Episode 6857

Extended Summary

Roo meets up with Alf near the bait shop, suggesting he’s upset about Martha not turning up but thinking she must have a good reason. Alf is no longer interested. Robbo appears in his suit and Alf advises him to just tell the truth in court. Robbo explains he’s not testifying and they wish him luck before Alf rejects Roo’s attempts to restart the conversation. Robbo joins Justin, Willow and Ava at the Morgan house, where they establish Justin can’t go to court until he’s testified the next day. Tori joins them and tries to reassure Robbo over his worries about the state of his defence.

Robbo and Tori are approached outside the court house by a reporter, Samantha Woodhouse, but Kurt intercepts them before they can say anything. They notice Ash outside. Kurt tells him he’s not going to be called until the next day and can’t be in court until he is but Ash says he’s just hanging. The court officer summons anyone connected with the Beckett Reid case and Tori assures Robbo it’s just a name. Shortly after, the court officer finishes reading the charges. The prosecutor, Miss Barnesdale, makes her opening statement, saying there are several crimes attributed to Beckett Reid and two men are dead. The defence will try and make out Beckett Reid is separate from the defendant but Barnesdale says that is just an attempt to evade justice. She says Beckett Reid is one man: An evil sociopath. (Throughout this and the rest of proceedings, Samantha is watching attentively from the gallery.)

Roo approaches Justin and Ava outside the surf club and asks if they’ve seen Martha, but they say they’ve only just got there. John says she’s not inside; Roo thinks she’s left town and tells him not to bother looking anymore. Willow appears with juices and Ava instantly rushes off to the beach to make sandcastles. Justin is keen to keep close behind her after what Dean said. Willow tries to reassure him and Justin realises she’s spoken to Dean. He warns what he’ll do if Dean does hurt her. Meanwhile, Alf finds Martha writing a note. She says she’s leaving Roo her contact details. Alf is unimpressed that she’s shooting through again. Martha says it’s what he wants but Alf points out he waited for her for two hours. She indicates there are things she wants to say and he suggests she should say them now.

Tori rejoins Ash outside and thanks him for testifying. Ash asks why she’s gambling everything on Robbo just like Kat did. Tori says Robbo wasn’t in control of his actions but Ash isn’t convinced. She says they both have to accept the outcome of the trial. The court officer calls Ash and he explains he’s giving evidence for the prosecution. In the court room, Kurt is incensed but Barnesdale argues that Ash is on the witness list and all that matters is he tells the truth. The judge is unsure about how it’s happened but agrees Ash should be heard and has him sworn in.

Alf and Martha go for a walk on the wharf; Martha has told Alf about her borderline personality disorder. She says the signs were there but Alf thinks it was just the normal troubles of a young family. Martha says he has very definite ideas, which is what she loved about him, but whatever good points he has, being understanding and sensitive isn’t among them. Roo watches from the pier as Alf argues things were different then. He thinks Martha should have spoken to him but Martha doesn’t think he’d have listened. Alf walks to the other end of the wharf, clearly troubled, and Roo walks away. Later, John joins Alf and tells her not to get too disheartened about Martha’s view of him. Alf points out he lied to Roo for thirty years. He says he lost one wife and drove his daughter away, but thinks Roo is the best thing that happened to him.

Barnesdale shows Ash the tool box and he explains he and Kat found it with cash, a gun and a passport identifying Robbo as Beckett Reid, the man the police were looking for, inside. He adds that they saw Robbo carrying it on CCTV footage of him boarding the boat with Dylan. Kurt objects, saying Ash isn’t an official investigator, and the judge agrees. Ash says they also found a list, with everyone on it dead except Kat, and she was worried she’d be next and realised she was living with a murderer. Robbo is incensed, calling out that Ash is scum and he and Kat loved each other. Later, Tori fills in Justin, Ava and Willow, saying Robbo looked like a madman and they have to rethink their defence. Kurt needs Justin to testify the next day. Ava protests he was meant to be teaching her to surf and runs to her room. Justin admits he hasn’t spent enough time with her.

Roo and Martha arrive back at the Stewart house. Martha says a burden has been lifted and she should have done it years ago, adding that she thinks it helped Alf too. Roo disagrees and isn’t sure about Martha’s plan to spend more time in Summer Bay. She says she’s glad to have her back in her life but it’s been hard on Alf. Roo admits she’s blamed Alf for something that wasn’t his fault. She thinks Martha should leave but promises to visit her. They hug. Meanwhile, Justin checks on Ava and finds her asleep with a book in her hand. He takes the book from her and tucks her up.

Roo meets Alf by the wharf and tells him she’s going to drive Martha home. She assures him she’s got the answers she needed and she and Alf are a team. Alf invites her to have tea with him. They open the bait shop and find Robbo inside attempting to cut off his tag. Alf escorts him up to the flat and asks him what he thinks he’s doing, doing a runner. Robbo says that now it’s come down to it he can’t face a long stretch inside. Alf says Robbo’s been trying to figure out who he is and he’ll find out by fronting up in court.

Next morning, Tori asks Irene in the Diner if she’s seen Robbo but Irene hasn’t. Tori rings Justin, who has just arrived home with Buddy, and tells him she thinks Robbo’s gone. Justin says they’ve got a bigger problem: Ava has gone too, along with her bag and phone.