Plot

A death in custody takes Jane into prison, where she comes face-to-face with notorious child killer Sidney Sutton. She begins to hope that she may be able to use this case to find the final resting place of his teenage victim.

Called to the local jail after inmate Charlie Macendrick has over-dosed Jane is approached by his cell-mate Sidney Sutton, a man accused of murdering Sophie Marks eight years earlier though no body was found. Sutton tells Jane that Macendrick was killed by another prisoner Malik Negasi, who soon afterwards absconds, helped by greedy officer Ben Arnold in a quest to find money supposedly hidden by Macendrick. Jane soon realizes that one of the parties involved is manipulating her for their own advantage but must first rescue her daughter Beth, who has been abducted by a desperate man in order to learn the truth about two murders and to locate Sophie's body.—don @ minifie-1

Emergency Services gets a call from a man calling about Sophie Marks, a girl that went missing. He says that they need to look at Salts Quarry, under the "three hares." The South Dart Police CSI team is investigating the site. DS Davey is on site, supervising, while a woman attempts to rush into the scene. She is Yvonne, the mother of Sophie Marks. Davey rushes out to stop her, upset that she even knows to come here. She tells Davey she "knows" it is the place where her daughter is. The investigation team has found something.

At a prison, a man is returning books to the prison library. A corrections officer, Mr. Arnold, questions him about his upcoming appeal, suggesting the judge will be tough. He taunts the man saying he ought to keep the books checked out since he won't win his appeal. The man returns the taunt, saying the officer is the one most likely to be there till they die, not him. As he leaves, another inmate approaches the librarian, asking what he has for him.

Police frogmen pull out a heavy chest from the lake by the moor. They drop it, and out tumbles out a bit of cloth and some iron tools. Yvonne is devastated thinking it had been her daughter's body, found at last. Davey promises to find and prosecute the anonymous caller. Yvonne lashes out at Davey and the police, saying they didn't do enough in the beginning to save her daughter.

At the prison, an inmate, the one who was talking to the librarian, pulls out someone from a cell, who is unresponsive, and yells for an ambulance. The man who returned the books grabs the inmate who pulls out the unconscious man, and assaults him. The corrections officers separate them, but the man glares at the other.

Devon Coroner Jane Kennedy and her assistant Clint arrive at the prison to investigate the death of the man. Jane meets with the warden, Mags. The death is suspected as a heroin overdose. The warden laments the man was eligible for parole soon. He was in for burglary, doing three years. There were rumors he had a stash of valuables on the outside, waiting for him to leave prison, but the warden considers it just a story.

Jane and Clint are shown into the cell of the man, Charlie, who had died. Malik, the man who found him, said he was unconscious from the beginning. Mr. Arnold is dubious. Clint finds a letter on the shelf, which surprisingly is addressed to Jane. Inside is a letter from Sidney Sutton, the man who returned the books and who later assaulted Malik, and also Charlie's cellmate. It says he has information about Charlie's death, and asks her to return to talk with him. Sutton is a well known criminal, and his appeal is underway.

Clint is creeped out that Sutton knew that Jane would be in the cell. He says that Sutton was notorious for being "one step ahead" all the time. Sutton was convicted of killing one of his students -- Sophie Marks, whom Clint knew personally. Her body was never found, but she was last seen in the company of Sutton, and her hair was found in his car.

Davey meets Jane and Clint outside her office, asking for the postmortem on Charlie. She says it was confirmed as a heroin overdose, although he had a needle puncture in a strange place, far more opiates than one would typically take, and some broken ribs, likely from CPR. Clint tells Davey about Jane's letter from Sutton, and Davey warns her that he is a "nasty bit of work." In the prison, at lights out, Malik is sharing a cigarette with his cellmate. He begins to read a book; a history of Devon. In the book is an image of a drawing of the three hares.

The next morning, Jane is looking for her car keys. Judith warns her not to let Sidney Sutton get into her head, saying he is evil. She empathizes with Yvonne, not knowing what happened to her daughter for years. She implies that if Sutton wins his appeal and is released, Judith might have to take matters into her own hands.

Davey arrives with a file on Charlie. Judith strongly hints to Davey that he drive her to the prison and sit in on the meeting, which he accedes to, saying it could actually help his own investigation. Jane agrees but insists she run the interview. Judith suddenly "finds" Jane's keys under her napkin.

At the prison, Sutton speaks with Jane about Charlie, saying he was his first cellmate in years, which was nice. Charlie had been the prison librarian, so Sutton found him intellectually stimulating. Unfortunately, he says, Charlie was too addicted to drugs and the dealers pressed on him to keep selling. Sutton then asks Arnold for a glass of chilled water to get him to leave the room.

Davey presses Sutton to keep talking. Sutton mentions that the dealers who were pushing on Charlie were planning to uncover his rumored stash of valuables. Davey says Charlie didn't have anything, he spent everything he stole, but Sutton insists he had some left over for after his sentence, and his dealers wanted it.

Davey says it doesn't make sense for the dealers to kill their best customer and implies Sutton is lying, but Sutton expects to win his appeal within days and doesn't need drama, saying he just wants justice for Charlie. He says that Charlie's dealer will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He identifies Malik as Charlie's dealer, and warns Jane that Malik has already been researching her, as well as her daughter. This unnerves Jane, as Sutton goes on to mention Beth by name. Davey gets protective. Sutton continues, suggesting Malik will work to find out everything about Beth, find her online presence, copy her photos, share them with fellow inmates, turn Beth into a prison darling. Davey becomes aggressive, but Arnold dresses him down. Sutton then digs in at Davey, using his outburst as evidence that the police use pressure tactics, violence, and planting evidence just to get a conviction, with no regard for truth. Davey gets confrontational, and Jane stands up to him and tells him to leave the room. He does, and Jane composes herself and sits back down with Sutton.

On her way out of the prison, Jane calls Beth to check up on her. Davey is waiting outside by her car. She is angry with him saying he promised he would let her run the show. Davey tells her that Sutton can't be trusted, he plays mind games with people and gets into their heads to unnerve them. He made up the whole bit about Malik and Beth just to get her off guard. As he walks to the other car door, Jane silently drives off, leaving him there. At the prison, officers are doing cell checks. Malik is waiting across from his own cell. The officers find a prohibited item, and Arnold walks out with a cellphone wrapped in a towel. Malik denies it has anything to do with him. The warden is disappointed and sends Malik to solitary for a week. Malik protests but Arnold has him restrained. As he's being taken away, he pleads with them not to let him get framed.

Yvonne Marks visits Jane's office. She knows Jane met with Sutton, and wants to know if he revealed anything new about her daughter's disappearance. Jane clarifies that her interview had to do with an unrelated case, but Yvonne is saddened. She thinks Sutton will win his appeal, and it's not right as he will walk free while Yvonne still has no closure. She leaves upset.

The warden, Mags, is on the phone for Jane. She tells her about the phone they found in Malik's cell, which had accessed Beth's social media and downloaded some of her photos, as Sutton had said. Davey arrives at Jane's place, annoyed at having to find his own way back. She tells him about the phone. She points out that Davey is not looking at the cases objectively, and noticed Davey's reaction when Sutton talked about police planting evidence. She confronts him about whether evidence was tampered with in Sutton's case. Davey demurs, saying he wasn't involved in the case. But he concedes that he was uneasy that the evidence tying Sutton to Marks came at the last minute, during the third search of Sutton's car after two searches had found nothing. Davey justifies it by saying that regardless of whether it was planted or not, Sutton is guilty. Sutton had a history of being fired from jobs for inappropriate behavior.

At home, Beth is remarking at her friend's Instagram likes. Jane says she's seen what Beth posts herself, and that it's not safe. Beth feels like she's spying on her. Jane tells her not to post any more public photos, or else she will take Beth's phone away. Beth finds it unfair.

Clint arrives with footage from the CCTV at the prison. There was a major fight between Charlie and Malik in the library. Jane wants to speak with Malik.

At the station, Davey shares Malik's file. Malik is in prison for life, for being the ringleader of a gang that stabbed a boy for selling drugs in their territory. Jane asks about a history regarding teenage girls, but there isn't one. Jane starts to wonder if Sutton was right, that Charlie's death wasn't an accidental overdose. They roleplay the possibility that Charlie was grabbed from behind, knocked down, pinned, and injected with a massive dose of heroin. Davey asks, if so, then whom? Jane theorizes it could have been as Sutton suggested, part of a ploy to get Charlie's stash, and that maybe they only planned to drug him for information instead of kill him.

Davey and Jane go to the prison to interrogate Malik. They show him the footage of the argument with Charlie in the library and ask what it was about. Malik says it was about overdue books. The warden impresses upon him the importance of cooperating, but Malik says she never believes anything he says so it doesn't matter. Jane asks if Malik was Charlie's dealer, which he scoffs at. Davey points out his criminal record, but Malik insists he's put that behind him. Davey asks about Charlie's money, which Malik dismisses. He wonders where they are getting these ideas from, and then realizes it must be Sutton. Malik then says that his argument with Charlie was over Sutton. Charlie was terrified of Sutton, and Malik suggested he move cells but Charlie was scared it would upset Sutton more. Charlie offered Malik a cut of his money for Malik to protect him from Sutton.

Arnold takes Malik back to his solitary cell. Malik asks Arnold if he thinks they believed him. He tells Arnold that Charlie did have money, but let the location slip out. Arnold wonders why Malik is telling him, but Malik says he knows about Arnold's money problems, and his family custody issues, so Arnold might be looking for a piece of the pie himself.

Later, the prison alarm is going off. Malik has escaped, and is roaming the moors. Jane and Davey are at the warden's office. They noticed Malik was gone when he didn't respond for wake up call. She is disappointed that Malik would do this. She says the word around the prison is that Malik went to find Charlie's money. She gets a call, and finds out that Arnold also didn't show up today.

Malik is walking through the moors. Over by a tree, he finds a packed bag, with sneakers, maps, water, food, and a shovel.

At the prison, Davey and Jane are going through Malik's things. Davey remarks how just days ago, Malik and Arnold were fighting, and now they appear to be in kahoots. Just then, a cheer rings out through the prison, and Sutton walks in triumphantly in a nice suit. He tells Davey and Jane that in a few hours he will be a free man. He taunts them about not listening to him about Malik, whom he likewise is off with Arnold to live off of Charlie's money. He tells Jane to keep her daughter safe.

Warden Mags comes over with a list of Malik's prison visitors. She is concerned that if Sutton wins his appeal, the prison will be out of control. Davey recognizes someone on the list who has visited Malik twice that week.

Jane and Davey visit Yvonne Marks, who is chagrined to see them. Davey asks her about Malik, and she demurs saying the news is talking all about his escape. Jane presses her about meeting him, which she defends as not being a crime. Jane points out he's suspected in Charlie's murder, but Yvonne scoffs, saying Malik hasn't killed anyone, and Sutton is playing them for fools.

Malik and Arnold are out by some ruins in the moors. Malik is digging, and says he's found something. Arnold pushes him aside and starts clawing through the dirt.

At Yvonne's she tells Davey and Jane that Malik had reached out to her. Yvonne started a victims support group after her daughter's disappearance, and Malik reached her through their contact info. Malik told Yvonne he would help find Sophie. She thought it was a sick joke, but then found out he was in the same prison as Sutton, she went to visit him. This upset Malik as her presence would put him on Sutton's bad side. She had thought that the anonymous call to the police about Salts Quarry had been thanks to Malik, which is why she was sure it would be fruitful. When it wasn't, she returned upset at Malik, who instead told her about his friend Charlie, who he said had been killed by Sutton, and that he would be next. It turns out that Charlie heard Sutton talk in his sleep about burying something, and he told Malik about it, thinking it must be Sophie's remains.

Davey asks if she knew Malik was going to escape. He suggests Malik and Arnold are out to recover Charlie's money, but Yvonne rejects it, saying Malik wasn't like that. Jane presses her to tell them everything, and she admits she left some supplies for Malik in the moors.

Jane and Davey drive up to the spot. Davey wonders if Malik really was working to help Yvonne. Jane starts to rethink everything about the case, admitting that Sutton played her regarding Beth, to scare and distract her.

At the house, someone is looking through the windows and sees Beth, who seems to be home alone. Beth hears a sound downstairs, and calls out, but no one answers. She grabs a field hockey stick.

Davey has the warden listen to the emergency services call that gave the anonymous tip about Sophie Marks, and she identifies it as Charlie's voice. She told him that perhaps Sutton planted the phone in Malik's cell. Clint comes out and informs them that Sutton won his appeal and is being released.

Beth searches her house, wielding the stick. Suddenly someone comes from behind her and grabs her -- it's Arnold. He says he won't hurt her, but he needs to speak with Jane. Beth breaks free and whacks his legs with the stick, temporarily immobilizing him. She grabs for the phone and calls emergency services.

Davey laments Sutton's exoneration. Jane wishes Malik had called. Clint appears with a copy of the book that Malik was reading. She thinks that Malik was really trying to help Yvonne, and doing research based on the info Charlie heard from Sutton. She leafs through the book, and comes across the seal of the three hares, an ancient Devonian miners' symbol. Just then Jane gets a frantic call from her mother.

Arnold is racing through the streets in his jeep, with Beth in the back seat, who he tells to stay down. Police are at Jane's house, having received Beth's emergency call. CSI is inspecting the house. Davey says that they are trying to track down Sutton's whereabouts. Jane is distraught, having realized it was Sutton after all who was stalking Beth online, not Malik. With Malik escaped, Sutton needs to be as far from him as possible.

Arnold takes Beth to the ruins in the moors. He apologizes to Beth, but says he needs her mother to listen to him, that he's not a murderer. Beth asks what he did, and he says it was an accident. He has Beth call her mother. When Jane picks up, Arnold takes the phone and identifies himself, He tells her he never meant for things to happen, and insists that she doesn't involve the police. He tells her to come up to Salt's Tin Mine, alone. Judith urges her to tell Davey.

Jane drives out to the site with Davey. Arnold is holding Beth precariously near a deep shaft. He demands they hear him out. He asks them to understand it was an accident. Malik had brought Arnold out under the auspices of finding and splitting Charlie's money stash. But instead, it was to find Sophie Marks' remains. Arnold was furious to find he'd been tricked, grabs Malik, and then accidentally flings him into the shaft. Arnold goes into the shaft via a rope, but Malik is covered in blood and unresponsive.

Jane begs Arnold to let Beth go and says she will help as much as she is able. Arnold gets irrational, saying he only needed a bit of money, saying it was a waste of police resources to find a dead body, and upset that no one cares. Davey tries to commiserate with him, saying they both have hackles with the system. But he implores Ben not to become just as bad as the criminals he works with. Ben lets Beth go, and Davey looks down the shaft. Arnold says it's too late, but Davey asks if he's sure. Davey takes the rope into the shaft. He finds Malik, who still has a pulse. Malik starts to stir.

Davey comes to the house the next day to check on Beth, who thanks him with a hug. He tells them that the remains Malik found were in fact Sophie Marks. He also lets them know that Sutton was caught trying to leave the country, and has been re-arrested for Charlie's murder.

At the prison, Sutton is in solitary. He stares down at his food and utensils. He hears cheering, and it's Malik returning, alive, injured, but healthy. He has a get well card from Yvonne.

Jane arrives at Coroners Court, where Yvonne is waiting. They walk into court together.

The coroner's verdict for the death of Charlie Macendrick: Unlawful Killing. Her verdict for the death of Sophie Marks: Unlawful Killing.