Billy Trotter returns for his mother's funeral, but is too late. Also too late is Stella Redford, who needs Mrs. Trotter's help to trace a little girl she gave up for adoption twenty years ago. Instead Maggie Bolton advises her to consult Jackie Bradley. The matter gets more complicated when her purse with her only picture of the child is stolen from her hotel room - one of many burglaries in hotel rooms in the area. Sergeant Craddock wants Jackie's help in a personal matter. His wife wants a divorce. Greengrass and Trevor Pargoe are staging a lurcher competition and lay out red herrings to throw off the police and Oscar Blaketon. The Inland Revenue is breathing down Greengrass' back again. They want to re-evaluate his cottage for taxation reasons. He does not!

Maggie Hutchinson gives birth to a little girl who dies because nurse Cassidy could not get hold of a doctor when she needed one. It goes hard with her husband Ken and he gets into a regular fight with PC Walker when Oscar Blaketon refuses to serve him any more drinks. He gets off with a warning, but continues to act like a complete idiot. Emily Merryweather has just been widowed for the second time. The first time she remarried within three months and it seems she intends to become Mrs. Bernie Scripps before long. Aunt Peggy makes at bet with Oscar Blaketon that she will not succeed. A bet she does not fancy losing at any cost.