Max Branning (Jake Wood) finds himself in a desperate bind as his vengeful ex-wife Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) threatens to expose his role in Zoe Slater's (Michelle Ryan) death, leading him to make a reckless deal with Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) that could seal her fate.
Zoe, suffering from a brain bleed, had staggered downstairs at the Vic and found Max in the arms of Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). Despite her pleas for help, he cruelly dismissed her, believing she was drunk, essentially sealing her fate. When Max set son Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) the task of proving he and Cindy hadn't consummated their marriage by getting her drunk and recording her admission, Oscar drunkenly revealed the truth about Zoe to Cindy.
Max's Desperate Offer
Cindy confronted Max, demanding answers and threatening to expose the truth. In a panic, Max offered her £50,000 to keep her mouth shut. The problem? He doesn't have £50,000 and can't pull it out of the car lot business accounts.
Enter Amy Mitchell, who is in her own tight spot, groomed into a relationship with predator Craig Ingram (Matthew James Bailey), who also has designs on her inheritance. This week, Max met Amy and learned she's desperate to access her money. When he tells her of his debts, she offers a deal: if he helps her access the cash, she'll help him financially.
A Deal with Devastating Consequences
Seeing Amy climb into Craig's car, Max instinctively goes to tell his brother and Amy's dad, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), but realising it could scupper his chances, he holds his tongue and rings Amy to agree to the deal. Next week, Max tells Oscar about his plan, promising to sort Craig out. He later summons Craig and Amy, learning that Craig covered up Amy's involvement in Joel Marshall's (Max Murray) attack.
Max strikes a deal: he'll sign the forms to release Amy's money as long as she confesses to her relationship with Craig to her dad. But when Max heads to meet Jack to reveal all, he's too late. Oscar arrives and tells them he's seen Amy and Craig flee the Square. The brothers give chase, but they're gone.
Jack's Terror and the Fallout
Jack is terrified and launches an investigation while keeping the police out of the equation. Drafting his brother in to help, Max is busy paying off Cindy, with Amy having followed through on her end of the deal and sending him the money he needs.
With Amy in possession of a heap of cash and trapped with a known predator, have Max's actions doomed her? And what will Jack do when he learns of his brother's role in his daughter's disappearance? EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 26th October at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
