Coronation Street has aired the first two flashback scenes in Joel Deering’s murder mystery.
The Weatherfield soap will be playing with time over the next few weeks, as viewers are kept on their toes over who killed Joel.
Wednesday’s episode, which is available to watch early on ITVX, has now highlighted Mason Radcliffe and Ronnie Bailey as the first two major suspects in the mystery.
Mason found himself under scrutiny from the police after Kit Green caught him trying to dispose of a crowbar in a bin behind Underworld.
This seemed highly suspicious, as Joel’s post-mortem had already revealed that a crowbar was likely used to kill him before his body was dumped in the river.
Under stern questioning at the police station, Mason insisted that he was getting rid of the crowbar after refusing to carry out a burglary for his dangerous brothers.
Mason also pointed out his lack of motive, as he hardly knew Joel. He dismissed any speculation that he would have acted to protect Betsy Swain, as she’d previously framed him for theft at Speed Daal.
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Despite this, a flashback soon indicated otherwise, as Betsy was seen paying a visit to Mason at Speed Daal on the night of Joel’s death.
Betsy told Mason: “I can’t [go home] – I’m scared he’ll come looking for me. No one knows where he is, but he knows where I live. What if he comes after me? He’s already hurt me once before. I don’t know what to do.”
Comforting Betsy, Mason promised: “I am not going to let that happen to you.”
Meanwhile, another possible crowbar culprit was revealed in the second flashback of the episode.
As speculation continued over who could have killed Joel, Ronnie secretly recalled grabbing a crowbar from the builder’s yard on the night that the villain died.
Could Ronnie have lashed out to protect his niece Dee-Dee?
Earlier this week, Coronation Street bosses confirmed that the flashback scenes will reveal “just how many people are in the frame as we revisit the night of September 27 when Joel went missing”.
That means we’re sure to see further suspects come to light in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more clues and red herrings.
