There has been a break-in at Sanger's Telephone Services. CID suspects a gang, who is behind other break-ins in the area and wants no help from the Ashfordly police, but sergeant Blaketon thinks it is an inside job and pushes his constables hard to solve the case and prove to CID that they are capable of handling their own patch. Greengrass is supplying Tony Mowbray, who works at Sanger's, with pheasants, hares and other kinds of game, but because Mowbray is under suspicion they cannot shift it. Jo Weston is concerned about Dennis Cross, who is absent from school almost every day because he has to take care of his ill mother. When Nick and Jo check on her they find her dead at the bottom of the stairs, but Dennis has made himself scarce.