Chapter 35: We Could Be Honest – Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016

Silence. Withholding the truth is still a lie. It's all a lie.

"Your guest has arrived."

EJ sat inside his office at DiMera Enterprises. Placing his phone down, he directed his secretary to, "Send her in."

Soon after, Barb Reiber entered and carefully shook EJ's hand while casing the place. "This building is definitely less of a nightmare than the mansion, but I'm still spooked because of the DiMera connection."

Surprised she was there alone, EJ questioned, "Where is the rest of your family?"

Barb continued to take in her surroundings. "I told JT to explore Salem for a bit. I'd rather him stay away from the DiMera family even if Stefano is dead."

EJ decided not to comment on the possibility that his father could still be alive in a different body. "And your husband?"

Figuring she had examined every corner that surrounded her, Barb finally gave EJ her full attention. "Glen decided to stay home with our other son. JT and me are it. Does Lexie know JT and I are in town?"

EJ reflected over the history between Glen, Barb, Stefano, Lexie, Bo, Hope, Zack, and JT, but he didn't want to dwell on Stefano's ability to influence Lexie's character in the past. His sister almost lost everything. "She does, but her focus is on her son."

Barb smirked at EJ as she mentally commented that it was good Lexie had her own son to concern over. "I have the information you asked for."

"I appreciate that," EJ released as he watched Barb pull out a small piece of folded paper from her purse.

Before she handed it over, Barb shared, "Rolf has tried to contact us numerous times and sends money since JT is his great-nephew through his niece, Marlo. I've only talked to him once, and that was to tell him to back off… but Rolf has kept at it." Keeping a tight grasp on the piece of paper, she added, "By giving you Rolf's information, you have to promise not to pull JT back into this."

With a nod, EJ affirmed, "JT will not be pulled into this, but I may need your help still. That is why I asked you to fly out here."

"What do you need?" Barb nervously questioned.

EJ cleared his throat and explained, "Rolf may not give me answers, and I may need to use JT as a pawn."

Before EJ could finish, Barb interjected, "I don't like the sound of that. I'm not giving you anything if JT is pulled into more trouble. You just heard what I said, right?"

To assure Barb, EJ placed his arms out in a way to show he wasn't a threat. "I promise JT will not be pulled into anything physically. I simply need you two to be in the vicinity to make it seem like I have access to you."

Barb still felt uneasy about this. "I don't know if I can trust this game you're playing. Are you more powerful than Stefano? At least Rolf didn't doubt his authority. Can you say he at least respects yours?"

EJ knew what Barb was asking, but he had something else he wanted to clarify with her. "My father and I are different people. I am not selfish like my father. This is not for personal gain." This was about safety.

Recognizing that EJ, unlike Stefano, had an actual soul, Barb finally handed the unfolded paper to EJ. "Here." After EJ thanked her, she shared, "You don't have to worry about me and JT during Thanksgiving. I have made other plans in Salem."

After Barb left, EJ immediately dialed the number she provided. When a familiar voice answered, EJ revealed, "It's EJ, and I have one quick question. My second-cousin, Alessandro DiMera, is claiming to be my father, Stefano."

Rolf released a chuckle. "Ah… yes. I've been waiting on your call. It's true, EJ. Your father, the Stefano DiMera, now resides in Alessandro's body. He is alive."

(*)*(*)*(*)

With The Chill closed for the holiday, Josh set out to leave his place to get rid of the packages. When he was about to grab the door knob, he suddenly heard his wife scream in pain from another room. Rushing through their loft, he found Abby sitting on their bed; her phone was on the floor next to her feet. "Abby, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Is something wrong?"

Abby was inconsolable and couldn't give any answers as to why she had screamed and was now crying her eyes out. She was devastated; she didn't want Josh to know her tears and agony were due to the news she just received about Ian. Ian was dead. It didn't make sense. This didn't seem real.

Josh continued to ask her questions but recognized she wasn't in a place where she could speak. He remained by her side and tried to help her calm her breathing, but nothing seemed to work. Since Abby wasn't giving him anything, he debated dialing 911 in case there was something wrong with the baby. "I'll call 911."

When Josh reached for her phone, Abby swiftly reacted by grabbing his shoulder to stop him. She feared he would see the news she was crying over and question her.

Josh believed Abby didn't want him to call the paramedics and felt lost on what to do. "Tell me what to do. I want to help you."

Pulling Josh close, Abby finally spoke. "I only want you!"

Josh held her as she continued to cry. He wished he knew what was wrong and felt bad for allowing himself to be so distracted by the packages at The Chill. He had to do better.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Brady stood inside his office at Titan contemplating packing everything up and leaving. He turned around when he heard a small knock at the door. "Come in."

Belle entered and noticed her brother was mulling over something important. Trying her best to hide her anxiety, she shared, "I want to check in with you about Thanksgiving. The plan is lunch at the pub."

Rolling his eyes, Brady gave his sister an impatient look. "You know I can't go because Kristen isn't welcome."

"What are you going to do then?"

Obviously frustrated about everything, Brady released, "I'll figure out something. I can't go to the pub, and I can't stay at my grandfather's. I'm not even sure if I should stay with Titan."

Belle couldn't believe Brady was thinking about giving up. She turned her back to her brother while she encouraged, "Keep fighting for Titan. Prove you're committed by showing you're not leaving for any reason."

Releasing a sigh to allow the tension to escape his body, Brady replied, "Thanks for trying, but I'm not sure if this is where I belong anymore."

Belle sighed as well, but it had the opposite effect. Her body was tense. She hated this.

In Victor's office, Ezra was there to talk to Victor about Titan. He didn't understand why Victor asked him to attend Eric's art show only to avoid him the entire night. He needed to test him about Delphi and his grandparents. "Are we actually talking today?"

Though he was stone-faced, Victor softened his tone as best he could. "My condolences on your loss."

Though he acknowledged the respectful comments concerning his mother's death, Ezra asked Victor straight out, "Do you truly feel bad for my mother's death? I think we need to be honest about a few things."

Appreciating this side of Ezra, Victor affirmed, "We can be honest." He didn't see any reason to answer Ezra's question about Delphi because he figured they both already knew the answer.

Moving on, Ezra asked, "Do you truly believe I am capable of running Titan?"

"Do you believe you are capable?"

"I can't do it alone," Ezra answered honestly. "I need someone to teach me and guide me through this."

Victor replied, "You have me for the time being, and besides it's only temporary… a jumping-off point for your political career. Since we're being honest, you should know you will never actually run Titan because after I'm gone, someone else will be taking charge."

Right on time, Belle entered the office wanting to talk to Victor. She was surprised to see Ezra there though. "I was told I should come in. I didn't know you were meeting with someone."

"I gave the direction to let you in as soon as you came," Victor explained. "Belle, this is Ezra Blake-Lee, someone I have hired on to shadow me before retirement. Ezra, this is Belle Brady. She will be the one standing next to you as the CEO of Titan once I have retired."

Belle was thrown by this information and didn't want to let Victor get away with anything. "How do you know I plan to accept your offer?"

Victor leaned back in his chair and claimed, "I make it a point to know these things."

"I need to talk to you about my brother," Belle stated. She hoped Ezra would leave.

"We can have that conversation another time," Victor promised. "Today is not the day unfortunately. I need to show Ezra around."

Feeling uneasy, Belle responded, "I will talk to you about Brady soon. I won't drop this."

Victor nodded and agreed. "I don't expect you will."

(*)*(*)*(*)

With school out for Thanksgiving break, Ciara, Theo, Milena, and a few others were hanging at Salem Place; they were shopping for her party this weekend. As she began to delegate what everyone's role was to prepare for the party, she noted Theo seemed out of place; he had been that way since they arrived. "Everyone knows what they're doing, right?"

"What about you and Theo?" Milena questioned. She didn't like how Theo was distracting Ciara from more important things.

Ciara tried to make eye contact with Theo, but he was elsewhere still. "Carver and I are looking at banners. I'm not sure if I want one for this party or not."

"I hope you decide on not… unless you plan to let it fall into the heated pool," Stanley stated.

Clapping her hands together, Ciara didn't want to continue this. "We don't have much time to do this. We will meet back here in thirty minutes to check on progress."

After everyone disbursed, Ciara relaxed because she could check in with Theo now that they were alone. "You didn't show up at lunch yesterday."

Theo remembered how he had a vision when he was about to join Ciara and the others for lunch. "I had a meeting with Mrs. Willow," he claimed.

"I know," Ciara started, "…but you made it sound like you were only checking in about something and would be in the cafeteria after." Theo didn't respond, so Ciara moved on, "You have to help me with my party this weekend, and I want you to be my date for the charity dance."

Date. Theo swallowed hard at the thought as he only grew more nervous. He continued to struggle with his gift knowing the vision he had yesterday was related to Ian's murder the night before – he saw everything. Stepping backwards, he managed to sit on the bench behind him as a new vision tried to come through.

Concerned, Ciara recognized the look on Theo's face. "Everything okay?"

"You should join the others," Theo directed. "I need to head home."

Ciara didn't want Theo to leave and tried to keep him there by saying, "I'm still waiting for an answer about the party and the dance."

Theo was trying to fight the vision the best he could. "I have a lot… of catching up to do, but I will try to make time for you, your party, and the dance."

Ciara could tell Theo was fighting something and didn't want to push him too much. The last thing she wanted was for him to end up at the hospital once more. "I will check in with you later. I'll come to you and help if I have to."

Theo pulled his phone out and began to compose a message. He looked up to Ciara and said, "I will talk to you later. I already sent a text to my mom."

Ciara hesitated for a moment to study Theo's body language before walking away.

With Ciara gone, Theo gave in and didn't fight the vision any longer. His eyes rolled back as his surroundings turned into complete darkness. He could hear a woman screaming in pain.

Closing his eyes, Theo eventually stood up and decided, "I need to see Pastor Carlson." He headed for the church with his phone still in his hand. He walked by JT, who was checking out a few of the shops.

(*)*(*)*(*)

At the hospital, Sonny sat across from Joselyn and Nathan in a conference-like room. He tried to focus on his breathing after Joselyn and Nathan explained why they had come to their decision.

Nathan didn't want their conversation to end like this because he knew what this meant to Sonny, his friend. "Do you have any questions or is there anything you'd like to say?"

Sonny didn't want to say anything at first, but he noted this wasn't something Nathan wanted to do. He looked to his friend and Joselyn and honestly asked, "Am I going crazy because the evidence is damning, but I don't remember any of it?"

Glancing at Nathan, Joselyn knew they got the sense that Sonny wasn't lying. She returned her attention to Sonny and encouraged, "Continue with your therapy sessions with Diego."

"The hospital will continue to pay for them," Nathan quickly added.

Confused, Sonny questioned, "How is that possible since I am no longer an employee of the hospital?"

Nathan simply replied, "Don't worry about that."

Joselyn knew Nathan was paying for the sessions himself; he didn't want Sonny to know that. Moving forward, she questioned, "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

Outside the room, Dario, Justin, Adrienne, Will, and Chad were hoping to hear good news from Sonny. Turning to the others, Dario asked, "Did you get a good read from Nathan and Joselyn when they called Sonny inside?"

"I saw a small smile from Nathan," Adrienne pointed out. "I hope that means it's good news."

Will saw the smile differently because he knew Nathan well. He decided not to verbally say anything fearing it would only make everyone worry more.

Finally, Sonny exited the room causing everyone to stand up. Justin went in first. "What happened, Sonny?"

With an emotionless tone, Sonny announced, "I no longer work for the hospital."

Stepping in front of everyone, Dario questioned, "How? I'll talk to Nathan and Joselyn and clear this up."

"No," Sonny stopped Dario from doing anything. "They have evidence that I stole the prescription drugs. Cameron is the one who came forward with it, so it must be true." This felt like a dream Sonny wished he could wake up from.

As everyone was shocked by what Sonny shared, Dario shook his head; he did not want to believe this. He didn't understand how Sonny could just walk away from his dream like this.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Meanwhile, in the Salem Park, Jade was glad she didn't have school because it gave her time to follow Peter around. She stopped walking when she realized the eldest Blake sibling was meeting with her brother's oldest sister. "What is this?" she muttered to herself. Jade feared spotting Peter and Renee together could get in the way of her plan to connect with Renée to annoy Sami. She hoped they weren't in cahoots.

As Jade carefully and quietly moved closer to get a better listen, Renée informed Peter, "We need to find a safer place to meet because the park is too public. Sure, this willow tree is as huge as the biggest stone in Salem, but anyone could sneak up on us."

Peter wasn't too concerned about privacy because he was still distracted. "I will do better next time, but I have to admit I was surprised when you reached out to me." With Kristen working solo and Ezra at Titan, Peter knew he needed allies more than ever. He wished he knew what to do with his son; he figured confronting him about aligning himself with Victor would only push Ezra away.

Rubbing her cheek under her left eye, Renée shared, "I have thought about your offer, and I believe we can help each other… of course, it all depends on what your endgame is. What do you want, Peter Blake?"

Peter began to reflect on how much had changed since Delphi's death. He wasn't sure of his answer anymore. "I want to find my place and not lose it. I will win and never lose again." His thoughts returned to Ezra; he added, "I hope there is still time to salvage my relationship with my son."

Renée found herself wanting the same things as Peter since she and Marco were currently not speaking. "I am moving into the DiMera mansion to see if EJ will give me what is rightfully mine."

"What are you going to do if he doesn't?" Peter asked as he studied Renée. He wondered if she could know anything about his biological father.

Without hesitation, Renée answered, "I will get rid of EJ and everyone else who stands in my way."

Hiding behind a dark bush, Jade covered her mouth in shock as she questioned what to do with this new information. She wasn't keen on talking to her brother about this until she had more solid information. She feared telling him prematurely would push him to send her back to London for continuing to follow Peter around.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Ready to fight for Sonny, Dario found Cameron in his office. His disappointment showed through the anger in his voice. "How could you do this to Sonny? Sonny didn't take those drugs. Someone else drugged him!"

With obvious remorse on his face, Cameron replied, "I only stated what I know happened. Sonny asked me to fill those prescriptions for his patients, but those patients never got their medication. The medication was found in Sonny's system, and apparently he had taken them for a while."

"Where are the rest of the pills then?" Dario questioned expecting Cameron had no answer to give. "There is no evidence in our home!" He shook his head and stepped up to his second-cousin. "You are a damn liar. I will find out why you're lying!" He exclaimed before pushing Cameron against the wall.

Chad rushed inside and stopped Dario from doing anything else. "Come on, Dario."

Dusting himself off, Cameron adjusted the collar of his blue button-up showing he was upset but tried to understand where Dario was coming from. "I did nothing wrong. If Sonny didn't do this himself, then someone smart is pulling all the right strings to make Sonny look guilty – someone wants Sonny out at the hospital."

Dario took a deep breath before turning to Chad. "Is this how we find out if Alessandro is connected?"

Cutting in, Cameron wondered, "Why would Alessandro want Sonny to lose his job? What would he gain?"

Chad shrugged his shoulders before suggesting, "Maybe someone else could be responsible."

While Justin and Adrienne tried to fight the hospital's decision, Will comforted Sonny in his office. "Your parents won't let this go. You shouldn't either."

Sonny struggled with being so hopeful. "Everything happens for a reason."

To challenge his friend, Will questioned, "How are you just accepting this? It doesn't make sense."

Rubbing his head with both hands, Sonny admitted, "I think I'm losing it because they have evidence that I did something wrong, but I don't remember doing it."

"You're not crazy," Will declared. "Sure, you've been through a lot recently, but there's no way you would forget taking pills or prescribing your patients medications they didn't need."

"How is it possible then?"

Will noted Sonny was really frustrated and confused about everything and saw it as a good sign that he wasn't just accepting this. "If Stefano was alive, he'd be who I'd point my finger to."

Sonny shook his head and considered who would do this, and it only gave him a headache. None of this made sense, and he just wanted to give up and take it. Instead of entertaining the possibilities, he repeated, "Everything happens for a reason."

After calling ahead, Theo caught up with Pastor Carlson, who was visiting church members at the hospital. "Pastor…"

Pastor Carlson smiled when he saw Theo and greeted him with a firm handshake. "How is your recovery going?"

"Great," Theo simply offered. He didn't want to talk about that. "I have a question for you. Have you talked to the man who helped me before? I'm unable to contact him at the moment."

Pastor Carlson shook his head. "I have not talked to my friend," he replied before placing his hand on Theo's shoulder. "I can pray over you," he offered.

Taking a step back, Theo responded with urgency, "I need to find him or my grandmother." A woman's scream suddenly sounded in Theo's head causing him to close his eyes due to the piercing pain in his ears. Once his eyes were shut, he saw his grandmother's face. Celeste was in pain.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Before Philip could enter his apartment, Mimi managed to stop him by placing her hand on the blue streaked door. Noting the impatient expression upon his face, she released, "I know you can't get Tyler out of your head. I saw the way you watched him at Eric's art show."

With a heavy sigh, Philip admitted, "I wish I never gave him up. I just don't know if I have the time or energy at this point to try to be in my son's life now." He thought about his mother and how much he missed her.

Mimi didn't let up. "The both of us have made mistakes when it comes to Tyler. I found out what happened to my dad and was dealing with that, and now you're dealing with your mother's death. We can't let anything keep us from our son."

Hearing Mimi, Philip remembered how Kate encouraged him when he told her what he wanted to accomplish in his life. He thought about how he had given up on what he wanted to do professionally to help Lucas and realized he didn't have to give up on Tyler. Sighing again, he decided, "Okay. I will help you get our son back."

Mimi clasped her hands before giving Philip a hug. "Thank you!"

Philip returned the hug for a short time before asking, "What did you say to Tyler's adoptive parents at the art show?"

Mimi beamed as she shared, "I told them they have a great kid. I didn't want to say anything that could come back and hurt me."

Philip sighed. "Good."

(*)*(*)*(*)

Kristen sat in her car and peered into the rearview mirror. Looking deep into her own eyes, she studied the fear she found inside them. "It can't end this way. It can't."

After a couple of minutes, Kristen got out of her car and headed into Java Café hoping some caffeine therapy would help calm her nerves and fears. Spotting her mom sitting at a table, she realized a different opportunity had presented itself. "Mom, do you have a moment?"

Rachel was caught off guard because she didn't expect any distractions. "I… I am not sure if this is the place to talk." She studied the crowd around them. She already felt paranoid.

Kristen placed her hands on her hips as she reminded the mayor, "Everyone knows you're my mother, so you don't have to pretend we don't know each other."

Wrapping her fingers around her coffee cup, Rachel didn't want to have this conversation here. "What is it you want to discuss? Is it your brother again?" She stood and headed out of the coffee shop.

Kristen followed her mom and wondered where they were headed. "Not exactly. Thanksgiving is coming and I… I wonder if you have plans."

The mayor wasn't sure if she believed this was about the holiday. "I plan to keep busy at the office. What is it that you truly want to discuss? Does this have anything to do with why you approached me before Charles revealed my identity?"

Kristen remembered her previous attempt to connect with her mother. "I understand we don't have that familial connection a mother and daughter should have, but I hope there is a way we can try because there's so much I want to talk to you about."

Rachel reflected on how she pushed Peter away during his attempts to connect. She hated to admit it to herself, but she saw Peter and Kristen as distractions from what she wanted to focus on in life. "What's so important to discuss that you'd come to me?"

Her mother's question bothered Kristen so much. She hated that this was what she had to work with. "Love. I want… no I need to talk to you about this because I do remember moments when I felt love from you growing up. I remember it before we thought you died in those tunnels. Why is it too late now?"

Maddalena and Stefano entered Rachel's mind. She wanted to divorce herself from anything connected to those two. "We can talk," she caved somewhat. "What about love? Is this about Brady Black?"

Finding a nearby bench, Kristen sat down and hoped her mother would do the same. Once Rachel followed suit, she shared, "Yes, but it's really about me and what I am doing. There's so much I desire in my life right now. I want love. I want power. I want vengeance. I want to rise above all of this, but it seems, at times, I can't have everything. I look at Brady, and I see his smile, but I also see his pain. He's not happy having this disconnection with his family. I think he'll be okay because I have lived that disconnection, but then I realize it's not okay. That's not love. I don't want him to be unhappy, but what if his happiness gets in the way of what I want?"

The mayor remained quiet for close to a minute because she had to take in what her daughter had shared. "You have said a lot," she acknowledged. "It seems you have to decide what matters here. If it's Brady being happy, then allow that. If what you want is more important, go that route. I do see a third option for you to have both. You can focus on what you want and let Brady go so he can be happy with his family."

Kristen shook her head because Rachel didn't understand. "I want Brady. He makes me happy."

"But it sounds like you want or need more than Brady," Rachel pointed out before adding, "…and it also seems Brady needs more than you."

Her mother's last statement hit Kristen hard. She didn't want to hear this. She wasn't ready. Standing, she stated, "I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. I appreciate your time."

The mayor watched as Kristen walked away. She turned her attention to her aging hands and mentally wondered, "Can I save anyone? Will anyone listen to me?"

(*)*(*)*(*)

Hope and Bo entered the Brady Pub and found Barb sitting alone waiting for them. With huge smiles on their faces, they greeted her warmly when she stood up. Studying her surroundings, Hope wondered, "Where is JT? I want to see how much he's grown in person!"

Barb placed her hands in the pockets of her coat as she raised her eyes. "JT is on his way. I'm hoping he didn't find trouble."

Hope waved her hand to the side and assured, "I'm sure he's fine. I'm glad you called us to let us know you were coming through town."

Curious, Bo questioned, "What business do you have in Salem?"

Barb took a seat; Bo and Hope followed suit. "EJ DiMera reached out because he wants to talk to Rolf. Something about needing answers about Stefano's death."

Hope's right eyebrow rose. "Stefano's death will probably remain a mystery no matter what."

With a sigh of relief, Barb admitted, "I feel safer knowing that bastard is no longer roaming the streets."

Bo and Hope exchanged a look as they thought about the hangings in Salem.

Before Barb could question the glance they exchanged, Bo received a text from Chelsea. She wanted him to know she made it to Paris okay and already checked in with her mom. Glancing up from his phone, Bo shared, "Chelsea says Happy Thanksgiving."

JT walked up in time to hear Bo mention Chelsea. Hearing her name seemed to disappoint him as he responded, "I hope I don't have to run into her while I'm here. I'd rather faceplant into a stone wall than see her again."

Hope and Bo immediately stood up and greeted JT with hugs while also commenting on how grown he was now. Choosing not to respond on JT's understandable issues with Chelsea, Hope focused more on how JT looked less like a kid these days. Her eyes began to water as she thought about how Zack would be the same age.

When they all took a seat again, Barb leaned intrusively into JT and asked, "Where did you go?"

JT adjusted his black cap on his head before answering, "I went to Salem Place to see if much has changed. I miss my bike."

Bo leaned against the table clearly interested. "Are you talking about the motorcycle I've seen you riding around in pictures?" After JT confirmed it with a proud nod, Bo offered, "Maybe you can take my old bike for a spin."

With a huge smile on his face, JT appreciatively replied, "That would be awesome." His smile faded as he shared, "I want to visit Zack's grave, but I'm not sure I'm up for it."

Hope exhaled deeply as her thoughts continued to focus on her baby boy. "We can all do that for Thanksgiving," she suggested. It was so surreal seeing JT once more. It felt as though Zack was standing in front of her again.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Entering his home, Sonny silently reflected on how everyone tried to distract him from what happened earlier by focusing on the family's plan for Thanksgiving. He convinced them to drop him off at home while they did some last-minute shopping. They wanted him to participate by cooking, and he only agreed if they did the shopping and gave him some time alone.

Now that he was alone, Sonny's mind returned to his conversations with Nathan, Joselyn, and Will at the hospital. Even though they tried to assure him everything would be fine, he couldn't stop wondering if he was going crazy again. "This isn't where I want to be," Sonny whispered to himself. He needed to stop this and focus on something else so he wasn't alone in his thoughts. Thanksgiving could be a distraction even if Sonny struggled in being thankful of his current situation.

Heading into the kitchen, he spotted Alex talking on the phone. Sonny heard his brother say, "Great-Uncle, I've tried to reach you for forever now. We have to talk about Sonny and Dario."

"There's nothing to discuss," Victor declared before stating, "It's time for you to move out from Dario's."

Confused, Alex placed his hand on his forehead as he glanced out the window towards the garden in the backyard. "You want me to move out? Are we done with them?"

Victor sighed revealing he didn't have time for questions. "We need to meet. I may have a different job for you."

Still unnoticed by his brother, Sonny exited the kitchen while he questioned what he overheard. Was he going crazy?

(*)*(*)*(*)

It was a struggle to think rationally, but Martin sat in his office at the police station with Steve trying to process his role in the hanging case moving forward. "I want to help catch this… this…" he didn't want to finish his statement aloud because he was trying so hard to stay objective.

Steve stood near the door. "We all need to have a clear head to solve this case," he commented before challenging the commissioner. "Do you believe you'll be able to keep a clear head?" Though he understood his boss's emotional response, it was strange seeing Martin anything but stony in his office.

"I'm not sure," Martin answered honestly even though he was more determined to solve this case. "I'm not sure because of Ian's… because of my brother's death." This was supposed to be a fresh start for them. They were supposed to enjoy a thanksgiving meal to signify a healing from their past trauma. But now Ian was dead. His death brought back memories of how their parents died.

"I have to step down. I need you to take charge of this investigation." Through his denial, Martin was able to see he could negatively impact the case if he remained lead.

Recognizing this was hard for Martin in so many ways, Steve acknowledged, "You have been good for this force, but I will do my best without you."

Allowing himself to show anger since the decision had been made, Martin demanded, "I need you and the others to find my brother's killer! You may have to push Diego for his assistance because he's working on that code. I believe he knows more than he's letting on."

Meanwhile, John and Arianna were talking to Roman because he worked with Gustavo when they were searching for Stefano. "Does any part of you believe Gustavo killed Stefano? Why was he set on finding him?"

Roman held off on answering John's first question for now. "Gustavo's motivation related to how Stefano stole his life from him. Stefano also stole Maddalena's life, and Gustavo needed Stefano gone so he wouldn't do it anymore. I believe Gustavo was in survival mode, but he was also keen to his surroundings."

"So what about Gustavo now?" Arianna questioned as she wiped water from under her eyes. Her aching muscles were starting to get the best of her.

Roman shook his head as he admitted, "I do worry about Gustavo – especially when he's purposely hiding."

Interrupting the conversation, Nathan arrived because he was called in. John and Arianna wanted to talk to him about Ian's job at the hospital. "Thanks for coming in," Arianna greeted him. With great discomfort, Nathan gave a slight nod before saying, "I hate that I have to come in to help you, but I will do my best to give you whatever you need."

John gave Roman a look to let him know they would get back to him. "Thanks for getting here fast. We need to know if Ian had any issues at his new job and who he worked closely with."

It was late. Nathan looked to the side as he thought about how he could best help them. "Ian worked with most of the nurses since he's a lab tech. Nurse Maxine would probably be who he worked with the most since she is pretty much the welcoming committee of everyone new. From what I heard, she even invited him to Thanksgiving."

Arianna was appreciative of Nathan's coming in as well, but she couldn't help but note, "This isn't really information we need because I doubt Maxine is connected to the killings in any way." Her impatience was truly getting the best of her.

All of a sudden, Steve rushed out of Martin's office with urgency. "The commissioner just got a tip for one of our cases! We need to head to The Chill!"