The third article takes the story further — and deeper — when a Weatherfield insider suddenly reveals a new twist: the legendary character was not forced to leave his position, but chose to disappear.

The noisy funeral was the way to “clear the way” for a secret big enough to shake Corrie.

The story begins with a small conversation between George Shuttleworth and Mary Taylor.

Mary, a gossip, overheard George say: “He wanted to.

He chose to leave. And we’re not allowed to say it.” Mary — with her rich imagination — immediately imagined fifteen different scenarios, from debt evasion, being threatened, to being involved in some shocking scandal. But the remarkable thing is that George did not deny it when pressed, which made all the rumors flare up even more fiercely.

To find out, Steve McDonald and Tim Metcalfe decide to “do some digging.” They follow George to an old warehouse down the road next to the Weatherfield Precinct. It’s there that they find documents related to a longtime fixture in the neighborhood — someone residents mistakenly thought had left for personal reasons. But the documents show signs that the man had been protected from a lawsuit years earlier.

The biggest surprise: the legendary figure had been involved in a secret investigation into a death that had occurred in Weatherfield more than 20 years earlier. The funeral — according to sources — was a way to erase the past, to prevent old files from being dug up again.

The rumors reached Billy, and he was devastated. He had once considered the legend a relative, a symbol. Learning that the man had left to hide a secret left him torn: should he speak up or keep quiet? Todd senses that Billy is hiding something and begins to suspect his lover, causing further turmoil in their relationship.