Teddy Mitchell’s (Roland Manookian) motive for taking on Reiss Colwell’s (Jonny Freeman) debt is revealed in EastEnders next week.
As viewers of the BBC One soap know, Reiss became Albert Square’s most unlikely killer after facing an increasing amount of debt.
His plan to get out of that? Smothering his comatose wife Debbie to death so that he wouldn’t have to fork out for her private care fees.
He had also made a plot to scam hard man Phil and his business partner Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) with a fake investment scheme at Peggy’s.
Understandably, when Phil found out, he went mad. Crazy mad.
Seeing Reiss in a precarious situation, Teddy stepped in and came to the rescue – offering to take on the debt himself.
Exactly why he posed such a kind gesture remained to be seen, but that all becomes clear next week.
Teddy wants Reiss to fiddle the books (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Things are going swimmingly for Reiss, as he’s evading justice for the murder of poor Debs whilst his fiancé Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) has been unfairly put behind bars.
However, Teddy soon implores him to work on his books so that he can hide his wealth, even if it means fiddling with them illegally. Whilst Reiss isn’t best pleased, he knows that he has little choice in the matter.
With gossip flying around Walford about a ‘guilty’ Sonia, he begins to struggle under the pressure of keeping it a secret.
When Teddy says he needs him to get to work quickly as his ex’s solicitor is pushing for the books, he tentatively agrees on the condition that he helps prove Sonia’s innocence.
Does he know what he’s getting himself into?
Later in the week, a reporter accosts Reiss to get an interview over the crime, having been tipped off that he’s defending Debbie’s killer.
He sits down with the journalist and is pleased when the article casts doubt over Sonia’s guilt, whilst the rest of the residents make a pact to support her publicly. Alfie (Shane Richie) even chips in for a box of ‘Save Our Sonia’ t-shirts!
Reiss’ good mood is quickly shut down when Debbie’s dad Hugh returns to the area and asks him to sign the paperwork to have her body released for the funeral.
But Hugh has another motive – he begs Reiss to see the truth about his killer fiancé.
As he grows deeply uncomfortable with the lies he’s telling, will he be forced to tell the truth?
