Curses, Foiled Again

We open with a scene of the idyllic old-world castle nestled in the mountains of Europe..

Marlena and Pard listen as the scratching in the wall continues. Roman is going to try to help. He opens a box. Marlena says, “OMG, you’re a genius. I hope this works.”

Jennifer moves boxes full of junk. She pulls out an Indian headdress. She flashes back to Jack doing a pow-wow dance. Jennifer tells Jack he can’t be in the pageant. She pops back to the lame excuse for reality we call Salem, “Oh Jack. I’ll never stop missing you.” Doorbell. It’s Hope. She’s hysterical, “I’m gonna kill Bo and Billie.”

Billie wishes Hope would have given them a chance to explain, “Your marriage means everything to you. If you guys broke up because of me I’d feel guilty forever.” Or a couple of days, anyway.

Rex and Shawn hack. Rex says, “There is a major problem.”

John works on his problem as Kate gets the doorbell.

John won’t let some hacker get the best of him, “You’re going down, punk. Prepare to crash.” Belle comes in with bad news.

Bonnie scoots her cart. Small talk with the nurse. She sees Mimi in Jan’s room and runs in, “Get out of here before that piece of trash wakes up and fingers you. Cops aren’t that stupid you know.” Salem cops excluded, of course. Mimi tells her she is going to confess. “I couldn’t live if my baby girl was in jail.”

Belle tells Kate and John about Jan. The number one suspect on John’s list is Shawn.

Rex says he’s rigged John’s computer.

John sees a virus protection message on his screen, ignores it, and talks to Belle.

Rex hacks while John talks.

Bonnie tells Mimi never to tell the cops the truth, “They will twist it for their own purposes.” Mimi insists she is guilty. She wants to do the right thing. Bonnie says, “The right thing is whatever is right for Y-O-U. If Jan dies you’ve done the world a favor. Did you deliberately try to do this?”

“No.”

“Then it was an accident.” Mimi flashes back to the fight with Jan. Bonnie continues, “She was the attacker, not you.”

Mimi whines, “Everyone knows I hated her and the truth is I really wanted her dead.”

Hope tells Jennifer about walking in on Billie and Bo, “It was supposedly accidental, but Billie was in Bo’s lap. If he doesn’t get a clue soon our marriage is over.” There goes the marriage. “I’ve had it. I think that’s what really scares me. We have always been so much in synch with each other. I’m beginning to think that special bond between us might be broken.”

“We’re not breaking up,” says Bo, “If I could just find her and explain what happened...” He tries her cell phone. Turned off. Bo leaves a message. He calls Jennifer’s. Jen answers. Hope signals to say she isn’t there. Jen tells Bo she hasn’t seen Hope. Bo says, “Tell her I’ll do whatever it takes to fix this.” Jennifer promises she will tell her.

Jennifer tells Hope Bo will do whatever he has to in order to fix things. Hope says, “It’s me or his ex. He can’t have us both.”

Roman has crude digging tools, a bent fork, a broken bowl, this is genius? They start spooning out the walls. Time passes. Roman pulls out a section of wall. They dig. Marlena peers in, “Oh my gosh! it’s Jack!”

Jennifer and Hope have a barrel of ice cream. Jennifer doesn’t think Hope is being paranoid. She feels for Billie, “but why does she keep doing this to us? Billie has an addictive personality and now she’s living in my house with my husband. The longer she stays there the worse it will get. Bo is the problem too. He’s afraid to hurt her so he hurts me instead. Why does he keep making that same choice? I don’t know what else to do. I wish I could say she goes or I go, but I’ll wind up being the bad guy. Bo needs to figure it out for himself. She still loves him and wants him. When is this going to stop?” Hope stops to breathe. Jennifer consoles her.

Bo never meant to hurt Hope, “Billie, this is my marriage. I don’t want to lose it or my wife. I wanna be clear here. Hope is the greatest love of my life. Sometimes you have to prove it. I hate to do this, but you gotta move out.” Billie sheds a tear.

Bonnie can’t think of anyone who’s ever liked Jan. Mimi says she has wished she was dead more than once. Bonnie thinks Jan got exactly what she deserved. Mimi didn’t have big dreams. She just wanted a husband who loved her, a house and to be able to pay her bills, but Jan was going to take it all away from her, “I wanted her dead and I will feel guilty for all the days of my life.” Jan stares wide-eyed at them. Mimi freaks, “See she’s waking up and will say I tried to kill her.”

John asks what Jan did to Shawn. Belle doesn’t want to go into it right now. “The police thought whoever tried to attack her was a woman.”

“Yeah,” says John, “But the police thought the Salem stalker was a woman.”

Belle is shocked, “Are you comparing Shawn to Tony DiMera.” Well, in that case it would be Tony Dumb-era.

“The kid’s a hothead,” snaps John. “You never know what he will do. He’s always in trouble.

Rex. Hack.

Kate watches as Belle and John talk. She sneaks over to the computer. Stare.

Roman and Marlena dig. Jack digs from the other side. He thought he was digging to the outer wall. Roman wants to help Jack, but he wants to get Cassie, too. The tunnel caves in. Jack is a pancake.

Hope asks what the boxes are for. Jennifer is trying to make room for Jack Junior’s things. She’s getting rid of some of Jack’s things. Hope is sorry she was so insensitive. Hope decides to draw a line in the sand, “It’s either me or Billie.” I thought she said she couldn’t do that because it would make her the bad guy. Sigh. Jennifer likes the idea. Hope leaves.

John says it’s just a matter of time before Shawn gets in trouble again.

Kate watches the computer, “That could happen very soon,” she thinks.

John tells Belle he thinks the plan will work this time. Kate thinks, “Maybe Rex and Shawn are better with a computer than we thought. Looks to me like Shawn might just have everything he needs.”

John squints at Kate, “Something wrong?”

The nurse attends Jan. Still comatose. Opening her eyes was just a reflex. Bonnie asks when Jan will wake up. “Hard to tell maybe never.” The nurse leaves.

Bonnie is ecstatic. Mimi brings her back to earth. She tells her there was a witness, “Some guy watching from the bushes.”

“A perv,” asks Bonnie. Mimi says Jan doesn’t have to wake up for her to go to jail. The abortion was the worst thing she ever did. Now’s she’s paying for it.

Jack somehow survived the cave in. He squeezes into Roman and Marlena’s room. He chokes, “Jennifer has been left alone too long making her prey to Lockhart and guys like him. I gotta get back there ASAP.” He has something to pick the locks on their chains. Roman can’t leave without Cassie. Jack removes their leg-irons. Jack says they don’t’ have time to get to Cassie. Marlena agrees.

Jennifer goes through stuff, “He saved all his father’s day cards from Abby.” She finds a file of magazine articles, “You changed so many people’s lives with your articles Jack. I’d never have become a reporter without you. You still inspire me so much. You’re not gone are you?”

Bo tells Billie to find some other place to stay. “Actually,” says Billie, “I’ve already packed. After Hope stormed out last time I made arrangements to stay a Sami’s old apartment. Mickey has petitioned the judge to let Lucas vouch for me. So it’s all taken care of. You’re worries are over. Be happy with Hope.” They hug and, as usual, Heeeeerree’s Hope.

Hope says, “Billie, either you’ve got two left feet when it comes to timing or you’re after my husband.” Group stare.

Bo tries to ‘splain. It was nothing. Hope spits fire, “You had your arms around her again and it’s nothing?”

“She’s thanking me, saying goodbye. She’s leaving.”

Billie comes down with her bags, “I hope you two can work out your problems.” She leaves.

“So,” says Bo, “am I forgiven?” Hope stares.

John looks at the computer. All the intelligence has been downloaded. Everything seems fine to John. He doesn’t understand why the ISA hasn’t gotten back with the plan. If Shawn were involved he’d probably get them both killed. John mumbles nasty things about Shawn.

“Excellent work,” says Tony Dumbera, “We are going to get Phillip out of that hellhole.”

Roman plans. They scoot things in front of the hole in the wall. Roman throws a bunch of stuff which makes a big racket. The guards yell, “OK, we’re coming in.” As the first guard enters, Jack slugs him with a big rock from the wall. See, the key word, Jack was WE’RE coming in. The second guard gets the drop on Jack. Curses, foiled again.

Jennifer wanders. Jennifer reminisces. Jennifer stares at Jack’s picture. “You’re with me Jack. I can feel you through Abby and Jack Junior. If you can fit it in, can you keep an eye on Bo and Hope too?” She hugs his picture. She stares.

Hope says, “Bo, yes, of course I forgive you.”

“Good,” he gets sappy, “Because I am the luckiest man in the world you married me.”

Hope whines, “I thought Billie was going to take you away forever.”

“It would never happen,” says Bo.

Outside, Billie thinks, “That door is finally shut for good. Bo’s out of my life now.” We all believe this, of course.

Bo and Hope kiss.

“You are not confessing nothing to nobody,” says the articulate Bonnie.

“They go easier on you if you admit it, Mom.”

Bonnie says, “They aren’t going to make you write 'I will not kill again' 100 times on the blackboard if they convict you, Mimi. Jan could die and you could be cleared.”

Mimi reasons, “The witness and fake nail would be enough to convict me on Law and Order.”

John tells Belle, “I’ll bring your husband home and make sure Shawn doesn’t get involved.”

Belle is relieved, “You’re saving the two men I care about the most.” Belle leaves.

“Shawn may already be on his way to help Phillip. All I want now is to get my son back home,” thinks Kate.

“We need money says Shawn. We’ve got to see Brady.”

Rex asks, “Why would he give you money? He hates you for hurting his sister.”

Shawn the philosopher says, “I may not know computers, but I know people.” The dynamic duo leaves.

The guards have the drop on them. Marlena says, “I think I’m going to faint.” This distracts the guards. Pard and Jack overwhelm them. “We’re going home,” says Marlena.


Previews
========

Nicole asks Stami, “Who are you? What do you want?” Stami says, “I’m here to help you keep Chloe Lane out of Brady’s life – permanently.”

Shawn tells Brady, “You cannot tell your father about this, OK? You may be ruining Phillip’s only chance.” Brady says, “Just wait until I get back, OK?”

Shirtless John stares into his computer, “What the hell are you waiting for.” Kate says, “John, I have something to tell you.”

“What are we going to do,” asks Marlena, “We can’t get caught again.”