EastEnders’ Nicola Mitchell panics that her sinister secret will be exposed next week after hearing some worrying news from Teddy Mitchell.

When her husband reveals the location of his new building project, Nicola is horrified to realise it’s the same place she buried Harry Mitchell’s ex-girlfriend. Is Shireen Bashar’s body about to be discovered?

“For the last four years, Nicola has literally got away with murder,” begins our EastEnders insider. “Once the diggers get to work the body is bound to be found, so Nicola has to take action before she’s rumbled.”

Nicola still believes she convinced Teddy to drop the idea of developing a plot of land back in their old stomping ground of Dartford. In actual fact, he’s been pushing ahead with the venture, and work is about to begin.

Teddy is secretly in cahoots with Junior Knight, and when Nicola overhears a hushed conversation between the blokes, her suspicions are aroused.

Demanding that Teddy tells her what he’s hiding, Nicola is narked when he confesses he never ditched the deal with Junior and construction starts in a matter of days, with builder Ross on board.

When Teddy then confirms the work is taking place at Paradise Park industrial estate near their old manor, Nicola activates her best poker face, knowing that’s where her lifeless victim lies hidden…

“It’s damage limitation time,” explains our source. “Nicola has to act quickly and contacts Benji, who she used to dispose of the corpse. Teddy refuses to abandon the build, meaning Nicola must move the body before it’s unearthed. But after speaking to Benji she realises that could be easier said than done…”

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The walls are closing in, but Nicola’s not beaten yet. Calling in a favour from one of her local associates, she discreetly sidles up to Ravi Gulati and reveals she wants him to do a job for her.

It’s not like he and Nicola don’t already have a professional partnership with their drug dealing sideline, so Ravi is instantly intrigued. But what exactly is he letting himself in for?

The next day, Teddy, Harry and Barney Mitchell do their best to make a fuss of Nicola on her birthday, but she’s not really in the mood to celebrate. Collaring Ravi again, she decides to make her proposition more appealing to get him on side.

“This time desperate Nicola offers him £10,000,” reveals our insider. “Ravi is stunned, but is it enough to persuade him to get drawn into something so shady? Nicola then cons Harry into loaning her a van and prays Ravi will agree to help her – and doesn’t ask any questions.”

The clock is ticking before Teddy and Junior’s team start laying the foundations, and Nicola faces a race against time to conceal her crime. Can she rely on Ravi, or is her gruesome game finally up?