ITV1 Network / Sunday 17 August 2008 @ 7.00pm
Season 17 Episode 19

The 17th season of Heartbeat is coming to a close over the next few weeks, with three more episodes after this one to go. This week in The Big Chill the action begins down at Whitby Docks, where DS Rachel Dawson (Clare Wille) is accompanied by a number of uniformed officers, including PC Wetherby (Rupert Ward-Lewis), PC Younger (Steven Blakeley) and PC Mason (Joe McFadden) as they prepare to raid a fish warehouse in search of drugs. They gather round the warehouse door but, before Mason can break the door down the market supervisor, Harry Hodge (Darren Bancroft) makes his presence known by shouting over. Ignoring Hodge’s protests, the police search the boxes of fish but fail to find what they are looking for. Angry at the wasted fish, Hodge demands to know who will pay for the damages and threatens to lodge an official complaint. Is Hodge an innocent bystander and will he follow through with his threat?

Elsewhere, Gina (Tricia Penrose) befriends Sally (Stacey Sampson), a young-mum-to-be at an antenatal class, who enthuses about her boyfriend, Jonny (Tim Matthews) and how excited he is about the prospect of being a father. However, when Gina gives Sally a lift home and meets Jonny's brother, Robbie (Jarrod Cooke), the picture of the perfect father-in-waiting that Sally portrays isn’t all it seems. Gina disapproves of Jonny’s treatment of Sally and later confides her worries to Carol (Lisa Kay) who tries to persuade Gina she needs to worry about herself rather than other people. Will Gina take Carol’s advice to not interfere with Sally’s love affair?

At the garage, Joyce Jowett (Elizabeth Bennett) arrives to discuss the arrangements for her Uncle Percy’s funeral. Bernie (Peter Benson) worries that the funeral won’t be able to go ahead as he struggles to fix the hearse in time. However, knowing Bernie’s under immense pressure and always on the look out for making money, Peggy (Gwen Taylor) derives a unique idea to give Joyce’s uncle the send off he deserves. When Peggy approaches Joyce with her plans of a horse drawn cortege, she’s more than willing to pay the extra expense. Has Peggy actually found a winning idea and will nothing stand in her way?

Meanwhile, having had no success at the docks, the police reconvene at the station and decide to track down Dawson’s informant, Robbie. Dawson and Mason trail Robbie to a dingy side street pub, and when Robbie spots them he makes a run for it but Mason catches up with him in an alley. Rachel tells Robbie that if he wants to stay out of prison he needs to speak up and start co-operating by giving them information about the next drugs shipment. Can the new information provided by Robbie help the police crack the case?

With a new lead, Dawson tries to get back up for another raid but is refused the support by Division as her informant is seen as unreliable. Not wanting to let the drug shipment go down, Ashfordly police decide to give their support and they head to a deserted cove. When they spot a boat coming into shore, the police turn on their car head lights, momentarily blinding Jonny and a trawler man, but before they can catch him, Jonny runs off. Mason gives chase and a struggle ensues, during which Jonny knocks Joe out and makes a getaway.

Back at their home, Jonny accuses Sally of grassing him up. Not wishing to upset him further, Sally begs Jonny not to leave and persuades him she knows where they can get money and a car to escape. The couple make their way to the back of the Aidensfield Arms, and wait for Gina. When Gina appears at the back door, Sally asks her for money so they can get away. When Gina shows her reluctance, Jonny appears and holding a gun to her head forces Gina into her car.

Back in the bar, Oscar (Derek Fowlds) becomes worried when Gina fails to return and, when they find out from Dawn (Nikki Sanderson) a pregnant girl came looking for her, Carol becomes concerned that Gina has become embroiled in a domestic between Sally and her violent partner. Will the police be able to find Gina before she comes to any harm?

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