Blue Heelers Season 7, Episode 8: Vanishing Act

Loose Ends

As Maggie gets closer to cracking the drug ring that killed her brother, her life is put in real danger. She fronts the trial of bent copper Barry Craig on tenterhooks her testimony is crucial to win a conviction. Fearing for his life, Craig offers Maggie a deal she can't refuse the names of each player for his safe incarceration. Maggie soon realises that she may have gone too far, but it's too late. The calling card they've been dreading is delivered and Maggie and PJ are trapped inside her home as it explodes into flames.

One More Day

The Heelers are shocked to learn that Maggie has called off her engagement to PJ and is leaving Mt. Thomas for a new job in Melbourne. After the torching of her house, she seeks safety elsewhere and knows that it can only be through the witness protection program. But when her pick-up arrives, Maggie learns that her father has been abducted and her plans to reach safety are in jeopardy. When Maggie is shot by a mysterious assailant, PJ collapses in shock

Aftermath

PJ's frustration mounts when all the evidence of Maggie's murder points to him. He throws himself into the investigation but there is confusion over his recall of events. PJ believes it was a contract hit but his theories don't tally with the evidence. When the murder weapon isn't found and the Heelers discover PJ's gun is missing from the safe, Homicide turns to PJ for answers.

Shadow of Doubt

PJ is arrested for Maggie's murder but the case begins to crumble when their prize witness is found dead. PJ's only way out is an unreliable witness with vital information on the murder weapon. Will PJ's fate be freedom or life behind bars?

Chip off the Old Block

Jack's great grandfather turns up in Mt. Thomas where he gets involved with some unsavoury characters, not altogether unconnected with a recent spate of house burglaries. The Heelers expose some startling community attitudes to the aged during an investigation of burglaries with elderly victims.

Code of Honour

When two transient bikies are brought into the station on a report of shoplifting, Tom discovers one of the to be Bull, an old mate from Vietnam. Bull's taken the other route after Vietnam, he chose the open road and a different sort of uniform and code. The lifestyle certainly looks seductive for Tom as he takes a spin on the back of Bull's bike. But Bull's not the carefree easyrider he seems. He is in town for a reason, he's been on a man hunt for seven years. He's looking for the man who killed his daughter. It seems the local video repair man, Peter Ross, is particularly twitchy since the gang came to town. In fact he's assaulted Jack, seemingly to get into jail and off the street. What is he afraid off? It becomes clear he is the source of Bull's vendetta—Ross, his daughter's bitter ex, is the ""one that caved her head in that night."" Tom and Bull test each other's mettle in a 'custody battle' over the desperate Ross. It's a stand-off—the gang aren't leaving till they get Ros

Life Class

When Tom is introduced to the joys of life-drawing, he is shocked to see the model is a girl he knows and who is under-aged. A flurry of finger pointing begins—Erin is clearly in moral danger but who is the corrupter? The boyfriend? The art teacher? The girl is protecting someone and Jo is determined to unveil her deep, dark secret.

Unfinished Business

PJ's quest to solve the mystery of Maggie's murder leads him to the bass guitarist in a recently re-formed rock band. When the muso refuses to give him the answers he wants, PJ decides to apply the pressure by applying for a warrant to search for drugs. Heroin is found, but PJ's plans are soon thwarted because the leader of the band, a faded rock star, takes responsibility for the drugs. Meanwhile, Jack strikes up a friendship with the band's spunky back-up vocalist, who turns out to be the daughter of the band's promoter, Bryce McLeod. PJ investigates Bryce and discovers he was not only named in a top secret drug trafficking inquiry, but was also a close friend of Barry Craig's. Perhaps this is the missing link he is looking for. With PJ applying pressure on Bryce he pulls the plug on the band, bringing about tragic consequences for one of its members. When Jack rescues the daughter from a drug overdose she realises the truth about her father, and decides to help PJ.

Out of the Shadows

PJ's quest to identify Maggie's killer accelerates when a mysterious man is pulled, alive, from a car wreck. He is missing from hospital when PJ and Ben discover a Mt Thomas man has been professionally killed. Is this the hitman who killed Maggie, and has come to finish off PJ, the man who won't let it rest? Against Tom's wishes, PJ offers himself as bait to lure the killer out of hiding. But his every move is predicted. It seems the killer is always one step ahead. But when the killer himself is gunned down in front of PJ, the evidence swings around to implicate an insider, another cop. In an unimaginable act of betrayal PJ finally comes face to face with his nemesis—Maggie's killer and her own brother, Mick Doyle. When the smoke has cleared, PJ and Pat Doyle can finally scatter Maggie's ashes over the land she loved.

Dance Crazy

Who is stalking Jo's popular dance instructor? The doting student, the possessive boyfriend or the lovelorn character from her past who just won't go away? Jo and Ben team up to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Welcome Back

When Tom's old school friend, Robert, turns up in Mt. Thomas, dripping with money and big city success, Tom reassesses his own life and the choices he has made. When Robert disappears in suspicious circumstances, Tom investigates and discovers that there is more to success than material things.

Broken Windows

Ben's response to a state of graffiti attacks on Mt Thomas signs and icons is to suggest a policy of zero tolerance of all minor offences. Ben and Jo certainly do not see eye to eye on zero tolerance and its effectiveness, and when they become involved with a group of young street kids squatting in a house, their differing approaches are put to the test, and their working relationship becomes strained. Jo seems to be proven right when first the squat the kids live in is bulldozed, and then one of them narrowly escapes injury in a charity bin fire, but Ben stands his ground. Ben and Jo must put aside their personal differences to discover that the most useful part of zero tolerance is tolerance itself.

Something Fishy

Jack and Jo combine their detecting skills with some old fashioned fishing expertise to investigate an allegation of cheating during the annual Mt. Thomas fishing competition. Compo Hayes, known well to the police as a highly seasoned scam merchant, just happens to win the competition which is worth a cool $10,000 gold ingot, and an incensed fellow angler makes an official protest. But a dispute over a fish rapidly escalates into something far more serious when the gold ingot prize is stolen. Was there a fish switch? And who would viciously bash the security guard to get the ingot? Although it is Jack's angling experience which puts them on track to solve the case, Jo has a surprise for him up her sleeve.

Dead For Quids

A much loved elderly woman dies while under the care of Doc Bourke, an old style country doctor who makes house calls, sets broken legs in paddocks and accepts cuts of meat in lieu of payment. At the reading of the will it is discovered that the elderly women left her considerable estate to Doc Bourke. The disinherited relatives call foul and accuse him of murder. Tom was delivered by Doc Bourke and has regarded him as a hero all his life. PJ has a natural distrust of doctors, especially those who seem to be playing God. Tom and PJ clash as PJ investigate the increasing numbers of claims that the Doc has stepped over the line. For PJ, a copper is someone who swears to uphold the law, no ifs, no buts. Doctors swear to preserve life—there should be no difference between the two. But is there? When does relieving a terminal patient in extreme pain cross the line into a shortening of the patient's life? And who has the right to decide?

On the Road

Jo gets herself into trouble with Tom when she accuses his accountant of being a drink driver. Her problems escalate when a young driver she has previously cautioned is involved in a serious accident. If Jo hadn't been so easy on the girl for the first offence, would the accident still have happened? Ben, meanwhile, has his hands full with cramming for the Sergeant's exam in St. David's. Regaining his stripes and being Sergeant in Mt.Thomas will put his career back on track, but does he really know who he's competing against?

Lost and Found

The new sergeant, Tess Gallagher, starts work in Mt. Thomas. Ben, in particular, doesn't find it easy dealing with her presence as she took the job that he feels should be his. When a newborn goes missing, Ben and Tess are thrown together to investigate and the race to find the child only serves to highlight their difficulties.

Rank Outsider

The Heelers are settling down into their new way of life with Sergeant Tess Gallagher in charge. Accepting the new system is not so easy. Tess has brought with her the new style of policing , and this doesn't sit comfortably with the old fashioned country way of doing things. A suspected greyhound ring-in puts pressure on the new and old ways. No one will cooperate with Ben and Jo in their investigation except for the track steward, who is, perhaps a little too keen to be of assistance. Tess, too, seems uncooperative at first. To her mind Ben and Jo are barking up the wrong tree. Is policing only about catching the crim and finding the evidence, or is there a place for compassion and discretion? As the bid to solve the case becomes a race against the clock, Ben and Jo, as well as Tess, learn that nothing is ever black and white.

44 min

Conduct Endangering Life

The local timber workers are besieged by a group of environmental protestors. Spiking logs is a potentially lethal deed, and Jack, the son of a timber man, needs no evidence to convince him that the protestors are to blame. When Tess discovers that an old university foe is one of the protestors, she is as certain as Jack of their culpability in the spiking. But log spiking is not for amateurs—knowledge of timber and milling equipment is a necessity. Although Jack refuses to believe that any timber man would have anything to do with spiking, the two brothers who run the mill have their own dark secrets to hide, and they're not willing to cope with anyone. PJ retains his approach of suspecting everyone, but it is Jack's knowledge of timber which will lead him to solve the crime—but not before he is forced to reassess his prejudices and confront a family worthy of a Greek tragedy.

A Little Faith

Mt. Thomas's resident witch, Siobhan Kennedy is back in town. Her arrival coincides with rumours that someone is taking money for lifting curses on people in Mt. Thomas. Ben is horrified to discover that a pregnant women is paying someone so that she will bear a healthy child. At first he is convinced that Siobhan is dealing in the evil eye, but soon realises that she is worried as he is. But a prerequisite of faith is not to be questioned, so those who believe they are cursed will not help Ben in his enquiries. And if no-one lays a complaint, the police cannot proceed any further. Frustrated at every turn in his attempt to uncover what he believes to be a scam on women in highly stressed, emotional states, Ben must find alternative paths to the truth. In his quest, Ben must not only question his own belief systems, he must be prepared to welcome assistance from someone who throws those beliefs into further doubts. But the life of an unborn child is at stake, and Ben learns that blind

The Gumshoe

A young Chilean backpacker goes missing, and PJ is called in to investigate. Another young female back packer went missing a few weeks ago from Mildura, and there is fear that they may both have met the same unpleasant fate. But PJ has more than just a missing girl to deal with. A gung-ho private investigator, Archie Garrett, has been engaged by her parents to find the girl, and is all too keen to join forces with PJ. At first Archie seems to do nothing but get in PJ's way and complain about the coffee they serve at the station. But as the case progresses, he continually happens to be in just the right place at just the right time, especially whenever a new piece of evidence is discovered. Is he lucky or does he know more than he is letting on? As an experienced detective, PJ knows that trust is something which must be earned but Archie is doing nothing by earn himself a reputation for interfering in police matters. Or is Archie genuinely sharing all the information he uncovers? Who to

Small Potatoes

Accompanying each of her workmates as they go about their work, Tess quickly finds her attention drawn to a girl who keeps stealing to feed her brothers. Police intervention escalates the volatile situation, and Tess is forced to reveal her difficult past to save the lives of the kids.

A Good Kid

A night of innocent fun at the Mount Thomas Blue Light Disco goes horribly wrong when two of the participants are found dead soon after in a horrific car smash. Jo is immediately under pressure from her superiors to find the truth about the driver. Everyone seems to be protecting everyone else, but Jo must fight to save her own neck as she chooses to pursue the case over her own best interests.

Fair Go

Relations between Tess and Jo are becoming more and more strained. Tom decides to give Jo a case of her own to run to prove herself and when a theft at a local factory is reported, it seems the perfect opportunity for Jo to save her skin and her career. But a straight forward theft turns into a professional nightmare and she finds herself possibly facing criminal charges

Cop It Sweet

Jo is hauled out of bed to join Ben in attending a burglary in the middle of the night. The victims are a badly shaken elderly couple, the man horrifically pistol whipped. One of the suspects gets away by car. Jo goes after the other, chasing him through backyards and over fences until he falls whilst jumping a fence, hits his head, and is caught. At the station the suspect complains of headaches, and insists on medical attention. PJ and Ben are sure that he is faking it, but are obliged to have him attended to. The hospital is severely understaffed. Jo is still not going to catch up on her sleep as the suspect needs to be kept overnight, and she draws the short straw as his guard. The only thing which keeps her going is thinking of the overtime entitlements she is clocking up. PJ and Ben continue the hunt for the second burglary suspect—a hunt which becomes all the more urgent when the injured victim dies. The burglary has become a homicide. When they discover their most likely

Moving On

Ben is being worn down by nightmares after attending the scene of a Gothic teenage boy's death. It appears the teenager, Elliot, killed himself by jumping into the path of a logging truck. No one has an answer for why this boy would take such desperate action, as he showed none of the classic signs of suicide. But in Ben's dream, it's his own teenage daughter standing on the country road waiting for the logging truck to hit her. Elliot's father, Jim, sees his son as a coward for taking his life and wants to rid himself of all reminders of the boy. He organises a garage sale to sell Elliot's favourite possessions. Elliot's new girlfriend Tina comes across the garage sale and tries to take Elliot's favourite coat. Ben and Jack are called to stop the fight but neither father nor girlfriend is prepared to talk about Elliot and why he may have taken his own life. When the Elliot's grave is vandalised, Ben is determined to find the culprit. He goes to the cemetery but instead of findin

Bank On It

Tess is working hard at managing the workload in Mt Thomas but it isn't easy when the station is under staffed and under equipped. Tess doesn't take kindly to PJ being critical of her when she uses his car in an emergency. The situation doesn't improve when PJ and Tess are forced to work together investigating a mysterious bank robbery. As PJ and Tess uncover the details of the robbery, the two bank employees give them different stories. Tess thinks one of the employees is behind the hold-up, but PJ is convinced it's the other. The confusion adds to the tension between them. PJ even attempts to cut Tess out of the investigation. Tess and PJ work separately, digging deeper for evidence and discover they may be looking for two suspects instead of one. Jo is worried about Jack, who has a fast developing friendship with local girl Letty Waldron—a young mother who lost her husband in tragic circumstances. The situation may get complicated because Letty also happens to be the only r

Hard Feelings

Jo becomes involved in the plight of a struggling cosmetics rep whose car has been stolen. The culprit turns out to be an angry teenager from a broken family. Not only has the car been written off, but $2,000 worth of cosmetics in the boot has been destroyed and a family's livelihood is gone. The resulting financial crisis is too much for the victim's husband, who leaves home hot on the heels of the repo men. The Heelers' attempts to get the boy to apologise and pay restitution fall on deaf ears. Tom and Jo are angry at the boy's unrepentant attitude, but the victim doesn't help her case when she meets him at the station and punches him in the stomach. The teenager insists on pressing assault charges, which only hardens the attitudes of Jo and most of the other Heelers against him. But Ben refuses to give up on the kid. If he likes cars perhaps the challenge of fixing one up can keep him out of trouble. The boy's father runs a successful automotive workshop and agrees to help by pro

Running of the Rams

Tess hears about the Running of the Rams, an event involving naked men and four rams running down the main street of Mount Thomas. It is being organised by two well-known con artists; Compo and Richo, supposedly to raise much needed funds for the CFA. Tess handles the situation the only way she knows how—by the book. She warns that anyone running naked will be arrested for indecent exposure. Tensions increase as, with Tom away, Tess runs a tight ship, much to the displeasure of Jo. Tom returns to a barrage of complaints from the locals about his new Sergeant. Tom advises Tess that a hands off approach is sometimes necessary when policing a country town. His attempts to find a creative solution go wrong when the rams earmarked for the event are stolen. The Heelers suspect the farmer of 'stealing' his own livestock and come up with a clever plan to catch him. But when they follow him to a farm shed expecting to find the 'missing' rams, they find the beasts have actually been stolen

Tangled Web

Ben is concerned when a boy he coaches throws a tantrum during a basketball game, kicking his mother in the shins. The next day the same boy, Jay Holbrook, is reported for an assault at school and Ben starts to worry about where he is learning this aggressive behaviour. Ben is fond of Jay's mother, Jeannette, and suspects they may be victims of domestic violence. Tess dismisses Ben's fears but he defiantly confronts the woman's husband, Peter, at the pub about Jay's behaviour. Meanwhile, fresh from their intimate encounter, Jack proposes to Letty during a stroll in the park. Taken by surprise, Letty asks to think about it. But the moment is broken when Jack spies some kids sneaking into a shed. He confronts them and discovers they are Jay and Jessie Holbrook—hiding from their violent father who has just been fighting with their mother. Jack calls in the info, and Ben rushes to the Holbrook home to discover upturned furniture, broken plates and blood—but the house is deserted. Tha

On Your Bike (1)

The Blue Heelers are stumped as to who is stealing mail from the neighbourhood letterboxes, so they try patrolling the streets on bikes. Jack seems to be settling in happily with Letty and her baby son—until an old flame of hers turns up and Jack doesn't know where he stands. Tom and PJ head off for a fishing weekend—leaving Tess in charge for the first time. All seems to be going smoothly until some prisoners prove they are a violent, unruly group which takes Tess to the edge. The bashing of one of the inmates uncovers a web of deceit and proves a vital clue to the identity of a murderer.

Stir Crazy (2)

Jack tries to find out if Letty and he are going anywhere and the web of deceit gets larger until Tess discovers the bashing may lead to a vital clue as to the identity of a murderer.

Broken Promises - Part 1

After a stakeout fails to intercept a drug shipment into Mt. Thomas, Jack's involvement is questioned. Anxious to put an end to the allegations against him, Jack comes up with his own theory. But things take a dangerous turn when the body of a murdered girl is found and the Heelers start a full-scale search for her murderer. Jack's secret plan to prove his innocence inadvertently puts the Heelers in life-threatening danger

44 min

Broken Promises - Part 2

After a stakeout fails to intercept a drug shipment into Mt. Thomas, Jack's involvement is questioned. Anxious to put an end to the allegations against him, Jack comes up with his own theory. But things take a dangerous turn when the body of a murdered girl is found and the Heelers start a full-scale search for her murderer. Jack's secret plan to prove his innocence inadvertently puts the Heelers in life-threatening danger and Jack is shot and left for dead

46 min

Wheeling and Dealing

In the aftermath of the shooting, life at Mount Thomas is changed forever when they must band together to convince Jack he will live and walk again.

Mind Over Matter

After the shooting of Jack, the Heelers pull together to get through the tough times ahead. Meanwhile, life in Mt. Thomas must go on and a mentally disabled man wants to be the town's new school crossing supervisor. The local council and parents aren't so keen but they decide to give him a go. When a hit and run occurs on the school crossing, the Heelers have to figure out who was really the intended victim.

Paper Chase

The Blue Heelers think a theft of some stationary is a minor offence—until they discover the thief has struck many businesses in the area. The young student helping out at the real estate office seems like the perfect suspect until they learn that her father is the town's supplier and she could get supplies easily from home. The truth unfolds as one of the Heelers recognises the thief's shoes!

Bully Boys

A parent arrives at the station with his bruised son claiming that he was attacked by his female teacher. As the Heelers investigate, they discover a different side to the story and Jack loses his cool with the bullying.

Bloodlines

When rodeo clown Shane Denovan rides into town with his sick horse Lulubelle, Jo plays the good samaritan and finds him a job and accommodation. Sadly, the local vet believes Lulubelle should be put down so Jack lets Shane ride his horse, Matilda, to chase the thieves of horse semen into the bush. In an awkward moment, Jack makes a decision about his beloved Matilda and his future as a cop

Ten Percent

Cup Day is on in Mount Thomas and it seems all will be quiet until a businessman arrives at the station with a bizarre message on his mobile phone—he has inadvertently recorded someone's conversation planning an armed robbery. After hours of checking phone numbers, Jack finally discovers the owner when he is only meters of the perpetrator. Will the robbers take Jack and Chris hostage when they realise their plan is unveiled?

Leg Work

When a theft occurs at the local community centre, Jack refuses to believe that the main suspect could be Sam, a wheelchair basketballer whom he befriends. Meanwhile, Tom has been notified that Jack is to be transferred to St. Davids so the Heelers band together to show headquarters that Jack is a vital member of their team. In desperation, Jack makes a brash demand - a risky operation that may cure him. As the Heelers watch, Jack is wheeled into surgery...