Holly and Ari Are Held Hostage, Prompting Doug to Start Contemplating Desperate Measures

Belle and EJ are reveling in bed together after a night together. They start making out again, then EJ offers to whip up some breakfast for her. He does and brings it back, which Belle loves. They start reflecting on how tough things will get being on opposing sides in the court.

Opposing, EJ says, but wanting the same thing: Getting Johnny off. Belle tells him she does want it, but she’s doing this by the book. She wishes she’d never been put back on the case. It would’ve been better with an ADA taking the case. If Johnny goes free, everyone will think she pulled her punches and let him go.

EJ shrugs off her concerns, saying everyone knows she’s got integrity. Besides, with all the new evidence, there’s enough reasonable doubt to drop the charges against him. Belle’s aghast. Drop the charges?? If he’s not exonerated in a courtroom, this will hang over his head forever. She then accuses EJ of manipulating and seducing her to get Johnny off and storms out of the bedroom.

Brady and Kristen Are Both Relieved

Kristen drops by Brady’s, where he tells her the good news: There’s a new suspect in EJ’s shooting, which is good for Rachel. But it’s Chanel. Kristen’s relieved that the charges would get dropped and Rachel won’t have to testify against Johnny.

Brady points out that this is no-win for Johnny either way. He either did it, or his wife did. Kristen figures Chanel deserves whatever’s coming his way, if she was about to let Johnny take the fall for her crime.

Brady points out that Kristen would readily do what Chanel did if it meant protecting someone she loves. Maybe, but she wouldn’t let the man she loves take the fall for it. Either way, she’s glad this could mean Rachel getting off the hook. Especially after EJ tried coercing her into getting Rachel to lie on the stand.

Brady Tries Calming Tate Down

Tate, meanwhile, nervously checks his phone as he waits for Holly at the lake. He tries calling Holly, but just gets voicemail.

Brady wants to storm out and yell at EJ, but Kristen stops her, saying her brother’s so desperate to save his son, he’s dangerous. Brady agrees to drop it for now, but then Tate gets home, much to Brady’s surprise.

Kristen takes the chance to slip out, and Tate tells his dad Holly never showed up, nor has he heard from her by phone or text. He worries that maybe she had a change of heart and doesn’t want to get back together.

Brady convinces him that’s just paranoia, then encourages him to reach out to anyone who could know where she is. Tate knows just the person.

Will Chanel and Johnny Figure Out Who Shot EJ?

Johnny’s on the phone, telling Philip that a personal emergency popped up and he can’t make it into work. Chanel walks slowly into the living, marveling how he can act like everything’s normal when their world is falling apart. Everyone’s going to think one of them shot EJ.

Johnny doesn’t care, though. They both know they’re innocent, so they need to figure out who did shoot his dad. Johnny doesn’t trust the police. They aren’t interested in other suspects. He believes in Chanel. And if she did anything like that, she’d never let him take the fall for it.

They start listing through suspects: Gabi, Ava, Aunt Kristen. He goes to get paper to take notes and sees that Chanel took out Sweet Bits as collateral for his bond. He hates that she did that; she could lose the business.

Chanel says that she had to so he knows she supports him 100 percent. Otherwise they could’ve asked either of their parents. Johnny calms down and they hug, telling each other they love each other. He just wishes he hadn’t kept anything from Chanel, like wanting to kill his dad. Plus, his anger affected her, too.

Can Ari and Holly Escape Their Kidnapper?

The thug throws Ari and Holly in a room at gunpoint, telling that once a “mutual friend” coughs up money, they can go home. If he doesn’t have it, though… things are going to get “complicated.” But no, they won’t necessarily die if their friend doesn’t come through. Instead, he’ll just ransom them from their families.

He leaves and tells the panicking girls to behave. They don’t, of course, trying to force the door. It doesn’t budge, so they take a breather, at which point Holly apologizes to Ari, saying this is all her fault because of the guy she was trying to help. Weird, because Ari was hooking up with someone like that, too. They compare notes and realize they both know Doug.

Holly then lays out how she knows Doug — they didn’t sleep together, and she’s glad now since she’s back with Tate. Ari’s ticked at Doug, though, for getting them in this mess. She feels like a fool. And like Doug was only with her because he couldn’t be with Holly.

They both know Doug doesn’t have money, though. But Ari hopes he’s resourceful enough to fix this. They try again to figure out a way out, then Holly mentions her dropped ring in the alley. That could give folks a lead to find them, and Tate could spread the word that they’re missing.

Doug Tries Getting the Necklace

Doug’s dressed up as a waiter, complete with tray of food and knocks on Gwen’s hotel room door. When she doesn’t answer, he tries letting himself in — just as Gwen gets back! He eyes up her necklace as he makes up an excuse about mixing up her room service, then runs off.

Gwen heads in, then comes back out, while Doug hides behind a corner and watches, frustrated that she’s still got the necklace on. He heads over to the pub, sees the thug, then grabs him and screams at him to let the girls go.

He will. When Doug’s got the money. But Doug doesn’t have the cash. He’s got one more day. Sunup tomorrow or that’s it. And if anything happens to the girls, it’s on Doug. And no cops.

Gwen Has News for Kristen

Gwen saunters into the DiMera house, where she and Kristen happily greet each other. Gwen fills Kristen in on how she got Dimitri’s inheritance and is now, “stinking, filthy rich.” Kristen’s delighted, but wants to know why she’s slumming it in Salem now.

Gwen adores this “charming little backwater.” And so long as Dimitri doesn’t resurface and divorce her, she’s still a von Leuschner and a DiMera. Which is why she’s there. To move in.

In the Show’s Final Moments

Chanel asks Johnny to just hold her for a bit, and they embrace. They both wish they could just forget about everyone and everything but themselves.

Doug walks morosely behind the bar at the pub and pours himself a drink, eying up the register. He doesn’t get far before Tate walks in and calls him over to talk about Holly. Doug plays dumb and says he has no idea where she is, and hasn’t heard from her.

Kristen chuckles at Gwen, double checking that she wants to live here. It’s a bit tense lately — more so than usual. That’s when Belle storms down and grabs her purse, then runs out past EJ as he tries talking to her. EJ spots Gwen, at that point, shocked. And even more shocked when she says how much fun it’ll be when they live together.