The net closes in on Chastity, so she takes drastic action, explains actress Lucy Pargeter Why does Chas try to do a runner from the village? "Because she knows her alibi isn’t entirely true, that she arrived at the pub later than she told the police." How much later? "A few hours actually. She tells Lisa and Zak that she’d taken a bottle of champagne and drank herself stupid, alone by the river, before passing out only to be awoken by police sirens. " And have the police discovered her lies? "Not yet. Diane has covered for her but she warns Chas that it’s only a matter of time before someone else reveals the truth to the police, and Lisa and Zak suggests she go away for a while until things cool down." Wouldn’t that be like an admission of guilt? "Chas doesn’t really think it through. She insists she didn’t kill Tom but nevertheless decides to get away." Does she make it? "No, Carl stops her. Over at Home Farm Rosemary is trying to frame Chas out of spite and he’s really worried for her. As Eli is driving Chas away Carl catches up with her and prevents her making a big mistake." She does that anyway when she assaults Rosemary. What happens? "Eli burgled Home Farm on the day of the murder and he’s caught out and arrested. Chas knew about the robbery and when Rosemary taunts her she loses it and attacks her. And next thing she’s arrested for assault!" And then she's charged with Tom’s murder! How come? "Viv tells the police that Chas didn’t arrive at the Woolpack when she said she did. The police also appear to have some good evidence against her as well because her fingerprints are found on what they think is the murder weapon - the horse‘s head." Does Carl think she did it? "He’s in shock when Matthew tells him Chas has been arrested and doesn’t think she’s capable of murder. The other King brothers are quite happy to consider that Chas killed their dad but Carl tries to find a way to prove her innocence." Maybe because Carl himself is the murderer? "He definitely had a motive but Chas doesn’t think it was Carl. She thinks it was Rosemary. Chas reckons Rosemary was only ever after Tom’s cash and would be very capable of killing her husband on their wedding day." How did her fingerprints come to be on the murder weapon? "The horse’s head is part of the loot Eli stole and she touched it. But then it turns out not to be the murder weapon at all. Eli reveals that he did the robbery before Tom was killed not after. But the police were so sure it was the horse’s head. They’re right but it turns out there was a pair of them – and the other one is missing." Are Chas and Carl back on now they’ve made up? "I don’t know, it’s difficult after everything that’s happened. Their families just keep getting in the way of things." Does Chas still love him? "Yes she does. They were all ready to get married before Tom started interfering and I think they were good together." If he turned out to be the killer would she still love him? "She doesn’t for a moment believe it was Carl, any more than he believes it was her."
