Sarah Hatfield has gotten her life back under control. The Espial is undergoing a structural change and she’s finally found suitable accommodation for her disabled sister.

All is running smoothly until she hits a snag - she's pregnant. Suddenly, her world is turned upside down once more and the pregnancy isn't the only problem. Karen Gribbin calls the Espial when her daughter, Ellie Treffry, runs away from home. It should be a straightforward case of lost and found but, as Sarah and the Espial agents discover, Ellie doesn't want to be found. In fact, she's threatening to kill herself if her mother ever finds out where she is.

Things aren't as they seem and Sarah soon begins to realise what being a mother is really all about ...

Set 30 years prior to the events in Pawn.