"You Knighted Killers, Ma'am" - Mickey Starts, #4

Mickey has few people in his life he can truly call a 'friend', so, when one of them is killed, he takes it personally. Especially as Kevin died in the most bizarre of circumstances - a plane crash in the middle of Manchester, right in front of the crowds on Salford Quays.

Mickey's quest gets off to a bad start and he finds himself chasing many false leads. He can't even get to establish the simplest of facts. It's a football team, for goodness sake! It's only a game. But Mickey is soon forced to realise that the new owners of Manchester United Football Club are taking things very seriously indeed. It's Big Business, that's what it is, an opportunity for the Americans to make millions out of this soccer team. They aren't going to let anything - or anybody - stand in the way of their new profits.

Mickey finds himself travelling half way around the world, trying to track down players, former players, managers and coaches, but none of them can supply the answers he wants. Only when he gets back, and is caught up in the latest outrage, does he begin to see the light. Yes, indeed, it is a game, but the rules are being ignored and the stakes are far higher than scoring a few goals on the pitch. It really is a matter of life and death, and someone else has to die before Mickey can get to the truth. It is, as he feared, far worse and more frightening than anyone would want the world to know.