Read Online 1953 - The Things Men Do by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online
Authors: James Hadley Chase
Ads: Link
good, perhaps not exactly prostitutes, but not much better. Why on earth was Gloria associating with such women? Maybe Dix had brought them along with the other three men, and Gloria hadn't known they were coming. How friendly was Gloria with Dix? The way he had slapped her that night pointed to a familiarity between them that disconcerted me.
Just then Dix came walking quickly down the garage towards me, leaving Berry at the entrance. I opened the door of the office.
"Come on in."
He stood in the doorway, looking around.
"Hell, this is no better than a rabbit hutch."
"It doesn't have to be," I said, suddenly annoyed by his criticism. "It's big enough for me to keep a set of books in, so why should I want it any bigger?"
He gave me a sideways glance, then grinned.
"Take it easy, pally; maybe you're right at that."
I pushed a chair towards him and he sat astride it, pushing his hat to the back of his head, his fingers dipping into his waistcoat pocket for a packet of cigarettes. He offered me one, lit it for me and then his.
"What do you think of it?" I asked impatiently.
"It's okay. Park your fanny. I want to talk to you."
I sat down, my heart beginning to bump against my ribs.
If the garage was all right, then there was nothing to stop us going ahead, I thought Fifty pounds a week! My mind began to race over the things I could buy with that money.
"Maybe I gave you a wrong impression on Saturday night," Dix said, his small bright eyes on my face. "I think I said something about starting an agency here for spare parts. Right?"
I stiffened to attention.
"Why, yes: that's what you said."
"Yeah, I thought I did." He gave me his lazy, insolent grin. "Well, that's the general idea, of course, but it may take nine months to a year before we're in the position to supply spare parts."
"You didn't say that on Saturday."
"I know I didn't. I wanted to see this dump first. The fact is, pally, we're only in the experimental stage as yet. Our set is going to revolutionize the trade. Until we get it going properly, we're keeping it a secret. The less people talk about it the better for us. I had to mislead you on Saturday until I was sure this was the place I was looking for."
"I see. Well, that's a bit of a letdown. I was banking on starting right away."
He shook his head.
"Can't do that. The set isn't working right yet."
"Then we don't do business? The agency's off?"
"No, it's not off. In a year, maybe less, it'll be very much on."
"By that time, I shan't be here."
"You won't?"
"My business is shot to hell. I was hoping the agency would pull me out of the red. I can't wait a year."
"I'm not asking you to wait a year." He leaned forward too flick ash into the top of a tin I keep on my desk for that purpose. "I'm prepared to rent a piece of this garage for fifteen quid a week. That any good to you?"
I stand at him.
"Why do you want to rent it if you're not starting the agency for a year?"
"It's like this. Our works is at Maidenhead. I'm fed-up with going backwards and forwards to Maidenhead every day. Too much of a waste of time. My idea, until the agency starts up, is to set a small experimental station here. It'll save me time and it'll help you hang on until we get going. Would fifteen quid a week hold you?"
"Well, it would help. How much space would you want?"
"Come outside and I'll show you."
We walked down the garage to the entrance.
"I want the whole of this side, including the window, back to thirty feet."
"It would be more convenient for you to have the rear end of the garage. If cars came in for service, they'll disturb you, and besides, you'll be in my way here."
Dix shook his head.
"I want to be as near to the traffic as I can get. Our set aims to cut out all traffic interference, and that's why I pinked on Eagle Street. The traffic's more or less continuous, and if we can put up a performance here, we can put a performance anywhere. Fifteen quid a week's not bad considering you can't pay much
Just then Dix came walking quickly down the garage towards me, leaving Berry at the entrance. I opened the door of the office.
"Come on in."
He stood in the doorway, looking around.
"Hell, this is no better than a rabbit hutch."
"It doesn't have to be," I said, suddenly annoyed by his criticism. "It's big enough for me to keep a set of books in, so why should I want it any bigger?"
He gave me a sideways glance, then grinned.
"Take it easy, pally; maybe you're right at that."
I pushed a chair towards him and he sat astride it, pushing his hat to the back of his head, his fingers dipping into his waistcoat pocket for a packet of cigarettes. He offered me one, lit it for me and then his.
"What do you think of it?" I asked impatiently.
"It's okay. Park your fanny. I want to talk to you."
I sat down, my heart beginning to bump against my ribs.
If the garage was all right, then there was nothing to stop us going ahead, I thought Fifty pounds a week! My mind began to race over the things I could buy with that money.
"Maybe I gave you a wrong impression on Saturday night," Dix said, his small bright eyes on my face. "I think I said something about starting an agency here for spare parts. Right?"
I stiffened to attention.
"Why, yes: that's what you said."
"Yeah, I thought I did." He gave me his lazy, insolent grin. "Well, that's the general idea, of course, but it may take nine months to a year before we're in the position to supply spare parts."
"You didn't say that on Saturday."
"I know I didn't. I wanted to see this dump first. The fact is, pally, we're only in the experimental stage as yet. Our set is going to revolutionize the trade. Until we get it going properly, we're keeping it a secret. The less people talk about it the better for us. I had to mislead you on Saturday until I was sure this was the place I was looking for."
"I see. Well, that's a bit of a letdown. I was banking on starting right away."
He shook his head.
"Can't do that. The set isn't working right yet."
"Then we don't do business? The agency's off?"
"No, it's not off. In a year, maybe less, it'll be very much on."
"By that time, I shan't be here."
"You won't?"
"My business is shot to hell. I was hoping the agency would pull me out of the red. I can't wait a year."
"I'm not asking you to wait a year." He leaned forward too flick ash into the top of a tin I keep on my desk for that purpose. "I'm prepared to rent a piece of this garage for fifteen quid a week. That any good to you?"
I stand at him.
"Why do you want to rent it if you're not starting the agency for a year?"
"It's like this. Our works is at Maidenhead. I'm fed-up with going backwards and forwards to Maidenhead every day. Too much of a waste of time. My idea, until the agency starts up, is to set a small experimental station here. It'll save me time and it'll help you hang on until we get going. Would fifteen quid a week hold you?"
"Well, it would help. How much space would you want?"
"Come outside and I'll show you."
We walked down the garage to the entrance.
"I want the whole of this side, including the window, back to thirty feet."
"It would be more convenient for you to have the rear end of the garage. If cars came in for service, they'll disturb you, and besides, you'll be in my way here."
Dix shook his head.
"I want to be as near to the traffic as I can get. Our set aims to cut out all traffic interference, and that's why I pinked on Eagle Street. The traffic's more or less continuous, and if we can put up a performance here, we can put a performance anywhere. Fifteen quid a week's not bad considering you can't pay much
Similar Books
