Read Imperfect Killing for Free Online Page A

unstable, obsessed with a celebrity and has a thing for guns and knives – not to mention the combat gear.’
    ‘As simple as that?’ Sean asked as they exited the CID office and climbed more stairs towards the canteen.
    ‘Why not?’ Benton questioned.
    ‘Maybe he is,’ Sean admitted, ‘but what about this other man he mentioned? Shouldn’t we check it out?
    ‘I think he made it up,’ Benton replied.
    ‘Very elaborate for someone of Thurlby’s intelligence, don’t you think?’
    ‘So he imagined it – maybe he even believes it.’
    ‘Also possible,’ Sean conceded as they entered the canteen, ‘but for one thing.’
    ‘And what would that be?’ Benton asked.
    ‘He was
terrified
,’ Sean told him and headed for Featherstone who sat alone eating his way through a cooked breakfast. He looked up and smiled when he saw them approaching.
    ‘Has he coughed to it then?’ he said hopefully, ‘or was it a no comment?’
    ‘Neither,’ Sean told him and pulled up a chair opposite.
    ‘Oh,’ Featherstone said, the smile falling from his face. ‘Wasn’t expecting that.’ Benton was in the process of sitting when Featherstone stopped him. ‘Tea, two sugars please, son and whatever Detective Sergeant Corrigan’s having.’
    ‘Coffee, black, no sugar,’ Sean instructed without looking at him. Benton headed off to the serving counter without argument.
    ‘What happened then?’ Featherstone asked. ‘His brief get to him?’
    ‘No, I don’t think so,’ Sean replied. ‘He’s adamant it wasn’t him – kept saying there was someone else involved – someone who made her report Thurlby for stalking, even though she didn’t want to.’
    ‘Sounds like a load of old bollocks,’ Featherstone dismissed it.
    ‘Maybe,’ Sean shrugged unconvincingly.
    ‘Look, Sean,’ Featherstone explained, ‘I know you have a …
special feel
for this sort of thing, but from what I’ve seen and heard the evidence looks pretty damning.’
    ‘At first glance I agree, but it’s all just circumstantial. Break it down piece by piece and it doesn’t add up to shit.’
    ‘Yeah, but the big picture …’ Featherstone let his words hang. Sean said nothing. ‘Listen, Sean – no one wants this one to drag on. Everyone wants a quick result. Put the investigation to bed and move on and we all come up smelling of roses.’
    ‘Even if it’s the wrong man?’ Sean asked.
    Featherstone looked affronted, but quickly recovered. ‘If he’s innocent a jury will acquit him. In the meantime I’ll be asking the CPS to charge him and have him remanded in custody while we dig up enough evidence to convict him – something that isn’t circumstantial, if that’s alright with you.’
    ‘Fine,’ Sean agreed. ‘He’s probably safer in prison than he would be outside – at least until we know one way or the other. Once the media find out he’s been arrested – and they will – they’ll hound him into the ground. I don’t think someone like Thurlby could take it.’
    ‘Good,’ Featherstone smiled. ‘Then we’re all in agreement,’ he spoke for the rest of the team. ‘We go after Thurlby.’
    ‘We go after the truth,’ Sean corrected him.
    ‘Of course,’ Featherstone replied. ‘That’s what I meant. By the way,’ he changed the subject and pulled a thin folder from his briefcase, ‘we’ve got the preliminary forensics report back on the bullet that killed her.’ He slid it across the table to Sean who picked it up and began reading while Featherstone summarized it.
    ‘It’s a .38 calibre that was fired from an unrifled barrel,’ he explained,’ which pretty much confirms it was fired from a reactivated replica or blank-firing weapon – either way he’s lucky the damn thing didn’t blow his hand off. If it was a reactivated replica then someone had to bore the barrel out and that’s not an easy thing to get right. It requires specialist equipment and knowledge, although whoever did this wasn’t skilful