MON 03-JAN-00

MON 03-JAN-00 Melanie's decision is final and no one can stop her now. A stranger arrives from Beppe's past.

Ian bangs on Melanie's door desperately.

Steve wishes Matthew Happy New Year and says he's glad Matthew is free and he'd like to shake hands and put it all behind them. Matthew says no thanks, and he made a lot of useful friends inside.

Mel is at home crying and Jeff asks why on earth she went through with it if she had doubts and she tells him he has to promise not to tell anyone. She tells what Ian did, and says think how upset Lucy would be if she found out. Mel tells Jeff that she has to change the way she lives, to do what she thinks is right and what she really wants, rather than trying to please everyone, and she has to move away.

Jamie and Robbie chatter about Mel and Matthew. Jamie says they took long enough to find the ashtray with Steve's prints on it. Jackie turns up and they look at her. Steve asks Jeff to do some work and asks how Mel is. Mark tells Steve to get lost - he killed Saskia and put Matt in prison. Steve replies he's not the only ex-con, but Mark says it's not the fact he's been in prison but that he put Matt there.

Steve phones his solicitor, who says they can't try him for manslaughter because they have already tried him for murder, but they could do him for perjury. Steve is pleased and Jackie comes in and says remember there's a woman dead and they still have to deal with Matthew and everyone round here.

Frank finds Ricky working in the Arches and gives him a contact number and says goodbye. A woman turns up just as he's changing his shirt and stripped to the waist and she asks him to look at her Merc convertible (!) that has just cut out around the corner. It's quite serious and she starts crying because it was a present from her father who just gave her fiancé 50K to leave her, and he did.

Ricky is very sympathetic! He takes her for a drink and tells her the car will be fixed by Thursday.

Kathy tells Ian Mel's a lying scheming manipulative little cow. Lisa looks after Mel who says she can't tell Lisa why she finally saw the light.

Simon sends Terry a note asking him to put flowers out for Tiffany, but where will they get any now? Irene says she'll make a wreath out of holly.

Matthew turns up in the Vic and everyone gives him a round of applause, and Frank tells him it's on the house. Teresa says she and Matthew are going on holiday for a few weeks to Italy.
Dr Fonseca sees Kim in the launderette and asks her about her modelling, and remarkably casually he mentions to her he had a few models at his last practice and he coached them in body management - exercise and toning their bodies - because some of them think they can be models just by not eating properly or throwing up after food and their health suffers and they have bad skin and teeth, and don't stay models for long.

Mel packs her bags and walks round to the tube. Steve sees her and offers her a lift. She gets into the car but says she's leaving as soon as a train arrives. Steve says at least she's still talking to him, and he sympathises about her predicament, but says everything that happened to him over the last year has been due to not stopping to think about all the options before acting. Steve tells her not to blame herself, and she was just wrong thinking that she'd end up loving Ian, and if she feels guilty about the kids now, how will she feel leaving them like this? Mel says she can't face going home now. Steve says she can stay at his and have some space to think, no funny business. Mel says it probably isn't a good idea, but does anyway.

Another mystery woman (Sandra probably) arrives from the tube station and sees Beppe walk into the restaurant with Sam on his arm. She hesitates and goes to the Vic, and Dan is charming to her when she says it's just a quick one for Dutch courage. She turns up at the restaurant.