Episode #274 – Thurssday, December 28, 2006:

• Exactly one week has passed since the vicious attack on Alice Horton. It is now New Year’s Eve.
• The Salemites have stoically celebrated Christmas, going through the motions of the rituals of the holiday, but really neglecting the joy that the day brings. With Caroline, Alice, and Mickey all in the hospital and Jennifer’s recent death, there was little to celebrate in Salem this year.
• Everyone reacts to Celeste’s prediction that Alice’s fire was arson…and that one of them is the arsonist!
• OPENING
• Doug, Julie, Maggie, Abby, Jeremy, Melissa, Shawn, and Laura all stand by Alice’s side. Mike and Kayla tell the Horton’s that Alice remains stable. She suffered sever burns, smoke inhalation that led to breathing troubles for Alice while she was sleeping. She could not breathe for several minutes, and as a result, remains unconscious. The doctors warn that Alice may awaken with some minor brain damage. The Horton’s continue to pray at her side.
• Bo, Roman, Steve, and John brainstorm at the Police Station. They now have evidence that the fire was arson.
• Greta recalls Celeste’s prediction that she was going to make love for the first time soon.
• Max and Abby have given Cassie a Christmas week free of pain and heartbreak, but now they agree the time is up, and Cassie must learn the truth – that Mabby is back together!
• Sami begs Austin to help her get off for killing Alan. He is reluctant because of all of the horrible things she has done, but he agrees. He asks Sami what she wants him to do. She shocks him by asking him to be her lawyer!
• Victor decides to throw an extravagant party at the Penthouse Grill on New Year’s Eve Night in order to raise funds to help the Horton’s rebuild their house and to pay for Alice and Mickey’s medical bills.
• Carrie is disturbed when she has a dream about Mike and Austin forcing her to choose between them!
• Bo, Roman, Steve, and John get eyewitness testimony from a neighbor that they saw someone lurking around the Horton yard, but since everything was so well lit with Christmas lights and since everyone was out and about for Midnight Mass, the neighbor did not see anything strange about the black-hooded figure. Bo, Roman, and John agree that the sadistic nature of the fire sounds like it matches the demeanor of Marlena/Tony during the Salem Serial “Killings.”
• Frankie continues to comfort Melissa over Jennifer’s death, her father’s (Mickey’s) heart attack, and Alice’s attack. Greta seeks comfort in Eric once again. Greta realizes that she loves Frankie, but she recalls how Frankie got her a lavish gift for Christmas that took her breath away while Eric got her one that was sentimental and tugged at her heartstrings. She realizes also that Eric is always there for her. She remains torn! Meanwhile, Frankie tells Melissa nothing more than friendship can happen between them.
• Megan and Jan discuss Jan’s deepening feelings for Jeremy. Megan is shocked that Jan is over Shawn! Jan says that something about Jeremy really gets to her.
• Meanwhile, Cassie goes above and beyond to try and convince Jeremy beyond a shadow of a doubt that Max is the father of her unborn baby and NOT Jeremy!
• Shawn and Belle cannot wait to ring in 2007 together.
• Bo, Doug, and Julie begin to worry about Hope’s whereabouts.
• While Bo is too busy investigating the case to spend time with Billie, she finds herself growing closer and closer to Jack!
• Celeste tells the police on the telephone that she is on the verge of seeing the attempted killer’s face! But Roman, Bo, Steve, and John realize they can’t base anything off of Celeste’s predictions.
• Eric feels like he is moments away from landing Greta’s heart once again, but he gets a flash back of making love to a woman the night he got drunk. He realizes that he is starting to remember the night he blacked out. Eric is devastated when he realizes he has not been loyal to Greta.
• Victor hits pay dirt when his private investigator FINALLY uncovers the truth about Kate! The Private Investigator hands Victor a thick file on Kate.
• Austin tells Sami that he is not an attorney and knows nothing about law. Sami tells Austin that with Mickey being in the hospital and Frankie turning his back on her because of what she’s done to Carrie, she has no one. She can’t afford anyone! Sami says Austin is smart and can get a defense together for her if he researches it, well enough. Austin agrees. Carrie walks in and is enraged to learn that Austin is going to be defending Sami! She slaps Austin across the face and storms out.
• Bo, Roman, John, and Steve fear that they might be dealing with a copycat killer who is impersonating the Salem Serial Killer!
• Meanwhile, in a darkened room, a gloved hand holds an invitation to the New Year’s Eve Party at Titan! The mysterious assailant sticks a knife in the invitation and cuts the paper into shreds.