There has been a series of bank robberies all over North Riding, and the manager of the Northern Provincial is convinced his bank is next. He has spotted a mysterious woman hanging about for a couple of days. PC Rowan and PC Bellamy follow her to her hotel after another observation trip, but shortly after the mysterious woman moves in at the Aidensfield Arms. Phil is arranging a talent competition for his football club, and Greengrass is counting on making a kill taking bets on the outcome. To improve his good fortune he persuades Gina to get some of her friends from Liverpool to enter.

Masked robbers stop a train just outside Aidensfield and get away with several mail bags containing cash and securities. The train driver Brown tries to stop them, but is gunned down and killed. The case is assigned to DI Ludlow, who is none too pleased to see PC Mason again. Especially since Mason has a lot of suggestions on how to catch the robbers and Ludlow has already formed his opinion on who is behind it. Mason on the other hand only wants the robbers to be caught because Brown leaves a wife and two small children, and wins DS Dawson over on his side. Aunt Peggy gets a letter from a solicitor telling her she is the heir of a distant relative and she is convinced there is a fortune in it for her. Even when she learns that her inheritance is a race horse in stead of money, because she reckons she will earn a fortune in prize money - that is at least until she sees the animal.