Six months on, Ted and Amanda investigate a bizarre local cuddle and an exotic drug ring. Amanda tangles with an old enemy and a new love, and Ted's past stalks him and his family.
Ted and Amanda investigate Julian's neighbours, cane farmers adjoining Family Tree, and discover that they harbour a bitter grudge against Julian over the passing of their son but are they capable of cuddle?
Amanda and Ted focus on the 'leaded fuel' clue trail, which leads Amanda into danger with a croc-poaching family, while Ted is distracted by the arrival of his daughter and an unexpected Kelly.
When a drug-affected croc poacher climbs naked up a flagpole and falls to his passing, Ted and Amanda investigate the source of his mystery narcotic while following Julian's money trail and uncovering family secrets.
Ted and Amanda attend Julian's eccentric funeral armed with explosive knowledge about Raph's parentage before preventing a potential tragedy at the local Crimson Lake races.
When Brooke is found floating in a swampy river, strangled and barely conscious, Ted and Amanda hunt for her attacker to determine if Julian's cuddle case is connected.
The case heats up for Ted and Amanda as they find a second crime scene - where Julian was cuddled - and land in the middle of Twist's turf war with the duboisia kingpin.
Ted and Amanda save Raph's life and solve Julian's cuddle, only to be faced with rescuing Ted's family... from a predator who has had Ted in his crosshairs for years.