Justin Harrington, the controversial presenter of the antiques show How Old Is It?, is found dead in his car in Yorkshire. His old school friend Bill Franklin wonders if Justin's shady past is to blame, but when another mutual friend, also in the antiques business, is shot dead, Bill finds himself the prime suspect. He takes it upon himself to turn amateur sleuth - before he becomes the next victim - but why does his investigation always return to Justin's dealings in France and Yorkshire, and his obsession with Chippendale furniture? Bill discovers the mystery extends well beyond his old friend's untimely death.