The investigation into the murder of the Hanging Man had almost ground to a halt. Not from a lack of effort from the team. Not from a lack of direction by DCI Grace Swan. Nor from a lack of interest—or was it goading? —from Grace’s nemesis, ACC Martin Vickers, the head of Specialised Crime Services, who rang her most days to check on progress or the deficiency thereof.
She still could not work out if Vickers was for or against her. He had undoubtedly been her enemy when he had had her transferred out of Sheffield CID to West Garside. She had resisted his attempts to seduce her at a Police Convention in Birmingham, an altercation in which she had slapped his face. But thereafter, during and following the successful investigation into the Mannikin Murders, he appeared to offer a truce, offe
