Previously
- Terese breaks things off with Gary, and Brooke invites him for food and a movie
- Paige tells Tyler about the photos Mark had taken at the crash site
- Mark catches Tyler looking through the photos, and insists the shoes aren't relevant to the case
- Dipi finds an IOU from Shane to Mishti, and assumes it refers to Monopoly money
- Shane tells Mishti that Toadie's suspicious - she says she won't say anything
- Dipi organises a celebration for Shane's invention, and he and Mishti look uncomfortable
- Shane tells Toadie he doesn't know how to put it right with Dipi without destroying his marriage
No 32
Mishti is swimming in the pool, while Shane cleans his inventing tools, and Dipi and Sheila try unsuccessfully to persuade Clancy the dog to go on a walk with them.
Once Dipi and Sheila have gone, Shane tells Mishti that he 'spilled the beans' to Toadie last night - and that he intends to tell Dipi the truth, too.
MISHTI: What about the promise you made to me not to tell anyone?
SHANE: I need to be honest with my wife, Mish. Surely you can understand that?
MISHTI: I do. But telling her will only cause trouble.
No 30
Steph has received contracts from Paul for the proposed merging of the motel and the backpackers' businesses. She tells Sonya she's still not sure whether to go ahead with it, as it could put her investment at risk - but then apologises for talking about money after Sonya's poker losses. Sonya's about to head to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting.
SONYA: Have you seen my shoes? You know the wedge ones with the red, black and white strap - kind of like, woven material?
STEPH: ... Do you remember when you last wore them?
SONYA: Yeah, it was that night I had that huge bender.
STEPH: Well, that was a while ago.
SONYA: Hmm. I remember having them in my hands...
She flashes back to the day in question, stumbling with the shoes along the line of trees by the nursery.
STEPH: You don't recall where that was?
SONYA: No, it's on the edge of my brain. I just can't grasp it.
STEPH: You weren't driving a car?
SONYA: No. No, I was drinking a lot - I definitely wasn't driving. The taxi, it took me as far as the council offices, and then... Uh, I don't know. It'll come back to me eventually. I just really like those shoes.
Steph looks worried.
No 24
Brotherly banter in the Brennan house, as Aaron and Tyler argue over who will go in the shower first, and Mark laments the reappearance of Tyler's grubby green chair since he moved back in.
Steph comes in and, finding Mark alone, tells him that Sonya remembers wearing the shoes on the morning of the crash. Mark says it doesn't matter - they both know she wasn't responsible for it. Steph also tells Mark that Sonya went gambling last night. Tyler briefly comes back in, and then heads to Piper's. Steph tells Mark it was a card game, and that she's really worried about Sonya.
STEPH: What if you removed the shoes from evidence? We'll just put them back in her wardrobe, and then she'll stop thinking about that morning - and then nobody will be any the wiser.
MARK: That would be tampering with evidence.
STEPH: How can the shoes be evidence if you say she wasn't involved? Mark, come on. You started this by not putting her forward as a suspect. We've come this far; we have to see it through.
Ramsay Street
Gary notices that Ben is back in school uniform. Brooke comes out and announces that Xanthe is having a 'minor hair emergency', so Ben goes inside to help. Meanwhile, Brooke suggests to Gary that they throw Xanthe a party for her seventeenth birthday, given they missed her last birthday and that they've been focused on Jesse. Gary thinks it's a great idea.
Terese comes out of her house to drive to work, and all three look awkward as she sees Gary and Brooke talking.
No 32
Dipi is back early from her walk, and finds Shane looking sheepish. He says there's something he has to tell her about him and Mishti - and the solar-powered lawnmower.
SHANE: It's not as great as I made out.
DIPI: What are you talking about? You've had plenty of interest.
SHANE: No, I haven't. I only said that to throw you off the scent. It's a lemon.
DIPI: What? Why didn't you tell me?
SHANE: You were so proud of me. I didn't want to disappoint you.
DIPI: Disappoint me?
SHANE: Yeah, it gets worse. All those times you thought I was off selling farm gear, I was actually trying to make that stupid thing work. I sunk more and more money into it, and lost more and more business. And then something terrible happened. A prototype I was taking out for a test-run blew up, and started a fire. And it completely wiped out someone's barn, and I had to compensate them.
DIPI: With what?
SHANE: I took out a second mortgage on the property. And then a third one. And when I couldn't make the repayments, the bank foreclosed.
DIPI: ... We lost our house? I thought we sold it.
SHANE: No, we were lucky to break even.
DIPI: How on earth did you buy me the café?
SHANE: Someone put up the cash.
DIPI: Who in their right mind would do something like that? A loan shark?
SHANE: Your sister.
Harold's Café
Tyler says hi to a distracted Sonya. She's a bit out of it, and Tyler says not to be embarrassed - his dad used to drink too. She admits she's been struggling, and knows it's common knowledge.
SONYA: And on top of it all, I've lost my favourite shoes.
TYLER: Your shoes? So what did the shoes look like?
Sonya repeats the description of the shoes, and Tyler instantly realises that they were the ones Mark had photos of from the crash site. Sonya says she lost them on her way home the other night, but that she's sure she'll find them. Tyler looks worried.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Dipi is confronting Mishti about Shane's claims. Mishti says she did lend Shane the money, but that he never asked - she offered when she realised Shane was struggling financially. Mishti says Shane felt so bad about the house, that she followed him to Erinsborough to help; she needed to get away from her old life, too.
DIPI: All this time, you've both been keeping this from me.
MISHTI: Shane said he'd pay me back when he sold his invention, but honestly, I don't care if he ever does. You know I never wanted that money. It was tainted - blood money. And you've supported me through hell and back. Why can't I do something for you and your family for once?
DIPI: It's not about 'we give you this, you give us that'. No!
MISHTI: I'm eating with you, living with you. Consider it board. Just please don't be angry with me.
DIPI: I'm not angry with you. I'm furious with Shane, for taking your money and keeping this from me.
MISHTI: You shouldn't be. He's a good man. I owe him in so many ways.
DIPI: Owe him?!
MISHTI: He's a good guy. Just take the money, and leave it at that!
Dipi looks confused. Meanwhile, Tyler is telling Aaron about Mark having a picture of shoes identical to Sonya's from the crash site, which he claimed were unidentified. Aaron tells Tyler to talk to Mark.
Erinsborough Police Station
Mark comes out of the storage room with the shoes in a bag. Ellen Crabb sees him.
ELLEN: What are you doing with those? Looking for Cinderella?
MARK: I'm just transferring them to the warehouse. They're from an old case.
ELLEN: Well at least someone's on top of the housekeeping around here.
Lassiter's Day Spa
Brooke takes a break from waxing an unseen gentleman client, to chat to Xanthe. She's had to get out of school because everyone keeps asking why Ben came back, and says she and Ben 'don't seem to be on the same page' at the moment. Xanthe discovers a couple of bags of party stuff, and Brooke's forced to admit she and Gary wanted to do something special for her birthday.
XANTHE: Seriously? Mama, I was low key dying after my party last year. If you can even call it that.
She adds that Brooke and Gary are doing a great job of co-parenting.
BROOKE: I'm glad you think that. Because on that note, while you're here...
The customer emerges. It's none other than AFL footballer Brendan Fevola!
BRENDAN FEVOLA: Did you really have to wax everything?
BROOKE: Uh, think of how aerodynamic you'll be on the footie field!
He hobbles out!
Brooke says she wanted to get Xanthe's opinion on how she'd feel if things sparked up between her and Gary again, now Terese is out of the picture.
BROOKE: Your dad is gold. And it's just taken me this long to appreciate that. Do you think it's worth the risk?
XANTHE: I dunno, Mama. I mean, life's pretty short. I know this guy at the hospital. He has this brain aneurysm. Basically he could die at any moment. And he's always saying that, if you couldn't rely on tomorrow, what would you do today? I think you should totally go for it.
Brooke is thrilled.
No 26
Later, Gary and Brooke are preparing for Xanthe's party, and laughing at the noise balloons make when they deflate. Brooke tells Gary there's something she needs to say.
BROOKE: You know how there's 4,000 minerals in the world, but only 20 of them are actually gems?
GARY: Erm, no, I didn't really know that.
BROOKE: Well, of all these average minerals, only some of them make the grade. And even the ones that are gems, they've got to have all these distinctive qualities like colour and clarity. Only so many are real gems, and those ones are really hard to find.
GARY: Brooke - is this your way of breaking it to me that you're going back into the jewellery business?
BROOKE: No, no, no! What I'm trying to say is that, of all the worthless, fake, nasty men I've had in my life, that... Gary, you're the real deal. You're a real gem.
GARY: That's, erm, quite a compliment.
BROOKE: I mean, I love everything that you do for me. And what I'm trying to say is - Gary, I love you. And I was wondering, maybe you might be able to share these feelings. Not today, not now, but in the future.
GARY: That's, umm, quite a lot to take on board. I'm flattered, and I think you've got a really great heart. And I'm really impressed by the way you are with Xanthe.
BROOKE: But you just don't love me anymore?
GARY: I'm still in love with Terese. I'm sorry.
Harold's Café
Dipi has been telling Sheila about Shane and Mishti's secret-keeping. Dipi says she knows Shane used the money in a way she would have wanted, but doesn't get why he pretended it was all his doing.
SHEILA: Male pride can be a very delicate thing.
DIPI: We're husband and wife. It really hurts that he could hide something like this from me. And letting me harp on about the lawnmower invention - I feel like such a fool.
Sheila says Dipi was just being supportive, and remarks that Mishti must be a pretty diligent saver to have that amount of money on hand.
DIPI: Mishti got a large compensation payout when she left her last job.
SHEILA: Lucky her!
DIPI: Unfortunately, it wasn't a happy time. And she hasn't touched the money at all. Do you think it's wrong for me to be so upset about all of this?
SHEILA: Oh, no, of course not. If my Frank had had secrets with my sister, I wouldn't have stood for it. I would have given him the rounds of the kitchen.
DIPI: Yeah, well. I guess we all have secrets, don't we?
The Waterhole
Terese runs into Brooke.
BROOKE: You're a total nong.
TERESE: ...
BROOKE: Not as a boss - you're pretty good at that. I mean in terms of Gary.
TERESE: That's none of your business.
Brooke goes on to tell Terese how broken-hearted Gary is, and that he's still hung up on her.
TERESE: Gary and I are done. And that's not gonna change. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do.
Erinsborough Police Station
Tyler comes in, looking for Mark, but Ellen says he's out. Tyler admits it's police business he's here on, and Ellen offers to take down the details. Tyler is hesitant, and says it can probably wait till he speaks to Mark. Ellen continues to press him.
TYLER: It's about the shoes they found after the accident.
ELLEN: Oh, yeah?
TYLER: ... Actually, you know, it's probably not important. I'll chat to Mark later.
But Ellen's curiosity has been piqued, and once Tyler has left she makes a phone call to somebody.
ELLEN: I'd like to make an enquiry.
No 24
Mark is talking to Steph. He's panicking about Ellen seeing him take the shoes out of evidence, and is worried that if he gives them back to Sonya, Ellen might see her wearing them.
STEPH: We could destroy them.
MARK: ...
STEPH: Mark, you keep saying the shoes have no relevance because Sonya didn't cause the accident. Or could this be you having doubts?
MARK: Sonya is a beautiful, caring person.
STEPH: Yes. And beautiful, caring people can do really terrible things when they're not thinking straight. And she's not. If Sonya went to prison -
MARK: Don't say that!
STEPH: Yeah, exactly! Then it would destroy her. She would never be the same again. Not to mention the effect it would have on Nelly.
MARK: ... But if she is guilty -
STEPH: Then what? Yes, she's done a bad thing; she hurt Piper and David. But she didn't kill anyone! Would the world really be a better place if she got locked up? Son deserves a second chance, Mark. She has done so much for us; this is our chance to help her! I say, let's get rid of these - just take them out of the equation.
MARK: I need time to think.
No 32
Dipi finds Shane and Mishti together in the back yard, and accuses them of being 'in cahoots' again. Shane says he hated lying to Dipi, and has been trying to get the lawnmower to work so that he can sell it and pay it back. Mishti insists that's not necessary, but Shane says it is.
DIPI: Shane's right. You need to stop thinking of your payout as something bad from the past, and start thinking about it as a way to set up your future.
Shane promises to take on two or three jobs for as long as it takes to get Mishti her money back. But Dipi has a better idea - make the lawnmower work, and sell it.
SHANE: What part of 'it's a lemon' don't you understand?
DIPI: You're clever, and you've worked hard, and I know you have what it takes to make this happen.
SHANE: Nah, I've already wasted too much money on this thing.
DIPI: I know. And that's exactly why you can't stop now.
No 26
Ben and Xanthe are doing schoolwork, but Ben suggests they blow it off and go to Grease Monkeys. Xanthe says she needs to study if she's going to become a nurse, but Ben points out they haven't hung out in ages.
Brooke comes in, and mentions Xanthe's party. Xanthe hadn't mentioned it to Ben, but now asks if he wants to come. She doesn't seem super-enthusiastic about it, though.
Xanthe follows Brooke into the kitchen to ask how her talk with Gary went. Brooke says that Gary's still in love with Terese, and admits she told Terese the same thing - but that she still doesn't want a bar of him.
BROOKE: It's just such a waste of a good man's love.
XANTHE: Did you explain that to Dad?
BROOKE: No, I can't. That would crush him even more!
XANTHE: Yeah, but if Dad knew that Terese wasn't interested in him, then, maybe it would make it easier for him to move on.
BROOKE: Move on? That's a really good point!
No 24
In the back yard, Steph is cooking up a barbie - and Sonya's shoes are the main course! She douses them in lighter fluid and has just lit a match, when Ellen appears at the gate and demands to know what she's doing. When Ellen sees the shoes, she snatches the matches from Steph and looks at her inquisitively.
Unmissable Drama
- Mark insists to Ellen that Sonya wasn't involved in the crash
- Tyler says he doesn't want the culprit to get away with it; Piper and David could have died
- Paul has a proposal for Terese
- Xanthe sees Gary showing off some kind of ring; Sheila worries he'll get his heart stamped on
- Brooke has a plan
- Gary marches into Terese's house, only to find her on the sofa with Paul