Emmerdale kidnap horror first look: Killer Pierce holds Vanessa hostage

• Emmerdale: who is leaving, returning to and joining the cast?
• Emmerdale baddie Pierce kidnaps Vanessa’s son: “Her blood runs cold” says Michelle Hardwick

Not knowing where Johnny is or if he's even alive, Vanessa breathes a sigh of relief when Pierce switches on the baby monitor and she hears her son's voice through the speaker - but he leaves her in no doubt as to who's calling the shots when he issues a chilling threat.

Meanwhile, Pierce silently spies on oblivious Rhona through the window and grows increasingly fixated on his plan to convince her he's a changed man and that they should be together. Considering Rhona testified against him after he raped her, ensuring he went to prison, that's unlikely to happen, but Pierce's grip on reality is somewhat shaky having bludgeoned Rhona's boyfriend Graham Foster to death when he warned him to stay away from her.

Explaining to Vanessa his blinkered belief he can win Rhona back, Pierce is then distracted by a voicemail left on his hostage's phone and the situation escalates - has someone been alerted to her disappearance? Or to the fact Pierce has been sneaking around the village in broad daylight for the last few weeks? Surely he's been spotted by now…

Meanwhile, the pieces begin to fall into place for Rhona as she believes newly-released Pierce (she was told he was eligible for parole back in December) has been trying to contact her. Showing Paddy Kirk the previously mislaid card that came with a bunch of flowers after Graham's death, Rhona starts to realise her abusive husband may be back. Will she figure out he's closer to home than she thinks? And can anyone save Vanessa and Johnny?

Visit our dedicated Emmerdale page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers