Three people, the Lakhanis, an Indian couple, and an employee are shot dead by a long range sniper on a garage forecourt - a seemingly motiveless crime. Ten miles away another victim, profoundly deaf Hannah Smithson, is also shot, though her boyfriend's brother Chris, targeted with her, survives but is unable to help with any information. Inspector Jane De Freitas, on the rebound from an affair with colleague Robert Drake, calls in the pathology team but with the sniper at large and shooting indiscriminately Thomas is concerned for ex-wife Julia and their daughter Rosie, now living with former drug user Conrad Devenish. After a fifth victim, Martin Cross,a charity worker at a school is shot the killer rings Jane to tell her that he is unstoppable.

Whilst the sniper claims another body, a French lorry driver, there are fears that he may next target a school and Thomas rushes to ensure his daughter's safety. Drake calls a public meeting to pass on police progress, whereat Martin Cross's brother Ian praises him. Nikki however believes that Cross may have been the only intended victim with the others slaughtered to give the impression of a serial killer. Jack learns that Cross regularly assaulted his wife and teen-age son Craig, who hated his father, and Craig has bullets in his bedroom. Nikki and Jane now feel that Craig was working in tandem with the murderer but when the sniper strikes again Craig is standing next to the victim. They start to wonder if Martin Cross was the only person the sniper wanted out of the way and how many were working with the killer.

Nikki is humiliated in court when a barrister accuses her of making a serious error in the case of a policeman who may or may not have been murdered.

When Thomas sides against her findings on a controversial case, Nikki suspects foul play and takes steps to prove her theory.