Nathaniel Clegghorn believes his farm is haunted and has sent for paranormal investigators to authenticate it so that he can arrange guided tours for a fee. Greengrass thinks that is a brilliant idea and produces a couple of "ghostly manifestations" himself. An old acquaintance of Oscar Blaketon and the police, Jimmy Turpin, is back in Aidensfield and Blaketon warns sergeant Rowan that he might be up to something. He is, but gets his daughter Mitzi and her husband Johnny Wyler to do the dirty work. Nick Rowan has got a new job with the Royal Mounted Police and he and his family prepare to leave for Canada. PC Bradley takes over his position as village bobby in Aidensfield. Neil Bolton is tired of working at the hospital and has a look at Kate Rowan's old practice in Aidensfield.

Film producer Denzil Arcourt and his team take over Ashfordly Hall for a couple of days to shoot scenes for a new movie. The whole village is impressed by the movie people, who stay at the Aidensfield Arms. But unlike most movie people Arcourt does not like it and get very enraged, when Gina takes a picture of him with the new camera she has just been given by Andy. David has bought a couple of hens from Nathaniel Clegghorn so that he can sell the eggs, but he wants his money back, when Greengrass discover both the hens are cocks. That is easier said than done when Clegghorn threatens them with his shot gun. Greengrass and David are not the only ones who find themselves at the wrong end of Clegghorn's shot gun. Lord Ashfordly gets in the same position when Clegghorn accuses his dog of disturbing Clegghorn's sheep.

At the annual village fair Malcolm Colbourne, who everybody considers a coward because he did not fight in the war, sees a new tractor. The dealer John Bennett makes him a special offer which enables him to buy the tractor though money is tight. When the tractor is destroyed in a fire, he discovers that his wife has had an affair with Bennett for years, and Bennett finds out that Colbourne's role in the war was not nearly as innocent as he believed. David sees a fortune teller, who foretells that he will meet a woman with auburn hair and a Christian name beginning with a 'G'. Greengrass does not believe it, but the same evening a woman called Gloria Evans with auburn hair shows a special interest in both him and Greengrass. She wants them to clear out and decorate her house.

Liz Merrick's former lover James Robson comes to Aidensfield to get her back. Before it comes to that he is killed by a single shot from a high powered rifle outside the Aidensfield Arms. But both DC Bradley and PC Bellamy were only yards away from him at the time, and one of them may have been the intended target. As if to prove the latter Bellamy is shot and wounded in the arm at the same spot the next evening. A likely suspect is Frank Clegghorn. He is a master marksman, has recently been dishonourably discharged from the army and dislikes the police just as much as his father Nathaniel does. Tim Barnet has had a break down with his classic Bentley limousine and checks in at the Aidensfield Arms while Bernie Scripps gets it repaired. He makes quite an impression on Gina and he finds her very attractive also.

Andrew and Beth Jarvis have been to a party for all the children in Aidensfield, but after the party their mother Linda does not show up to collect them. As a matter of fact neither she nor her husband have been seen since she had the family Land Rover filled up and serviced at Bernie's garage. Till they are found Dr. Merrick and Jenny take care of the children while Nathaniel Clegghorn keeps Phil Bellamy and Gina on their toes looking after the livestock. But they cannot go on indefinitely and Sergeant Merton organizes a search. Their neighbour Norma Weld may have an important lead. Speaking of Bernie's garage Vernon Scripps has a lot of plans for its future and invites Bernie to an expensive dinner at a posh hotel to discuss them. But Bernie is very satisfied with the way things are and will much rather be at home.

The annual hill climb is to be held on the roads around Ashfordly and Aidensfield, and the police are not too happy at the prospect of having "dozens of lunatics" driving through countryside at top speed. A lot of villagers do not like it either and Nathaniel Clegghorn speaks publicly about getting the race banned. One is even so unhappy about it that he tries to sabotage the event. Especially one competitor seems to draw the attention of the saboteur, Geoffrey Smee. Vernon Scripps on the other hand is so happy about the race that he wants to enter a car of his own. Dr. Merrick treats a young man with a head injury. When she returns to her surgery after a quick talk to Jenny the young man who called himself Trevor Black has disappeared.