Blackpool

The murder investigation begins to make Ripleys life very difficult. The murder victim is identified as a young man whod been out on his stag night. The investigation starts to threaten Ripleys business when Carlisle temporarily closes down the arcade for forensics. DI Carlisle calls Ripleys son, Danny, in for questioning; hes convinced that Danny knows more about the inquiry than he is letting on. Carlisle suspects he might be covering for his father. When a huge tax bill surfaces and puts pressure on Ripleys finances, his friends Terry, Jim and Adrian, who have invested in the arcade, start to get twitchy. Meanwhile, Natalie agrees to go on a date with Carlisle – unaware that he is investigating the murder. And Shyannes love life takes a turn for the better when shes reunited with Steve, whod earlier been warned to stay away from her by Ripley.

Carlisle doesnt believe Dannys confession to the murder. Hes convinced that Danny is covering up for his father, Ripley. Natalie confronts Carlisle and warns him to stay away from her, and her family. Heartbroken, Carlisle sets out with a renewed determination to nail Ripley, his love rival. Ripley visits Steve in hospital and offers him a large sum of money to leave Shyanne alone. Steve takes the money but uses his windfall to stretch Ripleys patience by spending it on Shyanne. With his showpiece arcade sinking deeper into trouble, Ripley is forced to drop everything and take drastic measures when Danny, traumatised by recent events, reaches breaking-point. He finds Danny lying on a train track, in a suicide bid similar to the one Ripley himself tried as a teenager. Danny admits that he moved the murdered body from Ripleys flats into the casino. Ripley goes to Carlisle and claims he was the one who moved the body...

Against the backdrop of a Blackpool society wedding, the final strands of Ripleys life completely unravel. On the morning of Shyanne and Steves wedding, Ripley finally tells Natalie that he knows about her affair with Carlisle. But is their marriage over for good? Carlisle turns up at the ceremony to arrest Ripley for murder - but Ripley confronts him over the small matter of his compromising affair with the suspects wife! Besides, Ripley is not prepared to go down for a murder he did not commit. Ripley sets out to do right by his family, while clinging on to his lifelong dream of joining the big players. On a day of revelations Ripley discovers first that his son Danny is gay, then that the teenager was responsible for the murder, albeit in self defence. Knowing that its Carlisle who Natalie really loves, Ripley allows his wife and the detective to get together. In return no charges are made against Ripley for the murder. Ripley hands over the casino to Danny, whos also in the cl