Episode 8601

Extended Summary

Harper and Dana are walking near the surf club, with Harper convincing Dana to have a bit of retail therapy with her and then go see a movie. Dana is happy to put the previous day behind them. They run into Eden, who they called Mrs Newman before she confirms it’s still Fowler. They apologise for not making the wedding. Eden says they had a good excuse and checks Harper’s eye is fine now. Eden greets Mali, who is putting a board out outside the surf club. He says she got him in trouble with Mackenzie with her phone stunt and should give her brother a wide berth as well.

Up in Salt, Abigail gives Levi a coffee, guessing that he didn’t get much sleep after his chat with Mackenzie. Eden turns up and Levi tells her Mackenzie rang him but only to have a go at him about her call. Eden offers to call her back and apologise but Levi tells her to leave it since she’s done enough. Abigail notes to Eden that she’s not sure how much more he can take.

At the police station, Cash rings Harper saying he’s got an update on her parents and wants to talk to her about it in person. David comes in and Cash congratulates him on getting a confession out of Wendell. David thanks him for his police work and notes it was a good result from their perspective. Cash asks about Lacey and David says some days like today she seems okay. Cash leaves.

Near the surf club, Mali is about to start a class but sends them down the beach ahead of him when Lacey appears. Lacey asks how things are going since he’s having to handle things on his own. Mali says it’s not too bad at the moment since he was expecting her and Theo to be in Tasmania and she can come back whenever she wants. Lacey suggests hanging out. Mali reminds her he has the class and suggests maybe later.

Eden brings Levi some scrambled eggs, his favourite, as a peace offering. Levi says the situation between him and Mackenzie isn’t her fault and he can only handle one messy relationship at once. Lacey comes in and asks Abigail if they can talk. Abigail says she’s just started work but suggests a girls’ night some time. At a nearby table, Harper and Dana are discussing what movie to go to when Harper notices the message from Cash. She claims she needs to take a call from work and they should take a rain check.

Lacey brings David a morning tea at work, saying it beats sitting at home on her own. David thought Jo was with her. Lacey says she either got called into work or is hanging out with Tane, and is bemused that David thinks they’re just friends. She asks if he has any work for her and David says there’s a job he was going to give to a junior.

Cash meets Harper at the Parata house. She says Tane has taken Archie out for the day. Cash explains that her father died four years ago of a drug overdose. Harper is disappointed he didn’t turn his life around. Her mother was with him at the time but hasn’t been trouble with the police since. Cash hands over the police records, including her father’s death certificate and her mother’s last known address, and asks her to keep it between them.

Lacey is doing some photocopying but is disappointed that it’s Crimestoppers posters, not case files. She laments hanging around her dad’s office. David says he knows how she feels. Lacey says he and Kristina were together longer than her and Theo. David says they still loved each other and Lacey agrees. She asks how he kept going. David says he had her and Jo, and he knew she’d want him to keep going.

Levi runs into Cash near the surf club. Cash briefly gives his condolences before going to see Eden. Levi overhears Mali on the phone to Dean, who says Mackenzie seems fine. Mali tells Levi that they both know she’s putting on a front. Later, Alf chats to Mali at the surf club about how much he has to do. Abigail brings Mali a coffee. Lacey turns up and tells Mali she’s coming back to work. He’s a bit surprised but agrees.

Harper meets Dana on the beach and says she has news about their dad. Dana drily asks if he’s dead, then realises that’s it. She says good. Harper adds that she has their mother’s last known address. Later, Dana asks Harper where she got the information from and guesses she asked Cash, pointing out that it’s illegal and asking how she could do that to him. She doesn’t understand why Harper would want to know and tells her not to look their mum up.

Mali approaches David at the surf club and asks him about Lacey being back at work, which he didn’t know about. Lacey appears and tells David this is her moving on. David tells her to take it slowly. Up in Salt, Eden gives Levi some food to take to work. She quietly tells Abigail to keep an eye on him before finishing work and joining Cash. Dana appears and asks Cash why he’d do it. Cash says he just did what Harper asked. Dana says he’s broken the rules and Eden reminds her he broke them to help her when she first came to town. Cash advises Dana to talk to Harper.

Dana goes to the Parata house and tells Harper that it’s a fantasy thinking their mother could change. Harper agrees she was abusive and neglectful but thinks she could change. Dana is adamant not to forgive her. Later, Harper brings Dana a tea and reminds Dana that Dana herself managed to change. Dana says she associates their parents with fear: Of what it’d be like coming home from school, if they’d be there or have friends around. Harper agrees she felt the same. Dana says it’ll be chaos if their mother comes back.

Alf gives Mali a bunch of flowers that were left by one of Theo’s students, saying he was a great teacher and greater guy. Lacey comes back from putting out the boards and sees the flowers. Mali tries to put her off but she reads the card and leaves upset. Shortly after, Mali finds her standing on her own on the beach. He hugs her as she bursts into tears.