Episode 7522

Extended Summary

Amber comes down from the flat with Jai’s bag and wonders where his hat is, only to realise he’s wearing it. Jai shows Dean a surf competition flyer and reminds him they have to make a poster, dreaming of winning a holiday. Outside the surf club, Leah and Justin accost John and ask him what’s happened to Susie, since they were supposed to be meeting her. John says she’s gone to Yabbie Creek to sort everything out. Back at the Palmer house, Susie is packing her bags and booking a one-way ticket. Justin and Leah tell John that Susie doesn’t exist but John dismisses the idea, saying she lives with him, and says he’ll call her. She initially ignores the call but eventually answers and says she’s just leaving the office and will be there soon. John passes the news on to Leah and Justin. Instead, she goes to the laptop.

Mia turns up at the hospital. Ari says he wasn’t sure if he’d see her again. Mia admits she didn’t give him a chance to talk. She notices Ari is in pain and goes to get a nurse, promising to come back. At the Diner, Irene gets a text from Leah and tells Roo she’s letting herself be fobbed off by Susie. Irene decides to do something herself. Chloe comes in and greets Ryder but he responds sharply and she responds likewise, with them trading insults although Chloe does drop in the fact that she has the house to herself. Ryder leaves not long after her; Roo doesn’t looked fooled. Ryder meets Chloe at the Paratas’ pool and she notes they can have the quality time they haven’t had all week. They kiss.

Susie successfully transfers $50,000 from John’s account to the fundraiser account in her name. Irene arrives and notes the bags. Susie says she was just moving them to the garage. Irene accuses her of taking Leah and Justin’s money and meddling with the sponsorship. Susie turns away, pretending to cry, but actually pours some substance from a bottle onto a cloth. She then turns back and confirms it. Irene says she’s going to call the police and turns away. Susie grabs her and places the cloth over her face; Irene slumps to the floor. At the surf club, John is encouraging Dean to enter the surf competition, saying the first prize is a trip to Movie World. Roo, Leah and Justin come in, with Roo wondering why Susie would arrange to meet them and then go to Yabbie Creek instead. Leah and Justin tell John they’re going to go to the agency themselves. John says he’ll drive them but needs to swing by the house first.

Ryder collects a pizza from a deliver guy outside the Parata house. He sees Susie across the road putting her bags in the car. He worries to Chloe that she might tell John he was there and is relieved when she drives off. At the hospital, the nurse has finished checking on Ari. Mia notes Tane told her the business was his fault. Ari says he refused to help Mikaere when he came out of prison and didn’t want to lose Tane too. Mia thinks sooner or later Tane will get in trouble again and Ari will help him. Ari insists they’ve both learned their lesson and asks Mia to give him a chance.

Dean is finishing off a class on the beach. Amber and Jai turn up, having just come from school. Jai has supplies for the poster, including glitter. Dean tries to get Amber to do the job. Jai strikes a pose on a surf board and Dean notes he’ll be a pro surfer soon, Amber suggests she take part too, despite Dean saying she can’t surf. At the Palmer house, John is telling Leah and Justin that Susie must still be in Yabbie Creek when they stumble across Irene. As John searches the rest of the house, Irene comes to and recalls Susie putting a cloth on her face. John says her clothes, computer and everything are gone. Justin says he’ll call the police. Meanwhile, Susie pulls to a halt just past the town sign. She takes her phone, which is displaying texts from John and Justin and missed calls from them and Leah, and places it in front of her car wheel. She then drives off, leaving the damaged phone behind.

Ryder and Chloe are chatting outside the Parata house. Ryder recalls how it was just him and his mum until he came to Summer Bay and tells her about meeting his dad last year and him dying. Chloe says she wouldn’t know her dad if she passed him in the street but had Ari until she was ten. She recalls him singing her a Maori lullaby; she doesn’t know the words but used to hum the tune. Ryder is rather nervous about dating Ari’s pseudo-daughter. He offers to drive her to the hospital. At the Diner flat, Jai gets a reluctant Dean to join him colouring in and Amber mischievously suggests he include some glitter. Dean asks for a beer and Amber tells him later, since he can’t go over the lines.

Chloe arrives at the hospital and goes to knock on Ari’s door, then sees him and Mia kissing. The pair discuss getting back together. Chloe enters and jokingly asks how long it’s been going on. She wonders how them being together will work if Mia leaves. Mia says she’ll have to stay and Ari assures her they’re a family again. Chloe cries happily. Later, she finds Ryder at work and tells him about the reunion and that they’re staying. Ryder goes to kiss her, then remembers they’re in public. He wonders if they should tell people now she’s sticking around, starting with Bella and Nikau. Chloe suggests she tell Nikau and Ryder tell Bella. Ryder notes that way Nikau’s less likely to hit him for lying to him.

The police are swarming over the Palmer house. John is sat on the front step. He gives one of the police officers a flyer for the surf comp, saying Susie set it up. After looking at a photo of him and Susie on his phone, he rings Jett and says he’s messed up. At the Morgan house, Justin gets off the phone and tells Leah the police want them to make a statement; Irene has recovered and already made hers. However, there’s no sign of Susie. They both look devastated.