Episode 3216/3217 (8th July 2002)

Plot
As Cynthia proudly displays the lavish present she has been saving up for, Latisha feels inadequate, as she can not afford to give her son a proper present for his first birthday! Penniless, Latisha stoops to desperate measures as she heads off to Hotten, with the intention of coming back laden with goodies for Kirk. The Daggerts' house is a hive of activity, as Cynthia makes a birthday cake for Kirk. Distracted from her baking, Cynthia answers a knock at the door. Little did she expect to see the boys in blue! When the police reveal Latisha's been arrested it is the final straw for Cynthia. On her release from police questioning, Latisha faces a further interrogation from her family. Cynthia suspects another stolen credit card spree, but is shocked when Latisha reveals she got cautioned for shoplifting. Village busybodies Edna and Viv are doing a great job of making a mountain out of a molehill, spreading rumours that Zoe started the fire deliberately. Although Chris is desperate to defend his sister's name, he's struggling to deal with Zoe's psychosis. The local newspapers are rife with malicious reports that portray the fire as arson. Fretting that Joseph may be exposed to playground taunts, Chris decides to keep him off school and out of harm's way! Back on dry land, having returned from the cruise, Diane recounts tales of the great time they have had. Puzzled by the lack of response and several glum faces, Diane asks what's wrong. As the penny drops, Diane's good spirits are brought promptly back down to earth as she is told the news of the church fire. To add to the gloomy atmosphere, Diane is unnerved to discover Mack and Angie have become good friends. Post holiday blues have certainly set in! Having counted the minutes to Tricia's return, Marlon is devastated to hear that Tricia has been roped into staying on longer on the cruise, due to staff shortage problems. On the morning after Latisha's arrest, the Daggerts eat their breakfast in silence. Guilty from the consequences of trying to make Kirk's first birthday special, Latisha is keen to talk and take the weight off her shoulders. Quietly fuming with her daughter's insolence, Cynthia is not prepared to brush this one under the carpet! As the guests arrive for Kirk's party, the presents stack up, rubbing salt in Latisha's wounds. On tenterhooks, it doesn't take long before things disintegrate into a family row and Latisha storms out leaving Cynthia apologising to the guests once again. It appears Latisha has underestimated the argument with her mother, as on her return, she is gob-smacked to find her bags packed. The party is certainly over! Latisha has taken advantage of her mother's love on too many occasions, and Cynthia is not prepared to be walked over any more. Crying, Latisha walks towards the Dingles' house, bags in hand. At the hospital, the nurses finally seem to be getting through to Zoe. Having refused to take her medication for several days, she finally seems to see sense and caves in, much to everyone's relief. As Marc hangs up the phone, Angie waits with baited breath to hear if he is going to be re-sentenced for breaking his curfew. Optimistic for the first time, Marc admits the authorities have taken into account his heroic actions at the church fire and overlooked the incident.