The Long Shadow does not want to spell out the various errors by the police in a wholly critical ways. Oldfield and Hobson went by their policeman's nose, the hunches they had rather than doing things by the textbook.
Now Oldfield wants to look at cars the frequent red light areas in Bradford, Leeds and Manchester. Overriding concerns even from Hobson.
Meanwhile DCS Dennis Hoban dies with the Ripper still on the loose. His wife claims he was another victim of the Ripper.
Oldfield is distracted by the letters and tape from Wearside Jack claiming he is the Ripper. Oldfield feels it in his bones that this is the guy.
Within all this is the story of student Jacqueline Hill. She would become the Ripper's final victim.
Some years after Peter Sutcliffe was caught. Her family took the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire police to court for its incompetence in catching the serial killer.
Examples include with the police being fixated by prostitutes. Ignoring the eyewitness testimony of women who were attacked who were not prostitutes or wrongly labeled as one.
With the Wearside Jack tape and letters. Oldfield was looking for people with North East accents or from that area. It allowed the Ripper to remain undetected for more years.