Exit Wounds

Belle tells Claire she's a brave little girl. She says she's going to call a cab so they can go home. Phillip overhears and volunteers to take them home, but wants to stop at Marcy's Ice Cream on the way. Belle says no.

Belle leaves the room. Poor lost puppy Phillip follows her like she's dragging him with a rope. Belle says, "You have to stop doing this."

Phillip asks, "Doing what?"

Belle says, "Making me use Claire as an excuse every time I want to come running to you."

Bo tells Lucas he doesn't think EJ will make it, but Sami is OK. Lucas says it's a good thing the shooter didn't miss. Bo is suspicious, "Where were you during the wedding."

Lucas says, "You don't think I shot EJ."

Bo says, "You tell me, man. Did you?"

Kate comes into the mansion and calls for Stefano. Rolf inspects her bag. "What are you going to do next," asks Kate, "pat me down?"

"Maybe I should," says Rolf, "after what you did the last time you were here."

"Oh," says Kate, "Stefano told you, and now you think I shot EJ. If I wanted EJ gone, I would have shot him here – not in public."

Rolf wants her out. Kate threatens, "If I shot EJ, what's stopping me from coming after you?" Rolf decides this would be a good time to head for the parlor. Kate stands alone and contemplates a painting of Stefano, "I didn't shoot EJ. I swear."

Sami says Stefano should go get some rest. EJ wouldn't want him to have a setback. Stefano sneers, "You've been married just a few hours and you're already making decisions for him? He may not live because of you."

Sami claims she had nothing to do with the shooting. Stefano insists it was her family who shot him so she's indirectly involved. He wonders why she wore black to the wedding. He thinks perhaps she knew the family was going to try to kill him. Sami says she married him to protect her family, so it's absurd to think she had anything to do with the shooting. Stefano asks if Sami would to anything to protect her children. Sami takes the bait and says of course she would. "A father will do that, too," says Stefano.

Sami gasps, "Are you suggesting my father shot EJ?"

"Yes," says Stefano, "He's at the top of the list. He has plenty of motivation."

We pan up from blood on the floor at the church to find Roman. He flashes back to the shooting. Abe comes up and asks if he is OK. Roman says he's fine, and he's there to help Abe. He tells him he wasn't there during the ceremony. Abe asks, "Partner, exactly where were you when the shooting happened?"

A crowd gathers in the town square.

Lucas says he was in his apartment during the shooting. He has no witnesses, though. He says Billie was there later. Bo asks to check on the twins. Lucas OK's it and Bo sends Shawn into the bedroom. Lucas asks if Bo believes him. Bo says he wants to, but he wants proof Lucas was there all evening, "And just how do you know EJ was shot right after Father Kelley pronounced them man and wife?"

Stefano and Sami argue over whether Roman might have shot EJ. Stefano wants to know what Roman would have done if he caught Sami and EJ the night the twins were conceived. Sami thinks it's interesting Stefano called it 'conception' and not rape. Once again, Sami takes the bait. She says if Roman had caught them, it would have been justifiable homicide.

Stefano says that proves Roman can commit murder. As he storms off he says, "You had better pray my son survives."

Roman tells Abe what he did while the wedding was going on. He says he went to the pub and then Bo sent him home. No one can verify it because he lives alone. He also tells Abe Bo took his gun.

Justin from forensics interrupts. Abe introduces Justin as the new guy who graduated at the top of his class, "We have him enrolled in our accelerated dumbing-down program so he'll fit in with the rest of us fairly soon."

Justin throws Abe a curve ball. He asks intelligent questions. Abe responds, "We found three bullet casings."

"Were there exit wounds," asks Justin.

"No."

Justin wants the slugs. Another cop volunteers to take Justin to see the spots where the casings were found. As he leaves, Abe tells Roman he will contact him if there is any news.

Roman stands alone and flashes back to aiming at EJ.

Phillip takes another shot at Belle. He tells her about going to Marcy's as a kid after he had had an accident. His dad took him there on the way home and it has been a pleasant memory for him ever since.

"That does sound like a nice memory – having your dad buy you ice cream after your accident."

"He didn't buy me ice cream," says Phillip, "He bought me the store."

Phillip says he thought this would be a nice memory for Claire, too, "No agenda – just ice cream." He asks if he can take Claire to see Sami. Belle wonders what that is all about. Phillip gets close and whispers in her hear. He tells her about the wedding and the shooting, "EJ went down, and Sami is here with him." Belle tells Phillip he can take Claire. He leaves as Belle makes a call.

Shawn's lone phone vibrates. Belle leaves a message, "Did you know someone shot EJ?"

The crowd in the town square gets larger.

Lucas says he just assumed "the worst" – that Sami and EJ were married. Bo asks about Kate. He tells Lucas she threatened Stefano. Lucas challenges him for believing Stefano. Shawn comes back, "The twins are fine. You have two beautiful kids there, Lucas."

"Thanks," says Lucas, "If only they were both mine." Bo and Shawn leave.

Outside, Bo asks Shawn to go back and write up a report on the shooting and their investigation. Shawn protests, "I've only been on the job one day and I'm just a go-fer. I don't' know anything about writing reports."

"That's the point," says Bo, "If I turned in a well-written, professional report, they'd fire me."

Inside the apartment, Lucas takes the gun out of the drawer and stares.

Sami tells Phillip EJ might be paralyzed. Belle comes out and Sami fills her in. Phillip volunteers to watch Claire if Belle wants to be with Sami. Sami says Claire should be with her mommy. Hugs. Belle and Phillip exit stage left. Sami sighs.

Roman surveys the scene. He remembers the shooting... Roman points his gun. He clearly does not fire it. We hear three shots. Roman looks to his right, looks to his left and runs like a scared rabbit.

Sami looks at her wedding ring and panics. She tugs at it as she bounces around trying to pull it off. She bumps into Lucas. Hugs.

Stefano tells Kate this had better be important enough for him to have to rush home from the hospital. She says she is sorry. He wonders what is so urgent he had to run home now.

Lucas tells Sami, "Chelsea is watching the twins. They're probably asleep, so they won't bother her while she drops ecstasy. Sami says she can't go back home while EJ is in surgery. It would anger Stefano. Lucas tells her to forget about Stefano.

Kate insists she had nothing to do with EJ's shooting. Stefano grabs her throat, "Was it you Kate? Did you shoot my son?"

Kate chokes and says she didn't shoot EJ. Stefano says if she is lying her troubles are just beginning. He lets go. She tries to recover and says she hasn't forgotten what Stefano did for her and asks why she would ever hurt him.

Bo interrupts, "Is this a bad time?"

Sami tells Lucas Stefano thinks Roman shot EJ. Lucas wonders who Sami thinks it was. She says she's glad he was home with the twins or she would think he was the shooter. Bo thinks the same thing," says Lucas.

Sami gasps, "Uncle Bo thinks you're a suspect?"

Shawn gets his messages.

Phillip and Belle are back at Shawn and Belle's apartment. Phillip puts Claire in the crib and says she will want the ice cream when she wakes up.

"I could use some ice cream now, too," says Belle, "Rocky road... or a dirty martini."

"The two of us getting a drink together would be a good idea," says Phillip.

Belle asks, "Are you suggesting that..."

Shawn finishes listening to his messages and bolts for home.

Belle switches personalities, "WE ARE NOT HAVING THIS CONVERSATION! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?"

"Because I love you and I know you love me," says Phillip, "Right here in that bed you felt something. You felt love, too."

"It was a mistake," says Belle. She tells him he has to go. He accuses her of being afraid. She says she hates herself for what she did. He says he can't lose her. She says it will never work between them. She wants this to stop here and now. He slowly moves in for a kiss. After about an hour and a half, she breaks it off and tells him to go.

Phillip takes a card out of his pocket and tells her it has his private number on it. Only he answers that line, "Anytime, Belle." He tosses the card down and leaves. Belle picks it up and cries.

Bo says he came to question Stefano about Kate, and he's surprised to find Kate there. He asks Kate about her threats. Stefano advises, "I'd get a good lawyer if I were you." He decides he doesn't need to be there and leaves for the hospital.

An officer steps up to the podium in the town square to address the throng.

Bo asks where Kate was at the time of the shooting. She says she took a drive. She tells him she didn't shoot EJ. He asks where she got the gun. Kate sighs.

Lucas wants Sami to go back home, "The vendetta is over."

Sami snaps, "It's not over! I have to stay with EJ. I have to pretend like I care."

"Is that what you're doing," asks Lucas, "pretending?"

"I don't like this any more than you do."

Lucas asks, "What if EJ dies?"

"Then God help us all."

God watches, "You're all beyond help."

Lucas hopes EJ dies and burns in hell. Roman interrupts. Lucas decides to go check on the twins. On the way out he tells Roman to talk some sense into Sami. "My voice is pretty strong," says Roman, "but it would give out before I could do that."

Roman says he thinks maybe Sami should go home with Lucas. Sami gets close and asks if Roman was the shooter.

Kate says she bought the gun off the street for protection. She says it was a personal matter and her having a gun is none of Bo's business. She says she decided she didn't want a gun anymore, so she threw it in a dumpster. Since she actually gave it to Phillip, that's not far from the truth. Bo politely thanks her for he cooperation. He takes her hand and draws it up toward his face. Shake and sniff. "Just so you know," says Bo, "You're looking pretty guilty, so don't even think of leaving town."

The cop at the podium says, "Please be patient. This is going to take a while."

Belle stares at the card. She hears Shawn in the hallway and sticks it into her bra, where Shawn will never get to it. Shawn comes in and she fills him in on the coffee incident. He wishes he could have been at the hospital. He tells her about writing the report and says it felt good to be doing cop-work. Suddenly he notices Claire has a new stuffed toy. He puts two-and-two together (four-and-four he would have had trouble with, but Shawn can handle two-and-two). "It was Phillip! Of course."

Bo asks Abe about the status. Abe tells him, "EJ is hanging in there."

"Too bad," says Bo.

Abe asks about Roman's gun. Bo says he took it and still has it. He gets it out and twirls it around. Abe asks if Roman has others. Bo says yes. Abe doesn't think at this point Roman is the shooter. He tells Bo Shawn took off, "He didn't say anything about where he was going. He just split." Abe leaves.

Bo stands alone and grits his teeth, "Dammit, Shawn!"

Belle explains how she wound up with Phillip. She tells him not to worry about him. "I'm taken. I made that clear, while we were romping around right here in this room."

She tells him she absolutely refused to go to the ice cream shop with Phillip, "I put my foot down – ice cream, no, monkey sex, yes." Belle says she also told Phillip they have set a date for the wedding. Smooches and hugs. Guilt ridden Belle flashes back to the den of sin.

"I want you to all form a single line," says the cop at the podium, "Then march into the police station. You've all been identified as suspects in EJ's shooting and we have to question you individually."

Kate leaves the mansion and gets a call from Phillip. He wants to know what she was doing with the gun. He says since this isn't a good thing to do over the phone, he will call in the morning and set up a place to meet and talk. Kate don' wan' no stinkin' talk. Phillip says, "You will either talk to me or the cops. I still have the gun and if you're not straight with me I'm taking it to the cops."

Lucas wraps his gun in bubble-wrap and stashes it in a cardboard box. A delivery guy shows up. He puts a label on the box just as a delivery guy shows up. Lucas hands him the box. The delivery guy asks, "Do you want this to go by ground or air? Ground will take a few days."

"A few days is perfect," says Lucas, "Ground will be fine."

The delivery guy looks at the label, "Huh? You're sending it to yourself?"

"Yeah," says Lucas, "It's kind of a prank. Pranks are my life."

Roman tells Sami he didn't shoot EJ. She apologizes for asking. Suddenly, he looks down and notices something. He lifts the hem of her gown and finds a bullet hole, "Maybe EJ wasn't the only one who was supposed to die tonight." The blood drains from Sami's face.

At the back of the line in the town square, Kristen Shepard shouts, "THIS ISN'T NECESSARY. I ADMIT IT. I SHOT EJ!"


Previews
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