Twenty-four hours have passed since the disappearance of Sharpe's eight-year-old daughter Joanna, and a massive search is underway in the borough. Sharpe realizes that the first twenty-four hours are crucial, and is aware of how serious the situation may become. Her nerves and emotions get the better of her when she is forced to front a press conference appealing for information. Hollis is suspicious of a couple that he questions during door-to-door enquiries on the case. Profiler Joe Kincaid joins the search, but Gilmore is jealous of the attraction between Kincaid and Ashton. Buxton discovers a vital clue to Joanna's disappearance when she questions the staff of a local corner shop.