Free A Poison Tree (Time, Blood and Karma Book 3) by John Dolan Page B

bottles snuggled in the drawer among packs of tissues, tampons, condoms and a tube of lubricant.
    While she dried herself, she selected an outfit from the wardrobe; a black lacy bra and panties, a short grey pleated skirt and a white blouse which she tied below her cleavage to expose her midriff. Then she returned to the bathroom to apply her makeup. Not too much. Her client didn’t like her to appear too tarty and she wanted to please him.
    There were only two men Adele allowed back to her apartment. She had almost increased the number to three a few weeks ago: a tubby American she had met at the Gold Club who was charming and generous with his tip. But something about his eyes made her pause. There was coldness and a ruthlessness lurking there, and it made her feel a little threatened. He was one of those men whose smile stopped at his mouth.
    No . Two is enough anyway. And I don’t want the neighbours seeing a procession of men in and out of the flat. That’s a recipe for trouble.
    S he was fond of her two regular clients. Neither of them had any propensity for shows of temper or violence, and safety was a key consideration in Adele’s line of work.
    The first man was a fellow Scot who had taken early retirement from working in a coal mine not far from Glasgow , and later moved south to live with his widowed sister. Adele suspected from his occasional bouts of coughing that his retirement was on medical grounds, but he never proffered any information on this and she was too discreet to ask. She had met him at the club shortly after arriving in the city. He was a gentle individual – given to occasional bouts of melancholy – who would recite Burns’ poetry any time the opportunity presented itself. He called himself Robbie, and Adele was inclined to believe that was his real name.
    The second client was an Englishman, of athletic build, who had started seeing her eighteen months before. It had been, he said, his first ever visit to a brothel. More to the point, it would be his last, but would it be possible to see Adele again? She had given him her number without a second thought. They had never met at the Gold Club again, and she knew he had never been back. It was just not his style.
    Adele examined herself one final time in the mirror before consulting her watch. She had half-intended to call her mother, but was relieved to see there wasn’t time now before her guest was due to arrive.
    David was always punctual.

 
    10
    DAVID
     
    I rang twice before I heard any movement inside the apartment. Then the door swung open and I was greeted by a sheepish grin.
    “Is this outfit too schoolgirlish, do you think?”
    “Not at all. You look delightful.”
    “I don’t want anyone to think I dress up in a school uniform when my brother-in-law calls round for coffee.”
    “Listen, Anna, no man in his right mind is ever going to object to the way you look.”
    “Aww. You are sweet.”
    She kissed me on the cheek and I followed her through to the kitchen.
    “You’re prompt,” she said. “Cappuccinos coming right up.”
    “I’m returning your copy of Crime and Punishment .”
    “Did you enjoy it?”
    “Well, it’s not exactly a laugh a minute, but yes, I did.” I deposited the book on the kitchen table.
    Anna set down the coffees in front of us. Beneath her makeup , her eyes looked slightly puffy and red.
    “Are you OK?”
    “I’m fine, David. Why do you ask?”
    “You look like you’ve been crying.”
    She turned her eyes away from me. “Shit,” she said.
    I put my hand on hers. “What’s the matter? What’s happened?”
    “Nothing, I’m fine.”
    “You’re not fine.”
    She dropped her head. “I almost called you to ask you not to come. Then I thought I’d look all right with the make-up.”
    “You look beautiful.”
    I put my hand under her chin and raised it.
    “I can’t talk about it,” she whispered.
    “Yes, you can. You can talk to me about anything.”
    Anna looked at me for a