A father and his son come to Peter after their insurers refuse to pay when their fishing boat is destroyed in an explosion. Lyle investigates further, discovering that the father once served a prison sentence for insurance fraud. Beatrice meets a local artist, Alan, and joins his life class as the model. The council takes revenge on Snell after his many small plots of land prevent them from building anything. Peter meets Christopher Waller's parents when he finds out that Simon's bank account has been regularly paying out to them.

A girl's parents retain Peter to sue Cambridge University because she has not been offered a place. Peter visits his old tutor to investigate and learns that Simon contacted him for money shortly before he disappeared. Gloria is upset because it is a year since her husband died, and her son is picked up by the police for breaking windows in the town. Lyle assists Snell in a scheme to stop the gas company building on a piece of local grazing land. Beatrice uses Lyle to win back Alan, but on discovering that Alan has again been cheating on his sister Peter confronts him.

Peter faces a tricky task when he tries to find a middle ground in the minefield of scientific research and animal rights. Nigel and Lyle set out to save an order of nuns from eviction. Beatrice attempts to distract Peter after he questions her about Petra's father.