Blue Heelers Season 1, Episode 24: A Bird in the Hand

A Woman's Place

""Keep your hand's off him and we'll be friends"" The new constable Maggie Doyle arrives in Mt. Thomas. She is faced with not only rampant chauvinism but the fact that she is stationed with ex-boyfriend Constable Wayne Patterson who has recently moved there with his wife Roz. Local girl Sally-Anne is raped by her boyfriend Bruce McLaren. She makes a formal complaint but when Bruce pressures her she attempts to withdraw it. When Sally-Anne discovers that this isn't possible she tries to commit suicide. Maggie and Nick find her and revive her. Maggie and Wayne go to speak to farmer Mick Doherty about his parking fines. When his dog breaks it's chains Maggie shoots her. Mick then starts firing at them. Tom is forced to go out and have a ""yarn"" with Mick and with the help of PJ gets Mick a new dog.

45 min

Doing it Tough

""Madam, this is not the local beauty palour, its the police station"" Local farmer, Bob Crowley, is due to have his harvester repossessed. When Nick and Maggie escort the repo agent, Mr. Miller, to the farm arrive it's been stolen. There is lots of finger pointing. Later that day Miller and his mates beat up Crowley. Maggie has a word to Bob's daughter Grace. Turns out that Grace and her boyfriend had ""hidden"" the harvester so that her father could collect the insurance so he wouldn't lose the farm. Needless-to-say she is charged. Meanwhile local handyman, David Tufnel is found dead. Wayne learns the hard way that whoever signs the body over to the morgue has to assist with the autopsy. On the personal front, Roz is trying to establish a beauty parlour at the watch-keepers house. Wayne doesn't get around to asking Tom for permission and when women start ringing the station for facials Roz is found out. Tom spits the dummy and closes her down before she really starts.

Why Give People Rights? They Only Abuse Them

""But if I had locked him up he would still be alive"" Maggie meets local school teacher Brian Shields and his wife. Shields is very anti-guns having been to Vietnam. He gets into a minor prang with some city duck-shooters and goes berserk and shoots a gun in the street. Tom agrees to let him go if he promises to stay out of trouble. PJ writes shields off as a wacko but Maggie feels there is something more to it. When Shields is found dead the next day, the finger is pointed at the duck-shooters. When pressed by PJ the wife admits that her husband committed suicide as he had terminal cancer using a gun to highlight the danger of guns. PJ is not convinced but soon the media take over and join the wife's side. Finally Maggie gets some circumstantial evidence that the wife killed her husband but it's too late as she is now the media darling and they could never make it stick. Meanwhile Roz has brought herself a car to start a mobile salon and cannot meet her obligations to clean the station

Wives

""Stand aside, Maggie on the case - what you got here Sherlock!"" Wayne are Roz are celebrating her new business when the phone rings — there has been a burglary at the local antique store, one of a spate of local break-ins. Whilst PJ is off with a ""girlfriend,"" Wayne is forced to stand guard all nite. Meanwhile Maggie and Nick arrest ""Blackjack"" Eagan, a ex-copper and hero of PJ's. It turns out Eagan is hanging round Mt. Thomas to avoid some crims he had put away who are due to be released. Tom gets Nick to drop the charges so that Eagan will move on. Roz sees a pair of earrings the next day at a clients which is a match for stolen goods from an earlier burglary. It doesn't help the client's husband is an ex-crim. PJ makes Roz sign a formal statement, and as a result of telling police information she learned on the job, her business suffers. PJ gets the crim to finger the fence he brought the jewellery from, a travelling jewellery salesman and ""close"" friend of Chris. With the help of E

Waiting for Apples

""Search warrants are for searching, we're tidying up"" Tom Croydon is on leave and is assisting in the running of the local racing event at Mount Thomas. All is going well until he has a catering mix up - it appears that he has employed two caterers and both women are not to pleased when they find out that each other has been hired. Nick and Maggie are roster on to patrol the highway and are on the out look for speeding motorists. The skull turns up aka Sergeant Harrison is the Boss replacement. He is not impressed with Maggie and Nick's results on booking drivers and sets about to rectify this situation immediately much to the displeasure of Maggie and Nick. The Skull takes Maggie out on a tour of inspection of Mount Thomas. While out with the Skull, PJ and Wayne witness the Skull putting Maggie through the correct procedure of ticketing much to the amusement of Wayne and PJ. PJ is on a mission - to find Apples (Barry Raymond Maxwell), it appears they have a bit of history together. It

Apprehended Violence

""You two city slickers, that's country policing for you"" A man shows up at the police station and confesses to murdering a his wife brother ten years ago. PJ interviews the man and asks him what makes him confess now. Roz and Wayne are assigned to look after a young girl. A man comes into the station claiming to be the girls father, the young girl Sally identifies him as her father, but Tom requires proof and the man refuses to identify himself. Nick clocks Roz driving at 19kms over the limit and issues her with a speeding ticket. She asks Wayne if he could have a word to Nick, otherwise Roz will lose her license and will be unable to do her mobile hairdressing business. A man comes into the station claiming to be the girls father, the young girl Sally identifies him as her father, but Tom requires proof and the man refuses to identify himself. Mrs Haughton turns up at the station and PJ tells her that her husband had made a full confession to the murder. She informs PJ that is not pos

Life after Death

There's a fatal car accident in Mount Thomas and what was seventeen-year-old Claire Brady doing behind the wheel of a local farmer's utility? PJ turns debt collector.

Domino Effect

""One gurnsey, Essessdon colours, sign of a criminal mind in my book"" Roz tells Wayne there is nothing for her in Mount Thomas and she feels like a failure, she asks Wayne if he will consider a transfer back to the city. Tom sends out Wayne to the Henderson farm to investigate some fence damage. While investigating the incident Wayne spots a car that appears to be broken down and he offers his assistance. As he approaches the car they occupants shoot Wayne and drive off. Wayne who is bleeding from the gun shot attempts to drag himself back to his vehicle to call for help, but he passes out. Meanwhile Maggie is trying to get hold of Wayne on the radio but is unsuccessful. A women who was passing by noticed the injured officer and uses the police radio in Wayne's vehicle to call for help and Maggie and Nick rush out to the scene to assist. Maggie takes Roz to the hospital to see Wayne. Roz informs Wayne she won't be taking the job in Melbourne and that she loves him and doesn't know what

Diary Entry

""One of the three great answers - its not mine, I'm minding it for someone and I've never seen it before"" Wayne returns to work after the shooting and the Boss informs the rest of his members to treat Wayne as normal and he's bound to be a bit jumpy at first. Nell has baked Wayne a cake for morning tea and they all Heelers sing to him. A Mrs Stewart comes into the station with the diary of her daughters. It contains references to drug use and she claims that a Damian Parker is corrupting her daughter. Maggie and Wayne pick up Kim from school to bring her down to the station for questioning about the entries in the diary. Meanwhile Wayne is having flashbacks over his shooting incident as he spots another blue vehicle abandoned at the side of the road. Wayne approaches the car and and orders the young woman to get out of the car and put her hands on the bonnet. Nick turns up at the scene and complains to Nick that Wayne scared her and her child and that his gun was drawn. Damian Parker i

Visions Splendid

""What's the point, Tom Croydon is stuck in the tenth century BC"" Maggie and Wayne are out at Mrs Harris place following up her missing tractor, they find the tractor on her farm. Mrs Harris believes that it is kids who had taken it. The Heelers suspect it is the son in law who has been harassing Mrs Harris but they cannot prove it. Roz talks to Mrs Harris about it and she informs Roz that Eric believed if he could shame his wife he might get her to shift back to the country. It's Police Week in Mount Thomas and the station's doors are thrown open to the public and the Boss has drawn up a roster for the Heelers to take tours. Someone is harassing an elderly farmer. Roz becomes support officer. Roz has applied for the administration position at Mount Thomas station and the Boss informs her that she has been selected to be interview by him and the Inspector. Inspector Murray turns up at Mount Thomas police station for an inspection and the interview of the administration position. The Ins

Abandoned

""All right ladies this is still a police station lets not go all clucky"" Its Roz Patterson first day at work as the Administration Assistant at the Mount Thomas police station. Roz wonders what to call the Boss, he suggests she call him Sir, but Roz decides to stick to calling him Boss. She is not having the best of first days on the job and offers her resignation. Nick is called out to the railway station to investigate the abandonment of a baby. Nick and Maggie takes the baby to the hospital to be checked out. Nick instructs Maggie to put a call out for all the cabbies to call into the police station to be questioned about the baby. A couple turns up at the hospital claiming that the baby is there's. PJ requests that they show some identity before they will release it into their care. After questioning the couple down at the station, Maggie and PJ establish that the baby does not belong to them. Nick takes a call from the baby's mother and in Maggie's mind she believes that he handle

Damaged Goods

""That's right Doyle, I say!"" Roz Patterson is attending a local flea market when she is asked to give a presentation to the Country Women's Association. The Boss asks Wayne what Roz is going to talk about and he informs Tom that she will be talking on what its like the be a country policeman's wife. Tom is miffed because they have never asked Nell. Nick catches Barry Taylor starkers down by the river. He claims he was washing in the river because he is homeless. Nick suspects he is a pervert. He claims he has lost his pack which is something between Mount Thomas and Brisbane. Nick is called out to the Imperial by Chris to find that Barry has locked himself in one of the rooms and is refusing to come out. Down at the station Barry tells Nick that he has lost everything - his home and his wife and kids have left him. Mr Wilkinson rings the police station stating that he has caught a local shop lifter. It turns out that the theft is Helen Burns and she is the wife of a solicitor. Maggie a

Armed and Dangerous

""What do you reckon son, seen enough of the Mount Thomas Hilton, ready to check out!"" The Heelers attend a burglary at a local farm to discover the place has been trashed and the owner has been bashed. This is the third burglary this week and Tom decides to call in the Special Response Squad to help deal with the growing problem. The squad and PJ interview Mr Blakely regarding the break-in and the assault on him but he doesn't remember who attacked him and Maggie along with the squad search the premises again looking for new leads and they discover an earring that doesn't belong to Mrs Blakely. A call is taken by Roz that a women is being threatened by two armed men. Roz radios the squad and Maggie to let them know about it and they attend. It turns out the call was a false alarm and the Squad Sergeant takes his frustration out of Roz claiming that she sent them on a wild goose chase, questioning her ability to the job. Maggie has a visit at her room by the Squad Sergeant Cole and he a

Reunion

""Look here they brought in the dog squad, Annie Oakley and her mates"" Tom asks Chris Riley to identify the body of her ex-husband. Chris goes to the mortuary with the support of Tom and confirms that it is indeed her ex-husband Terry. Tom attends dawn parade for Anzac Day and Tom tells Chris that he saw Terry Kennedy at the dawn service. Chris tells Tom that his eyes are playing tricks on him and Tom responds that Chris has identified the wrong body. Chris tells Terry that Tom has seen him at the dawn service and it appears that Terry has $700.00 in outstanding fines. Chris tells Terry to take his fresh start and leave, Terry asks Chris to sell the pub and come away with him. Tom goes to the Imperial to see Chris and tells her to open the door or they can get a warrant instead. In the meantime Terry has escaped out of the window and down the drain pipe, but PJ is waiting for him. Tom tells Chris if he had buried the wrong man and not corrected the mistake it could have cost him his car

Family Lies

""You know Mags, your in the wrong job, if you want to play cap crusader you should been a social worker"" The fate of a five-year-old boy hangs in the balance due to a maze of untruths; his mother is bashed unconscious. Mrs Hart has come into the station and is hysterical and claims that Barry Hart has taken her son Zack. PJ asks Mrs Hart if Barry took Zack what would have happened to the sister, Jenny as she is not Barry's child. Tom gets a call about a couple of shoplifters which turn out to be the Hart children, Nick and Wayne are out patrolling and spot the children and take them into custody. The children are reunited with their Mother. Tom has a word with Jenny regarding her shoplifting. Tom informs Mrs Hart that as they let Jenny off last time with a warning, this time they will have to charge her. Out at the Hart residence, Mrs Hart has been bashed and the Heelers organise an ambulance to take her to the hospital. The little boy, Zack is missing. Jenny who was away from the prop

Theft

""Trouble is the eye and memory aren't always reliable"" Wayne is out on patrol when he spots the white van that was reported stolen. Wayne radios back to inform that he will check it out and Nick instructions Wayne to start the van and he will send Maggie to pick up the patrol car. The owner of the van George Pearson comes into the station to pick up his van and states their are two missing leather jackets. A neighbour who witnessed Wayne checking out the van makes allegations that Wayne is responsible for the missing jackets. PJ interviews the neighbour to establish the facts of what he exactly witnessed and the neighbour believes that it will be a police cover-up to protect the officer. Tom pulls Maggie into his office to ask her about the van's contents. Maggie states that she was just there to pick up the van and there is nothing out of the ordinary. The Boss then speaks to Wayne about what happened and he asks Wayne if he carried anything away from the back of the van. Wayne denies

Meat is Hung, Men are Hanged

Residents protest when a paroled child killer returns to Mt. Thomas, an event that could have serious consequences for the town.

Conduct Unbecoming

PJ meets his match when an old flame comes to town to solve a cattle duffing problem. Accused of theft, a woman charges her boss with sexual harassment.

Good Cop, Bad Cop

The Blue Heelers are worried that Tom may be transferred back to Melbourne. Tom does not want to transfer to the city and his replacement is equally reluctant.

The Final Season

Wayne's hero comes to Mt. Thomas and, as a violent drunk, he finds it hard to live up to his reputation. The shooting team competes.

Payback

Nick is destined to lose another relationship when he is attracted to the driver in a fatal hit-and-run.

Sex, Lives & Videotape

Tom is bewildered by his mate Charles Turner embezzling $10,000 from the football club's funds. Maggie and Wayne lock up a drunken, disorderly teen.

45 min

The Men in Her Life

When Maggie's reputation is put on the line when she arrests her boyfriend's boss, an MP, for drunken driving. Her father comes to Mt. Thomas to help sort it out.

45 min

Missing

Bill Mason hopes to follow up leads relating to the disappearance of his son Paul, four years earlier.

Day in Court

The officers testify before a traveling magistrate. It's Maggie's first day in court presenting evidence and she's got butterflies.

Nowhere to Run

A young girl is found dead, and her housemates, who are withholding information about her death, are suspected of involvement.

Consequences

It appears that Bill Todd, owner of the local meatworks, is making a fortune by selling inferior carcasses as quality meat ”but visiting Inspector Faulkner insists that any action be postponed until after his launch of the local Safety House Scheme. PJ pressures a young burglar into confessing and later, the boy is found beaten.

A Matter of Trust

A loiterer is brutally beaten; Roz's actions could have dire consequences when she gets personally involved with a domestic case and gives confidential information to a friend.

Necessary Force

Moira shoots an unarmed intruder; When Roz witnesses a shooting over the telephone her life is radically changed prompting her to return to Melbourne.

Bitter Harvest

When a rape occurs in Mt. Thomas, PJ thinks he recognises a drunken driver as the rape suspect. Is he right, or is he victimising an innocent man?

Crazy like a fox

An angry man accuses an antique store owner of receiving stolen goods. Nick pulls over a car for speeding and is offered a bribe by the driver. A feuding brother and sister makes life hell for the Blue Heelers.

Old Dogs, New Tricks

Nick and Maggie investigate some strange happenings at a retirement home, leading them to an unexpected culprit.

Labour of Love

A travelling prosititute is found robbed and beaten. Wayne and the new recruit have a slight personality clash.

Escape Route

When a car crash victim turns out to be a battered wife, the Blue Heelers discover how difficult domestic cases can be when the woman refuses to press charges; Adam falls for Maggie.

Adverse Possession

A farmer stands to lose his land due to an ancient law. His neice Hilary, PJ's old flame, returns to Mt. Thomas to help her family retain their property. The property dispute culminates in arson.

The Folly of Youth

Two missing girls cause suspicion to be placed in an unfair direction when the Blue Heelers are looking for suspects.

Face Value

A car accident involving a priest has the Blue Heelers puzzled as to what really happened. Tom is puzzled when he sees Father Leary talking to two con artists. Tom feels that Leary has become distant and rude.

Suspicion

A drug raid based on a tip-off goes wrong when the drug dealers get wind of the raid. Money is missing from the bar's till.

Without Intent

When a carpet shop is ram-raided and a body goes missing from a funeral parlour, Tom believes it is B&S Ball revellers.

Family Matters

PJ does some checking when a young security guard blames a small-time criminal for some burglaries. Meanwhile, a young girl comes into the station highly distressed after being robbed of company funds.

The First Stone

Nick is unwittingly involved in a murder investigation that could spell the end of his career when a drunk that Nick took home is found dead the next day.

Skin Deep

Tensions are running high in the Mt. Thomas station as renovations are underway when two Aborigines known for causing trouble arrive in town, Tom is accused of racism.

Luck of The Draw

Maggie's boyfriend is suspected of being on the take when a horse racing ring-in is discovered. An unexpected car accident hits the Heelers close to home.

Damage Control

It appears that Bill Todd, owner of the local meatworks, is making a fortune by selling inferior carcasses as quality meat but visiting Inspector Faulkner insists that any action be postponed until after his launch of the local Safety House Scheme. Revelations during a horse-racing investigation pull Maggie and Sean apart.