In a shocking twist on , the ITV soap hinted at the demise of an unexpected baddie in the latest episode. Lawyer Joel Deering, who has been menacing Lauren Bolton and even assaulted her with a chair leg in an attempt to harm her unborn child, vanished on Monday (September 30).
His abandoned vehicle was discovered near a railway bridge, sparking fears of his fate.
DS Lisa Swain, alongside Kit Green, investigated the scene where they stumbled upon a note inside Joel’s car. The plot thickened when Swain relayed the grim findings to Dee-Dee at Roy’s Rolls, leaving her stunned.
Swain broke the news to Joel’s former partner: “His car is still at the spot where he made his last call to you. We also found a note on the dashboard. It was a suicide note. I’m really sorry to tell you this, Dee-Dee, but we think he might have taken his own life.”
A skeptical Dee-Dee queried: “But you didn’t find a body?” to which Lisa admitted: “Not yet, no, but the note was pretty unequivocal.”
Joel left a suicide note in his car (Image: ITV)
Roy offered his perspective: “Well I’m sorry it’s ended like this. Some might get a visceral satisfaction from an offender meeting their end by whatever means I don’t. I wanted Joel to face up to what he’d done and to wake up to where it had led him every morning of his natural life. He’s escaped that.”
However, Dee-Dee wasn’t convinced and later ventured to the location where Joel’s phone had last signalled, only to find a concealed car near a dilapidated shed a vehicle DS Swain confirmed wasn’t registered to Joel.
Dee-Dee was left reeling (Image: Getty)
Lisa’s shock discovery of a notebook in Joel’s flat, with clear evidence that suicide note paper was ripped out, suggests his drastic actions were part of a preconceived plan rather than an impulsive act. Kit revealed: “He wrote the suicide note and took it with him. Whatever happened next, it was planned in advance.”
The burning question now looms – did Joel actually take his own life, or is this all an elaborate ruse?