richard gets very angry when archie refuses to tell him where audrey is staying. the hillmans go christmas shopping. audrey formulates a plan to let herself into their house while they're at a pantomime and look for clues in richard's briefcase. she tells archie her plan but he's unhappy about it. audrey and archie let themselves into no. 8 and start going through richard's papers and computer. audrey discovers that he has got gail to remortgage the house and that he has a lot of money tied up in emily bishop's (eileen derbyshire) house. bethany spills a drink in the car and the family return home so that sarah and gail can change their clothes. they catch audrey and archie red-handed. audrey pleads with gail to see richard for what he is, a murderer and a crook but gail throws her mother out saying she's mad. emily bumps into audrey and archie who have nowhere to go for dinner and kindly invites them to her house. emily, norris, rita, audrey and archie have christmas dinner together. audrey tells archie, norris and rita that richard practically admitted trying to kill her. audrey, archie and norris try to convince emily that her life is in danger from richard. audrey tells archie that she's going to play richard at his own game in order to win back her family. audrey overhears richard talking to gail about the bank manager panicking and their cash flow glitch. richard offers to drive her back to archie's house and she has to accept.