* This After The Flood episode 2 recap contains spoilers *
PC Jo Marshall must think quickly when Tasha Eden — the sister of Lift Man — arrives unexpectedly in Waterside. If Tasha reveals what Jo's done then she will lose her job, yet she hopes the police officer might be able to help her find out why her brother faked his own death five years ago.
Pat walks in and apologises to Jo for being angry about her hiding how pregnant she was and the pair make up, but we doubt he’ll be as chilled after he finds out she broke the law and updated a dead man’s DNA to the internet. Eeek! While that’s happening, Tasha Eden — the sister of Lift Man — leaves a furious message on Jo’s answer machine.
Meanwhile, with the flood waters gone, the clear-up of Colliery Road begins and Molly Marshall approaches local businessman Jack Radcliffe to tell him the local flood relief fund is back.
“I think those getting development grants should remember that money comes from people paying their council tax on these streets..” she says pointedly before Jack Radcliffe quickly changes the subject. Hmmm…
After discovering Kelly’s underage daughter having sex in her spare room, Jo decides to stay at her mum’s for another night and fills her in on her covert investigation into Lift Man. She’s well ahead of her colleagues, but if she shares the information she has she’ll be asked where she got it and probably face the sack.
Yet unbeknownst to Jo, that night Tasha Eden arrives in Waterside and heads straight to the police station. That will certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons!
With her Detective Training postponed, Sgt Mackie sets Jo to work finding out which of her colleagues are skiving off work. Yet he has news that the Allen’s grandson, Finn, has arrived in Waterside and maybe she could meet him.
Down on Colliery Road, there’s trouble brewing when a shopkeeper finds out his insurance won’t cover the flood damage. But that doesn’t seem to bother local businessman Jack Radcliffe, who’s keen to publicise the fact his firm, Uplands Eco Housing, is donating £500,000 to the local flood relief fund, of which Molly is treasurer. But he breaks off the photo call to take an urgent phone call. “Where are you?!” he asks in hushed but urgent tones. Who is he talking to?
What happened to the red car?
Back at Riverside Court, Jo is taking a look at the scene where Lift Man was found and learns that Jack Radcliffe owns the entire property. “Eight units and none of them have been used.. Ever!” says the security guard. We reckon that’s cost the mysterious Mr Radcliffe a fair bit of cash.
But curiously, there’s one room the Head of Security can’t get inside. He assumes he lost the key, but we think there might be another explanation. However Jo’s more keen to discuss a red car she thinks was in the car park during the flood, which isn’t there now. Unfortunately for her there’s no CCTV, so she can’t check that little detail.
When she gets home, she’s shocked to find she has a visitor — it’s Tasha Eden and she doesn’t look pleased! Tasha explains that her brother died on 5th May 2019, but it seems like she’s mistaken about that. Jo then shares all the suspicious details surrounding her sibling’s more recent death and she sets off to the police station immediately.
When she gets there she tells them Lift Man is her brother. She demands a DNA test to prove she’s telling the truth and they are very suspicious about how she knew to travel from France all the way to Waterside. Luckily for Jo she doesn’t tell them who tipped her off, so her career isn’t over just yet!
How does Lee know Tasha's brother?
Down on Colliery Road, Jo meets Finn, whose grandparents - the Allens - were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. “It’s a crime!” Finn says and Jo points her in the direction of her mum.
At the allotment, Sgt Mackie and his wife, councillor Sarah Mackie, are with their foster children as they work the vegetable patch. However there seems to be no small amount of tension in their relationship.
Elsewhere, Jo spots the enigmatic hero from the first episode and takes her to meet the woman whose baby he saved. Why he’s keeping such a low profile remains a mystery however.
Later on Tasha turns up at Jo’s mum’s house. She explains that a DNA test is being carried out and she wants to see the crime scene photos, to be sure Lift Man is her brother. Tasha is clearly in agony and wonders why he allowed her to believe he was dead for all these years. “I thought he loved me!” she says, fighting back tears. Jo shows her the file and it is her brother, but why did he fake his death all those years ago?
The next morning, Jo asks Deepa for the response list to the Lift Man e-fit and Tasha immediately recognises one from a business called Nanta, which reports the image looks like a man they know as ‘Alex Welland’. When they get down there they are greeted by… the modest hero who saved the baby - whom Tasha recognises as her brother’s old friend Lee! But what does he know about his pal’s death?
