That's it. He turns. He grabs her by the heck and drags her upstairs. He throws Michelle to the floor and Leanne fights to get by him with a well placed kick. She nearly does but he grabs her foot and she tumbles down the stairs and lies there, bleeding. Michelle fights Will off and runs through the upstairs, managing to lock herself in the loo. He breaks down the door. Outside Steve is waiting for the police. Will is delusional, insisting there can still be an "Us". Steve comes in and punches Will really hard and leads her out, finding Leanne at the landing and acting like he didn't know she was there though he'd have had to jump over her body on the way upstairs.
At the police station, Michelle makes her statement. The detective does have the grace to apologize even though they didn't have enough evidence before to charge Will. Michelle is touched that Steve stayed to take her home. He tells her Leanne is ok but they're keeping her in overnight. Michelle says Will is going to be charged and makes sure Steve knows to tell Leanne the next day that he's staying put behind bars. Michelle commiserates with Robert and she thinks she can help get him out of prison due to circumstances. But he's right, he did attack someone even if it was the wrong guy. Looks like all is right with their world, though.
Leanne is out of the hospital and isn't going to be charged with break and entering and she's feeling very guilty. She thinks she put herself in great danger and she's a terrible mother. She wants a simple life for her and her kids. Robert is asking Michelle to be the business partner at the Bistro and they want Leanne to come back to work as manager. She says she needs to get away for awhile and clear her head.
Sinead, Gina and Kirk join the band of workers who relay the possibility that Eva knows something but nobody wants to ask her. Todd and Adam come into the pub and finally the workers confront Eva about the factory. She doesn't give them a straight answer at first and some leave but she tells Sean she had nothing to do with the factory breakin. Adam reminds them all it will be slander if they tell people she was the one behind it. Todd is suspicious that Adam might be more involved than he's letting on.
Outside Aidan sees Maria who wants to avoid him but doesn't. She offers him a shoulder to cry on, against her better judgement. He feels bad he's hurt so many people. She thinks he'll get everything sorted in time and admits she doesn't hate him. He moves in for a snuggle and she knows he's trying to implement a back up plan since he's not got Eva anymore and she tells him to do one.
When Johnny and Jenny come in, Eva tries to serve them but Jenny gives her a mouthful. Eva slinks to the back room, Adam defends her and Toyah serves J&J herself. Todd asks Adam what this all has to do with him and Toyah has overheard the question as well.
Eva's not looking her usual glamourous self, I notice. Dark colours, hair tied back, not a lot of makeup. I think she's trying to keep as low a profile as she can because even if everyone can't prove she had a hand in the downfall of the factory, the suspicions are swirling all around her. She and Sean are at each other's throats and Toyah doesn't seem to be able to steer them to a reconciliation with her councillor conflict management techniques. It wasn't working and Liz couldn't stand by any longer. Metaphorically, she told them to suck it up and get on with it and keep their feelings out of it while they're at work.
Moira's heartbroken. Liz advises her to get rid of him. She tries to pull herself together and goes back to work. Later, Liz relaxes at home with a glass of wine when the buzzer sounds. It's Moira with her bags. She's left her husband and is happy sleeping on the sofa, thank you very much. After all, Moira points out, leaving Stewart was all Liz's idea. what can she say after that? She seems to have no regrets leaving Stewart either even if Steve is thrown down hints about forgiveness. She's got her feet firmly under the table and has taken it on herself to rearrange and sanitize the food storage areas, much to Steve's chagrin.
Liz decided to quit the medical centre and didn't tell Moira beforehand. I guess Moira's idea of them being BFFs isn't quite how it is. The reason she jacked in her job is due to that note she got about "all is forgiven" and she accepted Toyah's offer of a job. A job offer that Toyah knew nothing about. Peter didn't know either. Turns out the note was meant for Steve to un-bar him, i.e. "come back we miss you" but it wasn't addressed to Steve specifically so naturally, after sorting out a pub problem, Liz thought it was for her. Peter's not finding it easy to figure out the words. Toyah had to do it in the end, or at least try. She couldn't break Liz's heart but I don't think it's going to go well, do you?
Sean wasn't long finding out that there was an opening at the medical centre. He snapped up that job quickly, obviously not letting any of the other recently unemployed factory workers about it, you know, the ones that don't have a second job to fall back on like he does?
Colin is still schmoozing Norris over the sale of the Kabin. As he's supposed to be a temporary character, I don't think the sale will go through in the end but it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. In any case, Colin is driving Norris mad with boredom with his wittering on and on. In the Kabin, in the pub, he follows him around.
Rita seems intent on spending all her money since you can't take it with you. She is meeting with the doctor tomorrow and seems to be quite sure the outcome isn't going to be good. She's offering Gemma a shopping trip and a splash up lunch. She does have a doctor's appointment ahead of further investigation tomorrow, so she says and she's acting like it's all ok.
Bethany tells Audrey she wishes she had the courage to confront Nathan in court instead of by video link and worries that the jury won't believe her. Later on, Craig comes in the salon, having been summoned. She needs a guinea pig. For a manicure. Craig goes home with long acrylic nails painted all colours. His family tease him and he explains that he helped Bethany practice. They all urge him to ask her out but he doesn't think Bethany's interested in him. They push more so he says he'll ask her to get them off his back. Bethany thanks Audrey for helping but we can tell she's being watched by someone across the road.
There's less than a week before the trial date. Bethany is clearly a bundle of nerves. Craig has taken on advice and made a reservation for two at the Bistro. In the salon, Bethany is already making waves, encouraging discounts to build up her clientele and trying to modernise things. Craig comes in and asks her to lunch, on him, to celebrate her new job. Audrey and Sarah are delighted!
But Bethany is sidetracked. Remember we thought someone was watching her? It was Mel and she is in a state. Bethany wants her to testify but she's afraid for her life. Poor Craig waits in vain in the Bistro. We get a bit more insight into Mel and Nathan's relationship and it wasn't pretty. She seems to have gained Bethany's sympathy, at least even if Sarah doesn't trust her. It does sound like Mel wouldn't be much help to Bethany's case considering all the things she's done. She might be able to corroborate but she'd be a very unreliable witness, too. She still doesn't really see Nathan for what he is. She still is on his side, at least partly, even though she says she doesn't know how to break free of Nathan. Or so she says.
Poor Craig is all at sixes and sevens, worried and fretting about Bethany. Kirk reckons Bethany just needs a friend at the moment. He goes to see her but when he sees Mel they both freak out. She gets Craig to promise not to say anything but he doesn't like it. Bethany and Sarah meet with the detective who gives all the options for testifying, whatever makes Bethany the most comfortable is going to be the best option for giving her testimony. Mel didn't do a runner and she starts preying on Bethany's fears.
We reach the day of the trial. Nathan really pours it on with Mel, promising her the world and all her wildest domestic dreams. She asks him if he loves her and he does a quick step and a huge avoidance complete with a bit of passive aggressiveness before getting gentle and telling her she's the only one for him. You and me always, baby. As long as she stops Bethany from getting to court. His control over her is complete in spite of her occasionally showing cracks in the facade when she seems to be nearly convinced by Bethany but she's going to do as ordered. She pretends she will go to the police and make a statement and insists Bethany come with her but only Bethany, nobody else, getting very nervous when Sarah offers to drive them in Audrey's car.
Audrey's car still gets used (I think it's Audrey's car, whose else could it be?) because Mel drives them off after Craig checks up on Bethany. but she drives to a deserted area by a rail track and attacks the younger girl, threatening her with a crowbar and dragging her off.
The next thing we hear is that the trial start is delayed because the Judge was on a train that's been delayed because of a fatality on the train line. Sarah paces at the courthouse waiting for Bethany. Where is she? Craig is with the police that are attending the incident and they show him a woman's necklace and it looks very much like Bethany's. Surely his heart drops but we viewers know that Nathan gave the same necklace to every one of his girls and women. Is it Mel's or Bethany's? Did she and Bethany fight, with Mel ending up dead? Craig comes back from viewing the teenage body and vomits. Oh dear.
No, Mel apparently dragged Bethany into a deserted shack and was keeping her there. Bethany tried to get her to see that Nathan kept her with him, not because he loves her but to use her to keep all the other girls in line and make them feel safe, reel them in. Mel has Bethany's phone and keeps rejecting calls from Craig. She won't hear Bethany, she's determined that Nathan will always take care of her. Bethany's tearful attempts at getting through to her seem like they might be working in spite of Mel's denials. Maybe she's crumbling. She finally listens to one of Craig's messages. The dead girl was Lara, the 14 year old Bethany tried to get to testify against Nathan. It looks like she jumped in front of the train and killed herself. Mel's resolve seems to crack. She pulls Bethany out of the shack, saying "This wasn't supposed to happen".
In other Platt news, Gary arrives home, much to Sarah's delight. He's come home to support Bethany and Sarah during the trial. He does look a bit uncomfortable when Nicola comes into the cafe and is a bit short tempered. Nicola is still hurting from her breakup with her boyfriend but it's nice to see that Seb seems to be sorting himself out. I'd say Nicola is in a vulnerable place and that might not be a good thing, for soap purposes. Gary is getting grief from his mother, too, because she saw his latest round of bruises that he'd been hiding and even though he tried to lie his way out of it, Anna knew darn well it was job related. She's not having it but Gary, even while admitting there are risks, insists he knows what he's doing. Uh huh.
Gary lashed out at Craig who was asking after Bethany and then wasn't happy that Sarah blew him off so that they could keep Mel on board and try to win her trust. In the mood and state Gary's been in, he didn't take it well.
Nicola is still struggling post-breakup and is in a vulnerable state of mind. Enter Gary, equally unravelled. Nicola tried to talk to Gary but he was really defensive, very defensive and he's keeping his distance from Sarah due to the bruises. It puts Anna on the spot having to lie for his whereabouts. I think Gary's definitely showing signs of his PTSD and Anna's right to be worried. Gary's answer? Buy Sarah an eternity ring. At least he apologized to Craig for snapping at him. He also apologized, almost groveled to Sarah and invited her out to dinner.
But he hasn't really settled down and is still quite volatile. He got snippy with the lads after a darts game when they wouldn't play for money and Sarah suggested he calm down. That only set him off. A conversation in the smoking yard lit the fuse. Gary shuts down. Sarah is frantic. Nicola finds him hiding in the ginnel after her aborted attempt and helping Summer with her project. Vulnerable woman, wine, petulant car crash of a man. Volatile combination. They share stories of their pasts, ups and downs. The inevitable happens and they both regret it instantly. And my guess is, after an accidental one night stand, a further inevitable is going to happen. It's soap law. He runs back to Sarah and finally told her about the job risks and the nightmares. He does love her, though. But the answer to her question of whether he was with someone last night was true. No. it wasn't last night, it was about 45 minutes ago.
Gary and Nicola cross paths in the cafe a few days later and he apologizes for being a bit of a twit the other day. Love 'em and leave 'em Windass. He makes sure she knows he loves Sarah and that's who is important in his life. Nicola also regrets what happened between them and will keep their dirty little secret.
Anna's handing Seb cafe leftovers, I see. All is forgiven. Except for deadly looks when Phelan looks in to hurry Seb along. Andy is still in the basement. Andy's been thinking. He's decided he could be released and commit a crime. Then he and Phelan have something on each other. Andy's idea is to go after someone like Nathan and that would be a replacement for him in the cellar. Phelan laughs. You've got to be kidding! Not gonna happen. Desperation isn't pretty. Andy isn't going to convince Phelan that mutual blackmail keeps them both out of trouble, with someone to replace Andy in the cellar. Too many complications. But Phelan can't go on keeping Andy indefinitely, either. The thing it does do is make Phelan realize it.
Anna is still looking out for Seb and his siblings secretly, supplying them with groceries, washing bedsheets and lying to Faye about it. Seb doesn't tell Faye, either, not wanting his home life to be public even to someone that's supposedly his girlfriend. Anna takes the groceries and supplies to Seb's mother Abi who looks a bit bedraggled and in the kitchen she hides a flask of booze in her dressing gown pocket before coming back to the lounge. She heads upstairs for a nap while Anna is there but Anna sees the bottle and gives her a hard time for drinking while looking after her kids. Like water off a duck's back, criticism to this woman. It helps her sleep, that's all. Anna is shocked at her behaviour.
She later gives Abi a mouthful of grief about her lifestle but Abi is unrepentant. Seb gets home and shows concern for the children. After Abi decides a bath is in order, Seb tells Anna that his mother is or was a heroin addict and he's seen her dealer hanging around. He's scared she's not going to stay clean. Oh, great.
Todd is investigating the business accounts and they don't add up yet new furniture is arriving for the office. Adam says the money came from a payment owed to him from his Canada days. But Todd called the office Adam mentioned and they don't trust him as far as they can throw him. so where did the money come from? Well, we know but Todd doesn't. And where's Rosie? Why wasn't she on duty as tea girl? Todd figured out that Adam had a hand in the factory downfall. Bingo! Adam claims he was helping Eva and the cash was a bonus. Todd's devious enough not to turn him in. Todd does tell Billy what he discovered.
Todd and Billy discover that Summer could spend a Friday evening with Nicola for her Religious Education project. Summer looks less than impressed. Nicola was game but Summer really didn't want to be there. Perhaps that project was just a lie or an excuse for something else? Whatever it was, she ended up cutting herself and needing stitches which cut that short.
Jackie, the surrogate, is being implanted with all the necessaries. Will it work? No way to know yet. Steve still seems to harbour a bit of anger towards Peter. It's worse after Peter and Toyah send Liz a lovely note after she sorted out the staffing aggro. I see Toyah's name on her own is over the door. Steve and Michelle had theirs together. Peter doesn't have a criminal conviction does he? Oh yes, he does have that bigamy thing and probably not enough time has passed.
Apparently, Rana is still all out of sorts and Zeedan thinks it's all about her falling out with Kate. Sounds like Imogen is very fond of Kate, texting her a lot and Zeedan is trying to help make peace between Rana and Kate. Doesn't sound like either one is budging. Alya has a plan. A dinner party with all the Friends. Tensions rise. One is just as bad as the other. It goes ok for awhile but kicks off again. But a drunken Rana's apologies are not accepted.
Unemployment is not good and all the factory girls are getting bored. They spend their time drinking tap water in the pub or watching daytime tv. Fiz comes up with an idea of making head scarves for children out of fun patterned material. Sounds like a good idea. Alya suggests setting up one of those online crowd funding schemes to raise money for the supplies. Apparently if you don't meet your target, you get nothing. Sounds like a good idea but when Eva offers to donate on Beth's suggestion,Adam sticks an oar in where it doesn't belong, accusing them of bullying Eva.
Daniel is apparently working part time for the newspaper as a freelance journalist but he's not having much luck. Freelance means you find your own work so why is he complaining that the editor isn't giving him any assignments? Anyway, in the cafe, Phelan overhears Daniel moan and mentions about a former Bistro worker that wrote vampire fiction. How does he know that? Oops! He offers the excuse that he was his landlord. Doesn't really follow but Daniel seems to have accepted it. Later, he overhears Yasmeen make a caustic remark to Phelan about the development scam and his "mate" Vinny. Daniel finds out more detail from Zeedan. Looks like his curiosity is piqued and he might just follow that thread a bit and see where it takes him. That does not bode well.
Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter
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