Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Tom King has made a frightening demand to his estranged wife Belle Dingle in Emmerdale.
Last week’s episode saw the former couple having yet another encounter that turned violent, with Belle initially fearing that she’d killed Tom.
Tom’s new girlfriend Amelia Spencer helped him lure Belle to Wishing Well Cottage and then locked her inside, where the villain stalked her with an axe.
Belle fled the scene after hitting Tom with the axe, but her fears that she’d killed him proved to be incorrect as he was found alive and was then hospitalised.
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In Monday’s (September 30) episode, Amelia and Tom’s uncle Jimmy King were told that he’d stabilised but still wasn’t well enough to speak to the police.
“It has to be Belle,” Amelia tried to convince the detectives.
She told police that Belle had been telling “lies” about Tom abusing her, which alarmed the two detectives.
At Wishing Well, Belle considered turning herself in but Charity Dingle encouraged her not to do so, promising she’d give Belle an alibi.
The two detectives arrived soon to question Belle, revealing that they’d heard from Amelia that Tom was supposed to meet with her around the time he was injured.
“It seems you’ve been misled,” Charity insisted.
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The detectives asked Belle whether it was true she feared for her life around Tom, but she declined to answer.
“I don’t know who did this, but it wasn’t me,” Belle told the detective.
The detective caught the Dingles slipping up when Charity suggested very few in the village were fond of Tom, whereas Lydia had previously told him the family loved Belle’s husband.
“This is a very serious crime,” the Dingles were warned. “If any of you know anything at all, now is the best time to tell me.”
The Dingles refused to divulge anything. Once the detectives left Wishing Well, Sam Dingle revealed to his family that he’d buried the axe so it couldn’t be found.
At the hospital, Jimmy questioned Tom about whether or not Belle was his attacker. When the detectives came to speak to him, Tom claimed he couldn’t remember anything.
However, viewers learned Tom had lied to police when he placed a chilling phone call to Belle to demand a secret meeting… or he’d tell everyone she attacked him.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, organisations including Refuge (www.refuge.org.uk), New Beginnings Peer Support (www.newbeginningspeersupport.com) and Women’s Aid (www.womensaid.org.uk) can provide further support and information. The 24-hour, freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247. The US National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or text LOVEIS to 22522.