Blue Heelers - Season 4

Blue Heelers - Season 4

First aired: 2/10/1997 42 episodes

The fourth season of the Australian police-drama Blue Heelers premiered on the Seven Network on 10 February 1997 and aired on Tuesday nights at 8:30 PM. The 42-episode season concluded 25 November 1997.

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Episodes

1. Mad Dogs & Englishmen

Aired: 2/10/1997

Panic sweeps Mt. Thomas when an outbreak of an animal disease begins to kill humans. When Maggie suddenly collapses, PJ is desperate not to let the disease, which has already claimed two lives, take his beloved Maggie.

2. Under Siege

Aired: 2/10/1997

The words Japanese Encephalitis strike fear into the heart of PJ. It's fatal, there's no cure, and it seems to be the cause of Maggie's illness. But PJ won't give up. Now the task is to prove the doctors wrong, to find a viable alternative and breath new life into his beloved Maggie. Nick's reign as acting sergeant is rapidly turning into a nightmare as he deals with Keith Purvis and a mob of panic-stricken farmers. Having decided the spate of deaths had been caused by rabies, they slate the responsibility home to a couple of English migrants and their young daughter. Nick fulfils a promise to the girl and takes the dog into protective custody. However, the farmers follow them into town and Nick soon finds the station cut off from the outside world with a highly agitated farmer, the girl, her mother and their dog. Tom had hoped to quietly recover from his heart attack, but now finds himself standing in the heat trying to negotiate with an angry mob who have the police station under sie

3. Working Lunch

Aired: 2/11/1997

Dash discovers that her penchant for gossip may very well get her, and other people into hot water when she and Adam, overhear the Shire President, Roger Payne, having lunch with a woman who is definitely not his wife. While out on a surveillance operation to catch an extortionist who's been threatening to blow up a restaurant, the pair, bored with three days of sitting in the car with nothing to do except listen, finally hear something interesting. Unfortunately, while Adam and Dash are preoccupied, the real extortionists manage to get away, much to PJ's chagrin. PJ appeals to Tom to hold the investigation over longer, but the matter is out of Tom's hands-the surveillance equipment and manpower belong to another unit and he can't retain them without very good reason. PJ's worried-he's given his word that he'd solve the case, to Bluey, the frightened restaurateur, and now he may not be able to keep it. Dash is still obsessed with finding out who the mystery woman is, but is thwarted

4. Immaculate Misconception

Aired: 2/18/1997

Maggie and Nick pull up Charlie Clarke for talking on his mobile phone and are surprised to discover the caller on the other end is no other than the boss. It turns out that Charlie was on his way to do a job at Clancy's halfway house when there's a crisis. His attractive housemate Leonie, isn't feeling well and Aunty Chris takes her to the doctor, only to discover that she's pregnant! Clancy happily admits to having forced Leonie to have sex. Tom doesn't believe it for a moment but finds he has to contend with Leonie's emotional father-Chris Riley's cousin, Dominic-as he tries to prove Clancy's innocence. Tom's situation with Leonie's father is further complicated when it turns out she and Clancy are in love and the two lovers attempt to elope. Meanwhile, the Heelers are up to their top lip in excrement courtesy of an overflowing toilet in the cells. A reluctant Tom finds he needs assistance from Charlie Clarke who gives the Heelers a hard time over a toilet pedestal which has gone mi

5. Reports of Damage & Loss

Aired: 2/25/1997

It's raining cats and dogs in Mount Thomas and Nick and Adam are overdue back from patrol. When they arrive they are drenched through and their uniforms are in tatters. The other Heelers have no idea of the extent of their trauma until Tom asks them to explain themselves and Adam bursts into tears. While Dash attempts to draw the story out of Adam, Nick disappears to change his uniform. However, shock has taken over and he withdraws into himself, making it difficult to find out the true story. Adam explains that it all began when they attempted to rescue a young girl from a flooded stormwater drain. While Nick held onto her and attempted to stop her from being dragged away, he sent Adam for help. However Adam soon found himself in the middle of a crisis of his own involving the girl's sister and wasn't able to get back in time. Piecing the story together, the Heelers discover that exhaustion wore Nick down and he eventually let go of the girl. Now back in the station, guilt and anger l

6. Fowl Play

Aired: 3/4/1997

Nick is astonished to discover that the shooter of a young protester at the opening of the duck season is none other than his sometime admirer, Dr Zoe Hamilton. She, of course, claims it was an accident, explaining that the chief protester grabbed her gun just as she was aiming at a duck. Adam gets an admirer of his own when he assists the pretty eighteen year old daughter of one of the duck shooters after she is injured in the melee. This is Stacey Norse, whose father Ken accuses the chief protester, Matthew Prentice, of stealing one of his ducks. Troubles escalate when Ken Norse falls seriously ill while eating his specially prepared duck lunch at the Imperial Hotel. When Zoe suspects poisoning, the Heelers wonder if it might have been Matthew Prentice, but when blood tests show that Norse is actually suffering from a severe case of lead poisoning, they must rethink the case. Because this condition would have taken some 13 years to accumulate, his own children, Stacey and her sixteen

7. The Luck of the Irish

Aired: 3/11/1997

There are mixed reactions among the Heelers to Chris's plans. Tom feels that she's rushing into things, a sentiment echoed by Chris's cousin, Dominic, who doesn't approve of Sean, sure that he's just trying to cash in on the Imperial's lucrative business. As Tom does a little digging into Sean's past, he discovers there's no record of him, or his teenage son, Conor, entering Australia. Sean explains away the anomaly with a smile, but Tom isn't convinced. When Chris starts talking to Maggie about her plans for a huge wedding, Sean seems to be less than enthusiastic, and they argue about their plans. Sean storms out of the pub, but moments later, comes back and apologises-they'll talk about the wedding later. The next day, Sean hasn't returned and Chris is worried. He doesn't know anyone else in the district-where would he have gone? The Heelers try to placate her, but the mystery surrounding Sean deepens. Chris' fears for his safety are justified when the Heelers discover a body in the

8. Bloodstained Angels

Aired: 3/18/1997

A band travelling through Mt. Thomas cause a stir with the young people of the town, but Tom is worried by their presence. His fears appear to be confirmed when he discovers one of the station's vehicles defaced with images resonant of MCD. But that is only the beginning of the Heelers problems with the band. A vandalised angel in the cemetery relates to the band's signature song ""Bloodstained Angels"" and then a blazing car in the car park of the Commercial Hotel conjures up another line of lyrics from the same song. Meanwhile, a father seeks the help of the police in rescuing his son from the spell of the ""demonic band"". Tom is sympathetic, but there is only so much the local police sergeant can do, despite the gallery of death and destruction on the boy's bedroom walls. By now the peace of Mount Thomas appears to be shattering and the Heelers must determine whether they are looking for a publicity stunt, an avenging father or an adoring fan. As they look more closely at the lyrics, t

9. Charity Begins At Home

Aired: 4/8/1997

Nick and Adam are surprised when their call to a domestic dispute turns out to be at a Salvation Army women's meeting. They discover a young mother, Joanne Mason, has accused her husband Andrew of deliberately pushing her out of their car. He claims it was an accident but Joanne announces she's going to leave him anyway. Captain Ingrid Perry, the Salvation Army officer, finds the wife accommodation at a women's shelter, but the Heelers are called out again when the husband finds out where she is and turns up to talk to her. In fact it turns out that Joanne had rung him herself and invited him round, then changed her mind. She is obviously very confused about the big life decision she has just made. Meanwhile, Dash is moving into Maggie's flat. Despite the fact that they are running late for work, Dash talks Maggie into taking a detour so she can dump a bag full of unwanted clothes into the St. Steven's charity bin. Unbeknown to either of them, she accidentally throws out Maggie's fa

10. Fool For Love

Aired: 4/15/1997

Adam and Dash are called to a disturbance to find a lonely farmer banging at the door of what turns out to be a dating agency. Investigations reveal the farmer has paid a fortune to the agency without ever having had a date, but his fear of exposure and humiliation make him reluctant to lay an official complaint. Adam is getting married. It's a bit fast, but his friends and colleagues are there.

11. There Last Night

Aired: 4/22/1997

Dash and Adam respond to a report of vandalism at the train yards and discover a couple of young offenders - one so fleet of foot that he's even faster than Dash. She thinks she knows the boy, Jed Russell, and discovers that Jed's been living with his father, Jim. When seemingly uncaring Jim gets involved, its Tom who recognizes a fellow Vietnam veteran who is still suffering from that war.

12. Gold (1)

Aired: 4/29/1997

Maggie and PJ are in serious trouble when an investigation into a suspicious goldmine goes wrong, and they find themselves trapped. Two newcomers in town, Matt Kinsella and Jamie Burgess claim that the goldmine is theirs, but old Hec O'Farrell, who has been working the mine for as long as anyone can remember, insists that Matt and Jamie are the trespassers—and what's more, they've stolen his gold dust. Dash and Adam discover Hec's fellow prospector, Bert, bashed, and PJ is happy to assume that Hec beat up his mate and took his own gold, hoping to pin the crime on Matt and Jamie. Tom and Dash however, are not so sure—Hec's friendship with Bert is legendary and why would he risk it for such a small amount of gold? Bert is also denying that his mate had anything to do with his bashing. PJ is still sure the case begins and ends with Hec, and takes Maggie out to talk to Matt and Jamie about the license to the mine. While they are there, Matt and Jamie suddenly discover a huge gold nugget, w

13. Fool's Gold (2)

Aired: 5/6/1997

Maggie and PJ are still trapped together underground, unbeknownst to the other Heelers, who are busy trying to locate Matt Kinsella, now suspected of attempting t murder his mining partner, Jamie Burgess. They discover both the men are ex-security guards from WA, who were involved in a gold bullion heist more than seven years ago during which a colleague was killed. It's only when PJ's car is discovered abandoned and carefully wiped clean of fingerprints that Tom realises something is seriously wrong. A search finally leads to the collapsed mine and mere chance and a Mintie wrapper leads to the discovery of Maggie and PJ's living tomb. The rescue is complicated when the removal of rubble causes the mine to collapse some more, but eventually PJ and Maggie are rescued—only to insist on tracking down Burgess and Kinsella who left them to die. But Burgess is in hospital with head wounds and Kinsella has disappeared. The key seems to lie with Burgess's girlfriend, Deanna, who turns out to b

14. Grave Matters

Aired: 5/13/1997

When the Heelers are called in to investigate vandalised graves at the Mt. Thomas cemetery, Tom discovers that Nell's grave site is amongst the desecrated. The vandals have spray-painted an obscenity on the headstone and Tom's deep hurt, fuelled by rage, drives the Heelers to find the culprits. Father Brian Hegarty points out that only the Catholic section of the cemetery was attacked, and that the Blue Lite basketball team was thrashed by St Stephen's last night. As the coach of the Blue Liters, Nick defends his players. But then evidence gives the Heelers cause to suspect Jed Russell, one of the teenagers on the team who is a Legacy charge of Tom's and Tom rises to Jed's defence. Nick, Maggie and PJ have to work hard to persuade Tom to let down his protective guard and interrogate Jed. The following night, Father Brian takes it upon himself to do some undercover work at the cemetery and has to call on the Heelers again. This time a double grave has been desecrated, that of Alice and

15. Loose Cannons

Aired: 5/20/1997

Shane Thompson is a professional shooter with a volatile temper. His return to Mt. Thomas creates a rift between Tom and Nick. Tom is concerned that his return spells trouble for Shane's wife and young family while Nick has been Shane's sponsor, getting him out of town following the breakdown of his marriage, finding him work as a shooter and facilitating the exchange of letters between Shane and his oldest son. Shane is desperate to return to his family and reconcile with his estranged wife. Unfortunately, she now has a new boyfriend and will not have him back. To Tom's dismay, Nick takes a close personal interest in the situation and offers Shane temporary accommodation at the warehouse keeper's residence, his box of guns stored for safe keeping in a corner of Nick's living room. When Zoo Hamilton's gun goes missing the culprit turns out to be the son, angered by his father's broken promise to buy him a gun and disturbed by the tension and conflict between his parents. The new boyfri

16. Lean on Me

Aired: 5/27/1997

As Maggie and PJ are investigating what caused five teenagers to collapse at a local nightclub, Adam and Dash are consoling a farmer's son whose goat has died under suspicious circumstances. He suspects the neighbouring farmer—the irascible Albie O'Connell—but Adam and Dash are unable to find any evidence of foul play. When a sixth teenager is found unconscious in an alleyway, the Heelers realise someone is flooding Mt. Thomas with home-made amphetamines. But who? A possible answer comes in the form of a couple of new bikers that Adam and Dash see riding into town. Perhaps they have joined forces with the local gang, the Legends, to manufacture amphetamines? A chat with the bikers reveals nothing helpful, but the Heelers remain convinced of their involvement when a newcomer to town is found beaten up by someone using chains and knuckle-dusters. Meanwhile, Adam finds he has a new best friend in the young goat owner, who comes to him in frantic distress early one morning to report that h

17. Random Breath

Aired: 6/3/1997

Dash's career is on the line when is seems she waved her new boyfriend on instead of breath-alysing him. Dash explains that it was because she saw a couple, in the car behind, changing seats. But when she pulled them over, the driver was under the limit while the passenger was clearly drunk. The only way Dash can clear her name is to find some evidence that the couple did in fact swap seats. Unfortunately, it takes a fatal accident to finally prove she was telling the truth.

18. Close Encounters

Aired: 6/10/1997

A baby disappears in suspicious circumstances, but only Adam believes the mother's story when she claims the child was kidnapped. The woman's credibility is questioned when not a single picture of the infant can be found. Crime Scene call in with news of the discovery of what seems to be a shallow grave, but the only thing the Heelers find buried there is some apparatus, apparently for faking a pregnancy. As investigations continue, the mother's sister turns up at the station and tells Tom she holds grave fears for her sister's sanity. It turns out the mother was a successful journalist who had a nervous breakdown following a well publicised ""close encounter"" with alien beings. Could it be the mother has done something to the baby? Was there a baby at all? Or was it all a product of the woman's fevered imagination? Adam and Nick find themselves at odds over Adam's support for the woman. A bond forms between mother and Adam and the woman extracts a promise from the young man that he wil

19. Buckley's Chance

Aired: 6/17/1997

When a local farmer, Jack Buckley, wins Oz lotto, the patrons at the Imperial are truly delighted for him. His family have been struggling with their farm for as long as anyone can remember, and Jack dreams of using the money to pay off the bank and keep the farm in the family for future generations. Next day, however, Jack claims his winning ticket has been stolen, and PJ becomes skeptical because there is some doubt that the ticket ever existed—the newsagent didn't sell it to him, and his family can't remember seeing it. Maybe the old man really is going senile? But Maggie takes the old man's side, and even though PJ has dismissed the case as a uniform matter, Maggie's insistence that Jack is right keeps PJ interested. If there was a ticket, who might have taken it? Jack blames the ""vultures"" who came to the farm equipment auction the day before, but thus far nobody has tried to claim the prize. One of the people at the auction was Adam, who bought an old cradle to do up for the baby

20. No Means No

Aired: 6/24/1997

Nick hasn't shown up for the start of his shift and a worried Maggie reports to Tom that he is not at the watchhouse keeper's residence either. Later it is discovered he has been at the home of Danielle Carter, an ex-prostitute at the centre of a major criminal trial in Mount Thomas. While this draws sniggers from his uniformed colleagues, PJ fails to see the humour. It will be hard enough to get a conviction for the rape of an ex-crow without Nick's personal involvement complicating the case. Dash is appalled to receive a love letter from the crusty old farmer, Keith Purvis, only to find this is yet another of Nick Schultz's practical jokes. Nick thinks it's Dash getting her own back when he receives a note from a ""love sick secret admirer"" suggesting an assignation in the park. Nick ignores the letter only to receive a much more threatening missive; shredded underwear smeared with blood. Quite obviously, this is no practical joke, so who is stalking Nick? Maggie and PJ suspect Daniel

21. Poetic Justice

Aired: 7/1/1997

It's time for the annual ""Make a Wish"" Talent Quest and Nick has a vision for the Heelers... Mt. Thomas is about to enjoy the rustic poetry of Banjo Paterson in a way they'll never forget. On patrol, Adam and Dash encounter Errol the Feral walking into town with a box full of organic produce for sale. The main purpose of Erol's trip to town is to make a court appearance, on marijuana possession charges. Erol had actually turned up at the police station previously to report his marijuana plants stolen! An interstate truckdriver heading for the New South Wales border enters Mt. Thomas police station with some alarming news—his truck has been stolen along with a load of cigarettes worth nearly a million dollars. PJ is interviewing the truckdriver when Colin Ducker enters—a slick, mobile-phone-wielding Senior Investigator from the security division of the cigarette company, Fletcher-Rolfe International. Colin Ducker is there to catch the thief of the missing load pronto and insists that he

22. Left in Trust

Aired: 7/8/1997

Maggie finds herself becoming personally involved when a Polish woman, Ivona, arrives at the police station, escorted by a taxi driver demanding payment. Ivona's grasp of English only extends to ""Daughter"", and Maggie realises the daughter must be in Mt. Thomas. Ivona has an address for some people by the name of McPhee, so the logical place to start the investigation is there. Maggie and PJ quickly discover the situation isn't as straight forward as it looks—Danusha, Ivona's daughter, is an exchange student, whose host family were the McPhees, but she's no longer staying there. The Heelers are directed to a new family the Barnses, who Danusha met through a school friend, Mandy. Their parents are both away, leaving Mandy's older brother, Jason in charge of the house. Both Mandy and Jason claim Danusha is staying back at the McPhee's. Trying to trace Danusha, the Heelers investigate school records, both families, and the coordinator of the student exchange program. Unfortunately, no one

23. Sick Puppy

Aired: 7/15/1997

Tom becomes worried when his schoolteacher daughter, Susan, fails to arrive in Mt. Thomas. She was driving up from Melbourne to take up a temporary posting at the town's primary school. Dash and Adam, discover Susan's car, abandoned on the roadside. It has been involved in an accident with another car, also abandoned. No sign of either driver. Tom's concerns deepen when the owner of the other car is discovered to be Andy Maxwell, a man accused of murder a few years before. Bryan Maxwell, Andy's older brother, comes to the police station, anxious about Andy's failure to arrive at the family farm. Tom has just about convinced himself that Andy has done Susan harm when the missing two are found—they were only hiking for help after the side-swipe accident which Susan insists was her fault. To Tom's chagrin his daughter has struck up a friendship with this dubious young man and invites him home for dinner. Bryan, the brother, comes too. Conversation after the meal takes a sinister turn when

24. Sisterly Love

Aired: 7/22/1997

Maggie and PJ are embroiled in a series of burglaries, which look as though they're originating from the school where Susan, Tom's daughter, is assisting as a relief teacher. PJ has analysed every possible link between the burgled houses. After eliminating the Juicy Rooster chicken delivery man he is left with no alternative but to investigate the school. While Susan has her hands full with students such as Chloe Bassetti, who stole valuable coins out of her drawers and tried to hock them, PJ is convinced that an assignment Susan set was designed to find out details of where valuables are kept. Susan isn't happy being the immediate suspect but the Heelers can't forget her somewhat chequered past. Finally she explains that it wasn't her that set the assignment, but the principal of the school, Guy Ashfield, a problem gambler who has previously been investigated for embezzling funds. Guy pleads innocence, and when a locket is found at the scene of a recent crime, it seems he's telling th

25. Can't Take a Joke

Aired: 7/29/1997

Maggie is on a private visit to the panel beater's shop when her attention is drawn to a small car sitting on top of a pile of pallets. The car belongs to Molly, the sole female employee of the shop. She is strenuously complaining about the actions of her colleagues. While the Heelers persuade the boys to return the vehicle to its owner, Maggie and Dash believe Molly has been the victim of systematic victimisation. With Tom's consent they return to the shop to warn off the foreman and his mates, but their pleas fall on deaf ears. They are soon back at the shop in answer to a fire alarm only to find a soaked Molly who has set off the sprinkler system after being locked in the changing rooms. It seems someone has stolen the boss's keys to shut her in, but were they just intending to keep Molly trapped or were they keeping her on ice for other, more sinister reasons? A description from the locksmith leads the Heelers to a young apprentice in the shop. When questioned by the Heelers, the b

26. Every Contact Leaves It's Trace

Aired: 8/5/1997

PJ and Maggie are called to the U Wreck panel repair works where the foreman, Jeff Dimmock, lies injured outside—a victim of a hit-run driver. Dimmock is a feared bully with any number of enemies who must be regarded as suspects. But Dimmock himself believes the culprit to be Molly Beggs, one of two apprentices whose lives at work have been marred by the culture of torment and vicious practical jokes. While PJ and Maggie begin their investigations, another mystery surrounds one of the Heelers themselves. Adam Cooper is missing. The pressures mounting recently in Adam's married life as well as a disaster in his career give Tom Croydon and Nick Schultz some unease about whether he may have suicided. Dash McKinley does not believe Adam would suicide over the misbehaviour of his wife, Stacey. From Slender clues, Dash uses her detailed knowledge of the Mt. Thomas landscape to work out where Adam may have gone. She and Nick discover Adam in the bush, lying near death with a bullet in his che

27. Playing Games

Aired: 8/12/1997

The Heelers are called to the site of a demonstration against a proposed resort development in Widgeree. While they manage to allay the demonstrators' activities, emotions run high when the owners of the proposed development find themselves at a ""Murder Mystery"" weekend with the head of the demonstrators. The tension heightens with Maggie also attending the weekend for the hospital's Children's Wing charity, with PJ. As the plot of the Murder Mystery Weekend unravels so does the fabric of a number of the players' lives. The head of the development is attacked in the cellar of the Imperial and the site is vandalised. This leads to an investigation that brings the development's viability into question. The Heelers must discover whether it was the demonstrators who damaged the site or if there are others with a more complex motive. PJ is confronted by his past. There is something naggingly familiar about the game's coordinator. PJ discovers he was the informer that disappeared before c

28. Counting Chickens

Aired: 8/19/1997

Nick and Dash attend Betty Freer's funeral to pay their respects, but instead they find her two sons fighting in her grave. Alex Freer is the younger son, and has been working on Betty's free range farm for many years. When the older son returns home from America and wishes to make some changes to the farm an intense feud erupts. The fight at the funeral a symptom of the mounting tension within the family. When Mrs. Freer's bedroom is ransacked and her jewellery stolen PJ and Maggie become involved in the investigation. Was Jerry Freer simply trying to scare his brother off the land, or is it a straightforward case of theft? This is soon accompanied by the theft of two thousand dollars worth of feed. Dash manages to find a lead. The Freers neighbour Griff Hoekstra, a pig farmer, seems to have sufficient motive presenting itself in the form of forcing the Freers to sell. The plot begins to heat up when Jerry Freer's son is almost killed. PJ must make some headway soon before someone rea

29. Drag Line

Aired: 8/26/1997

When Maggie and Dash go to inform the local wowser, Bert Cole, that his shop has been vandalised, they find him dead and wearing women's clothing! His house has also been burgled and his cause of death is unknown. PJ and Maggie must determine whether Bert Cole's death was due to natural causes or if it was murder. Tony Timms gets wind of the unusual circumstances surrounding Cole's death and harasses Tom looking for a story. Meanwhile, Dash discovers a room in Cole's house full of make up and women's clothes, but in a number of sizes. It's clear that there must be others that cross dress with Cole. Maggie stumbles onto Cole's video collection during the search. The tapes feature a small boy at Kindergarten—is Cole a child molester too? PJ comes across a young man trying to sell stolen goods. He has in his possession the television removed from Cole's house and his address book. However, the burglar denies taking the video camera. PJ discovers that the man is Cole's son in law, Johnnie

30. Closing Ranks

Aired: 9/2/1997

Nick and Zoe are held hostage at the hospital by a bereaved father after a baby dies under suspicious circumstances.

31. Off the Air

Aired: 9/9/1997

When Nick stumbles onto the 3SD van broadcasting from the centre of Mount Thomas, the station is thrown into chaos. The disc jockey, Rod Wright, is discussing an apparent crime wave that is sweeping the town; a crime wave that as far as the Heelers are concerned has no real basis. That is until Vi Chisholm is knocked over and her bag is stolen and Greg Anderson reports that his hardware shop has been damaged. Adam is sent to investigate the disturbance at Anderson's Hardware while Maggie and Dash bring Vi Chisholm in to ask her a few questions. Upon investigating the Hardware store Adam discovers that the damage only amounts to the dislodgement of a rack of keys, the perpetrator allegedly Zac Taylor, a recently fired employee. Dean, Greg Anderson's son, claims that Zac was fired because he never did his job properly and that he had threatened to harm Greg after being fired. Deciding to question Zac himself, Adam finds him washing car windscreens at a stop sign, and brings him into the

32. The Scarecrow

Aired: 9/16/1997

Nick is manning the desk when a young man, Gavin Stone, comes in to report that his father's car has been stolen. This doesn't seem too out of the ordinary until a horrified Dash states that Gavin Stone is the scarecrow and his father the Troll. Elaborating on local legend, Dash explains that the Troll and his son have been feared by every child in the district for many years, even now the scarecrow gives her the creeps. Maggie encounters Gavin Stone as he is leaving the station. She looks at his car—it is falling apart as they speak. Gavin pleads with her to give him a chance to repair it, as it is now their only way of getting around. Although Maggie lets him off with a warning she is later forced to register the car unroadworthy. Meanwhile, PJ is investigating a series of car thefts from the supermarket parking lot. Each theft victim seems to have a similar description of a man that they saw loitering at the scene. Tom firmly believes that these are not isolated random thefts; they

33. Safe as Houses

Aired: 9/23/1997

While Dash is lending some support to the devastated Chalmers family as they are being evicted from their farm by the bank, her good friend Sam (Samantha) Chalmers alleges that Jock Hennessey, the Bank Manager, has sexually assaulted her. An outraged Dash promises to do all that she can to bring Jock to justice, but he denies the allegation, explaining he was merely trying to stop her from removing a door from the house. Tom steps in and manages to diffuse the situation without any charges being laid, but Dash is still determined to help her friend, if only with some good advice. When Tom realises that the rowdy protest against the bank in the form of Sam and her mother setting up camp in the rotunda of the Memorial park was actually a part of Dash's ""good advice"", he is not pleased. But he also has some sympathy for the dispossessed farmers, so when Jock Hennessey demands that they be removed, Tom is reluctant to step in; instead he asks Dash to try and talk some sense into her friend

34. Our Patch

Aired: 9/30/1997

Is Tom Croydon going soft? That's what Chris Riley and the Heelers think when Tom fails to reprimand a bunch of drunken louts. Even when they let a live snake go in the pub and make rather unsavoury advances towards Maggie and Dash, Tom stops PJ from charging them. The Heelers are suitably unimpressed and are left wondering why Tom would protect a bunch of ""yobbos"". Meanwhile, Maggie and Nick are investigating some strange behaviour by the Torrinis, local market gardeners, and friends of Nick's. Augusta had come into the station to speak to Nick but her husband took her out before she could say anything. Now their stall has been knocked over and Augusta has been bashed. Maggie believes that she may be the victim of domestic violence but Nick has other ideas. He suggests that both the Torrinis are the victims of harassment; perhaps at the hands of the Belfanti brothers, major market gardeners in the area. They had been the Torrinis' agents but were recently fired. Nick believes that the

35. The All-Seeing Eye

Aired: 10/7/1997

What seems to be a case of petty theft turns into an investigation of a two year old kidnapping when Maggie and PJ realise that a fingerprint found on a stolen figurine bought at a local car-boot sale actually matches one found on the ransom note. In no time the wealthy parents of the missing child, Helen McMurtrie, arrive in town and start demanding action. Felicity, the mother, is particularly anxious, and when she runs into an old acquaintance, Siobhan Kennedy hairdresser and witch, she insist that the police employ her as a clairvoyant. Much to Tom's surprise, Siobhan refuses; it's not what she does. But the McMurtrie's offer of a $50,000 reward brings another clairvoyant contender into the station. This is Magda Lupescu, who introduces herself as a Romanian Gypsy. Under skeptical police supervision, Magda uses a bracelet belonging to the missing child to perform psychometry over a local map. She assures the Heelers that if they search in a particular spot, they will find evidence

36. Playing Possum

Aired: 10/14/1997

PJ is on the trail of a cat burglar known as the Possum. This thief is responsible for a number of jewellery thefts in Mt. Thomas and has proven virtually impossible to catch. PJ enlists Maggie's help but she is having trouble focusing on the case as her thoughts are firmly fixed on her brother Robbie and her discovery that he is using heroin again. Maggie realises that the only way she can help her brother overcome his addiction is with the help of her family so asks their father, Sgt. Pat Doyle, up from Melbourne. Maggie and Pat face Robbie who tries to convince them that he can stop using heroin whenever he likes. Maggie and Pat realise that this is just another junkie line and explain that they will help him any way they can if he is willing to combat his addiction. Robbie suggests that with their help he can go cold turkey. Maggie and Pat decide that they will take shifts in watching Robbie while he goes through withdrawal. However, this makes it even harder for Maggie to concentr

37. Collateral Damage

Aired: 10/21/1997

During a routine school locker search for stolen money, the Heelers find a foil of heroin in a fourteen year old girl's locker. She says she was given it at a party and PJ immediately concludes it is a free sample, handed out by someone determined to expand their drug business in Mt. Thomas. Maggie is particularly concerned because of her brother Robbie's previous addiction, but is determined to believe that he is still clean in spite of his admission that he did ""borrow"" Dash's CD player. When Maggie demands it back, he first says he has lent it to his girlfriend, Anise, and then admits that she pawned it, probably to pay for drugs. Maggie is convinced Anise is a bad influence on him, and urges him to break off with her. Then Maggie finds Anise shooting up in her living room, and promptly arrests her, dragging her down to the station. PJ, however, is determined to catch suppliers, not just users, and does a deal with Anise; in return for not being charged, she is to lead them straight

38. The Big Picture

Aired: 10/28/1997

PJ and Tom refuse to believe that Maggie could be leaking information to a suspected drug dealer. PJ is stymied, but before he and Tom can decide what to do, their boss, District Inspector Russell Falcon-Price, arrives demanding to know why they have not yet reported Maggie. He calls in Inspector Monica Draper, from Ethical Standards Division, who interviews Maggie—and promptly suspends her from duty. Still convinced of her innocence, PJ is frantic. When he can't get through to Maggie, he sends Tom, who is similarly unsuccessful. Maggie, it seems, just will not help herself. In stunned disbelief, the other Heelers continue with the business of trying to clean up the local hard drug scene—in spite of the previous night's failed raid on Shorty's nightclub. Nick and Dash observe young Kylie Bunton behaving suspiciously outside ‘the party palace'—another suspected drug dissemination point—and plan to mount a raid the next day. Unfortunately by then Kylie Bunton has gone missing. Her parent

39. Settlement Postponed

Aired: 11/4/1997

It's Melbourne Cup time in Mt. Thomas and the Heelers are watching the race in the pub along with a number of other notables, such as Richo, Celia Donald and Compo Hayes. When Compo introduces them to his angry mate, Stacker Nicholl, as his best friends, the Heelers begin to get suspicious. Their suspicions are increased when they learn the TAB takings for the Cup are well down on last year's, and Tom deduces that an illegal Starting Price bookie must be in the town. Maggie and PJ are convinced that Compo is involved in some way after Chris discover that his room at the Imperial has been trashed and he has gone missing. A short search of the hotel soon finds him asleep in the cellar, but Compo's explanation satisfies no-one. When Stacker is brought in and charged, Nick is able to establish that he is a customer of the new SP bookie—even though Stacker denies all knowledge. So who could the SP be? Celia Donald is very anxious about her missing Filofax, and she is well-known to like a fl

40. Containing the Rage

Aired: 11/11/1997

Tom is incensed when he discovers that red paint has been thrown over the war memorial two days before Remembrance Day and gives up his day off to find the person responsible. Meanwhile Keith Purvis comes in to pay a traffic fine which turns out to be bogus; there must be a fake cop operating in the area. Tom goes to interview a suspect in the desecration case and finds him to be an old policemate from NSW who has just been forced to retire amid corruption allegations and is now looking for somewhere to retire. Could he be the fake copper? Then an angry motorist reports he is the victim of ""road rage""—a young hoon just tried to run him off the road. Tom is convinced there is some sort of link between these diverse incidents. And Dash also runs into an old friend, under suspicious circumstances also. Her old schoolmate, Rosie, has just punched Adam in the eye after he attempted to break up a fight over the darts board in the Imperial. Tom finds his link, but it's not what he thought. Ro

41. The Civil Dead

Aired: 11/18/1997

It is court day in Mt. Thomas and the Heelers all turn up to witness Luke Darcy's trial for the attempted murder of his father—the incident which sparked the police shooting where PJ was forced to defend himself against Luke's irate mother, Raeleen. No-one is more dismayed than PJ when Luke manages to use the system and the cutbacks in Legal Aid to have his trial deferred. He is now a free man—with a very big grudge against Detective Hasham! PJ quickly becomes irritated with the Heelers' efforts to protect him from the vengeful Luke. Then local solicitor, Sally Downie, reports that her office has been broken into and PJ is convinced that Like is behind it, because Sally has inherited the management of the Karla Darcy Fund—a public fund set up for Luke's little sister after the shooting. With the scant evidence of a partial print, PJ heads off the pick up Luke, only to find the clan matriarch, Grandma Lucy Kenny, has been bashed. Again PJ is convinced Luke is behind it, but it is agains

42. Possession

Aired: 11/25/1997

Maggie is telling Dash of her recurring nightmare of a dark and angry horse when Robbie brings in his new employer, Doreen Jackson, and her father, Jim Jamieson, to report that one of his paintings has been stolen- a painting of a horse. Ever since Jim was crippled by a rogue horse, it seems he paints nothing but horses- the same one, over and over again. But when Maggie and PJ go to his derelict property to investigate, they discover that the stolen painting has been replaced. Jim can't understand it , but PJ thinks that answer to the confusion lies in the empty liquor bottles on his table. Robbie heads off to his job at Doreen's service station, but is soon calling the station to report he has been robbed. Apparently two leather clad bikers held him up at knife point and stole the takings in the till. PJ is frankly skeptical, suspecting that Robbie may have staged the robbery in order to use the money to support his heroin addiction. Maggie vehemently rejects this suggestion, despera