It was early in the evening but the heat was sticking to the city and I was soaked in sweat by the time I climbed the stairs to the top floor of West End Central. Major Incident Room One was already crowded. DCI Whitestone was deep in conversation with our boss, DCS Swire, the Chief Super, as the two women stood before the giant TV screen, watching the man in the suit and tie hang one more time. I realised with a jolt that they seemed relieved. ‘But are we sure?’ DCS Swire was saying in her hushed Margaret Thatcher voice. ‘Are we absolutely sure, Pat? ‘Yes, ma’am,’ DCI Whitestone said. ‘The victim is definitely an IC1.’ IC stands for identity codes and it is the system our people use to describe ethnicity. IC1 meant the man who had just been hanged was a white man of North European stock. Mahmud Irani had been an IC4. ‘Good,’ said the Chief Super. ‘Then whatever the motive – it’s not race. Thank God for that!’ Edie Wren was furiously pounding her laptop as she conducted a conversation with Colin Cho of the Police Central e-crime Unit.
What do You think about The Hanging Club (DC Max Wolfe)?
