Carver is assaulted before his shift and mugged, and as he wanders the streets dazed and confused, he befriends a group of homeless drunks. When they point Carver in the direction of a local pub that sells out of hours, Carver bribes his way in to get free drinks. At the pub, he begins talking to a petty thief, who after robbing a local off license for booze, takes him back to his home to meet his wife. Realising the man prostitutes his wife, she discovers Carver is a copper, but rather than tell her husband they bond and she tells Carver he needs to get his life sorted out before it's too late. However, as he tries to come to terms with his problem, he gets a horrendous shock that threatens to sidetrack any hopes of getting his life back on track.

Jim Carver wakes up to find himself in bed lying next to the dead body of Clare Sullivan, an aged prostitute. He is utterly distraught, and, not knowing what to do, he takes JohnJo's clothes and leaves the scene.

Vicky Hagen and Reg Hollis discover the body while searching for Jim. Jim's warrant card is found at the scene, and Jim's tie is around Clare's neck. Ex-Sun Hill DCI Frank Burnside is assigned to the case - something he does not relish as he is also Jim Carver's best friend.

Jim meanwhile, is suicidal, considering throwing himself in the Thames, and then falling at the knees of a priest, confessing to his ""crime"".

Eventually he finds himself eating a discarded pizza from a skip. He takes a swig from a bottle of wine, then catches a glimpse of his reflection. He regards his reflection for a moment, shaking his head - then tips the rest of the wine away.

Frank eventually locates Jim at a hostel. He is arrested on suspicion of murder and taken back to Sun Hill.