No. 28
Bradley runs into the house and into his room. Des comments to Andrea in concern that he looks like he's seen a ghost. Andrea knocks on Bradley's door and asks him what's wrong. Des calls out to the boy that he and his mother are worried about him; just open the door - everything's going to be fine. Bradley opens the door hesitantly but doesn't say anything. He walks over to the couch and Des and Andrea join him. Des tells him gently that they just want to know what's going on. Bradley says:
BRADLEY: I have to go away.
Des and Andrea, however, both tell him they don't. Andrea asks if it's one of the neighbours. Bradley screams that he didn't *do* anything. Des tells him that this is his home for as long as he wants to stay. Bradley puts his head against Des's chest and Des gives him a hug.
No. 26
It's evening- time and everyone is having dinner. Nikki tells Zoe that she loves her outfit. Zoe smiles that she fell in love with it - she reckons you should *always* buy clothes on impulse! She goes to pick up the serviette to her right, but Lucy tells her pointedly that that's Scott's - she should take the one on the left. Everyone looks at her sharply. Charlene comes in and introduces herself to Zoe as Lennie. Helen explains to Zoe that Lennie is Madge's daughter - they have a space problem at No. 24 - and she explains to Charlene that Zoe is Jim's friend. Lucy says:
LUCY: She's *not* his friend, she's his girlfriend.
There's an awkward silence. Charlene chips in that her dad's the same: *he's* got a young girlfriend - Susan. Nikki mutters that she thinks that's irrelevant. Jim takes a sip of soup and tells Helen that it's really delicious. The awkwardness continues.
No. 22
Clive is sorting out tickets for the pancake competition and he asks Daphne how she is. She sighs that she'd let herself dream and had imagined a chain of coffee shops. Clive muses that you can't fight City Hall. Daphne retorts that she *can* fight City Hall - but she can't fight Paul Robinson. Behind them, Mike is talking on the 'phone and Clive tells Daphne that she took Mike to social security today: all he needs is a letter from his father, confirming his lack of financial support, and he gets government benefits to stay at school. At that moment, though, Mike slams down the 'phone and Clive asks what's up. Mike snaps:
MIKE: He's not going to sign, is he?
He explains that his dad's got the knife in because he left home, and he reckons he's not going to change his mind. Daphne tells him that he can't just leave it there. Mike, however, asks what *else* he can do. He storms off.
Ramsay Street
The next morning, Lucy is delivering papers on her bike, with Basil in tow. Bradley suddenly calls out to her from behind a tree. She rides over to him and he asks:
BRADLEY: Have you seen a man?
LUCY: A man?
BRADLEY: A man in a car.
LUCY: A stranger?
BRADLEY: There's a man after me.
LUCY: Have you told your mum?
BRADLEY: Have you seen anyone?
LUCY: No, but Bradley, you should tell your mum. Dad and gran said the first thing you do with strangers is tell your parents.
BRADLEY: He's not that kind of man.
LUCY: What do you mean he's not that kind of man?
BRADLEY: He's different. If I tell mum, she'll make us run away, and I want to stay with Des.
At that moment, a car drives up the street and the man - Gavin McKinley - climbs out and walks towards Bradley, telling him that he just wants to talk; nothing's going to happen. Bradley runs off into No. 28. Lucy stares at McKinley, coldly.
No. 28
A short time later, Bradley is sitting staring at the table. Andrea asks what's wrong with him this morning and he retorts that he doesn't want to go to school; he feels sick. Andrea checks his forehead and comments that he doesn't seem to have a temperature. Bradley then says suddenly:
BRADLEY: Last night I had this nightmare - about Gavin.
ANDREA: Oh. What did you dream?
BRADLEY: I dreamt he came to take me away.
ANDREA: What else?
BRADLEY: What would happen if he knew we were here?
ANDREA: Sweetheart, that can't happen. Don't worry about it. Look, now that we've left Perth, no one can find us.
BRADLEY: But if he did, could you get into trouble?
ANDREA: Of course I wouldn't! But you still mustn't tell anyone.
Des emerges from his room and Zoe emerges from hers shortly afterwards. Des asks what everyone wants for breakfast, but Bradley says he's sick. Andrea tells Des that it doesn't seem to be anything too serious - Bradley was playing outside this morning and seemed OK. Des tells the boy that he doesn't seem too bad to him - and he'll drop him off on the way to work. Bradley reluctantly goes to get his things. Des then asks Zoe how dinner was with the Robinsons. Zoe mutters that it was great.
No. 24
Shane, Max and Danny are having breakfast as Madge works in the kitchen, baking pies. Daphne comes in with Clive and he and Shane head off to work. Daphne comments to Madge that today's the day of the big draw. Max mutters that Madge hit the floor at 5am; no one's had a wink of sleep since - and it's not as if she needs the money. Madge retorts that she *does* need the money: she has to pay for Charlene's support. She clears Max from the table and she and Daphne put trays of pies down. Madge asks how everything is with Mike, and Daphne tells her that his father still refuses to sign the letter. Madge mutters darkly
MADGE: It's just like Fred, shoving Charlene off onto me because his girlfriend's pregnant. Uncaring and irresponsible the lot of them. They're all the same.
Ramsay Street
Charlene, Nikki, Scott and Lucy emerge from No. 26 and Nikki tells the others to go on ahead. Charlene asks her what *she's* going to do and Nikki says she'll just hang around a bit. Charlene asks her if she's waiting for Mike. Lucy is standing in the street, staring at No. 28. Nikki asks her who she's looking for. Scott smiles that he bets it's Bradley - he saw him in a car earlier. Lucy asks sharply:
LUCY: What car?
Scott tells him that it was Des's - he was driving Bradley to school. At that moment, Mike emerges from No. 22 and the others join him, walking down the street. Nikki asks him if his father signed, but Mike replies that he wouldn't. Scott asks him what he's going to do. Mike sighs that the Coffee Shop's closing down, so he's going to have to leave school. As they walk down the street, Scott walks along the small wall at the end No. 22's garden - but he loses his balance and grabs hold of Mike as he falls off, ripping Mike's shirt in the process. Mike mutters that that's great - he's hardly got enough shirts as it *is*. Charlene tells Mike that she gets great second- hand threads all the time for just about nothing. Nikki muses:
NIKKI: Yeah, well, we've all seen *your* great threads!
Charlene ignores this and tells Mike that she'll take him to the store after school.
Office of the Daniels Corporation
Zoe is working in the office when Andrea comes in and asks if Paul's there. Zoe says he's out with a client. Andrea asks if he left anything for her - she's expecting a cheque for a small job she's doing for him. At that moment, Paul comes in and Andrea tells him that she was wondering about the cheque. Paul reaches into his desk drawer, takes out a cheque and hands it over. Andrea thanks him and leaves. When she's gone, Zoe asks Paul what all *that* was about. Paul, however, tells her:
PAUL: Zoe, your record shows that you can't be trusted with confidential matters. Now, don't you think it's better this way?
Zoe comments that it's obviously some sort of deal - and the only thing Andrea's good at is turning on the charm when she wants her own way. Paul asks her coolly if she hasn't got some work she should be doing. Zoe, however, replies brightly that she's off to the Coffee Shop!
Coffee Shop
The Coffee Shop is heaving. Daphne serves some customers at a table while Madge serves Helen and Jim with pies at the counter, adding that they're freshly baked this morning. Eileen comes in. Shane joins Mike and Clive in the corner of the shop, where they're setting up a tombola. At that moment, a woman in her 60s comes into the shop and Daphne comments to Shane in horror:
DAPHNE: Oh no.
SHANE: What?
DAPHNE: Mrs. Mangel's just walked in. She does nothing but complain: too much milk in the coffee... sugar in the bowl...
Shane offers to throw her out, but Daphne quickly stops him! Danny comes in and Clive walks over to him and asks him to draw the tickets, as he works in a bank and is totally beyond reproach. Danny points out that he's got nine tickets of his own, but Clive tells him that that's easy: if his number comes up, they'll have an extra draw with three winners instead of two. Mrs. Mangel, however, joins them and chips in coolly that that's not fair: they're bending the rules. Danny sighs that if his ticket comes up, he'll disqualify himself!
Across the shop, Andrea asks Eileen if they can talk about Perth - they need to clarify some things. Eileen, however, retorts that there's nothing to discuss. At that moment, Mrs. Mangel comes over and Eileen smiles that it's nice to see her.
In one of the booths, Nikki comments to Charlene and Scott that there's a good crowd there for Daphne. Meanwhile, Max is talking to Jack Lassiter, commenting that if all these people have got tickets, a man hasn't got a show in Hades! Jack smiles that Daphne's done a mighty job.
Standing by the back wall, Clive announces to everyone suddenly that the show will now commence. He introduces Mr. Daniel Ramsay as supervisor for the draw! He goes on that two finalists will be drawn. Danny reaches into the tombola and picks out tickets 56 and 104. The winners are Madge and Max! There's a round of applause. Clive smiles:
CLIVE: In accordance with the rules, these two lucky individuals will, on a date to be fixed, engage in mortal combat, cooking pancakes to decide the final winner.
Mrs. Mangel chips in and says:
MRS. MANGEL: Could I ask a question? Would the two winners be related, by any chance, to the person who drew the tickets?
CLIVE: I'm afraid, madam, the judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Mrs. Mangel storms off. Daphne watches her go. Clive says to her:
CLIVE: You reckon we got a problem?
DAPHNE (warily): Uh- huh. I reckon we've got a problem.
Ramsay Street
Sometime later, Eileen walks up Ramsay Street, where Max is working on his van. She stops and congratulates him on his win. Max nods that it's early days yet. Eileen muses that cooking against Madge won't be easy... but of course, if she was to give him one of *her* recipes... Max mutters that he wouldn't want her to go to any trouble. Eileen, however, insists that her helping him would be like him helping Jim Robinson. She goes on:
EILEEN: Such a delicate matter. Such a young girl. Do you suppose he's serious?
MAX: I'm not a gossip, Eileen.
EILEEN: Oh no, no, of course not.
MAX: I mean... candlelit teas at Lassiter's... walks in the lane... What do *you* reckon, eh?
Eileen comments to Max that it must be very difficult for him, being Jim's friend. Max, however, replies that you give advice when offered, then you hold your piece. Eileen then says she thinks she should tell him that Mrs. Mangel's making quite a fuss about the competition: she's telling the entire neighbourhood that she thinks it was rigged. With that, she walks off to No. 28. Across the street, Gavin McKinley watches her from his car.
No. 28
Lucy and Bradley are doing a jigsaw at the table when there's a knock on the front door. Andrea opens it to Eileen, who asks coolly if Desmond is home. Andrea replies that he isn't, but she reluctantly invites Eileen in. Eileen goes and sits down on the couch. Andrea tells her that she thinks it's in both their interests that they start being frank with each other. She asks Bradley and Lucy to go and play outside. Bradley looks at Lucy and heads out reluctantly. When they've gone, Andrea says sharply:
ANDREA: Eileen, I need to know who you contacted in Perth.
EILEEN: Perhaps you should first tell me why.
ANDREA: Very well - but first I have to know.
EILEEN: I rang every McKinley in the 'phone book. McKinley *is* the name of Bradley's real father, isn't it?
Andrea, looking worried, says:
ANDREA: And?
EILEEN: Well, naturally people were circumspect.
ANDREA: This is important: did you tell anybody I was here?
EILEEN: Well, people *did* want to know the reason for my enquiries.
ANDREA (murmurs): Maybe Bradley wasn't dreaming after all.
EILEEN: I beg your pardon?
ANDREA: The fact is that I think-
She's interrupted suddenly by Bradley yelling out from outside. Eileen tells Andrea that it's just the children playing.
Ramsay Street
Gavin McKinley has grabbed Bradley and is dragging him to his car. Jim runs out of No. 26 and Max runs out of No. 24 and they both tackle McKinley. Andrea runs out of No. 28 as McKinley snaps at Max and Jim to leave him alone. He goes on angrily:
MCKINLEY: Listen, my name is Gavin McKinley and I'm his father. I've got custody now and I'm taking him back.
Des comes running up the street and demands to know what's going on. Eileen tells him that it's McKinley: Bradley's real father. McKinley snaps that he's taking the boy back. Des, however, replies coolly that no one is taking him anywhere.