Emmerdale‘s Laurel Thomas faces a tough decision next week as she uncovers her son Arthur’s latest secret. When she finds out about Ray Walters’ dirty drug money, she realises it could be the answer to Marlon Dingle and Rhona Goskirk’s prayers.

Despite the turmoil and pain Ray caused, Laurel knows this tainted cash would fix all of the couple’s debt problems. But will the stash cause more harm than good?

“Laurel’s got her hands on blood money,” explains our Emmerdale source. “This cash came from exploitation and human trafficking, and she can barely look at it.

“Laurel believes it should belong to Marlon and Rhona – but can they accept it?”

After Ray’s death, Laurel found Arthur in possession of the drug lord’s belongings and ordered her son to get rid of everything.

Little did she know that Arthur clung onto the cash – and despite feeling torn after a chat with April, he kept the money for himself.

With all this dosh burning a hole in his pocket, Arthur’s distracted at work, and after a huge row with his sister Gabby, he quits his job at The Hide.

Unaware of what he’s hiding, Laurel feels guilty for all the uncertainty she’s brought to her son’s life, but she has no clue what he’s planning…

“Arthur wants to get away and start a new life in Australia,” reveals our spy. “Laurel’s suspicious over how he’ll find the money – then stumbles upon his filthy stash. But he soon turns the tables on her fury…”

In a heated argument, Arthur threatens to tell everyone that Laurel hit him. She breaks down in tears, but Arthur merely continues to search for Ray’s money. Getting desperate, Arthur apologises for holding his mum to ransom and begs her to let him travel, but Laurel has other ideas for the money…

“Marlon and Rhona spent every penny they had on getting rid of Ray,” our insider reminds us.

“Laurel knows this money would make all the difference in paying off their debt. But it’s blood money, from a dead man, and Marlon and Rhona might want nothing to do with it.”

Will her friends accept the generous payout to solve their biggest problem? And if they refuse, knowing the inhumane origins of the cash, what will Laurel do with it?