The assistant chief constable of North Riding is visiting Ashfordly Hall to hunt and sergeant Blaketon wants the police station to be in tiptop order for the event. A series of small break-ins in Aidensfield is therefore the last thing he wants. And when all the 350 birds shot during hunt is stolen he wants that even less. But the usual suspect Greengrass claims his innocence and Lord Ashfordly wants Blaketon to scale down the inquiry not to embarrass any of his guests. Young Susan Rawlings is rushed to the hospital and it turns out she has had an illegal abortion.

Mr. and Mrs. Thornton have been burgled. Their house is for sale and there was a similar break-in earlier in the same week. Sergeant Merton thinks that the burglar poses as a potential buyer and breaks in later. PC Crane has been absent minded for a couple of days. He is expecting a visit from a woman. She is somewhat older than him and soon the village is booming with gossip. No blame on the villagers though. She failed to mention that she is his mother. A new guest, Lennie Beech, at the Aidensfield Arms flirts with Gina, but Oscar Blaketon does not trust him.

Oscar Blaketon has organized for PC Crane to take a group of troubled youths on a hike across the moors for one day. At the last moment they get an additional participant Carl Laxton, who is the cousin of Geoff, one of the other participants on the trip. But Laxton may have an ulterior motive to go on the trip. Of course Steve Crane's mother chooses that moment to pay her son another and more permanent visit by the looks of it. She has even got a job as assistant librarian under the supervision of Joyce Jowett. Needless to say they do not hit it off. Mr. Shahrishi is the leader of a sect which has just lost the place they were staying in, and while he enjoys the comfort of the Aidensfield Arms his followers must make do with a clearing in the forest, and he does not get on with anybody. He is on the lookout for at new place to stay, which gives Vernon Scripps an idea. At first Lord Ashfordly turns him down, but then changes his mind. Not a wise move on his part.