Sons and Daughters logo
    Written by: Greg Stevens   Produced by: Posie Jacobs   Directed by: Julian McSwiney

As Glen heads towards the warehouse, he doesn't notice a car coming round the corner and stopping a short distance away from him. The driver is Micky Pratt and there's a man in the passenger seat who snaps at her, "I don't know what happened." Micky demands, "What the hell were you doing?" The man retorts, "Running, for God's sake. What else do you do when you break out?" Micky asks angrily, "Why didn't you stick to the plans?" The man snaps back, "When there's guns going off all over the place, you don't exactly stop to think." Micky growls, "Les wasn't meant to get hit." She then looks at the man closely and says, "He wasn't killed, was he? He was just shot, that's all..." The man, though, tells her, "He's gone, Micky. I'm sorry." He then asks, "What do you mean he wasn't meant to get hit?" Micky, beginning to look upset, tells him quickly, "No one was." She goes on, "He said to me, 'Micky, relax. It's going to work.'" She suddenly notices Glen peering inside the warehouse. The man snaps, "I'll tell him to rack off." He goes to climb out of the car, but Micky snaps at him, "Stay here, you meat-head. It's got to be a cop." The man retorts, "But all the food and gear's in there." They suddenly hear a siren in the distance and the man demands, "What are we going to do?" Micky, starting the car again, tells him, "Find somewhere else," and she roars off.

May is wheeling Gordon towards the front door at the mansion, commenting that it'll be nice to spend the afternoon outside. Micky and the man suddenly appear in the doorway and Micky tells May, "We need a room." May recalls that Micky was there earlier. Micky explains quickly that she was looking for 'Isabella' but got the addresses mixed up. She asks, "Do you have a room?" May smiles, "Certainly. I'll show you what's available." Micky looks at her partner.

A few minutes later, May, Micky and the man walk into the manager's office and Micky tells May that they'll take it. Gordon is sitting in his wheelchair as Micky then asks the man with her quietly if he has any dough. The man replies sarcastically, "Oh yeah - the last job paid really well." May asks, "Now, then, what are the names?" Micky tells her, "Micky Pratt and Ned." May queries, "Ned Pratt?" Micky nods, "Yeah." Gordon chips in, "Married long?" Micky, though, laughs, "No, he's my brother." Gordon murmurs, "Sorry." Micky mutters bitterly, "Yeah, me too..." She hands over some money as May tells her that they can bring in their luggage. Micky tells her quickly that it's in a locker at the station. With that, she and Ned make their escape, leaving Gordon to comment to May, "Charming couple..."

Out in the corridor, Micky mutters at Ned to let her do the talking from now on. Ned asks since when she's been running things. Micky retorts, "Since I picked you up and since I started paying the bills." She then continues, "Look, I don't know you from a bar of soap, Ned. You were Les's mate, not mine. If you don't like the arrangement, you can just rack off." Ned snaps, "I helped your boyfriend escape because he promised me part of that money he's been sitting on." Micky retorts, "Now he's dead." Ned, though, snaps, "Not my fault. A deal's a deal. And the thing you've got to remember is that if I don't get a bit of that cherry, nor do you. We need each other, Micky. Don't cut me out." Micky, calming down, sighs, "I didn't mean to snap. I've just got a lot on my mind, that's all. Les getting killed... everything's going wrong." Ned insists, "Nothing else is going to happen as long as we keep our heads, right?" Micky nods, "Yeah. OK. I'll go and get some clothes and stuff and you'd better stay in the room." With that, she heads out.

In the manager's office, Gordon is commenting to May, "They didn't act like brother and sister, that's all." May asks why they should lie. Gordon suggests, "Maybe they didn't. There was something, though. I don't know. My brother and I were never close but there was always a bond between us. I didn't feel it with them; they were more like strangers." May muses, "I wonder what their little secret is!"

Neville is fussing over Rags in the lounge room at Dural. By the living room table, Wayne comments to Janice that the dog has won another heart! Janice smiles that she's never met a person with a better nature than Neville - anyone would be taken with him. Wayne comments, "You have." Janice retorts that Neville's not interested in her. Wayne suggests that she push things along a bit. He adds that Neville looks lonely, playing with Rags by himself. Janice asks nervously, "You don't mind?" Wayne smiles that he doesn't! Janice walks over to Neville and suggests that they go outside and teach Rags some tricks. Neville just smiles at her!

A short time later, outside, Janice is trying to teach Rags to sit, but he just runs off! Janice turns to Neville and asks him if he thinks Rag is deaf. Neville laughs that he doubts it! He then adds that what works with school children obviously doesn't work with dogs! Janice demands, "How do you know?" Neville explains, "I've watched my mother often. She's an expert on training dogs - except it's at Crufts." Janice asks, "What's that?" Wayne walks over to them as Neville tells her, "Britain's top dog show." Wayne joins them and asks, "Ready to take on Barbara Woodhouse?!" Neville laughs, "Not this year!" He walks off with the dog as Janice says to Wayne, "We're going to have to keep an eye on May." Wayne looks at her blankly and tells her, "You've lost me!" Janice explains, "This bonus system for signing up tenants at the boarding house: she'll let anyone move in if it means five dollars to her." Wayne muses, "As long as they pay their rent..." Janice, though, tells him curtly, "We can't have riff-raff moving in, Wayne - it'll give the place a bad name."

Micky arrives back at the mansion with some grog and a pair of jeans for Ned. She hands it over to him in the hallway and they start to head to their room. As they do so, Ned asks, "Did you ring Townsville?" Micky retorts, "No, I didn't." Ned points out curtly, "They're expecting us to ring." Micky snaps, "I'll do it, Ned; just get off my back, will you?" She goes on, "I didn't want to hang round outside any longer than I had to - the cops are bound to be on the lookout for me, now, as well." She then hands over the rest of the bags she's holding and tells Ned, "Take this lot upstairs and I'll see if I can call now."

There's a knock on the door of the manager's office. May is in there and she calls, "Yes?" Micky comes in. May shows her a wrench she's found in a toolbox, explaining, "The boiler's playing up - it needs a good talking-to!" Ignoring this, Micky says, "Miss. Walters, I was wondering if I could make an STD call. I'll pay for it; I just want to let my mother know I've arrived safely." May smiles, "Of course, dear," and she leaves Micky to it. Micky picks up the 'phone and dials. When the call's answered, she says, "G'day, it's Micky... Yeah, I know, but it's all gone wrong... Les was killed... Some idiot prison guard; who do you think?... Look, it wasn't my fault; it just happened, OK?... Me and Ned: Oh, we're stuck in some boarding house." She doesn't notice Gordon wheeling himself into the room and staring at her as she goes on, "We had to hide somewhere... Yeah, OK, just as soon as we know what's going on... See you." She hangs up and then turns to find Gordon staring at her.

A few moments later, Gordon comments to Micky, "We didn't get round to introducing ourselves this morning. Gordon Hamilton." Micky demands nervously, "How long you been sitting there?" Gordon tells her, "You were hanging up. I was in the kitchen, making a cuppa." He then asks, "How are you and Ned settling in?" Micky just shrugs, "Getting there." May comes back in and Micky thanks her for the 'phone. May asks, "How was your mother?" Micky just mutters quickly, "Good," and she walks out. When she's gone, May smiles at Gordon, "What a nice girl. She wanted to 'phone her mother to let her know she'd arrived safely." Gordon, however, remarks, "It didn't sound like she was talking to her mother and she wasn't telling anyone she arrived safely, either..."

Beryl is holding Robert as she sits in the front garden at the refuge with another woman and her child. The woman pours some tea as Beryl asks her, "Why did you come to the refuge?" The woman admits, "I've got a bit of a problem with pills and alcohol. Wanted to see if I could battle it out." She goes on, "See, me and Col - that's my husband: we got divorced. Nothing wrong with that - I'm better off without him - but his new wife, she wants his kids." Beryl asks in surprise, "Why?" The woman cries, "Because she has a good chance of hanging onto Col if he's got his kids with him." Beryl comments, "She's not going to get them, though, is she?" The woman insists, "No way. They've tried hard enough - one court case after another; that's where my problems started: all that pressure - it really gets to you after a while." Beryl asks, "How long have you been here?" The woman replies, "About six months." Beryl then asks, "Would you have known a Ruby Hawkins?" The woman shakes her head and murmurs, "It doesn't ring a bell." Beryl goes on, "She's a friend of mine. She stayed here for a while, actually. We're very much alike to look at; a lot of people take us for sisters." The woman, though, just murmurs, "No." Beryl muses, "She must have been here earlier." Changing the subject, the woman asks, "What brings you here, Beryl?" Beryl tells her, "Well... I'm divorced, like you. For a moment there, I thought Robert's father and myself would make another go of it, but..." The woman comments, "Second time round can be just as bad as the first." Beryl muses, "So I'm realising." She adds, "There's another woman - one of several over the years, actually." The woman tells her, "Don't let that get you down. If there's been that many, he's not going to change. Don't let him take Robert away from you, either." Beryl insists quickly, "Oh no, he wouldn't do that. That's one thing I can be grateful for."

Craig and David approach the back door at the country house, Craig commenting, "Enough for one day, eh?" David nods, "I reckon." As he takes off his boots, he then remarks, "I can't figure out about Beryl taking off like that; she could at least have said 'goodbye'. Even if she did have a row with Caroline, she wouldn't just skedaddle; she must have been pretty upset. I might give her a call and see if there's anything I can do." Craig listens but then says quickly, "She won't be there." David asks in surprise, "Why not?" Craig tells him, "Um... I remember her saying she was going out for a while." David asks, "Where to?" Craig replies, "I can't... she didn't say." David warns him, "You know anything, sport, you spit it out." Craig tells him, "I don't. Honest." David stares at him suspiciously and then demands, "Where is she?"

Beryl is walking in the front garden at the refuge, fussing over Robert, when David walks up behind her and snaps, "Beryl." Beryl turns to face him and smiles, "Oh, hello, David. Craig tell you why I was here?" David, though, retorts angrily, "I don't give two hoots why you're here. You go and pack your bag: I'm taking you and Robert home. I'm not having a son of mine hanging round a place like this." Beryl tells him curtly, "The refuge is the only clear lead we've got in tracking down Craig's mother." David points out, "It's not your problem." Beryl, though, retorts, "I told the boy I'd help him, and I'm not going back on my word." David snaps, "That's a pretty weak excuse to put our kid at risk." Beryl, though, growls, "He's no more at risk than you are. Anyway, we're not leaving and that's that." David mutters, "Have you taken leave of your senses? You know what sort of crowd these places attract." Beryl asks innocently, "Do I? Tell me." David snaps, "Half of them are on drugs and most of them hate blokes." Beryl glares at him furiously and growls, "The women who come here are decent human beings who are looking for a breathing space to sort their lives out - and it's ridiculous chauvinistic attitudes like yours that drive them here in the first place." The woman Beryl was talking to earlier appears in the main doorway to the house as David retorts, "Just don't forget that Robert's as much mine as he is yours." Beryl demands, "What's that supposed to mean?" David snaps, "It means that he's not going to spend his time growing up with a bunch of no-hopers and misfits. Now, if you don't get him out of there quick-smart, you're going to hear a hell of a lot more from me." With that, he storms off. The woman Beryl was talking to earlier wanders over and tells Beryl, "That's how it started with Colin: thinking he knew what was best for the kids. Next thing, you're in the family court trying to hang on to them..."

Gordon is sitting with May in her room at the mansion, querying, "An STD call?" May replies, "That's what she said." Gordon comments, "Well at least we know their partner-in-crime doesn't live next door." May asks, "Are you sure they're criminals?" Gordon tells her, "No, I'm not sure, but you don't use words like 'hideout' unless something funny's going on." He then suggests that they call the police. May, however, sighs, "I don't know. It would be terribly embarrassing for us if there's some simple explanation for everything." She pauses before suggesting, "I know: why don't I wait until the coast is clear, I'll take Fiona's master key and search their room?" Gordon points out, "If you get caught, you'll be the one in trouble." May just shrugs, "Better to be sure than sorry, I always say." There's suddenly a knock on the door and May goes to answer it. She finds Ned standing there and she invites him in. He tells her and Gordon that Micky has gone out and he's run out of cigarettes; he was wondering if he could borrow some from them. Gordon tells him, "I'm sorry - neither of us smoke." May, though, says quickly, "Oh yes we do. I mean I do - occasionally, when I feel like it." Turning to Gordon, she says to him pointedly, "I have to go out for a second..." Turning back to Ned, she continues, "Mr. Hamilton will help you look for them. They're on those shelves there, somewhere." She indicates the shelves next to her and then heads out, saying, "I shan't be long." Gordon looks at Ned and asks, "Where do we start...?"

Janice is trying to teach Rags to roll over in the grounds at Dural. Neville is standing on the other side of the driveway, looking at the country view. Rags suddenly rolls over, and Janice calls to Neville, "Did you see that?!" Neville turns to her and asks, "What?" Janice explains, "Rags just rolled over when I told him to. Weren't you looking?" Neville murmurs, "Sorry." He turns back to continue admiring the view and says, "The Hamiltons really do have a wonderful garden, don't they? I must find out what all these native plants are called." Janice stands there looking disappointed at his lack of interest and mutters quietly, "Yes, you must..."

Gordon is looking on the lower shelves in May's room, apologising for taking so long. Ned suddenly spots the cigarettes on one of the shelves and comments, "They're ancient. My old man used to smoke these!" Micky appears in the doorway and Ned asks her, "Did you get my cigarettes?" Micky nods, "Yeah." Ned hands May's cigarettes back to Gordon, saying, "Thanks all the same; I'm right now." He goes to walk off, but Gordon calls after him quickly, "Just a moment! Try one of these. Don't they say that cigarettes are like port: the older they get, the better they are?" Ned, though, tells him, "No, they'd just be stale." With that, he and Micky walk out. Gordon wheels himself out of the room and watches them nervously as they head upstairs...

A few moments later, Gordon is calling upstairs, "May? May?" There's no answer, though, and so Gordon leans on the stair rail and tries to lever himself up. May suddenly appears behind him and asks, "What do you think you're doing? You could do yourself an injury!" Gordon, looking relieved, sits himself back down and asks, "Are you alright?" May retorts, "Of course I am. Why shouldn't I be?" She wheels him back into her room and then explains quietly, "I heard them put their key in the lock, so I made a quick exit along the verandah." She adds, "What do you think I found in their room?" Gordon just looks at her and she tells him, "Two tickets for Townsville, made out to Micky and Les Baker." Gordon muses, "What happened to the 'Pratt' family?" May nods, "And is Ned calling himself 'Les'? You're right, Gordon: there's definitely something very fishy about those two..."

Wayne is sitting reading in the lounge room at Dural as Janice cries that she made a real fool of herself in front of Neville. Wayne comments to her, "You've got it bad, haven't you!" Janice asks innocently, "What do you mean?" Wayne smiles, "You know: Neville. You like him." Janice retorts, "I like him, yes. That's all there is to it." Wayne, though, admits, "I heard you talking at the boarding house - when you were pouring your heart out to him." Janice, looking shocked, snaps, "How dare you." Wayne insists, "I wasn't eavesdropping on purpose." Janice cries, "Those sort of things should be private. No one likes parading their feelings around in front of the whole world." Neville suddenly comes in, holding Rags, and Wayne asks how he's behaving himself. Neville smiles, "Very well." He then goes on, "I say: I saw some people out riding horses. Are there stables nearby?" Wayne replies, "About a mile down the road. We can all go down there if you like; hire some horses and take a guided tour of Dural." Janice mutters, "I can't. It's time I was heading home." Neville says he might just go and wash his hands, and he heads off. When he's gone, Janice cries at Wayne, "I always thought you were a gentleman." Wayne insists, "I am." Janice growls, "Gentlemen don't listen in to other people's conversations." Wayne assures her, "I've only been trying to help." Janice sighs, "Well you've only made things worse."

Janice arrives back at the mansion as Ned runs downstairs. He asks her if she can point out the little boys' room. Janice asks him if he's just moved in. Ned nods, "Today." Janice indicates the bathroom and Ned heads off there. Janice then knocks on May's door and May calls to her to come in. Janice comments that she sees they have a new tenant. May muses, "Rather an odd couple, don't you think?" Janice tells her, "I've only met the man. He seems nice enough." Gordon and May look at each other.

As Ned emerges from the bathroom, Micky runs downstairs and demands, "You been going through my bag?" Ned smiles, "Micky, one thing I'm not into is lady's handbags and I haven't been near yours." Micky growls, "Someone has." Ned insists, "It wasn't me."

In May's room, May is asking Janice how Neville enjoyed himself. Janice retorts that he was alright; there's nothing to report. Gordon asks her what they did. Janice replies that they played with Rags. May asks her if Neville came home with her. Janice retorts, "He's gone riding - with Wayne. He'll be back later." Changing the subject, Gordon suggests that he'd better think about going home. There's suddenly a frantic knocking on May's door and May goes and answers it. She finds Micky and Ned standing there. Micky immediately demands, "OK, who's been going through my room?" May asks in surprise, "Pardon?" Micky snaps, "You heard. And when I find out who it is, they'd better have a damn good story, or else..."

 

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