Episode 8538

Extended Summary

Tane is leading a class in a boxing workout on the beach, with Jo partnered with him. He calls a break and Jo’s attention is focused on Lacey chatting to Theo nearby. Tane tells her to focus on what they’re doing as he restarts the class. At the beach house, John turns up as Irene is sorting through stuff. She comments that she gave him a key to the house, not freedom of the palace, and maybe that was the first sign she was losing her mind. She explains she’s putting together gifts, noting a mug that Bella bought her and a model bus that Will bought, and says she’s giving anything she doesn’t want to charity. John suggests some of it might be worth money and Irene tells him to take anything he wants.

At the Diner, Leah is impressed that Justin has been offered the maintenance contract for a cab company. Justin thinks it’s more work while Leah suggests it’s more money and they could see Tori, VJ and Luc more. Justin wonders if Theo has said anything about coming back to work. Leah thinks he’s enjoying the surf lessons and spending time with Lacey. Justin says he’d like to surf and spend more time with Leah, prompting her to point out he spent two hours surfing that morning. Justin says he just wants to find out if he needs to replace Theo. John arrives and asks if they’ve seen Irene this morning.

At the farm house, Levi is on the phone to work, saying he can’t come in today. Mackenzie appears and tries to encourage him to go in, saying the cramps have stopped. Levi offers her a herbal tea and she points out she’s just poured herself a coffee. She tries to drink it outside but when Levi wants to go with her, she decides to go into work instead. Levi insists on driving her.

Leah turns up at the beach house and offers Irene a hand. Irene immediately guesses that John sent her. She produces a teapot and says she wants Leah to have it, saying she got it when she first got off the booze to replace it with something. Leah thinks Irene should keep it but Irene says it should be with someone who’ll remember the story.

At the surf club, Tane comments on Jo hitting hard and she says she was picturing Lacey’s face. She sees Lacey saying goodbye to a woman at a nearby table and decides to approach her and clear the air. Jo tells Lacey she understands she’s hurting. Lacey tells her she’s hired a private investigator to look into the crash without bias. Jo insists it already was but Lacey thinks David got his cop mates to go easy on her.

Justin and Theo are walking on the beach. Justin tries to get Theo to tell him his plans. Theo says he’s made a commitment to Lacey and the board shop and suggests Justin get a temporary replacement in. Justin says to let him know what he decides, leaving as Lacey approaches. Lacey guesses he wanted Theo to return to work but Theo says he won’t leave her in the lurch. Lacey tells him she hired the private investigator and got to tell Jo about it.

On another part of the beach, Jo has filled in Tane, saying Lacey thinks the police are corrupt. Tane is shocked that anyone could do this to family. Jo says Lacey has never managed to accept what happened and move on. Tane suggests it might not be a bad thing if it forces Lacey to accept what happened. Jo realises he has a point and says it’s worth hurting David if Lacey gets proof it was an accident.

Irene asks Leah for a bin bag. Leah is shocked when Irene throws out some breast cancer charity items and then her copy of A Letter for Byron, which Don Fisher wrote and Hayley illustrated. Irene says she’s not going to read it again and, when Leah finds her t-shirt from Maddy’s colour run, similarly says she won’t wear it again. Leah convinces her to come to the Diner with her for lunch.

At the Diner, Marilyn dismisses John’s concerns, saying not everyone hoards things like him. Irene and Leah arrive and Irene notes that she was doing great until Leah turned up. John asks if she wants an empty house and Leah wonders if it’s a ditstraction. Irene says that she doesn’t want to leave a house full of junk for her loved ones to deal with when the inevitable happens. She says she’s trying to face the future and would like her friends to support her. There is a long silence, then Irene leaves.

Tane and Jo are walking up towards the surf club. Tane suggests a late lunch. Jo is shocked at what the time is and decides to for a swim. Levi and Mackenzie approach and Mackenzie convinces Levi to wait there while she goes up to Salt. Levi tells Tane that Mackenzie’s under the weather and Tane reveals she’s told him about the IVF. Levi talks about how hard it is to see her in pain and not be able to do anything and insists Tane wouldn’t understand. Tane points out he was twice left waiting to see if Levi could save his son and his mother, and tells him to just be there for her.

Levi heads up to Salt. Mackenzie has sorted out anything to do with the gig and wants to get the rosters done but finds the cramps have returned. Levi convinces her to go home and do them there. Nearby, Theo joins up with Lacey. She is worried about him taking time off from the garage but Theo insists it’s not a problem and he’ll keep helping out until Mali gets back, despite Lacey saying they could take a break for a bit. Lacey gets a call from the investigator.

Leah reads to John and Marilyn from the internet, saying it is important for people with Alzheimer’s to get their affairs in order in the early stages, especially with regards the burden they place on others. John acknowledges it suggests they’re overreacting but thinks that Irene’s done this too quickly. Leah suggests they should support her but John doesn’t want her to live in an empty house.

Theo joins Lacey on the balcony at Salt, where she is trying to get the investigator to do the job and ultimately asks for her deposit back. She tells Theo that the investigator won’t take the case, claiming that she doesn’t want to get the local sergeant offside. Theo wonders how she’d know. Lacey says the only people that knew about the investigator were them and Jo. Jo is taking a shower outside the surf club when Lacey appears and asks how she got the number or if she got David to do it. Jo is bewildered as Lacey accuses of getting David to cover for her again and shut down the investigation.

Back at the beach house, Irene finds a photo of herself and John with Leah and Justin at their wedding and has a flashback to the day. John turns up and tells Irene she can get rid of her stuff if she wants but she has to keep her friends close, because he refuses to lose her from his life before he has to.