Tim Metcalfe, played by Joe Duttine, finds himself caught in a murder investigation involving his estranged cousin, Richie Parkinson, portrayed by Nathan Sussex, who is accused of killing his wife, Rachel. The situation arose when Tim met Richie, who claimed Rachel died in self-defense after a heated argument. Tim feels a deep sense of guilt, as he had previously encouraged Richie to reconcile with Rachel before her death. Tim has taken in Richie’s deeply traumatized daughter, Lucy Parkinson, played by Anya Lewis, a decision that has caused tension with his wife, Sally Metcalfe, played by Sally Dynevor. Lucy has shown troubling behavior, including daring other foster children to walk alone and staging situations that seem to implicate Sally. Lucy is also expected to react strongly when Sally discovers her art project and asks if it relates to her mother. Tim is more concerned about Richie than Lucy, especially after a recent visit to prison, where Richie demanded that Tim lie to the police about Rachel’s abuse. Tim refused, which angered Richie. A prison guard warned Tim that Richie has a short temper and has fought with several cellmates, raising concerns that Richie might have intentionally killed Rachel. DS Lisa Connor-Swain, played by Vicky Myers, is helping Tim with his doubts about Rachel's death. Tim shared with Lisa about Richie’s pressure to lie to the police and his concerns that Lucy might be pressured in the same way. Unbeknownst to Tim, Lucy overheard their conversation. When Sally and Tim found Lucy sleepwalking, she broke down, claiming everything was her fault. Tim reminded Lisa about their conversation regarding Richie and Lucy, asking her to look into it further. It is also revealed that Christina Boyd, played by Amy Robbins, overheard Tim and Lisa's conversation. Given Christina’s connection to Rachel, it suggests there may be more to the night of Rachel's death than initially understood.