On Days of Our Lives, reporter Leo Stark has landed in hot water after being caught snooping around a mysterious new lab at the hospital. EJ DiMera, alerted by his assistant Rita, now sees Leo as a threat to his secretive project. As November sweeps approach, Leo's curiosity could put his life at risk.
Incident Overview
Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart), the nosy reporter for the Salem Spectator, became suspicious during a hospital blackout when he rescued his former best friend Gwen Rizczech (Emily O’Brien) from a construction area in the basement. Intrigued by a secure room with unusual locks and heavy security—dismissed as mere storage—Leo returned to investigate, only to be confronted by Rita, EJ DiMera’s (Dan Feuerriegel) assistant. Leo's excuse of searching for a lost earbud failed to convince her, and Rita promptly informed EJ of the intrusion.
EJ's Response and Gwen's Role
Concerned about leaks, EJ orders Gwen to reconnect with Leo using their old nickname 'Matty' and invite him to lunch or dinner under the pretense of gratitude for saving her life. This sudden friendliness raises Leo's suspicions, given Gwen's recent hostility toward him over his affair with her ex-husband, Dimitri von Leuschner DiMera (Peter Porte). EJ aims for Gwen to probe Leo's knowledge and persuade him to drop the matter, while the lab's 'sketchy science project' hints at DiMera family trouble.
Potential Distractions and Escalating Peril
To further divert Leo, EJ may enlist his assistant Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord) to offer a tour of the clinic, excluding the secure room, and monitor his movements. Hospital PR rep Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) could also be involved in damage control, especially after EJ's electrician caused the blackout and shifted blame to the city's infrastructure. Leo confides in editor Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn), who dismisses his fears, unaware of the lab's dangers.
As tensions build, Leo's crossing of a DiMera could lead to him becoming a target or even a 'guinea pig' in EJ's experiments. He shares his concerns with Javi Hernandez (Al Calderon), potentially alerting others if he goes missing during November sweeps.