Episode 539

Extended Summary

At the store, Alf is unimpressed by Adam’s display of tinned fish, complaining that it takes up too much room. Adam insists he hasn’t neglected the customers to do it but admits that he hasn’t restocked the shelves as Alf asked. Alf points out that the display means he can’t get to the fishing tackle and it doesn’t seem stable. Adam attempts to prove him wrong by poking it with a stick…and the whole thing collapses. At the Fletcher house, Pippa, Grant and Sophie are making Grant’s lentil burgers. Sophie goes in the shower. Pippa wonders how she’s getting on and Grant says she’s finding it frustrating because she can understand more than she can read. He gives Pippa some leaflets to help her. Pippa thanks him for spending so much of his own time helping Sophie. Grant says he likes students to reach their full potential, hence his wanting to persuade Paul and Lorraine. Steven, Viv and Sally come in arguing and explain to Pippa what’s happened. Viv is annoyed with Sally for not telling them where Tammy was earlier.

Adam is clearing up the tins at the store and Alf says he’ll want him in first thing at half past seven to restock the shelves. Ernie comes in and reminds Alf of his speech at the surf club. Alf realises he needs to set up and tells Adam he’ll have to finish the clearing up first thing. That night, at the surf club, Alf is meeting and greeting while Ernie wanders around chatting to people. Bobby turns up, keen to see what’s going on, and Alf tells her to keep quiet until question time. Bobby remarks on her own meeting being cancelled. Ernie defends Alf but Alf tells them both to pipe down.

Tammy is wandering through the darkened streets and hides when she hears a car coming. Don tells Steven and Viv he’s phoned Sergeant Hale and the police will start a search as soon as it’s light. Viv thinks it’s stupid since Tammy will only hide from the police but Don says it’s the best way to find her. Grant arrives and shows Don a poster he’s done for an amateur talent night to raise funds for the school, saying they can buy sailboards instead of hiring them. When he pushes Don for an answer, Don says no, since it’s obvious Grant’s only doing it to get Paul involved and he’s told him to stay out of it. Don heads out to the meeting. Viv grabs some torches and heads out to look for Tammy, roping Steven and Grant in to help her.

At the beach house, Matt serves Adam and Marilyn their food and tells Adam he’ll have to do the washing up since Matt made it. Adam protests he’s been working at the store all day but Marilyn says she’s been told she can’t do any work. Adam continues to dig his heels in until Marilyn gets too close to him and he agrees to stop her giving him chickenpox. Don arrives at the surf club as Ernie is nipping outside to get something from his car. He sits with Bobby at the back. Bobby is dispirited by the number of people who have turned up to see Alf. Although Don points out they might not vote for him, Bobby leaves. Alf has just begun his speech, talking about taking over from Rex and how he will represent the town’s views, when all the lights go out. Bobby is at home when Alf and Don arrive and tell her the meeting was cancelled because someone took the fuses from the surf club. Alf accuses Bobby but Don steps in and says it’s obvious they’re both too honourable to resort to dirty tricks so someone else must be responsible.

Adam finishes the washing up. Matt tells him it’ll be Matt’s turn to work at the store while Adam stays at home to look after Marilyn the next day. Adam dodges it, saying he already knows the ropes and Alf won’t want to train Matt up as well. He looks at Marilyn’s book of illnesses and jokes that her symptoms could be bubonic plague before heading to bed. Marilyn suggests she and Matt play Scrabble in the morning. Matt doesn’t look very enthusiastic. At the Fletcher house, Pippa is doing some sewing when Sally comes down. Sally knows that she should have told people about Tammy but she promised to help her. Pippa says it was more important to make sure Tammy was safe but Sally will know that next time. Sally is worried Tammy’s father will lock her in a cupboard again if he finds her and Pippa assures her that won’t happen. Out in the night, Tammy sits against a tree crying.

Marilyn looks through her book and satisfies herself that she hasn’t got bubonic plague, since she isn’t foaming at the mouth. She says it will serve Adam right if he wakes up covered in spots and grimaces at her reflection, expressing relief Lance didn’t see her like this. She heads up to bed. Matt notices her bottle of nail varnish and seems to have an idea.

Don tells Bobby she needs to handle people better, saying Alf’s more sensitive than people think. Bobby isn’t sure about Don’s idea someone is trying to sabotage both their campaigns, since there are no other candidates. Don accepts that’s a weakness. Steven and Viv return, having failed to find Tammy, and Steven says he’ll have to go home. As he and Viv go to the door, they run into Tammy arriving outside and Viv hugs her in relief. A short while later, Viv tells Don, Bobby and Steven that Tammy has been put to bed. Don has called the police and they’re happy for Tammy to stay overnight but he’ll have to call Child Welfare in the morning and Tammy will have to tell them what’s going on or they won’t have a chance. Viv is determined not to let Tammy go back to their father and says she’ll talk her into it.

Next morning, Adam gets up and Marilyn notices he is covered in spots. Matt quickly takes advantage of the situation to say he’ll cover the shift at the store and hurry out. Marilyn notes that Adam’s spots are the same colour as her nail varnish and Adam realises he’s been tricked. Marilyn offers to remove them with nail varnish remover then they can play Scrabble.

At the Fletcher house, Pippa tells Sally that Steven’s gone over to Viv’s. They’re both relieved that Tammy’s safe and Pippa assures Sally that if Tammy tells Welfare what her father did to her they won’t let him look after her. Sally wonders why Reverend Newton is so mean and Pippa says some people just are. Sally says she was lucky to get sent to Pippa and Tom and hopes Tammy finds someone just as nice. Steven arrives at Don’s place as Viv is getting Tammy breakfast. Don comes back in after ringing Child Welfare and tells Tammy that they won’t be able to stop Reverend Newton taking her back if she doesn’t tell the police and a social worker how he’s treated her. Tammy says her father said the Devil would take her if she talked to the police and begs them to hide her.

Grant goes to see Bobby at the Diner with his amateur night poster. He wants to advertise it even though Don said no, thinking that public opinion might change Don’s mind. Bobby suggests he change the location to the surf club so he’s not going over Don’s head. At the store, Alf is bemused at having yet another new assistant but agrees Matt works better than Adam. Bobby arrives and reminds him they couldn’t think of anyone who would want them both to look like idiots. She produces a poster saying that Ernie is running for council and rhetorically asks him if he’s got any idea who’s doing the dirt on them now. By the look on his face, Alf does.