4851: Angelo charges Irene and Belle

Irene and the policeman she shot are brought into hospital. Rachel is surprised to discover that Irene has been drinking. Belle, Geoff, Annie, and Kirsty are shocked to discover that Irene shot a policeman, and Lou is missing.

Later that night, Rachel allows them to visit Irene, overruling Angelo, who wants to talk to her. Irene is still pretty out of it and feels bad about Lou – she fears he could be dead.

The next day Belle accompanies Alf to the police station, where he supports Irene in her interview with Angelo. Irene tells her story – she and Lou were happy on the yacht, but she heard about Belle in rehab and decided to come home. On her last night with Lou, Irene took some painkillers for a headache, and went to bed watching a DVD with headphones.

A noise briefly woke her in the middle of the night, but she quickly went back to sleep, assuming it was the movie. When she woke up the next day, Lou was gone and Irene freaked out.

Irene had no idea how to work the boat radio, let alone sail out of there. Frightened and alone, she started drinking, paranoid that whoever took Lou would come after her as well, and grabbed Lou’s gun for protection. She shot the police officer by accident because she was terrified. Angelo cross-examines Irene for holes in her story, and about her violent history with alcohol. Charlie believes Angelo is completely over the top in doing this.

When Belle finds out that Angelo will charge Irene with grievous bodily harm of the police officer and that Irene’s a person of interest in Lou’s disappearance, she slaps Angelo, and he throws her in the cell with Irene.

Liam asks Belle to explain to his wife that they are not having an affair, but before Belle can answer, she finds out that Irene is in hospital. Liam’s apology to Aden for taking up so much of Belle’s time ends in argument, so Liam storms off. Aden offers support for Belle over Irene, although he is clearly jealous of Liam.

The next morning Aden is furious when he catches Alf, Kirsty, and Leah discussing a new article in the Coastal Times – a photo of Belle and Liam together headlined “Rehab Romance”. Liam demands Belle talk to his wife about the article.