Susan Siddons is looking after her old nanny Mary Begg, but one morning she comes to her house the old lady is dead. And that with Susan's wedding only a couple of days away. When Mary's grandson Peter, who is also Susan's old boyfriend, arrives in Aidensfield to take care of the funeral he gets a chilly reception by her father. The next day all the wedding presents have been stolen. And that is just the beginning. Kate's aunt Eileen tells her she has inherited a lot of money from her uncle. Kate initially refuses to accept the money, but then donates it to an old people's home.

There has been an intruder at the Moorside Lodge mother-and-baby home, but he was scared off by Paula, who had just been looking after her baby, and nothing was taken. Allan and Hazel Mansfield have a lot of problems with their baby Peter, who needs a lot of attention. Peter is taken from his pram while Mrs. Mansfield is doing an errand at the post office. He was adopted from Moorside Lodge, and sergeant Craddock believes that his natural mother may have taken him. But time is running short, because Peter is ill and may have trouble breathing without his medicine. Greengrass has found a new way to make money: laying out driveways and such. He is helped by the mechanical wiz Gary Clarkson, who has fixed his lorry.

Shortly before her sudden death Mildred Crosby promises Maggie Bolton a painting, which Maggie likes very much and in her will she leaves Maggie quite a bit more. Her son-in-law Roy Thornton has counted on inheriting the money and accuses Maggie of gross medical negligence and abusing her position as district nurse to influence the old lady. And all of a sudden the painting is missing. Has it been stolen by the same person or persons who have staged a series of burglaries in the area? Claude Greengrass and Bernie Scripps find a tramp, Seamus O'Toole, sleeping in Greengrass' barn. They discover that he can pick horse race winners when he is dreaming. This is too good an opportunity for Greengrass to pass by.

An old man is attacked in what appears to be an open-and-shut case of burglary.

Dr. Ian Peters is the new doctor in Aidensfield. His presence will soon be needed when a hit-and-run driver crashes into the car of Jackie's friend Sue. Both she and Jackie get only minor injuries. Or so it seems because it turns out that Sue has a severe, internal head injury when she collapses into a coma. David is a witness to the accident, and when he and Greengrass are picking up some old bicycles, which the old scoundrel has "borrowed" from Lord Ashfordly to hire out to the participants of a fun bike race, they find the hit-and-run car burning. Lord Ashfordly identifies the car as his old Bentley, and his nephew Charles testifies that he saw the chauffeur's son Eric sitting in the car shortly before the accident. Andy is trying to get back into Gina's good books, and he has some serious doubts about the new doctor's qualifications. But he might just be jealous because Gina likes Dr. Peters.

After a charity concert at Eltering Church it is discovered that two candlesticks have been stolen. When Alf Ventress goes to the church with some flowers he is knocked down and the safe is broken into as well. Prime suspect is Simon Cutler, who has previously been suspected of a break-in. He is also dating the reverend's daughter Karen. Claude Greengrass promises Mrs. Benton to take her champion poodle Harvey to the annual dog competition and she leaves specific instructions on what to do. Champion poodle or not Harvey is first and foremost a dog and he uses the first opportunity to clear out looking for adventure. This situation calls for desperate measures. Poor Alfred!