A seemingly idyllic family's life is shattered when husband Spencer Marris is abducted from his home on Waiheke Island. Jess gets a call from her dead husband, Alex.

Was Spencer's abduction about sex or money? Jess learns more of Spencer's background and the compromises his wife made in the marriage. The blackmailer pays a visit.

When a child's skeleton is dug up on a dope plantation, suspicion falls on the local Maori community and nearby commune dwellers. Harding has difficulty separating the investigation from his own memories of foster care.

Jess's relationship with the commune founders complicates the investigation. The blackmailer loses patience with Jess, and Harding catches her in a compromising position.

A stabbing at a building site inevitably throws immigrant workers under suspicion. Harding comes up with a plan to turn the tables on Jess's blackmailer.

A death puts Sarah Scully in the spotlight, and Jess tries to figure out what Ruby's role was. Jess discovers who her blackmailer is, to her horror.

Denise's defense of her girlfriend from a frenzied attack has devastating results. A local vineyard hides a dark secret. Jess accuses Ruby's friends of hiding the truth.

Jess finally confronts her blackmailer. Harding meets his sister Nadia after years of estrangement, but the encounter doesn't go anything like he planned.