Read Online 1953 - The Things Men Do by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James Hadley Chase
Ads: Link
they've got money and they're free with it. I can't afford to pass up any opportunity, Ann, and you know it. They're working on a new television set that'll cut out traffic interference. It will revolutionize the trade once it's on the market, but at the moment, they're having a little trouble with it. They've rented a piece of the garage and they're going to turn it into a workshop. As soon as they've perfected the set, it goes on to the market, and the agency will start with me on the ground floor."
"But that wasn't the original idea, was it? He led you to believe . . ."
"I know. But he didn't want to tell me about the set until he was sure this was the right place. You've got to be damned careful when you're handling new and important apparatus, Ann. You'd be surprised at the number of people ready to steal ideas."
I was actually defending Dix, when all the time I was thinking as she was thinking.
"But surely, Harry, that isn't quite right. They could take out a patent, couldn't they?"
I began to get irritated.
"I don't know. Don't bother your brains about it. The fact is he's willing to pay me fifteen pounds a week to rent this space, and that's good enough for me."
"Fifteen pounds a week?"
I produced the roll of five-pound notes and dropped it into her lap.
"There you are: a month's rent in advance, and it needn't go through our books."
"Harry! Seventy-five pounds!"
I looked at her, hoping she would be excited, or at least pleased, but I might have known she was too cautious, too shrewd, to be taken in any more than I was being taken in.
"There's something wrong about those two. Please be sensible, Harry. Please give them back this money and have nothing more to do with them."
"For heaven's sake! We want the money."
"No, we don't. Not this kind of money."
"You're imagining things. Just because Dix wears a flashy tie . . ."
She got off my lap and faced me.
"It's not that. Fifteen pounds a week for a small piece of this garage is ridiculous, Harry, and you know it! Why, there's an empty shop at the top of the street going for six pounds a week. Why didn't he take that? Why come here? Why should he pay all this money to rent a tiny space here?"
I began to get angry.
"Now look, Ann, I appreciate you don't want me to get into any sort of trouble. I understand that. Well, I'm not a fool, and I'm not getting into any trouble. Maybe these two are fakes, but what harm can they do? I need the money. I need it damned badly. Look at the bills we owe. I don't have to tell you our position. I'm going to keep it so don't let's argue about it anymore."
"Please, Harry . . ."
"I'm running this business, Ann. You're running the home. Please don't interfere."
"But don't you see, darling . . ."
"Oh, stop it!"
She looked at me for a long moment, then turned and went slowly out of the office.
I reached out and picked up the five-pound notes. For a minute or so I sat staring at them.
I had been a mug long enough, I told myself. I was going to keep this money. It was high time Ann learned to mind her own business, and let me mind mine.
I sat in the office brooding for some time. No one came near me. At half-past six I decided to call it a day and shut up.
As I went down to close the doors, Bill walked in from the sorting-office.
"Hello there."
"I was just calling it a day. Come on in. How do you like the new job?"
He helped me close the double doors.
"The job's all right. Not much doing at the moment, but next week we've got an important consignment to take care of. Keep that under your hat, Harry."
"I couldn't care less what goes on over there. I'm glad you came over, Bill. I've got some money for you."
"There's no hurry. I don't want it yet."
"You're going to have it while I've got it. I've had a bit of luck."
He gave me a quick, searching look.
"I'm glad to hear that. It's time you had some luck."
"Come into the office."
When we had settled in chairs, I slid five five-pound notes across the desk.
"I'll
"But that wasn't the original idea, was it? He led you to believe . . ."
"I know. But he didn't want to tell me about the set until he was sure this was the right place. You've got to be damned careful when you're handling new and important apparatus, Ann. You'd be surprised at the number of people ready to steal ideas."
I was actually defending Dix, when all the time I was thinking as she was thinking.
"But surely, Harry, that isn't quite right. They could take out a patent, couldn't they?"
I began to get irritated.
"I don't know. Don't bother your brains about it. The fact is he's willing to pay me fifteen pounds a week to rent this space, and that's good enough for me."
"Fifteen pounds a week?"
I produced the roll of five-pound notes and dropped it into her lap.
"There you are: a month's rent in advance, and it needn't go through our books."
"Harry! Seventy-five pounds!"
I looked at her, hoping she would be excited, or at least pleased, but I might have known she was too cautious, too shrewd, to be taken in any more than I was being taken in.
"There's something wrong about those two. Please be sensible, Harry. Please give them back this money and have nothing more to do with them."
"For heaven's sake! We want the money."
"No, we don't. Not this kind of money."
"You're imagining things. Just because Dix wears a flashy tie . . ."
She got off my lap and faced me.
"It's not that. Fifteen pounds a week for a small piece of this garage is ridiculous, Harry, and you know it! Why, there's an empty shop at the top of the street going for six pounds a week. Why didn't he take that? Why come here? Why should he pay all this money to rent a tiny space here?"
I began to get angry.
"Now look, Ann, I appreciate you don't want me to get into any sort of trouble. I understand that. Well, I'm not a fool, and I'm not getting into any trouble. Maybe these two are fakes, but what harm can they do? I need the money. I need it damned badly. Look at the bills we owe. I don't have to tell you our position. I'm going to keep it so don't let's argue about it anymore."
"Please, Harry . . ."
"I'm running this business, Ann. You're running the home. Please don't interfere."
"But don't you see, darling . . ."
"Oh, stop it!"
She looked at me for a long moment, then turned and went slowly out of the office.
I reached out and picked up the five-pound notes. For a minute or so I sat staring at them.
I had been a mug long enough, I told myself. I was going to keep this money. It was high time Ann learned to mind her own business, and let me mind mine.
I sat in the office brooding for some time. No one came near me. At half-past six I decided to call it a day and shut up.
As I went down to close the doors, Bill walked in from the sorting-office.
"Hello there."
"I was just calling it a day. Come on in. How do you like the new job?"
He helped me close the double doors.
"The job's all right. Not much doing at the moment, but next week we've got an important consignment to take care of. Keep that under your hat, Harry."
"I couldn't care less what goes on over there. I'm glad you came over, Bill. I've got some money for you."
"There's no hurry. I don't want it yet."
"You're going to have it while I've got it. I've had a bit of luck."
He gave me a quick, searching look.
"I'm glad to hear that. It's time you had some luck."
"Come into the office."
When we had settled in chairs, I slid five five-pound notes across the desk.
"I'll
Similar Books
