Five months after the events of the last series, DS MarcellaBackland is called to a house where a workman has drilledthrough a wall and discovered an ear. When the wall is takendown, Marcella is horrified to discover that the ear belongedto Leo Priestley, a 7-year old boy who's been missing for fouryears and who knew her son. Leo was meant to walk home withEdward, Marcella's son on the day he went missing.Leo'sdiscovery puts Marcella in confrontation with a previouslyconvicted child abuser, Phil Dawkins. Dawkins is open toMarcella about being a non-practising paedophile – his urgesare deemed unacceptable by society and he takes precautions tocontrol them. Following his release from prison he's tried tomove on to an acceptable life but Marcella struggles to movepast Phil's admission.
