Local entrepreneur Ripley Holden, a brash, charismatic family man, holds a lavish opening for his new showpiece arcade in his beloved home town of Blackpool.

However, his fortunes take a turn for the worse when he discovers the dead body of a young man on the premises. Keen to get the case cleared up, Ripley co-operates with the investigating police officer, DI Peter Carlisle.

But Carlisle takes a dislike to Ripley, which makes him all the more determined to prove the businessman is the culprit.

Family problems add to Ripley's headache; his young son, Danny, is seemingly hiding something and his 20-year-old daughter, Shyanne, brings home an unsuitable new boyfriend - a man Ripley was at school with. Ripley instructs Shyanne's partner to end the relationship. Shyanne is left heartbroken. Meanwhile, Carlisle takes a shine to Natalie, Ripley's wife.

Carlisle doesn't believe Danny's confession to the murder. He's convinced that Danny is covering up for his father, Ripley. Natalie confronts Carlisle and warns him to stay away from her, and her family.

Heartbroken, Carlisle sets out with a renewed determination to nail Ripley, his love rival.

Ripley visits Steve in hospital and offers him a large sum of money to leave Shyanne alone. Steve takes the money but uses his windfall to stretch Ripley's patience by spending it on Shyanne.

With his showpiece arcade sinking deeper into trouble, Ripley is forced to drop everything and take drastic measures when Danny, traumatised by recent events, reaches breaking-point.

He finds Danny lying on a train track, in a suicide bid similar to the one Ripley himself tried as a teenager. Danny admits that he moved the murdered body from Ripley's flats into the casino. Ripley goes to Carlisle and claims he was the one who moved the body...