Thursday 1 May 2008 9:00pm - 10:00pm

When the body of College Principal Simon Nimmo is found crushed to death in a lift shaft at a local school, Burke and the team are brought in to investigate.

It soon becomes clear that the lift mechanism had been deliberately tampered with, transforming it into a highly effective murder weapon. But what drew him into the shaft, and who had the knowledge of how to doctor the lift?

The finger of suspicion initially falls upon his wife, Laura, when it is uncovered that Nimmo was having an affair with his PA. Could she have sought revenge for his infidelity? And what about their daughter’s boyfriend, Brian Meehan, who saw Nimmo the night he died?

Meanwhile Fraser is pre-occupied at work and he starts to make mistakes which doesn’t go down well with Burke. He asks Reid to cover for him and the reason for his distraction soon becomes clear when he arranges to meet his mother, whose identity he has found out from the adoption agency.

Unfortunately, when the time comes for the two to meet face-to-face for the first time, he doesn’t get the reception he was hoping for.

As the team continues to delve into Nimmo’s activities, it comes to light that a rival principal had been blackmailing him for his past sexual indiscretions with pupils. Reid suspects the motive for murder was greed. Ross agrees, but his suspicions lie with Nimmo’s deputy, Dr Kovac. When a background check on Kovac reveals past experience in building maintenance, Ross is certain he has his man.

Meanwhile, Fraser acts on a hunch and looks into Meehan’s background, making a startling revelation that leads him to a dangerous confrontation.

This episode of Taggart is written by Stuart Hepburn.