1953 - The Things Men Do (7 page)

The light was on in the bedroom when I pushed open the door. Ann was in bed, her hair about her shoulders, her eyes serious and worried as she looked at me.

"Well, I'm back."

"Yes, Harry."

I came into the room and closed the door.

"Did you enjoy the movie?"

"It was all right."

I came to the foot of the bed and grinned at her. The whisky was still hitting me, and I felt right on top of the world.

I'll take that soared, worried look out of your eye in a minute, darling, I said to myself. Wait 'til you hear what I'm going to tell you.

I saw her flinch.

"It's late, Harry. Hadn't you better get undressed?"

"I said I had a confession to make. Aren't you curious?"

"What is it?"

I saw her hands clench into fists, and she quickly put them under the sheet.

"Old Lewis didn't call tonight: I was lying."

She continued to stare at me for a long moment, then: "I knew that, Harry."

That jarred me. It spoilt my opening. I stared back at her.

"You knew? How did you know?"

"Does it matter? It was rather obvious, Harry. You'd better get undressed."

"Now look, you're thinking things you have no right to think. I only lied to you because I didn't want to raise your hopes. I shouldn't have done it, but I wasn't sure if this offer was going to come off. I didn't want you to be disappointed."

She was still staring at me, still worried, but suddenly not so scared.

"I don't know what you mean."

I sat on the bed by her side.

"Of course you don't! Remember I told you I had to think up an idea to get us out of this mess? Well, I thought of one. There's a company making television sets. As a matter of fact old Lewis mentioned the company to me when I was fixing his breakdown. He said they were looking for a West End Agency. I decided to do something about it. I made inquiries and got into touch with the right man. His name's Ed Dix. You remember when I went out yesterday afternoon to get those auto bulbs? Well, I went to see him. At first he didn't seem interested, but I kept at him, and finally he said he would have to talk to his people, and he would phone me. That was him phoning tonight when I said it was Lewis." That's what a lot of whisky did to me. The lies came so convincingly they almost convinced me. "He asked me to come over to his place right away. He still sounded doubtful, but I had an idea I could make him come down on my side. I couldn't be sure, of course, so I didn't tell you or Bill. I wanted to be absolutely sure before I broke the news. Well, it's in the bag, Ann, if he thinks the garage is big enough, and of course it is big enough. He's coming to look at it on Monday, and I'm sure now I'll clinch it. And listen, Ann, this is something big: it could really grow with any luck. He says I couldn't make less than fifty pounds a week! Think of that! Fifty a week! Why, damn it! I'll buy you a dozen pairs of slacks now: anything you like!"

She sat up, the scared, worried look gone, and her eyes were sparkling.

"Oh, Harry! You worried me so!"

I put my arm round her and pulled her close.

"I know I shouldn't have lied to you, Ann, but how did I know you would see through me? I thought I had you and Bill properly fooled. If I had even guessed you didn't believe I was going out to Lewis I would have told you the truth. Damn it! Why didn't you tell me? Why pretend you believed me when you didn't? You've been thinking all kinds of nonsense, haven't you?"

"I'm sorry, Harry. I really am sorry."

"I think you should be, Ann. Not so long ago you were saying we mustn't lose faith in each other. Well, you couldn't have had much faith in me tonight."

"Oh, Harry, forgive me. I was so worried. I did think . . ."

"Never mind what you thought." I didn't want to hear her say she thought I was going to Gloria. "It's all right now. Monday, if we have any luck, I'm going to be the boss of an agency that'll pay fifty quid a week. Think of it!"

"This is the answer to my prayer," she said, and threw her arms round my neck. "I know you think I'm silly about this, Harry, but God is being good to us. I prayed last night for us. I prayed for us just now before you came in. I couldn't believe anything could be badly wrong: not between you and me, Harry."

chapter six

J
ust when I was beginning to think he wasn't coming, Dix drove his big blue and red Cadillac into the garage.

I had been like a cat on hot bricks all day. I had put on my best suit after I had finished serving petrol first thing in the morning, and I had sat in my office, waiting while the hours dragged by.

Dix was at the wheel. Beside him lounged Berry. Dix was wearing a black suit with a white pinstripe, and a pearl-grey slouch hat. His dazzling hand-painted tie was out of place with a suit like that: come to that, it would have been out of place with any suit.

Berry wore a grey suit with a black slouch hat pulled down over one eye. They looked as if they had just stepped out of a Humphrey Bogart gangster picture: the car, the clothes, the way they spilled out of the car, leaving the doors hanging open, was the nearest thing to Hollywood I'd seen off the movies.

"Hello there," Dix said, catching sight of me. "So this is the joint." He stood with his hands in his pockets and stared around. "Got power laid on?"

"Yes: there's ten power points."

"The light's lousy, isn't it?"

"Well, we use inspection lamps when we work. It saves juice, but I could have something rigged up if you think we should have more light."

He grunted.

"There's plenty of room, anyway: the damn place's like a barn. Look, pally, mind if we wander around and take a look at the place? When we're through, I'll come to your office. That it there?"

"Yes."

A little deflated, I returned to the office and sat down. I watched them wandering around the garage through the office window.

Ann put her head around the rear door.

"Have they come?"

She was wearing her best dress for the occasion, and her face was flushed with excitement.

"They are out there now."

"Goodness! Is that their car?"

"Terrific isn't it? He must be rolling in money."

She moved to the window and peered into the garage.

"Don't let them see you."

"He's rather flash-looking, Harry."

"He's an American. You know how Americans look."

"I wish he didn't look quite so flashy. Who's the other man?"

"One of his pals, I think. His name's Berry. I don't know anything more about him."

Ann moved away from the window. She now looked worried.

"Are you quite sure they're all right?"

I stared at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's something about them . . ."

"For goodness' sake! Of course they're all right. Now look, be a dear and leave this to me. There's no point in you meeting them. As a matter of fact, I'm not anxious to get too friendly with them. It's much to keep this on a business footing."

She gave me a puzzled look.

"All right, Harry, but don't rush into anything. Let's discuss it before you commit yourself."

I pushed her towards the door, leading to the stairs.

"Run along, Ann. You talk as if they were a couple of crooks."

When she had gone, I went to the window and watched Dix and Berry as they stood in the entrance to the garage, looking across the street.

I didn't want to admit it to Ann, but these two made me also uneasy. I thought of the four girls I had met at Gloria's party. I was pretty sure they were no 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 more than five for the whole of this dump."

He wasn't far out. My actual rent was just under five pounds, plus rates.

Well, it was certainly a letdown after expecting fifty pounds a week, but fifteen was better than nothing: a lot better.

"Would you want me to do anything?"

Dix shook his head.

"This is an expert's job. Berry and Louis will be working on it. They've been doing the experimental work at Maidenhead."

I stared at him, an uneasy feeling of suspicion running through me. No one would ever convince me that Berry and Louis were radio experts: especially Louis.

Dix was quick to see my expression of disbelief.

"Look, pally, you needn't go ahead if you don't want to. I'm offering you seventy-five pounds in cash for a month's rent, but I don't want you looking at me like that. This is my business, not yours. All you're doing is renting me a piece of this dump. Do you want to make the deal or don't you?"

Seventy-five pounds! I could repay Bill half what I owed him and still have enough to square the more pressing accounts. As he said, it wasn't my business if his story sounded a little thin. Anyway, I could always watch Berry and Louis, and if they got up to any tricks, I could call the whole thing off.

"All right, it's a deal. When do you want to move in?"

An odd expression jumped into Dix's eyes, a mixture of gloating triumph and excitement.

"Fine. Before we can move in, I'll have to make a few alterations. I can get things sorted out in the morning. We'll move in on Friday."

"What alterations are you going to make?"

"I want privacy. I told you our work is secret. I don't want every Tom, Dick or Harry sticking his nose in where it's not wanted. Then we've got to bring our electrical equipment down here, a work bench and other stuff."

"Will you use much electricity?"

He grinned.

"Scared you're not going to make a profit. Send the bill into me. I'll square it. Want your money now?"

"Friday will do."

"Have it now, pally."

He walked back to the office and I followed him. After I had closed the door, he pulled out a roll of five-pound notes nearly as thick as my fist. He counted fifteen of them on to the desk.

"I'll make you out a receipt."

"I don't want one. I never pay a second time so what should I want a receipt for? Don't be a mug, pally: stick that lot in your pocket and forget to pay tax on it."