Episode 4843 (24 April 2014)

In the Beales’, Ian looks around Lucy’s bedroom, just as she left it. Cindy finds him curled in a ball on the landing; he flinches at Denise’s touch. Downstairs, Peter spots Lucy’s jumper on the sofa. One by one, the family silently congregate around the dining table, united in their grief. Jane arrives with Bobby, breaking the silence. Denise struggles to know what to do.

Jane thinks everyone should eat; they’re pulled up to spot an Easter egg Bobby bought Lucy. Dot arrives; she gently suggests attending church could help Ian the way it’s helped her since Nick died but Ian lashes out – how can Dot compare Nick with Lucy?! As she leaves, Dot sadly remarks she keeps saying goodbye to children - they should be saying goodbye to her. DC Summerhayes arrives with DCI Robin Irving. Irving explains the CCTV footage around Walford common’s been collected and house to house police enquiries are being conducted.

Peter protests when Irving requests to examine Lucy’s bedroom and belongings. Summerhayes explains they’re trying to build a picture of who Lucy had been seeing. Irving promise to report anything they take. Cindy’s bewildered – how will it help the police catch a mugger? Ian says Lucy didn’t keep a diary. As a team of SOCOs in paper suits enters and head for Lucy’s bedroom, Peter bolts for the door but is waylaid by Jane and Summerhayes. Flowers arrive from Maggie Flaherty, Pauline’s sister. When questioned, Ian tells Irving he argued with Lucy about Lee on Friday morning.

Urged by Jane, Ian reluctantly reveals they argued again later about the cocaine he’d discovered in Lucy’s bedroom, but claims they talked sensibly and then he went to the restaurant. Irving wonders if Lucy was just experimenting; Cindy blurts that it wasn’t a one off, but doesn’t know where Lucy got the cocaine from. In the kitchen, Summerhayes asks Peter if Lucy had crossed anyone recently and explains they’ll be taking a DNA swab sample from all the family to rule everyone out. Peter insists Lucy had no enemies and presses Summerhayes for details – did Lucy suffer? Summerhayes promises to keep them informed. Lauren arrives with flowers.

Upstairs, Jane apologises for keeping the cocaine a secret from Denise, but explains that Ian didn’t want to spoil her trip to Oxford. Jane declares it’s up to them to keep the family together. Downstairs, Peter vents to Lauren – why was Lucy on the common? Lauren can’t work out why she didn’t join them at Roxy’s party, but recalls she was going to phone Peter. Peter wants to leave Walford and begs Lauren to keep Lola busy so he can collect his things. Lauren pleads that Bobby and Ian need Peter and wherever Peter goes, all he’ll see is Lucy. With the police upstairs, Ian rages at Cindy for implying Lucy was a habitual drug user – he doesn’t want Lucy remembered that way. Ian can’t help wondering if Lucy’s murder was just a mugging – perhaps she was meeting someone?

Cindy suggests it could’ve been a dealer and Ian forbids her from speaking to anyone else. Cindy retorts she didn’t tell the police Ian wasn’t at the restaurant on Friday night. Stunned, Ian insists he was but Cindy’s adamant that when she came to the restaurant he wasn’t there. In the kitchen, Peter tells Lauren how, without Lucy, something felt missing when he lived abroad and when he came back to Walford without his mum, he didn’t feel sad because Lucy was there. Lauren tries to empathise, remembering Bradley. Upset, Peter feels he should’ve known something was wrong. With the last of Lucy’s belongings packed up, the police officers leave. Ian pleads with Irving to find Lucy’s killer. As the family gathers for lunch at Denise and Jane’s insistence, Cindy notices Lucy’s jumper and picks it up.

Suddenly, Ian rounds on a surprised Cindy, accusing her of taking Lucy’s stuff and slagging her off to the police. As Denise and Jane try to stop him, Ian drags Cindy to the back door and throws her out. Upstairs, a shaken Ian makes a phone call, telling someone to come and get Cindy.

Cast

 * Cindy Williams..............................................................Mimi Keene
 * Ian Beale.................................................................Adam Woodyatt
 * Denise Fox...................................................................Diane Parish
 * Jane Beale.....................................................................Laurie Brett
 * Peter Beale.......................................................................Ben Hardy
 * Lauren Branning.................................................Jacqueline Jossa
 * Dot Branning................................................................June Brown
 * Bobby Beale................................................................Rory Stroud
 * DC Emma Summerhayes............................................Anna Acton
 * DCI Irving..............................................................Colin McFarlane