Unable to get onto Leah at the mysterious brunch, Justin begins to worry. When Leah, Irene and Marilyn are no shows at the Diner, Justin’s worry turns to alarm.
A giddy Ziggy and Dean are overflowing with their good news – they’re pregnant! Dean’s phone is buzzing relentlessly – it seems Karen is just as excited to be a grandmother again. With prompting from an eager Karen, Ziggy & Dean wonder if they need to get more prepared for the coming baby.
Meanwhile, Heather’s hostage situation escalates. Alf is struggling to breathe after having his drink spiked, while Roo & Irene beg Heather to let him go. But Heather is adamant that Marilyn must be punished for her wrongdoings, namely abandoning her daughter. Obsessed with turning Marilyn’s friends against her, Heather allows Alf’s condition to deteriorate, hoping the group will blame Marilyn. Realising this is Heather’s ambition, a quick-thinking Roo makes a show of disparaging Marilyn. But it’s not enough for a wrathful Heather – Marilyn must lose everything.
Running out of options, Justin goes to the police for help on Leah and her friends’ whereabouts. Fearing that an unhinged Heather may be involved, Justin confesses to Rose & Cash at the police station – Heather is Marilyn’s daughter. Covering their bases, the police check Heather’s home address to see if she’s returned there. But they receive disturbing news – the body of Heather’s mother was found in a chest freezer on the family property, and foul play is suspected. Rose & Cash now share Justin’s alarm – their friends could be in grave danger. Is Heather capable of murder?
Wracking his memory, Justin recalls the name of the venue on Marilyn’s brunch invitation: Crestview. Rose refers to Heather’s file: that’s her old boarding school. Leaping into action, Rose & Cash call for back up as they make their way to Crestview. Justin insists on coming along, but Cash warns him to stay away.
When Heather hears police sirens approaching, she drags Marilyn away. On high alert, Cash and Rose follow the screams of Leah & Roo for help, barging in the locked dining room doors to find the hostages. While Rose calls for an ambulance for a struggling Alf, Cash rushes off in pursuit of Heather & Marilyn.
Catching up, Cash is distressed to find Heather holding Marilyn hostage at the ledge of a 2nd storey balcony. Marilyn looks over the edge in terror – far below them is a concrete landing. A tearful Marilyn looks to Cash for a sign of hope. A manic Heather refuses to set Marilyn free, tugging her along the ledge away from Cash. A patient Cash tries negotiating with Heather, but she is beyond compromise.
In her desperate attempt to escape, Heather’s foot slips and she falls off the ledge, screaming. Cash leaps forward, grabbing Marilyn just before she too tumbles over. A distraught Marilyn sees her daughter broken and unconscious on the concrete below. Is Heather dead?
Home and Away airs on Channel 5 at 1:35pm
Eastieoaks 