that Chloe's blood was on the nightstick from Quinn's hotel room, Hope urged Quinn to come clean. Bo took Hope aside and told her that when he had reviewed the footage of Vivian visiting Quinn in his jail cell, he believed that Quinn was being sincere in proclaiming his innocence. Bo and Hope agreed that they were missing part of the story. When Bo and Hope returned to the table to question Quinn, an exhausted Quinn asked for his lawyer. Once Quinn was led away to his cell, Bo and Hope wondered aloud what they were overlooking. Hope did a search for crimes in the area where the beatings occurred and discovered that Gus's mother had abandoned him on the pier. Bo and Hope took their discovery over to Rafe's desk in the main room just as Rafe was receiving a call from the hospital about Chloe's statement that Gus was her attacker.

Roman, Bo, Hope, and Rafe discussed Gus's motive for the beatings and framing Quinn. They all quietly took up positions circling Gus. Vivian continued to yell at Abe until she noticed the officers growing closer to her. When Vivian asked what the officers were doing, a panicked Gus pulled out a knife and warned the officers to stand back or he would slit his throat. Confused about what was going on, Vivian berated Abe for upsetting Gus. As Gus began to ramble about how no one cared about him and that the women deserved to be beaten, a shocked Vivian realized that Gus was the attacker. With the knife pointed at his throat, Gus backed toward the exit hallway. In a moment of terrible timing, Nicole marched down the hallway in search of E.J. The police officers cried out a warning to Nicole, but Gus whipped around, grabbed Nicole, and put the knife to her throat. After threatening to kill Nicole, Gus dragged her with him into a nearby office and locked the door.

9/21 In the squad room, while everyone looked on in horror, Gus held a knife to his own throat. The police officers calmly urged him to take it easy and put the knife down, but Gus began to back out the door just as Nicole appeared in the hallway. Seizing the opportunity to take a hostage, Gus grabbed her around the neck with one arm, and held the knife to her throat with his other hand. The station erupted into noisy chaos as Gus dragged Nicole into a conference room and kicked the door closed behind him. Hope grabbed a phone to call for help, while Bo and Roman shouted through the window at Gus to let Nicole go. E.J., Vivian, and Abe watched anxiously. Bo asked Gus to put the phone in the conference room on speaker so they could talk to him, and Gus did as instructed. Nicole pleaded with Gus to let her go, but he only screamed at everyone to shut up. Vivian covered her face with her hands. In a soothing voice, Hope tried to reason with Gus that he needed someone on his side, but he shouted that she was no different from "all those other tramps." Bo offered to let Gus go as long as he left Nicole behind, but Gus vehemently refused.

E.J. began to sidle out of the room, never taking his eyes off of the conference room window. Gus spotted him and yelled, "Stop! You come in here and it's over for her!" Rafe quietly reproached E.J. for endangering Nicole. Bo then tried to negotiate with Gus, whose demeanor gradually began to change. Gus looked past everyone else to address Vivian. As she inched closer to the window to hear him better, Gus asserted in a seemingly rational voice that the two of them had been happy, scheming and plotting together, but then, "He just showed up and ruined everything. He tried to take you away from me." It slowly dawned on a horrified Vivian that Gus was referring to Quinn. Hope carefully pulled Vivian back from the window, and in hushed tones, encouraged Vivian to reassure Gus that everything was going to be all right. When Vivian flatly refused, E.J. overheard, and made his way across the room in two angry strides. "I will hold you personally responsible for what happens to Nicole," he hissed to Vivian. At last, Vivian tentatively approached the window to speak to Gus. She asked Gus what he was doing and why.

Gus explained that he couldn't stand the way Quinn had treated Vivian, or how he'd tried to cut Gus out of Vivian's life. When Vivian reassured Gus that she cared about him, he replied, "I love you, too, Madam. I always have. I worship you." Vivian could only manage to tell Gus that she was very fond of him. Gus stated that he'd felt invisible ever since Quinn had shown up. "I see you, Gus," Vivian assured him, placing her hand against the glass. She added softly, "Gus, come out of there. Come away with me; leave Salem. We'll be together forever." A single tear rolled down Gus's cheek. Vivian promised Gus that it would be just the two of them, and they would have a "very good" life together. Nicole whimpered in pain as Gus slowly dragged her over to the window to reach his hand out to Vivian's. While Gus's eyes were fixed on Vivian and his hand was pressed against the glass, Rafe charged into the conference room, gun drawn, so Bo and Roman could take Gus down. Nicole got knocked out in the struggle. As the cops dragged Gus out in handcuffs, E.J. sat on the floor, cradling Nicole in his arms and begging her to open her eyes. Rafe called for the paramedics, and finally Nicole moaned in pain. Gus's knife had nicked Nicole's throat, so Hope got a clean cloth to hold against the wound to stop the bleeding.

Caroline pulled up a chair and joined Jennifer and Daniel at the pub as she overheard them discussing the square renovation project. They excitedly discussed the upcoming dedication ceremony at the new town square, the renovation of which had been the dream of Jennifer's grandparents. Caroline laughs that she has no idea of any of the “big surprises”. Jennifer couldn't believe that Caroline didn't know anything about the party that Bo and Hope were planning for after the dedication. Caroline admitted with a laugh that she'd even tried to bribe Ciara with ice cream for details about the party, to no avail. They are all curious about who the mystery guests. Daniel jokes that this is why it is called a surprise!

9/23 Jennifer and Maggie stopped to rest on a bench outside the Brady Pub after a long walk. Maggie admitted that she didn't want to have a relapse before Bo and Hope's party. Jennifer concurred, because she wanted to see Maggie cut a rug on the dance floor at the party. Both women laughed about how unforthcoming Bo and Hope had been about the details. When Maggie was ready to head back to Jennifer's, Jennifer asked if they could wait a few more minutes, so as not to spoil a surprise Bo was planning for Hope. Grinning, Maggie rubbed her hands together with excitement.

At the Horton house, Bo surprised Hope with a box of items that he and Jennifer had compiled. Hope lifted off the lid, and was immediately overcome with emotions. She first tenderly pulled out a framed photograph of her grandparents, Tom and Alice. Bo explained that he and Jennifer had gone through a bunch of boxes to find some "artifacts" that represented what Tom and Alice meant to the family. Bo suggested that it could all be displayed on a table at the party. A moved and grateful Hope took a seat on the sofa with the box, as Bo elaborated that he'd guessed she might want to go through the box with just him before sharing it with others. Hope kissed her husband appreciatively. Hope then found Nathan's medical bag, which had belonged to Tom, and was glad that Nathan was letting them use it for the party. She fondly recalled how, despite his busy career as a doctor, her grandfather had always been there for the important things.

Bo and Hope reminisced about how Tom and Alice had never taken themselves too seriously, and laughed as they remembered a time when Alice had enthusiastically embraced dressing up as Groucho Marx for a skit. Hope recalled her grandfather's brief, secret life as a beat poet, and how her grandmother had been furious about that secret until Alice had snuck into a poetry reading and heard Tom recite a poem about her. Bo produced a book of Tom's poetry from the box, to Hope's surprise and joy. Hope noted that her grandparents had loved and supported each other no matter what, even though they hadn't always agreed. When Hope found a handful of blue ribbons in the box, Bo noted that he and Jennifer had found several boxes of ribbons and trophies that Alice had won for her famous doughnuts. Bo affectionately remembered how the sweet, fearless Alice had used doughnuts on more than one occasion to help one of the Brady boys escape from jail. Hope declared that she missed her grandmother every day, and Bo agreed that he did, too.

Bo and Hope laughed as they shared memories of how they'd met and how Bo had kidnapped Hope from her wedding to Larry Welch, and the two of them had ridden away on his motorcycle. They joked about how boring their lives together had been. After they recalled a few of their shared adventures, they agreed that they enjoyed a night home alone with Ciara more than anything. Grinning, Bo declared, "I got this feeling, Fancy Face, that the adventures are not over. They're only just beginning." Hope found a picture from her and Bo's wedding in England, and remembered how "Gran" had helped make the day even more special for Hope. Bo acknowledged that "Mrs. H." had been there for him when his dad had died. A beaming Hope asserted, "I think she saw you as a kindred spirit. She didn't look like it, but she was a rebel through and through." Bo reminded Hope how her grandmother had always been their biggest fan and he intended to keep his promise to Alice that he would always try to make Hope happy.

Bo and Hope were cuddling playfully on the couch when Maggie and Jennifer arrived. Jennifer bounded giddily into the living room, while Maggie clapped her hands happily. Hope thanked Jennifer for the lovely surprise, and everyone exchanged exuberant hugs. Jennifer explained her reasoning about the photographs to Maggie and Hope, "We wanted people to see Doctor and Mrs. H. as people, and not just the benefactors who put all the money into this town square." Maggie fondly described the glory days of the square: "It was where everybody came together, old guys playing chess with the kids, families on picnics, the big bands, the ice-cream parlors..." Jennifer declared that the restoration and party would be the "rebirth of Salem."

It was then Jennifer and Maggie's turn to look through the carton of photos and other things. Bo couldn't help but laugh at the women's happy tears, as they described how generous Tom and Alice had been with their love and their time, especially with children. Hope declared that the rededication of the town square would ensure that Tom and Alice's hopes and dreams would live forever. Doug and Julie arrived, and again, warm embraces were shared all around. Bo and Hope kept mum behind mischievous smiles while the others discussed the Bradys' secrecy. Maggie asserted to Doug that his daughter should have gone to work for the CIA. Julie asked about the box, and Jennifer quickly explained what the contents were for. Jennifer mentioned the scrapbook she had put together the year before for Alice's funeral, and none of them could believe that it had been over a year since Alice had passed away. Doug shared a memory of something Alice had told him when Addie had died. "Death is a transition, dear. Life never ends; you know that," Alice had affirmed. Doug declared that Alice had been right, because people lived on in the hearts and memories of their loved ones. Maggie related how Alice had always treated her like a daughter, and described how supportive Alice had been, especially when Maggie had been worried about a health problem. Jennifer stated that living in Tom and Alice's home made her feel very close to her grandparents. Julie proclaimed that it was wonderful that there were still Hortons living in the house. They all fondly recalled what a loving, romantic couple Tom and Alice had been, and Maggie professed that Bo and Hope's romance was almost as great as the Hortons' had been. Everyone begged for hints about the party, but Hope and Bo refused to say anything beyond, "It's going to be a night to remember!"

After the others left to find a place to have dinner, Hope confided to Bo that even though her grandparents had left them with many wonderful memories, she felt like there was something more. "I can almost hear Gran whisper in my ear, 'There's more, Hope. It's here; it's close.' I just don't know what it could be." Bo believed that if "Mrs. H." were trying to tell Hope something, it would be soon. The Bradys then left with the box of photos, and as Bo closed the door behind them, something fell out of the shelves in the entryway and onto the floor.

9/26 At Bo and Hope's party, the residents of Salem anxiously awaited the unveiling of the new town square. After the majority of the guests had arrived, Bo and Hope walked over to the podium so that they could officially start the party. "First, we want to thank all of you so much for celebrating this great day with us. You know, I can remember our grandparents telling us the most amazing stories about Salem when there were band concerts and ice cream socials on Friday nights in the summer, and big bonfires every fall, after homecoming game. We loved hearing those stories," Hope said.

"But the square had gotten run down, and there wasn't a lot of city money to rebuild, so...of course, our Gran came up with one of her brilliant ideas. My grandparents, our grandparents, wanted to give back to the city that had given them so much, so this begins a new day in Salem," Hope explained. Hope smiled, and she noted that Tom and Alice would have been glad that everyone was enjoying the town square again.

"So, without further ado, I have the honor of unveiling the new centerpiece of Salem, the Horton Town Square!" Hope said, as the curtains were pulled back to reveal the new town square. As everyone enthusiastically started to admire the renovations, E.J. and his date arrived. E.J. reluctantly admitted that he was impressed. "They actually did something right. No wonder Kate's thinking of relocating the Countess Wilhelmina offices here," E.J. told his date. Bo and Roman greeted E.J., and Roman pointed out that E.J. wasn't on the guest list. Bo wondered if E.J. was up to something. E.J. ignored Bo's question, and he introduced Bo and Roman to his date -- Patti Stanger, otherwise known as the host of The Millionaire Matchmaker. E.J. pointedly asked if the town square was still considered public property. Bo nodded, and he warned E.J. that he was under surveillance.

Abe walked over to the podium, and he asked everyone for their attention. "As your mayor, I would like to officially thank Tom and Alice Horton for this incredible gift to the citizens of Salem. You are the first of many generations to enjoy this wonderful, public space. And now, on behalf of you, the citizens of Salem, I would like to name this Horton Town Square, in honor of Tom and Alice Horton," Abe said, as he revealed a large plaque. "Horton Town Square, In Loving Memory of Tom and Alice Horton," the plaque read, and Tom and Alice's wedding portrait was engraved in the center of the plaque. After the presentation, Jennifer asked Hope if Patti Stanger was the surprise guest. Hope insisted that she had not been aware that Patti was going to be at the party. Roman overheard Hope and Jennifer's discussion, and he explained that Patti was E.J.'s date. "Date? E.J. dates? I had no idea, I thought he just married women, or held them prisoner," Hope joked.

As the guests continued to mingle with each other, Bo and Hope returned to the podium. "All right guys, I know you're all wondering who our special guests of honor are," Hope said, as she pointed to a secluded part of the town square. Carrie and Austin emerged from their hiding spot, and everyone enthusiastically welcomed them back to Salem. Sami and Roman were shocked, and then Hope announced that she wasn't finished with the surprises yet. Bo explained that there had been a possibility that Carrie and Austin would not have been able to make it to Salem in time for the party. Bo added that he and Hope had devised a backup plan, and he said that Carrie and Austin were not the actual guests of honor. Hope said that their other guests of honor were going to be late, but she assured everyone that the guests would make it to the party eventually.

As Bo and Hope danced, Bo smiled at Hope. "You're amazing. Whether it's planning a huge party like this, or putting a six-foot suspect in a choke hold, you’re always the most elegant woman in the room," Bo said. She glows as she tells him that is the most romantic thing he has ever said to her. He then whisks her into a little dance sequence, complete with a dramatic dip and twirls as the crowd cheers them on. As Bo kissed Hope, he received a text message. He and Hope excitedly realized that the guests of honor would be arriving shortly. Bo and Hope returned to the podium to announce the waiting is almost over!

A short time later, Maggie spotted Victor, and she noticed that he was talking to Hope and Jennifer. As Maggie approached the group, Victor, Hope, and Jennifer abruptly ended their conversation. Maggie noted that it was the second time that Victor's conversation had ended the moment that she had arrived. Hope and Jennifer abruptly excused themselves, and Victor claimed that he didn't know what Maggie was talking about. Hope returns to the podium to ask if everyone is having a great time? The crowd cheers in agreement. Hope begins, ”I know that my wonderful grandparents, the beloved Tom and Alice Horton, would be so proud of this day. Family meant everything to them, and their definition of family was always very inclusive. They saw the people of Salem as family. I know my grandparents are here...in spirit...with us tonight, and now, there are two people that are very important to this community...and to our family. And guess what, guys? They're here!" Hope announced, as Marlena entered the Horton Town Square, accompanied by a wheelchair bound John.

9/27 At the party for the dedication of Horton Town Square, the crowd rejoiced when John and Marlena arrived. Hope joined the reunited group of Will, John, Marlena, Gabi. John thanked her for coordinating their return to Salem. With a sigh, John said that it would be difficult to leave Salem again. Suspicious, Hope asked John if he had a surprise. With a grin, John explained that he was giving Hope a taste of her own medicine. Marlena and John went to the podium, and Marlena took the microphone. Marlena thanked everyone for supporting them during John's recovery. "That's a fact," John chimed in jovially. Marlena explained that the love and support of everyone had led them back to Salem to share in that moment. With a nod from Marlena, John slowly rose from his wheelchair and thanked everyone. "You all were are a part of this, and I don't think you will ever fully understand just how important your love and support was to us," John said. John noted that though he had a long way to go in his recovery, he would be able to face it with Marlena at his side. "You are the love of my life," John said before he kissed Marlena tenderly.

Hope headed to the podium and announced the official dedication of the Horton Town Square. Hope called her beautiful cousin, Jennifer, up to the podium to say a few words about Alice and Tom. Jennifer talked about the great love between Alice and Tom and how their love was infectious in the community. "We feel them every day, Jennifer said. "They never want us to stop knowing that the most important thing, the most important thing in your life is to love each other," Jennifer said to the crowd as Jack watched from the back. With a smile, Jennifer asked Hope to read Tom's poem.

Back at the stage, Hope read Tom's poem. "There is a beauty seen by my eye, perceived as only I see. For it adds now to memory of past beauty still bright and a life that has been lived with me. There is a name for this total of light and sound and beauty, gilt and gold mined all through my life. And the name of this treasure held warm in my heart is my friend, my lover, my wife," read Hope. With the poem finished, Hope asked if anyone wanted to share their memories of Alice and Tom.

Up on stage, Maggie talked about how Alice had taught her how powerful love could be. After Maggie finished, Julie took to the podium and noted that what she remembered was how Alice had beamed when she looked at Tom. After Julie finished, Bo, John, Abe, and Roman each took to the stage and talked about Alice. After everyone shared their memories, Marlena gave a speech about how the tree at the center of the town square was meant to inspire the community, "Just like Tom and Alice." Marlena then flipped the switch to light the tree. As the crowd stared at the tree, Bo put his arm around Julie and told her it was time. Doug joined Julie at the podium and the two began to sing the song "Always." On the dance floor, all of the couples danced with one another, while Jack watched from the corner and Melanie wiped way tears. "We're home," Marlena whispered to John.

9/28 As the party continues, Hope remembers they had forgotten the donuts back at Alice’s. Back at the Horton house, Bo and Hope reminisced about Tom and Alice, as they gathered a batch of doughnuts that they had forgotten to take to the party. "They spent their entire adult life loving only each other. It just kinda makes me think of what my life would be like without you in it or worse yet, if I had lost you for good," Bo said. Hope assured Bo that he would never have to worry about that. Bo picked up one of Tom and Alice's wedding portraits. "I need you to know that being with you, loving you, is the best thing I have ever done. Being your husband, the father of your children...that is the most important thing to me in this world, and I promise you, in front of these two very important witnesses, that I will never take what we have for granted again. I will never forget how much I love you," Bo said, as he kissed Hope.

Later, as Bo and Hope were preparing to take the doughnuts out to their car, Hope noticed a stack of envelopes that had fallen to the floor. Bo opened one of the envelopes, and he found a bank statement tucked inside. Hope noted that there wasn't a name on the bank statement, but she added that there was a bank account number, as well as a phone number. Bo pointed out that the same amount of money was being deposited into the account every month, and he added that the money was being withdrawn several days later. Hope realized that they were looking at an overseas bank account. Hope called the number that was listed on the bank statements. Hope told Bo that the bank would not give her a name, and she added that the bank had refused to tell her why the statements were being sent to the Horton house. Hope said that the bank had revealed that the account was a clearinghouse account that had been active for twenty years. Bo pointed out that the timeline suggested that the account had to be Tom and Alice's. Hope wondered why Tom and Alice had kept the account hidden from the rest of the family.

Based on the dates, Hope concluded that the account had belonged to Alice. Hope noted that Bo had a look of concern on his face, and she wondered what he was thinking. Bo reluctantly explained his theory to Hope. "You know I love your grandma, and I know what kind of integral person she is, but if I were to find this in any other circumstance, anyone else's home...an account hidden away for over twenty years, money coming in, going out, same time every month...there's only one conclusion I could draw," Bo said. Hope said that she was thinking the same thing. "Is it even possible? Is it? Could someone have been blackmailing my grandmother?" Hope wondered.

9/30 Bo and Hope return to the party, but she continues to fret to Bo about what the secret account meant and why was it kept secret all of these years. She starts to worry that Alice was being blackmailed. Bo kisses her and promises her they will figure it out together. They are interrupted as EJ announces he is going to run for mayor! The residents of Salem had mixed reactions to E.J.'s announcement. John, Marlena, Bo, Hope, and Roman rallied around Abe and Lexie. "Don't worry about it, Abe. This clown can campaign till he's an old man. No DiMera's ever gonna run this town," Bo vowed. Hope is distracted by the thought of her gram’s secret bank account. Bo tries to distract her with promises of singing and dancing. They spot Maggie, and head over to see if she knows anything. Hope asked if Maggie happened to know anything about an overseas bank account that Alice had opened. Maggie joked that Alice had used that bank account for all of the piles of cash that she had made from selling doughnuts.

Maggie quickly realized that Bo and Hope were serious, and Hope wondered if Alice might have been hiding something. "Alice? Secrets? Never! Your grandmother didn't have any secrets. You know her as well as I do, the woman was an open book," Maggie insisted. After Maggie left, Bo wondered what Hope wanted to do about the bank account. Hope said that she wanted to keep investigating. "As hard as it is to face, I’ve just got this terrible feeling that Maggie's wrong," Hope admitted.

Brady and Victor escorted Maggie over to a secluded section of the town square. Victor pointed at a section of the wall, and he dimmed the lights. After a brief pause, a message was illuminated on the wall, ”Will You Marry Me?" Maggie started to cry as everyone says, “awwww”. Victor declares to her, ”I love you. Some would say that you're not supposed to keep looking for love at my age, but when I'm with you, I feel like a teenager again, and I don't ever want to lose that feeling. Maggie, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Victor asked, as he presented Maggie with a ring.

As Bo and Hope watched, Bo admitted privately to Hope that Victor had talked to him about the proposal earlier. Hope nodded, and she said that Victor had talked to her and Jennifer earlier, and that he had asked for their permission to marry Maggie. Bo says, good for him. He tells Hope not to worry about Maggie as the most important thing to Victor is to protect Maggie. Bo and Hope agree that when two people love each other, they can survive anything. As police car lights flash, a group of police officers interrupt the party. Rafe and Tim approached John and Marlena. "I hate to do this to you, I really do. John Black, you're under arrest for embezzlement, securities fraud, and misappropriation of pension funds," Rafe said, as the residents of Salem watched in stunned silence.

10/3 The crowd erupts in shock and disbelief at John being arrested. Sami argues that John is not guilty and pleads with Rafe that she knows that. Sami assures Marlena they will follow the to the police station. At the police station, John apologized to Bo and Hope for ruining their party. Hope assured John that he had not ruined the party, and Bo blamed the FBI agents for their poor timing. Bo wondered if John had known about the investigation. "Marlena and I knew that there was an investigation. The authorities were looking into Basic Black's finances, and we just thought, well we hoped that we could clear this up before it got this far. I thought that I would be protected by the mere fact that I hadn't done anything wrong," John explained.

Hope assured Tim that John was innocent. Tim said that he couldn't show Hope the evidence, but he assured her that it was solid. "They wouldn't have insisted on acting tonight if they weren't sure he's guilty. They have him dead to rights," Tim said. Daniel arrived, and Hope told Bo that she had asked Daniel to check on John. Hope apologized to Daniel, and she explained that Lexie had decided to check on John herself. Hope apologized for interrupting Daniel's evening with Jennifer, and Daniel admitted that the evening had already been interrupted. Daniel revealed that Jack was at the Horton house, and that Jack was trying to explain why he had broken Jennifer's heart.

10/4 In the squad room of the police station, a furious Hope demanded to know why John had been removed from his cell when there were strict orders mandating that John was to be kept isolated. Officer Lauritano explained it had been a mistake, then joked that it was not like John was killed. Angry, Bo threatened to write up the officer, but the officer protested that the union would back him for what he had done to John Black in light of what John had done to the union's pension fund. Once Lauritano was gone, Bo and Hope discussed the officer's motives. Bo reminded Hope that pensions had been invested with Basic Black and that the company had lost everything. As Hope stewed, Bo added that their own pension was gone as well. Determined, Hope argued that John would be found innocent and that the money would be recovered. Hope noted that John had millions and did not need to steal the money, but Bo countered that the federal government had evidence to the contrary.

"I read the FBI file. What they have against him? He looks guilty as hell," Bo said. Hope agreed that the evidence was damning but added that it was only bad if it was legitimate. Hope suggested that the case seemed "too airtight." "Everyone knows that John would never steal a cent from them. So if billions of dollars have been embezzled from the Basic Black investment division, someone else did it," Hope said. Bo agreed with Hope about John's innocence, noting that John would not have returned to Salem when he knew that he could be arrested. As Hope reviewed her phone messages, she played one for Bo. The caller explained that his family had lost everything because of John and that "John Black should die." Concerned, Hope wondered if they should investigate the threat. Bo admitted it was a tough call, but that he did not think they should follow up. Bo offered to choose guards for John in order to keep him safe.

"Has something happened that I don't know about?" Marlena wondered aloud as she overheard Bo talking. Hope played the voicemail threat for Marlena to show her what kind of danger was lurking in Salem. Upset, Marlena reminded Bo and Hope that John was innocent until proven guilty. Bo assured Marlena that he and Hope believed in John's innocence but that until that was proven, the town was filled with fearful and angry people who were gunning for John. Still furious about John's jailhouse injuries, Marlena argued that John was not safe in jail either. Hope promised Marlena that John would not sustain further injuries while in custody. Marlena explained that she had been by John's side during his recovery and that she had not seen him conducting any business for Basic Black. "Just John torturing himself, trying to get back on his feet," Marlena said passionately.

When it was time for John's arraignment, Bo outfitted John in a bulletproof vest. John protested over the precaution, but Bo assured John the vest was necessary because of the climate in the city. Hope told John that Marlena had explained that it was impossible for John to have embezzled the money during his recovery. "I'm not sure I follow," John said. Marlena clarified that she had been with him while he was relearning to walk. John had memory flashes of typing on a computer while the computer screen reflected Basic Black financial accounts. Shaken, John's face fell. "Are you all right?" Marlena asked with concern. Shaking off the memory, John said he was fine.

10/6 Bo and Hope entered the station, and Bo announced that the arraignment had ended. Bo compared the courthouse to a madhouse. Hope explained that a large group of protesters had gone to the courthouse to demand justice. Hope told Bo that she had managed to track down some additional information about Alice's mysterious bank account. Hope said that the overseas bank had given her the name of the broker who had been handling the account in Salem. Bo wondered if Hope was sure that she wanted to talk to the broker. "Mrs. H obviously went to an awful lot of trouble to keep this account a secret, so...she probably had a very, very good reason for doing that," Bo suggested.

Hope said that she was certain that she wanted to know the truth about the account. "I think that I found those statements for a reason. Okay, just hear me out, don’t think I'm nuts, all right? But I feel like Gran's guiding me to the answers, because she wants me to know, she needs me to know this," Hope said. Bo wondered why Alice had never told Hope about the account. Hope suggested that Alice might not have had any choice in the matter. Bo suggested that someone might have been threatening one of Alice's family members. "Bo, if that's true, if someone made her feel threatened, took her money, caused her to live in fear for even one second, so help me God, I will find that person and make them pay. I'm getting to the bottom of this," Hope vowed. Later, Hope called the financial adviser, Chauffman, who agreed to meet with her later that day.

10/7 Bo and Hope waited anxiously for Mr. Chauffman, Alice's former financial advisor, to arrive for their meeting. Hope and Bo agreed that the whole thing with the mysterious bank account was puzzling. Hope wondered why, as many times as they and the rest of the family had been in Tom and Alice's house, no one had spotted the bank statements until the day of the Horton Town Square dedication. Taking his wife's instincts seriously, Bo merely pondered what "Mrs. H." was trying to tell Hope.

Mr. Chauffman arrived, and cautioned Bo and Hope that he couldn't tell them anything. Authoritatively taking a seat, Hope refused to accept that. She reminded Chauffman that she'd been the executor of her grandmother's estate, and asked him to simply tell her whether the funds on the bank statements belonged to her grandmother. "I'd like to help you, but I can't. I am bound by confidentiality," Chauffman stated. He added, "If your grandmother had given you power of attorney, and if it was on file here, that would be different."

Bo contended that confidentiality didn't apply if the person were deceased. When Mr. Chauffman tried to dismiss the Bradys, Bo flashed his badge. He asserted that Chauffman's evasiveness made Bo suspicious, and made Bo think that the IRS might have good reason to audit Chauffman's accounts. Chauffman consented only to inform Hope that the account was connected to Alice Horton and was still active. Bo noted that funds were being deposited and withdrawn a few days later, and questioned whether the account was "like a clearinghouse." Chauffman admitted, "You could say that." Chauffman couldn't tell the Bradys any more than he already had, but welcomed them to return with a court order -- but his attorneys would be ready.

Later, Bo and Hope strolled through Horton Square. Bo complained that "Shuffleman" seemed to have gone out of his way not to be helpful. Hope agreed. "[Chauffman isn't] afraid of a court order. So that either means he's on the up and up..." Bo noted, and Hope finished, "Or he is connected." Hope pointed out that since the bank statements had been sent to Alice's house, Alice had to have known about the account and what it was for. "But were they telling her the truth, or giving her some kind of story?" Bo wondered.

10/11 At the Brady Pub, Hope and Bo reviewed the evidence that appeared to show that Alice had been blackmailed. As Bo encouraged Hope not to give up, a woman walked up to the table and served Hope a legal document. Curious, Hope opened the letter, which revealed that she had been served with a cease and desist order that prohibited her from investigating Alice's bank records. "What the hell is going on?" Hope wondered aloud. Bo noted that the cease and desist order was a sign that they were on the right track in their investigation. Gathering up his jacket, Bo told Hope that they needed to talk to the lawyer that had issued the cease and desist order. When Bo and Hope arrived at the lawyer's office, Erin, who had handled legal affairs for Alice, warmly greeted them. Hope was surprised by Erin's friendly nature. Erin admitted that she had worked with Alice and Tom, but Hope was not familiar with Erin.

Erin explained that she had worked on personal matters for Alice. Leaning in toward Erin, Hope asked her if she could explain why Alice had kept a bank account secret for over twenty years. Erin refused to answer any questions about the bank account because she was under strict orders from Alice, which was covered by attorney-client privilege. When Hope noted that Alice would want her to know about the bank account, Erin agreed that Alice would. Hope pleaded with Erin to honor her grandmother's wishes. Erin agreed that Alice would want to tell Hope, but that Alice was not available to counteract her final instruction not to tell Hope about the bank account. Curious, Hope asked about Erin's other legal work for Alice. Erin explained that Hope could peruse Alice's files that were not covered by the confidentiality agreement. With a grin, Hope wondered aloud if the documents would shed any light on the mystery bank account. Erin mock protested that she was only saying that she was providing the executor of the estate with information about the firm's interaction with Alice that was not covered by attorney-client privilege.

"Understood," Hope said with a grin. Erin told Hope to leave her contact information and she would have her assistant send the files to Hope immediately. Bo and Hope returned to the Brady Pub with electronic files from the law office. Stumped, Hope noted that the files showed an account of Tom and Alice's charity work. Hope was frustrated by the lack of evidence, but Bo counseled Hope to keep looking. "According to these files, Mrs. H just spent her money on charitable causes," Bo said. "That's it! You are a genius, Brady," Hope said cheerily. When Bo asked Hope what was going on, Hope explained that Alice would not be involved in something nefarious. Hope noted that Alice was using the money to help someone.

10/14 Maggie, Jennifer, Hope, and Bo congregated at Tom and Alice's, because Hope wanted to ask Maggie and Jennifer about Alice's secret bank account. Hope brought them up to speed with all the information she'd learned so far. Jennifer refused to believe that Alice would keep secrets, especially not something that important -- plus Jennifer had been living there and going through Alice's things for almost a year, and had never run across the bank statements. Hope asserted that her guess was that Alice had been trying to help someone, and she wanted Jennifer and Maggie's help to figure out who it might have been. Maggie wondered if Tom had been aware of the bank account, since it had been opened several years before he'd died, and Jennifer couldn't believe that transactions were still being made on the account.

Since Hope's computer had crashed while reading the documents from Alice's lawyer, she asked to borrow Jennifer's for a little while. Jennifer was more than happy to oblige. While Maggie left the room to get her purse so she and Jennifer could go the spa for facials and massages, Hope asked Jennifer about the situation with Jack and Daniel. Jennifer admitted that it was "a big mess." After Maggie and Jennifer had gone, Bo and Hope continued reviewing the documents from Alice's lawyer. Just as Bo was about to head to the kitchen to round up some snacks for them, Hope found an email from Alice to her attorney. Bo read a passage aloud: "Unfortunately, my health is fading fast, but I want to thank you for all your efforts to coordinate the investigation. I appreciate everything you've done. Maggie will be surprised to learn the news."

Reading Maggie's name took Bo and Hope completely by surprise. Hope continued reading, "I will write Maggie a letter tonight with all the information. I'll explain what I can in person, and then Maggie can read the letter when she's ready. It will be a lot to absorb, and she may need time before she's ready." Bo noted that the email was dated the day before Alice had passed away. Both Bradys wondered if Alice had been able to write the letter, or even give it to Maggie, since she'd been so frail at the end. Hope called Maggie and asked, "Was Gran investigating something for you? [Or] did she happen to give you a letter before she passed away?" Maggie replied "no" to both questions. Hope explained about the email, and promised to tell Maggie more when they saw each other. When Maggie hung up, she told Victor, "It seems that I'm a part of Alice's mystery and I have no idea how or why." Hope noted to Bo that Alice had been in and out of consciousness before she'd died, so if Alice had summoned the strength to write that email and the letter to Maggie, it had to have been very important. Bo and Hope concurred that they had to find the letter, which they guessed was still somewhere in the house. Hope admitted that she and Jennifer had found it too painful to go through all of Alice's things, so they'd packed up some things and stored them in the attic. The Bradys quickly headed upstairs to start looking through the boxes.

10/17 At the Horton house, Bo and Hope searched for Alice's letter in some of the boxes that had been stored in the attic. Bo managed to find a single sheet of paper that had been tucked into one of the boxes. Bo showed Hope the letter, and Hope gasped as she silently read the words on the page. Bo and Hope rushed off to the Kiriakis mansion to show the letter to Maggie.

At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope told Maggie about the letter. "I think the reason Gran never said anything to you before is because she wanted to be sure she was right," Hope theorized. Maggie wondered what Hope was talking about, and Hope said that the letter would explain everything. Maggie started to read the letter. "Dearest Maggie, I wish I was feeling better today. This is news I would rather tell you in person, but when I think about it, maybe this way is better. Now you'll have time to decide if you're ready to hear this. Maggie, what I'm about to tell you is something that's gonna change your life, and you know that's not something I say lightly. But it is my hope that this news will make you very happy, once the initial shock wears off. Do you remember years ago, when you and Mickey were trying to have children of your own? You two decided to try something unconventional at the time. I had never heard of such a thing, doctors harvesting women's eggs and storing them for future use," Maggie read.

Maggie paused, and she said that she couldn't believe that Alice had remembered that. Maggie explained that the procedure had been considered experimental at the time. Maggie continued to read the letter. "I wasn't sure that I would ever understand your decision to do such a thing, until I saw how happy you both were at the possibility of having a child. But eventually, you gave up. You never spoke of it again, until years later, you mentioned it in passing, that you thought the doctors might have kept some of your eggs. And that got me to thinking, what did happen to them? So, I did some investigating on my own and guess what, Maggie? It turns out a baby was born from one of your eggs. You have another child," Maggie read, as her voice started to break. Maggie slowly settled into a nearby chair as the news started to sink in. Maggie's hands trembled as she looked at the note, and she kept repeating that she had another child. Hope explained that Alice had passed away before she had finished the letter. "So, I have another child out there somewhere, and it's my child? And I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, or a man, woman, or I don't know anything. How could it be? Where is my child?" Maggie tearfully wondered.

10/19 At the Kiriakis mansion, Hope, Bo, Victor, and Maggie talked about the letter from Alice that revealed that Maggie had another child. Worried about her child, Maggie asked Hope and Bo to help her find her offspring. When questioned by Bo about the past, Maggie explained that she'd had her eggs harvested but that she and Mickey had not been able to have a child together. Maggie added that the clinic had contacted her when it was sold and had asked her what she wanted them to do with her eggs. With a gasp, Maggie yelled out that she had the papers from the clinic upstairs in her files. When Maggie returned with her file folders, she found the papers from the clinic. Hope called the clinic, but the number had been disconnected. At a dead end, Hope studied the papers and realized that the address for the clinic was the site of a vacant lot that had been abandoned since before the papers were signed. "It's starting to look like that this company never existed. That the whole thing possibly was a sham," Hope said sadly.

Bo and Hope offered to talk to Erin the lawyer and see what they could find out. Frustrated, Maggie poured out her heart to Victor, noting that she trusted that Bo and Hope could help her. Maggie was upset about the news that the clinic had not safeguarded her eggs and that she did not know what happened to her child. Feeling helpless, Maggie decided to go to her house to look through the rest of her files. Once Maggie had departed, Victor grabbed the papers from the clinic and pulled out his cell phone. Victor dialed a number and said, "We have a situation." Victor noted that Maggie was investigating the medical clinic and directed the person on the other end of the call to make sure that Victor's name was not connected to the medical facility. Bo and Hope went to Erin's office and asked her about the medical storage facility. Bo asked Erin to help them find Maggie's child. Erin was reluctant to assist Bo and Hope, so Hope begged Erin to give them some answers.

10/21 Bo went to the penthouse to inform John and Marlena that Rafe had been fired, because someone had found out that Rafe had been feeding Carrie information. John and Marlena were furious, but Bo pointed out that it was better that the truth had gotten out then, instead of later in front of a jury. Bo then revealed that he would be taking over the investigation. He continued that although they would have to keep things strictly professional between them because the evidence against John was fairly overwhelming, Bo promised not to turn against John, no matter what happened. John shook his old friend's hand gratefully, and the men embraced.

When Hope arrived at the Kiriakis mansion to pick up Maggie for their appointment with Alice's attorney, Maggie was admittedly pretty keyed up about the possibility of learning more about her child. Melanie showed up to discuss wedding plans, and Maggie knew that it would feel like she was lying if she kept what was going on from Melanie. Hope nodded her okay, so Maggie quickly caught Melanie up about what was going on. Melanie lovingly assured Maggie, "Whoever this child is is so lucky to have you as their mom." Maggie asked Hope if Melanie could accompany them to the lawyer's office, and Hope declared that it was a great idea.

Bo then met Hope, Maggie, and Melanie at the office of Erin Hewitt, Alice's attorney. Maggie pleaded with Erin to disclose what she knew about Maggie's child. Erin explained that Alice had left specific instructions about when and how she wanted the information revealed. Maggie tearfully argued that Alice had never intended to take the information to her grave, or to put Maggie through such agony. Hope implored Ms. Hewitt to reconsider. "I'm sorry; I can't tell you anything. I can't tell you about anything that's in these files," Erin declared pointedly, dropping a stack of file folders on her desk. Explaining that she had to step out of the office for about five minutes, Erin excused herself, but "warned" everyone not to go through her files. Grinning, Hope and Bo rushed to go through the files as soon as Ms. Hewitt had gone, while Melanie held a protective arm around Maggie. At first, Bo and Hope didn't find anything they didn't already know, but finally Hope discovered a document that listed the name of the fertility clinic. "Bo and I are going to check this clinic out. We're going to find your child," Hope promised a hopeful Maggie.

10/25 At the fertility clinic, Bo, Hope, and Maggie met with Dr. Susan Gilman. Bo and Hope explained the history off Maggie's eggs and asked Dr. Gilman to show them her records. Citing privacy concerns, Dr. Gilman explained that she could not help Maggie. Hope clarified the situation and explained that the eggs were taken without Maggie's consent. Empathetic, Dr. Gilman offered to see what she could find out. While the doctor was gone, Maggie told Bo and Hope how supportive Victor had been. Maggie noted that Victor had agreed to postpone planning their wedding until Maggie had finished her investigation into her missing child. Maggie admitted that she had thought about reuniting with her child, but she was not sure whether her child would be happy to see her.

Dr. Gilman returned and explained that the information Maggie needed was in the computer. When Dr. Gilman checked the records, she learned that the physician who transferred the eggs to the clinic had claimed the eggs as her own. As the physician was a patient of the clinic, Dr. Gilman could not divulge the identity of the physician or the child because of medical privacy laws. Hope argued that a crime had been committed, but Dr. Gilman noted that without a court order, she could not reveal the information to Maggie, Bo, or Hope. After Dr. Gilman left the office, an emotional Maggie swore that she would hire Justin to plead her case and get a court order for the information. Bo told Maggie that a court order would be difficult to obtain in the case of medical privacy laws, but Maggie was not swayed. Maggie stared at the computer and announced how frustrating it was to stand in front of a computer that contained all the information she needed. "I may need to face that I may never find out," Maggie said. Upset, Maggie went to the bathroom to wash her face. With Maggie and the doctor both gone, Hope stared at the computer. Hope wanted to look at the information in the computer, but Bo cautioned Hope that she could lose her job on the force if she peeked at the records without consent. When Hope insisted, Bo relented, but reminded Hope to be careful not to get caught.

10/27 At the fertility clinic, Bo and Hope posed as members of a cleaning crew so that they could determine who had received Maggie's eggs. Bo and Hope went to the administrator's office, and Hope noted that there was an electronic lock on the door. Bo used a device to crack the security code, and he managed to unlock the door. Bo and Hope entered the office, and Hope quickly managed to log in to the administrator's computer.

"It's surprising how many people actually use the word password for their password," Hope explained. As Hope started to search for Maggie's file, Bo and Hope heard a security guard walking down the hallway. Bo and Hope waited for the guard to leave, then Hope retrieved Maggie's file. Hope copied the file to a memory stick, and she and Bo rushed out of the office without being detected.

Later, Bo and Hope arrived at the Kiriakis mansion. Hope announced that she and Bo had some good news, and she handed Maggie a piece of paper. "We believe that...that is the name of the woman who took your eggs," Hope explained. Maggie wondered how Bo and Hope had found the woman's name. Hope started to answer, but Bo stopped her, and he assured Maggie that it would probably be better if she didn't know the details. Maggie nodded and inspected the piece of paper that Hope had given her.

"Lilian Parker? It's not ringing any bells. Is she from Salem?" Maggie wondered. Bo said that he and Hope had searched the Salem Police Department's database earlier. Bo explained that several Lilian Parkers had lived in Salem during the period of time when Maggie's eggs had been implanted. Maggie realized that Bo and Hope didn't know which Lilian Parker had given birth to Maggie's child. Bo assured Maggie that he and Hope would continue the search the next day. Hope hugged Maggie, and she and Bo exited the mansion.

Later, Melanie entered the living room, but Maggie wasn't there. Melanie spotted the piece of paper on the coffee table. "Lilian Parker? Why's my grandma's name on this paper?" Melanie wondered.

10/28 Halloween party at the Brady Pub with everyone in costume. Bo and Hope are adorable pirates and Bo promised to settle the kids down by telling them all a scary story. The children crowded around Bo while the amused adults, listened in from outside the story circle. Bo told a tale of a man who'd been publicly, and wrongly, hanged in the town square two hundred years earlier, and how the ghost of the man's widow roamed the town square on Halloween every year, vowing revenge. Bo revealed that when the woman's ghost was about to appear, the lights in the town began to flicker and the kids all shrieked, because the lights in the pub flickered on cue. Afterward, Maggie and Hope each denied that they'd done anything to make the lights flicker. Maggie informed Bo and Hope, who was also dressed as a pirate, that Victor would not be at the party, as he was out of town on business. Maggie confided that she could think of little else but finding out more about Lilian Parker, the woman who had given birth to Maggie's child. Hope cautioned Maggie that they had to make sure they had the right Lilian Parker before they could proceed. Bo divulged that they might know by the end of the night who Maggie's child was.

Marlena, Bo, and Hope picked up Marlena and they all arrived at the Town Square, and greeted Abe and Lexie warmly. Bo and Hope found Maggie, and informed her that they had narrowed down the search: they had learned when Maggie's eggs had been implanted, and after some research, they'd discovered that a Lilian Parker had given birth approximately nine months later, on December 18th. Bo apologetically explained that he couldn't give Maggie more information yet, since the computers at the station had gone down; all he could tell her that Lilian Parker was deceased.

Melanie arrived just then and overheard part of the conversation. "Lilian Parker? Why are you guys talking about my grandma?" Melanie asked. Utterly floored, Maggie responded with a gasp, "Lilian Parker is your grandmother?" Pointing out that Chloe had named her son Parker because it was his grandmother's maiden name, Melanie asked why they were all talking about Lilian. Hope asked when Daniel's birthday was, and a bemused Melanie replied that it was December 18th, and asked why they wanted to know.

Hope reminded Melanie that Maggie had been trying to find her child. Taken aback with the potential realization, Melanie dropped her feather duster, and her eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her hands. Bo summed up, "The name of the woman who made the switch with Maggie's eggs is Lilian Parker, and she had a son -- and his birthday is December eighteenth." Maggie tearfully told Melanie, "I think your father... I think he's my son." While Bo and Hope grinned and giggled happily, Melanie could not react except to gape at Maggie in shock. "So if Daniel's your son..." Melanie finally managed. "That would make you my granddaughter," an elated Maggie finished. Melanie began to cry, and the women embraced joyfully.

10/31 Melanie was thrilled that Maggie was Daniel's mother. Melanie noted that she had always felt a bond with Maggie, and Maggie agreed. "I mean, even though you kind of drove me crazy when we first met," Maggie added. Meanwhile, Victor arrived, and Maggie happily greeted him. Victor noted the expression on Maggie's face, and he wondered if she was okay.

"I'm better, so better than okay. It seems like we found my child. I have a son, a grown son, and a granddaughter, and they're here. They live in Salem. And we know them, in fact, you know my son better than I do. Victor, it's Daniel. Daniel's my son," Maggie tearfully announced. Victor pointed out that he had known Daniel's parents, Lilian and George Jonas, and he wondered if it was possible that there had been some sort of mistake.

Bo and Hope explained everything to Victor. Bo admitted that Maggie and Daniel would still need to do a DNA test to confirm Bo and Hope's suspicion. Melanie realized that Daniel still didn't know the truth, and she urged Maggie to talk to him. Maggie nervously asked Bo and Hope to accompany her. Melanie, Maggie, Bo, Hope, and Victor approached Jennifer and Daniel, and Daniel and Jennifer wondered if everything was all right. “Um this may sound strange, I don't know, maybe not, but I recently found out that I have a grown child that I didn't know about. It's a long story, and I'll explain how it happened, but Bo and Hope, they’ve been incredible. And now, because of them, well, it seems like I've found my son," Maggie explained.

Daniel and Jennifer were shocked by the news, and Daniel congratulated Maggie. "No, no, you don't understand, Daniel. The reason that I'm telling you this is because I have reason to believe that you are my child. That I'm your mother," Maggie added. Daniel assumed that everyone was playing some sort of Halloween prank on him, and he insisted that his parents had died in a car accident. Bo and Hope told Daniel about their investigation. Melanie pointed out that she and Maggie had always shared a strong bond, but Daniel still wasn't convinced. "I know you all have the best of intentions here, but there is -- there really is some kind of mistake here. You...are not my mother," Daniel told Maggie. Daniel insisted that his mother would not have lied to him about something like that.

"Daniel, I know that we don't have any irrefutable proof, not at this time, anyway. But I believe in my heart that you're my son. I just feel it, right now, holding your hand, that you are my son," Maggie tearfully stated, as she grasped Daniel's hand. Daniel turned to Victor, and he wondered if Victor believed that Maggie was right. "From what I've heard here tonight, Daniel, yes, I believe Maggie is your mother," Victor stated. Daniel told Maggie that he wanted to schedule a DNA test, and Maggie agreed. "But I really do believe that you're my son. And after finding you after all these years, and not knowing you were out there...it's a miracle. Daniel, you're my miracle," Maggie tearfully stated.

Later, Bo said that he was proud of Hope for finding out the truth. Bo added that it was great that all of Alice's hard work had finally paid off, but Hope wasn't convinced that they had really solved the whole mystery. Hope reminded Bo that they still didn't know who was withdrawing the monthly payments from Alice's bank account. Bo agreed that there was more to the story. "Exactly! And we need to figure out what it was. Brady, this is an adventure," Hope enthusiastically insisted.

11/1 Henderson suggested that Victor was upset that he had not informed Maggie that Victor had arranged for Maggie's eggs to go to Daniel's parents. When Henderson suggested that perhaps Victor wants to tell Maggie the truth.

11/2 At the Brady Pub, Bo and Hope complained to Abe and Lexie about how much time and resources the police department was wasting by investigating John. The Carvers agreed, but understood the point of view of the bilked investors, as well. Bo asserted that Rafe had done the right thing by bending the rules to make sure John was treated fairly. Abe advised Bo against going too far out on a limb to help a friend, and cautioned, "Be careful, Bo... One misstep could cost you your job."

Bo and Hope then filled in Abe and Lexie about how Maggie was probably Daniel's mother, and Melanie's grandmother, and related a bit of the story of how they'd found out. Lexie and Abe were excited for Maggie, and intrigued by the story of the bank statements. Abe took a quick phone call, and then informed Bo and Hope that it had been from his new publicist, Jennifer. Hope was thrilled to hear that her cousin was working on Abe's campaign. Abe and Lexie then excused themselves because Stefano and Kate had invited them to have lunch at the DiMera mansion. Bo and Hope were very suspicious of Stefano's motives. Abe agreed, but noted that it might at least give him the opportunity to find out what the DiMeras were up to.

Bo and Hope returned to the Horton house to look through Alice's boxes one more time. Hope was sure that there had to be a clue somewhere in the house about the mysterious bank statements. Bo found a pile of old photographs, including an embarrassing one of him, and wondered about the point of going through the boxes yet again, but agreed to continue if Hope wanted. Bo called Rafe to see how the job search was going, and to offer to write Rafe a letter of recommendation. Rafe was clearly discouraged, so Bo offered some words of encouragement before hanging up.

Hope spotted the photographs that Bo had found earlier, and took them from him. In the stack, she found a picture of a baby whom neither she nor Bo recognized. Bo guessed that it might have been one of the children that Dr. and Mrs. Horton had cared for in the pediatric ward. With a shrug, Hope agreed that Bo was probably right. She set aside the photo, the same photo that was also framed and in the bookshelves at the DiMera mansion.