Thirty-three years after the corpse of Dr. Simon Lockhart was found in his butcher's shop at Smithfield the body of Harry Eldridge is discovered - cut into pieces. The doctor used to gamble with Harry and other butchers - now all retired - and Jack discovers from the Lestade brothers, butchers who are Gerry's cousins, that Gerry and other butchers were in the financial clutches of gangster Danny Paye, now in a care home. Brian learns that the doctor performed illegal abortions - anathema to strict Catholic Eldridge - but Sandra gets the biggest shock on finding that she has an illegitimate half-brother, who was adopted by Eldridge's widow, Julia. Unfortunately his DNA is all over Harry's corpse.

Gerry and Steve go to Glasgow, ostensibly to advise on establishing a UCOS office there but are asked to investigate the nineteen year old death of bookmaker James Soutar, given that the investigating officer at the time Frank McNair was suspected of corruption. He was also the man who ran off with Steve's wife. The pair are surprised to learn that Soutar left fifteen thousand pounds to Cathy Sinclair, who claims she never met him, as well as legacies to children's charities. However Charley, Steve's younger girlfriend, tells Gerry that she and Cathy were in care together and that Soutar was involved in a vice ring, grooming girls in care for sex. The duo solve the case and, before returning to London, Gerry helps Steve get his revenge on McNair.