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Sara learned about Betty Jean's accident and rushed over to tend to her sister in law. Winston and Mike attempted to identify a person seen in one of Dalton's election photos. Betty Jean apologized to Jack for the accident that could cause her to miscarry their baby. Shopping for Jack and Betty Jean, Sara and Mattie spotted another patron, who Sara recognized as the man in Dalton's photo. Sara followed the stranger to a bar and planned to call Mike, but she was caught spying. The stranger asked Sara to sit down with him for a drink.

Hank Muller offered Hester a way to make money, and although she refused at first, she later agreed when he told her to tell Martin that the money was from old commissions. Phillips concocted a scheme to have newsman McGinnis arrested and then involve Dalton. When Jim Mitchell queried Phillips about an ex-con to work in his automotive garage, Phillips suggested Martin Spode. Mike enjoyed watching Dalton squirm at a photo of the man at the election rally. Phillips continued to play Dalton like a fiddle. Martin caught Hester having a grand time with Hank and stormed out. An upset Hester told Hank to never come back. Dalton jumped with greed when Phillips called. Jim Mitchell dropped by to see Martin, who hadn't returned. Mitchell encouraged Hester to talk Martin into accepting his generous job offer.

Jack shows Mattie the little apartment he rented for himself and Betty Jean. Later, at the Golick garage, Jack and Martin Spode clash with one another when Jack orders him around. Attempting to hang drapes in the new apartment, Betty Jean slips from a chair and falls to the floor. Mattie phones for help after finding an unconscious Betty Jean. Martin grouses to his wife about being a flunky to Jack Lane. Hester reminds Martin that he had a job offer from Jim Mitchell, but Martin reiterates that he can't get involved with an ex-con set up. Later, the couple quarrels again about Hank Muller. Jack arrives home to find that a pregnant Betty Jean has had an accident.

Harris meets with Martin and continues to play ignorant about any wrongdoings at the garage. When Martin swears that he'll do anything to give his family a good life, Harris realizes that he's on the level, but cautions Martin that once he's in, he'll be in too deep to ever get out. Martin agrees. After explaining Mitchell's set-up, Harris warns Martin to make sure he keeps quiet about what he knows, because if he doesn't, Bebe might not ever grow up. Just after his meeting with Harris, Martin is visited by Jack who tells him that Jake does have a job for him now. Martin contacts Harris and attempts to back out of the deal to take an honest job with Jake, but Harris threatens him and his family. Realizing it's too late and there's no way out, a defeated Martin says he'll start work on Monday.

Fitzsimmons demands to meet with Phillips. A frustrated Mike arrives home and grouses about Dalton, who wants to nail the wrong people to the wall. Sara advises him that his frustration stems from wanting to defend people instead of prosecute them. Sara shares with Mike that she's still unsure about going to Grace's wedding, but Mike encourages her to go. Martin's parole officer Paul Simms wants to set up an appointment, and a worried Martin talks to Hester about leaving Monticello. Phillips tells Fitzsimmons that Mike Karr is the reason his new club hasn't opened, explaining that Mike suspects it's somehow tied to Dalton's election. Fitzsimmons decides that he'll take care of Karr, but Phillips doesn't want anything that obvious when they've got a scheme going to discredit him. An angry Fitzsimmons still wants to kill Karr. Paul visits Martin and discourages him from leaving town. Sara agrees to go to the wedding, but she fears Mike's investigation into Dalton's election.

After Mike sees Sara caring for Rosemarie's baby, he decides that an infant is just what their home needs. Virginia's mother worries about the cost of their new home. Peter arrives and exchanges catty comments with his mother-in-law, whom he clearly doesn't revere. When the women leave, Dalton quickly phones Phillips to arrange a meeting. Willy stops by the Karr house to tell Mike that Toni and Benson have both gone underground. Willy is upset over Sara sitting for the baby while Rosemarie is out with another man. Dalton signs a loan note from Phillips for the house. Sara offers Willy womanly advice about Rosemarie. Virginia gleams when Dalton returns from his meeting with Phillips and shows them a check for their house.

Jack learns from the doctor that Betty Jean's situation is critical. Hester warns Martin that the day she thinks he no longer loves her is the day she leaves him. After Bebe overhears the argument, and Martin leaves in anger, Hester attempts to explain things to her daughter. Martin returns and overhears Bebe say that she saw Hester and Hank kissing. Martin almost loses his temper, but then begins to see his wife in a different light. The doctor tells Jack that Betty Jean is all right, but she could still lose the baby. Martin finally grows closer to Hester.

Sara phoned Mike, who ordered her to leave the bar. Sara ignored Mike's advice and had another drink with the stranger to stall for time. JH Phillips congratulated Fitzsimmons for helping him get Dalton elected DA. Phillips reassured Fitzsimmons that he will return the favor by expanding his operations in Monticello as they have Dalton in their pocket, but cautioned him that he would be eliminated if he ever thinks Fitzsimmons is untrustworthy. Mike arrived at the bar and pretended to be Sara's boyfriend, prompting the stranger to leave. Willy tailed the stranger to Fitzsimmons' office. Fitzsimmons and the stranger, Roy Benson, planned to open an illegal gambling parlor. Willy reported back to Mike about Fitzsimmons and Benson.

Dalton worried that Mike hasn't thawed toward him yet. Virginia admired another home in a more upscale neighborhood. Phillips offered Dalton an advancement on his investment. While dining with Sara, Virginia was annoyed to see her husband lunching with Sybil. Peter instructed Sybil to investigate property in wealthy Oakhaven Estates. Phillips received word that Ford agreed to impersonate MacGinnis. Later, Phillips made an anonymous call to the police. Virginia met Phillips at Dalton's club and identified him as the mysterious Mr. X. Phillips was intrigued by Virginia. Sybil informed Dalton that no homes were for sale in the Oakhaven Estates neighborhood, and it would take at least $60,000 to build.

Martin worries about working with a substitute manager at work. JH Phillips receives a call from Allen Ford, who has been sent to him by Ollie. Phillips meets with Ford, who resembles Monticello newsman Mac MacGinnis. Phillips explains to Ford that he wants him to impersonate MacGinnis and get him out of his hair. At the garage, manager Clarence harasses Martin. The situation escalates with Martin decking him. Clarence calls the cops on Martin. Ford has doubts that Phillips' plan will work. Ford sees a photo of MacGinnis and decides to study his voice and mannerisms. After hearing about the incident with Clarence, Hester suggests that Martin call Jim Mitchell about his job offer.

Phillips gave instructions to Ford on the first part of his plan to impersonate MacGinnis. Martin and Hester debated Martin accepting the job with Jim Mitchell. Martin received a call from Paul Sims, his parole officer. Ford pretended to be MacGinnis and accused Commissioner Nicholson of embezzlement. Ford tricked Nicholson into meeting him in an hour with bribe money. Martin learned from Sims that if he isn't employed in a week, he'll have to go back to prison. Martin considered accepting Mitchell's offer. Nicholson gave Ford, disguised as MacGinnis, the bribe. Ford phoned Phillips who told Ford to remove the MacGinnis disguise, because a car is waiting to take him to the airport.

Captain Marceau and Sgt. Killbourn examine a police photo of Commissioner Nicholson giving money to MacGinnis. An auditor phones to tell Marceau that Nicholson's books are $35000 short. Marceau goes to pick up Nicholson and MacGinnis. Mike reminds Killbourn that a picture isn't proof of anything. Marceau takes MacGinnis back to headquarters for questioning. Later, Nicholson is stunned to learn his books are being audited. Sgt. Killbourn tells Mike that the background report on Roy Benson was clean. Under questioning Nicholson cracks about the bribe, stunning MacGinnis, who claims he isn't the man in the photo and is being framed. Marceau admits to Sgt. Killbourn that the whole scenario played too neatly, and they wonder about the identity of the person who tipped off cops to MacGinnis and Nicholson's bribe exchange.

Kitty continues to harass Bebe at school. Sara tells Mattie that she has been invited to Grace's wedding in San Francisco but feels she shouldn't go because of Bebe's depression. Kitty accuses Bebe of attacking her when a lunch tray is dropped.Polly sides with Bebe against Kitty. Bebe is excused from classes by the principal and goes to tell Sara about the incident with Kitty. Bebe confides that she wishes her father had stayed in prison. The principal wants to arrange a meeting between Kitty, her parents, Bebe, and the Spodes.

Dalton decides to prosecute Nicholson, leaving Mike to prosecute MacGinnis. Marceau admits to Mike that he isn't convinced of MacGinnis' guilt and asks Mike to stall the legal proceedings while he investigates further. A sad Bebe visits Sara and admits that she's lonely. Phillips tells someone on the other end of his phone that MacGinnis is as good as prosecuted. Dalton and Phillips examined Dalton's investment, and Dalton reveals he needs money to build his new house in Oakhaven Estates. Phillips suggests that Dalton go easy on prosecuting MacGinnis. Dalton refuses at first but then realizes that he needs to stay in Phillips' good graces. Later, Dalton informs Mike that he's switching the prosecution cases. Mike tells him about Marceau's visit and doubts. Dalton insists, then phones Phillips to say that he intends to prosecute MacGinnis as vigorously as possible. Phillips takes great satisfaction that his reverse psychology worked.

Willy verified for Mike information fed to him by Toni. Mike wondered if Toni would try to gouge money from both Winston and Benson, and decided to see if she would sell to the highest bidder. Martin questioned Jack about an opening at Golick's garage. Toni suggested that Mike join the bidding for her information, but he countered by offering her advice. Toni wouldn't agree to giving a deposition. Jack told Martin that he called Jake, who doesn't have a job opening. Mike feared Toni would be murdered and had Willy put two men on her tail. Toni phoned for Roy Benson and demanded he get in touch with her before it's too late.

Hester annoyed Martin about calling Jim Mitchell, and he told her to quit bugging him. When Benson resisted negotiating with her, Toni threatened him. After Hester considered going back to work with Hank Muller, Martin conceded to talk with Mitchell. Toni demanded $5000 from Benson to keep quiet, and when he intimated she would be killed, she revealed that she has a letter in safe-keeping that will expose everything if she dies. Jim Mitchell offered Martin a job and an advance on his salary. Later, Mitchell instructed his flunky to give Martin legitimate work because if he knew what they really had in mind for him, he'd go to the cops. Benson called Fitzsimmons with a plan to keep Toni quiet.

Winston received a call from a woman named Toni Fescina who said that she had information for him and wanted to know what it was worth. Kitty's mother Mrs. DeMarco met Martin and became condescending when she realized that he was Bebe's jailbird father. Mrs. Kerwin, the principal, sympathized with Martin and Bebe. Mrs. DeMarco expanded her rudeness to Mrs Kerwin, who quickly demanded that Kitty apologize to Bebe or not return to school. Toni fed Winston and Mike bits of information but held out for a cash exchange. Mike warned Toni about overplaying her hand. Winston told Toni that he would call her back tomorrow. Mike and Winston wondered if they were being set up by Toni, who is a former employee of Roy Benson.