Episode 484

Extended Summary

At the Diner, Martin gripes to Andrew about his breaking confidentiality and getting him into trouble but is cut short when Marilyn arrives and gives him a serve for lying. Fisher also appears and asks Ailsa if she’s seen Bobby. Ailsa says Bobby finished at lunchtime. Fisher explains Bobby went off for a picnic with Matt but he’s worried; Bobby isn’t really the picnic type and she’s not back. Ailsa says they’re probably just staying over somewhere. At the shack, Bobby, Matt and Sophie are sat on the floor while Al stands over them, brandishing a piece of wood. He still denies killing Shane but Bobby and Matt argue he wouldn’t have stolen the comic or taken them prisoner if he didn’t have anything to hide. Al says it was an accident, he was out shooting rabbits. Sophie is shocked by the confession and Matt and Bobby ask him why he let Fisher think he was responsible instead of owning up. Al says the police would have locked him up anyway.

In their caravan, Ben is getting dressed up for the disco and Dave realises he’s keen on Carly. Ben checks that Dave will give the two of them some space once they get there and Dave insists he’ll quickly find a girl of his own…then asks to borrow a shirt off Ben. Up at the house, Lance is trying to repair the vase with super glue but realises he’s stuck a piece on wrong. Tom tells him it doesn’t matter but Sally says Pippa loves the vase. When Lance suggests breaking it again so he can put it back together right, Tom quickly takes it off him and suggests they go to the store and ask Alf for some fly paper. Sally has already picked out their champion frog, Lily, who she’s keeping in her bag. As Lance and Sally leave, Carly comes in, also dressed up. She tells Tom she’s going out with Ben and Dave. Tom is slightly concerned, since he knows about soldiers on leave from experience.

At the store, Lance and Sally ask Celia about fly paper. She points out no-one uses it anymore, they use fly spray, but Lance says they don’t want to damage the environment. Celia keeps hearing a croaking coming from Sally’s bag but Sally and Lance pretend they don’t hear anything. Celia goes out the back to check some stock from the old store. Ailsa, who has been gathering groceries nearby, asks Lance and Sally what’s going on. Sally shows her Lily, explaining she’s a champion jumper…which she proves by jumping out of the bag. When Celia returns with the fly paper, Sally, Lance and Ailsa are crawling around on the floor looking for Lily. Sally claims she dropped a coin. Ailsa notices Lily sitting on one of the avocados Celia is unpacking. As Celia grabs the fruit, she notices Lily and shrieks, running into the back.

Tom gives Carly, Ben and Dave some ground rules as they’re going out: home by midnight, no drinking or dangerous driving. As they leave, Fisher turns up and asks Tom if he’s heard from Bobby. He thinks she and Matt have gone after Al. Tom asks if Fisher thinks Al killed Shane and Fisher can’t dismiss the possibility. He thinks they should go to Charonion’s Beach where Matt said they were going. Tom thinks they should call the police but Fisher is worried Bobby and Martin will be charged with harassing a witness. Tom persuades him to wait until morning before going down there. After Fisher has left, he calls Hunt.

Ben puts a drunk and unconscious Dave to bed in the caravan and apologises to Carly that their night had to end. Carly suggests they go for a walk together but Ben feels he has a responsibility to keep an eye on Dave, since he has a tendency to wake up and wander off. He invites Carly to stay for a coffee but she decides to head back to the house.

Next morning, Matt tries to open the door to the shack but finds it locked. He thinks he should hide behind the door and hit Al when he returns but Bobby is worried he’ll take it out on Sophie, who’s still asleep. Al comes back in, having had a shave in the sea, and tells Sophie they’re leaving. Bobby tries to convince him to take the money but leave Sophie. Al isn’t in a mood to deal, however. He takes out a lighter and sets fire to the comic despite Bobby and Matt’s attempts to stop him. Back in town, Tom calls Fisher to ask for news and arranges to meet him. Outside, Marilyn and Martin chase Lance and Sally out of the mobile home, refusing to have either Lily or the fly paper in there. Tom calls to them that he’s going out. Lance suggests to Sally that they hang the fly paper up in the house, since it was Tom’s idea.

At the shack, Al is preparing to leave with Sophie, intending to leave Bobby and Matt tied up, when Fisher arrives. Bobby and Matt tell him that Al admitted to killing Shane. Fisher tells him he’ll probably face charges for abducting Bobby and Matt, as well as failing to turn up in court. Al says he was just lying low because people were harassing him and Sophie. Bobby asks Sophie to confirm Al’s confession. Al tries to threaten her but Fisher promises her no-one will hurt her and Sophie admits he said it. Al moves towards her but Matt stops him. Fisher asks him if he’s still going to testify that Fisher killed Shane and Al says he is: They’ve got no proof and whatever he’s said it’s their word against his, it doesn’t matter that he admits to killing Shane. At that point, Tom and Hunt enter and Hunt notes the magistrate will agree. Al realises he’s messed up and scowls.

Soon after, Tom, Fisher , Bobby, Matt and Sophie have decamped to Fisher ’s place. Tom is on the phone to West and tells everyone it’s agreed that Sophie can stay with them until a permanent home is found for her. Bobby tries to reassure Sophie she’ll be all right with Tom. Sophie asks what will happen to Al and Tom says he’s in custody and will probably be charged with manslaughter. Sophie points out that Al said it was an accident and Fisher tells her it’ll be sorted out in court. Tom and Sophie leave. Fisher apologises to Matt and Bobby for telling them to stay out of it, thanking them for clearing his name. Matt also leaves and Fisher breathes a sigh of relief that it’s finally over, wishing he’d done the right thing when he had the chance. Bobby says it’s nice to know he’s human like the rest of them.

Dave wakes up in the caravan with little memory of the previous night. He wonders if he’s met a rich and beautiful woman who’s on her way to pick him up and asks Ben how far he got with Carly. Ben is annoyed with Dave for getting drunk and storms out. Up at the house, Sally balances on Lance’s back and hangs up the fly paper. Ben arrives, saying he wanted to give Tom some rent money, but admits that was just an excuse to see Carly. He apologises for the previous night and asks her out to dinner. Carly asks if Dave will be joining them and Ben jokes that he can do but he’d rather it was just the two of them. Carly agrees for him to pick her up around seven.

At home, Fisher is fretting, worrying that “she” hasn’t turned up and might not want to come back. He is cut short when Viv comes in with a suitcase. Bobby hugs her and welcomes her back. Fisher asks if she’s had second thoughts but Viv tells him they’re stuck with her. They all hug each other in delight.