Chapter Ten: Breaking & Entering

Salem, Illinois

Sami peeked in the windows of the patio door; she couldn't see anyone in the rumpus room. She jimmied the lock as quietly as she could, and slipped into the DiMera mansion. While she waited outside in her car, she'd seen Kate leave, but she wasn't sure if Stefano was in or not. It didn't matter to her either, she was going to find something on EJ… he wasn't that careful, he had to have made at least one mistake and she would find it!

As quietly as she could, she moved through the room, and up the stairs. The hallway was dark, and as she passed her old bedroom – every single hair on her body stood on end. A ticker-tape of the night she shot EJ flashed through her mind, first shock at seeing EJ with the gun, and then holding the gun, aiming it, pulling the trigger. She touched the doorknob… she couldn't do it, she stepped away from the room and walked briskly down the hall, as fast as she could away from that room.

She rounded the corner, and stared at EJ's closed bedroom door.

Her hands were shaking as she reached out for EJ's doorknob, she wasn't sure why—he wasn't here! She flung the door open, and stepped into his darkened room. Truth be told, she had no idea what to even look for, but there had to be something.

"Okay EJ, what did you leave me?" She moved toward his bed, pulling the drawer of the nightstand open. Nothing.

She moved to his dresser, and raided the drawers. He'd left random clothes items; of course, he'd just buy whatever he needed once he'd gotten wherever they were going. She opened the closet door, and rummaged through his suits.

The dark gray charcoal suit slipped through her fingers, her hand lingering on the pant leg. These were the best pants he owned, the things they did for his ass! She was shocked he hadn't taken them. She stepped back from the closet, and almost slapped herself, where the hell had that come from?

She moved toward his desk. If there were anything to be found it would have to be in there. She couldn't risk ransacking any other room, just incase the man of the house was home. The last thing she wanted was to deal with him today.

"Come on, EJ, there has to be something?"

She pulled the drawers on the desk; all but the thin middle drawer were unlocked. He'd left nothing in the open drawers; she had to get into the locked one! She didn't have time to find a key, but did find a paperclip that might come in handy. She bent the little silver clip, sliding to the floor so she could pick the lock.

Sami took a deep breath, she was out of practice, but she'd picked hundreds of locks in her day—this should be cake.

After several minutes, and 3 paperclips, Sami had the lock undone. The drawer slid open.

Legal paperwork filled the drawer, EJ, Johnny, and Sydney's passports? "What the hell?"

How could he have left the country without his passport? Oh, d'uh Sami, fake passports. She shook her head; great so no matter where she went, she wouldn't be looking for DiMera… she didn't think he'd be foolish enough to go by Wells… unless he wanted her to find him.

"Jackpot… I think." She whispered.

Sami pulled out three travel brochures, La Paz, Morocco, and Caracas? She didn't even know where Caracas was, and she had to look up where La Paz was. She prayed EJ hadn't taken the kids to Africa. Mr. Trust fund-silver spoon wouldn't have taken their kids to some random 3rd world country… would he? Not that Morocco was really a 3rd world country, but still.

She shoved the travel ads into her purse, and continued her invasion of the drawer. A familiar black velvet box rested in the back of the drawer. Her hands were shaking again, as she reach out and picked it up. She cracked the box open, staring at the glittering ring. EJ really did have exquisite taste. Unwanted feelings swelled within her, memories of his ridiculous-yet utterly romantic proposal brought tears to her eyes.

When she threw the ring back at him, she'd told him he killed everything she'd felt for him, but as per Sami-style, that was a total lie. He didn't kill it, but he hurt her so deeply, and she was so angry.

She used Rafe that night.

As awful as it was to admit it, there was nothing going on there but a desperate attempt to obliterate those feelings for EJ. It hadn't worked. If it had she wouldn't have shot him.

Seeing Rafe with Nicole the night she set the date of their aborted wedding drove her to tell EJ how she felt about him, but she hadn't just made it up, she really did love him. It just allowed her to admit it out loud, and then take it right back. That love pierced her heart at the most inopportune moments, and she'd tried her best to bury it as deep as she could get it. Nothing came out of that love, nothing but hurt and destruction left in their wake, and no matter how much they loved each other, it hadn't been enough… she shot him.

God, EJ must hate her.

She snapped the box closed, and chucked it back into the drawer. Sami had to get this new information back to Uncle Bo, and she'd drive like a bat outta hell to get there!

"We have to get Rafe out of there now, Uncle Bo."

"That's not gonna happen Sami." Bo sighed, "And these don't mean anything. He could have had them for any purpose."

"So you're not even gonna check them out?"

"No, of course we'll look into it." Bo said, "I just don't want you to get your hopes up."

"I need to see my husband."

"You cant."

"What?"

"I said it's not gonna happen."

"Yeah I heard you, but I don't think you heard me." She said shoving the brochures at him again. "I need to see my husband, he'll know what to do with this! That bastard thinks he can just do things without consequences… not while I'm around…"

She ignored the look on Bo's face that reflected the pot/kettle comment. Sami shook the brochures in her hand, but he wouldn't even look at them again.

"We can clear Rafe." She said, "All we have to do is find EJ."

"I think it's gonna take a little more than finding EJ to clear him." Bo scratched his stubble, "You're acting like this indictment is a personal attack on you, Sami."

"EJ set this entire thing up! Of course it's a personal attack!"

"Let me ask you a question and I want the absolute, honest to god truth."

She crossed her fingers behind her back, "Okay."

"When's the last time EJ spent any time with Allie?" Bo asked, "Before taking the kids I mean."

"He hasn't." She said automatically, "Allie is Lucas-" She cleared her throat, "He hasn't spent any time with her since we left that horror show mansion."

"I was afraid you were gonna say that." Bo sighed.

"What?" Sami looked at him, "What does that mean?"

She didn't like the look on her Uncle Bo's face; he almost looks like he was taking EJ's side on this one? What the hell was happening? Had they slipped into an alternate dimension or something?

"Look if you're not gonna help me on this, I'll do it myself!" She yelled.

"Sami please listen. Sit down…" Bo said, "This is very difficult…" He rubbed his face. "I really don't want to be the one telling you this."

"Telling me what? I don't need to sit down, Uncle Bo; you're not listening to me! We can find him with these!"

"Sami, this is more importan—"

"Nothing is more important than finding EJ and clearing Rafe's name." She knew she was screeching, but she couldn't help it.

She knew she was annoying him. That vein in his forehead throbbed and she knew he was about to lose his patience with her, but she didn't care. He was acting like he didn't wanna help Rafe!

He picked up a stack of photos sitting face down on his desk, "I didn't want to have to do this this way but since you won't listen…"

"Do what?" Sami seethed.

Bo slapped the stack of photos down in front of her. Images of her daughter, standing nervously in her little underwear spread out across the desk.

"W-wha-?" Sami sat down in the chair.

"I didn't want you to find out like this." Bo said quietly.

She looked through the photos, Allie in her bedroom, Allie in the living room at the loft, and then it got worse, the kids in the bathtub. It wasn't that unusual to have pictures of your kid's baths, heck her mother had embarrassing photos of her… but these were different…

"Ooh…" Sami croaked, she tried to tell Uncle Bo she was gonna be sick, but she couldn't get it out. She picked up the waste paper basket and used it to catch the bile. But throwing up wasn't enough; she couldn't even describe the feelings rioting through her body.

"Sami, sweetie…" Bo continued very softly, "Forensics has these dated and time-stamped, they pulled it from the computer hard drive… the dates start just after Thanksgiving last year… and they continue all the way up until last month."

Tears streamed. "After…" oh god, right after they had their moving wedding in the woods. "After we got married?"

"Looks that way…"

"Oh god," She clapped a hand over her mouth, EJ must have known all along, was it the real reason he took Allie? "…My baby."

"I really thought the DiMera's somehow planted all this stuff." Bo shook his head. "But this is too much—even for EJ."

Sami sobbed, "What do I do? How do I make this better?"

Bo held out a handkerchief to her, Sami took it, but didn't wipe her tears; she deserved to feel them burn down her face. How could she not have seen this? Rafe wouldn't have done this; he was good, and honest! He wasn't abusive.

"I need to see him." She shuddered, knowing that was probably the worst possible idea at the moment, she'd kick him in the balls and probably beat him to death before he got any kind of explanation out… what kind of explanation could he possibly have for this? None that she could see…

"Can't do it."

"Uncle Bo—"

"He's already on his way to Statesville." Bo sat on his desk across from her. "There's more… but maybe I should wait to tell you?"

"Why? Waiting isn't gonna make it any better."

"The DA is exhuming Emily Hudson's body. It would be helpful if you could give me any information you have on her."

"I don't know anything."

"What?"

"I don't know anything… we tried to talk about it once, after her sister Meredith came looking for him, he made an excuse about her… and when I asked him about it, we just got into a fight and he stormed off."

"So you don't know anything about his former fiancée?"

She shook her head, blowing her noes with the hanky. "I never asked again, I didn't want him to just leave."

"Alright, what about Victor?"

"I already told you, I don't know about Victor."

"What do you know, Sami?" Bo asked, "This is your husband, there has to be something?"

What kind of person was she? She couldn't answer simple questions about her husband's past? She burst into tears again, god, what did she know? Nothing! She knew nothing, and with every new thing that came to light that very painful fact became more obvious.

EJ was the key, he was the answer… she had to find him, and she wouldn't rest until she found the son of a bitch.