The scriptwriters aren’t known for their subtlety, but just in case the blazing sirens weren’t enough, about half of the ensemble announces the discovery of a “body” at various moments throughout the programme.
The police have cordoned off an area and set up a makeshift tent to keep the aforementioned body hidden from prying eyes, none more so than John’s, who is doing everything he can to demonstrate his authority, even denying he was in the navy, which is something I didn’t know about.
As we all know, news travels quickly around the harbour, and by the time Dean rushes down and demands answers from the new constable, Cash Newman, there are already a large crowd gathered.
The internet has spoken, and it is widely agreed that the “hot cop” is indeed hot.
It’s also a great name, and I haven’t seen him with a ring on his finger, so he’s definitely topped the Summer Bay most eligible bachelor list, which was in desperate need of a new leader because John, yes, John Palmer, was once considered hot property. Susie’s intentions were not real, but he was on tinder looking for old people and finding matches.
Anyway, let’s get back to the body.
It’s the logical choice, as Dean points out, because Mac has been missing for “four days.”
Dean wastes no time in tossing his “friend” Ari under the bus, claiming that Mac “hasn’t been right since the day you ditched her,” and that she is frequently “hooking up with randoms.” Is it possible that the last one was incorrect?”
She hasn’t passed away.
“You’re not dead,” Dean repeats multiple times to emphasise that she is not dead after spending so much time imagining the worst-case scenarios for her death.
“I assumed you were no longer alive.”
Mac has realised her self-destructive tendencies and is moving out so she won’t feel compelled to “fight back” against Dean’s suffocation.
People are becoming restless as the day progresses, so John decides to figure out who the body belongs to.
What do you think we’re dealing with here, matey (the word mate is used a lot tonight),” John asks the handsome police.
“Was it a case of unintentional drowning, or was it a case of foul play?”
Fortunately for Cash, he doesn’t have to answer that question because they have the ID, and it’s Susie McAllister.
“Oh ma gawd, it’s Susie,” John gasps, his voice thick with ocker slang.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about; I was just chatting to her the other day.”
“I’m not going to cry over her,” Justin says emphatically.
Look, he’s not entirely wrong. Susie wasn’t on the show for very long, so we didn’t have much of a connection with her, but his sentiment is received with eye rolls since he’s in “typical denial” about his addiction and everyone, including Leah, is terrified of what he’s capable of…possibly murder?
Nothing is off limits for Justin nowadays.
“It’s like I fell in love with one person and have no idea who that person is,” Leah explains.
Although being incarcerated is about the strongest alibi one could have, the murder would have occurred prior to that.
Susie’s suicide is quite unlikely. She’s tricked a lot of people out of money, and she’s probably having the time of her life elsewhere.
Then there’s John.
Stephen, how are you doing? Because he’s been gaslighting as Susie, using her phone, while appearing to be on team John and Leah, something on the internet is putting John up to take the fall.
Mia, on the other hand, lacks the “stomach” for a dead body.
It could be something from her past, but it turns out she’s pregnant, much to Ari’s surprise.
