Emmerdale fans are speculating that a notorious villain might have crept back into the village to stab Tom King (portrayed by James Chase) in the back.
During Friday’s episode, audiences witnessed Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) hurrying to the hospital to find out if her husband had survived the ordeal. Meanwhile, Vinny (Bradley Johnson) and Sam (James Hooton) endeavoured to prevent her from acting rashly.
“What is going on?” a puzzled Belle inquired, only for Vinny to insist: “You shouldn’t be here.”
Seeking information about Tom’s condition, Sam expressed his harsh wish that he wouldn’t pull through, stating it “that would be the best for all of us.”
Determined, Belle asserted: “I need to go in there,” trying to push past her relatives, but Vinny pleaded: “You need to go home, I am begging you, Belle.”
As she attempted to proceed, Sam tried to convince her: “Vinny is right, you are going to blow everything,” reports Leeds Live.
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Confronting the gravity of the situation, Belle lamented to Sam: “I already have, haven’t I, Sam? If Tom dies, that is another life I have taken, how do I live with myself?”
She further contemplated the bleak outcomes awaiting her, saying: “And if he survives, if he lands me in it, then my life is over. So whatever happens I am screwed.”
Feeling defeated, Belle was seen weeping: “He has won, hasn’t he?”
While Belle made an emotional admission to the stabbing within her family circle, viewers are casting doubts and theorising that someone else could be responsible.
Speculations are rife among fans, with some pointing fingers at her sibling Cain (Jeff Hordley), while another group suggests Lydia (Karen Blick) may have had a hand. However, numerous viewers are suspecting Lachlan (Thomas Atkinson) as being the actual perpetrator.
Lachlan, a character on the show, was behind the demise of his on-screen mother Chrissie Sugden, played by Louise Marwood, and his grandfather Lawrence White, portrayed by John Bowe. His reign of terror came to an end in 2018 when he was captured for his heinous crimes.
On a Facebook fan page dedicated to the soap, a viewer speculated: “I think it’s Lachlan who got to Tom. Ross comes back to search for the killer of his wife who is in the village and I think it’s Lachlan.”
Another asked: “Why Lachlan? I think somehow it was Cain.”
While someone else agreed: “Lachlan could have escaped or got an early release.”
A fourth added: “Lachlan, now that would be interesting, wasn’t he worse than Tom?”
“Could be Ross,” another suggested while one went on: “I think it’s Lydia.”
If Tom dies from his injuries Belle could be in the clear, however, if he makes it, this could be the end for the Dingle stalwart.
Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV.
