Suicide pact or murder? Barnaby quickly discovers it's the latter when the body of a young man turns up in a hanger at an old disused World War Two airfield. There is also the puzzling disappearance of the victims girlfriend, Laura Sharp. Despite her dubious reputation she seemed popular with many in the local community. Barnaby has to probe deep beneath the soft underbelly of Morton Fendle in order to reveal what Laura actually meant to many of its inhabitants and if one of them may have committed murder on her behalf.