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Spoilers Ahead!
September 1940
In Sam's lodgings she is woken during the night by another young woman warning her of an air-raid, but is too tired to be bothered to take shelter. The house receives a direct hit. Sam and her landlady are unhurt, but the other young woman, Jenny Wentworth, is killed. In the ensuing chaos, while the ARP warden is dealing with matters outside, two members of the AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) enter the building, but once inside, one keeps watch while the other loots the bombed premises, taking only small items that he can secrete in his bag. Colin Morton, a photographer with a local paper, is taking pictures outside.
Early next morning, Foyle, unaware of what has happened to Sam, is walking through the crown court premises when he is hailed by a barrister, Arthur Lewes. Lewes is an old acquaintance Foyle has not seen in twenty years; he explains that he now has a house at Romney Point on the Hastings coast. He invites Foyle to dinner that evening to meet a visiting American industrialist, Howard Paige, who made his fortune as the inventor of the synchromeshed gear system. Paige has important business with the British government and will be returning soon to Washington; Lewes wants to give him an idea of what life is like on the south coast in wartime. Foyle is reluctant, but accepts. The two men are joined by Lewes' wife, Elizabeth. She greets Foyle with a smile and he doffs his hat in response.
Milner comes looking for his boss. As Foyle parts company with Arthur and Elizabeth, his sergeant tells him that he has news about Sam. The two men find her sat in the garden of her lodging house amidst furniture that has been salvaged from the wreckage. She immediately apologises for not having reported for duty that morning, but Foyle, very concerned, tells her that "It couldn't matter less." They are approached by Sam's landlady who reports that immediately after the raid, a coin collection and jewellery were stolen from the burning house.
Back at the station, Foyle asks Sam where she is going to live now and she replies that she will find something. About the reported looting, Milner confirms that the warden had the house boarded up and Sam lists the people who were around after the bomb hit: the ambulance service, a doctor, 4 members of the AFS and a photographer from The Eastbourne Chronicle.
Waiting at their base for the next callout, four AFS men talk about their looting activities. Kenny Hunter, the youngest of them, is afraid that they will be caught and tells the others that new regulations make looting a hanging offence. He is concerned that his father, Richard, may be suspecting something and he doesn't want to be a part of it any more. As he leaves, the other men agree that something must be done about the boy and his father.
As Kenny's mother puts a sparse evening meal on the table, the boy talks to his father about the possibility of taking a training course run by De Havilland aviation. When he is told that there is no money to pay for it, he says he can get money of his own. His father warns him that he knows what he is doing and is going to put a stop to it. Kenny says that his father has not done anything for twenty years so why start now. Richard walks out. He goes to the local pub where he learns that Howard Paige is visiting Hastings; the news is of interest to him.
Paige arrives at the Arthur Lewes' house on the coast with a British government "minder", John Bishop. Paige tells Lewes that his job in England is nearly done and Lewes comments that he does not know "what we would do without you" to which Paige replies "you would lose the goddam war." Elizabeth Lewes joins them and Paige reminisces about the time he and Lewes were students together at Oxford, over twenty years before.
In his home a short distance further down the coast, the local doctor, Dr Redmond is dressing. He, too, is to attend the Lewes' dinner, but does not wish to go. His wife says it is because he does not like Americans and warns him about getting into an argument. He responds to her sharply and she appears to be somewhat afraid of him.
As Arthur and Elizabeth await their guests, Richard Hunter comes to the door, asking to see Paige.
As Sam drives Foyle to the dinner party she talks about the looting at her lodgings and he looks exasperated when he cannot get a word in. Eventually, he manages to say that he does not think the warden was responsible. Sam then asks with whom he is having dinner and he tells her about the barrister he knew years ago. When she comments, "You never mentioned him," he replies tersely, "No." Turning into the driveway of the house, Sam pulls the car up sharply to narrowly avoid knocking down Hunter who scurries away into the night.
Inside the house, Foyle (in black dinner suit and bow tie) is welcomed by Elizabeth who looks at him adoringly. He maintains a certain reserve and stands with his hands behind his back as she asks about Andrew and tells him of her family. He learns that she named one of her two sons Christopher.
Back at the police station, Sam accepts an offer from Milner, whose wife is away, to stay in his home until she can find lodgings. They agree not to mention the arrangement to their boss whom they think would certainly disapprove.
While the Lewes' dinner proceeds, a light signals from Romney Point out across the bay. As the Lewes' guests depart after the dinner party, Elizabeth asks to meet with Foyle. He is very discomforted, but agrees.
Down on the edge of the beach below the Lewes' house, Richard Hunter is waiting for someone; he has a gun. Not far away, Colin Morton, fearful of being caught inside a building during an air raid, settles down to sleep in his car.
Dr Redmond and his wife walk home from the dinner. Their house is the only other one on Romney Point. Mrs R goes indoors, but her husband, looking grim, says he is going for a walk.
A dinghy is being rowed towards the beach by its lone occupant. The man ducks as he hears a gunshot and the sound of breaking glass. Shortly afterwards, a shadowy figure runs away from the beach and past the photographer's car, waking Morton.
Early next morning Sam tells Foyle that she is staying with a friend, and Mrs Hunter calls at the police station to report her husband missing.
Foyle learns from Milner that out of six known looting incidents following bombing, Morton has turned up to photograph four and a particular group of AFS volunteers has attended five. Foyle visits Henry Jamieson, the AFS station officer. The man objects to being questioned, saying it is attack on the integrity of the men in his team. Foyle has the station searched, but nothing is found. Foyle then goes to the newspaper office, but the photographer is not in.
Back in the station, Foyle and Milner wonder why the looters appear to be selective, leaving behind valuables such as a fur coat and a pocket watch. The station sergeant informs Foyle that the officer in charge of the Home Guard has reported the capture of a German spy. Foyle goes to investigate.
The colonel tells him that on the previous night lights had been seen signalling out to sea from Romney Point and that the captured man was picked up because he tried to order a pint of beer at ten in the morning, indicating that he was ignorant of licensing laws. Foyle interviews the prisoner who tells him that he is a Dutch refugee by the name of Hans Maier. As Foyle leaves, the man asks if he investigates murder in a time of war. Foyle replies yes, but the man says no more. The colonel asks Foyle if thinks Maier is a spy. Foyle replies: "Well, if he is, he's ill-prepared, ill-equipped and his entire mission seems to have been put together without any knowledge or understanding or of this country whatsoever. Let's hope they're all like that."
At the station, Foyle is told that a body has been found on the beach below Arthur Lewes' house. There are no means of identification, but in a pocket is an old key attached to a cogwheel. From photographs, Folye recognises the man as the person Sam nearly knocked over the previous evening. Maier's boat has also been found, beached one and a half miles west of where the body lay at Romney Point.
Foyle and Milner go to the Lewes' home where they learn that the dead man is Richard Hunter, known to the couple because he had done odd jobs for them. Paige explains that Hunter had asked him for money because he knew him to be wealthy, but he had been sent away with nothing. As Foyle leaves, Bishop tells him that Paige is in high-level negotiations with the government and asks the policeman in warning tones not to harass him. Foyle is not impressed and replies sarcastically, "In the same sort of way you're harassing me? I'll do my best."
Foyle and Milner's next call is on Richard Hunter's wife and son. Mrs Hunter explains that her husband did little work because of his nerves and he was being treated by Dr Redmond. The key found on Hunter is to his garden shed where he kept his tools. Kenny says that his father spent a lot of time in there, drinking.
The newspaper photographer learns about the body found on the beach not far from where he was sleeping in his car.
Foyle and Milner call on Dr Redmond who tells him that Hunter was an alcoholic. Mrs R enters the room and asks if Foyle is there because of the signals reported the previous night. Redmond disdainfully dismisses the report, but Foyle informs him that a man has been captured who appears to have come into the country by boat. Foyle tells Mrs R about Hunter's body being found. Redmond says, "He shot himself?" and Foyle replies that it seems so. Redmond is not surprised and says that Hunter was a wreck of a human being who had made a mess of his life, even though he had started out well, being educated at Oxford.
Morton calls at the police station to see Foyle, saying he has important information. The uniformed sergeant explains that the DCS is out, but he will leave a note on his desk re the photographer's visit.
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