Silent Witness

Leo and Harry are called to investigate the unexpected deaths of three patients on the same ward at a London hospital, and are introduced to DC Julia Catina and DI Frank Skipper. Suspicion falls on a professor, but when he commits suicide, Nikki comes under pressure from his daughter to find a reason for his actions, and the pathologist soon makes a link to a case involving rape and murder.

Nikki receives a frosty reception from Silverlake's wife when she inquires about his use of antidepressants, and the stress of the case begins to take its toll on her psychological wellbeing. With his colleague teetering on the brink of a breakdown, Harry insists she see a psychiatrist, but a later discovery prompts him to realise he has placed her in mortal danger.

A preserved female body is found buried in a Sheffield peat moor, and DI Sonia Hardwick calls in archaeologist Patrick Cain to help with the investigation, assisted by Nikki. When an examination of the corpse suggests a sexually motivated attack, Leo suspects there is a link to a serial killer case he dealt with in 1985, but following the lead means returning to his home town and confronting the memories of his dead wife and child.

DI Hardwick requests that Leo investigate the death of Kelly Summers, and evidence found on the crime scene, combined with Harry's post-mortem examination, suggests she fell victim to a copycat killer emulating the 1985 Bentley murders. Meanwhile, Bill Fisher is taken into custody when he attacks a journalist who turned up at the farmhouse to interview his wife Carol.

Nikki is called to perform a post mortem on the body of a woman found in a river, and the discovery that she had recently given birth causes the pathologist to worry her child may be abandoned somewhere. Meanwhile, Harry investigates the apparent suicide of a lieutenant at a nearby Army base, and suspicions soon arise that the two cases may be linked.

An X-ray of Lt Lockford's skull reveals a second bullet, confirming suspicions that he was murdered. Meanwhile, Danny Ferris's father is not satisfied with the verdict on his son's death, and asks Nikki to perform a second post-mortem, and as the investigation continues to unravel, a tragic secret is revealed at Hillsdon Army Base.

Harry is called to Budapest by Hungarian human rights lawyer Anna Sandor to perform a second post-mortem on the body of a drowned prostitute. He begins to help his lover investigate the suspicious death, but finds himself implicated in her murder when she is killed in her bed. The pathologist calls on Leo for help as he is forced to retreat underground while continuing to work on the case.

Nikki flies out to Budapest to help Leo with the investigation into Anna's death, but with Tibor Orban scrutinising their every move, there seems little they can do. However, when one of the girls reveals the complex truth behind the prostitution racket, the pathologists realise the plot may extend farther than they imagined.

Harry and Nikki investigate a shooting at the Dutch embassy, where several people are killed and the ambassador's daughter Klara is wounded. Complications arise when orders are given to keep the identity of a dead bodyguard a secret, and an outside pathologist is appointed to explore the case. As Klara recovers in hospital, she gradually begins to remember who was responsible for the incident.

Harry is given cause to question the identity of the bodyguard killed in the Embassy shooting, and when Nikki finds evidence refuting Pieter's claim that his brother Diederick died years earlier, discrepancies begin to appear in the ambassador's story. However, a harrowing discovery at the Van Buren family home sheds new light on the past, and exposes a tragic secret.