A Village Deception (Turnham Malpas 15) Read Online Free PDF Page A

suppose you’re a bell-ringer, are you?’
    ‘A bell-ringer?’ Harry almost choked on the last of his pickle.
‘Me,
a bell-ringer?’
    ‘I only meant it if you intend staying in the village. Do you?’
    ‘Well, not really. I’m just here for a week or so to get my bearings and such, but no intention of staying for a lifetime. No, no. I’m terribly sorry.’
    ‘Have you any experience in that field?’
    Harry laughed. ‘Absolutely none, sorry. I can’t help you with that.’
    ‘Ah! We’re desperately short of volunteers, you see. I saw you helping Zack and thought that perhaps you were thinking of staying.’
    ‘No, I’m not. I was just at a bit of a loose end this morning, so I thought I’d give him a hand, that’s all. Thanks for thinking I might be a suitable candidate, though.’
    ‘What is your forte?’
    ‘Accounts, mainly.’
    Jimbo came alive. ‘Accounts! I could give you two weeks’ work, immediately. My accounts person is just out of hospital after an operation, and I’d be grateful for you to take over the basic running of the accounts for me. He’ll be back at work two weeks from now, he says, though I doubt it.’
    ‘I haven’t any references with me.’
    ‘Not to worry, you won’t be handling money. I always do that side. It’s entering the data that’s the bit that bores me and takes up too much of my time. Overheads, wages, writing cheques for me to sign to pay my suppliers etc. Would you? You could start tomorrow. I’d be ever so grateful. You’d be working up in the office at the Old Barn. Lovely working conditions.’
    ‘Well, I am computer literate. But … You’re taking a risk … No, maybe I’d better not.’ Harry shook his head, a grave expression on his face.
    ‘Really? My daughter Fran helps out sometimes with the data-entering, but she’s busy at school at the moment. GCSEs and all that. Come on, how about it? I pay good workers, good money. I’m not a penny pincher, honest.’
    Harry hesitated. He could do with the money … He’d get a reference out of it too, he supposed. ‘Shall I? OK then, I will. As long as I’m not outstaying my welcome at Marie’s.’
    Zack emphatically declared he would not be, privately thinking of the £150 a week Harry would pay for the privilege.
    ‘Tomorrow morning. Eight-thirty start, four-thirty finish. I’ll be up there and I’ll explain everything. I’ll be so glad to have someone reliable.’
    ‘You don’t know if I’m reliable. Not yet, anyway.’
    ‘If you’re not, then I shall give you the elbow. I’m not in the business of paying people to play when I’m paying them to work. I’m a tough but fair employer.’
    ‘I like the sound of that. You’re up front and that pleases me. I like to know where I stand. I like that kind of honesty. Right, you’re on. Eight-thirty tomorrow morning, for two weeks.’
    Harry watched Jimbo leaving, lost in thought. Suddenly he said, ‘That all right with Marie, Zack? I don’t want to upset her plans in any way.’
    ‘There’re two guests coming this Friday for the weekend, that’s all at the moment. Things don’t hot up until the summer, you see. June, July, August time. We’ll both be glad of your company until then.’
    Harry left the Royal Oak delighted by the prospect of working for Jimbo. He’d been at a loss for things to do these last few days, there was a limit to the sightseeing one could do without travelling miles, and petrol wasn’t cheap. Two weeks’ work. First thing tomorrow, he’d ask what the pay was.
    That same afternoon he walked up to Turnham House for a swim.

Chapter 3
     
    So the next morning, as promised, Harry arrived at the Old Barn at eight twenty-five to find Jimbo ahead of him, opening up the staff door.
    ‘Good morning. You’ve walked up.’
    ‘Yes. I didn’t know the parking arrangements and thought that, as I would be sitting down most of the day, the walk would do me good. First of all, I would like to thank you for the