Alice tells Lynda about Constanza’s kidnapping and Lynda insists Harrison find the culprit.

Radio Times: Kenton has a brainwave

Characters: Alice, Elizabeth, Harrison, Jolene, Kenton, Lynda

• Alice comes upon Jolene as she waters her flower baskets. Alice has the effrontery to tease Jolene about drinking too much at the hen party. Alice hears about the llama kidnapping. Elizabeth arrives because one of her groups has been moved to The Bull because of the loss of the alcohol licence.
• Elizabeth questions Kenton about the details of the group’s meeting. They discuss the fee but Kenton is more interested in helping Elizabeth through all this.
• Alice asks Lynda how Constanza survived her ordeal. Once again, Alice has shown herself to be criminally clueless. She tells Lynda about the hen party prank. Lynda is outraged and swears to find out the perpetrator so the person can be properly punished.
• Kenton has an idea and leaves the room to make a phone call. He returns with the news that a mate of his who has an off licence on an estate, is always having his alcohol licence suspended. All he does is put the licence in another person’s name and he is free to carry on trading. Kenton offers to carry the alcohol licence for Lower Loxley. Elizabeth is a bit skeptical but notes she will check it out with Usha when she brings Freddie for a session. Kenton and Jolene are pleased at having the real ale group for lunch. Kenton is wary of poaching Elizabeth’s clients but Jolene is worried that Kenton taking the licence isn’t legal. Elizabeth calls and Usha has said it wouldn’t make any difference for Kenton taking over the licence since the investigation has already begun.
• Lynda confronts Harrison and she is outraged he isn’t concerned about ‘theft’. To get to Ambridge Hall she must have had to walk along the road. When Harrison mentions he fashioned a lead, Lynda is angry that he was a party. If he refuses to investigate, she will go to his superior. Lynda is deadly serious and she wants to know who carried out the offence.
• Harrison visits Alice. He asks her if she was responsible for the llama kidnap. The general consensus is that Alice has a reputation for drunken escapades. Alice is indignant but she does confess that she is the one who spilled the beans. It was bad enough having to arrest Freddie Pargetter, Harrison moans, but now he has to spend the run up to his wedding investigating all his guests.