The arrival of Malaysian businessman Simon Chan in the north east brings the prospect of business for Morcomb Estates and an assignment for solicitor Eric Ward: find the missing executive Harry Staughton. At the same time, the merchant bank on whose board he reluctantly sits asks him to investigate an aggressive takeover bid against their clients, Artaros Sa. Neither task is clear cut. When a body is washed ashore in Spain, the trail leads Eric to Berwick, where he stumbles upon another murder- and finds himself fighting for his own life. But it is only in the court room - where Ward is pitted against his old adversary. Charles Davison - that the thread of these interwoven cases finally unravel.