Tinker shows signs of depression, and after Lovejoy bawls him out for an incorrect appraisal, he disappears without a word. Although he finds his caravan empty, Lovejoy discovers a cache of old family photographs and postcards from a vacation resort in Devon. On a hunch he goes there and finds Tinker has sold his trademark checkered three piece suit and black beret and is living in his sister's hotel. After Lovejoy apologizes for his behavior, Tinker reveals that he's not going to leave without trying to help his older sister. she and her wheelchair-bound husband own a beautiful hotel on Burgh Island but are financially strapped and in danger of losing the property to a developer. In its glory days the lodging played host to celebrities like Mrs. Wallis Simpson, Noel Coward, and Agatha Christie, but currently is hosting a convention for model train enthusiasts. The key to saving the hotel and getting Tink back is discovering the location of the legendary treasure trove of a notorious smuggler hidden centuries earlier.
—duke1029@aol.com