A Deadly Imperfection: Calladine & Bayliss 3 Read Online Free PDF

beast was old like him and wouldn’t give him any trouble.  He took the lift down to the ground floor and left the block by the side door.  There was nobody about, too bloody cold.
    It took him about ten minutes to shuffle his way onto the common.  He’d keep to the perimeter, he didn’t want to stumble and do himself an injury.  It was icy, he hated nights like this, cold and dark.  He was shivering, the wind bit deep into his bones and his legs were stiff.  Bloody Jayden making promises he couldn’t keep.
    He hadn’t been out long but he was already breathless and his knee hurt.  He was down for a new one but he’d probably be dead before the NHS called him in.  He lowered his heavy frame onto a bench by some trees and let the dog off his lead for a while.  He leaned back and closed his eyes.  God it was freezing – far too cold for him.  He rubbed his gloved hands together and hunkered down into his coat. He’d give the dog five minutes or so and then it was back to his warm flat.
    ‘You’ve not seen a cat,’ a female voice interrupted, ‘this cat.’
    The woman shoved a piece of paper in front of his nose waving it at him.  ‘I’ve looked everywhere - the poor thing’s never done anything like this before.  I’ve been searching for Mitzie all week but there’s no sign.’
    Who calls their cat Mitzie , Albert wondered, not even bothering to look up at her but shuffling up so she could sit down.
    ‘Wrong glasses on,’ his excuse for not examining the paper she was still wafting about.  ‘Dog person myself, don’t like cats, smelly things,’ he mumbled through his scarf which was wrapped around his face.
    ‘Not my Mitzie, she’s a beautiful cat, won prizes and everything,’ she protested, flopping down beside him.  ‘I’ve been out for ages, I’m beginning to think I’ll never find her,’ she moaned.
    Albert grunted at this – he wasn’t impressed, cats were dreadful creatures.  He inhaled the cold air - there was a smell, a smell he recognised – whiskey.  The woman had pulled a flask from her bag and was pouring the hot liquid into a beaker.
    Harriet wasn’t getting anywhere - it was obvious he had no idea who she was, and that was disappointing because she wanted him to know why his life was going to end very soon, and end horrifically. 
    ‘You don’t remember me, do you?’  She put to him.  Harriet was angry again.  She was fast losing control of the rage that boiled within her.  It had the upper hand more and more these days and it made her do things.  She had hated this man for as long as she could remember so how could he not know her?  She couldn’t do this anonymously - he had to understand, then he’d feel the fear.  He must be made to remember what he’d done.   Then he would die and she’d be satisfied.  This was too important for her to continue with the charade about the cat.
    Albert shrugged, he wasn’t interested. 
    ‘If you knew who I was, and what I was going to do then you wouldn’t sit there so calmly.’ 
    She was gabbling on - her words meant nothing to him.  In his eyes she was nothing but a batty old woman.  Right now he was far more interested in keeping out the cold than listening to her ranting.
    ‘We’ve met before, and I swore then that I’d get even - I’m surprised you’ve no memory of it.  I expended a lot of hate and venom that day,’ she sniffed swallowing hard on the drink.   ‘You must remember that day in court when you were had up for killing my Jimmy.’
    At that Albert coughed hard and stamped his feet against the cold. 
    Still nothing – not even a hint of remorse, the man deserved to die. 
    ‘Hot toddy,’ she surprised him while offering him the beaker.  ‘Very strong, just how I like it.  When I’m out like this I need something to keep out the cold.’
    Now she had his attention.  She wanted him distracted for the next bit.
    Albert took it gratefully into his gloved hands and downed a