Anthony’s k.i.l.l.e.r was ‘revealed’ as John cleaned up the crime scene – but there could be more to it

Emmerdale tonight saw a confrontation between Anthony Fox and Aaron Dingle that turned d.e.a.d.l.y. Though Aaron walked away and left Anthony alive, when he returned later, the vile abuser was dead.

John stepped in and took control, but is he covering up his lover’s crime or someone else’s?

Here’s everything that happened in Emmerdale tonight, Thursday January 23.

Anthony dead in Emmerdale tonight

Aaron confronted Anthony – with dramatic consequences

After Aaron cornered him alone at the depot, Anthony tried to talk his way out of it, but for the first time he looked genuinely scared.

Aaron then kneed him in the stomach sending him flying to the ground. Aaron then opened up about his own past as Anthony lay cowering on the floor.

Anthony claimed he never hurt Ruby, it was a special bond and all about love. He broke down and said he knew he shouldn’t have done it. Aaron insisted he wouldn’t regret a thing if he killed Anthony, but he wasn’t going to as he had too much to lose. Aaron told Anthony he was going to the police station and he would confess to everything.

Anthony begged Aaron not to send him to prison as he’s an old man.

He then told Aaron: “She never tried to stop me, she enjoyed it as much as I did.” His next words sent Aaron over the edge: “How hard did you really try to stop your father?” What. A.Vile. Scumbag.

Absolutely losing it, Aaron beat him to near-d.e.a.t.h. Anthony was still conscious when he spat out a tooth and told Aaron to finish ʜɪᴍ ᴏꜰꜰ. But Aaron walked away.

Anthony d.e.a.d

Back at home, John noticed something was wrong with Aaron. It didn’t take long for Aaron to confess what he’d done to Anthony. He said all he could see was his dad and he was ready to k.i.l.l him and it made him feel better. John reminded him he didn’t actually k.i.l.l Anthony.

He told Aaron they couldn’t leave him there to die because Anthony might be a monster, but Aaron is not.

But when they went back to the depot, Anthony was dead. Aaron was panic-stricken as he realised he was going to prison. John stepped into action and insisted he wasn’t losing him over Anthony.

John cleaned up

Jᴏʜɴ ᴛʜᴇɴ sᴇᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴄʟᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇ sᴄᴇɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪsᴘᴏsɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ. Hᴇ sᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ VERY ᴇꜰꜰɪᴄɪᴇɴᴛ ᴀs ʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴍɪssᴇᴅ Aᴀʀᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴏᴛ ʜɪs ʙᴏᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙʟᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴜᴛ. Jᴏʜɴ ɪɴsɪsᴛᴇᴅ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴜᴛ Aᴀʀᴏɴ’s ʟɪꜰᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ. Bᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴏᴛʜ ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴜɴsᴇᴇɴ.

Steph and Ross came across John fixing his van later and it looked like he was going to be caught when Ross went to help and found a tarpaulin in the boot. But fortunately, it seemed, John had already disposed of the body.

Cain almost caught Aaron with his bloody clothes, but Aaron managed to get rid of him before bunging them on a very hot wash.

As John returned and refused to tell Aaron any details, Aaron was spiralling about being a m.u.r.d.e.r.e.r. But is he?

Who really k.i.l.l.e.d Anthony in Emmerdale tonight?

Ruby

Despite Aaron firmly believing he’s a m.u.r.d.e.r.e.r, he left Anthony alive. And there was a good amount of time for someone to go an finish the job before Aaron returned with John.

At The Mill, Ruby was adamant she would not go to the police because she would die before Steph found out – a foreshadowing perhaps?

Ruby then went out to look for Steph and returned home even more subdued and shaken as Caleb hugged her and promised to make it all right. What is she hiding? Did she go to the depot looking for Steph and finish Anthony off?

When Steph returned, Caleb tried to tell her Anthony was a grown man and she shouldn’t worry about him. Ruby just apologised causing Steph to worry about how broken her mum seemed – it’s about time she noticed. Steph actually said sorry too. The pair of them hugged as Ruby promised to always keep her safe – there is nothing she wouldn’t do… Does that include murdering Anthony?

Or was it Caleb?

Caleb went up to the depot and seemed slightly surprised that the place was as clean as it was. Does he know something?

Joe told Dawn was what wrong with him in Emmerdale tonight

Joe collapsed

Dawn found Joe slumped at the wheel of his car, clearly unwell. She took his keys so he couldn’t drive anywhere. Dawn concluded he has a d.r.u.g problem.

Joe explained it was what had happened with Cain – he was still living with the effects of the punch and blow to his head. He claimed to get headaches and be reliant on p.a.i.n.k.i.l.l.e.r.s.

Dawn asserted that he was addicted to drugs and she wouldn’t enable him. So Joe threatened to tell Billy what had happened between them if Dawn told anyone about the p.i.l.l.s. She called his bluff claiming she was going to confess anyway.

Dawn couldn’t confess

As Dawn went to confess, Billy started gushing about how proud he was of her and she couldn’t go through with it. Just as Joe predicted.

Joe insisted he was getting help to get off the pills and then made a secret phone call and told the person on the other end of the line they had a problem. He said it was “getting more obvious now” and he didn’t know how long he’d got until people started noticing. So it’s not just a p.a.i.n.k.i.l.l.e.r addiction then?

Meanwhile, Charity was in Noah’s firing line as she demanded he stay away from Joe, but Noah was not backing down. Charity insisted she was right, but Noah told her he’s lonely, he doesn’t have any proper mates and he wants to get to know Joe.

Even Kim tried to tell Charity Joe had changed, but Charity told her she was a fool. Kim then went into Joe’s room and put a recording device in so she could see if he was up to anything.

Of course Kim picked up Joe’s call on her recording device and it set her mind ticking.

Also in Emmerdale tonight…

Laurel was STILL panicking, while Nicola was at the hospital trying to find out if Anthony had been admitted. She spun the nurse a story and came across as very suspicious. Honestly, we could really do without these two in this storyline.