Along the way, players have come and gone, but a hard core remains, with each match a little older, a little slower, but still as fiercely competitive as a gang of teenagers - until a former player is found murdered in a manner that shocks even a veteran like Skinner. Suddenly the Thursday Legends have more to worry about than aching backs and dodgy knees.

Former Head of Special Branch Alec Smith made plenty of enemies during a long career, and there is no shortage of suspects. But as Skinner's investigation gathers pace, everything points to the Legends themselves.

Is someone targeting this disparate group of colleagues and friends in some bizarre scheme of retribution? Or is the murderer one of them?