Sidney is woken in the early hours by a fire in the village and, putting his life on the line, races to rescue Marion Taylor from the burning house, much to the relief of her husband Dominic. But there are questions surrounding the blaze - was it really an accident, and why was Marion so reluctant to leave? Normally Sidney would turn to Geordie to help solve a mystery like this, but he finds the detective is far from his usual self. When Dominic is then found stabbed to death, it's Geordie's junior, Atkins, who is sent to head up the case - and he's not exactly a fan of interfering vicars.