Lewis and Hathaway are called in to investigate the death of Reuben Beatty who works at the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychology. He has been discovered dead injected by etorphine, a paralysing agent in the offices of psychic ‘Randolph James’.

Lewis and Hobson are examining the body of murdered Vicki Walmsley when a theft of etorphine is reported by the Garsington Equine Centre. The drug was last used a year earlier on a horse that injured its teenage rider, Joshua Grace – the brother-in-law of Reuben Beatty, the first murder victim.

An embalmed body is discovered dumped by an isolated farm track. Funeral director Brian Miller identifies the body and GP Matt Whitby confirms the gentleman died of cancer. However, when the crematorium confirms that a body was burned, Lewis is left with one question – who was in the coffin?

Liam Jay is in intensive care and Lewis and Alex believe that he has information about the death of Matt Whiby and the mysterious cremation. It is revealed by Emma Barnes that Johnny Jay, Liam’s father, was at the fateful supper party and he is missing as well.

The body of Richard Seager a former Biochemist, is found under a Jaguar Mark 2. The day before, the victim had been collected from prison by his wife, Martha Seager after serving a year for causing death by dangerous driving. Before his death, Seager managed to scratch the number ‘500’ into the car’s paintwork.

Lewis, Hathaway and Hobson look around the new crime scene as Carl Drew, Stella Drew, Martha Seager, Adam Tibbit, Graham Yardley and Adam’s girlfriend Rachel Cliff wait anxiously. The body is revealed to be that of Soo-Min Chong, a Korean student who vanished 15 years ago. Seager was the last person to see her alive, Carl Drew was her boyfriend, and she was Martha’s organ scholar at the chapel. Hathaway is later shocked to discover Adam’s body at the school, with a simple suicide note. Carl, Adam’s former teacher believes that he must have pushed the boy too hard. Forensics end up revealing a close relative of Adam’s had been in Seager’s car. After Martha is found stabbed to death, Lewis and Hathaway start to close in on the killer who is becoming more desperate to cover their tracks.