The Box And The Envelope

OMG! OMG! OMG! A DOUBLE FADEOUT SHOT OF SAMI AND SCUZZO! OMG! WE HAVEN'T HAD AN ARTSY DOUBLE FADEOUT IN AGES! OH! THE DRAMA! OH THE ARTWORK! I JUST ALMOST COULDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE WEEKEND! I COULDN'T WAIT! I POPPED SOME CORN, PARKED IN FRONT OF THE TV AND TREMBLED AS I WATCHED A BLACK SCREEN ALL WEEKEND WAITING FOR THE EXCITING ACTION TO CONTINUE. AND, FINALLY, THERE IT WAS... THE HOURGLASS... THE FADE-IN... THE... THE... disappointment.

Sick transit gloria Monday.

Oh, well, it's not the first time DOOL has let me down. Anyway, instead of the anticipated exciting action, here's what happened...

Chelsea comes into the hospital and finds Daniel buried in his work. She interrupts The Great One, "I was wondering if you had a minute... it's about Kate."

Daniel says, "Sure,"

Chelsea asks, "Is she gonna die?"

Lucas and Phillip find Kate on her terrace. Kate has asked them over for a serious talk.

Bo and Hope come into the pub asking for Melanie. Max tells them she's upstairs. Hope goes up to get her while Max tells Bo there is something he has to say.

Melanie wakes up and sees another note has been slipped under her door. She runs over and reads it. It has the same message as the last one did. She searches the hallway for the person who left it. No one there, so she throws it away and then sees another on her bed. She opens that one and reads the same message. Then she sees another at the foot of the bed. Full blown panic sets in...

Hope knocks at her door and Melanie wakes up for real. She opens the door and expresses something less than enthusiasm when she sees it's Hope. Hope asks her to get dressed and come downstairs. Melanie slams the door and looks at the wadded up paper in her wastebasket.

A call interrupts her. She picks up the phone and a satanic voice on the other end says, "I saw you in the cemetery. I know what happened." She hangs up the phone, pulls the wadded note out of her wastebasket and blithers.

Max tells Bo he may have made a mistake sticking up for Melanie, "I think she is the one who killed Trent."

Evan sits in the Java Café with Abe, Lexie and Theo. They are there to meet with a photographer for a big story some Podunk magazine will be doing on them. Lexie isn't sure she's up for this.

Melanie packs and mumbles that the Bradys are not going to nail her.

Downstairs, Max says he can't defend what Melanie did, but it doesn't stop him from feeling for her. "What do you think she's going to do," asks Bo.

Max sees Melanie walking out of the pub. He points to her and says, "That."

Outside, Melanie calls for a cab. Bo rushes out after her and grabs the phone, "Where do you think you are going?"

Abe is concerned Lexie has changed her mind. He reminds her she was fine with going through with the magazine shoot when they left home, "Why did you flip-flop. I'm the politician. I'm the one who is supposed to do that. " Lexie tells him that's because it's more fun to argue in public where they can make complete fools of themselves. Evan sits in the crossfire and decides to leave so they can really go at it. Which they do. Abe isn't happy with Lexie's 180. He says if Theo goes bonkers during the photography session, he will insist she take him home. Abe thinks this article is important. Lexie thinks it could backfire.

Daniel tells Chelsea, "You know I can't discuss Kate's case."

The brat whines and tries to convince him. She says she wishes she could take back what she said to Kate, "With my mom gone, Grandma Kate is all I have. If she dies and Mom stays in London, who will I have to test drive my boyfriends? I feel like it's my turn to take care of her."

Meanwhile Kate tells Lucas and Phillip, "I need to be sure that I'm leaving things in capable hands."

Phillip asks, "What do you mean leaving things?"

Lucas asks, "Yeah, why are you talking like this?"

Kate says she is taking time off because she has lung cancer and she needs them to help her business survive.

"We're going to fight this," vows fillip

"You bet we are," says Lucas, "We will (say it with him) be there for you every step of the way." The boys try to be upbeat. Kate says she's only leaving her business while she is in treatment. She asks Phillip to release Lucas from his contract at Titan so he can come to work for her and run her business into the ground instead. Phillip agrees. Titan dodges another bullet.

"I'll run things for you," says Lucas, "But I want you back before I destroy the company."

"It had better be a speedy recovery then," says Kate.

Lucas suggests a second opinion. Kate doesn't want more tests. Phillip wants Lucas to back off and let Kate do what she wants. Kate says she knows neither of them approve of her affair with Daniel, but she begs them to put those feelings aside while she goes into treatment. Phillip is OK with that. It's not good enough for Lucas.

Chelsea says what happened with Daniel and Kate feels like betrayal to her, but Kate's life is bigger than her petty feelings. She knows Daniel never meant to hurt her. She says what she felt for him was just a little crush anyway. He promises to do everything he can for Kate.

Melanie is defiant, "I didn't kill my father, and you have no proof I did, so I can go anywhere I want." She turns and starts to walk away.

Bo yells, "So you don't care that your father left you a will?"

Bo says, "We're flying your father's attorney to Salem to read it to us. Intelligent people would just have him fax or ship the documents and have an attorney in town read them, but we don't do things the intelligent way in Salem."

Hope asks, "Aren't you curious to know what your father left you?"

Lucas says they need another opinion, "I'm done listening. Running off at the mouth is my specialty." Kate tells him to back off. She thanks both of them for being committed to helping her. Lucas backs down. Kate says she starts chemotherapy today and needs them to take things over immediately. She also says Billie and Austin know what's going on.

Daniel shows up to give her a ride. To the hospital that is. Lucas asks for a word with Daniel. They go off. Phillip and mommy share a tender moment. Phillip is grateful for everything she has done for him, "I will (say it with him) be there for you day and night. I will take off work and (say it with him) be there for you." Hugs.

Abe and Lexie have the same old argument. They get up from their table and abandon Theo so they can yell at each other about how important he is. Evan interrupts and tells them it's time to start. As they talk Theo takes off and runs to another table. He picks a cup up off the table and flings it. The insensitive Wicked Witch of the West comes up to him, "Little boy, what are you doing?"

TANTRUM!

Chelsea stares and remembers Kate being with her after her operation, "I have to help her." She rushes off.

Lucas thinks Kate should get a second opinion, "She was just told she has lung cancer she's not thinking clearly."

"It's lung cancer not brain cancer," says Daniel. Daniel says he won't let his feelings interfere with his ability to do his job. Lucas softens and tells him Kate acts tough but is fragile.

Phillip insists Kate lean on him, "Lean on the side with my artificial leg. It can support a lot more weight than a real one. " Daniel and Lucas come up. Kate tells her sons how grateful she is for their help. They decide to accompany her to her treatment.

Bo introduces Max and Melanie to Trent's lawyer, Mr. Berman. Melanie is direct, "Let's cut to the chase, what did Daddy leave us?"

Lexie and Abe decide Theo is OK. The Wicked Witch gets on them for not keeping an eye on him. Lexie gets in her face, but Abe breaks them apart. "Say," asks the Wicked Witch, "Aren't you the guy running for mayor? And isn't this your autistic kid?"

Lexie has a meltdown, "HE HAS A NAME! IT'S THEO!" Evan takes the madwoman off before a really good catfight develops.

Abe tells Lexie not to blow this out of proportion. Lexie refuses to cooperate. She grabs Theo and heads for home.

"Berman reads, "...leave my entire estate to my daughter Melanie." Unfortunately," says Berman, "Trent died insolvent."

Max is shocked, "What? I thought he died in Salem."

"He did have some assets," says Berman, "He had some ownership in Nick Fallon's alternative fuel project and a pension plan. Two weeks ago the pension plan was worth $1.5 million. After the financial crisis, it's worth about 35 cents."

Max points out that Trent left everything to Melanie and wonders why he is there. Berman tells him he's in the newly added codicil. He pulls that out of his pocket, reads and informs Max he's inherited a box. Max don' wan' no stinkin' box and walks out. Melanie takes the box and says she will give it to him later. Bo grabs it from her, "I'LL give it to him."

Back at Salem hospital, the nurse activates the drip. Frankly, I thought Lucas was active enough already. Kate tells them she wants to be alone. Phillip and active Lucas are hesitant to leave her, but she tries to convinces them. Phillip leaves. Lucas stays. Kate forbids him to stay and reminds him he's working for her now. Lucas gives her a peck on the cheek and goes. Kate stares.

Bo leaves Mr. Berman with Melanie. Berman tells her he didn't reveal everything during the reading of the will, and pulls an envelope out of his pocket.

Lexie packs things up as Abe nukes and then backs off. He says he's proud of her and Theo and assures her Theo will be OK in spite of his crazy mother. Evan comes up, "It appears the photographer is having an equipment malfunction, so you guys can go ahead and drag this fight out until the audience runs out screaming."

Abe points out that all the seats in the audience are already empty. In light of this new development, Abe suggests Lexie take Theo home and he will understand if she doesn't come back.

Lexie whipsaws him and makes a turnaround faster than a Dow Industrials midday correction. She defiantly holds her fist up and says, "We are family and family sticks together. I'm not going to let them get me down. As God is my witness... as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." Salem burns in the background as the Carvers share a family hug.

Chelsea comes in to see Kate and hands her a pendant, "Victor gave me this and I want to pass it on to you. It's a St. Sophia medal."

"I'm not familiar with St. Sophia," says Kate, "Who was she?"

"The patron saint of ho-bags," says Chelsea. She leaves and Kate twiddles the medal.

Berman isn't sure what to do with the letter. Suddenly, Melanie and Mr. Berman are long-time friends. Melanie says, "We go back a long way, so please let me have the letter, Gregory."

Her old buddy Greg gives it to her, "After you're done with this, I want you to do the right thing and share it with the police." Melanie assures him she will. Her old buddy Gregory leaves and Melanie starts to open it. Bo and Hope walk in and Melanie stuffs it into her purse. Bo asks what Melanie and Mr. Berman talked about. Melanie is evasive, "What do you want from me?"

"The letter," says Bo, "Aren't you at least going to tell us what's in it?" No double picture fadeout... no freeze frame... Melanie just gives a nervous chuckle and shrugs.

Deb has updated her map of Salem to include the Horton Cabin island and the bridge leading to it. I wonder, would the bridge to the Horton cabin be the Salem equivalent to the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere?" Anyway, to see the new map: CLICK HERE.

Previews
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