Woody the Coroner is taken hostage by a desperate ex-con who claims he's being set up for murder, and Shawn, Gus, Lassiter, and Juliet try carefully to resolve the situation without bloodshed. However, Interim Chief Trout has a plan of his own... and he's not all that bothered how it goes down.

Lassiter is determined to be appointed Chief of Police, so he sets out to prove himself deserving of the job by solving the murder of the mayor's beloved uncle, Archie Baxter, who was killed back in the 60s, although the case was never solved. Meanwhile, Juliet receives some news that tests her relationship with Shawn.