Neil agrees to speak for Helen – unless Susan manages to talk him out of it.

Radio Times: Neil is not sure he is the right person for the job, and Fallon is made to wait.

Characters: Alice, Anna, Fallon, Neil, Susan

• It could turn out to be a fete worse than death, so Fallon has summoned the troops to an emergency committee meeting to discuss the problem areas. Alice has come but Kenton is running late and Susan seems to have been held up too – talking to Ruth, it turns out.
• Neil is so busy with the pigs that he had forgotten about Anna coming to see him. He doesn’t think he is the right person to be a character witness for Helen: he has always liked her but they have never been close. No pressure but that is just what is needed: an objective view from a pillar of the community.
• The main problems are the missing whack-a-mole equipment, getting dunk-the-vicar to work, the parking and how-many-jelly-babies, which Fallon had offered to Jean; she was insulted and Susan is not keen to talk her round.
• Neil could not speak badly of Rob, or about the events of the night in question; nether are required of him. He talks of early memories of Helen, how she was John’s shadow; she worshipped him. You could see the pain on her face when he was killed. She helped the family get over the tragedy – a pleasant and thoughtful girl, too modest for her own good. It is important that the jury get a fair view of Helen; the prosecution will be bent on highlighting any violence in her character. He decides he will do it; he is sure of this, because Anna would not want to raise Helen’s hopes only to dash them later. Susan returns just as Anna is leaving. Susan views Rob as a hero; she would not want to turn him against them. She thinks Neil is making a big mistake.