Inspector Bucket has officially been taken off the case of Jacob Marley's murder - but before he goes back to his old station he is determined to have one last shot at solving the conundrum.While he is retracing Marley's last steps with Mr Venus, Bucket arrives at a new theory: this killer was neither a criminal nor a thug, but a scared individual who had been the victim of Marley's punishing debt-collecting. All he has in concrete though is a splinter of wood from the murder weapon.Meanwhile, Compeyson is unaware that Amelia saw him kissing Sally. When he arrives at Satis House, he is surprised by the frosty reception he receives. Will he be able to turn things around again?Having recovered from his drunken excess of last night, Hawdon rushes to Barbary House to discover Honoria a shadow of herself. Honoria informs him of the death of their child and makes a rash decision about their future.Elsewhere, Inspector Bucket uncovers some evidence that finally enables him to solve the murder case.