Episode 7441

Extended Summary

Colby is on the beach and gets a text from Taylor saying she’s missing him. Willow appears and notes Colby is smiling. Colby says Angelo’s investigation is going nowhere. Amber approaches and asks if they’ve seen Dean. Willow says she saw him driving off outside the Diner earlier but Jai wasn’t with him; Amber says Dean’s taken him, explaining a neighbour saw his car drive off. Later, Amber is at the Diner when Francesca joins her. Amber blasts Francesca for leaving Jai alone and Francesca says it was only for a little while and, assuming Jai’s either at Dean’s flat or the surf club, wants to go and get him. Amber plays her Dean’s message about finding Jai alone; Francesca tries to leave but Amber insists she hear the rest about the envelope. Francesca says she reminded Dean of his criminal record. Amber is angry and heads off, telling Francesca not to follow her.

At the surf club, Ari arrives as Mackenzie is looking after a delivery and he agrees to help her take it upstairs in return for a free lunch. Ziggy enters and wonders why the board shop’s closed; Mackenzie doesn’t really know but says Dean’s having trouble with Amber. Ari asks Ziggy about Tane, offering to kick his butt, and Ziggy says she could do that herself if necessary. Ari and Mackenzie head up to Salt. Ari wonders if Ziggy would cover for Tane but Mackenzie doesn’t think so. Willow comes in looking for Dean but Mackenzie hasn’t seen him since he drove of. Willow says to call her if she hears from him.

Amber joins Colby and Willow at the flat and they admit they haven’t been able to get hold of Dean. Colby says Dean wouldn’t put Jai in danger and Willow suggests he’s up the coast out of range. Amber accepts that and is convinced to go home in case they come back. Meanwhile, Dean pulls up outside an isolated house and gets Jai out of the car. Dean explains it belongs to some old friends from Mangrove River that he’s known since he was Jai’s age and they’re letting them stay there. He takes the key from a concealed compartment.

Ari joins Mackenzie at Salt. He asks her about Dean and notes that’s how he feels about Tane, saying he hasn’t heard from him in days and neither has Nikau. Mackenzie insists they drop the subject. They head back to the farm house where Ziggy is making stir fry. Ari goes to have a shower. Mackenzie asks Ziggy about Tane; she says he had to wait in the city for one of the car parts and is staying with friends that Ari doesn’t approve of, hence why she hasn’t told him. After Mackenzie has left the room, Ziggy leaves Tane a message to call her.

Willow has spoken to Karen and says she hasn’t heard from Dean. She and Colby worry about Amber getting the police involved. Colby says the River Boys won’t talk to him so Willow decides she’ll call them, starting with Nugget. Meanwhile, Dean tells Jai it’s time for bed. Jai asks for his teddy. Dean hasn’t got it but gives him a footie to sleep with, saying they’ll play with it in the morning.

Ziggy is relaxing while Ari and Mackenzie wash up her many pans, on the grounds that she did the cooking. She gets a phone call from Tane and leaves the room to take it. She asks him about getting rid of the van. He says she’ll have to wait, after which there’s a crashing noise and he’s cut off. Meanwhile, Dean watches over a sleeping Jai and notices he has several missed calls from Colby, Amber and Willow. However, instead he calls Ziggy, saying he hasn’t spoken to her in a while. Ziggy is slightly bemused, saying it’s late. Dean says goodbye, in a way that sounds rather final.

Next morning, Willow meets up with Amber on the beach. Amber is extremely anxious, saying she kept checking Jai’s room in case Dean had sneaked him back in. At the hideout, Dean tells Jai they’re going to go somewhere better. At the same time, Amber has joined Colby and Willow in the flat and wonders if she made a mistake forcing Dean into a corner. Jai asks Dean if Amber is joining them and Dean asks if he’s ever been to Queensland. Amber is disbelieving that Dean’s doing this without Colby and Willow and says when Francesca finds out she’ll call the police. Dean tells Jai to get going and ignores a text from Colby. Colby and Willow convince Amber to give them until lunchtime. After she’s gone, Willow gets a text from Nugget with an address. She sends it to Colby’s phone as he hurries out.

Willow runs into Ziggy at the surf club. Ziggy is looking for Dean and admits she’s done something dumb and needs his help to fix it. She also reveals she spoke to him last night. Willow tells her Dean won’t be around and offers to help. Soon after, they walk near the beach with Willow having been filled in. Willow agrees it was stupid but says they’ll ditch the van. Ziggy says she can’t drive it because the police are looking for it. Willow says she’s the one that clears up Dean’s messes, although she can’t do anything to help Tane.

Outside the house, Dean calls out for Jai to join him. Colby draws up, blocking Dean’s car in. Dean tries to get him to move and Colby warns him about Amber calling the police. Jai emerges from the house. Dean again tries to tell Colby to move. Colby asks him not to make him arrest him in front of his son.