The neighbours Clive Harris and Stuart Parsons are not the best of friends to put it mildly. When Oscar Blaketon tries to mediate between their families Parsons' wife Frances and his son-in-law John Nixon are rushed to hospital with signs of food poisoning. Naturally Harris comes under suspicion, but when Gina gets ill with the same symptoms PC Bradley is sure there is another reason. While Gina is in hospital her aunt Mary comes to Aidensfield to visit her. Bernie sells a car to Laslo Riles for Claude Greengrass, but when Riles goes bankrupt before he can pay Greengrass makes him pay in kind. Thus the old scoundrel suddenly becomes the proud owner of a snake.

Mike and Jackie have received anonymous phone calls every night for two weeks. One morning Mike finds a film wrapping in the garden and later he also finds a bouquet of flowers for Jackie from a fellow solicitor Anthony Smythe on the doorstep. Mike gets jealous and suspects Smythe to be behind the phone calls and confronts him, but Oscar Blaketon and PC Ventress go through some of Blaketon's old files and find a similar case. Smythe's father the old Colonel Smythe has died, and David promises that Bernie Scripps can handle the funeral even though the colonel wanted to be buried with all sorts of military pomp and circumstance and especially a horse driven carriage. Greengrass is dead set against it until he learns that it pays £150. They just need a carriage and of course a suitable, quiet horse.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tatton asks PC Bradley to harbour Barry Ross, who has turned queen's evidence at the trial against crime boss Michael James Duggan. To keep Duggan from finding Ross the whole matter is to be kept secret and Bradley cannot even tell his friends and colleagues. Not even his superiors. When Ross needs medical attention Jackie sends for Dr. Tricia Summerbee, whom she knows can be trusted. Greengrass has moved to the West Indies to live with his sister, who has won a lot of money and wants to share it with him. Bernie Scripps' stepbrother Vernon arrives in Aidensfield and moves in with David at Greengrass' cottage. Vernon is quite an entrepreneur and he has lots of ideas on how to improve Bernie's business.

Bill Dyer asks PC Bradley to take a closer look at Giles Sutton whom he suspects of rigging the sheep market. Sutton senses what is going to happen and offers Jackie his legal account. He even pays for their meal one night he "spots" Mike and Jackie having dinner at a restaurant. Mike gets angry when he finds out, but Jackie insists Sutton only did it as a gesture to her totally failing to recognize the consequences it may have on her husband. Sutton even leaves a large amount of money in Mike's jacket, and although Mike returns the money he is suspended for taking bribes. But even worse is to come in Mike's and Jackie's private life. Dilys Powell persuades Vernon to go into business with her marketing the spring water from her farm on bottles. Vernon thinks it is an excellent idea and invites Lord Ashfordly as a prospective investor.