Viv’s husband, Noel, sends Ric a very shocking message. It’s the day of Cassie’s court case – will she be charged? Roman has won everyone over, except Irene, who is unconvinced of his past. What is he hiding?
Extended Summary
Ric, still trying to get his head around being responsible for Viv’s pregnancy, is assailed from all sides. Viv isn’t keen for him to have a role in the baby’s life. She makes it clear that she’s calling all the shots and that she’s going to keep the baby. Then Noel visits and tries to buy Ric off so that Noel can pretend the baby is his. Ric won’t do that and spitefully Noel tells him that he’s been used. Noel can’t have kids and Viv has been desperate to become pregnant. It wasn’t by chance that Viv seduced Ric the night of the formal – it was the right time to make babies.
Viv confirms what Noel says, and Ric feels used. He unloads about the situation to Drew who is equally shocked. Noel isn’t pleased with Ric’s attitude and sends along Max to teach him a lesson. Max is tough and brutal and gets the first decent punch in, but Ric’s anger takes over and he beats Max senseless. Ric’s worried that he’s going to be charged with assault again, but Noel assures him that no charges will be laid. Noel’s impressed by the way Ric can handle himself and offers him a job. Ric can’t stand the madness around him any more and decides to head to the city for a couple of days.
It’s the day of Cassie’s trial and knowing that Simon is going to give false evidence against her, Cassie is worried that she may be heading to jail. When the trial’s delayed by a late finishing earlier case, Matilda, having earlier learnt about Simon’s aspirations to be a Barrister, bails Simon up in the corridor. She quizzes him on the morality of what he’s about to do – is that the kind of lawyer he wants to become, someone who can lie under oath? She also attacks him personally – if their night together means anything to him Matilda wants Simon to just go in and tell the truth. The trial isn’t going well until Morag is cross examining Simon on his testimony – it’s here – under Matilda’s gaze, that the boy cracks and finally comes clean. Cassie still gets fined and loses her driver’s licence, but it could have been much worse.
Roman seems to have won over everyone since he arrived in Summer Bay except Irene. And if he’s going to buy Leah’s interest in the diner it’s Irene that Roman needs on-side more than anyone. Leah thinks the reason they haven’t hit it off is that ultimately they are too alike, but it seems Irene is more concerned that he won’t divulge anything about his background or personal life. Leah promises to find out what she can. She discovers that Roman is in a good financial position and doesn’t have a criminal record and comes from a large family, but that doesn’t seem to satisfy Irene… Leah’s growing concerned that Roman is never going to be acceptable to Irene… and time to find a business partner to replace Leah is fast running out.