A new resident, Bob Barker, comes in to the station to report a burglary. This seems normal enough until Maggie and PJ realise that Bob has had, not his contents, but his whole house stolen. They go out to investigate the property which Bob claims he hasn't seen for five years (since his aunt left it to him in her will) and find only the stumps on which the house sat. The Heelers tell Bob and his daughter Pippa that they will chase up the matter but it could be difficult, considering the theft could have occurred any time over the past five years. Financially strapped, Bob wonders where he can now spend the night. Tom organises for him to work a shift at the Imperial in return for a room. PJ and Maggie get on the trail of the missing house but find every lead dead. The only local house moving company in town hasn't done that sort of business for years. The other avenues the Heelers pursue, such as crooks selling off the parts for money, are equally fruitless.

There are troubles at the Mt Thomas Police Station - the toilet is acting up and the only plumber available is the incompetent Charlie Clarke. But he already has his own set of troubles - his wife is fighting with the new au pair, who it doesn't seem Charlie is paying. But she is clearly not attracted to him so what is her purpose in town? Soon she is linked to a man convicted for fraud who now does sketches, and a murderer on the run and soon lives are at risk. But how can the Heelers prevent anything from happening? It seems that the answers all lie in the station's pipes...