Choked off

The first Stoney Cross Arts Festival is due to commence on Saturday. The enlisting of a local radio presenter to advertise their efforts had added extra excitement. But delight soon turns to dismay when the broadcaster, Marcus Willoughby, moves into a house in Stoney Cross the day before the Festival. He turns out to be someone from various people's pasts; someone whom they had hoped never to see again, and who greets them with malice in his eyes. To those he had never met, he proves to be a smarmy, spiteful bigot, who takes great delight in verbally shredding their artistic efforts. When he is found dead in his new home, no crocodile tears are shed. His demise is even presented on air, during his pre-recorded radio show Marcus having been 'choked off' for good while in full flow. His arrival in the village had obviously caused a few already guilty hearts to beat faster, and precipitates the hasty confessions of dark deeds thought long since buried. Into this welter of emotions is dispatched DI Harry Falconer, his erstwhile Acting Detective Sergeant, 'Davey' Carmichael riding shotgun, as they enter 'bandit' country once more.