When Ben and Dash visit a farm to enquire about a spate of thefts in the district, they discover that those pillars of the community, the Frasers, are involved in a violent argument. Ben tries to resolve the dispute between father and son but is hampered by the Frasers' belief that what happens in the family should stay in the family. When Ben spots a black eye on Mrs Fraser he fears the situation may be more serious than he first thought. However, Tom refuses to believe that Mr Fraser would be capable of beating his wife. The conflict over this issue creates a tense situation for Ben and Tom as they begin to clash over issues of operational responsibility and initiative. As the war of words continues, Nick, as Sergeant, is brought into the argument. Ben wonders why many of Nick's jobs are done by Tom - does the Boss have reservations about Nick's competence or is he just holding onto the reins too tightly?

A famous crime-fiction writer is asking a lot of questions about the death of a baby 25 years ago. When he discovers the body of a missing child, Tess wonders if he is capable of committing the very acts of violence he writes about. Tom confronts the author, who reveals his intimate connection to the long-closed case of the baby's death. How can Tess and Tom separate fact from fiction?