 Charlie Walker has escaped from police custody and is the object of a massive police manhunt. Andy just happens to be in the area and spends the night in a local pub when his car breaks down. The pub is owned by Walker s parents-in-law but he was convicted of murdering their daughter so they don t want much of anything to do with him. When one of the pub s barmaids, Sally Craig, is found mauled to death, Dalziel, now joined by Pascoe and DS Milligan, investigate. Sally was having a fling with a local dog breeder whose wife had recently told her to stay away from her husband but she was also the key witness against Walker at his trial.