AustLit

'Monica tangles with an eleven-year-old shoplifter called Cricket, and in so doing ends up as a witness to a car theft. Bluey warns Monica to stay away from the girl as it may hamper his investigations into a car stealing racket. It's Monica's turn to do a "Bluey" by going off on her own as, to her, the girl's future is just as important as stolen cars.

'Monica seeks Gary's aid in finding out Cricket's whereabouts through her father's record, which Bluey has secreted out of Monica's reach. They both visit Cricket's parents, much to the anger of Bluey, who is afraid the father will go into hiding at the sight of police on his doorstep.

'Bluey's fears are well founded as the father intends to do one more job before taking his daughter away from trouble and an uncaring mother.

'Truscott is furious when Bluey and Gary let the father slip through their fingers on his last job and is equally angry for Monica turning up on the suspect's doorstep.

'Cricket's home life erupts around her when Monica's threats to her parents of her being put in a home reach her eyes by way of an argument between her mother and father. She disappears and the father accuses Monica of causing her to run away. Monica sets about tracing the girl. But, by then, Cricket's own life is in danger and it is a question of whether Monica can find the girl in time.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'CRICKET: An 11 year old girl. She's the product of a rough environment and has learned to fend for herself to a large degree. Through practice she's learned to stifle her emotions and is pretty tough. The fact remains that she's vulnerable due to her tender years. The one person she really loves and who loves her is her father, Fred. She clings to him and can't take it when she mistakenly thinks he, too, has rejected her. Despite her toughness, she has a likeable personality.

'FRED BARNETT: Cricket's father, about 35. Fred is a born loser. He's a car thief by trade and plays the game the way it is. He wins some and when he loses he cops it sweet and does a stretch. He's totally devoted to Cricket and immune to the ways of his prostitute wife. He's a likeable rogue who decides to put Cricket above all else but not until it's nearly too late.

'PEARL BARNETT: Around 35, once good-looking, now worn and seedy. She's lazy and completely selfish. She plies her trade of prostitution because she can't break the habit and the money's good. She must've had feelings for Fred and Cricket once but now she finds all the love she needs at the bottom of a wine flagon.

'KANGA: 40-ish. Tall and tough-looking. He runs the dirty end of the business for his employers. He's capable and has an air of authority.

'SKINNY: Quite the opposite to his name, he's short and fat. He's paid to work for Kanga and that's all he wants to know.

'BARMAN: Typical type. One scene.

'BUSINESSMAN: Average type. Middle-aged. One scene.

'CLIENT: An off-duty ocker seen with Pearl in one scene.

'UNIFORMED POLICEMEN A & B: Typical types. 'A' should be younger.

'DERELICTS #1 & #2: Again - typical of the breed, plenty of chin stubble, hand-out clothes, bloodshot eyes and shaking hands.

'CAB DRIVERS #1 & #2: Actuals.'