Episode 7413

Extended Summary

Colby is coming back from a surf when Nikau finds him and tells him about Bella being taken away by the police. Colby asks if she was all right. Nikau notes that she said she was but looked freaked out. At the police station, Angelo has settled Bella in the interview room. He notes she looks happy and well despite Colby claiming she was riddled with anxiety. She says it comes and goes. She tries to pass off her trip away with Nikau as a romantic holiday but Angelo asks why Nikau’s uncles and Mackenzie came after them in that case. He says he’ll bring Nikau in but Bella stops him, saying she’ll tell him what he wants to know.

At the Diner, John is propping up the counter and chatting to a distracted Irene, saying he’s early for an important meeting with Alf: They’re prepping for his first surf club committee meeting since the stroke. He notes reflectively that it’s very quiet at home. Meanwhile, Angelo asks Bella why she didn’t want to speak to him, saying she’d have been treated as a victim and Colby should have explained that. Bella says she was in shock. Angelo notes he has her statements both from the kidnapping and from when he spoke to her. He asks her to think about what was going through Ross’ head. Bella says she always thought he’d never hurt her but he did to mess with Colby: He threatened her, shot one of her friends and murdered her mum.

Outside the Diner, Irene tells Alf that John is waiting for him inside. Alf says he’s an hour early and Irene notes he’s been there half an hour already. Willow makes to go up to the flat and Alf tells her about Bella being taken away by the cops. Irene recalls mentioning her trip to Angelo and Willow explains she was trying to avoid the police. Irene isn’t happy about being played. Willow decides to call Colby. He and Nikau are just entering the police station, and before he can answer the call, Bella appears with Angelo. Both Angelo and Colby want a word with the other. Angelo says Colby lied to him. Colby says it seems like Angelo would do anything to crack the case and he didn’t want him tracking Bella down and dragging her back there. Angelo says Bella isn’t how Colby described her and thinks one of them is protecting the other. Colby and the others leave.

Willow is pacing at the Diner flat as Colby, Bella and Nikau arrive back. Bella says Angelo knows Ari, Tane and Mackenzie followed them so Nikau says he’ll let them know. She notes Angelo was actually nice to her and promises Colby she didn’t tell him anything. Colby announces he’s going to sort it and storms out. Willow follows and says he needs a plan. Colby says Angelo is onto them and wonders if he did the wrong thing antagonising him. Willow says they need to get him to focus elsewhere.

Taylor arrives at the police station to collect Angelo for lunch. Murray comes over and tells him they’ve just had an anonymous call from someone claiming to have seen Ross Nixon down the coast with some bikers a couple of months after Colby and Dean saw him. Angelo asks Taylor to give him a few minutes: He tells Murray to check there are biker gangs in that area while he rings round the local pubs. Meanwhile, John is talking to an uninterested Alf about when to bring up buying soft-top rescue boards, eventually putting it on the agenda for the nippers meeting. Alf says they’ve discussed everything and he’s closing the bait shop. John suggests they go for dinner at Salt but Alf retorts that he has a life so John awkwardly decides to go back to the Diner.

Bella is now fretting at the flat. Nikau tries to reassure her that she should trust Colby and he wouldn’t hurt her. Bella recalls she once thought that about Ross but Nikau says Colby isn’t him. Willow arrives and takes Bella into her room for a private word. She says she’s sorted it and Colby’s gone for a walk, but won’t say what they did. Bella reminds Willow that she told her to stay out of it and suggests she should take her own advice. Willow leaves, with Bella no more reassured. Down in the Diner, John is trying to chat to Irene, who serves Angelo and Taylor coffee and warns Angelo not to trick her again. Taylor notes Angelo’s old friends will soon learn work comes first and tries to talk to him about painting the bathroom. Angelo gets a call from Murray confirming there is a bike chapter in the area. Willow listens in as he tells Taylor he’s going to have to go away for a couple of days to check it out. Taylor warns him she could paint the bathroom hot pink.

Bella and Nikau arrive back at his place. Bella is sorry she dragged him into Colby’s mess and wonders if he’d have been better off not meeting her. Nikau insists that family stick together. Meanwhile, Colby is drinking in Salt. Taylor sits next to him and tells him about Angelo pursuing an out of town lead. She says she’s seeing less of him than when they were in the city and doesn’t see the point of being married. Colby says Angelo doesn’t deserve her. Willow pointedly approaches and Taylor quickly leaves. Colby is annoyed with Willow and also leaves.

Colby follows Taylor outside and says it was just one friend comforting another. Taylor says that it’s more than that and Colby says nothing will happen unless she wants it to. Willow watches from the balcony as they walk away together. Later, Colby returns home pursued by Willow, who says he has to stop things with Taylor. She reminds him she broke the law for him today but Angelo will be back when he realises the lead is a dead end. Colby refuses to listen and she leaves. Later still, Taylor goes to a motel room and knocks on the door. Colby is waiting inside and invites her in.