Episode 7584

Extended Summary

Mia is running a class on the beach. Justin comes running down from the bush, looking agitated. Mia asks if he’s all right and notices blood on his hand but Justin tells her to mind her own business. Outside the surf club, John asks Tane how the job at the gym is going. Tane notes he hasn’t seen John in there and suggests it might not be his thing, with John retorting that he won’t get him to sign up by calling him chicken. Stephen staggers up, showing signs of a beating and calling out for help. John gets him to lie on his side while Tane calls for an ambulance.

At the Parata house, Chloe and Ryder are counting their takings and comment that getting in the background of shots at Nikau’s party worked out for them. Ari comes home and complains about the boxes lying around. They explain that companies are sending Nikau freebies to advertise on his social media, which they’re helping themselves to. Chloe asks Ari to shout them lunch to celebrate the success of their uni event, since they’re in debt, and he agrees. Later, the three of them arrive at the surf club at the same time that Dean is on the phone to the police trying to get an update on Mackenzie. Dean explains that he hasn’t seen Mack since he took her from the party. Chloe is unconcerned, saying she’d be lying low as well, but Ari and Ryder agree to look out for her.

Stephen is at the hospital with John and Tori. Tori notes that Stephen’s facial injuries are mostly superficial but she wants to send him for an x-ray and CT scan and also to keep him in overnight. John says he’s called the police and they’ll catch the thugs who did it. Stephen tells them it wasn’t thugs, it was Justin, saying he just attacked him without warning. At the gym, Tane explains the ambulance Ziggy and Mia saw outside to them, telling them about Stephen being attacked. Ziggy wonders if anyone’s seen Justin, saying he just lost it, and Mia tells the others about seeing him with blood on his hand: They all seem to be piecing it together.

Justin arrives home, taking off his shirt and jacket and washing his hands. He gets a call from Tori, but while he’s debating answering it, there’s a knock at the door: Two police officers. One of them, Senior Constable Cash Newman, announces Justin is under arrest for the assault on Stephen. They head to the police station where Cash asks Justin what his poison is. Justin says he has a medical condition and needs his medication. Cash asks about his hands, saying they both know the answer. Justin asks if Stephen’s all right and Cash says he’s in hospital. After asking if he can call anyone, Cash says they’ll get Justin processed.

Chloe brings drinks out to Ryder, Ari and Mia on the Salt balcony, explaining there was a long queue at the bar: Most of the staff have quit because they haven’t been paid that week. While the others worry about Mackenzie, Chloe calls it karma, saying Mackenzie has put out a lot of evil into the world. Mia sharply reminds her that Mackenzie lost a baby and they know how hard that can be. Meanwhile, Cash places Justin in a cell. Tori turns up at the station and explains to Cash that Justin became addicted to painkillers and they’re trying to wean him off them. She gives him a prescription from Justin’s specialist for his dose. Cash suggests Tori give it to him. She finds him in the cell, with him barely reacting to her presence.

John arrives at the surf club where Dean and Ziggy ask him about Stephen. John tells them Stephen said Justin did it. Dean says Ziggy’s lucky he fired her. Ziggy admits she’s back at the garage and refuses to quit, telling Dean he can’t tell her what to do. John wonders what’s happened to Justin. At the police station, Justin is recovering a bit after taking the painkiller. Tori offers to get a lawyer and says she hasn’t told Leah what’s going on. She says he could have killed Stephen, with Justin protesting Stephen was all over Leah. As Cash consults with an officer nearby, Tori compares what Justin’s done to what happened to Mason and their parents, and says maybe a night in there will make him realise that.

Ari and Mia pay for their meal at Salt. Ari is despondent at the state of the place, given how much it meant to Mack. Nearby, Chloe comments to Ryder on the bad service. Dean enters and Ryder goes to talk to him, saying the girl who replaced him has quit. Dean asks Ryder to come back until Mackenzie returns and Ryder agrees to have a look at the rosters and pay. At the police station, Cash has taken a statement from Justin and charged him. He tells Tori that normally Justin would have to go in front of a magistrate, but his sergeant might release him on bail from there…or he could take his time with the paperwork. Tori tells him to go slow, since they both hope a night in the cells will be a wake-up call. Justin is taken through, protesting that he wants to go home.

Ziggy helps Tane tidy up at the gym. Tane isn’t keen on her continuing to work with Justin. Ziggy notes Dean said the same thing but refuses to turn her back on Justin. Tane says he’ll get Mia to reorganise his shifts so he can be at the garage with her. Ziggy doesn’t think that’ll work out long-term but Tane is confident. Next morning, Leah meets up with Stephen on the beach and apologises for what happened. Stephen says he was well enough to be discharged but needs to leave for a bit. After Stephen has gone, a fisherman calls out from a boat out to sea, saying they’ve found a body and to call the police. Leah makes the call.

Justin is let out of the cells and abruptly tells Tori they should get out of there. As they leave, a message comes over the radio about the body, asking all available units to attend. Cash repeats the order to the officers present. At the Diner flat, Dean has finished calling round a list. Ryder comes rushing in and Dean wonders about the fuss down on the beach. Ryder explains a body’s been found and they’re saying it’s a woman.