Better A Scarlet Letter Than A Black Armband

We pan in to Sami standing and brooding inside the french doors to the DiMera mansion rumpus room. She tells Rafe she just can't stop thinking about Sydney, "She's out there all alone and scared." Rafe tells her they are still checking out the pier and that's all the news he has. Sami demands Rafe pull his men out of the operation.

EJ, meanwhile, stands in the foyer and wonders why Anna isn't responding to his messages.

Back at the hideout, we pan up from Sydney, who is babysitting herself. Anna's forgotten phone sits on a table and rings.

Bo is at the pub talking on his phone about the Syd-napping. God forbid he should actually go to work. Melanie walks in and Bo flashes back to Carly telling him Melanie hates her. Bo goes over and sits with her, "We need to talk." Translation: I need to talk. You need to listen.

Phillip arrives at the hospital. Apparently, Carly has summoned him. She says she wants to apologize.

Vivian finds Hope in the Kiriakis den. Hope remarks that this is pretty early for Vivian to be up. "The early bird catches the worm," chirps the early bird, "And speaking of worms, there is a wicked night-crawler with a secret, but Carly's secret will not be a secret for long, if Maggie hears about it."

Rafe says he can't call his dogs off as EJ walks in, "What's going on?" Sami 'splains. EJ flashes back to lecturing Anna about his next move. "I agree with Samantha," says EJ, " Get your men out."

Rafe gets a call, "That doesn't surprise me."

Hope asks if Vivian knows Carly's secret. Vivian says the big secret is that Carly had her sights set on Bo before she came to Salem.

Rafe announces that it's a woman at the pier, "She's going for the money. They might have found Sydney's kidnapper, but, frankly, the odds are better that they found Jimmy Hoffa." Bipolar Sami flips from depressive to manic in an instant.

Down at the pier, a gloved hand reaches for the bag-o-bucks. Whatever happened to "The Glove" anyway? Oh, well. I digress.

Phillip tells Carly she should apologize to Hope. Carly wants to talk about Melanie instead. She tells him Melanie changed her mind about getting back into the nursing program. She wants Phillip to tell her she can rejoin at any time. Phillip asks her to stay out of their lives, "You're sleeping with Bo. Are you proud of yourself? Did you finally get the brass ring you've been planning to get for years. Bo told me you came back to Salem for him."

Bo tells Melanie she has people who care in her corner. He reels off a few names and when he gets to 'Carly' that sets off the time bomb sitting across from him.

Hope wonders just how Carly was pursuing Bo, "Was she calling? Texting? Emailing?" Vivian says the details are vague.

"Or non existent," says Hope, "You make it sound like Bo was her contingency plan if things didn't work out with Lawrence."

"Well," says Vivian, "I'd put 'a knife in the gut' under the heading of 'not working out.' So, that's what happened. I'm sorry... I've upset you."

"No," says Hope, "I'm not buying it. That is not her secret."

"Denial is not just a river in Egypt."

"Keep your theories to yourself," says Hope. She huffs off.

Chad is at the Java Café with Gabi. He asks her to change her mind and go to Vancouver with the group. Mia watches. Gabi contemplates.

Rafe continues to give the play-by-play. He says the stakeout team has arrested the woman and he's headed to the station. George and Gracie follow.

Bo sells Carly to Melanie. Melanie isn't buying, "All I know about her is she offed her husband and stole Hope's. I don't need her. Goodbye." She leaves. Bo sits there and soaks in the fallout from the conversation.

Phillip tells Carly everything Bo said about her long-term plans to get back together with him. Hell hath no fury like a woman lied about. Carly storms off.

Chad has gone back to work and Mia asks Gabi if she's changing her mind about the trip, "I'm worried about you. I know you like Chad, but he asked you to go with him just to make me jealous. Gabi insists she's wrong. "I'm not wrong," insists Mia, "I know Chad. He could sell life insurance to a green gecko." Gabi says she thinks it's Mia who is trying to make Chad jealous by using Will.

Larry, Moe and Curly Sue have arrived at the cop ship. Sami does her usual job of freaking out. Rafe tells them the woman's name is Marian O'Brien, "But she denies she had anything to do with the kidnapping. She says she was just curious about the briefcase. He wants Sami to take a look at Miss Marian to see if she knows her.

Meanwhile, Bo is back at his house on the phone getting the skinny on the O'Brien woman. His conversation is interrupted by a knock at the door. He goes over and opens it. At this point he moves from interruption to eruption. He finds Carly standing there armed for bear, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?"

Justin walks with Phillip after the board meeting at the hospital. He babbles board business, but Phillip is distant. He tells Justin he's worried that Carly is destroying Bo and Hope's marriage, "Does anyone in this family have a shot at a happy marriage?"

"Yes," says Justin, "But anyone who happens to be marrying Melanie doesn't."

Mia is with Will telling him she's going to all his cross country matches. Cross country is a great spectator sport if you happen to own a helicopter.

Gabi announces she talked to her parents and she can go to the (PRODUCT PLACEMENT ALERT!) Olympics with Chad. Mia watches and stews.

EJ makes another call and gripes about Anna not answering. Sami walks up and asks what he's doing. He says checking his messages. Rafe comes out and takes Sami over to the blinds so she can see Marian and possibly identify her. For dramatic effect, they sslloowwllyy open the blinds. Sami peers in, "Oh, no."

We have a commercial break so we can let those gripping words soak in.

"I know her," gasps Sami. Time passes... ,

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
Until Sami can say...
"I've seen her at the pier in passing." Rafe asks EJ if he knows her. He looks in and says he's never seen her before.

Anna arrives back at the hideout. She notices she's forgotten her phone, picks it up and finds all the messages.

Kinzie and T-Man walk into the Java Café. Chad announces Gabi is coming and they all welcome her aboard the fools' parade. Kinzie takes Gabi to the ladies room to talk about clothes. Chad tells T-Man Mia is history.

Bo tells Carly why he said what he said, "It's better they think you came to town after me than to find your daughter."

Carly snaps, "So you don't care that you're making me out to be the homewrecker of the year."

"Wear it proudly, Princess," says Bo, "Better a scarlet letter than a black armband. The important thing is that you and your daughter are safe."

Just to add to the fun, Hope shows up. She sees Carly there and things get icy. Hope starts in on Bo, "Why didn't you tell me that Carly came back here for you."

"I'm sorry," whines Bo.

"So," snorts Hope, "You don't deny it... either of you. I didn't think things could get worse. Now I know she's been on your mind all these years and our marriage has been a complete lie. All of it."

Rafe announces Ms. O'Brien is in a holding cell, "She claims she was in Houston when the Syd-napping took place. EJ says he thinks they are wasting time. He blows up and claims the FBI has made a mess of things. Of course, he blames Rafe.

Anna texts EJ and says everything is OK on their end.

Phillip sits in the pub. Melanie walks in and joins him. He wonders why she was looking around when she came in and she tells him, "I was worried you were Bo. He strapped me to a chair turned on the bright lights and questioned me. He wants his mistress to be my friend. I don't get it."

"Maybe she wants you to like her for Bo's sake," says Phillip.

"I'm not a fan of Bo and Hope after they accused me of killing my dad," says Melanie.

Carly tries to defend Bo. Bo says he's sorry Vivian felt compelled to do blab.

Hope looks down at his hand, "You took your wedding ring off. Was that before or after you slept with her? You SOB!". As she storms out, Hope picks up a vase and throws it onto the floor. It shatters. Oh! The metaphor!

Hope staggers into the Kiriakis mansion den. Justin comes in under the pretense that he's delivering something. When he sees Hope, he senses something is wrong. Such insight! Hope rants, "Carly never stopped loving Bo. She came back to Salem to get him... CENSORED.

The four teens chat. Kinzie spies a friend outside and runs out to tell her where she is going and make her jealous. T-Man offers his opinion, "She lives to make others jealous." Gabi says she is just thrilled for the opportunity. Mia watches as Gabi talks about wanting to be a figure skater when she was younger.

"I wanted to be a swimmer," says Chad.

Mia shouts over, "I don't know about you, but your swimmers seem to be Olympic caliber."

Will brings Mia cookies. She suddenly remembers she has to go get her science book, "I'm happy we're back together." She kisses him and leaves. Chad watches.

Sami goes apoplectic as a cop announces there is no new information on the Syd-napping, She shrieks at EJ, "What if they found out about the stakeout? What if they are going to hurt her?"

"We need hope and faith," says EJ, "and earplugs."

Rafe comes out and announces the O'Brien story checks out. That tosses a cherry bomb into Sami's toilet, "What happens now?"

"We have to let Marian go."

Sami stops bouncing off the walls long enough to say, "Let's just hope they don't know the FBI is involved."

Justin hugs and comforts. Hope bawls. "Tell me what I can do," says Justin. How can I make this go away." He moves in and plants a big one.

Hope backs off, "I'm not ready."

"I understand," says Justin, "But Bo doesn't deserve you."

"I don't want to hurt you," says Hope.

"If you care for someone," says Justin, "you don't worry about being hurt. Or about how schlocky the dialogue gets."

Hope looks into his eyes, "Thank you for being here..."

(say it with both of them)

Justin finishes the sentence, "...for you."

Bo gets a call and they give him the word on the O'Brien woman. Carly brings coffee. Bo says he wishes he were more involved in solving the kidnapping. Carly apologizes for what happened with Hope.

"She made her bed," says Bo, "Now she has to lie in it. With Justin." He leaves.

Melanie babbles and says she has a favor to ask. Phillip, like most males, understands when he's about to get hit with a female Howitzer. Melanie says she's decided she wants a bigger wedding. Vivian picks that moment to walk up, "Oh how mahvelous. Let me help. We'll get to know each other." She begs Phillip to let her help, "You're just like the daughter I never had."

"I thought you said I was your son," says Phillip.

Chad's shift is over. The foursome heads out. They bump into Will. Chad says, "Too bad you're not going to Vancouver. Hope you don't feel left out."

"I'd rather spend time with Mia."

Mia visit's Grace's grave, "I'm sure your dad would miss you if he had gotten to know you. I guess he's not thinking about you or me. He likes this other girl. I thought I was over him. I know I'm a terrible person because I like Will, too. It's not fair to them. I want them both but I can't lose another person in my life."

EJ gets Anna's text. He texts back, "Good news. Everything going according to plan."

Anna gets the message.

Sami goes to the darkside. Rafe sits beside her. "The waiting is the worst," says Sami.

A member of the audience leans over to her neighbor, "She's wrong... the watching is the worst."

Rafe says in most cases the kidnappers wait to go for the money, "They do that because it screws with the parents minds."

"That would be working if Sydney's parents had minds," says Sami.

An officer brings a fax. Sami grabs it and reads it to Rafe, "You brought in the feds. You will never see Sydney again." Look out, world... Sami Brady is gonna blow...

NOTE – you can now follow Prevuze on twitter at: http://twitter.com/prevuze Prevuze II has a video of the daily show previews, which should be available by noon (EST) on any given day. To see Prevuze II: CLICK HERE