Adam arrives back at his and Sally's flat and mutters, "The day has got to get better: the bank machine was out of order; I had to hunt up another one." He calls to Leigh to ask if she's ready, but Sally tells him, "She's not here. She went out a while ago." Adam asks what for, but Sally shrugs, "One minute we were talking, the next she was taking off." She quickly adds, "She won't do anything silly. She probably just went out to get away from me hassling her." Adam heads towards the front door and walks out again, leaving Sally looking worried.

Leigh emerges from the police station, accompanied by two plain-clothes detectives. Adam is sitting on some steps across the road, and he stands up and yells, "Leigh!" He starts running towards her. Leigh asks the two detectives if they can wait a minute, and she turns towards Adam, who tells her, "I've been looking for you everywhere." One of the detectives asks, "Know the young lady, do you, son?" Adam replies, "Yeah, course I do." The other detective asks suspiciously, "You wouldn't have been hiding her, would you?" Leigh quickly says, "No, he hasn't. He's the guy I told you about: Adam Tate... friend of the family's. He was with me the day I went over the cliff. He took part in the search." Looking back at Adam, she says flatly, "Sorry I let you all think I was dead, but it was the perfect out." Adam asks her 'innocently' what she's doing there. Leigh replies quietly, "Couldn't make it on my own anymore. Wouldn't have been fair to ask my friends to break the law to help me. I'd never have been happy with that on my conscience." One of the detectives suddenly says to Adam, "You used to be in the force, didn't you?" Adam nods, "Yeah." The detective comments to his colleague, "Thought the name was familiar - he made the original arrest." He then turns back to Leigh and, grabbing her arm, tells her, "OK, let's go." Adam quickly asks the officers if they're taking Leigh to Fairlea and one of them nods, "Yeah." He and his colleague then lead her off to their car. Leigh suddenly stops and, turning back to Adam, calls, "Sorry I turned out to be such a dead loss." Adam stares back at her, grimly.

Alison presses the button to call the lift at the company headquarters. Caroline joins her and Alison mutters, "I hope you've got a good reason for dragging us in here this morning." Caroline assures her curtly, "A very good reason." She turns towards the stairs, and Alison taunts, "Scared to spend thirty seconds alone with me in a lift?" Caroline glares at her and retorts, "It has nothing to do with you. I don't like cramped spaces." Alison smiles, "That just goes to prove what I've always thought about you: no intestinal fortitude." With that, she walks into the lift, leaving Caroline glaring at her. The lift doors go to close, but Caroline suddenly walks towards them, pushes them open again and climbs in. Alison presses a button to go up and then asks Caroline, "Sure you can hold out until we reach the top?" Caroline looks away, nervously. She doesn't notice as Alison then presses another button that brings the lift to a halt with a suddenly jerk. She quickly asks, "What happened? The lift stopped." Alison muses nastily, "Nothing escapes you, does it?!" Caroline leans across presses the emergency bell. Alison comments, "Let's hope they get us out before too long. It would be dreadful if we were stuck in here all day." A nasty smile crosses her face...

A short time later, Alison remarks, "I wonder if anyone heard the alarm bell." Caroline, beginning to pant, retorts, "They must've - wouldn't they?" Alison replies, "Not if there's been a power failure." Caroline points out nervously that the lights are working. She looks up at the ceiling, and Alison comments, "You're not thinking of climbing out of the manhole, are you? You'll get yourself killed - not good form when you've got a meeting to go to." She then asks sharply, "What was the meeting about, Caroline?" Caroline snaps, "Go to hell." She begins to pant more loudly and then goes and bangs on the panel of buttons in frustration. All-of-a-sudden, the lift starts moving again. Realisation dawning, Caroline turns to Alison and snarls, "You pressed the 'stop' button. You stopped this lift deliberately." Alison mutters, "You're paranoid." Caroline, though, snaps, "You put me through all this just to find out what's on my mind and you call me paranoid? That's why I owe you."

A while later, Wayne, James and Alison are all sitting in the Boardroom when Caroline joins them and apologises for keeping them waiting. She sits down and tells them, "This is an informal meeting to sound you all out on an idea I've had." James mutters, "I wish I'd've known - I could've taken a raincheck; I got a speeding ticket getting here." Caroline points out, "There wouldn't have been much point in having a meeting without you - I need unanimous agreement." She then goes on, "I'm proposing to acquire Woombai as an asset." Wayne looks at her sharply. Caroline continues, "The new investment would help our tax situation, and we all know we'd get our money's worth out of the property." Alison comments, "It sounds fine in principle, but Gordon's always been the driving force behind Woombai. Without him--" Caroline interrupts her and snaps, "Did I say anything about letting him go?" Turning to James, she adds, "I've worked out a very attractive deal for Gordon if he'll stay on as manager." James mutters, "He won't. I've already asked him." Wayne, though, tells him, "Because he sees it as a handout. But if the company will make an offer..." James says, "No. I'm against it." Looking surprised, Caroline asks, "Why? You're a major shareholder: you'll still have a big say in the way it's run." James retorts, "I'm just against it, that's all." Alison smiles nastily at Caroline, "Better luck next time." James stands up and says he's off. Caroline tells him that she thought they could have some lunch. Alison, though, says she doesn't think he could face food right now. She then tells him, "I know a barman who makes a very good hangover cure. It'll either kill you or cure you!" James suggests, "Lead the way!" He, Alison and Wayne walk out, leaving Caroline standing in the Boardroom looking annoyed.

Later that afternoon, Alison and James are standing outside the front door at Charlie's, and Alison comments to James that she thinks the medicine worked: he's looking a lot brighter! Inside, Charlie is standing in her lounge room, talking on the 'phone with just a towel wrapped around her. She comments to Sally, on the other end of the 'phone, "I can imagine how Adam must be feeling." Sally asks, "Will you help him? Line up a barrister and all that?" Charlie smiles, "Of course - I'll be on the first available flight." She adds, "Meanwhile, you'd better cable David." Sally tells her, "There's a cable from him, too - addressed to you." Charlie says, "Be a love and read it to me." Out in the hallway, the front door opens and Alison and James head inside, Alison saying as they do so, "How about one more for the road?" James smiles, "You're the kind of nurse I like!" They head into the lounge room where Charlie is saying on the 'phone, "I see..." She then looks at Alison and James and tells her daughter that she has to go. She adds, "Bye," and hangs up. Turning to her visitors, she tells them to make themselves at home, and she goes off to get dressed. James's eyes linger on her half-naked form for several seconds! Alison goes and pours two glasses of scotch. As she does so, James comments to her, "I'm beginning to see how you got to Duncan." Alison looks at him and he goes on, "It's too much booze and it's a very stiff drink. And you're too much woman, too." Alison asks if that's supposed to be a compliment. James replies enigmatically, "Could be." He then asks, "How does a bloke get on your shortlist?" Alison smiles, "By invitation only." She adds that it might help if he answered one little question for her. James asks, "Such as?" Alison says, "It wasn't your decision to go back on the deal with Gordon, was it?" They sit down and James asks her what makes her think that. Alison explains, "I was watching you at the meeting today. You didn't like yourself very much when you gave the thumbs-down to buying Woombai." James mutters, "I've been feeling crook. How do you expect me to look?" Alison, though, insists, "It was more than that. I get the feeling you're being pressured into it." James growls, "Listen, lady, nobody pressures this boy." Alison points out, "I did - when I fronted you about Ben Simmonds." She asks, "Who else knows? The person who's calling the shots now?" James looks at her and she goes on, "I have to trust you not to tell anyone I'm Patricia. Why don't you trust me?" James hesitates and then admits, "Duncan's blackmailing me." Alison asks if he's threatening to go to the police about Ben Simmonds. James sighs, "If he does, I'm history." Alison suggests, "Surely if you told them Ben's death was an accident...?" James insists, "It was - but who's going to believe me? Ben and I hated each other's guts. Duncan helped me bury him... kept it from the cops... I have to stay sweet with him; hope he doesn't dob me in. As you said, he's the one calling the shots now." Alison muses, "Yes... still, Duncan must have a chink in his armour somewhere. All we have to do is find out where it is." James asks, "We?" Alison replies, "Why not?" With that, she stands up and heads out to the front door, beckoning to James to follow her. She opens the door as James says, "I could think of one or two good reasons why." Alison suggests, "Why don't we talk about it over dinner tonight?" James smiles, "You move very quickly, don't you?" Alison replies, "Only when I have to. See you at seven." With that, she places a finger on her lips, kisses it and then places it on James's lips. James heads off, leaving Alison with a smile on her face...

A few moments later, Alison heads back into the lounge room, where Charlie - now fully clothed - says, "I've got so much to tell you. I was just about to book a flight to Melbourne: Leigh's given herself up." Alison, looking shocked, mouths, "What?" Charlie assures her quickly, "Don't worry - she's kept us out of it." Alison asks why on earth she did it. Charlie explains, "Adam - she loves him too much to wreck his life." Alison muses, "Brings back a few memories, doesn't it..." Charlie asks, "You deciding to give up David?" Alison tells her, "It's how I felt the day I left for Rio - thinking I'd never see him again. It was as if it was all happening to someone else and I was just looking on." Charlie says, "Well, it looks like the long wait is nearly over: I've had word he's on his way back home - with his new wife." Alison looks at her in shock and Charlie muses, "Not much of a day for either of us, is it?" Alison tells her, "Book for two, will you, Charlie? We'll go down together." Charlie cries, "You'd be crazy to go anywhere near him." Alison, though, points out, "I've managed to fool everyone else - including Gordon, and we used to be married." Charlie reminds her, "You didn't entirely fool me." Alison, though, ignores this and mutters, "He'll be too preoccupied with the new Mrs. Palmer. He won't even give me a second look." Charlie asks, "Then why risk seeing him?" Alison replies distantly, "I love him."

Caroline is at Dural. As Wayne escorts her into the lounge room, he tells her curtly that she's wasting her time having another go at James: he's told Gordon that he wants to transfer the money ASAP, and unless a legal loophole turns up, it's all over bar the shouting. Caroline, though, insists, "Not if I have any say in it. If I can keep James to myself, I can try--" At that moment, James emerges from the kitchen and joins them. Wayne leaves them to it. Caroline goes and sits down, ignoring James completely. He mutters, "Being given the cold shoulder, am I?" Caroline retorts, "What did you expect?" James snaps that Gordon has had a damn good run for his money; it's only fair that he gets a look-in now. Caroline, though, says curtly, "You don't believe that any more than I do. Reneging on the deal wasn't your idea, was it?" James sighs, "Must have had a real poker face, this morning." Caroline tells him, "I'd say Alison's behind it." James, though, points out, "You're forgetting something, aren't you? I've got the file on her. She's under my thumb, not the other way round." He sits down and Caroline comments, "Fair enough - but only because I pointed you in the right direction." James sighs, "Well I owe you one. You can have anything you like - except my promise to go fifty-fifty with Gordon." Caroline looks at him and asks earnestly, "Why are you doing this? I can tell you hate yourself." Before James can answer, though, the 'phone rings and he goes and answers it at the bar. Alison comes on and asks, "Feeling strong enough for some bad news?" James asks what's happened. She tells him, "I can't make dinner tonight - some urgent business in Melbourne, I'm afraid. It'll have to wait until I come back." James sighs, "OK - but don't stay down-south too long or I'll come looking for you!" Alison points out, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." James, though, assures her, "I couldn't be more hooked on you than I am already." Alison smiles, "That's what I like to hear..." At Charlie's, Charlie suddenly pops her head into the lounge room and whispers to Alison that Tom rang a minute ago and is flying back with them. Alison then tells James that Charlie wants her to get off the 'phone: she wants to ring a taxi to the airport. James, though, tells her, "I'll drive you. I'll be there in a tick." He hangs up, and, at Dural, Caroline comments, "She's going to Melbourne?" James just mutters, "Yeah." Caroline stands there, looking thoughtful. James heads out to the hallway and goes and knocks on the study door, calling, "You can come out now." Wayne emerges from the room, looking sheepish, and James mutters at him and Caroline, "Didn't really think you were fooling anybody, did you?" Caroline taunts, "And you've been telling me Alison's under your thumb. Better not keep her waiting..." With that, James heads out. Wayne and Caroline wander into the lounge room, and Wayne asks, "No luck?" Caroline shakes her head but adds, "I'm not finished yet. While he's dancing around Alison, I want to see her file again." Wayne comments that he thought she'd already seen it. Caroline explains that she flicked through it, but she hasn't studied it. She adds, "Roger Carlyle paid an awful lot of money to get the goods on her. I want to know what he came up with. Wayne asks in surprise, "Why?" Caroline replies, "I still think she's the one leaning on him." Wayne points out, "James insists she isn't." Caroline asks, "So who says he's telling the truth?" In reply, Wayne asks, "Then why isn't he using the stuff in the file to stop her?" Caroline suggests, "Maybe he doesn't know what to look for?" Wayne sighs, "Alright, I'll find it for you." He heads out of the room, leaving Caroline with a broad grin on her face.

Adam has pulled up his car outside a building signposted as 'HM Prison, Fairlea'. He looks at the grim surroundings and then heads to the visitors' door. He presses the buzzer.

A few minutes later, Adam is standing in a visitors' room. The door opens and Leigh comes in. The two of them hug each other, tightly. However, a guard then follows Leigh in and says, "I'm sorry: contact isn't permitted." They pull apart, reluctantly. All three sit down, Adam and Leigh at a table and the guard in the corner. Leigh says to Adam, "I didn't think I'd be allowed visitors so soon." The guard chips in, "One minute, that's all." Adam asks Leigh how it is. Leigh shrugs, "It's not so bad - I can wear my own clothes... watch TV..." Adam asks sadly, "Why did you give yourself up?" Leigh cries, "I couldn't stand what I was doing to you." Adam insists, "I would have done anything to keep you out of here." Leigh, though, tells him, "You'd have ended up hating yourself - and me." Adam shakes his head as Leigh adds, "I'll be alright - really." Adam warns her, "Be careful what you say to the other women. If they know what you're in for, it could get rough." Leigh insists, "Stop worrying - I'll be fine." The guard suddenly announces, "Time's up." Adam tells Leigh quickly, "I'll see you every visitors' day." Leigh nods, "OK. Take care." Suddenly looking upset, she stands up and heads out. The guard follows her. Adam sits back in his chair, looking frustrated.

Caroline is sitting at the living room table at Dural looking at the file on Alison. A smile suddenly crosses her face, and Wayne, who's standing with her, asks, "Find something?" Caroline grins, "Yes. I should have read this properly the first time. That'll teach me to skim things." Wayne asks eagerly, "Will it save dad?" Caroline just looks at him and Wayne realises angrily, "That wasn't the object of the exercise, was it? It was Alison you were after." Caroline insists, "I want to do something for Gordon - but, if I can bring Alison down on the way, I will." With that, she picks up the pages of the file and folds them up. Wayne, looking aghast, cries, "You're not taking that with you?" Caroline insists that James won't miss it. Wayne, though, snaps, "Like hell. What do you want it for?" Caroline just smiles nastily, "I'm going to dish out a little retribution." With that, she heads out, leaving Wayne looking annoyed.

Sometime later, Caroline is standing with Samantha and Irene in Irene's flat at the boarding house. Samantha says to her mother, "I wish you wouldn't go." Caroline, though, retorts, "What happened in the lift this morning is typical of the way Alison operates. It's about time somebody fixed her little red wagon for good." Irene finishes writing a prescription and hands it to Caroline. She asks dubiously, "Are you sure this will stop me from jumping out of the 'plane if the walls start closing in on me?" Irene replies, "It'll help. It'll still be a rough trip, though." Turning to Samantha, she adds, "You'd better go with her!" Samantha, looking surprised, asks, "Can you spare me?" Irene smiles, "Poetic justice - I'll have to try and read my own handwriting!" Caroline, indicating the file in her hand, assures them, "It's all in a good cause. What's in here is dynamite, and hopefully it's going to blow Miss. Alison Carr to smithereens..."

Charlie is at the flat that Adam and Sally share in Melbourne, but she sighs heavily and comments to Sally that it looks like Adam is avoiding her. Sally, though, points out that he doesn't even know she's there. Changing the subject, she asks her mother if she's going out with Tom again tomorrow. Charlie replies that he's taking her to some arts exhibition or other. She adds bitterly, "Whoever said blondes had more fun was off his tree!" Sally insists, "Don't despair. It's an Impressionist exhibition. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself." Charlie sighs, "Normally, I might've, but he'll expect me to be terribly knowledgeable about it." Sally asks, "Why?" Charlie explains, "I wanted to impress him, so I told him I'd studied Art Conservation at uni." Sally groans, "Oh no..." Charlie suddenly asks brightly, "Can you give me a crash course?" Sally, though, points out, "I can't make you an expert in three hours!" At that moment, the front door opens and Adam comes in. Looking at Charlie in surprise, he asks her what she's doing there, adding that she's supposed to be in Sydney. Charlie explains, "Sally called. I thought you might need some help." Sally heads off to check the dinner as Adam sits down and sighs, "I'm OK." Charlie adds, "If you'd rather I wasn't here..." Adam, though, assures her, "No, no, I'm over being mad at you. I know Leigh made you promise to keep quiet. It's not your fault she's inside." Charlie tells him, "You did everything you could." Adam, though, muses bitterly, "I haven't done the right thing by her, have I? Arresting her for kidnapping Beryl's baby in the first place..." Charlie points out, "It was her decision to give herself up." Adam, though, says, "She did it for me." Charlie tells him, "Then you be as strong as she is. Try and get on with your life until she's back with us." Adam sighs, "If she makes it in one piece..." Charlie asks quietly, "What?" Adam explains, "I've seen how vicious those women can be. For someone who's kidnapped a kid... I told her to be quiet, but..." Charlie insists, "She will be. She's smart and she'll be on her guard now." Adam asks dubiously, "You reckon?" Charlie tells him, "I'm sure of it." Adam suddenly throws his arms round her and tells her, "I'm glad you're here, mum."

At Fairlea, Leigh is sitting in her cell, staring into space. The door suddenly opens and another young woman is escorted in by the guard, who tells her, "Any more trouble and you'll be sorry, Stamp." Stamp retorts, "I don't care. It was worth it to see her get what's coming to her." The guard leaves them. Stamp wanders over to Leigh and comments, "You wouldn't read about it. Put me in with a koala bear." Leigh looks at her blankly and asks, "A what?" Stamp explains, "The koala's a protected animal, right? The girl who was in here with me before was protected by the screws for giving them info. We'll get her, though - one way or the other." She sits down next to Leigh and then says, "The name's Connie Stamp." Leigh murmurs, "Leigh Palmer." Connie asks, "First time in?" Leigh nods and adds, "My boyfriend robbed a bank. Talked me into driving the car. When we got caught, I was so freaked about being here I jumped bail." Connie assures her, "It's not so bad if you've got friends. I'll clear you up on what's what." Leigh murmurs, "Thanks." Connie smiles, "No worries. I didn't know anyone my first time around; had a pretty rough time of it until someone told me the rules - our rules, not theirs. Stick with me and you'll have an easy ride." Leigh sits there, looking worried.

Alison is standing in the kitchen at the country house, looking sadly at photos of her wedding to David. The back door suddenly opens and Charlie comes in. Alison asks her if she's seen Adam. Charlie sighs, "Finally. He went to see Leigh and then went out to drown his sorrows. But we managed to get through to each other: he said he needed me!" Alison smiles at her and offers her something to eat. She declines, though. There's suddenly a knocking on the back door and Charlie groans, "Oh no..." She goes and opens it to find Caroline and Samantha standing there. Caroline says brightly, "Hello, Charlie." Charlie, looking surprised, replies, "Hello! What are you two doing here?" Caroline explains, "Got a score to settle." Turning to Alison, she adds, "Do you want an audience, or would you rather we did this privately?" Alison stares at her and retorts, "If you want to make a fool of yourself, let's make it a spectator sport." Charlie asks how the flight was. Alison suggests, "Trying?" Caroline assures Charlie, "It was fine." Samantha tells Alison threateningly, "Your turn to sweat it out, now..." Caroline explains to Alison, "Samantha feels rather strongly about the little trick that you played on me in the lift this morning." Reaching into her handbag, she takes out the papers from the file and tells Alison, "Roger Carlyle's file made very interesting reading: Patricia Palmer goes into a clinic in South America and Alison Carr comes out." Alison asks, "So?" Caroline suggests, "Surely even you can put two and two together?" Alison laughs, "Doesn't make any sense." Caroline tells her, "I think you're Patricia. What's your explanation?" The 'phone suddenly starts ringing and Charlie goes to get it. Alison tells Caroline, "Patricia didn't want anyone knowing where she was once she left the clinic, so, one night, she just disappeared." Samantha mutters, "Sounds very thin to me." Alison goes on, "Fiona managed to get a photo of Patricia after she'd had plastic surgery." She goes and picks up the shot of the fake Patricia from among her photos and, handing it to Samantha, asks, "Do you see any resemblance?" Samantha mutters, "That could be anyone. There's no proof it's Patricia." Caroline says, "I think the best way to settle things is if I gave this file to the police. If your fingerprints don't match Patricia's, you're in the clear." Charlie hangs up the 'phone and, rejoining the others, says to Caroline and Samantha, "That was David, calling from Singapore. I'm afraid you've made the trip down here for nothing, Caroline: Alison couldn't possibly be Patricia." Caroline stares at her and asks, "Why not?" Charlie tells her, "Because Patricia's with him: she's his new wife." Caroline and Samantha stare at her. Alison stands there, looking thoughtful.