- With Bodie having shot a suspected drug smuggler outside the flat of witness Ann Holly to save Doyle, Ray consoles her, and they become lovers, intending to marry. An informer tells Doyle and Bodie that 'the Christmas Man' is flying in a consignment of illegal drugs and, unfortunately for Doyle, it seems likely the 'Christmas Man' is Ann's father, who is put under surveillance. An enraged Doyle resigns. Will his indignant behaviour put the operation at risk and is Ann only an innocent bystander?—don @ minifie-1
- Bodie and Doyle follow a suspect called Conroy to his flat, where he shoots at Doyle. Bodie shoots him dead. The event is witnessed by Ann Holly (Patricia Hodge) who lives in a neighbouring flat. Doyle returns to comfort her and they share a drink. Bodie and Cowley investigate Conroy and find links to the Italian community, by way of pasta stuck to his shoes. Doyle speaks to Tony, an Italian informant, looking for Benny, another informant. Bodie and Doyle go to Luigi's restaurant, where they find Benny beaten close to death and call an ambulance.
Doyle takes Ann Holly out for a drink and home for dinner. Cowley drops in to break the news of Benny's death in hospital. His last words were "Dumbo" and "Christmas Man". Doyle discusses it with Holly and they go to a nightclub. Bodie and Doyle search for Tony, stopping a van which they think has him on board - it contains stolen furcoats instead. The relationship between Doyle and Holly continues to develop with a walk in the park. Following a lead, Bodie and Doyle track down Tony and pass Buzz (Valentine Pringle), a black drug dealer, on the way up to the flat. They threaten to throw Tony off a balcony. He supplies information that a drugs shipment is about to come in.
Bodie checks out Ann Holly's background for Cowley, particularly her estranged father Charles (William Russell) and family home in the country. The local vicar supplies a good character reference for Charles Holly but Bodie's surveillance photos reveal connections with the black drug dealer. Cowley suggests that "Christmas Man" might be Holly. Doyle is incredulous that his now lover Ann is under suspicion and that Bodie would investigate her without telling him. He is suspended by Cowley and hands in his warrant card and badge.
Doyle shadows the case despite his suspension and he punches Bodie when he calls in to warn him off. However, his suspicious nature sends him looking through Ann's post - she finds him and they argue. She shows him a wartime photo of her father and Conroy together in an RAF aircrew, making the connection between Charles Holly, Conroy and flying. Doyle returns to CI5 and Bodie deduces that Holly must be flying in drugs for Buzz under cover of an air display for charity. CI5 intercept the recently landed consignment of drugs. In a shootout Charles Holly is wounded. He and Buzz are arrested and interrogated. In the interrogation, Holly explains that he had a pair of flats together, one sold to Conroy and the other given to his now estranged daughter, Ann. This vindicates Ann of any involvement with Conroy or the crime. She overhears the interrogation and can't believe that Doyle still doesn't trust her: they split up on argumentative terms. In a closing longshot, Bodie's attempts to console Doyle obviously fail.
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