Episode 4177

Australian Air Date: 2nd May 2006

As Ric continues to struggle with his injuries, Belle viciously confronts Dom – with explosive consequences. Jack edges closer to uncovering Peter’s shocking secret.

Extended Summary

Ric lies on the floor, completely out of it, having just collapsed in agony. His mobile starts to ring, but Ric doesn’t stir. At the Diner, Belle comes off her mobile, worried about Ric. Irene thinks Belle should give him some space and not push things, but Belle isn’t giving up. After his bizarre behaviour last night, she’s worried. Belle decides to check on him. Irene thinks she’s sticking her nose in, but this doesn’t stop young Belle from heading off… She is shocked when she arrives at the house to find Ric collapsed on the floor! She races over and tries to rouse him! She gently slaps his face and manages to wake him from his fainting spell. As she helps Ric up she accidentally bumps Ric’s leg and he yells in pain. Belle checks his legs and discovers the wounds – she’s stunned! He comes clean about the incident with the battery, he was alone when it happened, but no prizes for guessing who did this to him.

Belle is furious, she wants to take Ric to the hospital pronto – but Ric doesn’t want to miss work. She makes him call work to tell them he’ll be late because he has to go to hospital, leaving Ric with no choice but to do just that. Dr Young treats Ric – he can’t believe he waited to have the burns seen to! If it hadn’t been for the overalls protecting his skin, he may have had to have been amputated! He prescribes antibiotics and strong pain killers and urges Ric to rest, especially with his diabetes too, and to keep up the fluids. Ric insists he get to work – but the doc is firm – head home and rest. Belle wants Ric to go to the police, his boss, Sal, someone! He tells Belle to keep it to herself, he’ll deal with this, as he gathers his stuff for work and heads off. Belle can’t believe this! At work, the guys aren’t impressed that he is late and Ray is unimpressed with a missing car part that’s worth a fortune. Dom reminds Ray that Ric was on close last night – maybe he knows something about the part?

Ric can’t believe this guy, and as Dom heads past, he knocks Ric’s injured legs. Ric is only just holding it together. Later, Ray has a go at Ric for forgetting to do something on a car he was working on and lets Ric know that if he doesn’t lift his game he will lose his apprenticeship. Dom is loving every minute of it as he heads out to pick up the lunches from the Diner. When he arrives there, Belle is talking with Irene. Belle realizes that this is the jerk who has it in for Ric and she lets him have it! She humiliates Dom and Irene has to step in. Dom storms out as Irene wonders what the hell is going on. Belle refuses to tell her because she promised Ric, but Irene is worried, as is Belle, has she just made things worse for Ric at work? Back at work, Dom smiles darkly, reminding Ric that he can do worse things to him, and Belle. Dom makes a pointed threat about keeping his girlfriend out of all of this or else! Later that night, Ric arrives home to see Belle. He tells her off for talking to Dom, she apologises, she was trying to help! He insists she stay out of it from now on, worried about what Dom could do to her. She gives him a hug – Ric’s face says it all – this is getting out of control.

At the station, Jack is confirming with HQ that the drug case file doesn’t exist. Curious, he wonders if Peter lied about this then it’s possible he was involved with the attack on Jack. He calls the phone company and requests a list of numbers that have been dialed in and out of Peter’s phone for the past few months. While waiting for the fax, Jack sneaks into Peter’s office looking for evidence. There are heaps of emails from a ‘TT’, which he doesn’t read, and he doesn’t see the hidden forensics report nearby. Jack slips back out when he hears Peter’s voice. Jack asks Peter again if the drug case files are with HQ, Peter says they are, confirming Jack’s suspicions of Peter’s on-going lies. Jack heads home to find Martha cleaning – she couldn’t stand the pig sty any longer! He fills Martha in on the Peter situation and that he thinks Peter was involved in Jack’s attack. Martha is stunned. She tells him to go to McGrath with his suspicions, but Jack can’t without any evidence and he doesn’t want to get transferred again. Jack is going to investigate this by himself – leaving a worried Martha.

Jack returns to the station and jots down the number of the guy who was arrested for assaulting Jack – he’s just been released on bail. He visits the guy and he tells him the story of how Peter and another cop pulled him over, went to the boot of his car and produced the metal bar, Jack’s phone and wallet and he’d never seen them before. He knows he was set up. Jack thanks him for the information and heads back to the station to find the fax from the phone company. There is one number repeated over and over…

He dials the number, but it rings out. Jack sneaks back into Peter’s office, to read the emails from ‘TT’. He notices an envelope from forensics – it’s the report on the hair. Jack is reeling as he reads it – the hair found in the blood at the crime scene is Peter’s!