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At the Car Lot, Phil demands Max sign the contract. Karin hurries in and reports the police are on Max’s door step. Panicking, Max signs the Arches and Car Lot over to Phil. Phil grins triumphantly, revealing he set the whole thing up with Karin’s help and gleefully snaps a photo of Max in his underwear. Humiliated, Max heads for home where he knocks back whiskey and looks at a photo of him with Emma. He spots Phil and Karin heading to the Vic from his window. Phil orders champagne but Jay feels bad and refuses any. Charlie’s amused to learn Phil’s plan worked. Max arrives, insisting his solicitor will be in touch and he’s changing the Car Lot locks. Phil just laughs. Charlie points out Max signed a legal contract and escorts him outside with Ben and Jay. Raging, Max allows Carol to lead him back to the Butchers’.

As Carol lectures him for taking on Phil, Max gets defensive but backs down when Carol reveals she collected Jim’s ashes today. Phil appoints Charlie manager of the Car Lot, to Ben’s dismay. After receiving cash from Phil, Karin leaves, but not before clashing with Sharon, who’s disgusted Phil conned Max. Max confronts Karin, who explains she was friends with Sam back in the day and did it for the money. Max wonders if she slept with him for money too. Karin’s adamant it wasn’t part of the deal. Max threatens there’ll be payback but Karin points out he doesn’t know her real name. Max demands Abi move home, declaring Phil stitched him up. Ben claims it was a legitimate business deal and Abi sides with Phil. Alone, Max swigs whiskey in the Square gardens and is later joined by Kat. Meanwhile, Sharon warns Phil if doesn’t change his ways he could lose everyone he cares about.

In the Vic, Donna and Fatboy note Kat’s been in a mood all day. At home, she vents to Alfie about the letter asking for a statement about Harry. Alfie comforts her and insists everything he does is for her. Touched, Kat suggests accompanying him to Beales while he impresses Ian. At Beales, Alfie and Jane convince a reluctant Ian to give Alfie one front of house shift to prove himself. Alfie charms customers but worries to Kat he’s wasting his time. Kat assures Alfie he’s a breath of fresh air; she leans in for a kiss but Alfie pulls back, surprised. Kat flees, stealing a bottle of wine, and returns to the Vic, drunk.

Later, she encounters equally drunk, depressed Max in the Square gardens. At the restaurant, Alfie’s humiliated when Ian berates him for giving a customer free wine. Ian eventually gives Alfie the job on a trial period after a dressing down from Jane. Back at Max’s, Kat and Max continue to drink; Max wonders why people like them are allowed to have kids. Max kisses Kat. She responds but when Max goes to lead her upstairs, she hesitates. Max is surprised - Kat Slater doesn’t say no. Kat bolts back home into Alfie’s arms, sobbing that there’s something wrong in her - she’s broken and will never change.

Buster races out of Blades after a figure in a green hoody but loses sight of him. Dean reads the note wrapped round the brick - ‘Rapist’. Aunt Babe thinks Dean will have to get used to it if he stays in Walford. In the Vic, Linda tells Mick Lee collected Stan’s ashes. Babe calls in to check on Mick after his clash with Shirley and claims she’s staying neutral. Babe remarks how empty her house is without Sylvie. Mick knows she’s fishing to move into the Vic and offers her her old job back instead. Later, Babe meets a man in a green hoody down the Vic alleyway and hands over cash - the ‘rapist’ note was a nice touch. While moving Stan’s chair, Lee and Whitney find a bag of money stashed inside.

Whitney tries to cheer up Stacey with a cocktail of Lee’s invention, enthusing she might meet a man tomorrow. Stacey drags her to the Vic, where Kush and Martin have also had letters about testifying against Dot; Martin’s worried about making things worse for her. Whitney points out he and Stacey have that in common and manoeuvres them onto the same darts team. Stacey ridicules the notion. When Kat stumbles in drunk, Martin intervenes and convinces her to go home. Grateful, Stacey suggests going out after the Vic.