Episode 3538 (19th September 2003)

Plot
As the rumour mill gets going in the village residents freely gossip about the criminal investigation into Chris’s death. It’s Charity’s name that keeps cropping up as the person with a motive. Having determined that there is enough evidence for a murder inquiry the police search for further clues by talking to the locals. Betty is quick to spill the beans about Charity and Cain’s recent illicit affair including the subsequent confrontations in The Woolpack. The inspector in charge is determined to find out the truth rather than collar a likely candidate on a whim such as Cain, who has a previous criminal record. However when they go to question Cain at the Dingles he’s nowhere to be seen. Marlon covers for Cain but hasn't actually got a clue where he's gone, along with Debbie. Meanwhile the police launch a manhunt. The police are not ruling out the possibility of suicide though, which appals Zoe who is adamant that her brother would not have thrown in the towel so easily. Having been informed by the police that she cannot go up to Home Farm, the pressure mounts for Zoe as she makes plans to visit Joseph at school to tell the little boy about his dad.