Episode 6601

Extended Summary

John approaches the bait shop, petrol can in hand. He sloshes the petrol all around the area and then takes out the lighter. Alf approaches as John is having trouble getting the lighter to ignite. As Alf calls out, John runs off without Alf seeing his face. Alf arrives and notices the petrol and the dropped lighter, quickly realising what has happened.

Justin finds Kat collecting an order from Salt prior to a late night. She asks if he’s heard from Ash; Justin hasn’t but isn’t too bothered, thinking Ash is just getting his head together. He asks her if she knows any good family lawyers, explaining about missing his meeting with Ava and not being able to explain why. Kat says she does know people but getting them involved could escalate things and he’d be better off giving Nina space. Back at the farm house, Phoebe reads over her message which implores Nina to change her mind for Ava’s sake as well as Jack’s. She closes the laptop as Justin arrives. He tells her what Kat said. Phoebe doesn’t think things could get worse but Justin says they could if the court rule against him so he needs to let Nina calm down.

Kat is checking over the outside of the bait shop as Alf tells her what he saw, although he can only give a vague description of the person. Kat tells Murray to look for a can and also get the lighter to forensics. Alf stresses that if the fire had been lit then the whole pier would have gone up. Next morning, Marilyn finds John in a slightly agitated state, looking for his keys so he can go into work. He snaps at her when she asks if he’ll be back for lunch but quickly apologises. He says he’ll get something to eat on the way in and try to be home for lunch.

At the farm house, Kat and Phoebe talk about Alf disturbing the arsonist and Ash’s absence. Phoebe then confesses to messaging Nina and shows it to a gobsmacked Kat. Phoebe points out Nina hasn’t replied but Kat replies that it’s been read. Phoebe wants to message again but Kat takes the phone off her, saying she’ll make it worse. Justin comes in in time to hear the last remark. Kat leaves them to it and Phoebe tells Justin she’s done something he’s not going to like. Near the beach, Kat meets up with John and tells him about the incident at the bait shop. John is annoyed that they haven’t caught the arsonist and isn’t mollified by Kat suggesting it could have been a different person. However, he then gets a headache and leaves. Murray shows Kat the can he’s found: It’s the same make and Kat deduces it’s the same person.

Phoebe admits to Justin that she stuffed up but says she felt she had to do something. Justin agrees that she overstepped the mark but says it’s okay. He tries to be optimistic about Nina’s reaction but, as he leaves, he looks defeated. On the headland, Justin runs into Raffy, who jokes about him still being alive and Phoebe letting him out. She invites him down the beach with her but changes her mind when she sees Phoebe coming. Phoebe invites Justin to yell at her but Justin says he’s not going to do that when her best friend’s just died. Phoebe suggests they make the best of it: Justin might not win a fight but at least Ava will know he wanted her. Justin agrees to see a lawyer.

Alf drops some food off to Marilyn and takes the opportunity to tell her about his near miss at the bait shop, optimistically saying that the police are closer to catching the culprit. They reflect on John being on edge both at the surf club and at home. Marilyn tries to dismiss it. Down at the beach, John is on patrol and putting flags up. Raffy comes back from a swim but he ignores her greeting. She gathers up her things but accidentally leaves a bottle behind her. John angrily accuses her of littering and, even though she retrieves it without argument, threatens to make her clean the whole beach and calls her selfish and disrespectful. Raffy leaves bemused. John has another severe headache.

Alf and Kat run into each other at the Diner and he asks her if she found anything. Kat tells him about the accelerant and says the barcode confirms it was delivered to the surf club. Alf shows her the loading area, which is kept open a lot of the time: Volunteers and lifeguards have access to it but so does anyone else. Kat is convinced the perpetrator is connected to the surf club but Alf won’t believe it. She asks for a list of everyone with regular access despite his protests.

John arrives home and rants to Marilyn about Raffy, saying he politely asked her to take the bottle and she was rude to him. Marilyn tries to stick up for her and John snaps before apologising again. He declines an offer of lunch and goes to lie down, in pain again. At Salt, Justin and Phoebe tell Kat the lawyer felt they had no chance since Justin had no contact with Ava for seven years. Kat thinks the witness protection should mitigate but Justin says it just means he’s a risk and they’re at Nina’s mercy. Kat gets a call from Murray and goes down to meet him. He tells her there was only one set of prints on the lighter: John’s. They match partial prints at the garage and pier.

Phoebe tries to encourage Justin to see another lawyer but he is resigned to giving up, saying a court case would be pointless and unfair on Ava. He reflects that it’ll be nine years before Ava can even choose to see him. Phoebe suddenly gets a message from Nina saying she wants to see Justin that afternoon. They head outside, with Phoebe trying to be positive while Justin worries Nina just wants to have a go in person. He convinces Phoebe to let him meet her alone.

John is back in the living area but just staring into space, looking sweaty and clammy and not acknowledging Marilyn. She tries to help him lie down on the sofa but he falls and then starts fitting. Marilyn frantically calls for an ambulance.