DAYS #182: Valerie and Jerome have a heart-to-heart, Tyler discovers Brady alive! (10/29/14)

EPISODE 182

Written by A. Washington-Beeby
Story Consultant: C. Nathaniel Richardson & Nick Monarco

Marlena emerges from her bedroom at her penthouse, freshly changed into her street clothes, as the doorbell rings.  She calls out to the person ringing the bell, as she heads for the door.

MARLENA: Coming!

Marlena walks over and opens the door to find Abe there. She quickly motions him inside.

MARLENA: Abe! Thank you, I know it's short notice.

Abe steps inside and gives Marlena a quick hug.

ABE: It's alright. I'm glad you called. Have you heard anything?

MARLENA: Not a word.
ABE: (sigh) Alright. How long since you've heard anything?
MARLENA: I mean, he...he was working, so I didn't think anything was wrong, but...I woke up and checked the entire penthouse, he's nowhere to be seen.

Abe nods, then looks down sorrowfully.

ABE: He's....he's in worse shape than any of us thought.

Marlena stops, and looks at Abe. Her energy shifting as she turns to look his way. After a moment, Marlena nods in agreement.

MARLENA: I umm...I've been taking him for tests at the hospital. We...we aren't 100% sure what's going on.
ABE: It's obviously dementia of some kind.
MARLENA: Well, that's what we assume, but...I have reason to believe Stefano is involved somehow.

Abe sighs, shaking his head.

ABE: Wouldn't surprise me. But...considering his performance at work...

Abe hesitates momentarily, before continuing. Marlena furrows her brow, not sure she likes what Abe is about to say.

ABE: I'm starting to believe it would be a good idea to...(sigh) ask Roman to take a leave of absence from the force.

---

Tyler drives down the dark highway leading out of Salem.

The occasional passing car shines its headlights his way as they drive opposite him down the road. Tyler is looking on intensely, as he thinks back to the events of the evening.

***
FLASHBACK TO EPISODE 167:

Tyler sits on a stool next to Victor's hospital bed, reeling from the news that Nick's working for Stefano.

TYLER: Victor, are you absolutely sure Nick told you he was funded by Stefano. You didn't mishear him.
VICTOR: 100%. 

Tyler shakes his head, resigned but not totally surprised by the news.

TYLER: You know, it makes almost too much sense.
VICTOR: I agree. That's why we have to take action, immediately.
TYLER: What kind of action?
VICTOR: Simple. We'll send Stefano a message, and clean up the filth that's rotting this town from the inside.

Tyler sighs, knowing what Victor's implying.

TYLER: Victor, we can't be working underhandedly.
VICTOR: Too late. The gloves are already off. Get rid of Nick Fallon. By any means neccessary.

Victor looks steely-eyed at a concerned Tyler, who is far less convinced of Victor's plan than Victor is.
***

Tyler is distracted by a passing car's bright lights, that snap him back to reality with a jolt. Tyler struggles to see and his car begins to swerve onto the gravel at the edge of the road.

TYLER: Dammit!

As Tyler swerves to get the car back onto the road, he brakes to stop the car before he causes an accident. Pulling over, he stops and leans his head back against the headrest, trying to regain his composure.

After a moment, and a heavy sigh or two, Tyler looks out his drivers' side window, then at his GPS. He realizes he's right by Anita's cabin. 

TYLER: Well, I'll be damned.

He decides to pull in, turning suddenly in to the darkened country gravel driveway.

---

It's a foggy night, as Anjelica stands alone on the pier. She's dressed in a long black coat and wide-brimmed hat semi-obscuring her face.

She paces slowly checking around her to be sure she remains safe, as she waits for Liam to meet her.

ANJELICA: (sigh) Come on, Liam, get down here.

No sooner has those words come out of her mouth, than Liam walks down the steps of the pier to meet her. Anjelica turns to look at him, looking a bit annoyed.

ANJELICA: Took you long enough.
LIAM: Sorry, had to wait for Jenn to nod off.
ANJELICA: Ahhh yes, precious Jennifer Horton. 

Liam rolls his eyes, as Anjelica sarcastically waxes poetic about Liam's partner.

ANJELICA: Love of your life. Apple of your eye. Tell me, Liam: did you take an extra moment before you departed to watch your beloved as she slept as well?
LIAM: You're hilarious, Anj. Now, what did I come all the way down here for, exactly?

Anjelica gives Liam an intense deadpan look as she pulls a gun from her coat pocket and places it in Liam's hand.

LIAM: What's this for?
ANJELICA: Our little problem we were discussing earlier? I want you to take care of him.

Liam looks down at the gun, then up at Anjelica, stunned by what she's asking of him.

---

---

 
Jerome shuts the front door to the Grant family home, and steps inside quietly. Inside, Valerie emerges from the kitchen entrance and looks stern, but relieved to see her grandson home.

VALERIE: Jerome Grant, where have you been?

Jerome stops himself at the first step of the staircase heading upstairs when he hears Valerie's voice.

JEROME: Hey, Grandma, uh...Sorry I'm so late.
VALERIE: Well, I don't really mind that, but the fact you didn't even text me or call?
JEROME: Nah, I know. I should've.
VALERIE: You're damned right.

Valerie turns and heads into the living room, with Jerome reluctantly following behind her as she continues to speak to him.

VALERIE: You know, I've been worried about you. You're avoiding coming home again, and--
JEROME: Grandma, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine.

Valerie stops in front of the couch, and turns to face Jerome, who's slowly stepping into the room.

VALERIE:  And that's exactly the same conversation we had in Toronto before we moved down here. And I didn't buy it then, and I don't buy it now.

Valerie motions to Jerome to join her on the sofa, before sitting down.

VALERIE: Come on, baby. Let's talk.

Jerome complies, as he sits down next to Valerie.

JEROME: Grandma, I know what you're gonna say, and--
VALERIE: No, I don't think you do. Now, listen. I know you're grown, and I can't stop you from doing what you wanna do, but I can and I will tell you what I think about it. And what you're doing right now, it is way too familiar to me.
JEROME: Grandma, I promise you, I am not falling into those same patterns. Look, Kaylie and Siobhan are far behind me, now. I don't...I don't even know what made you think of them.
VALERIE: Well, different things. 

Jerome looks at Valerie, a bit confused.

JEROME: Like what?
VALERIE: Well, you know how I had you set up that video chat for the interview I was doing?

Jerome tenses up slightly, becoming uncomfortable with her story.

JEROME: Yeah...
VALERIE: Well, we hired that girl, and...you know, it's funny, there's...there's something about her. She looks just a little like that girl Siobhan you knew in school. 

Jerome looks intensely at Valerie, hoping she doesn't make the connection. Valerie continues her story, looking away from Jerome as she recalls their journey back to Salem.

VALERIE: You know, I started thinking about it, and...you know, I know they're far behind you, and...you know...after your father was killed, I just...we moved her for a fresh start. Somewhere that felt like home, but...somewhere we could forget the bad memories, bad habits.

Valerie takes Jerome's hand in hers, she smiles as she looks at Jerome.

VALERIE: I don't want you to fall back into them.
JEROME: I promise, Grandma. That's not happening. Things are going well! I'm...doing my research for my thesis, and...I met someone.

Valerie perks up at the news.

VALERIE: Ooh! Who is this fine young lady?
JEROME: Her name is Abigail Deveraux. I met her mom, Jennifer today. I think she said she works at the hospital as well.

Valerie raises an eyebrow at Jennifer's name.

VALERIE: Jennifer Horton?
JEROME: Yeah, I think so.

Valerie sighs, shaking her head, as Jerome looks confused.

VALERIE: Oh boy. 

Jerome chuckles at his grandmother's reaction to the news, still puzzled by her less-than-enthusiastic response.

JEROME: What? What do you mean?

Valerie sighs, taking a second before answering Jerome's question.

VALERIE: Look, I'm not gonna tell you you're forbidden to see this girl, but you need to tread lightly with Hortons. They are messy. Okay?

Jerome frowns, curious about what his grandmother means.

---

At the pier, Liam's face scrunches up after Anjelica has handed him a revolver, confused by Anjelica's request.

LIAM: What, am I your hitman now?
ANJELICA: You are part of the team that's meant to be helping me get through this plan in one piece.

Liam looks down at the gun, shaking his head, as Anjelica slowly walks around behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder as she speaks gently in his ear.

ANJELICA: You don't want to let the team down, do you?

Liam turns his head slightly, giving Anjelica a deathly glare as he holds the gun in his hand tightly.

---

Marlena looks at Abe, disappointed and worried.

MARLENA: Oh no, Abe, don't take Roman off the force--
ABE: No...no, Marlena, I'm serious. He's made too many mistakes recently. He has completely...just...blanked out on entire cases. Important ones! He could be putting himself in danger every time he steps out of the house.

Marlena steps in closer to Abe, pleading with him to reconsider.

MARLENA: Abe, if...if it is Alzheimer's...I want to be sure of the diagnosis first, but...if it is...I firmly believe keeping Roman working for as long as possible can only help him cognitively.
ABE: And put him in the line of fire!
MARLENA: Not if he does admin--

Abe shakes his head, getting riled up as he tries to resist laughing at Marlena's suggestion.

ABE: Marlena, be serious! Can you honestly imagine Roman Brady accepting administrative work? 

Marlena looks down solemnly. She shakes her head, realizing Abe's right.

ABE: Now, I will wait for the official diagnosis before I do this, but I am asking that you have the doctors confirm this diagnosis ASAP. Every day we wait, the more danger Roman's in.

Marlena nods in agreement. She looks up at the ceiling, sighing in frustration.

MARLENA: You're right. I'll have Roman head down to the hospital first thing tomorrow.
ABE: Alright.

As Abe responds, Marlena gets a text message from Kim. Taking her cell phone from her coffee table, she checks it, before turning to Abe.

MARLENA: It's Kimberly. She's downstairs.
ABE: Alright, let's meet her down there.

Abe and Marlena head for the door. As Abe races out, Marlena is stopped by a picture of her with Roman, Carrie, Sami, and Eric, from when Sami and Eric were newborns. She spots the picture on her mantle by the door, and looks it over, tearing up.

Taking a moment to look the picture over, she sets it back down on the mantle and heads out of the penthouse, locking the door behind her.

---

Tyler pulls into Anita's property, his headlights guiding him down the dark country dirt road.

Approaching the cabin, Tyler stops the car outside, and gets out after turning the car off.

He slowly walks up to the front door, seeing the bright lights inside. He stops, noticing movement through the window.

Peeking carefully through the window, he makes out a familiar face.

TYLER: My God.

 
Inside, Brady finishes the last of the dishes, turning to Anita and smiling warmly, as they laugh and joke. Tyler is stunned. Brady is alive.

---