No. 28
Looking shocked, Scott tells Mike that Poppy doesn't know what she's doing; if she marries Stavros, she'll be making the biggest mistake of her life, as she doesn't love him. He turns to dash out, saying he's got to talk to her. Mike grabs him, though, and warns him that he could be sticking his bib in where it's not wanted. Scott just shrugs that he wishes he could stay out of it but he *can't*. With that, he runs out, leaving Mike to mutter to himself:

MIKE: Thanks for helping me celebrate my new job.

Des comes back in and tells Mike that Jamie is showing enthusiasm for being a potter! He then asks where Scott is, as he thought they had big plans. Mike sighs that he's off stopping Poppy from making the biggest mistake of her life.

No. 26
Todd is packing his school bag as Jim tells Helen not to worry. Todd says he feels sick: his stomach feels gross and he's got a bit of a headache. He adds that he thinks he overdid it with the run. Jim reluctantly agrees that there's not much point sitting in a classroom if he's not feeling up to scratch, so he can stay at home. Helen says she'll call Beverly and she can pop in and give Todd the once over. Jim then announces that he'd better get off to work. Helen goes to the door with him and tells him quietly that she'll let him know if she hears anything from the blackmailer. Todd sits on the couch, listening nervously.

Reception area of the Robinson Corporation
The 'phone rings and Gail answers. Prue comes on and Gail sounds irritated that she's been bothered; she asks Prue to handle the situation, and she hangs up abruptly. She walks into the main office and tells Paul that she just had reception on the 'phone: some guest complaining about his room booking - apparently Jane always makes sure he gets the right room. Paul retorts that it's tough: the guest will have to manage without her. He then hands Gail some sheets of paper, but as she takes them she says tersely:

GAIL: Paul, I'm having enough trouble trying to keep up with my *own* work as well as answering the 'phone and dealing with visitors and God knows what else. Can't you find someone to do the typing?
PAUL: All right, all right, I'll see what I can do.

Gail, calming down, thanks him. She then tells Paul that she spoke to Madge earlier: Henry and Bronwyn are moving home this weekend and she wanted to thank them for making it possible.

PAUL: Couple of heartless old landlords like us, eh?
GAIL: Speak for yourself!

No. 28
Mike is making himself some breakfast. Des finishes giving Jamie a bath and joins Mike at the counter. Mike comments that it looks like Des is taking this pottery thing quite seriously. Des nods that he really enjoys the feel of clay and moulding something out of nothing. He then adds that he'd better swing down to the Coffee Shop and see how Harold's coping on his own. Mike remarks that it's really strange that Hilary just took off like that. Des continues that he's then got to go and pick up the Japanese tapes and books for his courses. He asks Mike if he can look after Jamie for a while. Mike, however, asks if he could try Bronwyn instead, as he wants to chase up Scott and see if he wants to talk about this business with Poppy.

Skouros House
Scott knocks on the front door of the Skouros house. A few seconds later, Theo Skouros opens the door and demands:

THEO: What is it you want?
SCOTT: Can I speak to Poppy?
THEO (sharply): No. Go.

With that, Mr. Skouros tries to shut the door in Scott's face. Scott puts his hand out to stop it, though, and he asks Mr. Skouros to at least tell Poppy he's there. Mr. Skouros just says coldly that she's not at home. Scott suggests that he could come in, but Mr. Skouros tells him that he cannot. He then asks gruffly:

THEO: Why do you want to see her?
SCOTT: Well, with respect, Mr. Skouros, I don't think it's any of your business.
THEO (retorts): With respect, Poppy is my daughter, so it is very *much* my business. I don't want you near her; do you understand? She is engaged to a man from a very good Greek family and he will make her very happy. You are a married man and it is wrong for you to go after her. So stay away.
SCOTT: I just want to talk to her.
THEO: No. Just go.
SCOTT (pleads): Please?
THEO: If you don't leave, I'm going to call the police. Now, just go away, please.

No. 26
Beverly is checking Todd's ears as part of a medical examination. She then sighs that she thinks he'll survive. Todd asks if he has to go back to school, as the day's almost half over. Helen, however, tells him to go and lie down in his bedroom. Todd does as she suggests. When he's gone, Helen asks Beverly if there's really nothing wrong with him. Beverly replies that there's nothing clinical, but he could be genuinely off-colour as a result of over-doing it this morning. Helen apologises for calling her at the surgery. Beverly, however, assures her that it's understandable under the circumstances. She then asks if there's any word from the blackmailer. Helen replies that it's all quiet so far; she just wishes she knew what was happening...

Reception area of the Robinson Corporation
Paul is hunting for a file on the desk in the reception area while Gail answers the 'phone. When she hangs up, Gail goes straight to the filing cabinet and extracts the file Paul wants. He smiles:

PAUL: Where would I be without you?
GAIL: Even more snowed under than you are *now* - which brings up another question: how are you going to manage next week?
PAUL (blankly): Why - what's happening?
GAIL: I have to go into hospital for the IVF.
PAUL (mutters): Oh great, that's *all* I need.
GAIL (furiously): 'That's all you need?' Fine!

Paul apologises quickly, saying he didn't mean it to come out like that; he'd just forgotten about it. Gail tells him that she's going to need his co-operation. Paul assures her that she's got it 100%. They kiss and make up.

No. 24
Scott and Mike walk into No. 24, Scott telling Mike as they do so that old man Skouros threatened to call the police just because he wanted to *see* Poppy. Mike listens but then comments:

MIKE: Look, the way you're carrying on, it seems to me like you've got some sort of problem.
SCOTT: About *what*?
MIKE: About Poppy getting engaged.
SCOTT: I just told you-
MIKE: Yeah, I know, I know. Supposedly, she's making the biggest mistake of her life, so you take off like a scalded cat to save her from a fate worse than death. It just doesn't make sense, Scott: you're not her keeper; you're not responsible to make sure she does the right thing.
SCOTT: Well why not? I mean, I care about her. Working so close together, Mike, it's only natural that you develop some kind of friendship.
MIKE: Yes, I know, but you're not working together *now*, are you?
SCOTT: No - because things started getting too close - too close for *me*, at any rate - and that's when I pulled the plug on our working relationship, so things wouldn't get out of hand.
MIKE: OK, fair enough: you did the right thing; but that doesn't explain the way you're acting *now*, does it? If you want more distance between yourself and Poppy you think you'd be *glad* about her getting engaged to Stavros, not the other way round. Scott, it just doesn't add up.
SCOTT: Maybe not to *you*.
MIKE: Not to a *lot* of people.
SCOTT (snaps): Mike, I couldn't give a *damn* what other people think. This is something I have to work out with Poppy and me, that's all - and we *will*... when I get the chance.

Lassiter's
Paul and Gail emerge from the office, Gail asking Paul if he's sure they should be going out for lunch. Paul tells her that he just wants to make it up to her for before. As they pass the bridge, Des dashes over it and joins them. Gail comments that he's looking rather casual today, and she asks if the bank is having a come-as-you-like-it party! Des, however, explains that he won't be at the bank for a while: he's taking long-service leave for three months. Paul exclaims:

PAUL: Three months? How are you gonna cope with *that*, sitting around doing nothing all day?
DES (muses): It's gonna be rough - but thanks to Kerry, I'm on the road to enlightenment!

Des then explains that he's doing pottery and Japanese; he's going to take some time out from the rat race. He then asks Paul and Gail what they're doing at the weekend. They reply together:

PAUL & GAIL: Working!

Des smiles that it seems to him that they should take a leaf out of *his* book; he saw the error of his ways and they should relax... do nothing... have fun - before it's too late!

No. 26
Todd is lying on the couch, watching TV. Jim joins him and asks him how he's feeling. Helen chips in that he's still not right. Beverly arrives home for lunch and she heads into the kitchen. She asks Helen if there's still no news. Helen replies that there isn't so far, but she doesn't know if that's good or bad: it could mean the man is satisfied or it could mean the money's gone astray in the post. Jim and Todd come in and Jim mutters that it irks him to think the man is going to get away with it. Helen, however, retorts that it was worth the money just to get rid of whoever it is; she doesn't care if they never catch him, as long as he leaves them alone. Jim points out that he could keep coming back for more. Todd is sitting at the table, staring at his plate of food. Beverly tells him to eat up. Jim says to him:

JIM: I'm sorry, mate - Helen's right: all that matters is protecting this family and keeping us all together.
TODD (sharply): *Whose* family?
JIM: Well *this* family: *your* family.
TODD (snaps): *You're* not my family. Who told you *that*?

Todd then dashes off to his room. Helen goes to follow him, but Jim stops her, explaining that, right now, Todd's feeling like an outsider who's cost them a lot of money; he'll have a talk to him when he's calmed down.

Reception area of the Robinson Corporation
Gail, Paul and Des walk into the office after lunch, Paul and Gail trying to make plans for the weekend, arguing over going horse-riding or sailing. Gail notices a message from Jane that has been left on the desk and Paul asks what it says. Gail reads:

GAIL: 'Just to say that she and Joe have arrived safely and that Mrs. Mangel's condition is serious but stable.'
DES: Just as long as she's coming good, that's the main thing, eh?

Paul and Gail nod in agreement. Paul then asks Des if he's off now. Des, looking surprised, says he'll go and pick up Jamie from Bronwyn and get stuck into his pottery! He heads off. Paul and Gail walk into the office, where Paul suggests that, as a compromise, they go horse-riding on Saturday and sailing on Sunday. Gail accepts this!

No. 24
Scott is talking on the 'phone, telling the person on the other end that he'll deliver his articles on time. Mike is preparing himself some sandwiches as Scott hangs up and mutters:

SCOTT: Sandra Lloyd from the Erinsborough News. "Haven't had any work from you lately, Scott. You're still going to get that project in on time, aren't you, Scott?" Yes, Sandra.

Scott tells Mike tersely that he'll send in the rest of the articles when he's ready. Mike warns him to watch his attitude, as this job with the paper saved his financial neck. Scott retorts that it just doesn't seem all that important to him at the moment. He goes and sits down at the table and apologises for sounding off at Mike; he explains that it's just that he's got a lot of things on his mind at the moment.

MIKE: Like trying to stop Poppy from getting engaged to Stavros?
SCOTT: Mike, she's doing it on the rebound. It's the worst possible reason two people can get engaged.

Mike sighs that he thinks it's time he risked a punch in the mouth in the interests of rational thought. He then says:

MIKE: Basically, I would say it's a case of straight-out jealousy, isn't it? You're in love with Poppy but you can't have her because you're married. On the other hand, you don't want Stavros to have her either. What do think about *that* little theory, huh? Pretty close to the mark?

Scott just sits there looking stony-faced.

No. 26
Jim apologises to Helen and Beverly for having to be a chauvinist and ask them to do the washing up, as he has to get back to the workshop. Helen asks him if he's going to have a word with Todd before he goes, but Jim says he'll wait until he gets home from work. Todd joins them at that moment, though, and says in a subdued tone that it's OK: Jim doesn't have to say anything. He then goes on:

TODD: I've got something to tell you - it's pretty important. I know who the blackmailer is.

Helen, Jim and Beverly stare at him in shock and Helen asks:

HELEN: *Who*?
TODD: Dad.
HELEN (looking surprised): Your *father*?
TODD (nods): You know how the Sergeant said that it might be somebody in the Post Office... well, dad's got a job down at Anson's Corner - as a postie.
BEVERLY (suggests): I suppose it could be a coincidence...
TODD: No, it's not. Katie saw him at the house where you delivered the money and I talked to him. He admitted he was the one that made the threats.
BEVERLY (tersely): Why didn't you tell us this before?
TODD (cries): I *couldn't*.
JIM (calming things down): Go on, Todd, what else did he say?
TODD: He said not to tell anybody; let him get away and make a fresh start. You've been really good to Katie and me, but he's my *father*. I don't know what to do.

With that, Todd turns and heads back to his room, calling behind him sadly:

TODD: *You* sort it out.

When he's gone, Helen exclaims:

HELEN: Bob Landers...

Beverly asks what they do now. Jim replies that they ring Bill Mooney. Helen tries to stop him, though, telling him that if the police catch Bob Landers he could very likely end up in jail and Todd and Katie would be devastated. She suggests that they just sit down and think it through. Beverly remarks:

BEVERLY: It seems we're damned if we call them and damned if we don't.
JIM (sighs): In a nutshell, that's *exactly* it.