DCI Jack Meadows arrives in a sleepy village for the funeral of old friend and colleague Ted Roach, who has been killed in a hit-and-run on a lonely country road. Also attending the service are his former Sun Hill colleagues, Bob Cryer and Alec Peters. Unsatisfied with the investigation by the local police, Meadows decides to do some digging of his own, and has a run-in with the local police sergeant. They discover some startling facts about their old friend: Ted had been having an affair with the sergeant's wife, and had just discovered he was terminally ill. The trio track down the man who hit him, and Meadows convinces him that it wasn't his fault - Ted wanted to die. As Meadows prepares to return to London, he suffers a heart attack and collapses. Meanwhile, back at Sun Hill, DC Terry Perkins isn't handling his suspiscions that his brother has abused his children at all well, and puts in for a transfer out of PPU and back into CID.