An archaeological dig on the proposed site of a motorway bypass reveals the remains of a six-month-old body buried beneath the surface. While Dalziel sets his eyes firmly on the forensic pathologist investigating the case, Pascoe decides to do a little digging, and uncovers an entangled web involving a crooked councillor, bent surveyor and a highly dangerous team of workmen, who after a spat in the local pub, go crazy and decide to completely destroy the dig site, setting fire to archaeological equipment, attacking the volunteers and using a JCB to crush their vehicle into a pulp. But surveying the carnage the next morning, the body of one of the workmen, Tarzan, is found in his caravan bludgeoned to death. And DNA puts recently released convicted murder Clive Jacobs right at the scene, although he insists he is innocent. Meanwhile, Lateef makes a breakthrough on the unidentified body.
