THE FIRST OF THE GUESTS called to the Boudicca Ballroom for questioning was Ivor Bignall. Bignall was around fifty and although clearly still both tired and emotional, he carried his drink well. From his reddened face, it was apparent he got plenty of practise in this and, as a local councillor and prominent businessman, was presumably a frequent and far from unwilling participant in these free food and booze extravaganzas.
Still, given that the big man had been, according to Seward’s assistant Marcus Canthorpe, a business associate and partner with the late Rufus Seward in various enterprises, as well as, presumably, a personal friend, he was far more reasonable than Rafferty had expected in such fraught circumstances, especially considering he had been forced to hang around for over an
