AT MAISON BLANCHE:

“So why not just tell E.J. this?” Lexie said. “He has just as much reason to hate my father for this as Tony does.”

“Because E.J. doesn’t remember,” Sami said. “You’ve seen the way he adores Stefano, thinks he can do no wrong. He won’t believe me. And even if he did, Rolf would just zap him again and make him forget everything I told him and I’d be even worse off.”

Lexie paused to contemplate what Sami was telling her.

“Is there stuff about me in there?” Lexie said. “Stuff about my mother?”

“Not in this one,” Sami said handing her the diary so Lexie could thumb through the pages looking it over. “I mean in that trunk upstairs there’s a whole bunch of diaries and letters and pictures and all kinds of stuff about your mom and John and Hope and Steve all of Stefano’s victims over the years… but that’s not important. What needs to happen right now is you calling Tony and telling him about this so he can call this whole thing off and we can go home. He’ll confront Stefano totally outraged and after that my baby’s umbilical cord blood and your medical services will no longer be needed because we’ll all just leave the monster here to die.”

Lexie looked up from the book, slammed it shut and glared.

“Sami, don’t forget that monster you are referring to is still my father,” Lexie said.

“But after all this, you can’t still care about him, can you?” Sami said. “I mean this diary just shows the world would be a much better place if he just died.”

“The same can be said for you after all the horrible things you’ve done to people over the years, so get off your soapbox, Sami,” Lexie said clutching the diary with her arms. “I’m not calling Tony. My father’s health is too fragile right now to have anything upset him.”

“But Lexie… you can’t. You can’t do this,” Sami said reaching out for the diary while Lexie held it just out of her grasp. “I know you hate me. But I never knew the hatred you had for E.J. And Tony?”

IN AN ALLEY OUTSIDE MYTHIC:

“You really believe that?” Celeste asked. “After all the years Sami had spent fighting for you, trying to win your heart, trying just to get through one wedding ceremony, you think that once she finally got married she was just going to give it up on a whim and throw it all away for some affair?”

“It wasn’t just that Celeste,” Lucas said. “E.J. is the father of her child. Sami said so in her letter. That’s why she had been so secretive all that time.”

“Well if she is carrying a DiMera child that would explain why the spirits say it is Stefano who holds her captive,” Celeste said.

“Stefano? If that’s the case then they could be anywhere,” Lucas said. “I mean it’s been months since our honeymoon in New Orleans and that night in the mansion when...”

“Did you say New Orleans? Mansion?” Celeste asked as her mind churned. “Of course…”

“Yeah, I know. Pretty ridiculous they sent us to help fix up a mansion that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, right?” Lucas said with a chuckle. “I don’t know what that charity was thinking sending us to rehab that spooky old place, but…”

“We have to go there. Now,” Celeste said.

“Go where?”

“Maison Blanche.”

“Maison what?”

“Maison Blanche. I don’t have time to explain that now. There will be time to fill you in on the plane,” Celeste said.

“Well, I can’t just up and leave… I mean… I just got to work…” Lucas said.

Celeste slid down her sunglasses with her index finger to eye Lucas skeptically and take in his disheveled visage.

“Is that beer I smell on your breath?” Celeste asked. “Are you drunk?”

“No, I’m not drunk. I may have had a beer, one beer, for lunch, but… but… but I think you’re the one who’s totally plastered if you think your spirits are going to lead us to Sami and Lexie,” Lucas said.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out if the spirits are telling the truth,” Celeste said. “Come on. Let’s see if I’m right. If you love Sami, you will fight for her. What do you have to lose if I’m wrong?”

“Nothing,” Lucas said flatly. “I have nothing to lose. OK. I’ll go with you. We’ll go back to the mansion. Just give me an hour.”

“I’ll be back here in 30 minutes with our plane tickets,” Celeste said. “And don’t tell Tony where you’re going. For all we know he could be mixed up in this.”