Number 32 kitchen
Next day, Melanie is acting all cheery for the sake of Sky and Toby, making three plates of scrambled eggs for breakfast with plenty of ketchup. It looks disgusting, but Melanie tells the kids it will taste great!

Yet this is in spite of their (step)father Joe who has a massive hangover after drinking down at the Waterhole all night, so nobody eats anything. Sky adorably rests her jaw on the back of her hand as the man leaves.

TOBY: He's in a crook mood this morning.
MELANIE: Yeah. Starting to feel a bit sick meself.

Lassiter's Office, 9am
Paul moans to his wife as they arrive that Melanie hasn't turned up yet, which isn't good enough while Caroline is out of action. Christina reminds him that Melanie has to get Toby and Sky organised - she'd like see to how well he copes when their own bambino arrives!

Paul announces that he's going to the bank later on to open up a safety deposit box, which intrigues Christina since in the movies these only contain mysterious items like stolen diamonds, or clues to a murder. Paul laughs that his box will only have boring old office documents, purely as a precautionary measure due to the recent robbery.

But as soon as Christina leaves to go open the gift shop, "Mission: Impossible" style cloak and dagger music begins playing, and Paul opens his briefcase which contains the non- stolen money and a big plastic shopping bag. He then retrieves Caroline's briefcase from where he hid it behind the filing cabinet, puts it in the shopping bag which zips up, and marches with it out of the office carrying his own briefcase in his other hand.

Since the two briefcases look identical, Paul could've just departed with Caroline's briefcase as his own, and looked a lot less suspicious.

And he's now left the office completely unsupervised, which isn't good enough while Caroline is out of action!

Number 26 kitchen
A downcast Lucy is eating toasted pikelets with Vegemite (which is appropriate because it famously tastes like sadness), since she's been told off about her grades and Helen is still in a huff about Dorothy.

But then there's a knock at the door - it's Toby. The boy is begging all of his neighbours (as happens in suburban streets around the globe) to contribute to a wedding present for Joe and Melanie.

Helen asks what the present is, so Toby replies that it's a water bed (obviously not knowing his father hates them because they make him seasick!), and she generously puts in $100.

Lassiter's Park
Now we find out why Paul had to smuggle Caroline's empty briefcase out of the office, since he furtively gathers up some rocks and puts them into it, then throws this incriminating item into the lake - but instead of instantly sinking, it bobs about on the surface!

Realising that he hasn't thought his little plan through, Paul watches on nervously, but eventually with a few bubbles the briefcase sinks. Then with the plastic bag back in his own briefcase, he sets off to the bank.

Ramsay Street
Not to be outdone by the likes of Helen Daniels, Dorothy also gives Toby a hundred dollars - while the boy just looks puzzled as to why these old women are always moaning about each other.

Lassiter's Office
Melanie is very late for work, and when Paul dares to complain about this she tearfully rips his head off for bragging about his conquests. He denies doing that, and now she becomes contrite.

Paul is very nice to her about everything and offers to help, so Melanie lets him cuddle her as she explains what's wrong.

Coffee Shop
Paul has come to have a word with Joe, to reassure him that he and Melanie have never had a relationship. Joe brings up what Jan Daly told him, but Paul insists that they never even had a fling, so blame him for being drunk at the time and not Melanie.

However, Joe is still too angry to take any of this in, so Paul tells him to stop being an idiot who's causing everything to get worse - which makes an even angrier Joe goad Paul into reminding him which one is the boss here!

Joe tells his boss that he's a mongrel, quits his job, and storms out of the Coffee Shop, leaving Paul not knowing what to do with himself as a couple of lady customers gently laugh together about his embarrassment.

Number 26 garage
It's now pouring down with rain in Ramsay Street, so of course Helen (having collected her mail) has opened up the garage to receive visitors while standing under its raised door, instead of simply doing this inside the house.

But then if Helen *had* done that, she and Christina couldn't have been interrupted by a yoo- hooing Dorothy who's just parked her car in the driveway!

DOROTHY: Afternoon, Helen.
HELEN: Afternoon. What can I do for you, Councillor Burke?

Dorothy has come to see Christina, so Helen rapidly makes her excuses and leaves. Dorothy has brought Christina a present to give Caroline in hospital, and they discuss how the poor girl has been through a terrifying ordeal. Dorothy then strides back to the car - but Christina follows her, eager to find out what just happened.

CHRISTINA: Dorothy, I know it's none of my business, but what's going on between you and Helen?
DOROTHY: Minor disagreement. No sooner was I elected to council than Helen was expecting favours. Naturally I wouldn't be drawn, so Helen's nose was out of joint.
CHRISTINA: Oh gee, that's not like Helen.
DOROTHY: She can be quite stubborn sometimes.
CHRISTINA: It must've been something quite important to her.
DOROTHY: It was only a scheme for a youth arts workshop in the council cottage. Worthy I suppose, but hardly vital for the future of civilisation. The council voted against the workshop.

The lady catches her own suppressed anger.

DOROTHY: Well, I can understand Helen's disappointment, but she didn't even bother to find out how the building could be utilised!
CHRISTINA: How will it be used?
DOROTHY: As a centre point for a recycling program, a very worthwhile environmental cause.
CHRISTINA: Dorothy, I'm sure if Helen knew that, she'd be in complete agreement. Why don't you come in and explain it to her?
DOROTHY: Certainly not! It was Helen who flew off the handle, and wouldn't let me explain. I don't intend to be the one to hold out the olive branch!

And with that Dorothy peremptorily drives off, leaving gentle Christina resigned to what she must do next.

Lassiter's Office
Melanie has almost finished her work for the day, so she asks Paul if she can go home early.

However, that's when he decides to open himself up to her, sadly informing Melanie that he's made everything worse. She's very nice to Paul as he explains to her that it was Jan Daly who told on them, then sincerely promises that he will keep Joe's job open for him.

Paul acknowledges that he's not made too many friends around here, but asks her if people really dislike him that much? Melanie merely gives him a wry smile, dimpling her chin.

Number 26 kitchen
Christina has bravely explained everything to Helen, but as Dorothy predicted the woman is being completely stubborn on the grounds that the council already has a recycling program - in its offices! Helen claims that she's sick of the whole thing, then goes off to get ready for visiting the hospital with Christina.

Once they're alone, Lucy confides in Christina that the dispute doesn't worry her, since she's always been at a disadvantage having her grandmother and her principal as best friends!

Lucy's problem is that everyone has high expectations of her yet she can't keep up with her studies, and she's struggling. Christina chirpily points out that in a few months she'll be free, but Lucy warns she'll be made to repeat the school year if she can't pass the exams.

LUCY: Unless I improve, I'm going to be in deep trouble.

Number 32 kitchen
Toby is playing with Bouncer while Joe angrily rips through all his unpaid bills, when there's a big bang as the front door is slammed shut - Melanie has come home.

She criticises Joe for ruining their future, perhaps unwisely adding that Paul can be a really nice person, yet conceding how having sex with him was a mistake.

Erupting into a blazing row, Joe and Melanie call off the marriage in front of a despairing Toby, since they won't be needing a water bed any more.

Number 26
Later on, Lucy gets the chance to be the grown- up as she comforts a distraught Toby, assuring him that the argument between Joe and Melanie will soon blow over, since they still love each other.

Seedy Bar / Lassiter's Office
Vince McCann (the shady bloke who shot Caroline and made off with a bag containing $10,000 from the safe) is having a drink when he's not best pleased to see a newspaper report on the robbery, which states $50,000 was stolen!

Meanwhile, Paul is working late when the phone rings - it's Vince, who accuses him of pulling a swifty on the insurance company.

PAUL: Uhh... you're accusing me? That's rich!
VINCE: Yeah well, if I was in your shoes I'd do exactly the same thing. The problem is, I took all the risks and now you're getting all the profit.
PAUL: Look, I'm hanging up.
VINCE: If you got any brains, you'll hear me out, pal.
PAUL: What do you want?
VINCE: An even cut of the balance - twenty grand, just to keep my mouth shut.
PAUL: Twenty? You're kidding aren't you?
VINCE: Or the cops might get an anonymous tip. I think they'd be pretty interested, don't you think?
PAUL: You can't prove anything!
VINCE: Can't I? Do you want to take that risk? Think about it. I'll call back later and tell you what to do.

The man hangs up, so Paul puts down the phone in dismay and shock.