A brain tumour has left Moira mentally unstable and she could be responsible Credit: ITV
Cain was left reeling recently after hearing about his wife going in for a kiss with Nate.
The furious man went after Nate, assuming the pair were having an affair.
When he returned home, Moira was dismayed to find he had beaten Nate up.
The stressed woman continued to act out, spilling tractor fuel in the barn and accidentally setting it on fire.
Cain rushed her to the hospital, concerned that she had been injured in the blaze, only for Moira to have a seizure while waiting to be seen.
This alarmed doctors who sent her for a brain scan to get to the bottom of what was going on.
The medical experts discovered a tumour on her brain – which explained the out of character behaviour she had been exhibiting.
Because Moira is struggling with memory loss and hallucinations, it is possible that she did something to Nate while not in her right mind, and then forgot about it.
Dead in a ditch
Nate may have gotten locked in the barn and caught in the inferno Credit: ITV
Meanwhile, some people are convinced that Nate is dead after Moira’s barn caught fire.
Viewers speculated that he could have got caught up in the blaze.
One person mused: “Why do I have this horrible feeling that Nate was in that fire and will be found dead at the end of the episode?”
Another exclaimed: “”Why do I get the bad feeling Nate’s somehow still in the barn?!
“I know he ‘left’ before it happened but did he actually leave?
“They didn’t tell the firefighters / paramedics because they didn’t know he was there! too much foreshadowing about him?!”
Killed/kidnapped by John Sugden
The mysterious John Sugden could have a hand in Nate going missing Credit: Splash
Other fans are suspicious that Emmerdale newcomer John Sugden might be responsible for Nate’s disappearance.
After thinking back to the moment when he decided to leave the village, they realised the last person he spoke to was John.
John was then spotted looking shifty beside his van after encouraging Nate to leave for the Shetland islands – making viewers think he may have killed or kidnapped him.
An Emmerdale fan shared their theory in an online forum, saying: “If that was his exit then how very odd low key!!
“However John was the only one to see him before the fire and then acted oddly stood at his van.
“Are we to see an upcoming storyline of John the killer and he’s texting Tracey from Nate’s phone?”
Another added to the speculation, pointing out: “We don’t know who John really is. Maybe Nate found out something about him?”
He’s working with Billy on his dodgy money-making scheme
Nate could be involved with Billy’s schemes Credit: ITV
Dawn Fletcher was recently left suspicious when she found a mysterious bundle of cash in their home.
She questioned husband Billy about the money, and he soothed her concerns, reassuring Dawn that it was savings he’d been putting aside for a special surprise.
However, the minute she was out of the room he made a call to an anonymous person to ask for more work.
Given his shifty call took place around the same time as Nate went missing, viewers have wondered if it could have been him at the other end of the line.
If Nate is involved in a criminal money-making scheme with Billy, that would be a good reason to make himself scarce.
He’s in hiding working on his own revenge plan on everyone
Nate might want revenge on Cain and Tracy Credit: ITV
This is another probable theory given Nate has been physically assaulted by his dad despite not having done anything wrong.
Cain was remorseful after discovering Moira’s brain tumour was to blame for her illicit moment of intimacy with Nate, and tried making amends.
He left a voicemail on his phone, saying: “Look, Moira has some sort of tumour on her brain.
“Look son, I am really sorry. I didn’t mean it, any of it, I shouldn’t have said what I said. Just please come home yeah?”
However, it might be too late for forgiveness.
Besides his feud with Cain, Nate is also furious with his uncle Caleb for sleeping with his wife.
Tracy ended her marriage with Nate just before he found out about the affair, leaving him feeling hurt and betrayed.
After being attacked by family members on all sides, Nate might have gone into hiding to plan his next steps.
Caleb has him captive in his barn
Caleb and Nate also don’t have a good track record
The relationship between Nate and Caleb has been tense ever since Nate discovered his wife was cheating on him with his uncle.
Their romps were exposed by Caleb’s wife Ruby at Belle Dingle’s wedding reception.
Ever since then, Nate has wanted revenge.
Could his uncle have imprisoned him, fearing a retaliation?
This would also make sense of Nate’s final text to Tracy, telling her not to contact him.
When she attempted to ring him after his disappearance her call went to voicemail.
It was then followed by a cold text insinuating Nate had moved to Shetland without saying goodbye.
His message read: “Settling in. Head’s a mess. Don’t call me, I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
But if Nate has been kidnapped by Caleb to give him a chance to rekindle his romance with Tracy, it stands to reason that he would try and discourage Tracy from getting in touch with her ex husband.