Coronation Street viewers reckon they've worked out that dastardly businessman Stephen Reid could be about to kill again after sinister scenes in Wednesday night's episode (November 30). After plotting to fleece his mum Audrey Roberts out of her cash in the ITV soap, Stephen started working in secret as a delivery driver for a fast food company.
In Bolton he was accosted by teenagers who stole his delivery box, work phone and demanded money. As Stephen spotted family friend Elaine Jones approaching he attempted to race away on his moped. But in his haste he lost control and went sprawling across the road.
Kindly Elaine rushed to his aid and in hospital he protested that he didn't want Audrey to know what had happened. Elaine then insisted that he come back to stay with her, and it appears she dropped a clanger as she revealed her plans to sell her house.
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"I'm downsizing and selling up," she told him. "No point sitting on all that equity," she continued as she explained that she wanted to move closer to son Tim Metcalfe and granddaughter Faye. "It must be fate," she told Stephen as she remarked that she might not have been able to help him if she had already moved out of Bolton.
Viewers think Elaine could be his next victim after he murdered Jenny Connor's fiance Leo Thompkins in September and disposed of his body in a commericial bin. @MeeshyJay tweeted: "Elaine is the next in line to end up in the bin." And @CyprusSuzie echoed: "Elaine's days are numbered!"
@itzzzo_ remarked: "Stephen when he heard Elaine say equity when she mentioned downsizing." @Jamal06122771 asked: "Next Victim Stephen?" And @CocacolakidJ commented: "Whoops. The magic word "equity." Has Elaine just signed her own death warrant?"
@LisaBro21177876 asked: "Will he kill Elaine?" And @whatjaynereads wrote: "Stephen hears the word equity and he's suddenly the next Richard Hillman."
The character, played by Todd Boyce, has wreaked havoc on the Cobbles since he returned from Italy, covering up his money woes. He tried to get out of paying for the holiday by convincing nephew Nick Tilsley that Audrey was drinking again.
He then went a step further as he tried to spike Audrey's drink with anti depressants. But he had a change of heart when niece Sarah Platt interrupted their conversation and he knocked Audrey's drink over.
He had enlisted his ex-wife Gabrielle to pretend to be Audrey after filling out forms as part of an equity release on his mother's home, leaving Stephen with more than £200k to pay off his debts from his ex-wife. Meanwhile, Audrey was planning on an equity release in order to go off on her cruise and Stephen took drastic action to fund her trip with grandson Sam Blakeman instead.
Leo's suspicions of Stephen ultimately led to his shock death. After catching him lying about staying in a hotel when he really slept in his car, Leo discovered that Stephen had also shared a kiss with his fiancee Jenny while they were on a break. Leo ended up punching Stephen and, on a mission to prove that he's a liar, he confronted him about his plan to get his hands on the equity from Audrey’s house.
Their pair got into a scuffle and Stephen sent Leo plunging over railings into a bin below. He then disposed of Leo's body and burned his clothes.
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