Fletch has now reached the end of his stay in Prison and says his goodbyes to McLaren. On the train journey home Fletch bumps into Mackay and an old friend. His old friend makes an early attempt to tempt him from the straight and narrow but it's Mackay who almost commits a crime.

Fletch visits his probation officer and reveals that his wife, Isobel, has left him for someone called Reg Jessop who owns a cardboard box factory. Fletch doesn't seem too concerned about getting a job and the reason is a legacy from a previous crime which he attempts to dig up by stealing Godber's lorry and driving off to the site where the loot was buried. He is out of luck, however, when he discovers a housing development has been built on the field.