In a residential street in Edinburgh, brothers Max and Jake run down an old man while Jake is driving them back from a wedding, stoned and uninsured. They carry on with their lives hoping Walter's death will be passed off as natural causes but the brothers end up being pulled further into Walter's world.

Max tries to derail the private detective he engaged to assuage Walter's niece Angie's fears. Max is also dealing with threats from Walter's neighbour Sheila, who reveals that she witnessed something that night. For a price she will keep her mouth shut. Can Max convince his increasingly suspicious wife, Claire, to part with the money under the guise of yet another lie?

Angie and Jake's burgeoning but complex relationship has hit a problem. Jake has a few suspicions about her, but she manages to explain away his worries. Jake wants to make things work, but she gives him a reality check. How would they live off Jake's record shop, given Max controls the finances, a fact that baffles Angie. Jake starts asking questions about why Max controls the shop's accounting and as a result pressure is applied to Max from another source.

Sheila claims ignorance when she discovers Walter's real niece has contacted the solicitor. In order to protect his brother, Max orders Jake to leave the country with Angie promising to sort everything out. Angie has still not shaken off her suspicions of Max and sets about proving to Jake that Max is not looking after his brother's best interests.

In an Edinburgh cellar, two gunshots ring out. Across town, Max McCall is released from prison. These two events gradually come together as Max tries to rebuild his life, whilst new arrival Erin is trying to save hers. Roy Lynch rebuffs Max's efforts at a reconciliation, leaving Max to turn to Kenny for help despite their troubled history. But this is a newly confident Kenny with a budding new relationship, and he provides Max with a tougher challenge than expected. It appears that Max's fall from grace is complete. But he has a secret motivation to reveal.

In Edinburgh's Leith area, a vast redevelopment is being promised by the mysterious Phoenix company, but something lies in the way. A rundown church, and its fearless Minister Sandy. When Max and Kenny pursue the truth of their illicit work for Roy, they find themselves crossing paths with Sandy and coming off worse. Kenny and Yvonne grow closer, causing her issues at work. Meanwhile, we meet Teddy who is determined to discover the truth of his brother's death and looks up an old friend for help.