At the DiMera mansion, Chad roused Abigail then retrieved a towel from the bathroom while dialing 9-1-1. "I don't see any kind of weapon --" Chad informed the operator while pressing the towel against Abigail's wound. "They had a knife," Abigail revealed. "Who?" Chad wondered -- but Abigail didn't say anything else.
E.J. and Belle were passing through the halls -- and still making out with each other -- when Chad ended the 9-1-1 call and cried out for help in the hope that someone might be within earshot. E.J. and Belle rushed into Chad and Abigail's bedroom to find out what was wrong. Chad begged E.J. and Belle to make sure that Thomas and Charlotte were both okay, fearing that Abigail's attacker might still be in the mansion. E.J. and Belle rushed off -- then E.J. returned a short time later and assured Chad that the kids were fine. "There's no sign of an intruder -- no one saw anything," E.J. added as an ambulance arrived.
Johnny took a box of Sweet Bits goodies over to the Evans-Black townhouse for a planned dinner with Marlena and Susan. "Oh, Sweet Bits -- they are my weakness!" Susan raved. "Seems to run in the family..." Johnny muttered.
Marlena changed the subject, thanking Susan for having arranged for them to have dinner with their mutual grandson. Susan, in turn, thanked Marlena for having agreed to host the gathering. "I figured that you wouldn't want to set foot into that creepy DiMera house -- not with..." Susan began to explain before gasping then trying to backpedal. "What?" Marlena demanded to know. "I just didn't want to force you to bear witness to something that you don't approve of --" Susan continued. "Threats? Blackmail? Bad décor?" Johnny interjected. "Well, those, too...but, no, what I'm speaking of, Dr. Marlena Evans, is -- and you might as well know -- I think there's something going on between my son and your daughter," Susan concluded.
Johnny insisted that E.J. was still in love with Sami -- and Marlena insisted that Belle was still in love with Shawn. "[Belle] is not camping out at Chez DiMera for the ambiance," Susan maintained. "If Mom ever finds out that Aunt Belle likes my dad, I'm not sure either of 'em is gonna make it to their next birthday..." Johnny fretted. "Yeah -- nobody has to be a psychic to know that Sami Brady DiMera would just flip her lid," Susan agreed.
Johnny suggested a change of topic after realizing that Marlena was uncomfortable, prompting Susan to apologize for being insensitive -- then open the box of Sweet Bits goodies. "Cupcakes!" Susan observed. "I just asked Allie to give me an assortment, so..." Johnny responded. "Allie's back at the bakery?" Susan translated. "[And] Chanel pretended like she didn't even see me..." Johnny grumbled. "Oh? I'm sorry!" Susan fretted.
Johnny perked up after getting a sudden burst of inspiration. "Grandma Susan, you're better than a Ouija board, so...why don't you tell me who Chanel's gonna end up with!" Johnny begged. "I don't think it's fair to put Susan on the spot --" Marlena argued. "It's okay -- it's all in good fun...if you get the answer you want..." Susan conceded. Johnny watched with great hope as Susan started trying to divine answers from one of the cupcakes.
After an equipment malfunction, Chanel and Allie closed Sweet Bits then headed over to the Price condominium to finish a large order of cupcakes that needed to be ready by the following morning. Chanel squirmed when Allie made a point of mocking Johnny's earlier visit to the bakery. "It was like he was Little Red Riding Hood, getting goodies for his grandma -- [but] he was totally checking in on us!" Allie summarized. "I didn't notice -- [but] I think he understands that I need time and space to figure out what I want...[and], honestly, Horton, you were just ready to marry Tripp, [so] I think that maybe you need the same thing," Chanel responded.
At the hospital, Kayla and Steve revealed that Tripp was going to be released sometime the following day. Tripp breathed a sigh of relief then seized the opportunity to prepare Steve and Kayla for what would happen afterward. "It'll be a couple months before I'm ready to get back to work, [so] I talked to Stephanie and Joey last night about maybe spending some time with them in Seattle this summer. [I mean], I've been thinking about going out there for a while now, [but] lying in this bed has made me realize that you never really know how much time you actually have, so you have to do the things that really matter to you before it's too late -- [and], for me, that's family," Tripp explained.
Steve and Kayla each admitted that it was going to be hard to say goodbye to Tripp, even if only for a little while, but they both liked the idea of their kids getting to know each other better. Kayla rushed off after receiving an alert about a stabbing victim's imminent arrival, but Steve stuck around to continue chatting with Tripp. "Have you told your mom?" Steve wondered. "No -- I wanted to tell you and Kayla first; I think I'll tell Mom with the car running and my suitcases in the trunk," Tripp responded. "Yeah -- well, good luck with that..." Steve teased.
Tripp summoned Allie and Chanel to the hospital and broke the news to them while Steve was fetching coffee from the cafeteria. "So, let me get this straight -- just when you finally stop hating me, you decide to up and leave town?" Chanel grumbled. "I never hated you! Okay, I strongly disliked you there for a while, but now..." Tripp argued. "You may be the only friend that I've made in Salem that I haven't slept with!" Chanel joked.
Chanel rushed off so Tripp could have some time alone with Allie. "You're leaving because of me, aren't you?" Allie guessed. "No, I'm not leaving because of you, all right? I can't go back to work right now, so I'm gonna go do some things that I never had time to do before," Tripp clarified. "You gonna go somewhere a little calmer than Salem?" Allie wondered. "That place doesn't exist," Tripp joked. "I am gonna miss you more than you know -- and so is Henry," Allie stressed. "I'm just going to Seattle," Tripp reiterated. Allie nodded then gave Tripp a hug.
Kayla found Chad and E.J. near the nurses' station. "I'm sorry, Chad -- we did everything we could, but we lost her," Kayla reported. "Dr. Rolf is gonna fix this --" Chad argued. "She lost too much blood -- Dr. Rolf cannot help her," Kayla clarified.
Marlena and Johnny exchanged looks of confusion when Susan dropped the cupcake with a gasp -- and someone knocked on the townhouse door just then. "Here we go..." Susan fretted as Marlena stood to greet the visitor -- Belle, who was clearly upset about something. "Oh, boy -- this is bad..." Susan divined.
Belle explained that Thomas and Charlotte were outside with their nanny and needed a safe place to stay for a while. Marlena agreed without hesitation then probed for more details, prompting Belle to share the whole story. Johnny rushed off to the hospital afterward -- and Susan shivered, perhaps sensing what was happening there.
When Johnny arrived at the hospital, E.J. shared the news then rushed off to the Evans-Black townhouse to check on Thomas and Charlotte, satisfied that Chad was going to have another family member around for comfort in the meantime. Chanel ran into Johnny a short time later. Johnny seized a hug from Chanel then explained what had happened.
Tripp was still with Allie when Steve returned -- and Kayla arrived a short time later. "The stabbing -- it was Abigail..." Kayla began before breaking down in Steve's arms.
"Why?" Chad cried out between sobs while alone with Abigail in the emergency room.
Leo visited Gwen at Statesville. "I have something to tell you," Leo said. "About what?" Gwen asked. Leo told Gwen that someone had murdered Abigail. "Was it you?" Gwen whispered. "Why would you think I killed Abigail?" Leo asked. Gwen noted that Leo had been in the house. "You sent me there," Leo growled. Leo explained that at the time of the murder, he had been in the tunnels, drinking mimosas and working on a plan for revenge.
"Which did not include me going all Norman Bates!" Leo said. Gwen lowered her voice, and she told Leo that she understood the rage that Leo had to have felt. Leo thought about when he had taken the knife from his breakfast tray and placed it in his bag. Leo shook off the memory, and he stressed that he had not killed Abigail. Gwen leaned forward and stared into Leo's eyes. "Really?" Gwen whispered. "Really," Leo said. Gwen leaned back.
"Sorry. I just had to ask, since you were in her house last night," Gwen said. Gwen asked Leo if he had seen anything at the house. Leo shrugged. When Gwen asked Leo if he had been in Abigail's room, Leo thought about when he had hidden in Abigail's bathroom and watched her work on her computer. "Of course not," Leo lied. Leo asked Gwen if she had killed Abigail.
"You do realize that I am here in prison, don't you? I'm locked up 24 hours a day," Gwen said. Gwen thought about when she had missed bed check the night of Abigail's murder. Leo said he was familiar with the prison security. "But of all the ways Abigail could have died, it happened exactly the way you wanted it to. And you sure did want it to happen," Leo said. Gwen admitted that she had wanted to kill Abigail but that she had not had the means or opportunity.
"Come on. Like people haven't busted out of here?" Leo said. Gwen reminded Leo that she did not have the cash or connections to escape. "If you didn't do it, and I didn't do it, it would appear that somebody else did our dirty work for us," Leo said. Leo noted that Gwen did not appear upset about her sister's death.
"I do feel bad for Jack," Gwen admitted. Gwen asked Leo if he was happy to cross Abigail off his list. "Perhaps I wasn't clear earlier. I wanted revenge against Abigail, badly. But I think what happened to her is horrible. It makes me sick actually," Leo said. Gwen argued that Leo had joked about killing Abigail. "Exactly! I was joking," Leo stressed. With a sigh, Leo announced that he needed to leave. Gwen thanked Leo for telling her about Abigail. "I'm sorry for your loss," Leo whispered.
At the Salem Inn, a hungover Lucas woke up in bed next to an empty bottle of tequila. Lucas remembered that he had taken the bottle from the pub, but he did not remember what had happened after that. "You're weak, and you're pathetic, and you're a complete embarrassment!" Lucas muttered. When Lucas grabbed the bottle to throw it, he yelped in pain.
"What happened to my hand?" Lucas wondered aloud. Lucas stared at a slash across his palm. "Please, God, don't let me have hurt anyone else," Lucas said. Lucas bandaged up his hand, and he walked over to the pub. "Is my mom here?" Lucas asked Roman. Roman noted that Kate had gone to visit Chad. Lucas said he was not up to arguing with Kate about how he had stood her up for dinner.
"You haven't heard," Roman said. "Heard what?" Lucas asked. Roman told Lucas to sit down. "Abigail was murdered last night," Roman said. Lucas broke down and cried. "I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved your niece," Roman said. "Abigail is an angel. What happened to her is unimaginable. It takes me back to losing Will. No parent should ever have to feel that pain," Lucas said. Lucas looked over at the bar and then at his hand. Roman asked about Lucas' injury.
"It's nothing," Lucas said. Lucas asked for an aspirin for his headache. While Roman went to retrieve the aspirin, Lucas thought about his conversation with Kate about Abigail. Lucas gasped, and he looked over at the liquor. "Oh, what did I do?" Lucas muttered.
In the waiting area of the hospital, Steve and Kayla consoled one another over the death of Abigail. "Doesn't seem real," Steve whispered. "She was just here for a physical. She was in perfect health!" Kayla said. Jack and Jennifer exited the elevator. Kayla rushed over to Jennifer and hugged her fiercely. "I'm so sorry," Kayla said. Without a word, Steve hugged Jack.
"We're here for you, whatever you need," Steve said. "Could we see her? I'd like to see my daughter," Jennifer said. Kayla took Jennifer by the hand, and she led Jack and Jennifer down to the morgue. When Kayla pulled back the sheet from Abigail's face, Jennifer cried out in pain. Jennifer regained her composure, and Kayla stepped outside so that Jack and Jennifer could have time alone with their daughter.
Jack held Jennifer as she sobbed. After a moment, Jennifer sat next to Abigail's body. "My sweet child. My firstborn. You look so peaceful. Like you're sleeping. You never slept when you were a baby," Jennifer said. Jennifer smiled as she talked about Abigail as a child.
"You were this tiny little soul. So very fragile and yet so incredibly strong. And you used that strength to fight whatever challenges life threw at you. You faced them. You overcame them with courage and with grace, just like your Grandma Laura," Jennifer said. Jennifer sniffled back tears.
"My extraordinary daughter. Nothing I have done or will ever do will make me as proud as I am to be your mother," Jennifer said. Jennifer looked heavenward, and she asked Laura to take care of Abigail. "I don't know what I'm going to do without her!" Jennifer said. Jennifer cried out again, and she rushed into Jack's arms. As Jennifer sobbed, Jack looked over at his daughter. Jennifer told Jack to go to his daughter. Jack hesitated.
"I don't want to say goodbye," Jack said. "You don't have to. Just whatever is in your heart," Jennifer said. Jack sat next to Abigail's body, and he struggled to find the right words. "My dear, sweet, precious girl. I'm sorry! For so many things, I'm sorry. I know you'd tell me not to, but I can't help it. I am. I'm sorry for never being the father you deserved. For being selfish. For always falling short. I will always regret that. More than anything, I will regret taking you for granted. For assuming we had all the time in the world," Jack said.
As Jack sniffled back tears, he continued, "I was just starting to get the hang of it, you know? Being a good dad. And we were getting closer. And oh, did you make me proud. As a journalist, a mother, a human being. You inspired me. You taught me. In your all-too-short life, you gave me so much. Most of all, you gave me hope. You were my light, Abigail. In my darkest days, the light of your love kept me going and helped me find my way. And now, some cruel dark has taken your light away. I don't know if I'll ever find my way out of this darkness." Jennifer put her arm around Jack to comfort him, and he stroked Abigail's face with his hand.
After Jennifer left the morgue, she went over to the pub with Kayla. Roman gave his condolences to Jennifer. When Jennifer saw Lucas, she started to sob again. Lucas hugged his sister. "I'm so glad to see you," Jennifer said. While Lucas and Jennifer cried in one another's arms, Kayla slipped outside and ran into Steve. "Where's Jack?" Kayla asked. "He had something to take care of. He didn't say," Steve explained.
At Statesville, Gwen sat in the recreation room and thought about her argument with Abigail over the broken mug. "I am going to make you pay for this!" Gwen had screamed at Abigail. Gwen shook off the memory, and she looked at the doorway as Jack entered the room.
Chad returned home to the DiMera mansion, and he imagined that Abigail was sitting in the living room. "I was waiting for you," Abigail said. When Chad stared at the vision of his dead wife, Abigail cocked her head. "You look like you just lost your best friend," Abigail said. "That's because I did," Chad whispered. Overwhelmed, Chad started to cry. The doorbell rang, and Abigail encouraged him to answer the door.
"I'll wait for you," Abigail said. Chad looked toward the door, and when he returned his gaze to the living room, the vision of Abigail was gone. "Abby! Abby, come back, please!" Chad shouted through tears. The doorbell rang again, and Chad reluctantly answered it. "I hate to bother you at a time like this. I'm so sorry for your loss," Rafe said. "I don't want your sympathy, Rafe. I want you to tell me who did this to my wife," Chad countered.
Rafe promised that the police would find the killer. "Did you find the murder weapon?" Chad asked. "Not yet," Rafe said. "Do you have any suspects?" Chad asked. Rafe assured Chad the police had been tracking down leads. "Then what are you doing here?" Chad bellowed. Rafe said he wanted to review the crime scene with Chad. Chad grimaced.
"You can take your time. Whenever you're ready," Rafe said. "If I go up there, is it gonna help you catch the person who did this to my wife and send them straight to hell?" Chad asked. Rafe nodded yes. "Then I'm ready," Chad stammered. When Chad and Rafe arrived at the bedroom door, Chad thought about happier times with Abigail. Rafe took down the crime scene tape and opened the bedroom door.
When confronted with the scene of the crime, Chad thought about when he had found his wife on the bed. The bed was clean. Rafe explained that the crime scene unit had taken the bedding for analysis. "What's in this box?" Rafe asked. Chad noted that the box held cash and jewelry. "It looks like the lock has been tampered with. Was it always that way?" Rafe asked. "No," Chad whispered. Chad opened the box, and it was empty. Rafe asked for a list of the contents.
"Do you think this was a robbery gone wrong?" Chad asked. Rafe noted that other pricey items in the room had been untouched. "Maybe someone just wanted to make it look like a robbery," Rafe noted. "There was so much blood," Chad whispered. "Maybe not all of it was Abigail's," Rafe said. Rafe reminded Chad that Abigail was a fighter and that he believed that Abigail had inflicted wounds on her attacker. Rafe vowed to get justice for Abigail.
"If there is anything you need, call me," Rafe said. With a nod, Rafe walked out. Chad sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, shaking with grief. When Chad noticed the jewelry box was still open, he reached over and slammed it shut.
"Come here my love. Let's make a baby," Abigail said. Chad turned and saw that the vision of Abigail was sitting on the bed. Through tears, Chad smiled at the vision. "We can't," Chad said. "I thought that's what you wanted," Abigail countered. Chad knelt before the vision of Abigail. "I want that so much, but you're gone. I need you to tell me what to do," Chad said. Chad broke down in tears, and he asked Abigail how to tell the children about her death.
Abigail held out her hand for Chad. "Maybe I could just hold you one last time," Chad said through sobs. As Chad reached for Abigail's hand, the vision disappeared. Chad wept as he stroked the place on the bed where the vision of Abigail had been.
Chad wandered downstairs, and the doorbell rang. It was Kate. "I'm so sorry," Kate said. As Kate attempted to hug Chad, he leaned away. "Are you?" Chad asked. "Of course, I'm sorry! I'm heartbroken," Kate said. Chad shushed Kate. Kate asked Chad why he was upset with her. Angry, Chad reminded Kate that she had yelled at him because he had told Abigail the truth about the kidnapping.
"You were scared out of your mind that Abigail was going to share what she knew! Even after I told you that you had nothing to worry about! You said that that wasn't good enough!" Chad yelled. When Chad reminded Kate that she had demanded assurances that Abigail would not tell Sami that Lucas was the kidnapper, Kate gasped.
"Was that too loud? Did you want me to keep my voice down? No one is here! E.J. is at Marlena's with the kids. Tony and Anna are gone. Harold is off, and my wife is dead! Is that good enough for your assurance?" Chad screamed. In tears, Kate stammered, "You think that I killed Abigail to keep her quiet?" Furious, Chad stared at Kate, and he asked her if she had killed Abigail.
"I can't begin to imagine the pain you are going through right now, but I know that you can't possibly believe that I could have anything to do with Abigail's death," Kate said. "I don't think you planned it," Chad countered. Kate asked Chad what he meant. Chad argued that Kate had visited Abigail to warn her to keep quiet about Lucas. "I think things maybe got out of hand a little bit," Chad theorized aloud. Kate stressed that no matter how worried she had been about Lucas, she would not have killed Abigail. Chad noted that Kate had gone to extremes to protect her kids before.
"I know that you're not thinking straight, okay -- I know that. But look at me. Look at me! I would never kill Abigail to keep her quiet, and neither would Lucas," Kate said. "Why would you mention Lucas?" Chad said as he narrowed his eyes.
Outside the DiMera mansion, Leo fished his bag out of a bush on the grounds. "Please still be here," Leo said. When Leo looked in the bag, he pulled out a wad of cash and sighed. Leo rooted through the bag and pulled out Abigail's stolen jewelry. "I'd have preferred an Alamainian emerald, but you'll do just fine," Leo whispered.
At the garage, Tripp told Ava of his plans to spend the summer with Joey and Stephanie. Tripp said he needed time to process everything that had happened to him in the past year. Ava hugged Tripp and said that she didn't know what she would do without him. Ava seemed at a loss for words when Tripp told her that Abigail had been murdered the previous night.
Later, Steve joined Tripp in Horton Town Square for a going-away lunch. Steve raised a bottle of beer to toast to Tripp. "To the best son a man could ever ask for. I'm going to miss you, Tripp. Promise me you'll come back soon," Steve said. Tripp promised he'd come back and raised his glass.
At the Salem Inn in Li Shin's room, Gabi was stunned to receive news alerts about Abigail's death on her phone. A heartbroken Gabi recalled that she and Abigail had once been best friends, and Gabi called Abigail her "ride or die." Gabi remembered that she and Abigail had once teamed up to take Gwen down and that it had felt nice, even though it hadn't worked. Li comforted Gabi as she wept in his arms.
At Statesville Prison, Gwen was surprised to receive a visit from Jack. Gwen asked if there were any suspects in Abigail's murder, and Jack said the police didn't have any leads. Gwen told Jack that Abigail had visited Gwen the previous day. "I guess you could say that our last encounter sealed both of our fates forever," Gwen said.
Jack was confused by Gwen's comment. Gwen said that things had ended badly between her and Abigail and that the two would never have a chance to reconcile. Jack shared his belief that both of his daughters would have gotten past their anger and resentment. Jack then asked why Abigail had visited Gwen. Gwen flashed back to Abigail having purposefully destroyed Gwen's birthday gift to Jack, but Gwen lied and claimed that Gwen had accidentally destroyed the gift herself.
Jack sobbed when he thought of Thomas and Charlotte having to grow up without their mother. Gwen consoled Jack and told him that Abigail knew how lucky she'd been to have a father like Jack. Gwen took Jack by the hand and told him that she was sorry that her father had to go through the loss of Abigail. Jack told Gwen that he needed to find Jennifer, and he got up to leave. Before he left, Jack pleaded with Gwen to take care of herself. Gwen wished Jack a happy birthday, and Jack left.
After Jack left, Ava visited Gwen at Statesville and asked if Gwen had been the one who'd killed Abigail.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad demanded to know if Kate had told Lucas that Abigail had learned that Lucas had kidnapped Sami. Chad said that if Kate had indeed told Lucas, Lucas could be the killer. Kate said she hadn't told Lucas. Chad sobbed and wanted to know who would have done something so horrible to Abigail.
Kate cried with Chad and told him that she had no idea who could have killed Abigail and that her heart was broken for Chad and his children. Chad hugged Kate and apologized for having lashed out at her. Kate assured Chad that he wasn't alone in his grief. Chad recalled the last thing Abigail had said to him: that her killer had had a knife. Chad said the only person he knew who could have done something so awful was Gwen.
Kate told Chad that he needed to let the police do their job and that Chad needed to focus on his children. Chad cried and confessed that he didn't know how he would tell Thomas and Charlotte that their mother was gone. Kate asked if there was anything she could do for Chad and the kids, and Chad promised to let Kate know. Kate told Chad that she loved him.
After Kate left, Jake arrived and offered his condolences to Chad. Jake recalled that Abigail had given him a book to read when Jake had first learned that he was a DiMera. Jake was impressed because Abigail had barely known Jake when she'd given him the book, and he surmised that the book had been Abigail's way of sharing a part of herself. Chad told Jake that he and Abigail had planned to have another baby before Abigail had been murdered. Chad started to sob again, and Jake went to comfort his brother and to put his arm around Chad.
Later, Jake left, and Gabi arrived at the mansion to offer her condolences to Chad. Gabi said that she'd loved Abigail, and she recalled that in the past year, the two had gotten to a better place as friends. Gabi said that whoever had killed Abigail had made a mistake because no one got to mess with Abigail besides Gabi. "We're going to find the son of a bitch who did this, and we're going to make them pay," Gabi told Chad.
At the Brady Pub, Jennifer asked Lucas who would have wanted Abigail dead so much as to attack her in Abigail's own home. Lucas cried and said that Abigail's death was all his fault because he should have kept an eye on Abigail when Jack and Jennifer had been in Boston. Jennifer assured Lucas that he wasn't to blame for anything that had happened to Abigail.
Steve joined Jennifer and Lucas, and he offered to take Jennifer home. Lucas hugged Jennifer and promised to check on her later. On their way out of the pub, Jennifer saw Kate, who offered her condolences and recalled that Abigail had been a wonderful person. Jennifer thanked Kate and left with Steve.
Kate joined Lucas at a table and admitted that Chad had accused Kate of having killed Abigail. Lucas said that Kate would never have done anything to hurt Abigail. Kate said that Lucas was right. "But I can't help thinking. Would you?" Kate asked.
Lucas was hurt by Kate's question, but she said the most important part was that the question had crossed Chad's mind, as well. Lucas fretted, but Kate said that she'd covered for Lucas. Kate then spotted the bandage on Lucas' hand and asked what had happened. Lucas revealed that he had no memory of the previous night because he'd fallen off the wagon and blacked out. "I have no memory of what I did last night," Lucas cried.
Kate asked how Lucas could have done something so stupid after he'd regained his sobriety. Lucas guessed that the cut on his hand could have come from a knife.
"You don't think that you could have..." Kate started. "Killed Abigail? I wish I could say, 'Of course not.' But honestly, I'm not sure," a panicked Lucas confessed.
Due to NBC Sports coverage of the U.S. Open Golf Tournament, Days of our Lives did not air. This was a planned preemption and there were no "lost" episodes as a result of the preemption. Regular programming resumed on Monday, June 20, and picked up where the Wednesday, June 15, episode concluded.
Due to NBC Sports coverage of the U.S. Open Golf Tournament, Days of our Lives did not air. This was a planned preemption and there were no "lost" episodes as a result of the preemption. Regular programming resumed on Monday, June 20, and picked up where the Wednesday, June 15, episode concluded.
