Fraud Squad, Run for Your Money: screencaps

[michael_gothard_archive]

The episode opens with a scuffle in the office of the Nuneaton Evening Argus, where an advert has been placed,
offering information about a flat to let – for a price. One of the applicants, who hasn’t yet received a reply, is
causing trouble. When the police arrive to deal with the disturbance, Jacky Joyce (Michael Gothard), waiting to
go in to collect the replies, hears what’s going on.



Jacky immediately hurries back to his co-conspirators, with the news that the fuzz are onto them.



Kay Pilgrim (Caroline Blakiston), Jacky’s lover, insists they stick to her plan.



She calms Jacky’s nerves somewhat.  She seems to have Jacky under her thumb.



However, when she leaves, to put the next phase of her plan into action, Jacky continues expressing his doubts
to his old partner-in-crime Maurice Blunt Major (Richard Pearson).



Detective Inspector Gamble (Patrick O'Connell) of the Fraud Squad, sends his trusty sidekick, Detective Sergeant
Vicky Hicks, (Joanna Van Gyseghem) to talk to one of the intended victims of Kay Pilgrim’s scam, who isn't
interested in helping the police.



Meanwhile, Gamble visits the Argus, arriving just before Jacky Joyce returns to collect the replies and try to
sweet-talk the secretary.



Not cut out for this line of work, Jacky lets slip that there is no flat to rent, but then realises that Gamble is a
policeman.



He retracts, claiming that Gamble confused him; that he’s just the messenger, and that he doesn’t really know
anything about it.



He hurriedly collects his replies, and leaves. Gamble is more interested in catching Kay Pilgrim than her associates,
whom he considers small fry, so he doesn’t try to stop him.



Panicking again, Jacky tells Blunt Major – also known as ‘Skeggy’ due to his constant phone calls to girlfriend
Di-Di in Skegness – that they have to leave town immediately.



Skeggy complains about leaving his whiskey and his photo of Di-Di at his hotel, but goes along with Jacky. He
suggests they just forget the plan, split the money they’ve got so far between them, and make a run for it, cutting
Kay out completely.



Jacky is disgusted. He calls Skeggy a bastard, and tells him to make up his mind whether he’s coming to Birmingham
or not. They go together.



Jacky is having a restless night in his Birmingham hotel room when Kay finally arrives.



She’s been away longer than expected – once more, Jacky’s nerves are getting the better of him.



Kay doesn’t seem to care about in his concerns.



She’s been working hard, and is only interested in what he can do to help her 'relax.'



The next morning, Jacky is still complaining. Kay tells him that when he isn’t in bed, he could bore for England.



When Kay tells Skeggy that she has placed similar adverts all over the Midlands, hired staff and rented
an office to deliver on the promises in the adverts, Skeggy starts having doubts. He complains that she’s
turning it into a business. It’s not like the old days, when he used to make a bit of easy money here and
there, on the blackmarket. Jacky is fed up with his stories.



When Skeggy isn’t around, Jacky tells Kay that Skeggy suggested cutting her out.



He doesn’t seem too worried when she tells him she intends to do exactly that, to Skeggy.



Inspector Gamble tracks them down to their centre of operations. Kay tells Jacky to go for a cup of tea with the
girls, but Gamble wants him to stay in case he can help answer any questions.



Gamble deliberately makes himself appear foolish, accusing Kay of illegal acts she hasn’t committed, in order to
lull her into a false sense of security. He wants to ensure that she goes through with her plan right to the end,
when he will be able to catch her out.



As Gamble is about to leave, Skeggy returns. Gamble accuses him of trying to pass himself off as a military man,
but Skeggy assures him that “Blunt Major” is his name, and that no deception was intended. He seems to have
all the legal angles covered.



Skeggy has returned with the deeds for the flat they are proposing to let to the winning applicant. He is happy
to see the profits of this enterprise – which he has found rather hard work – in the safe.



He pretends to lock the safe, and then takes a call from his girlfriend.



As Kay winds the operation down, she and Jacky start to celebrate their success.



That’s when they realise that Skeggy is missing.



But just then, Gamble and Hicks show up, demanding to see that the successful applicant for the flat is chosen
fairly. After all, Hicks has put in an application.



Kay lets Jacky draw the winning application.



To her surprise, Gamble immediately charges her with running an illegal lottery. Her ‘legal expert’ Skeggy hadn’t
warned her of that possibility.



Then Jacky finds the safe empty.



Skeggy has cleared it out and is about to set off for Monte Carlo with Di-Di. Of course, the police catch him at
the railway station.