It was the business with the cat that fooled me. You can say what you like but there’s something reassuring about a cat. I mean, say you saw some guy fussing with his cat – fondling it and talking to it and chuckling over it – you wouldn’t think, oh-oh – there goes a dangerous man. There goes a killer. I better steer clear of him. Well, you wouldn’t, would you? You’d probably think, look at him, the great soft lump. Well, anyway, that’s my excuse for what happened to me that evening, but I guess I’d better start at the beginning.

First off, there was the rain. It’d been a lovely morning – sunny and warm – but around twelve it clouded over and began to pour. Gail and I were tapping along the High Street when it started, so all we did was move under the rail bridge and carry on. The weather didn’t seem to deter the punters – the market was seething as usual and we did all right, but it was the rain that led to our fight.

We never fought, Gail and me. We felt the same way about most things and so we got along fine. But when it started to get dark that Sunday evening and I suggested it was time to get back to Mornington Place, she said, ‘Not me – not in this stuff.’

‘What stuff?’ I cried. ‘What you on about, Gail?’

‘The rain, dummy. I’m not standing in the rain till God knows what time, waiting for some dumbo who’ll probably decide to stay home and keep dry.’

‘But we agreed. We said we’d go back tonight.’

‘It wasn’t raining then. And anyway I’ve got a couple of things to see to.’

‘Like what? Phoning your sister? Again? We’d both eat better if you didn’t shove so much dosh in the damn phone.’

‘It’s my dosh, Link. I can do what I like with it, and anyway I’m not phoning my sister. I’ve other things to do.’

‘And they’re none of my business, right?’

‘Right.’

‘Well, shove off and do ’em then, only don’t expect me to hang around like I’m your dog or something till you decide to come back. I’ll be in Mornington Place if you want me.’

And that’s how I came to be alone in Mornington Place when the cat business happened.