Episode 4740 (4 November 2013)

Janine’s spent the night at the Butchers’, she’s in shock and unable to engage with Scarlett. The police arrive and ask Janine to come to the station to give a statement. She follows them out, leaving Whitney to look after Scarlett. Alice is interviewed by DS Sally Grant; she wants to see Joey and is still hopeful that she’ll get to go home once she’s told the police what happened. Alice tells the police all about Michael’s plan to kill Janine and then run away with her and Scarlett – it was like a fairy tale. She tells Sally she loved Michael, all she ever wanted was for him to be happy. She explains exactly what happened; she thought Michael was going to kill Janine and had to stop him hurting her so stabbed him - but only once. Meanwhile, Janine has photos taken of her bruised neck and injured arm. She tells the police she loved Michael. But as Janine starts to talk about what happened the reality of Michael’s death finally hits her. She has a panic attack and rushes out of the room into the corridor where she finds Whitney waiting with Scarlett. Janine explains that when Michael died his eyes were open and full of pain – she can’t look at Scarlett because she’s got his eyes. Whitney tells Janine to pull herself together as she’s all Scarlett’s got. Janine finally looks at her daughter. Janine then gives her version of events to the police. She claims that Michael did have his hands round her throat but then stopped and apologised. She’s adamant that Alice attacked Michael, stabbing him twice and wasn’t defending her. Alice is confused when the police tell her there were two stab wounds on Michael’s body and the second was fatal. She’s devastated to learn she’s being charged with murder. Although she can hear Alice shouting that she wants to go home, Janine doesn’t flinch as she walks out of the police station carrying Scarlett.

An unsuspecting Joey arrives back in Walford after a big night out. He switches his phone on to find several messages from Carol asking him to call her about Alice. Panicking, Joey runs towards the Butchers’. There’s a heavy police presence in the Square and No.27 is cordoned off. Joey sees Fatboy and Tamwar but neither will tell him what’s happened. Increasingly anxious, Joey follows Carol into the Butchers’. Carol tells Joey that Michael’s dead and Alice has been arrested for his murder. Joey wants to go to the police station but David persuades him to sit tight. The waiting it too much for Joey and he and David go to the Vic for a brandy. There, Joey talks to Lauren then walks out, heading for the police station. Joey aggressively bangs on the police front desk window and demands to see his sister. Whitney calms him down.

Alfie’s rocked by Michael’s death. Roxy tries to support him but it’s Kat he turns to for comfort. Roxy accepts this but Ronnie doesn’t like it. The police want Kat to give a statement. Alfie tells Kat that Michael was sure he wouldn’t live past the age his mother died at and the smug git was right. Kat’s feeling guilty - she saw the way Alice was with Michael. Alfie reassures her that she couldn’t have done anything. They agree they’ll help Tommy remember Michael together. When Michael’s body is taken out of No.27 Roxy’s comforts Alfie and Kat leaves.

Fatboy, Poppy, Lauren and Tamwar are all shocked by what’s happened. Poppy’s adamant that Alice has nothing to do with Michael’s murder. Tamwar’s guilt ridden for feeling relieved that he got away from Alice and Michael when he did.

Masood’s come back from Birmingham. He tries to help Carol but David’s got it covered and Masood’s not needed. Carol tells Masood she just needs a bit of space.