Mersey Beat

Jim and Susan go after a former cop who's gone on the lam after being sentenced to five years in prison. Meanwhile, Susan is struggling to make time for her family and Jim is devastated after his wife asks for a divorce. Jackie runs into her old friend Jodie from their training days, and together they bring a touch of glamour, energy and tough-talking to Newton Park Police Station. There's never a dull moment when the two of them are around and it soon becomes clear that their relationship's going to be far from plain-sailing.

On the morning after her rape, Susan develops an idea of who her attacker might be. Jim pursues a reconciliation with his estranged wife. Jodie queries Steve about his unprofessional relationship with a nightclub owner. Larry gets a tip from an unusual source.

Jodie has a disturbing case where a 12-year-old boy may be abusing his younger sister. Jim is in for a shock when Jodie lets slip the news of Susan's attack, but Susan refuses to go public. Steve is also keeping quiet about his forbidden romance with Blue, even when he has to investigate an attack on her club.

PC Jodie Finn breaks Supt Susan Blake's confidence by revealing to Insp Jim Oulton that only days ago, Susan was raped in the car park. Appalled, Jim confronts Susan, keen that they should begin an investigation and find her attacker. Jim discovers that not only has Susan disposed of all evidence she also hasn't told her husband, Al, about the rape. Susan insists she'll not be forced into telling Al or reporting the incident - it's her choice. PC Steve Traynor's also keeping secrets - his strictly off limits relationship with night-club owner, Blue McCormack. However, when Blue's bar is vandalised Steve looks in serious danger of compromising himself professionally as he investigates the crime as an officer. Things just get worse when Blue reluctantly confides in him that the attack was not perpetrated by kids as she suggested to Sergeant Connie Harper, but the work of businessman and professional criminal, Phil Brack. Brack supplies knock off cigarettes and hasn't been too thrilled th

Susan tries to convince her husband that he could not have prevented the rape. Jim questions Susan's ex-husband, Guy Morgan, but is unable to break his alibi. Further enquiries lead the police to Cody Martin, who has a history of sex crime and eventually confesses to the attack. But inconsistencies in his story convince Jim that the real rapist has yet to be caught.

Jim wonders whether a psychic can provide any clues in Susan's rape. Connie and Jackie take opposite sides in a dispute between neighbours. Steve decides on a course of action that defies both his colleagues and his own moral code.

Steve finds himself assigned to investigate the attack on Brack for which he himself was responsible. Jodie begs him to come clean before Brack regains consciousness. Connie struggles with the emotional aftermath of spending a night with Jim, which is not helped by the fact that he has been avoiding her.

Jim and his estranged wife finally come to accept that their marriage is over, but then discover that their daughter Jenny plans to marry a man who is using illegal drugs. Susan's romantic plans go awry and she seeks solace with her ex-husband. Jackie and Jodie become suspicious when a couple refuse to press charges after an auto accident.

Susan wakes next to ex-husband Guy, anxious and guilty that the night she's spent with him felt so right. Jim's also spent the night where he shouldn't have – in a cell (he had nowhere to go). Larry's appalled with Jim, who's wrecking all his relationships - with Dawn, Jenny and Connie - and has made himself homeless in the process. Jim's not happy with the lecture and sends Larry and Steve to paint lines in the car park. Meanwhile Jackie's making a name for herself as the ‘face of the force' in Bishop's new recruitment campaign. He sends Jackie and Jodie on a PR mission at the local shopping centre armed with flyers that have Jackie's face plastered all over them. But it looks as though Jackie's glittering career could be over when she receives a blackmail note soon after – nude photos of Jackie taken years ago will be sent to the press unless she pays up. Jackie decides she'll pay but confides in Jodie. Jodie thinks otherwise and with the help of Larry she goes on a mission to get Ja

Jim finds a shocked Susan sitting in her car in the station car park. It's clear she's been there all night. Broken, she tells Jim she knows her attacker was Guy. Susan's in despair but Jim assures her they'll get him. He orders his troops to find Guy and bring him in. But the appearance of a furious Al stops Jim going out himself. Guy's drunken wife, Caroline has paid Al and the kids a visit and told him that Susan is sleeping with her husband. Jodie's also been unable to help Steve as he recovers from a broken heart. But she's also not dealing well with the fact that she was complicit in Blue breaking up with Steve. As they set off to find Susan's attacker, wracked with guilt she tells him the truth. He's outraged. The rest of the team are also out looking for the rapist, except for Sergeant Bill Gentle, who's supposed to be having major surgery later in the day. His reluctance to leave the case is apparent but Jim is insistent. Larry and Jackie are also called off Susan's case to in