Nick and the Ashfordly force investigate the shooting of a farmer called Richard Ealham, who was the victim of a calculated attack during a hunting game with other farmers, and Nick is soon given reason to believe that the case is a crime of passion. Meanwhile, Greengrass is given the recipe to the famous Aidensfield bun by a senile baker. As usual, Greengrass uses the highly regarded recipe to make cash, but there's trouble brewing with the baker's sons. Elsewhere, Gina fears for her future when she discovers George is not returning to the village and is giving up his license for the Aidensfield Arms.

Blaketon is left to ponder his future as his retirement from the force draws closer. However, he is unable to worry about the end of his career when a recently paroled criminal hatches a plan to use his son's love of trains to perform a robbery job on a fur factory where his wife works, setting in motion a chain of events that lead Nick into a dangerous chase with a train. Meanwhile, Greengrass thinks he's finally struck gold after finding some old Roman coins while working as a gardener and sets off to find more.