Taggart

- Season 20

(2003)

A famous novelist is found murdered in an alley the morning after a prestigious book launch and the police team's only lead is a drugged and confused prostitute.

Billy McCree is murdered in his work-shop and his severed hand is found next to him. The obvious suspect is Jim Naysmith, just out of jail after a twenty year stretch, thanks to Billy's evidence. Burke investigates the Naysmith gang whilst Robbie is flattered when Mary, a young law student, asks to shadow him. Forensics office Gemma, however, believes that Mary may have an ulterior motive for her interest in Robbie.

The team travel to rural Fenmore after a farmer is suspiciously killed in a house fire, but find few clues and the villagers unwilling to offer any information.

When lawyer Richard Fleet is shot dead suspicion initially falls on his widow Adele and his partner Charlie Muir who were having an affair. However, when Muir is also murdered, Burke uncovers a wholly different motive. A group of residents were taking a company called Arcadia to court on the grounds that they had caused pollution, leading to illnesses such as leukaemia. Both lawyers represented the residents and therefore may have attracted powerful enemies.