Wednesday, 1st December 1999

Jimmy's in the back garden locking up a ramshackle beach hut with a serious padlock and chain. Well, okay, it *looks* like a beach hut to me, but Jimmy is adamant that it's a shed. He got quite irritated when Darren, started making fun of it from across the garden fence. No, we don't know what's inside! In fact, Jimmy was rather evasive of the whole matter.

This 'shed' seems to have been constructed form the heap of scrap wood and old doors which Jim had been collecting. To be fair, 'ramshackle' is a bit unkind; it actually looks quite sturdy. Not that that prevented Darren from calling it an "eyesore", though.

Jimmy preceded to invoke Darren's curiosity further when he said that it would be gone come the new year.

"Why go to all the trouble of building a shed and then tearing it down in five weeks time?" he asked, quite reasonably. Jimmy didn't explain. So I will:

It'll be either: 1) Sinbad's going to burn it down since he's got a penchant for blazing sheds, or 2) Jimmy will get fed up with Katrina constantly draping herself all over it.

.... I might be wrong, though!

Back inside the house, Jimmy notices that Lindsey is "narked". He asks her why and she's annoyed that he doesn't realise it's 1st December and time to hand over the fifty-seven grand to Rose.

Lindsey tells him that she's managed to obtain £19k. She, might have thought that this was something of which to be proud. Jimmy didn't:

"Yer what? You're not even halfway there. What are you gonna do?"

Lindsey doesn't know. Well, to an extent she does, in that she believes that Rose will give her more time. Oh dear...

Across the Close, Mick is surprised that Leo is up bright and early, although Leo won't say why. Later we discover that Leo has got himself a job picking up litter in a park.

Mick is chuffed; Leo is exhausted and falls asleep whilst Mick is talking to him.

In the bungalow, Nikki is once again trying Jessie and Jerome's patience. Not unusually, she's got a severe hangover.

Jerome considers what he could do to help and decides to ask Jessie if he can move into the bungalow. She's a bit taken aback. Jerome insists that he will help Nikki stop the "mad drinking". Jessie lays down some ground rules and agrees. Jerome is made up. So is Nikki and they agree that this should constitute a "new beginning". A drink-free new beginning.

Susannah goes to Darren's surgery to register as his patient. They chat, get on well and both seem smitten.

In Bar Brookie, Nathan and Jacqui have returned from their trip to the Big Apple, having seemingly spent a fortune. Jacqui can't stop talking about it! Nathan's heard that Mark has suffered a fall whilst on holiday and is in hospital. Apparently, it's not *too* serious, though. He then goes on to tell Jacqui what a great time they'll have at Cuddington Hall over Christmas.

Jacqui's irked at his presumption that she'll simply fall in with his plans. She's got family too, she reminds him. He apologises. (For the presumption, that is - not for Jacqui's family!)

Deborah breezes in and tells Nathan that she's looking forward to the family carol service. He'd forgotten to tell Jacqui about it! This makes Debs' day and she gloats, believing that Jacqui will not be able to go. Jacqui, partly to spite Debs, insists that she'll be there - whatever it takes.

Back on the Close, Susannah has cooked Max his favourite meal, although he's confused (wary?) as to why. They enjoy a cosy chat and get on so well that Max decides that the time is right to try and explain why he spent twenty years knocking off Faye behind his wives' backs. Susannah gets angry at Faye's name being mentioned and Max tries to wriggle out of his faux pas by insisting that his only wish is for a "second chance", "even as friends". Susannah isn't having any of it:

"Don't be ridiculous," she snaps. "That isn't even on the agenda."

There's a fraught meal next door, too. Jessie has invited Ray for his tea (following Renee's funeral, earlier that day). Emily is upset that Jessie has refused to allow her to invite Tim.

Ray turns up with a couple of bottles of wine, which make Nikki's eyes light up. [LOL! I didn't actually mean that literally, but they did have that effect, later!] Neither Jerome, nor Jessie are pleased to see this and Jessie insists that he takes the wine home.

Ray is keen to keep busy following Renee's death and offers Jessie his services to finish decorating the extension - starting tomorrow! He's particularly keen to have some wine with the meal and Nikki is quick to second the proposal. Jessie and Jerome, having initially refused a glass, change their minds, no doubt hoping to restrict the amount able to pass Nikki's lips! Despite their best efforts however, Nikki ends up making a scene and bangs on about Luke being the rapist and how no-one believes her. Ray and Jessie simply don't know where to look. Jessie insists that Jerome takes Nikki outside for some fresh air. Ray must have wondered what sort of family he's walked in on! I must say though, he's a very chirpy chappy for someone who's just lost his wife - I'll bet that there's more to it than that!

Jerome takes Nikki for a walk to clear her head but she steers him (against his better judgement) into Bar Brookie. Once ensconced, Nikki continually badgers Jerome for more beers and during one of Jerome's frequent visits to the bar, he's surprised to be propositioned by Mike. No, not like that! Mike's after some part-time bar staff and wondered if Jerome would be interested.

Eventually Jerome refuses to get Nikki anything more to drink, asking what happened to the new start? He tells her a few home truths, such as that she has to accept that she may be wrong about Luke and also that she's turning into an alcoholic. Turning? LOL!

In the Millennium Club, Lindsey is about to contact Rose, when her gaze falls upon the office safe. After some deliberation (not too much, mind!), she grabs two large bundles of notes (£11 grand - one week's takings) and stuffs them into her handbag very sheepishly.

Back home, she tells Jimmy what she's done.

"OH MY GOD," he says. "You *what*?"

Lindsey, however, is still convinced that her friend Rose will see her alright.

"Rose is reasonable, I know she is."

Hmm, wasn't Rose giving Lindsey five or six months to find the money, the "being reasonable" bit?

It sounds like Jimmy agrees with me - he's more worried about what Alasdair might do rather than what Rose may have in mind:

"You owe the woman a flamin' mint," he rants. "And that family *kills* people. Callum killed Victor, remember? What if the guns start coming out again?"

Lindsey is very quiet.

Jimmy's gone "down the Swan" when Rose calls round for the money. When she finds out that R'Linds only has a mere thirty grand, she's *not* happy.

"This isn't good enough," she asserts. "I thought we were friends. If you hadn't been a friend, I'd have had you finished for what you did." [Nice!]

Lindsey pleads for some extra time, but Rose will not budge. In fact, Rose seemed to be caught off-guard when she found that Lindsey couldn't cough up the full amount. She calls Alasdair on her mobile.

"You've had your chance. Your time's up."

One can only assume that bringing in Alasdair was a last resort on Rose's part because it soon becomes clear that he wasn't even aware of Rose's little deal with Lindsey, or indeed of the fact that Rose *knew* that it was Lindsey who'd stolen the cash (and Callum's car) from the filling station. He's livid:

"*You* have made me look like a total dick," he tells Lindsey.

But Alasdair seems even more furious with Rose, who tries, and fails, to calm him down. She reminds him that they'd promised each other that they'd "go legit" for their daughter's sake. This doesn't cut any ice.

Alasdair paces around, trying to think of a solution.

Before long though, he's decided what he's going to do. Lindsey looks on, anxiously. Alasdair says that he's going to install a "customer liaison officer" in the club to deliver what he calls a new "quality range of products".

"Not drugs?" asks Lindsey, nervously.

"I don't like that word," said Alasdair. "I said 'products'."

Ah, that would be like B&Q, then, would it? No?

And there's more - he's charging Lindsey two grand a week for the service. That's two grand *a week*!! "Beer money" he reckons. Once word gets about, anyway.

If Lindsey doesn't agree however, he does have an alternative in mind: "a nice little funeral". Hmm, might be worth thinking about, Linds, eh?

Especially when Alasdair continues and tells her that he's taking the thirty grand as "compensation". Therefore she still owes him fifty-seven thousand and he'll be adding interest daily, as well.

"It may takes years to pay that off at two grand a week," he says, tantalisingly.

Still, never mind. You could always do a runner, Linds. How about hiding in Jimmy's new shed? Well, until the new year, anyway!

Episode written by Barry Woodward