If there’s one person in the Emmerdale Village who could walk himself right into a hostage situation, it’s Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson).
He might be a lover of a murder mystery, but he’s not so hot at figuring things out. For one, he’s not sharp enough to realise that staying away overnight at a murder mystery event with his colleague Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker) instead of his fiancé Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) is a bad idea.
When he arrives back, Chas immediately accuses the pair of cheating. When Claudette (Flo Wilson) also gets out of the car it’s clear Liam hasn’t been playing away, but still Chas is hurt by the fact he’d rather go away with manhunting Manpreet and the surgery’s part-time receptionist than her.
Marlon (Mark Charnock) rushes after her and gently suggests she prove to Liam that he is wrong about her attitude to his favourite pastime.
But there’s not long to think about it. The next day, the village is seized by horror when Paddy (Dominic Brunt) finds a ‘body’ in the vets.
Liam and Chas find Paddy losing his mind over his discovery – but it quickly becomes clear Chas has organised a murder mystery game for Liam. He’s touched by her efforts, but the shine wears off pretty quickly and Chas is left frustrated by his lack of effort.
Liam is at home working on one of Chas’ clues when there’s a knock at the door. Enter some guy called Dave, who Liam assumes is part of Chas’ game. As he plays along, he holds his wrists out for Dave to tie him up. But when he’s trussed up like a pig and it’s all a bit late, Dave reveals he’s here for Dylan (Fred Kettle), who ratted him out to the police.
The penny drops that Liam has walked himself into a super dangerous situation.
Dylan arrives home to find the scenes and the pure fear on his face tells Liam everything he needs to know. Things take a terrifying turn when Marlon and Chas arrive. Dave strikes Marlon and knocks him out cold, whipping out a gun and taking Chas hostage.
Liam is left tied up and aghast, unable to save her because he willingly let the gun-toting madman incapacitate him. Will Marlon come round in time to save her?