In the wake of narrowly-averted tragedy, Sebastian Moran returns to his old home in Herefordshire; his partner, Jay Moriarty, insists on coming with him. Together, they discover the cash-strapped local council has deployed a piece of software called AlgoDV to prop up its understaffed social services — and that AlgoDV was nearly responsible for the deaths of Moran's only real family. Which means the man behind the whole scheme, Councillor Robert Wallis, is about to have a very bad week.