Read Online Come Easy, Go Easy by James Hadley Chase - Free Book Online

about her as I had about you. I told her if she wanted a job, there was one here for her." He squatted down by the rotary cultivator and began to loosen the gear wire. "Like you, she didn't hesitate. The bus left without her. I gave her the cabin: like I've given it to you. Well, she worked for me for a couple of weeks, then I got thinking." He looked up, his blue eyes guileless. "I knew it wasn't right to have her here alone. People at Wentworth began to talk. When they came here for a snack or for gas, they sniggered at us. They thought things were happening that weren't. So one evening, I talked to her. I asked her if she liked it here: if it wasn't too lonely for her. She said she liked it, so I suggested we got married. That way we'd stop the sniggering and the talk. She would have security, and if anything happened to me, she'd have the place. So we got married." He got the gear wire loose and began to take off the cover of the gearbox. I stood by him, smoking and listening. "Mind you, she's twenty-three years younger than I am," he went on. "I wondered if I was doing right, but she wanted to stay and I couldn't have her here unless we were married. When a man of my age marries a woman as young as she is, he has to have a lot of patience. She'll sulk now for a couple of days, but she'll do her job. One of the great things about her is the way she works: I've never seen anyone work like her."
    A car came out of the desert in a whirl of dust and pulled up by the gas pumps. That broke up our conversation. I went out and served my first customer. I gave him gas and oil. I checked his tyres, washed his windshield, and while I worked I was aware Jenson had come to the door of the shed and was watching me.
    The guy in the car was fat and elderly. He sat picking his teeth with a match while I worked over his car. I thought I would try a little salesmanship on him.
    "Are you going to Tropica Springs, mister?" I asked as I polished his windshield.
    "Yeah."
    "It'll take you best part of three hours. You won't get in before ten. Aren't you hungry? We serve the best beef hash in the district."
    He blinked at me.
    "Beef hash?" He looked at his watch. "No, I guess I haven't the time. I'm in a hurry."
    "It's ready," I said. "Take you ten minutes, and we do a fruit pie that's really something. I've just had a slice: best pie I've ever tasted."
    "Is that right?" He looked interested. "Well, okay. I'll give it a try if it's ready." He got out of the car. "Where do I go?"
    I pointed to the lunch room.
    "Did you spot the tappet?" I said as he moved off. "It should be fixed. I can do it while you're eating if it's okay with you."
    "Sure. I should have had it fixed weeks ago. Thanks."
    He went into the lunch room and Jenson, grinning from ear to ear came over.
    "Nice work, Jack. That's what I call salesmanship. I'll give you a hand with the tappet."
    While we were working on the car, a black Cadillac slid up to the pumps. I left Jenson to get on with the tappet and went over to the Caddy to serve gas. There was a man and a woman in the car. They looked hot and dusty.
    "Can we get a wash here?" the man asked, getting out of the car.
    "Sure thing. Round the back to your left. If you're hungry there's veal steaks and spaghetti all ready and waiting. Italian cooking: nothing to touch it, even in Tropica Springs."
    The man cocked his eyebrows at me.

    "I bet it's old horse and rope."
    "I've just had it. I didn't notice any rope in the spaghetti," I said cheerfully. "It was just a suggestion. You won't get to Tropica Springs until past ten. I thought maybe you were hungry."
    "I'm starving," the woman said, getting out of the car. "Why not eat here, honey? It can't poison us."
    "Okay, if you want to. I could do with something myself."
    Ten minutes later, two big Buick Station wagons rolled up with a party of ten. While I was servicing the cars I suggested they might like to eat here and I gave them a lyrical description of the fried chicken. They