Chapter 36: We Could Be a Game Changer – Thursday, November 24th, 2016

"Everything okay?" It was the following day, and Sophie wasn't sure what she walked into when she found Allie sitting next to a distraught Lucas in their home.

"That was Sami," Lucas began as he placed his phone on the table. "Thanksgiving plans may change because something has happened at The Chill. I'm waiting for Sami to get back to me."

Sophie wondered what could have happened. "I'm sure everything is fine," she encouraged as the doorbell rang. "I'll get that."

Rex and Cassie entered after Sophie welcomed them inside. "We were with Will and Chad when they received word they were needed at The Chill. They left, so we came here to see if there's anything we can do to help with set up."

Cassie wanted to go with Chad and Will, but they and her brother convinced her to help Lucas instead. Crossing her arms over her blue platinum blouse, she shared, "We haven't been able to reach Philip either."

Standing, Lucas revealed, "Philip checked in with me last night. He's skipping Thanksgiving because he went to Chicago with Mimi."

"Of course he did," Cassie released showing she wasn't amused.

Rex pulled out his phone wondering if he should attempt to call Philip again. He wondered what he and Mimi planned to do.

"Did Will or Chad mention or say anything about why they had to go to The Chill?"

Cassie noticed the way Rex was eyeing his phone and quickly but gently pulled it out of his hands so he didn't try to contact Mimi. She turned to Lucas and answered, "They seemed confused, but they mentioned the cops were there asking questions."

(*)*(*)*(*)

At The Chill, Bo and Steve corralled Chad, Will, and Dario together to question what the police had uncovered inside. All three were confused because they had no clue how the stuff found inside their storage room got there. Making a ticking sound with his mouth, Bo wondered, "Does anyone else work here?"

Chad knew Bo and Steve simply wanted answers, but he couldn't help worrying that they were trying to pin this on the wrong person. "Besides our bar staff, Josh Ackles and Qamar Tyrell. They are on their way now, but I doubt they are involved." He looked to Dario remembering their conversations about Dario's brothers.

Knowing what Chad was thinking, Dario questioned the possibility that Alessandro and Ignazio did this somehow. "It could be someone who doesn't work here setting us up," he suggested.

A sudden memory entered Chad's mind. His thoughts reminded him of when he found Josh and Ezra at The Chill more than forty-eight hours ago. There was something definitely fishy about that night, and Chad wondered if whatever happened between them could be connected to what the police found in storage.

Just then, Josh arrived and got out of his blue car. Seeing the cops there, he swallowed hard as his mind thought the worst. Had everything caught up to him?

Standing near their limo, Sami and EJ watched as Josh joined the others. "We may be here for a while. We should cancel Thanksgiving."

EJ pulled out his cell phone and eyed his wife. "We should make the required calls then."

Sami had her phone in her hand already. She knew she needed to call Lucas, but she decided to call Eric first since he had Johnny, Sydney, and Julian. "Hey bro…"

"Sami, what's going on?" Eric asked. "Everything okay with Will?"

Sami turned her eyes towards Will and the others. "So far there haven't been any arrests," she answered. "EJ and I won't be able to make Thanksgiving because we need to help Chad and Will with this fiasco. Can you please keep the kids preoccupied and try to have Thanksgiving elsewhere?"

EJ had Lexie on his phone. After giving her an update, he said, "You should celebrate with Theo and Brandon. Maybe you can check in with Eric since he has the kids."

"I will," Lexie agreed. "If there's anything else I can do to help…"

"Shit," EJ interjected as he realized something.

"What is it?"

EJ sighed before telling Lexie, "I just remembered Renée is most likely on her way to the mansion now."

Knowing what needed to be done, Lexie replied, "I'll take care of Renée."

Relaxed now, EJ appreciatively stated, "Thank you. If she causes any problems let me know." Shifting his attention to the other side of the limo, he spotted Frank on the phone. It appeared his head of security was having an argument.

When EJ carefully moved closer with his own phone still to his ear, he heard Frank argue, "You need to drop this. I don't like the role you're playing in this investigation. I want – no I need you to stop investigating the hangings."

Will watched as a police officer pulled Bo and Steve away from them for a moment. He turned to Chad, Dario, and Josh and said, "This doesn't make sense, right? How did they find drugs in one of our storage rooms without us noticing that stuff was in there?"

Josh remained quiet and watched as Dario and Chad responded with uncertainty. He had no idea that he was helping plant drugs at The Chill and hated himself for not wanting to know what he was doing. He really screwed things for his friends as well.

"What's going on?" Qamar asked. He had just arrived and didn't understand why the cops were there.

Dario moved over to Qamar and suggested, "We'll explain later. Just stay quiet for now." Noting the looks on Steve's and Bo's faces, he knew something had turned for the worse.

Bo led Steve back to the group of guys. "I'm glad you could join us, Qamar," Bo acknowledged the intern first. "We just received confirmation that the drugs found in your storage room are connected to something bigger…"

Steve watched as a few more police officers joined them. He hated this. "We're going to have to take all of you in to the station."

"Are you arresting all of us?" Chad freaked. Hearing that the drugs were connected to something bigger made him worry more.

With a solemn look, Bo verified it. "I'm afraid so… until we can clear up everything. The drugs we found today are connected to the drug ring in Salem, which has been a huge issue for this town."

"We'll be fully compliant," Chad declared. "We've done nothing wrong."

Bo gave Chad a nod. "Good. We'll need access to your finances to see if everything is on the up and up." He gave the other police officers a nod, so they could begin the process of arresting Will, Chad, Dario, Josh, and Qamar.

Josh knew this wasn't going to end well for his friends because their finances would show there were some discrepancies since he had taken money to pay off his blackmailer. He couldn't let this happen. He had to do the right thing. "I'm the one who put the boxes there!" He stepped forward and clarified, "The others had nothing to do with it. It was all me."

Steve put his hand out to stop the police officers from arresting the guys. He stepped in front of his niece's husband and checked in with him. "Is this serious? This isn't your way to save your friends, right?"

Josh gave Steve a firm nod. "I did this. It was me."

Will rushed to Josh's side. "Don't say another word. We will get you help…" He knew there had to be more to this if Josh was serious. He turned to Chad and could see he was completely stunned.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Standing outside of her home in the front yard, Ciara rolled her eyes before directing them towards the blue sky above her. She had Theo on the phone hoping he would come hang with her for a bit. "What are you saying, Carver?"

"I can't come over," Theo stated with some fear in his voice.

Since she didn't want to push Theo on this, Ciara moved to something else. "What about my party this weekend? I still need your help. Milena and others are helping, but I can't do this without you."

Through a sigh, Theo replied, "I still feel behind on everything…"

"Okay, fine, you don't have to help," Ciara gave him another pass. "…but you have to be… have to be at the party."

Theo timidly released, "I will try my best."

"There's no trying," Ciara immediately released. Feeling upset and stuck, she decided to end the call. "I'll talk to you later. I need to check in with my parents." Placing her phone in her pocket, she wondered if Theo was lying to her. She considered the possibility that Theo was still upset with her. "He's definitely keeping something from me."

Ciara decided to head into the house, but she stopped when she heard a motorcycle coming down the street. Turning around, she was confused when she spotted a stranger on her dad's bike. Quickly running into the street, she stood in the way so the assumed thief couldn't escape.

The helmeted stranger quickly reacted and stopped in the middle of the street in front of Ciara. Raising his hand in the air, he demanded to know, "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you crazy or something?"

Without a second thought, Ciara rushed over to the side of Bo's bike. "Get off my dad's bike!" She attempted to force the young man off by grabbing his arm.

"Whoa! Be careful! Neither of us wants to get burned by the muffler!"

Standing her ground, Ciara stated, "I'm not dumb. I won't let you steal my dad's bike!"

Putting his hands up, the stranger climbed off the bike once Ciara stepped backwards. He took off his helmet and shared, "I'm not stealing Bo's bike. He let me borrow it for the day. If I were a thief, why would I drive it by the house again?"

Ciara realized the person who stood in front of her looked familiar before recognizing him. "OMG. You're JT." She closed her eyes for a moment due to embarrassment. "I am so sorry for thinking you were stealing dad's bike…"

Noting that Ciara was completely embarrassed, JT assured her by admitting, "You're kind of scary, and I actually believed I had stolen Bo's bike for a second." He turned toward the house. "My mom inside?"

Ciara could barely make eye contact with JT because she had heard so much about him and his connection to her brother, Zack. "She's not here. My mom isn't even here because she and her cousin, Jen, are out doing some last-minute shopping. Maybe your mom joined them."

JT began to push the motorcycle into the driveway. "We should probably get out from the middle of the street." When they were off the road, he asked, "Who is coming to Thanksgiving?"

"My family," Ciara simply answered.

JT unzipped his coat as he responded, "I hope the murderer isn't there."

Noting the change in JT's tone, Ciara was confused. "Who is the murderer?"

Without skipping a beat, JT gladly answered, "Chelsea. I hope Chelsea isn't there."

Ciara froze and wasn't sure how to respond. Usually, she would defend her sister in a second, but this felt different. She didn't know what to do.

(*)*(*)*(*)

"Mom?"

Rachel looked up from her desk realizing she forgot to shut her office door. Seeing Peter in front of her, she remembered her conversation with Kristen about Brady. She wondered if her son needed advice or help in the same way her daughter did. She questioned if she had the time for this now. "Yes?"

With another step towards his mom, Peter guardedly released, "I know I am the last person you want to see or speak with, but I need to talk to you. It's about Ezra."

Ezra. Mayor White missed having her grandson in the office with her. "What about him?"

"I'm worried about him," Peter admitted. "I can't get through to him because he's upset with me."

Questioning if Peter expected her to be surprised or appalled by the current state of Ezra and Peter's relationship, Rachel firmly placed both her hands flat on the desk to stand up. This felt like a waste of time. "Peter. I named you Peter because at the time I saw a bright future for our family. I saw you carrying the torch of the work your father and I were doing. You were my stone… my rock to remind me why our work was beneficial first hand." Shaking her head, she said, "Unfortunately, things didn't go to plan for you, but fortunately, your son is strong. He doesn't need our concern because he is smart and strives to help those around him by doing what's right… what's good. He doesn't need you getting in the way of that."

This was the closest Peter had gotten to talking about how their family was pre-Stefano, but his mother had also managed to tear him down. Pushing past the crushing truth, he asked, "When is the last time you talked to Ezra? Do you have any idea what he's doing now? Do you know he has surrounded himself with people who only want to use him?"

Rachel continued to place her weight on her desk through her hands. "You know Ezra isn't talking to me because of the lie I kept from him."

Peter shook his head. "Are you okay with not talking to him? He is working for Titan… Victor Kiriakis. On top of that, Delphi's parents are sinking their claws into him so that he will serve their agenda. Do I have to remind you they are the corrupt politicians you claim you don't want to be? He has no chance of keeping his vision if those are the voices jumping around in his head."

Though she was concerned for her grandson, Rachel asked, "And you want me to help you add your voice? Tell me. What makes your vision any better than theirs? What does Ezra gain with your voice in his head?"

"I get it!" Peter yelled unable to hold in his frustration. "You hate me! I am a disgrace… an embarrassment. A poor reminder of everything you lost when Stefano took me away from you, but this isn't about that mom! This is about my son. I don't want your help mending my relationship with him. I want you to mend your relationship with him because at least he would have a positive voice encouraging him to question and challenge the negative influences that are currently surrounding him. He needs you. You can't be there for me, but can you be there for him?"

The mayor recalled Lexie's advice in mending things with Ezra before it was too late. Recognizing how difficult this was for Peter, she realized this was very important for him. After a deep breath, she released, "I'll try."

"Try your hardest," Peter begged. "He's the only family I have left."

Rachel took a seat after Peter walked out. She looked at the work she needed to finish and questioned how she would fix things with her grandson. Ezra needed her. He was her family.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Kristen lounged on the balcony connected to her bedroom and reflected on everything happening within the family. She was losing her business thanks to Delphi and Peter; she hated that she put her trust in anyone. "I need to be done with these games. No more with the sweet and naïve Kristen. It doesn't help at all."

Even with the certainty in her voice as she spoke to herself, Kristen still felt conflicted because of the role Brady played in her life. She tweaked her image to align with his, but she sensed a distance from him as well. "I love Brady, but what if my love for him is a distraction?"

Kristen's thoughts turned to Jen and the impact she had on her life. They hadn't had the opportunity to connect recently – though Jen did send her condolences about Delphi. "Am I incapable of having true friends?"

Brady called Kristen's cell phone. She answered immediately. "Brady…"

"Just calling to see if you've decided what we're doing for Thanksgiving," Brady announced.

Feeling the need to give Brady a push, Kristen suggested, "You should have Thanksgiving with family. I have some things I need to sort out with Peter, and I don't think the two of you in the same room would be beneficial for everyone."

Revealing he didn't like Kristen's idea through the tone of his voice, Brady replied, "I haven't spent much time with my family recently. It would be weird."

"Maybe that should change," Kristen quipped. She eyed the garden below her as she assured, "I will be a phone call away if you need support."

After releasing a stress-filled sigh, Brady said, "Expect a call."

(*)*(*)*(*)

Martin looked through his brother's cell phone as he paced throughout his place. He was beside himself as he thought about all the years he missed with Ian because their family was torn apart by tragedy. "This Thanksgiving was supposed to be different." Wiping his face to ease the tension he felt, he stared at the last selfie his brother took at his apartment before deciding to look through the rest of his photos and videos.

Needing to hear his brother's voice, Martin decided to watch a video Ian recorded on his phone. From the looks of it, he was inside the hospital. Martin recognized the hazy blue walls.

"Life seems to be getting better in Salem," Ian stated in the video. "I have to admit though… it has its complications as well. I really hope this… complication doesn't bring too much trouble in my life. I've fallen in love."

All of a sudden, Will appeared on the video. He seemed upset. "Ian, we need to talk."

The video recording stopped there. Martin played the video again as he searched for clues. He wondered what Will needed to say to his brother. "Why did Will seem upset with Ian? Who did Ian fall in love with?"

(*)*(*)*(*)

Sitting at a table alone near Java Café, Gustavo looked through a folder of the information he had gathered on Maddalena. He shook his head because he still didn't have the answers he needed. With his phone in his hand, he decided to check in with his love's gardener, Piero.

"Signor," Piero answered respectfully. He was ready to do whatever Gustavo needed.

"Yes, Piero. I am calling to ask if Alena's body is still missing," Gustavo revealed. He hoped for some peace of mind, even if it was just a small amount.

Piero quickly replied, "It is, signor. The mystery still lives. Do not worry, I have found someone to tend the garden while I continue to investigate here."

Gustavo ended the call before making another. This time he called his son, Nazario. When his son picked up, he said, "I need a swift update. The table. Anything require my attention?"

Nazario cleared his throat before sharing, "Peter Blake and Vivian Alamain are settling into their seats, padre. It appears there is tension since each feels they have something to prove. Vivian may be a larger threat because I believe she is withholding something. Whatever it is, I believe it may be the reason she received a seat. I'm unsure who she has aligned herself with, but she makes me feel quite uneasy."

Reflecting on what he knew of the Alamain family, Gustavo assured, "It may be nonsense. Vivian's family is full of deceivers who confuse their own lies with the truth. What of Zita and EJ?"

"Something has shifted with them," Nazario cautiously admitted. "I still remain in contact with both, but I have noticed Zita seems, at times, guarded. It is possible she could be feeding me false information. I am uncertain of this though because EJ's information is identical."

This made Gustavo feel a bit nervous. "Do you believe we've been compromised?"

Nazario told his father, "Again, I am uncertain of this, but I will find the truth. I have a way to force Zita to show her true colors. It may take time to put the plan into action, padre."

"I trust your judgment," Gustavo told his son before adding, "I need you to continue to trust me. If anyone stands in the way of my plan, they will hang with the rest."

Gustavo looked up when T walked past him. He continued to watch the young man as he approached his parents. "I will call soon, figlio."

T anxiously placed his hands in his pockets now that he stood in front of his parents. They decided to meet in a public place for Thanksgiving. "So, which restaurant will we eating at today?" Looking around he noticed only a few people were out.

Mrs. Winchester moved closer to her son and reached out to give him a hug from the side. "Your father rented space from one of his friends."

T's heart began to anxiously ache. "So, we're not having a public meal." He reflected on his conversation with Marlena and questioned if he should try to put his guard down.

"Relax," Mr. Winchester released. "My friend and his family are eating there as well. I rented a table to join them."

T gave his father a skeptical look knowing full well this was one of his parents' connections. A real friend wouldn't charge someone to join them for Thanksgiving. "Okay."

With her arm still around T's waist, Mrs. Winchester said, "You have nothing to worry about. We are just extremely happy you're alive, and we want to do whatever to make this transition as easy as possible."

Mr. Winchester nodded his head in agreement. "Maybe next time we spend time together, we can do it in a personal setting."

T didn't want to respond to the idea of personal time with his parents just yet. He wanted to see how today went first. He truly hoped his parents were happy he was alive. Wishing his mother would let go of his waist, he released, "I guess we should join the others and eat."

(*)*(*)*(*)

At Salem University Hospital, Joselyn sat inside her office investigating further into Sonny's case. Nathan seemed convinced Sonny didn't do this, and she felt the same from Sonny when they spoke. "None of this makes sense," she released under her breath. "Yeah, Sonny has had a difficult time lately, but this still seems so out of the blue."

Opening her email, Joselyn realized she had just received an email from hospital security. Apparently, the security footage from when Cameron got the medicine for Sonny was missing. "It just gets weirder…" she spoke under her breath.

Joselyn turned her attention to one of her desk drawers. She opened it and pulled out a master-key. Standing, she headed out of her office and walked briskly to Sonny's office. She hoped she would find answers to help her make sense of everything, but she also hoped Sonny didn't take the tapes.

After entering Sonny's office, Joselyn immediately began to look through everything – filing cabinets, drawers, piles – for the tapes. She never found them, but she did find something incriminating. In one of Sonny's desk drawers, there was a pill bottle. It was one of the prescriptions Sonny supposedly needed for one of his patients.

Something felt off though. Studying the bottle and where she found it, Joselyn noted, "It's almost as if this was planted."

Joselyn replayed everything Cameron stated that fed the narrative of Sonny's guilt in this. Cameron told her he got the medications from the hospital pharmacy because Sonny said he had patients who needed them. Sonny never turned in the prescription slips himself, meaning Cameron was the one who turned in the slips for the medications, but those were gone, too.

With her focus on Cameron, Joselyn's thoughts went to the night Kate was murdered. She saw Cameron there that night. "Could Cameron be the one who was meeting with Kate? Chelsea does have a complicated past with her grandmother. Maybe Kate managed to get another boyfriend of Chelsea's… but something went wrong. What if Cameron killed Kate?"

With her head spinning from the possibility that Cameron set up Sonny and could be connected to Kate's death, Joselyn began to feel for her phone before realizing she must have left it in her office. "I need to call the cops," she decided.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Attempting to have a family dinner at JoJo's Southern Steakhouse, Justin rested his hands against one of the chairs. "Where is everyone?" he anxiously questioned. He tried to keep calm for his wife's sake, but it had been a while.

Adrienne couldn't hide her nerves either. "I don't know."

Alex entered the restaurant alone and knew his parents wanted answers. "Dario and I are struggling with finding Sonny because he just disappeared out of the blue on us."

Without skipping a beat, Adrienne pulled out her phone to call Dario. As Justin talked to Alex, she listened to every single ring hoping he would answer. "Pick up…"

"Boss," Dario finally answered the phone. "I'm still at the mansion. I'm thinking about driving around to find Sonny." He felt lost and couldn't help panicking. "It doesn't make sense because Sonny said he would be ready when I got back from The Chill. I shouldn't have left him alone."

As Adrienne tried to assure Dario and come up with a game plan, Justin asked his eldest, "Where were you all day? Why weren't you with your brother?"

Wondering if his dad was blaming him on Sonny's disappearance, Alex defensively shared with annoyance, "I had some personal things to take care of."

"Don't worry, Dario," Adrienne assured her future son-in-law. She continued to mentally assure herself as well. "Stay put, and the rest of us will try to find Sonny in case he doesn't come home first." She knew Dario was thinking it, but she didn't want to verbally acknowledge the idea that Sonny could be a victim of the Hangman Killer. She hoped her baby boy was okay.

(*)*(*)*(*)

"I'm calling to see if you've set your replacement so you can come to Salem to be my new head of security," Victor released. He had his contact, Thanos, on the phone.

Thanos replied, "There was a hiccup, but I am now training the man who will replace me. I want to be sure the cargo is well protected on this ship."

Victor did not like the response he got. His patience was running thin. "I have gone unprotected long enough. I need you to get to Salem as soon as possible."

"Does this take priority?" Thanos questioned.

Victor knew he couldn't be careless with the cargo on the ship. "Take care of the transition as best you can. Come to Salem as soon as the cargo is in good hands."

"I will speed up the process," Thanos promised before offering, "I can send someone to head up your security, for the time being, to watch over you."

Victor grunted, "I will be fine." He ended the call and turned around to see Sonny standing there. "What the hell are you doing here?"

With the most defeated look on his face, Sonny lamented, "My life is in shambles, and I've only got myself to blame. I need a new direction, and I hope you can help me."

This was different and unexpected. "Isn't that why you have Dario?"

Sonny noted the way his great-uncle said Dario's name. He got further confirmation that Victor and Alex didn't want him to be involved with Dario, but he continued to push forward. "Dario can't help me. He… he doesn't have anything that could help me."

"And how do you expect me to help you," Victor asked. His face was stone cold.

Sonny placed his hands in his pockets hoping his great-uncle would be receptive to what he had to say. "I want to help you as well. I know your time is limited. I know you have a lot you need to put in place before you're gone." He remembered the dark fear he felt when he touched Theo's hand at the hospital. Even though he feared for Victor's life, he knew he couldn't allow that to get in the way.

With a dismissive tone, Victor said, "I already have Titan taken care of."

"I have no business running Titan," Sonny quickly reiterated. "…but I am interested in something else I know you want to protect."

Intrigued now, Victor wondered, "What would that be?"

Sonny crossed his arms and answered, "Our family. I know you sit at a table with heads of other important families. I will make sure the Kiriakis name remains a strong name in the game."

This definitely didn't make sense. "I don't understand why you would volunteer to take my place at the table. This is so out of character. This isn't you."

Sonny was feeling the groove at this point as he didn't hesitate to answer, "I have spent so much of my time worried about what others think of me or expect of me. I want to be my own man – someone who does what I want when I want. I'm not the man Dario fell in love with anymore. I am someone else – someone better."

Surprised, Victor felt truth in what Sonny was stating. "I'm impressed by this change in you," he admitted. "I promise we will talk about this in a better setting. Now is not the time."

Sonny gave Victor a nod to show he understood. He was happy Victor was letting him in. He was closer now to finding out what Alex and Victor were up to.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Meanwhile, Thanksgiving was awkward at the Blake mansion due to the family dynamics, which were especially impacted by Delphi's death. Even with his grandparents bringing plants and vegetables from their personal garden, Ezra's focus was everywhere else besides the table. Instead, he glanced around the table at his grandparents, aunts, uncles, father, and Jade. Staring at EJ's teenage sister, he remembered how he found her talking to Peter before.

"I know this isn't the best time," Mrs. Lee caught everyone's attention. "We need to discuss Delphine's funeral. We must have it soon since the body was just released by the coroner."

Peter cut in, "Delphi told me what she wanted if this ever came to be."

Mr. Lee didn't allow Peter to expound on his daughter's supposed wishes. "Delphine will be buried in the Lee plot."

"Delphi didn't want that," Peter swiftly argued.

Ezra knew his dad was right, but he still sided with his grandfather only to spite Peter. "Dad, you didn't always give mom what she wanted."

To help her brother, Kristen questioned, "Peter, did you and Delphi buy a plot together?"

Shaking his head, Peter denied it. "We did not. Delphi wanted to be cremated and wanted her ashes to remain with me."

Only part of that was true as far as Ezra was concerned. "That must have recently changed because she asked me to keep them."

Peter looked to his son and hoped they could compromise. He hated the tension between them. "Perhaps we can share them."

"Delphine is not to be cremated," Mrs. Lee pronounced loudly.

Jade sat back and watched the family interactions around the table. She ate it all up eyeing each of them as they continued to argue what they were doing or not doing to Delphi's body. No one could agree on anything.

Ezra caught Jade sitting there silently watching everyone. "What are you even doing here, Jade? You're not family."

Jade sat up straight knowing she couldn't be honest about how she was spying on them for her brother, EJ. Instead, she was truthful in a different way. "My original arrangement for the holiday was aborted due to an earlier issue at The Chill."

"What happened?" Kristen asked immediately.

Jade figured they would hear about this anyway. "Narcotics of some sort were uncovered in one of the storage quarters at The Chill. Josh, Will's cousin's husband, allegedly claimed full responsibility. I overheard EJ discussing all the sordid details."

Hearing this, Ezra quickly became upset. The dots were all connecting in his head as he finally had some of the answers he was seeking. He decided not to say anything though. With Josh coming forward, he knew he needed to investigate more.

Mrs. Lee raised her glass and declared, "Well, now I can share something I am thankful for. I am thankful for this news because it helps business."

Mr. Lee raised his glass in agreement.

(*)*(*)*(*)

"Oh, thank God," Jen released when Shawn-Douglas answered the phone. "I can't reach Justin, so I'm hoping you can help because Josh is in huge trouble. He needs a lawyer."

Shawn heard the concern in his second-cousin's voice and said, "I'll head over soon."

Even if she appreciated Shawn coming over, Jen still felt the need to apologize. "I'm sorry for interrupting your Thanksgiving. I'll see you soon."

After ending the call, Jen entered the living room of the Horton house and found Jack and JJ trying their best to help Abby find a way to distract herself from what was happening. Abby struggled though. "Josh is in jail. This was the big secret he was keeping from me. He's a drug smuggler!"

Recognizing her daughter couldn't escape this, Jen moved over and directed her daughter to the blue floral couch. "Take a seat, Abby. Relax…"

Abby fought her mom though. "There's so much I need to do. I can't just sit here."

"Shawn is on his way," Jen shared hoping Abby could wait until then.

Shaking her head, Abby looked at her mom wondering if she wasn't paying attention. "Josh already admitted guilt!"

Joining Jen and his daughter, Jack tried to get Abby to focus on what they could do moving forward. "EJ even offered his expertise, but he is a last resort. Shawn and Justin are family and will get Josh out of this."

Abby still wasn't convinced, and nothing could help her at this point because the thoughts in her head were past overwhelming. She was spinning with hurt, guilt, and shame. "Josh was supposed to be my rock, my anchor," she released before her thoughts went to Ian and how she betrayed Josh's trust as well. Ian was dead now, and Abby remembered feeling relief when that happened because he couldn't tell Josh their secret. "I am a terrible person…" she stated before suddenly collapsing on the floor.

Jen, Jack, and JJ rushed to Abby's side to make sure she was okay. "Abby?!"

(*)*(*)*(*)

At the Carver house, Brandon hung his blue coat up as he shared, "Cameron may come later after having dinner with Maxine."

Happy to hear that, Lexie mentioned, "I invited Maxine to come, but Cameron didn't think it would be a good idea." She led Brandon into the kitchen and shared, "Eric, Nicole, Johnny, Sydney, and Julian should be here soon." She couldn't believe the mess Chad and Will were going through and hoped EJ would be able to help them.

"What about your mother?" Brandon questioned wondering if Lexie had any news on Celeste.

Lexie stayed quiet for a minute as she reflected on the silence she received from her mother. "I truly believe something may be wrong because EJ hasn't been able to find her either. We haven't found any kind of record that she ever left Salem."

Though he wanted to pull Lexie into a hug, Brandon refrained. Instead, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine."

Avoiding the group texts from Ciara and their group of friends, Theo made his way down the stairs when the doorbell rang. "I've got it," he shouted to his mom and Brandon. He expected to see his cousins on his front porch, but he was wrong.

Renée stood on the other side. "Hello," she greeted her nephew with a smile. Though she was a tad annoyed plans had changed, she saw this as an opportunity to get a feel for her sister, Lexie.

As soon as Theo saw Renée standing in front of him, a short vision hit. He quickly came out of the trance and shared, "I just saw the feather of a raven. Does that mean anything to you?"

Hearing this, Renée stepped backwards and questioned, "What did you just say?" Her anxiety began to rise as she thought about the current serial killer roaming the streets of Salem.

Theo noted the fear in his aunt's eyes. "What does the raven feather mean? It's obvious you know something."

Renée froze up. She couldn't say anything.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Sitting at her dining room table, Maxine took in how blessed she felt to be spending another Thanksgiving with Cameron. When she turned her attention to her son, her rock, she couldn't help but note his head seemed elsewhere. "Everything okay, Cam?"

Cameron realized he wasn't in the best mood. "I wish Chelsea could be here with us," he admitted.

With a contained smile, Maxine pointed out, "You two have dated for some time. Is it getting serious?"

With a look that lacked optimism, Cameron answered, "I want it to be serious, but I'm not sure Chelsea feels the same."

Maxine wanted Cameron to be okay no matter what happened. "If Chelsea is the one, it will happen. You should also consider she's dealing with a lot right now. Her grandmother was murdered." She thought about how she invited Ian over for the holiday. He was dead now, too.

Cameron didn't want to talk about Chelsea anymore. He needed answers about someone else. He felt bad for doing this in an indirect way, but he felt he had no choice. "Can you tell me about your husband again?"

Believing Cameron was asking about the love in their relationship, Maxine gladly shared, "Well, we fell in love almost immediately. Not all relationships are like that, but your fath… my husband and I had that connection. There was just something magical about our relationship."

Before Maxine could say more, a sudden knock sounded on the front door followed by a ring of the doorbell. Cameron stood up, wiped his face with his celestial blue napkin, and announced, "I'll get that." He made his way to the door and opened it to find Martin and Arianna there.

Arianna pulled out her cuffs and announced, "Cameron Davis, you are under arrest for your connection to the hangings happening in Salem."

As Arianna read Cameron his Miranda rights, Maxine rushed to the door completely shocked this was happening. "What do you think you're doing? We're trying to share a meal together on Thanksgiving! Cameron has done nothing! Why are you arresting him?!"