Charlie is standing in her lounge room, holding Isabella and looking worried, when Alison dashes in and says, "I've got my chance. Susan promised to hold off calling the police for an hour." Charlie gasps, "I don't believe it." Alison tells her, "She realises Ned will probably kill everyone if the police have him cornered." Charlie asks in concern, "What makes you think you can get anywhere near him without being blown to bits?" Alison explains, "That's where you come in: I need a decoy. All you have to do is hold his attention on the front door while I sneak in the back way." Charlie cries, "You're crazy!" Alison insists, "It's the only way I can get at him to do a deal for Micky's statement." Charlie asks, "What if he's the sort that shoots first and asks questions later?" Alison just sighs heavily and retorts, "All my worries will be over, won't they?" Charlie suggests, "Why don't you wait until he's locked up and then go and see him?" Alison, though, tells her, "Ned sounds like the type who'll fight when he's cornered. If he gets killed, I'll never find that statement. I'd rather die trying than rot in jail for the rest of my life. Now, are you going to help?" Charlie shrugs, "I want to, but I'm a born coward." Alison accepts this and goes to walk out. Charlie suddenly calls to her, "Wait!" She then goes to the drawer of her sideboard and pulls out a gun. She follows Alison out to the hall and says, "This should even up the odds a bit." Alison comments in surprise, "I thought you were terrified of guns." Charlie pulls the gun's trigger and a little flame appears on top! Charlie explains, "It's a relic from the days when I used to smoke!" Alison grabs it, smiling, "If it fooled me, it'll fool Ned." She goes to walk out. Charlie suddenly says, "If you're game, so am I." Alison looks at her in surprise and tells her, "Charlie, when this is over, I'll make it up to you - and that is a promise." They head out.

Ned is tying May's wrists together in the boiler room at the mansion. She cries that he's cutting her wrists. Gordon is tied up in his wheelchair and Janice and Neville are sitting on the floor, also with their hands tied. Gordon mutters at Ned, "Big man, aren't you, picking on little old ladies? I pity you if you ever cross someone who can fight back." Ned just snarls, "Don't worry about me, grandpa. I'd be up to it." He then starts placing a blanket over the small window in the room and Neville says, "He's making sure we can't cry out for help." Gordon murmurs, "There's no one home to hear us, anyway." Ned suddenly hits the nut on a pipe that runs through the room. He pulls a lever and a hissing sound starts emanating from the pipe. It's gas. Gordon demands, "Why kill us? We can't harm you." Ned snarls, "If you're alive, I can't go near Townsville - and I want that money Les stashed away." Janice cries, "God will punish you for this." Ned ignores her, though, and walks out of the room, leaving the hostages tied up and with gas filtering into the room. Neville murmurs, "I think I'd prefer a fast death." Janice, though, insists, "We're not going to die." She then starts crying for help. May does likewise.

Ned limps downstairs. There's suddenly a knock on the front door and he pauses. He can still hear May crying for help upstairs. It's Charlie standing outside, and she calls, "Anybody home? Janice, May, darlings. It's Charlie." She then reaches into her handbag and takes out a pad and pencil. She says to herself loudly, "Now, let's see..." Round the back of the building, Alison is creeping towards the back door, looking around carefully as she does so. She reaches into her handbag, takes out Charlie's gun-shaped lighter and then heads off inside.

Janice is still crying for help in the junk room, but her voice is croaky and she gasps that she's losing it. May notices that Gordon has collapsed into unconsciousness and she yells at him. He doesn't stir. She then curses the solid construction of the building. Janice insists, "We'll get out." May retorts, "Of course we will - but I'm afraid it'll be too late for Gordon..."

Alison is creeping along the hallway towards the manager's office, the lighter held in front of her as if it's a real gun, when she hears May yells, "Heeelllllllllppppppp.... We're locked in the boiler room." Alison turns and mutters, "Damn." She puts the lighter in her bag and looks as if she's about to head off and help them. She then glances into the office, though, and notices a handbag on the table. She heads in there and starts rifling through it. All-of-a-sudden, though, a male voice snarls, "Stay exactly where you are, lady." Alison turns to find Ned pointing his gun at her.

A few moments later, Ned pushes Alison out into the hallway as she cries, "Please give me a chance to explain." Ned, though, snarls, "Sorry, lady. 'Fraid this isn't your lucky day." Alison says quickly, "You're making a big mistake, Ned. I came over here to put a proposition to you. I saw Micky just before she was killed. I've known since then exactly where you were, but I haven't called the police." Ned glares at her and then snaps, "Good try, love." He gives her a shove down the hallway, but Alison insists, "I'm telling the truth. Do you want to know what she was wearing the day she was killed? Blue jeans... black sweatshirt... sneakers. I came over here because she died before we could complete our deal." Ned asks in surprise, "What deal?" There's suddenly a knock on front the door. Alison says quickly to Ned, "It's OK. I'll handle it." Ned warns her, "One wrong word..." He then ducks back into the office. Alison goes and opens the front door to find two police officers standing there. She smiles quickly, "Don't tell me I forgot to pay my parking ticket?!" The first officer just replies, "We wouldn't know about that. We're just knocking on doors to ask if anyone's seen this bloke in the area?" He shows Alison a photo of Ned and then one of Micky, but Alison tells them that she hasn't seen them. The officers thank her and they go. Alison turns back to Ned as he emerges from the office, and demands, "Satisfied?" Ned mutters, "Let's talk." They head into the office and Ned, putting a cigarette in his mouth, comments, "Looks like they figured out Micky was hiding in the area." Alison holds out her gun-shaped lighter and smiles, "Allow me." She pulls the trigger and uses the small flame that appears to light Ned's smoke. Ned remarks, "Cute. Very cute!" He then asks suspiciously, "What's the deal?" Alison tells him, "I'll pay you $20,000 if you tell me where Micky put that statement." Ned stares at her blankly and mutters, "Statement?" Alison explains, "She had information I need to clear my name of a murder charge. She promised to put it in writing. It must be here somewhere." She starts rifling through Micky's handbag again, but Ned tells her quickly, "It's not there. I've been all through her stuff." Alison continues going through the bag, but Ned insists, "You're wasting your time - Micky conned you just like she conned everyone else." He then points the gun at her head and snarls, "And as I said: this isn't your lucky day." He starts pushing Alison back across the room, warning, "If you try to run or yell out, I'll kill you." Alison gasps quickly, "You still want the money, right?" Ned, though, retorts, "I don't want your money; just you. The police are expecting me to by myself now, so I need you for camouflage. Give them time to finish in this street and then you're going to get me out of here." Alison asks, "And when I do?" She then answers her own question, sighing, "I know: it's not my lucky day..."

Charlie is standing in a public 'phone box, dialling a number. It's engaged at the other end, though, and she cries, "Get off the 'phone - please..."

Susan is talking on the 'phone on the bar at Dural, saying, "I'm enquiring about Wayne Hamilton. I'd like to know how he is, please." She listens and then cries, "That's a relief." She hangs up as she hears Glen calling, "Susan..." He walks into the room and goes on, "One of the neighbours told me that Gordon was taken away in an ambulance." Susan, though, replies hesitantly, "It wasn't Gordon; it was Wayne - he's in hospital with concussion." Glen asks in shock, "What happened?" Susan tells him nervously, "There was a man... he escaped from prison. He was here when you turned up; that's why I had to make you think that Wayne was here with me - to make sure that you got away." Glen, looking annoyed with himself, gasps, "I should have been able to tell." Susan murmurs, "He locked us in the study. If Charlie hadn't turned up, we'd still be in there." Glen cries, "Oh God..." He puts his hands on Susan's shoulders, but she pulls away. She turns to walk across the room, but then suddenly collapses. Glen catches her as she falls.

Beryl is sitting knitting in the kitchen at the country house as Debbie and Craig walk in, Debbie testing Craig on road rules. He gives a perfect answer and Debbie beams that he's a real know-it-all! David then walks in as Beryl comments that the flowers Debbie is carrying are lovely. Debbie tells her, "I picked them to cheer you up. Craig told me about the bad fall you had at home." Beryl - who's still sporting a bruise on her face - murmurs, "Oh." Debbie asks how it happened. David says quickly, "Got off-side with the postman!" He then asks Craig, "Ready for your test?" Debbie comments in surprise, "You didn't say it was today!" Craig points out, "You didn't ask." Beryl asks, "When did you turn 18?" Craig hesitates and then says, "Today." Beryl gasps, "You should've told us!" With that, David and Craig head out, leaving Debbie to comment to Beryl, "Isn't he funny keeping it to himself like that?" Beryl suggests that they should make a cake. Debbie smiles, "I'll do it. Shouldn't be too hard to cook a sponge." Beryl says nervously, "They can be a bit tricky, Debbie. I wouldn't mind cooking it up for you." Debbie, though, insists, "It wouldn't be the same as cooking it myself." She starts taking some ingredients out of the cupboards as Beryl watches her warily.

Craig and David are walking towards David's car, accompanied by a female tester. She comments, "Eighteen today, huh?" Craig smiles, "You can't fail a guy on his birthday, can you?" The woman just replies, "Want a bet?" They reach the car and she and a downcast Craig climb in.

At the country house, Debbie is trying to scrape a sponge out of a baking tin, commenting, "Gee, they don't look a bit like the cake in the book." Beryl says hesitantly, "I think it may be because you used the wrong flower, love." Debbie asks in surprise, "Is there more than one kind?" Beryl laughs, "Yes!" Debbie sighs, "Darn! I guess we'll have to forget the cake!"

Craig pulls up in David's car in the middle of a quiet street and starts to parallel park it. He ends up several feet from the kerb, though! Smiling at the tester, he asks, "Is that OK?" The tester opens the door, looks out and replies grimly, "Great - if we had a shuttle to take us from here to the kerb..." Craig sighs heavily.

Debbie is looking out of the kitchen window at the country house. She suddenly calls to Beryl, "They're home! Is it ready?" Beryl is putting the finishing touches to the icing on a cake and she replies, "Only just." As the two men walk in, Beryl stands in front of the cake, to hide it, and asks, "How did you go?" David tells her glumly, "No good. The old bat that he got was just dying to fail him." Debbie consoles Craig, "Oh no.... Never mind - you'll get it next time." Craig, however, tells her, "There won't be a next time." He then produces his 'P' plates with a broad grin and Debbie smiles, "That's wonderful!" She and Beryl then show him the cake and Beryl tells him, "It was Debbie's idea - and she cooked it for you." Craig smiles at Debbie, "You went to all that trouble for me?" Debbie grins, "It was fun." She then hugs him as everyone wishes him a happy birthday.

Glen and Susan are sitting at the table in the living room at Dural. Glen is feeding Susan some soup and he tells her that he's going to get her to a doctor for a check-up. Susan, though, gasps suddenly as she looks at her watch and cries, "Oh my God - I can't. I have to make a statement to the police about Ned Parker." Glen stares at her as she adds, "I'll see the doctor afterwards." Glen asks in surprise, "Ned Parker was the guy?" Susan retorts, "I told you." Glen tells her, "Not the name." He then asks, "What was he doing here? Do you think he's at Charlie's place?" Susan replies quickly, "No - why should he?" Glen points out, "She's always in the social columns. If he needed money or something..." Susan tells him quietly, "Money's not what he was after. He'd've raped me if I hadn't talked my way out of it..." Glen mutters furiously, "So he left you here to die, instead?" Susan cries, "Please - I just want to forget about it." Glen growls, "He'll wish he'd never been born if I catch up with him." Susan points out, "He's probably in another State by now." Glen, however, says, "I can't see him trying to make a move just yet. They'll circulate his description and he wouldn't risk catching a train or 'plane... and the Highway Patrol will be on the lookout for him, too." He then pauses and gasps, "I'm stupid. That's what's been bugging me: the car." Susan asks, "What are you talking about?" Glen just stands up and tells her, "Back soon."

In the boiler room at the mansion, Gordon is sitting in his wheelchair, unconscious. May is beginning to slip off as the gas takes effect. Neville tries to cajole Janice into staying awake, talking to her about her faith. Janice cries, "I don't want to die without seeing my family... and now I'll never get a chance to tell Fiona how much I love her..." Neville insists, "I'm sure she knows." Janice sobs, "It's not the same as saying it." Neville hesitates and then says, "I wish I hadn't left things unsaid, too." Janice looks at him hopefully and smiles weakly, "It's now or never." Neville murmurs, "I'm so hopeless at expressing myself." Janice tells him quickly, "I'm the same - but when you really love someone, it's silly not to admit it - especially when the girl loves you, too." Neville assures her, "Celia knows I love her. We've been engaged three years now - and it was always taken for granted that we'd marry." Janice bursts into tears, looking devastated, as he goes on, "She knows I care - but not how much. And now... I'll never have the chance to tell her." Janice sits there, sobbing, as Neville then asks, "Would it help if we prayed together?" Janice nods and Neville begins, "Oh merciful Jesus..."

Outside, Glen is walking over to the garage at the side of the mansion. There's a green car parked in it - Micky's - and he looks at it carefully.

Inside, in the office, Ned is looking out of the window. He then turns to Alison and, pointing his gun at her, snaps, "OK. Time to move." Alison retorts, "My car is parked two blocks from here. The police will still be knocking on doors there." Ned growls, "I'll risk it." Alison insists, "What difference will half an hour make?" Ned, though, snarls, "Why do I get the feeling you want me to hang around here? You got someone tipping off the police if you don't get back?" Alison cries quickly, "No." Ned just shoves her out into the hallway and snarls, "Come on. Move it."

Glen is checking in the garage outside when Ned pushes Alison out through the mansion's front door. Ned suddenly notices him and points the gun at him. Alison quickly grabs his arm and pushes it away so that it's facing up into the air. A shot ring out. Glen runs towards Ned and starts laying into him, punching him down to the ground. Alison quickly picks up Ned's gun, which has fallen down, and points it at him.

A short time later, a policeman, Charlie and Glen run into the boiler room. They start coughing as the gas hits them. Glen throws something through the window to let in some air. All the hostages are unconscious, but Glen and Charlie and the officer start untying them.

Sometime later, Alison emerges from the manager's office and tells Charlie in the corridor, "Your turn in the hotseat - and please watch what you say: any mention of that statement to the police and I'll be sharing a paddy-wagon with Ned." Charlie is just standing there with tears in her eyes, and Alison asks what's wrong. Charlie cries, "Ned tried to gas them all." Alison murmurs in shock, "My God..." She then asks, "What about Gordon?" Charlie replies, "They think he'll make it." Alison comments, "If he makes it, so will the others." She then pleads, "Charlie, you cannot go to pieces on me now." Charlie asks, "What do you want me to say?" Alison tells her, "Tell them it was all over when you got here - you know nothing about Ned... Micky... anything. Just play dumb." Charlie muses, "In other words, be myself." She heads into the office, leaving Alison looking worried.

Outside, Gordon, Janice, Neville and May are lying on the grass. Susan and Glen are tending to them. Alison walks out and joins them and Alison asks Susan how Gordon is. Susan replies, "His heartbeat's erratic, but he's getting there." Alison says, "Thanks for sending in the cavalry." Susan remarks, "From what I heard, you and Glen had things under control by the time they got here." Glen, though, insists, "I'd be history if Alison hadn't grabbed Ned's gun." They suddenly hear the sound of an ambulance siren, and Susan cries, "Thank God. The sooner we get them to hospital, the better." Alison then asks Glen, "How did you know Ned was here?" Glen explains, "Janice was in the backyard when I came to see May. While we were talking, I noticed Micky's car in the garage. Didn't realise what I'd seen then; only hit me today." Alison stands up and says she'd better go and direct the ambulance. She walks off. Alone with Susan, Glen asks softly, "How are you feeling?" Susan smiles weakly, "I'm fine." Glen just stares at her and she goes on, "I'm glad you weren't hurt." Glen asks earnestly, "Are you?" Alison suddenly calls, "They're sending round the stretchers." Susan looks at Glen and then stands up and walks off. Glen sits on the grass looking rueful.

Inside, Alison is walking along the corridor as Charlie emerges from the office. Alison demands, "How did it go?" Charlie just nods at her positively, and Alison mutters, "That's one hurdle over." Charlie asks if they should be helping with the ambulance. Alison, though, retorts that they'll only be in the way. She then cries, "I'm the one who needs help now." Charlie warns her, "I shouldn't pin all your hopes on finding Micky's statement..." Alison sighs, "I just watched them taking Ned away in the paddy-wagon. I couldn't help thinking 'There but for the grace of God go I...' Charlie, I'm not going to have any peace of mind 'til I've cleared my name."

It's dark outside. Alison is back in the office at the mansion, rifling through Micky's handbag and other belongings. There's suddenly a knock on the front door and Charlie calls, "I'll get it." Alison continues going through Micky's papers, frantically. The office door suddenly opens and Charlie comes in accompanied by two men wearing suits. Charlie tells Alison, "These gentlemen want a word with you, Alison." Alison spins round to look at them and says quickly, "Oh. Fine. Did the sergeant forget to ask me something?" One of the detectives says to her, "In your statement, you said you grabbed the gun from Ned Parker." Alison nods, "Yes, yes, that's correct. Why?" The other detective tells her, "A routine fingerprint check showed that the gun had two sets of prints on it: Parker's... and Patricia Palmer's - who was charged with the murder of Luke Andrew Carlyle. We're placing you under arrest." With that, he slaps a pair of handcuffs on Alison's wrists. The other detective starts reading Alison her rights as she bursts into tears and cries, "But I didn't do it..." The two detectives start leading her away. Alison turns to Charlie and, with a distraught look on her face, cries, "You've got to help me. You've got to find that statement. Help me..."