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    Written by: Greg Haddrick   Produced by: Posie Jacobs   Directed by: Russell Webb

Janice shows Bjorn the newspaper article that she's spotted. It has the headline 'Crime Queen Wallops Witness'. It also includes a photo of a young May. As Bjorn looks at it, Janice demands, "How's that for a nice little secret? She kept it to herself, didn't she? At least Aunt Fiona put her cards on the table; not May - no, she had to pretend she was a lady of the highest standards when all the time she nothing more than a retired--" She breaks off before continuing, "Well she's lost my respect. I'm going to tell her as much, too." She goes marching out. Bjorn, though, goes after her and grabs her, warning, "No, Janice. Just listen for a moment." Janice snaps, "I'm not in the mood for a lecture on the ethics of prostitution, Bjorn. It's wrong. That's that." Bjorn points out, "You like May." Janice retorts, "I did like May." Bjorn asks, "What has changed? She's still the same person. It happened forty years ago." Janice corrects, "Thirty-eight." Bjorn sighs, "Alright, alright. Thirty-eight. She has been out of the business for 38 years; why condemn her now? An hour ago, you were so worried about her; so was I. She's an old lady who is frightened she might be thrown out of home. The last thing she needs are friends turning on her just because they discovered she was less than perfect in the 1940s." Janice turns away. Bjorn goes on, "I know you care about her. Why don't you forgive and forget? Isn't that the Christian thing to do?" Charlie suddenly walks in and trills, "Hello, darlings! How's it going?" Bjorn tells her quickly, "Almost done!" Charlie suddenly notices a frilly garter on the floor and, picking it up, smiles, "Oh dear. How did this get here?" Janice snaps, "It wasn't left by the tooth fairy," and she storms out. Bjorn goes after her.

May and Fiona are standing in the corridor downstairs, May smiling, "Imagine it: the old house in a fashion catalogue. Who'd have thought it?" Janice and Bjorn suddenly come downstairs and Janice glares at May and snaps, "There you are." May, though, nods, "Yes, but I'm off to take a nap." She walks off. Janice goes to follow her, but Fiona stops her quickly and tells her that she's going to have to get rid of her 'No Visitors Beyond This Point' sign.

It's nighttime, and Glen is sitting with Susan on the couch at Dural, telling her about his plans for Charlie's fishing shack. They start kissing passionately - not noticing as Wayne arrives home and walks in. He coughs loudly, and Susan turns to him in surprise and tells him that they weren't expecting him until the morning. Wayne explains that he finished his business ahead of schedule. He then opens a bag and takes out a framed carving. Handing it to Susan, he tells her, "For you two." Susan smiles, "It's beautiful. Thankyou." Wayne murmurs slyly, "My pleasure..."

The next morning, Janice escorts a photographer into the reception room at the mansion and tells him that they've cleared it all out. May joins the photographer as Fiona walks in, smiling broadly, "Break out the streamers! Alison's just called and her plan has worked and Wayne can do nothing at all about it." May gasps in surprise, "We're really safe?" Fiona nods, "Absolutely!" May asks, "And the house?" Fiona beams, "And the house!" Looking ecstatic, May exclaims, "Wonderful! Of course, I knew there was nothing to worry about! This old house and I have been through too much together to be separated now." Janice looks at her in disgust.

Wayne is at Hornsby Hospital in Gordon's room. Gordon unwraps a carving and comments, "Very nice. How much did it cost?" Wayne replies, "I'm not telling!" Changing the subject, Gordon goes on, "You'll be glad to know I didn't lie here twiddling my thumbs - Alison rang me yesterday." Wayne asks dubiously, "Oh yes?" Gordon tells him, "She thinks you're working too hard." Wayne muses, "Does she?" Gordon nods, "Mmm. On top of heading the company, you also have to spend a lot of time at the mansion. Now, I know that you like the place, but I also know that you're worried about running costs. I hate to see you wearing yourself down." Wayne insists, "I can handle it." Gordon, though, tells him, "Even so, there's no point taking on more than you have to - and in this case, you don't have to. Alison suggested that the company buy the property - that way, the responsibility's split three ways instead of one. We can afford to keep it on as a slight loss and it's also a tax deduction. I had to admit that it's an excellent idea. What do you think?" Wayne stares at him but doesn't respond.

May and Fiona emerge from the storeroom at the mansion, May asking, "What else could I give him?" Fiona replies, "What: for the photographs?" May nods, "Yes." Fiona tells her, "I'm sure if he wants anything else he'll ask for it." There's suddenly a knock on the door and Wayne walks in. Fiona and May stare at him, but he tells them quickly, "Don't fret - I've seen dad. He's told me Alison wants the company to buy the house. Suits me fine." May gloats, "Won't be able to kick us out now." Wayne just sighs, "Oh, May, I'd never have kicked you out." May retorts, "Then why did you say you would?" Wayne tells her, "I'm sorry. I was losing money and I let it get to me. I thought if I yelled a bit Fiona might find a few ways of economising." May suggests curtly, "Next time - if there is a next time - I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know what you're up to." Wayne nods, "I will." He then asks, "How's it going, anyway?" May tells him, "We're ready to start as soon as Charlie and the models arrive." She heads back into the storeroom, leaving Fiona to explain to a puzzled-looking Wayne, "Lisa's new collection. They're doing the photographs in the hallway upstairs." Wayne tells her, "I won't get in your way, then. I just popped over to put your minds at rest." Fiona smiles, "Thankyou very much, Wayne. That's very thoughtful of you." He heads off. As May emerges from the storeroom again, Fiona growls, "He's up to something. It was a very good act, but he's taking things far too calmly for my liking..."

A while later, Wayne is standing behind the bar at Dural, pouring himself a drink and talking on the 'phone, saying, "Why would it bother me?... No, look, honestly, Alison, I think it's a great idea. It's been giving me more headaches than it's worth as it is... I only called up to say thanks..." He continues, "Of course I'm serious. In fact, I'll show you how grateful I am: why don't you have a holiday for a few days? Run off into the sunset with Bjorn?... I can look after the company... That's right. Have fun. I'll see you next week sometime." With that, he hangs up, looking pleased with himself.

Bjorn is sitting with Fiona in her room at the mansion. She asks in concern, "How much does she know?" Bjorn tells her, "Everything - it was all there in the paper." He goes on, "The point is, I don't trust Janice to forget it - and if she does speak her mind, May will be very hurt. I tried to talk sense into her, but nothing I say will help, I think. If it came from you, though, she would listen to you." Fiona shrugs, "Maybe, but I'm not going to say anything, though." Bjorn starts to protest, "But Fiona..." Fiona, though, retorts, "No, no, no, she is on her own. When she thought I was running a bordello here, she said she'd learned her lesson; that she was never ever again going to jump to conclusions about people. Now, we'll see if she really meant it."

May is sitting in her room, reading a letter and sighing, "Oh dear." There's suddenly a loud rapping on the door and Janice marches in. May invites her to sit down. She then comments, "You must feel terrible." Janice retorts, "Terrible only begins to describe the way I feel at the moment." May sighs, "I can imagine. There's not much one can say, really - but if you'd like to talk about it..." Janice snaps, "I would, yes. Bjorn's told you, has he?" May, looking suddenly surprised, asks, "Who?" Janice goes on, "Or has he told Fiona and she's told you?" May replies, "No, no, he wrote me a letter." Janice asks, "Who: Bjorn?" May tells her, "No, Neville. Why would Bjorn write a letter"? Janice retorts, "Why would Neville?" May explains, "To let me know that he and Celia have set a date for the wedding. That is what you came to see me about, isn't it?" Janice, looking suddenly wrongfooted, turns away. May tells her gently, "I know it's difficult to come to terms with, even when you expect it, but what we have to do is find ways to cheer you up." Janice, though, snaps, "May, please." May asks, "How did Bjorn know?" Janice, looking upset, murmurs, "He didn't." She then adds sadly, "He was with me when..." She breaks off and runs out. She almost bumps into Charlie, who's on the way into the room. May asks her if the models have arrived yet. Charlie smiles, "Yes. We're just about to start now!" The two of them leave the room.

The 'phone rings at Dural and Wayne answers it in the hallway. After a few seconds, he gasps, "Maria - what are you doing?... You're supposed to wait for me to call you..." He goes on, "Yes, yes, alright - it's in the post. It'll just take a few days to get there, that's all... It'll be the same as the other cheque... Take it to the bank, that's right... Now listen, have you got a pen? OK." He listens and then tells her, "Call back six o'clock your time. Six o'clock, alright? It'll be eight o'clock our time... Glen will be here for dinner then, that's right... OK now, you remember what to do?... Good. Now don't call back... OK? Yeah, thanks, Maria." He suddenly becomes aware of Susan standing behind him, and he says to Maria quickly, "Yeah, right, fine. Bye bye." He hangs up and Susan smiles, "Maria, eh? Where does she fit in to the scheme of things?" Wayne tells her, "She doesn't, really. I met her overseas."

Glen is sitting with Gordon in his room at the hospital. Gordon asks him, "Still no news from Barbara?" Glen replies, "No. I'm sure we'll hear soon, though." Gordon comments, "You never met her, did you?" Glen nods, "I did once." Gordon asks, "Where?" Glen tells him, "At your house - when I first started." He then notices the carving on Gordon's bed and asks where it came from. Gordon explains, "Wayne brought it back for me." Glen comments in surprise, "It's Filipino." Gordon asks, "Is it?" Glen looks at him, a puzzled expression on his face.

A while later, back at Dural, Wayne is saying to Glen, "So? I had a stopover in Manila. What of it?" Glen retorts, "First we've heard of it." Wayne tells him, "I also had a few days in Hong Kong and Singapore - I haven't talked much about them, either." Glen demands, "What were you doing in Manila?" Wayne retorts, "Trying to gauge the business climate." Glen, though, snaps, "I don't believe that for a minute. I mean, first you're throwing Susan and me out of the house; then you find a letter from Maria; next thing, everyone's pals again and you jet off to the Philippines." Wayne tells him, "It was only a stopover." Glen, though, growls, "You went there to buy off Maria, didn't you? - so she could make Susan think we're on together or something." Wayne laughs, "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" Glen retorts, "Do you know how ridiculous you're going to look when it backfires? You don't know Maria as well as I do". Wayne mutters, "Oh, God. Maria, Maria. I'm beginning to think you still might have something going with her." Glen retorts, "I never had anything going with her." Wayne responds curtly, "No? She called here earlier; dying to talk to you, she was. Hadn't heard from you for over a week. Couldn't get you at your place this time. Thought she'd try here; she remembered our name from one of the letters." Glen tells Wayne, "She's never 'phoned me before." Wayne just continues, "It's lucky I answered the 'phone, wasn't it, and not Susan? I can't be here all the time, though..." Glen glares at him and growls, "You weren't on any business trip. I bet you can't show me one deal you discussed, let alone finalised." Susan suddenly walks in from the hallway and sighs, "You two aren't arguing again?" Wayne replies lightly, "No, no." Glen explains, "I was just wondering how successful his trip was." Susan smiles, "I guess something must have gone right." Turning to Wayne, she adds, "You seemed pretty happy when you got back." Glen muses, "Yes, he did didn't he - presents and everything. Can you tell us why or is it too secret?" Wayne, going to his briefcase on the table, replies, "I did want dad to check everything before I made any announcement, but I don't suppose it'll hurt to let a few people know." He then goes on, "A Hong Kong finance company has an Australian branch which is owed $20m in bad debts. They need capital fast so I borrowed $3m and bought the debts off of them." Taking a folder out of his briefcase, he hands it to Glen and tells him, "That's the contract - if you can follow it." Susan murmurs, "I don't get it." Wayne explains, "People owe our company now, you see - and the bank agreed to a no-guarantee loan for an extra $1m bonus - which means that if I can only collect $2m, the bank gets it all, but I don't have to make up the rest of the loan. On the other hand, if I can collect $10m - which is, after all, only half of the debts - I'll be a multi-millionaire." Grabbing the contract back from Glen, he smiles, "That's what I call a successful business trip..."

A model is sitting on a couch in the reception room at the mansion as Charlie stands behind the photographer, guiding him. May and Janice look on. Charlie suggests suddenly that the model needs a bracelet. May tells her that there are a couple in her trunk downstairs, and Charlie dashes off. When she's gone, the photographer tells his models, "Relax, girls. We'd better wait for Queen Dizzy and her bracelet." May chides, "There is no need to be rude." The photographer retorts, "There's no need for her to do my job either, Miss. Walters." May points out, "She's only trying to help." The photographer tells her curtly, "Darling, I don't need help." May suggests, "If you can't respect your client - who is, after all, paying you - I fail how to see how you stay in business." The photographer, though, sighs, "I'm not in business. I'm an artist." May muses, "At the moment, you're a pain in the backside." She storms over to where Bjorn is standing, and he comments, "Well done. I wouldn't have thought you'd be so upset." May, though, tells him, "I'm not going to let him get away with a comment like that. So what if Charlie's a meddler? She's also a very good friend, and I stand up for my friends through fair weather and foul." Bjorn looks across at Janice...

Downstairs, Charlie emerges from May's room with the bracelets. She heads back upstairs and doesn't notice as Andy walks in through the front door, carrying a suitcase. He calls for Fiona, but there's no answer. He then puts down his case and walks over to the stairs.

In the reception room, Charlie puts a bracelet on a model's arm and the photographer then asks everyone to clear the shot. Andy suddenly walks in and Charlie dashes over to him and gives him a hug, exclaiming, "Andy! When did you get back?" Andy smiles, "Just now!" Charlie asks, "How was the cruise?" Andy tells her, "Excellent. Terrific. A real riot." He acknowledges Janice and May, but May looks at him blankly. Andy reminds her that they met briefly when he and Janice first came there. He then goes on that he was after Fiona, and he asks if anyone knows where she is. Janice tells him, "She's in the manager's flat. I'll show you." They head off. The photographer returns to his work as Charlie comments that the bracelet really does look much better. The photographer retorts, "Sure... it really brings out her wrist..."

Downstairs, Fiona gives Andy a hug, and then, indicating the decor in her room, smiles, "You like?!" Andy nods, "Yeah!" Janice comments to him sourly, "You still haven't had your hair cut." Andy looks at her and remarks with a grin, "I can see things around here haven't changed much!" Fiona tells him, "No, but we are working on it!" Andy then comments, "May's just as far off the planet as usual!" Janice, though, protests, "She is not 'off the planet'." Andy points out, "She didn't even know who the hell I was." Janice, however, snaps at him, "Her memory of fleeting introductions made over three months ago might not be infallible, but she is in many ways a remarkably fair and generous lady who deserves a considerably more affectionate term than 'off the planet' - so I'll thank you not to refer to her in those terms again." With that, she walks out. Andy chuckles, "I should have stayed in Melbourne!" Fiona, though, an expression of amazement on her face, exclaims, "I think we have just seen Janice begin to grow up!"

Wayne is with Gordon in his room at Hornsby Hospital. Gordon is looking at some papers and he asks, "Whose idea was the no-guarantee loan?" Wayne replies, "Mine. I thought it was too big a risk otherwise. The bank seemed happy enough to take the gamble." Gordon murmurs, "I suppose it's not such a huge amount to them." Wayne nods, "Exactly - and they stand a reasonable chance of picking up a cool million dollars on top of the interest. That must have seemed attractive." Gordon smiles, "It's a good deal: neat... clever... all we have to do now is find some way to collect the debts." There's suddenly a knock on the door and Susan walks in. Gordon beams at her, "Wayne's been showing me the fruits of his overseas labours. I thought it was very impressive." Susan hands him a letter in an airmail envelope and tells him, "For you. It came this morning. It's from Barbara." Gordon starts to open the envelope and comments, "I hope she's coming home soon." He unwraps the letter and starts to read it. As he does so, though, his face drops. Susan asks in concern, "Gordon?" Wayne asks, "Dad? Dad? What is it?" Gordon murmurs, "She's not coming. She met Roland - by chance - in Hong Kong a month ago. She says that leaving him for me was the hardest thing that she ever--" He breaks off before continuing, "Well anyway, she says she can't go through it again and that they're happy and... 'I'm very sorry'." Wayne puts a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

In the reception room at the mansion, Fiona and Janice are bringing the original antiques and papers back in. May asks Janice what she's got and Janice tells her, "Old newspapers. The top one's January 3rd 1948." Looking suddenly shocked, May goes to grab the papers, saying, "Why don't I take these?" Janice, though, insists, "Don't worry - I've read it." May looks at her in surprise as she goes on, "I know a Vice Squad agent called Reggie Brittleton infiltrated this establishment on New Year's Eve, and I know that you were fined for contempt of court for giving him a black eye during the magistrate's hearing." May asks warily, "And you don't mind that I was the--" Janice interrupts and replies, "'Manageress' of the establishment? Yes, I did for a while. But as Bjorn so logically pointed out, that was 38 years ago." May tells her, "Thirty-eight and a half." Janice smiles, "Thirty-eight and a half! Anyway, the point is: who you are now is far more important than what you were then - and you're a fine lady and the best friend a girl could ask for." With that, she gives May a warm hug. Fiona looks on, a relieved smile on her face.

It's evening time, and Glen, Susan and Wayne are sitting at the living room table at Dural, having dinner. Glen comments, "He must have been devastated." Susan replies, "He was. He didn't say much, of course." Wayne takes a surreptitious glance at his watch. It's spot on eight o'clock. He stands up and says he'll see how dessert's going. The 'phone suddenly starts ringing and he adds, "Could you get that for me, please, Susan? If it's anyone for me, can you ask them to wait on?" He heads off to the kitchen as Susan takes the call. She listens and then says, "Oh hi. You after Wayne?" She listens again and then replies in surprise, "Glen? Yes, he's here... You positive it's Glen you want?" She listens and then murmurs, "No, I didn't know." Glen stands up and walks over to her as she tells the caller to hang on a sec. She then hands him the 'phone and tells him, "Maria." He takes the 'phone from her as she walks back to the table, looking upset. On the 'phone, Glen asks, "What's going on?... Uh huh... Yes..." Wayne returns from the kitchen, looks at the expression on Susan's face and asks 'innocently', "Who is it?" Susan tells him, "Maria." She goes on, "You didn't meet her on your trip, did you? Was she asking for Glen the other time she called?" Wayne just sighs heavily. Susan persists, "Wayne, what's going on? Who is she?" Wayne goes and sits back down at the table. Susan does likewise. Wayne then whispers, "It's really not my place, Susie. She's Glen's friend. If you want to know where she fits into things, you'll have to ask him. I'm sorry." Susan looks across at Glen, still talking on the 'phone. Glen looks back at her. Wayne sits at the table, a smug expression on his face...

 

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