Previously
- Finn runs down Xanthe in Elly's car
- David tells Sheila and Gary that Xanthe has been placed in an induced coma
- Gary tells Sheila that if Xanthe dies knowing Sheila didn't believe in her, 'that's the bed you made'
- 'Patrick' tells Bea that he's visited Elly, who said Bea would be wasting her life on him
- Bea and 'Patrick' plan to get married in Maryborough; on the way, Bea decides it doesn't feel right
- Bea gets out of the car to walk away, but is surprised to see 'Patrick' get out and follow her
- Shane and Mishti wrongly identify Bea on the CCTV footage as Elly
- Mishti places Elly under arrest, and Gary emotionally accuses her of running down Xanthe
Erinsborough Hospital
The showdown between Gary and Elly continues, while Mishti, Sheila and Mark observe. Elly insists she didn't run over Xanthe, and asks Mishti to tell everyone what evidence she has for the arrest.
MISHTI: We have CCTV footage of you outside a service station in the national park, where the crash occurred. At the time you said you were at home.
ELLY: That's impossible!
MISHTI: And we have a witness who said he saw you outside Grease Monkeys.
Elly insists she didn't go to the national park until she got the emergency message from Bea, but an angry Gary thinks she's just covering. Mark volunteers to go and check the CCTV footage from Fitzgerald Motors to see whether Elly was in it. Gary says it's immaterial; the cameras at the service station already show she was at the scene, and he wants to see the footage.
David appears, to give Gary and Sheila an update on Xanthe's progress, and they go into a consultation room. David explains that Xanthe has sustained some brain damage, which is potentially serious - but there's too much inflammation to be sure. He says the important structures of the brain seem to have been preserved, though, so it's hopeful she'll recover.
An emotional Gary asks when Xanthe will wake up. David says that once the inflammation subsides, they'll take her off the anaesthetic that's keeping her comatose. Hopefully she'll begin to breathe on her own, and from there it could be hours or days - or she could stay in the coma indefinitely.
Erinsborough Police Station
Mishti shows Elly the footage from the service station. Elly insists it isn't her, and that she was at home marking.
MISHTI: Can you think of any other explanation for what we're seeing here?
ELLY: Maybe the date on the footage is wrong... I dunno, maybe it's Bea (...) everyone says that we look alike, and she was in the area. She sent me that message, remember!
MISHTI: But Bea doesn't dress like that. And yesterday, that's exactly what you were wearing. You also have a track record - running down Finn Kelly in Sydney.
Mishti recommends that Elly consider getting a lawyer. Elly begs Mishti to let her go and look for Bea so they can get some answers - but Mishti says Elly needs to be formally charged before she can go anywhere. She may also need surety for bail, so should call Karl and Susan.
Fitzgerald Motors
Mark is watching the footage from the CCTV, of the woman it's been suggested is Elly going into Grease Monkeys. He looks perplexed.
Erinsborough Hospital
Amy reports to Gary and Sheila that Karl and Susan have paid Elly's bail. Gary is angry about it, but Sheila says that won't help, and Amy agrees. Gary recalls that Elly has form running down Finn.
AMY: That's completely different.
GARY: Yeah! That scumbag survived, and my little girl could die!
Amy says she picked Elly up yesterday after her car was stolen, and if she'd hit someone, she would've been 'a basket case' and Amy would have noticed.
GARY: She'd probably had a few drinks! (...) Everybody knows she likes to put it away. School holidays - she'd probably gone on a bender!
AMY: I think she'd had a drink, but she wasn't drunk!
GARY: Oh, so she was drinking!
AMY: No, she was sober!
But Gary storms out of the room.
No 28
Elly arrives home with Karl and Susan, and thanks them for bailing her out. Susan assures her that the police will get to the bottom of things, but Elly isn't confident, given the perplexing evidence that has surfaced. Mark arrives to report on the CCTV footage.
MARK: Elly, I'm sorry, but - you're on there. In the clothes that you were wearing yesterday. Right outside Grease Monkeys.
ELLY: That can't be right!
MARK: Look, if there's anything that you want to say before I hand that footage over to the police, now's the time.
ELLY: I swear to you, that is not me.
MARK: Elly, Elly - I've covered up stuff in the past too. For Sonya, for Tyler. So I understand. But I also learned that nothing stays hidden - and now I wish I'd been honest. I want to give you that chance. If you need it.
ELLY: Mark - I may have done a stupid thing in the past (...) But I'm telling you that is not me!
Elly reiterates her theory that the woman on the footage might be Bea. This all started with Bea's text to her, which brought her out into the bush where her car was stolen. Now Bea isn't answering her calls, Elly explains - and something about this whole situation doesn't feel right. Mark suggests they go and check Bea's apartment, to see if she's there.
Apartment of Evil™
When the Kennedys, Mark and Elly arrive, the apartment seems to have been cleared out, and the car is missing. They search the place - we see the incriminating red top that Bea was wearing on the CCTV footage protruding from under a chair, but Karl doesn't look properly so it goes unnoticed. Elly is upset that Bea would leave without saying goodbye...
Harold's Café
Mark and Elly speak to Mishti. Elly explains she still can't get in touch with Bea, and shows her the text Bea sent to her saying 'please come, emergency' with the map of the national park. Mishti seems unconcerned that Bea's done a vanishing act, especially when Elly explains they'd had a disagreement - though notes that the situation with Bea's mystery boyfriend 'does seem odd'.
Mishti advises Elly to let her know if she hasn't heard anything from Bea by tonight. Mark tries to insist that Mishti should file a missing person report now - but at that moment, Gary comes in and starts having a go at Elly again.
GARY: Explain to me - who drives around drunk in a national park in the middle of the day?
ELLY: Excuse me?!
GARY: I heard about your wines. You thought you'd hide that from everyone, did you?
Mark says the tests showed Elly was under the limit, but Gary points out that she was tested quite some time after the accident, and reminds them that she also ran over Finn in Sydney. Mishti advises Gary to leave before he does or says something he'll regret.
GARY (to Elly): I hope you get what you deserve.
Gary leaves. Mark asks Elly if there's anyone who might know where Bea is.
No 32
On the patio, Mark and Elly are asking Yashvi about Bea, while Shane sits in. They impress upon her that Bea might be in danger; and Yashvi admits that Bea spoke to her about 'Patrick', who she thought 'sounded pretty controlling'.
YASHVI: Bea desperately wanted Patrick to meet you, and Karl, and Susan. But for whatever reason, he wouldn't. And she just put up with it - did whatever he wanted. And when she didn't, I think he got pretty aggro.
Yashvi also reveals that she knows about Bea's engagement to 'Patrick', and drops a bombshell.
YASHVI: They're going to elope.
Elly realises that this must be why Bea has left town. Yashvi says they were planning to get married at a church in Maryborough
No 28
Susan tells Karl she's been on the phone to Liz, Elly and Bea's mum - she hasn't heard from Bea, but it's no surprise, says Susan, as they aren't close. Karl admits he's having doubts about Elly's story that she was at home marking all day.
KARL: There's such compelling evidence putting her at the scene of the crime.
SUSAN: Well, that's what makes it even stranger. There's obviously something very dodgy going on.
KARL: Or maybe (...) Maybe she panicked. It happens. People stop thinking straight.
Susan is outraged, saying surely Karl doesn't believe Elly is guilty. At that moment, Elly and Mark come in with the news that Bea and Patrick were planning on eloping, and are headed for Maryborough. Susan offers to go off with Elly and look for her. Karl is about to come too, but still annoyed that he suspects Elly of lying, Susan tells him to stay put.
Elly and Susan leave, Elly telling Mark to hand the Grease Monkeys footage in to the police.
The Waterhole
Paul finds Amy at a table looking sad, and correctly guesses she's worried about Xanthe. What's more, Amy's upset about Elly's involvement - she tried to be a friend and defended her to Gary, but ended up making things worse.
PAUL: Oh, darling, you know what? Xanthe is going to be alright. She's a pretty tough little nut.
Paul can't see the Cannings holding Amy's support for Elly against her in the long run, either - but Amy says Gary was pretty angry. Paul says he's just in pain, and advises Amy to go back to the hospital and support them - they'll let her know when she can make things better.
A road somewhere
Susan and Elly are driving towards Maryborough. Elly's still trying to figure out what on earth's going on - why would Bea ask to meet her in the middle of the bush and then run off to get married? She's concerned that her boyfriend 'Patrick' may be forcing her into getting married. She's also worried that Bea had been deliberately dressed to look like her for the CCTV footage.
Susan spots Bea's car by the roadside ahead, and they pull over.
No 24
Mark is watching the footage of 'Elly' outside Grease Monkeys again, when Karl turns up. Mark thinks it makes sense that it could be Bea in the footage after all, and is looking for a detail that could confirm it.
KARL: You really believe in your heart of hearts that Elly's innocent?
MARK: I looked her in the eyes, Karl. She was telling the truth.
KARL: You don't think you're being blinded because she's your friend?
MARK: No, but clearly you have your doubts.
KARL: I don't want to! But I struggle to believe that's anyone else but Elly!
But Mark is determined that there's something else going on.
Erinsborough Hospital
Sheila is crying in the consultation room, when Amy arrives with teas and coffees.
AMY: Is there anything else I can do?
SHEILA: You could tell me that Xanthe's gonna be alright. Nobody can tell me that, can they? But you could help me pray for it.
AMY: Sheila, it's been a long time since I did that.
SHEILA: Yeah, me too. Last time I did it, I think I was wearing a miniskirt. But I've got nowhere else to turn. And I don't know - maybe it'll give me some comfort.
Sheila is now very tearful, so Amy goes along with it.
AMY: God - please shine your healing light on Xanthe. And watch over her. We ask you that you give her loved ones the strength to get through this difficult, difficult time.
They say a Hail Mary. Meanwhile, Gary is sitting in the waiting area on his own. Paul appears.
GARY: Just what I need.
PAUL: Yeah, yeah - let's do away with the aggro today, shall we?
Paul takes two plastic cups from the water cooler.
PAUL: Look, it's a given - you hate me, I hate you. That's never gonna change. That's okay.
Paul takes out a hip flask and begins to decant it into the cups, then sits beside Gary.
PAUL: Single malt. You need the best when you're dealing with the worst, you know that?
GARY: Why are you doing this?
PAUL: Because I've always been a fan of Xanthe's. The girl's got moxie, I'll give her that. And she's also a fighter, Gary. Come on, she's got this - and so do you.
He offers Gary a cup of whisky.
GARY: I'm not much of a whisky guy.
PAUL: No better time to become one.
Gary accepts, and toasts with Paul cautiously, before downing the whisky. Amy looks out of the consultation room and smiles to see them together.
The Bush™
Finn is lurking in the bushes by the road, as Elly and Susan examine the car - the stuff inside is definitely Bea's. Susan finds a suit-jacket which she assumes belongs to 'Patrick'.
ELLY: At least we know he actually exists.
They've called out Bea and Patrick's names but got no response, so Susan suggests they may have broken down and walked to the motel in Maryborough where they were planning to stay. Elly decides to call Mishti to update her, and Susan says they should call Mark and Karl too - but before they get a chance to do any of that, Finn stands on a twig in the bushes, and Elly hears it.
Elly rushes into the forest, followed by Susan, calling Bea's name. Soon enough she comes face-to-face with...
ELLY: Finn!
Shortly afterwards...
ELLY: What are you doing here?
FINN: I'm a free man now. I can be where I like.
ELLY: Where is my sister? Were you with her?
SUSAN: You're Patrick, aren't you?!
FINN: (smirks)
ELLY: Oh my god, you are! You've been with her this whole time! Where is she? What have you done with her?!
FINN: She's safe enough.
ELLY: Tell me where she is!
FINN: Just back there. Go look. She might be a little bit groggy, though. (smirking.) Tripped and took a knock to the head.
Elly tells Susan to go and find Bea, while she waits with Finn. Susan walks further into the bush.
ELLY: If you have hurt her...
FINN: Why would I hurt her, when she reminds me so much of you?
ELLY: You are - you are so sick. You have done this whole thing - I know you have.
FINN: You tried to run me over with a car once. Then you sent me off to jail. And Xanthe - now, Xanthe, she was always trouble. And now she's not. It's a pity Susan wasn't with her. But I guess she'll suffer soon enough now the MS trial's been cancelled. It only seems fair.
Meanwhile Susan, calling out Bea's name, finds an abandoned shipping container in the middle of the bush. She opens the door and finds Bea inside, lying on the floor in her wedding dress - she's bruised and groggy, but conscious. Susan shouts out to Elly to come and join them. Elly rushes away from Finn. He waits a second, then begins to follow her...
Elly and Susan rush back into the shipping container to try and help Bea, so they can take her to a hospital. The door closes behind them, and Finn slams on the bolts!
ELLY: Finn! Open the door!
Finn walks away from the shipping container in slow-motion, smirking. He loosens his tie - job done!
Coming up on Neighbours
- Gary tells Terese it's his job to look after Xanthe
- Mishti tells Dipi and Piper that Elly's alibi doesn't stand up
- Terese tells someone that Elly and Susan have gone missing
- Karl's trying to get his head around what could be happening here
- Elly collapses in the shipping container, much to Susan's concern
- Paul has more news for Sonya about Andrea
- He tells her it's always good to inspect the genie before you let it out of the bottle
