12

Mixed Messages

Summary for Sunday, May 14: Marlena learns more about Samantha, Roman tries to track Stormy but isn’t getting anywhere with anybody, Stormy finally gets his haircut, and Bronksi finds a reason.

Marlena sits in the back office of NDPG. She buzzes the front to ask Julie a question, but gets no response. She remembers that Julie had off today. Marlena’s answering machine is blinking. There’s a message from Abe. He sounds like he’s in a tunnel and she can barely understand him. Abe says he’s going out of town for a while but he wanted to tell her that he arrested Kiki the other day. Kiki claims to have some important information about Samantha. Marlena says that Samantha is in Colorado. Abe says he did some digging and found out that Samantha left her parents a couple weeks ago. Apparently she got in touch with some of her old contacts. He guesses she was helping Kiki expand out west. Marlena asks, “Drugs?” Abe says he’s sending what he has to Roman. He’ll fill her in. That’s where the message ends. Marlena is furious. She says she has to tell Don right away. There may be retribution.

Stormy steps into the bathroom. He runs his hand through his hair and is taken aback. He moves in and looks in the mirror. A perfect cut. He pulls a notepad from his pocket and draws a line through the word haircut.

At the Cheatin' Heart, a man steps back from the bar and waves lazily as he leaves. Faith clears the bar and wipes it down. She works the register and pulls out the day’s receipts. She looks up as Roman enters. Roman remarks how she's full term and still behind the bar. She asks if he wouldn't mind locking the door quickly before somebody wanders in after hours to criticize her. Roman apologizes and locks the door. He says he didn’t mean it like that and sits at the bar. Faith asks Roman what he really thinks about maternity leave. Roman mentions Adrienne’s generous offer to give her some time off. Faith stops cleaning up and looks Roman in the eye. "What do you want Roman?" Roman says that this may not be the best time to bring it up, but he's trying to track down Stormy. Faith asks why Roman would come to her with this. Roman says she told him something in confidence and - Faith interrupts to Roman to remind him what confidential means. Roman blurts it out, "Abe left me a cryptic phone message on his way to god knows where. For all I know he’s halfway to dead by now. I think he went wherever he went chasing the man who is the father of your unborn son. I need to know... if you know... where Stormy may have run off to." Faith tells him to get out. The bar is closed.

Bronksi flips through the channels. He tells Daniel he needs to know what's happening with Nicole. Daniel tells him it must be the weekend. Bronski doesn't understand how time stops for two days. “Are we supposed to just wait around for Monday? What am I supposed to do?” Daniel says it's been that way since the beginning. Bronski asks what beginning. Daniel says since 1965 or so. Besides, Nicole and Eric are probably still wasting time hanging around Xander’s villa. They won’t escape for at least another week. Bronski says that’s ridiculous.

Roman drives through the dark. He talks to no one in particular. "What are you up to Abe?" Caroline calls Abe on his mobile unit. He thanks her for calling him back. He doesn't know how Stormy might be involved in the case but thinks that Abe might have followed him. Roman adds that Abe may be travelling with Stormy's Receptionist. Caroline doesn’t have any information. She says Stormy had been pushing her away, he’d been pushing a lot of people away, as he got sick. Abe didn’t know that Stormy was sick. Caroline says he was and he wasn’t.

Two people flounder in the water off the coast of the Island. They pull off scuba masks. It’s Abe and the Receptionist. Abe asks the Receptionist how they’re doing. He tells them not to work so hard, to breathe easy, that they’re almost there. Abe puts on his mask and submerges. The Receptionist says, “You can do this,” pulls down the mask, and dips below the surface.

Marlena slams the phone down on the receiver and yells, “Where’s Don when I need him???” Probably still down at campaign headquarters, she guesses. She glances at a newspaper on her desk. There’s a picture of Don with the headline, “Another Bad Week for Craig.” This senate run has been hard on them both, especially with the Ledger running this damned smear campaign. Marlena throws it into the trash and says, “Whoever said all press is good press never met Jack Deveraux.” She grabs her things and walks out the front door. She bumps into Roman who was just about to knock. “Oh hi, Doc.” Roman’s face turns red. “I mean, um, Miss Evans. Sorry - Mrs. Craig!” Marlena smiles. “Marlena is fine.” Roman smiles and then gets serious. “Marlena, we need to talk… It’s Samantha.” Marlena says she knows. Abe tipped her off. It’s the drugs again. Roman looks surprised. “Drugs? No no, it’s much worse than that.”

Marlena and Roman sit in the Plaza. Roman looks over his shoulder every few seconds. Marlena says if he’s that impatient they could have had the drinks in the club. Doug isn’t the fastest server. Roman says no it’s not that, but yes there are lots of things Doug could improve upon. The service is just a drop in the bucket. Doug overhears this exchange as he walks over with their drinks. He hands Marlena hers and says, “One latte for the lady.” Marlena is overly gracious and makes a big show of how good the drink is. Roman rolls his eyes. Doug turns to Roman, still holding his coffee. He opens the lid and pours it on the ground in front of Roman. “And a few more drops for that bucket.” Doug hands Roman the empty cup and walks off. Roman sighs and says that was a little dramatic. Marlena shrugs and says, “Doug’s a performer - very sensitive.” Roman says those showbiz types usually are.

At the cabin, Daniel makes grilled cheese sandwiches in the kitchen. Bronksi has commandeered the kitchen table and has it covered with papers. He stops writing to ask Daniel about Nicole and Eric’s history. Daniels says he'll try to start from the beginning. First you should know that Eric is Marlena’s son. Bronski’s eyes get big. Eric’s interest in Nicole starts just after he convinces his stalker Jed to admit to the crime of which Eric had been accused. At this time Eric is a photographer for Countess Wilhelmina Cosmetics and he tries to get Nicole hired as a model. They start dating. Nicole has a rough past and isn’t sure anyone can really accept her. She pushes Eric away. And Eric is busy with his sister Sami’s upcoming murder trial so Nicole isn’t the first thing on his mind anyway. So Nicole feels a little neglected by Eric and starts seeing Lucas. Eventually they marry. Eric is seeing this older woman. I forget her name. But she realizes Eric won’t get over Nicole and I think around then Eric leaves town. Bronski asks why he leaves. Daniel says he doesn't know but before he goes he tells Nicole he loves her. Eric is gone for ten, maybe more, years. He was in Colorado, and in the Congo, probably some other places starting with the letter ‘C.’ When Eric comes back he is a priest and when the church needs a receptionist guess who he hires? That’s right. Then... Eric and Nicole are kidnapped by Stefano, it had something to do with his daughter Kristen. They are trapped and think they’re going to die and admit their love for each other. Shortly after they are saved, Eric has to go on sabbatical to be reinstated to the priesthood for the illicit, and it turned out later, fake, relationship with Kristen. Eric accused Nicole of many things when she was trying to help him, but she did hide the proof of what really happened between Eric and Kristen. Nicole is confused about Eric leaving and he tells Nicole he needs to do this to know if he can be the husband she deserves. When Eric is offered readmission to the priesthood he turns it down because he still cannot forgive Nicole. He returns home and works as a PR photographer for the hospital. Bronksi is enraptured. Eric fights with Nicole. He still can’t forgive her. So, there’s this thing with Serena, Eric’s ex, and Xander. Anyway, Eric saves Nicole from Xander and they hide in a heating duct or a boiler room. They make up and kiss and I think Nicole passes out. They get rescued. Then at the hospital Nicole tells Eric the kiss was a mistake and she’s in love with Daniel. When Eric’s former girlfriend Serena is killed he starts drinking more. On New Year's Eve he drives drunk and hits Brady, Jennifer and Daniel’s car and Daniel is killed. Brady almost dies too but he gets Daniel’s heart. Bronksi jumps in, “And now Brady is with Nicole and his heart, which is Daniel’s heart, is failing.” Daniel says that pretty much gets us to today. Eric of course went away to prison for a bit. He started to get involved with Jennifer. They connected because they are both addicts. But now he’s gone off to Greece to save Nicole and Holly. Bronksi asks whose baby Holly is. Daniel says Daniel.

Marlena and Roman pick up the Samantha convo again. Roman’s got a man in Colorado. Samantha is sick. She’s in the organ trade. Black market stuff. She’s coming after Marlena for her kidney. Roman’s been assigned to protect her and he’s not leaving her side until Samantha has been apprehended. Marlena thinks that’s a little extreme. Besides she already has Don’s detail with her at all times and there are at least half a dozen men at the house. Roman glances at a man behind him, then another behind the bushes over by the jewelry store. Roman looks Marlena in the eye. He says he just wants her to be safe. Marlena appreciates that and says she’s never doubted his commitment in that regard. But, there are more than enough men in her life right now.

Abe pulls the Receptionist through the shallow waves. He tells them he’s got them. To hold onto him. Abe picks up the Receptionist and sets them on the sand and removes their mask and tank. The Receptionist says they didn’t think they would make it, that they thought they would drown. Abe tells them to “Take it easy. We’re here.” Abe scans the coast. “Wherever here is.” The Receptionist slowly raises their hand up to Abe and whispers, “Contra mundum.” Abe grits his teeth. He slaps the Receptionist’s hand and grips it tight. “Contra mundum.”