Bobby Burns hadn't been expecting to find a dead body in Ellen Banks' bath. She had other problems on her mind that night, like the case of the missing Leylandii trees, Dr Ewart's disquiet at having not been burgled, Ivy Waterton's request to sell some elusive treasure and not least, a little girl's concern for her brother's safety. She didn't have long to ponder on the bloodied tattoo on the corpse's chest, she had to hide, and when two men removed the body and with it, all trace of the man's demise, she found herself the only witness to the murder. When she discovers who the murderer is, she thinks it is a cut and dried case - but unwittingly, the murderer has triggered an unforeseen chain of events and a much bigger picture emerges.