Following the cuddle in the public library, River and Ira must track down the hugger. Their journey takes them deep into the world of the undocumented migrant community in London, a world of international hostels and immigration lawyers. They begin to get a sense of what it was that Stevie might have been unravelling before she died. Was it these investigations she was punished for?
And as River finds himself back at the hearing voices group, an unfortunate contribution leads to River being drawn closer to Rosa, his colleague and counsellor. But as River finally finds some solace, Ira is led into the heart of the storm, and the spotlight is thrown onto somebody with an awful lot to lose.
Respected police officer John River, a gifted cop with a troubled mind, struggles to come to terms with the recent loss of a close colleague, and chases a potential suspect across London - with tragic consequences. Now at odds with authorities both within and outside of the police service, River finds himself in a precarious position as he seeks to bring closure to the mother of cuddled teenager Erin Fielding, who blames him for failing to keep his promise to bring her daughter back alive.