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

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

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

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

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