In a shocking twist that rocks the village of Emmerdale to its core, Tracy finds herself at the center of a full-blown murder investigation. The police have been combing through Nate’s phone records and forensic data and are now convinced he was killed the day he was meant to leave for the Shetlands. This revelation shifts the spotlight sharply onto Tracy, who is already reeling from the traumatic suspicion hanging over her head.

Following an intense police search, Tracy returns home to find her place turned upside down, a chaotic reminder of the mess she’s now entangled in. “They flipped the place and left everything skew whiff,” she says, clearly shaken. Vanessa tries to reassure her that things might settle down, but Tracy is unconvinced. “I didn’t do it,” she insists. But the weight of being suspected is already suffocating her.

Tracy can’t help but feel Kane wants her to take the fall—after all, he’d told her directly she’d get what’s coming. The whole ordeal feels like she’s being set up, and she’s spiraling under the pressure. “I don’t know what they’ll find next,” she confesses to Vanessa. “I’ve never been framed for murder before.”

Her nightmare is only just beginning. When the police arrive once again, the questions come thick and fast. Tracy is asked where she was on the day Nate died. Frustrated and emotional, she snaps, “What would be a surprise is if you lot could put two and two together and come up with something close to four.” Still, she tries to answer. She claims she was home with Frankie, had dinner with Vanessa and Johnny, and didn’t leave the house after that. Her story seems plausible—until the detective digs deeper.

After the police leave, Tracy turns to Vanessa, clearly distraught. “She wants to pin this on me,” Tracy says about the lead detective. Tracy admits she panicked and told the police she’d been with Vanessa all night. Now, she needs Vanessa to back her up, even if it means lying. “It’s not lying if you can’t remember, is it?” she pleads. “Do you think I killed Nate?” Vanessa’s reply is honest but cautious: “Of course not.” Still, Vanessa is left with a terrible choice—lie for her friend or risk letting her go to prison for something she didn’t do.

While this tension brews, a side scene in the Woolpack offers a different kind of grief. Charles, still grieving Ethan’s death, attempts to comfort Cain. But Cain wants none of it, brushing off Charles’ offer of solidarity. “Just because we both lost sons doesn’t make us mates,” he bites. The encounter is raw, real, and laden with pain. Cain’s shield is still firmly up.

Meanwhile, back in the heart of the murder mystery, Vanessa is thrown into emotional chaos. She knows in her heart Tracy didn’t kill Nate. But Tracy lied to the police, and now she’s being dragged into it. “She told them she was with me,” Vanessa tells a friend. “Now I either lie or they’ll know she did.”

Vanessa wrestles with the moral weight of it. Tracy has lied before—stealing credit cards, making bad choices—but murder? That’s a different level. Vanessa is caught in a moral whirlwind. “I can’t remember that specific night,” she admits. But her resolve is clear: “Tracy is innocent, so I’ll do what it takes.”

Desperation peaks when Tracy tries to track down a mysterious removal man, the only possible alibi she might have left. But she doesn’t know his name, or even the company he worked for. With no proof of where she was, she’s watching her freedom slip through her fingers. “I never thought I’d be a murder suspect. I can’t handle this,” she sobs. Vanessa comforts her, offering quiet strength. “You can. You will. I believe in you.”

But time is running out. A detective soon visits Vanessa directly, asking her to confirm Tracy’s story about the night in question. Vanessa freezes. “Right,” she says weakly. She tries to stay composed, but the pressure is immense. The detective lays out what Tracy claimed—that she and Frankie returned from seeing Nate, had dinner with Vanessa and Johnny, and stayed in all night. “Is that correct?” the detective presses. Vanessa hesitates, clearly torn. “Sounds like us… if that’s what she said, I’m sure she’s right.” Her uncertainty doesn’t go unnoticed. 

Later, in a moment of quiet grief among friends who have suffered great loss, Vanessa reflects on the nightmare she’s now a part of. The death of Nate, the accusations against Tracy, and her own ethical dilemma leave her drained and hopeless. A toast is made at the pub—to those they got to know too late. The somber sentiment resonates, especially with Vanessa.

Then, everything explodes.

At the Woolpack, emotions boil over. A heated exchange between Tracy and another villager turns physical. Tracy, already walking a tightrope, loses her temper. A fight breaks out. The pub erupts into chaos. Chairs are knocked over. Voices shout. Glasses shatter. Police are called.

When the dust settles, Tracy is arrested on the spot.

The arrest sends shockwaves through the community. Onlookers are stunned. Vanessa tries to intervene, but it’s too late. The police lead Tracy away in cuffs, her face a mixture of rage and desperation. “I didn’t kill him!” she yells as she’s taken out.

Despite everything, Vanessa still believes in Tracy’s innocence. But now, with her being charged—and with Vanessa’s own potential involvement in covering for her—the stakes have never been higher.

Will Vanessa lie under oath to save her? Can Tracy prove her innocence before it’s too late? Or has the web of lies already sealed her fate?

Emmerdale is heading into explosive territory as friendships are tested, loyalties are strained, and the truth becomes harder to find than ever. One thing’s for sure—nothing in the village will ever be the same again.