Episode 3827

Australian Air Date: 28th September 2004

A Summer Bay favourite leaves forever. Tasha’s surprise upsets Robbie. Why are the cops after Jesse? Dani is forced to face her past.

RHYS SUTHERLAND (MICHAEL BECKLEY)
Final episode. Left the Bay to move into the city with Shelley after the disheartening destruction of the kiosk.
VIVIEN “GUVNOR” STANDISH (MAGGIE KIRKPATRICK)
Return episode, last seen in Episode #3768. Was visited by Scott and Dani in hospital following the destruction of her manuscript.
SNR CONST. KEN HARPER (MARK McCANN)
Tenth appearance, last seen in Episode #3778. Oversaw the clean-up following the destruction of the kiosk.
STAFFORD McRAE (ROHAN NICHOL)
Return episode, last seen in Episode #3823. Showed Josie into Ian’s mansion.

Extended Summary

SURF CLUB
Rhys and Dani admire the trashed kiosk, with Rhys musing that he thinks he knows who would do such a thing… and he reckons that the police will come to the same conclusion. Nothing happened to the gym, and whoever the culprit was has a both a spare key and a grudge against the kiosk in particular – he’s pretty sure it was Jesse, but Dani does’t look convinced. She wonders what the trashing of the kiosk has to do with the Guv’s manuscript and Rhys apologises as he explains that he left it at the kiosk… all that’s left of it is in a terrible state.

Through in the gym, the large Constable Harper questions Jesse, who is furious at accusation that he may have been involved. He reckons that some kids must have broken the locks and got in, but Harper points out that whoever it was had a key – and they didn’t steal anything OR turn on the gym. Jesse doesn’t care, continuing to assert that he didn’t do it. Harper brings up the subject of Jesse’s bar plans – and the fact that he clearly wants Rhys out. Jesse admits that yeah, he does want Rhys gone – but not enough to take that sort of action, and he’d have to be stupid to even think about letting himself in with his key. Jesse won’t be pushed into confessing – he didn’t do it, and Haroer insists that he dioesn’t go easy on people if he finds out that they have lied to him. Jesse suggests that he go and speak to the many Baysiders that want to see the back of Rhys, and Harper decides to question Jesse about his business partner… Josie Russell.

Back in the kiosk, Rhys is busy accusing Jesse and Josie – they’re the only ones to gain anything from it. Seeing Dani’s concern over the manuscript, he assures his daughter that he will go and explain things to the Guv himself. However, Dani wants to handle it herself – the Guv trasted the manuscript to HER, and the situation could get a whole lot worse.

BEACH HOUSE
Kirsty tries to study, and her struggling isn’t assisted by Tasha buzzing about. Josie is going to the city, and she reckons that Robbie is jealous of the time that she is spending with Josie so she has decided to do something “really special” with Robbie. A knock on the door does nothing to help Kirsty’s irritation at all the distractions – it’s Josie, come to say goodbye and bearing a gift for Tasha. It’s a pair of binoculars, and Kane, (somewhat worryingly flirtaciously) comments that he didn’t take Josie for the “bird-watching type”, and assuming that the “hospitality hours” must have been pretty flexible. Josie plays it calm, pointing out that there’s a lot about her that Kane doesn’t know, and that she has a “very loyal clientbase, before rushing away, answering her phone on the way out.

SURF CLUB
Rhys wonders how long it’ll be until Harper can lay charges – “as soon as I have evidence” he responds. Rhys can’t understand how he hasn’t got enough evidence – Jesse has both access and a motive – and asserts that the damage goes deeper than some people realise. Harper hopes that he’ll get some straight answers from Josie, and Rhys warns him that lies and deceit run in the family… just as Josie walks through the door, commenting that misfortune certainly seems to run in Rhys’. She addresses “Constable Harper” warmly, only to be corrected – “Senior constable” and sent through to the gym. She is certain that they will find out who did it. “You see what I mean?” Rhys glares after Josie, but Harper ignores the remark, wondering if there’s anyone else who would want to hurt him. He stares thoughtfully into space as Harper wonders if there has been any threats or aggression aimed at him recently, but he doesn’t mention anything out loud.

Harper talks to Josie and Jesse in the gym, Josie trying with much success to wrap him around her little finger. She explains her sympathy to Rhys – he has lost so much recently, and although she agrees that they would gain most from destroying the kiosk, she suggests that Rhys would also benefit. There is more than one possible explanation, and with the bar set to open within the next couple of months, the last thing they need is “trial by rumour”. Harper wants her to answer a few simple questions, but she takes his notepad and scribbles down a name, telling him to call the person – they will tell him all he needs to know about her. If there’s anything that her “very good friends at police headquarters” can’t tell him, he is to get back to her. There’s just one thing, he states, and Josie cuts in, telling him that she and Jesse have an alibi – they spent the night together. She departs on the same note as she arrived, wishing Harper all the best with the investigation – if there’s anything else she can do, she’d be happy to.

Josie walks past the kiosk, and Rhys wonders if she has come to gloat. Josie wishes that she could take the blame, just so it wouldn’t seem so pathetic – there are any number of people who could have done it, because the whole town wants him gone. He’s only tormenting himself by staying – if she was him, then she’d forget the “Sutherland pride”, go back to the woman he loves and get on with his life. Rhys looks thoughtful.

THE PALACE
Scott is refusing to let Dani go and explain herself to the Guv, as Hayley studies the manuscript, succesfully announcing that it’s not all lost – “In ninety-eighty… something… I have never told anyone this but…”. She attempts to recite from the charred paper, but Dani stops he – it’s no use. Scott decides that he will go to the prison with her, despite her pleas that she will be ok – he’s not going to let her face “that woman” on her own. She’s dangerous, and she has just lost something precious – although Dani is under the impression that the Guv will understand. She’s going to try and organise a meeting.

As Dani leaves the room, conversation turns to the kiosk, with Hayley wondering whether Jesse could have done it. Scott knows that he has a temper, combined with an axe to grind.

SURF CLUB
Harper is still with Rhys, who is trying his best to tidy the place up. He announces that Jesse and Josie are sticking by their alibis, asking that if anyone else comes to mind then Rhys should let him know. He departs as Jesse strolls out of the gym, offering Rhys a hand to get tidied up. Rhys insists that he can manage as Jesse protests his innonence – if Rhys thought about it, then he would realise that. He thinks they have two options – either they sit at opposite ends of the building and continue their fued, or they call a truce to get through the next few weeks. Rhys can only rest his head on the broom handle and frown angrily, before bluntly asking Jesse to leave. Jesse can’t understand why he is even bothering, especially as Rhys set the cops onto him, and points out that Rhys can’t even see the truth when it’s staring him in the face. Rhys picks up his phone and calls Kit, and after begging her not to hang up he asks for her help.

THE PALACE
It turns out that the Guv is now in hospital, having collapsed the previous night, and although Hayley optimistically points out that Dani no longer has to go to the prison, Dani is now worried about having to tell a dying woman that the manuscript that she put her blood, sweat and tears into has been destroyed. It’s not exactly going to be easy, and she is feeling terrible about it – you had to read it to know how much the manuscript meant to her. She won’t have another copy of the written parts, and she dismisses Scott’s point that she doesn’t HAVE to do it – as far as she is concerned, she has to do it. Dani realises that she has volunteered herself to help Rhys at the kiosk, but when Hayley volunteers instead, Scott and Dani depart for the hospital.

BEACH HOUSE
Robbie arrives for Tasha – to Kirsty’s distress. Kane wonders whether Irene knows that the pair of them are “spending the night together”, and Tasha responds that yes, and she’s fine with it now that they’ve made a vow to wait. “Yeah, so did Britney Spears” Kane teases, and his amusement increases as Tasha reveals to Robbie that they only have one sleeping bag – so they’re going to have to share. Tasha points out that sex is not the only thing on Robbie’s mind – “Robbie’s different, everybody knows that”. Well, they do now, Robbie states, before insisting that they get moving. Kane tosses something (a bag? cushion?) at them, and his bad throw results in it hitting the table upon which Kirsty is working. “Can you guys just go now, please?!” she shouts at them, as Robbie unsuccessfully attempts to deflect the blame onto Kane. Kirsty doesn’t care for the excuses – she’s just trying to work, and Kane hurridely herds Robbie and Tasha out of the house – not before offering Robbie some words of advice – “if things do get a bit heated, just think of this… Alf Stewart… naked”. Robbie shudders as he and Tasha depart. Kane returns to Kirsty’s side, wondering if there’s anything he can do. She is in a state, wondering why the tutoring is a good idea and thinking that she ought to just give up on the exams. Kane mumbles protests and nuzzles her neck, a gesture obviously not entirely appreciated by the working-Kirsty, who just shrugs away and makes a face.

GYM
Hayley calls in to see Jesse, commenting on the kiosk, before asking Jesse outright if he had anything to do with it. She fully trusts him when he denies it, and he is appreciative that at least someone is giving him a fair go. Hayley suggests that Jesse jut wait until Rhys has calmed down, but Jesse doesn’t “give a stuff” now that Rhys has shoved the offer of a truce back in his face. Hayley suggests that she’ll have better luck taming Rhys, and heads off to help out at the kiosk.

Hayley calls out to Rhys, but he is nowhere in sight. She goes to start tidying things up alone.

DINER
Kit frogmarches Henry into the diner, where they sit down opposite Rhys, Henry seemingly oblivious as to why he has been dragged there against his will. They haven’t said anything to Beth, and Rhys asserts that he doesn’t want to worry her unless he has to. “It was a packet of chips, get over it!” Henry exclaims, but Rhys explains to them that it’s actually about a key to the Surf Club – a spare key hanging in their laundry room. “Someone” let themselves into the building and trashed the kiosk, and Kit is astounded when she realises that Rhys thinks that Henry could have been involved. After what happened the previous day, Rhys is convinced, and asserts that they are going to stay right there until he gets the truth out of them.

DINER
Henry protests his innocence, and Rhys wonders if his friend “with the attitude” was involved – Henry also denies it. Kit points out to Rhys that there’s a big difference between making a mess with some chips and vandalism, and Rhys arees – hence why he hasn’t yet told the police about the possibility of Henry’s involvement. Henry scorns him for doing the dirty on Beth and then trying to pin this on him, but looks down as Rhys remarks that Beth is the reason why he hasn’t yet said anything. Rhys knows that he can’t do anything to repair the hurt that he has caused, but he can help to try and spare their mother any more pain. He’s not accusing Henry, but is giving him a chance to come clean – if he does, then it won’t go any further. Henry is just angry, demanding that he leave them all alone and go and get on with his life elsewhere. Rhys sighs, realising that it has been a waste of time, tells them that the ball is in their court, before leaving. Kit turns to Henry, letting him know that she KNOWS he snuck out the previous night – but he is adamant that he didn’t go to the Surf Club. Kit knows when he is lying to her, and demands the truth.

SURF CLUB
Rhys returns, thoughts about Josie and Henry telling him to leave running through his head – he should forget his pride and return to the woman he loves, leaving everyone in the Bay alone instead of hanging around.

Hayley interrupts his thoughts, announcing that Dani has gone to the city so she is there to help – and some of the stock is past its use-by date. Rhys drifts off into his own thoughts -again – before asking with a lugh what he is doing there. He tells her to get rid of all the stock, thanks her for everything, kisses her cheek and waltzes out in an unusually good mood.

BEACH HOUSE
There’s a knock on the door – Rhys had arrived to further interrupt Kirsty’s studies and he pushes his way past Kane to see his daughter. He has come to give Kirsty the money for her tutoring, and to say goodbye – he has realised that his place is with Shelley in the city, not clinging onto life in the Bay. Rhys assures her that if ever she needs something, she can always get in contact with him, and she is horrified to discover that he’s planning to leave “right now”. They hug, and Rhys tells Kane to look after her – “I will” he responds. Rhys bids farewell and leaves for his new life in the city. As he disappears, Kane tries to comfort Kirsty. She is somewhat indifferent towards him.

RHYS’ CAR
Rhys grins to himself as he drives along, heading out of the Bay. He is briefly stopped by Kit, who wants to talk about Henry, but Rhys tells her to forget it – he doesn’t want to know. He asks that Kit just keep an eye on him – he has caused Beth enough pain, and she doesn’t need anymore trouble. She doesn’t understand, and he tells her that it took him a long time to realise it himself. He then tells Kit that she looks great, before bidding farewell and proceeding on his way out of town.

BEACH
Tasha and Robbie walk down to the waters edge, a short distance from the Blaxland’s wharf. Tasha reveals to Robbie that she has got hold of a couple of canoes for them – she wants to go and find Kim and Barry. Robbie is mortified – and reminds her of the number of people who fall out of kayaks (sp?) and drown – 451 in that state alone. She just laughs it off, knowing full well that he made it up, but he reminds her that she doesn’t even know where Kim and Hyde are. She produces the binoculars, which she intends to use to find them, before assuring Robbie that it will be fun. He is adamant that she telling him that he’s scared won’t work, but her persistence pays off and he agrees to give it a go, on condition that they don’t mention Josie during their trip. “Who’s Josie?” Tasha asks.

OSBOURNE MANSION
Josie arrives to see Ian and is greeted by his main henchman – the man in charge of wiring the beach house – Stafford. Ian will keep her waiting until he is ready to see her and Stafford offers her a drink – however, she would prefer a clue as to why Ian has summoned her. He reminds her that her mobile was meant to be on silent – not switched off – on the night of the concert, but Josie is confident that Ian wouldn’t hold a grudge over something as minor as that. All Stafford knows is that Mr Osbourne isn’t at all happy with her.

HOSPITAL
Dani and Scott arrive to see the Guv, with Scott reassuring Dani that he’s right by her side if the Guv starts to lose it. They enter her room to find a very frail woman, who smiles as Dani enters… “Hello princess… tell me you’ve come to say yes…?”…

Claire