DiMera Mansion
Being engrossed in what was happening further up the drive, up at the front door of the mansion, Sami practically had a heart attack when a hand slid over her shoulder. She spun about and found herself face to face with EJ.
"What the hell…"
She didn't get any further because his hand was suddenly covering her mouth.
With her heart pounding and angry at his presumption, she shoved him backwards, away from her. "Don't touch me!" she yelled without thinking.
"If you keep that up, chances are I'll never have to entertain the possibility again darling, because my father will know you're out here."
He sounded pretty ticked off himself, and it made her glance up somewhat nervously to meet his gaze. It was dark, due to the diminishing light from the sunset. In fact, his eyes and the stare he aimed at her was nearly black, burnished like two stones.
And his attitude set off her temper once again. He could be ticked all he wanted but not just at the moment, or at least not until she had Sydney back.
"I took care of that," she told him with a dose of bravado.
"Oh yes, you sold out Baker and when Stefano is finished with him, just who do you think he'll come looking for?"
"The man who hired the SOB, of course."
That caught EJ's attention finally. "But Stefano hired him…" His voice trailed off as Sami shook her head and her smile widened with delight.
"EJ, you're really slipping lately, you know that?"
His cold eyes gleamed down at her. "I'm tired, Samantha, and after the day I've had," he said, his words enunciated in a clipped tone, "I haven't the inclination or stamina for these games you so enjoy at my expense."
The reminder of what he'd already lost in the last few hours struck Sami and her face fell. "Ah….yeah, Anna told me about Tony." She reached out tentatively with a hand and took a step towards him. "I'm sorry."
EJ remained rooted, his expression still set. "Are you really?"
"Yes, of course I am, but…"
The word hung between them for a long drawn out second.
"But I…or rather Father and I pushed him to it. Is that what you were going to say?"
Sami frowned at him, unsure as she had no idea if he were already aware of Anna and Lexie's plan, and deciding this wasn't exactly the time for getting into it, turned away to see what was happening at the front entrance.
"What are you doing here, Samantha?"
Taking a deep breath, she told him. "Picking up my daughter, and taking her home where she belongs."
"You mean, my daughter."
"No, I mean my…" she stopped, feeling his eyes burning a hole in her backside and miserably she though about how she'd dreaded this day, and worse, all the times Lucas had told her it was inevitable. "Our daughter." The words came out in a whisper.
When he didn't say anything, she turned around to look at him and realized quickly there was a tear running down his face. "He was right," EJ murmured, more to himself than for her benefit.
"Who?"
She found his eyes boring into hers the moment the word left her mouth, but he didn't answer her and she quickly forgot as they heard the front door slam shut and both of them watched the new butler make his way to Baker's SUV. He climbed in on the driver's side. Soon, the running lights came on and after allowing it to idle for a minute, he steered the vehicle out around the garden towards the garage.
Once the glow from the lights vanished, EJ spoke up. "You said that Baker is working for someone else?"
Sami was surprised. The question didn't even sound demanding and for a moment, she ignored her reservations. "We found a text on his phone from Victor."
EJ didn't react to the information she shared at first. He was too busy putting all the pieces together…all the bits of conversation and warnings…about Nicole…things he'd learned when working on her divorce case and then the events just before and after his father returned. Suddenly Nicole was pregnant, even though it was impossible and after only a single encounter while stuck in that damned elevator.
And fool, that he was, he'd played right into their hands.
God, how often had he learned the same bloody lesson. When it came to his father, coincidence was nothing more than an illusion, though to be honest, he'd not simply forgotten. Tony was right. Part of him wanted to prove to Samantha she was wrong and he was more than willing to push aside so much of what he'd seen happening over the last several months to gain the upper hand….and shove it in her face, even if that meant allowing himself to be manipulated shamelessly by his father…
He'd never felt like such a helpless puppet, reacting to each tug of the string the way he did now and he had the sick feeling that it wasn't all Stefano's doing either.
There were still the suspicions that occurred to him earlier after listening to Nicole's excuses. Victor would never allow Nicole off the hook for trying to murder him and it appeared that even if he'd made a deal with Stefano, the elder Kiriakis had no intention of living up to it…or worse, Victor and Stefano had cooked this whole thing up so that they could both get what they wanted out of the deal. Stefano would have control of his son, and Nicole would get her just desserts.
And hearing that Baker worked for Victor as well as Stefano…just who the hell did Nicole's baby belong to? Was it really his? And had the miscarriage been a quirk of fate, or just as likely, had she been poisoned? Despite what he knew of them, he had rather a difficult time laying the crime at either man's door, but Andre…now there was a devil literally capable of any monstrosity.
"EJ."
He glanced over to find Samantha watching him with a mixture of concern and bewilderment.
"What did the text say," he asked her.
"Oh…well, i...it was kind of vague. I think Baker was supposed to deliver someone to Victor but there were no names included…"
"Of course not."
"…just the letters m, and b."
"And you," he waved a hand in her direction and indicated the bulk of the house looming behind her, "came tagging along with the doctor because you suspected him of what?"
"I came with him because he said he'd give me Sydney."
"But you didn't trust him."
"Someone working for Victor and Stefano? Hell no!"
A flicker of a smile played at the edge of his mouth but he'd not gotten the answer he was looking for. "Again, you suspect him of what exactly?"
Sami tried not to squirm beneath the measuring stare he aimed in her direction. "Look, it doesn't matter what his designs at this point because Stefano will take care of him…"
"Unless Baker is working for both of them because they've orchestrated this…" he scowled, "nightmare we're caught in the middle of… arranged it together."
That wasn't what Sami wanted to hear, and she scrambled to find any reason that would make it untrue. "Absolutely not, Victor is a cold blooded bastard but helping Stefano after what Andre did to his family?"
"If it was in his interest…and it provided him the opportunity to teach Nicole a lesson, I believe Victor would climb in bed with anyone, even Andre. As you say, he is one, cold blooded bastard."
"You mean, the way Stefano has been doing to punish those of you who left him in the coma," said Sami after hesitating and thinking about what EJ was suggesting.
"Exactly."
She wasn't looking at him and he could see that something was still bothering her.
"I came here to help you, Samantha."
Even in the lingering gloom, he could see she was uncomfortable with the sound of that. "I don't need your help."
"Yes you do."
"Maybe, but I still don't want it and if I get stuck, I have someone I trust who isn't going to run off and do Stefano's bidding." Her sarcasm made him snap back,
"Rafe?"
She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. "Yes."
Though it hurt to hear her confirm that Rafe had taken the place he'd hungered for, not to mention that earlier today, he would have taken great satisfaction in announcing to her that Rafe had landed himself in hot water, he swallowed the retort he was just itching to throw in her face. Whatever the man's motives, or obvious dislike of EJ, he'd sent the warning about Stefano and his plans. And what if Tony was right and he was dead now because of it?
And there was the other unpleasant fact. If not for Rafe, both Samantha and his daughter would be dead…because of Stefano…and because EJ had allowed his own pride to take precedence over everything else in his life.
"I know...I deserve that," he said in a halting tone that carried none of his usual smooth assurance. Instead it was forced out of him, raw with humiliation.
Sami narrowed her eyes.
"And you don't believe me."
"No…" She stopped, her confusion back and finally after an awkward silence she realized he wasn't going to break, she admitted. "I thought you'd be furious with me for lying to you…that you'd…"
"I'd behave like my father."
Sami's glance darted to meet his and then away.
"I won't lie to you," he told her, "and say I'm not feeling as though you betrayed me but…" He sucked in a deep breath suddenly and covered his eyes. There was just too much to discuss here and explain and they didn't have time for this right now. They needed to get Sydney, get her out of that house. Leaving Sami even more confused, he walked quickly to his car and grabbed the gun he kept in the glove compartment. He checked the clip as he carried it back and when he reached her side again, held it out to her, handle first.
She stared at it and then smiled nervously. "W…what is that for?"
"You know how to get in, at the back of the house and Sydney's room is the one that used to be yours last year, up on the second floor. And I want you to take this."
"You're not coming with me?"
He shook his head. "Someone needs to keep Stefano occupied and thanks to the events of the day, that shouldn't be exceedingly difficult."
"Why are you doing this?"
"We don't have time to go over this again…"
"No EJ, if you expect me to trust you, especially around Stefano, I need…you've been working for the man for heaven's sake. You've had Johnny and Sydney living in the same house with him for months and now all of the sudden you're asking me to believe you see him as a threat again? Frankly, the back and forth here is making me dizzy."
"I know," he admitted, a gleam of embarrassment in his eyes, "But I…" he had to stop and take a deep breath to get the rest out. "I was wrong."
Despite how lost he sounded as the last word left his lips, Sami couldn't stop herself from sticking it to him for all the times he'd insisted that her fears were nothing more than prejudice.
"And what brought on this convenient epiphany?
"Convenient?" he snapped hearing the sarcasm, and then with effort reined in his tempter. "My brother is dead, Samantha."
The sliver of Tony's face visible back at the mortuary flashed in her mind. "I know. I've already dealt with this once this evening, thanks to your ever so charming sister-in-law…"
"Where is she by the way?"
"Anna?"
"Yes, Anna," he repeated, a hint of sarcasm returning.
Sami couldn't help glancing at him with a combination of suspicion and worry.
"I thought you already knew but she's at the mortuary with Tony's body."
"I see."
He didn't elaborate and Sami suddenly wanted to hit him. Why as he pretending this way? Anna must have said something to him about what was going on or at least mentioned it when she called him and then it hit her that he'd not been at home and he'd not been with Anna and Lexie, and since Tony's body wasn't at the hospital any longer, he'd probably not been there either. So where had he gone off to?
"What's going on?'" she asked, not sure how else to draw him out without taking the time to explain everything Anna told her.
EJ just shook his head, his look still guarded and instantly she realized he was aware Stefano had something to do with all of this. "You know something about what happened to Tony, something the police don't…"
Instead of responding, he held the gun out, gesturing for her to take it.
"You're scaring me, EJ."
"I realize that I haven't the right any longer to expect your trust," he acknowledged. "I've screwed up your life sufficiently as it is and I imagine you'd rather have Rafe here, but I…well, all I can do is offer my services."
"And what about the rest of Stefano's army of thugs?"
"There's only my father tonight, and Baker who doesn't seem to be going anywhere, and...Harold."
"The new butler?"
"The new ISA butler," said EJ, inclining his head. "Yes."
Sami's eyes widened.
"And I'm sure he'll be there to help you as much as possible." This time instead of just offering her the gun, he reached for her hand and laid the piece flat on her palm. "Now, go get our daughter, and take her home where she belongs."
He cradled her hand with the gun between both of his larger ones and when he went to pull away, instinctively, she grabbed onto his fingers and squeezed them.
They stayed that way only a few moments but she felt something pass between them, a connection she'd been so certain was severed…finished. Before she could say anything though, EJ collected himself and walked back to his car. She stood, following his every movement as he gracefully lowered his frame into the posh leather seat, fit his key to the ignition so that the gas guzzling engine she'd teased him about when they were married, roared to life. She didn't want him to go. She ought to prevent this before he did something foolish like accuse Stefano. The old man wasn't about to simply allow EJ to ruin all his plans. But by now he'd gunned the engine once and inched his way out from the curb to make an arc around her and then veered into the driveway. He was facing forward, looking where he was going instead of in her direction.
Too late.
She looked down at the gun in her hand.
"How the hell do you get yourself into these situations? " she muttered, not sure who she was more disgusted with at the moment, herself or EJ. Peering over the hedge, she waited until he parked his car and disappeared inside the mansion. Sticking the gun in her pocket, she hurried down the driveway, her heart pounding as she made it past the black sports car and then sprinted into the garden and towards the service entrance at the back of the house.
"Father?"
The foyer was deserted as EJ came through the front door. He found the living area beyond the double doors the same and so he'd called up the stairs, to no answer. He considered checking the kitchen but the idea was to keep the old man busy, not call attention to the person breaking in and so he turned, intending to check his Father's room but at that moment the door down the hallway opened and Stefano appeared, in his robe, though it was still early.
"Ah, Elvis. I was beginning to worry about you, my boy. Where did you run off to at such a time when I needed you here to talk. This is a time for family."
EJ blinked. What the hell was he doing…thinking he could keep himself under control and play along with this sadistic game his Father wallowed in. "I thought you'd take a walk when you got home, since you missed it earlier. That you'd need some time to yourself."
"A walk?" Stefano did appear confused but EJ swore he heard an undercurrent of amusement.
"Yes. You've grown rather fond of the orchard this winter, and never seem to miss a single day. I assumed it was providing you…" EJ shrugged, "peace or comfort of some kind." With that he patted his father's arm and went to go pour himself a drink. He needed something to get him through this charade.
"And where have you been?" asked Stefano
The question hovered amid the stillness of the room and EJ had to swallow the desire burning in his gut to let loose.
"I needed some time alone after…" he choked back the words that immediately came to mind. "to think."
"About Philip's behavior?"
EJ had picked up the drink he'd poured to take a sip but the minute Stefano brought up Philip's name, he slammed the glass back down on the bar. "NO."
"Oh my god, please tell me, my son that you are not simply going to accept what Nicole has said. It was no accident, what happened to your brother."
"Well, we agree on something at least, Father."
He could practically feel Stefano's consternation but he didn't turn around to reassure him as he wasn't all that sure he could pull it off.
Adding soda to his whiskey, he savored the burn has it slipped down his throat and then took it and walked over to the French doors. The light was fading quickly now. Where was Sami? Upstairs yet? He caught himself before checking his watch and tried to breathe evenly to calm the pounding in his chest. Making the old man suspicious wouldn't do. It was time to play the dutiful son and if that required trashing Philip and his fiancé, EJ had few qualms he could make that convincing enough.
"I see that you're feeling guilty too."
EJ whipped around to face Stefano. "Excuse me?"
"About the unfortunate argument this morning with Tony. The accusations and…" His voice trailed off and EJ couldn't help raising an eyebrow as he watched a tear roll down his father's cheek. "I blame myself."
The man's gall was truly unmitigated. "You."
"I'm afraid I ignored your brother's weaknesses," continued Stefano sadly, "and once again it led to his ruination as has been the case so often in the past."
Despite the trouble he was having swallowing this load of bull, EJ's interest was piqued. His father's forays into family history were few and far between and even then, he'd never discussed Tony's past with EJ, at least not since the day in Andre's hospital room, except to toss out snide comments just as Tony did, and EJ hadn't pried. It was easier to imagine the fault was partly Tony's as long as it all remained unspoken.
But the last couple of hours had changed all that. His conversation with Tony had shaken EJ to his core and called into question everything he'd once believed in.
He studied his father's expression and not surprisingly found it sincere. "What weakness are you talking about?"
"Oh Elvis, surely you've seen the symptoms."
"I'm not digging around here for a lesson in psychology Father, I want to know what it is the two of you have refused to talk about all these years that would make him do something such as this. To turn on us…turn on the family."
"I realize it was my fault you didn't know your brother."
EJ pursed his lips but said nothing.
"But that was for your benefit, my son."
"And yours?"
The look Stefano shot at him now was sharp. "Why would you say such a thing?"
"Well, I wasn't even twinkle in your eye, as it were and besides, last summer, neither you nor he made any pretenses. The contempt was thick enough to choke anyone in the vicinity as it has from the moment he returned back home, so again," EJ reiterated, "why?"
The demanding tone in EJ's tone didn't seem to faze Stefano and he didn't answer his son immediately, debating perhaps on how to spin the relationship and his actions for which there were no excuses except in his own head and so when the answer came, it shocked EJ.
"Because he is the reason this family was nearly torn apart."
"Tony?" EJ didn't even bother to hide his amusement.
"You think me an old doddering fool whose memory is failing…"
"No, of course not, Father."
"But it was your brother who defied my wishes and pursued his sister no matter how I pleaded with him, even after Renee was married and if it wasn't for his behavior, she would still be with us. We would be whole. A family…trusting and protecting each other. He destroyed that, Elvis and I could not allow him to further pollute the rest of us with his inability to control himself."
"Control his obsession."
Stefano nodded.
"And how much of that did he learn from you, I wonder?" EJ had glanced down to stare into his glass as he listened to Stefano's indictment of Tony, but now he faced the old man squarely.
"Be careful Elvis," warned Stefano, his voice deepening to a rumble.
"I may unaware of what transpired with Tony but I learned about Marlena and your feelings for her on your knee as a child."
"My feelings for Marlena hurt no one in the family."
"Oh? I wonder if that is how Andre, Kristen and Peter would feel if they were here to speak for themselves."
Stefano's hand was swift and the sound of it slapping EJ's face rang in the younger man's ears but instead of giving him pause, it only served to sharpen the edge of his temper.
"Obsession is the gift you've bestowed on all of your children, Father and you can hardly blame us for being attentive students. To turn around and punish any of us for…"
But he didn't get any further when a blood-curdling scream ripped into him.
"Oh god...Samantha..."
"Where the hell is that damn butler," she muttered to herself. The interior of the mansion was dim and silent as a mausoleum, which wasn't exactly the analogy she needed to be concentrating on at the moment. She fingered the gun in her pocket nervously. It felt bulky and weighed down her jacket on one side so that she was certain if anyone saw her, they'd know what it was she was carrying around.
Maybe she ought to call Rafe.
Oh really, Sami. How pathetic can you be? Just go up the damn stairs and she'll be there waiting in her room, and then you walk back out. It's simple.
This is the DiMera mansion, the other part of her brain reminded her. NOTHING that went on around here was simple or upfront or any other adjective she could think of that provided comfort.
Hesitating and trying to calm her nerves, she waited one more minute but no one appeared out of the kitchen or from down the hall and with a deep breath to steel herself, she went in search of the back stairwell the servants used. Without any mishaps, she made it to the second floor and the hallway that led to the room where she'd slept when she was living here. It felt as though it was ages ago, not just a few months and then she stopped in her tracks. She'd reached a door that was cracked open. Light streamed out and she knew it was Stefano's.
She listened for the strain of a soprano or tenor or just an orchestra perhaps this evening to ease his conscious...if he really had one, which Sami doubted. Thankfully, she heard nothing.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she hurried to the door where she'd find her daughter and saw that it too was open partially, but dark.
She didn't want to frighten Sydney by turning on the lights, so she gingerly pulled her keys from her pocket and switched on the tiny flash she kept on the ring. Despite its size, it was bright and she pushed the door in further and searched the black interior to locate the crib, which was over near the center of the room. She could easily make out the sleeping form beneath her blanket. That was all it took…just the sight of her baby and the need to verify she really was okay. Without wasting another moment, Sami rushed in, the light still aimed at the crib and before she'd gone more a few steps she tripped over a mound of something soft but substantial and immovable on the floor. Instinctively, she brought the light down.
And screamed in horror.
Staring up at her was a pair of lifeless eyes…belonging to Rafe.