Papa Reeves, an old friend from D.I. Burnside's uniform days, plans to end the life of his terminally-ill wife. Burnside takes time out from interviewing a suspected armed robber to convince Reeves that if he does so, not only will he be charged with her murder, but Burnside could also be charged as an accessory. With the robber's solicitor demanding his immediate release, Burnside has an ace up his sleeve: a surveillance photo of the man committing the crime. Meanwhile, W.P.C. Ackland deals with a domestic dispute between a mother and son when the boy is found locked out of the flat wearing only his underpants.