There are tears in the Shadwick residence as Margi, Nikki, Jessie and Katrina try to come to terms with what's happened. Jessie and Margi have just arrived back at the bungalow.
"We had to identify the bodies" explains Jessie.
"The coroner won't release your Dad's body", Margi tells Nikki, her voice breaking up as she does so.
Jessie continues with the explanation: "It's some legal thing in case there's a trial. If they ever catch them *animals* that set the bombs."
"My Greg and Jason were murdered" whines Margi, "and they won't even let me see them off together." Margi's not even sure what Greg was doing at the club in the first place, let alone the other question, she is compelled to keep asking:
"What was he doing undressed?"
Now that's a question which has been exercising Nikki's mind, as well. (She's exercising her arm too, by the way, having found a bottle of scotch by the kitchen sink [like you do] and taking a hefty swig.)
Over in Number Ten, Jimmy's reading the paper; the headline of which suggests that three people were killed in the explosion. According to the text of the article, the police suspect an element of 'gang warfare'. Jackie on the other hand has a slightly less colourful theory:
"It'll be Barry Grant and some insurance fiddle." That'll be the Barry Grant who sold his entire shareholding to your daughter then, will it, Jackie?
Jackie seems to have got herself lumbered with looking after Harry and Emma, a role she's not over-keen to fulfil. Apparently, Susannah's sister, Lisa, is believed to be abroad and hasn't yet been located.
Jimmy, having finished the newspaper, is now worrying about the tapestry. He tells Lindsey that he'll be in trouble if he hasn't got something to show for his efforts when school restarts. He knows that he ought to be giving it some of his time now, but bearing in mind that he's got Karen helping out, he daren't raise the subject with Jackie. Lindsey tells him to go anyway and that she'll cover for him if Jackie asks any questions.
At the hospital, Miss Dixon is moping about Susannah's bedside. She's still in shock and can't face doing anything else. Lindsey updates her on the current position and asks whether she could help with the kids.
"Harry is your baby" Lindsey points out.
"He's not. He never was" comes back the monosyllabic response.
At this point, Nathan arrives saying that he's only just heard about the blast. Jacqui's annoyed that she hadn't been able to contact him on his mobile.
"I've been at my brother's place. It's a bit of a blackspot", is the explanation he offers.
Jacqui accepts this and tells Nathan that she's finished with the club. She'll stick with Bar Brookie and leave the empire-building to others, she tells him. It seems that R'Jacqui has also had thoughts of settling down, something which Nathan looked a tad shocked to hear.
Lindsey's now back at the club and is organising a clear up, when Rose and Alisdair walk in to offer "support". However, the sort of support which Rose has in mind, is not what Lindsey is after:
"All I want is an extension on the money I owe you."
"I don't think so" says Rose firmly.
They discuss this for a bit and Lindsey gets herself somewhat worked up:
"I'm not having that" she says. "Especially when it was your psycho brother-in-law who did all this.
"We've been *through* all this. For God's sake, how many more times?" Rose is becoming exasperated. "Alisdair and me were *in* here [the club]. So was Callum."
"He's sly", says Lindsey obviously having thought this theory through. "This wasn't mindless. Two bombs. One in the kitchens which means that the club and the restaurant can't function. The second under the pool, our biggest attraction."
"Callum didn't do this" Alisdair insists. "I was with him all day until he left here."
"No, he got someone to do it for him. Oh, he didn't intend on killing anyone. Just wanted to put us out of business. Unfortunately, he killed three people. And you two being here is a brilliant alibi, if his name ends up in the frame, eh?"
"Rubbish" says Alisdair. He and Rose leave.
Outside, it's clear that they're both having second thoughts about Callum's possible involvement.
"What are you going to do?" asks Rose.
"I want him on the first plane out of Faro airport."
Back at Number Ten, Jimmy has called to say that he'll be late. Jackie's fuming that he's still so interested in the tapestry project at all, and *especially* with Karen. She decides to ring the school.
"He's not there", she tells Lindsey, putting the receiver down.
Not one to give up lightly, Jacqui dials 1471 and connects to the number from which Jimmy's call was made.
"It's that Karen's answer machine. He's round there carrying on with her. I knew it. Tapestries! I must be flamin' stupid. It was all an excuse for him to be having it off with that stuck-up cow. I'll kill him"
It doesn't seem long before Jimmy returns and Jackie asks him where he was. He lies and says that he was in the school's textiles department (Wow! We never had one of them!). Jackie simply sends him out pick up the kids from Val's.
At the petrol station, Harvey pulls up at the pumps. He sees Luke going into the shop and can't resist a jibe about prison. He then sees Nikki and tells her that he's only just heard about Jason and Greg. He admits that he did have 'a thing' for her at one time and offers to help "as a mate".
"And I'm really sorry about everything that happened. Really sorry" he adds.
Nikki leaves him and goes into the club looking for Lindsey. She asks whether Greg and Susannah had been carrying on. Lindsey tries to avoid answering the question, but eventually is compelled to admit that they were:
"Yeah, they were seeing each other. I'm sorry."
A statement which leads to another flood of Shadwick tears.
Summary © 1999 Graeme Selway
Brookside and all related materials are © Mersey Television 1982-2001