Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) fears she’s neglecting her young daughter Annie in upcoming EastEnders scenes.
In recent months, whilst dealing with the weight of being Keanu Taylor’s (Danny Walters) murderer, Linda has hit the bottle again and on more than one occasion, her mum Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) has had to step in and take Annie and her brother Ollie to school.
The family, apart from her son Johnny (Charlie Suff) are unaware that she was the one who drove a meat thermometer into his back in defence of best mate Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).
Alongside four other Walford women, the ladies successfully implicated Linda’s rapist Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) for the crime, and with his trial fast approaching, she’s riddled with guilt.
Her lies cut deeper when Fraser (Greg Esplin), one of Dean’s associates, turns up at The Queen Vic and offers her a deal. Luckily, Elaine notices him bothering her and demands he gets off their property.
Once alone, it becomes clear to Johnny that Linda’s tempted by the offer and he tries to make her realise it’s a wrong move – before she starts drinking again.
The next morning she wakes up with a horrific hangover, and Elaine becomes concerned that she’s missed youngest daughter Annie’s dentist appointment.
Linda quickly defends herself, and Elaine offers to take her instead. Adamant that she wants to be there for her daughter, she heads to the dental hospital and is horrified to hear that Annie’s oral hygiene has declined.
Slowly it creeps in that her obsession over Dean’s trial is letting her parenting skills slip.
However, upon returning home, she finds a blackmail letter and before long a second arrives. Jumping to conclusions, she begins pointing the finger at all of the Vic’s patrons… but the blackmailer is actually visiting Dean in prison!
But who is it?
