Nancy is a detective sergeant who hides a longstanding loyalty to a haulier and drugs trafficker named Frank. When a clandestine meeting ends in murder and Nancy is caught in the crossfire, her link to Frank suddenly risks being exposed. Seconded to the murder investigation in her home town of Brighton, she finds herself playing a very dangerous game, as under the gaze of her new colleagues, Nancy must track down the killer while all the time concealing her role as the missing witness. When someone connected to the investigation is attacked and a vital piece of evidence goes astray, Nancy realises with horror that the killer is close, and may be getting inside help from the police.
A wounded and mistrustful Nancy desperately needs an ally - but she cannot open up to Hayley for fear of putting them both in danger. When the police make a public appeal hoping to find the missing witness, Nancy is unexpectedly forced into the spotlight, which also brings an old enemy out of the woodwork. Soon after Nancy receives a package, and she realises that someone is on to her. She warns DS Kevin O'Dowd that there is a leak on the team, but cannot say more for fear of exposure. Meanwhile, the murder investigation focuses on Frank Le Saux's accountant, Theo Kettler. When a witness links Theo to a Newhaven garage suspected of drugs trafficking, the police mount a surveillance operation. Pursuing her own dangerous investigation, Nancy finds herself at the same location - only to stumble into a second shocking murder.