Connie made deadly plans for Gabi and Melinda; Days of our Lives Recap for Wednesday, September 18, 2024

At the DiMera mansion, a stunned Gabi asked Connie what she had meant. Connie flippantly replied that she had stabbed Gabi’s brother. As Connie wielded a knife, Gabi backed up and insisted that Everett had attacked Rafe. Connie stalked toward Gabi and coolly said that the police had only believed Everett—or Bobby, as Connie had known him—had snapped. When Gabi expressed disbelief, Connie added that Bobby had asked her to get rid of Rafe.

Connie further explained that she had sympathized with Bobby because she was a romantic herself. Gabi fidgeted with the phone in her pocket while she tried to placate Connie with compliments about what Connie had been willing to do in the name of love. After she managed to secretly call Stefan’s number with the phone, Gabi distracted Connie by asking why Connie had done Bobby’s “dirty work” for him. Connie responded that Bobby had threatened to “rat” her out if she did not comply with his demands. Connie then stunned Gabi once again by confessing to having killed Li.

Gabi firmly stated that even though she and Li had ended on bad terms, she had never wanted him dead. Realization dawned that she had gone to prison because of Connie’s crime, and Connie giddily bragged about how she had set Gabi up by having sent Gabi a text the night of the stabbing. Connie claimed that Gabi had “stupidly” walked into her trap that night and had just walked into another one. Gabi couldn’t understand why Connie hated her, as Gabi had believed they had gotten along well. Connie sneered that she had wanted Gabi to believe that but that she had hated Gabi for the way Gabi and Stefan had treated Li.

Gabi expressed confusion at how Connie had known Li, and Connie explained about her “magical blind date” with Li. She affirmed that she loved Li and that she blamed Gabi for Li’s inability to return her feelings. Connie called what had happened with Li an “accident,” and she defended that it had ultimately been Gabi’s fault. Connie proclaimed that it was time to “end this for good” and raised the knife. Gabi managed to sidestep Connie’s assault and pushed the other woman to the ground.

Gabi ran toward the door. Connie rose up, roared “you bitch!” and followed in pursuit. Later, Connie dragged an unconscious Gabi into a dark room. She chirped to someone that she had brought them company. The person was revealed to be Melinda, who was bandaged, gagged, and bound to a chair. Connie secured Gabi to a separate chair and then ungagged Melinda.

A visibly upset Melinda immediately asked Connie what she had done to Gabi and where Connie had taken them. Connie proudly declared that Gabi and Melinda were ensconced in the infamous DiMera mansion secret room. Connie said she had intended to kill Gabi, and Melinda hopefully inquired if Connie had changed her mind. To Melinda’s horror, Connie responded that it would be more convenient if she killed Gabi and Melinda at the same time.

Melinda frantically asked why Connie had not killed her at the apartment. Connie claimed that she had not wanted to ruin her and Li's home with violence. When Melinda snapped that Connie’s wishes had not stopped her from killing Li in the apartment, Connie grew irate and again blamed Melinda. Alarmed, Melinda flashed back to all the times Connie had threatened her. Melinda pleaded with Connie not to commit another murder.

Connie crossed her arms and mused that it would be easy to “kill two bitches with one stone.” Melinda contested that the police would eventually look in the secret room. Connie dismissed the idea and stated that by the time anyone found them, Gabi and Melinda would be “incinerated.” Melinda trembled in fear.

In Rafe’s hospital room, Rafe updated Roman about Jada’s suspicions of Gabi’s assistant, Connie. Rafe grew frustrated when he could not reach Gabi over the phone. He made a move to get out of bed, but Roman stopped him. Rafe struggled against Roman’s restraint and insisted that he needed to help his sister. Roman asked Rafe to stay put and to let Roman locate Gabi.

Later, Roman arrived at the mansion. He called out for Gabi, but no one answered and the room was apparently empty. Roman walked through the mansion and right past a bloody fire poker on the ground.

Jada and a police officer entered Connie’s apartment and spotted blood splatters. Jada instructed the officer to make a call to the crime scene unit. Once the officer stepped outside, Jada drew her gun and followed the blood trail. She ended up at the bedroom door and opened it, gun still drawn. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight of Li’s cardboard cutout tucked into the bed. The officer returned to the room, and he and Jada offered a simultaneous “What the hell?”

Jada realized that someone had likely been held captive because a piece of rope had been attached to the bedpost. She put on gloves and began examining the room. Once Jada perused the contents of a drawer, she discovered Melinda’s identification. She wondered aloud about Melinda’s whereabouts and called in an APB for both Connie and Melinda.

Later, Jada went to the hospital and told Rafe about her findings at Connie’s apartment. Rafe cracked that he hadn't had a cardboard cutout of Li on his "bingo card." He and Jada speculated that Connie had Melinda, and they theorized about where Connie might have taken her. Rafe and Jada grew more alarmed after Roman returned and told them about his lack of success in finding Gabi. When Rafe mentioned getting Stefan to help, Jada hesitantly informed him about Stefan and Gabi’s breakup.

In the mayor’s office, E.J. informed Paulina that Melinda had gone missing. Paulina was puzzled by the seeming vanishing act and vowed to track down Melinda. E.J. argued that Paulina trying to hire someone else for the D.A. job would cause unnecessary chaos and another scandal. Paulina reminded E.J. that he had blackmailed her into the position, but he defended that they had both gotten what they'd wanted. He also invoked his and Paulina’s status as in-laws.

Paulina chastised E.J. for playing the “family card” and stressed that if Stefan decided to talk, not even she could save E.J.’s “privileged, pompous ass.” E.J. attempted to threaten Paulina with another recall. When he realized the tactic was not working, he assured Paulina that he could handle his brother.

Later, Paulina made her way to Connie’s apartment. She was disturbed by the crime scene and talked with the officer, who informed her that Melinda was missing, apparently at Connie’s hands. Paulina went into the bedroom and gasped when she saw the cardboard cutout. She incredulously asked the officer what the cutout was doing in the bed. The officer responded that, in his professional assessment, Connie was “out of her mind.” Paulina shot him a look and nodded in agreement.

At the Brady Pub, Stefan insisted to a skeptical Ava that he and Gabi were over. He considered Gabi having slept with E.J. “appalling,” “disgusting,” and “a deal-breaker.” Ava challenged Stefan about what he would do if Gabi came up to him and begged his forgiveness. He reiterated that he would not forgive Gabi. Just then, he received a call from Gabi but chose not to answer it, as he believed she wanted to needle him again about sleeping with E.J.

Stefan continued his pitch to Ava for taking the Bistro job. Ava eventually accepted and left the pub with Stefan, after asking another waitress to work her tables. With a smile, Stefan declared, “The future awaits.”

Later, Stefan and Ava sat down for drinks at the Bistro. She worried about Gabi’s reaction. Stefan claimed he didn’t care about Gabi and proclaimed her “dead to me,” but Ava was unconvinced. She invoked her failed relationships with Rafe and Harris and let Stefan know that she didn’t want to be “put out on my ass again” when he and Gabi reconciled. Their conversation was interrupted when E.J. strode through the door. E.J. walked up to Ava and Stefan and snarked that their celebration was “premature.”

E.J. filled Ava in on Stefan’s attempts to get him arrested. Stefan countered that he’d only spoken the truth. As the argument escalated, Stefan brought up Gabi’s claim that she had slept with E.J. again. E.J. seemed puzzled at first but remembered his and Gabi’s encounter earlier that morning. He chuckled, and an angry Stefan challenged him to deny it.