Freedom FIGHTER
Alya plays detective and edges closer to clearing Stu’s name
Alya Nazir is wasted at Speed Daal – in fact, we might have to start calling her Alya Mcbeal! She was a machine in her efforts to expose monstrous Geoff Metcalfe, and now she’s on a mission to clear Stu Carpenter’s name for the historic murder of his former lover Charlie.
Stu’s delighted that Alya, along with newcomer Dee-dee Bailey, is fighting his corner. He’s also thrilled that he’s starting to reconnect with his estranged daughter Bridget.
He’s nervous but then has a lovely time when Bridget brings daughter Eliza to Speed Daal to meet him… or at least he does until his ex-wife, Lucy, storms in and puts a stop to it.
As devastated Stu licks his wounds, over at No.3, Dee-dee has an update for Alya – it transpires there was no trace of Stu’s DNA on Charlie’s bag. On the downside, getting the bag retested would be expensive.
Alya’s cogs whirl. Having quizzed Bridget last week about the night of Charlie’s death, she can’t help thinking that she and Lucy know something. Spotting the women leaving the restaurant, she accuses flustered Lucy of hiding vital information...
‘Alya is a driving force for justice and she wants things to be right and fair,’ says Bill Fellows, who plays innocent Stu.
Smelling a rat, Alya vows to find the cash for the DNA test. But sad Stu then declares he wants to put his past to bed.
Alya’s gutted. Unable to let things lie, she continues her quest in secret, and tells Dee-dee to deal with her when the solicitor has funding for the test…
It seems young Eliza is quite taken with her grandad, for the next day she turns up to see him on her own. Stu does the right thing and calls Bridget, who arrives with Lucy in tow.
Seeing the women, savvy Alya spots an opportunity. Feigning regret for her earlier outburst, she asks them to stay for tea, then keeps the mug Lucy uses, to compare her DNA to that found on Charlie’s bag.
Could Lucy prove to be Charlie’s real killer?
‘ALYA WANTS THINGS TO BE RIGHT AND FAIR’