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It looks like we’ve finally gotten to the bottom of Days of Our Lives’ DiMera kidnappings. Peter didn’t just snap suddenly and decide to off his entire family — he had someone likely egging him on the entire way. Back in those distant days in the crypt (you know, a month and a half ago), Peter laid out his whole scheme to his befuddled siblings.

He claimed that the whole thing kicked off when he checked in on Stefan and discovered he’d died. All the DiMeras, he realized, should die, and feeling inspired by Vivian’s penchant for burying her enemies alive, he decided to toss them into the crypt together before killing them.

After Wednesday’s Days of Our Lives episode, though, we know that he wasn’t just inspired by Vivian; he was working with her. It was her scar-faced henchman who hired Liam and set up the DiMeras’ kidnappings. And she was the one monitoring it all in Alamainia. (Which also gave her the perfect opportunity to frame Dimitri for Gwen.) And if Peter wasn’t even being truthful about Vivian’s involvement, what else was he lying about?

Our guess is Stefan.

Peter probably did track Stefan down to Vivian’s and found him very much alive, and very much a captive. Vivian spun quite the yarn to Rafe and Eli about Dimitri forcing his way into her home and taking advantage of her broken heart as Stefan died of his literal failing heart. She claims she booted him out once Stefan was dead and gone and played the grieving mother, but the second the FBI agents’ eyes weren’t on her, it was clearly all an act.

We know Vivian wasn’t grieving then, because Dimitri was never in her home, and it certainly didn’t seem like she was grieving now. And that makes us certain that Stefan is still alive and well out there. Vivian seems pretty confident that the DNA results from exhuming Stefan’s body will prove she’s telling the truth about his death. But that’s easy enough to fake when a twin is involved! All she’d need to do was get her hands on Jake’s body and bury it instead of Stefan’s. Identical twins don’t always have exactly the same DNA, but it would probably be good enough to be convince authorities.

Granted, Jake died years ago at this point and, to be a bit morbid, his body would be a whole lot further along in decomposition than Stefan’s would. But if it was preserved in some way (thanks to Rolf, for instance), Vivian could get away with it without a problem.

And to top it all off, Rafe and Eli talked to Vivian’s former employee, who was shocked to hear Stefan had died. He’d seemed perfectly fine when she was last in Madame’s mansion — other than being held there against his will, of course. But she shared enough for Rafe to realize that Stefan had been kidnapped against his will by Vivian to keep him from Gabi. And if he’s still alive, then he’s still married to her, because his signature was forged on the divorce papers.

You don’t make this big a deal out of whether someone is dead or alive unless you plan on bringing them back. And this return would set up one heck of a mess, as Theo’s pining Gabi, who’s dating Philip, but who could soon still be technically married to Stefan. And if Lexie, too, were to come back… Hey, hey, the DiMera gang’s all here. (Sorry Jake, only one twin counts at a time.)

Get a look at what’s coming in the month ahead with our February Sweeps preview and predictions photo gallery below!