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

planks round the back.’
    ‘OK. Be seeing you.’
    ‘I expect so.’ Barry wagged a finger at Harry and then pointed it at the computer. He left, his laughter curling back up the stairs as he went back to his van.
    Harry sat down to begin work, somehow more cheered than for a long time.
    He had his swim gear in his backpack so, if he finished at four-thirty like Jimbo had said, he’d go for a swim. After all, Venetia was well worth pursuing. Though he couldn’t decide if it was him doing the pursuing or Venetia … Whatever, she held a lot of promise and it had been a long time.
    *
     
    Later that morning, Harriet arrived, introducing herself immediately as Jimbo’s other half. She held out her hand. ‘You must be Harry. How do you do? I’m Harriet, Jimbo’s wife.’
    Harry got to his feet and found himself looking into a pair of kindly brown eyes. He warmed to her immediately. She was wearing a kitchen uniform, it was snow white and flattering and her brown hair peeped out round the edges of her black-and-white checked hat.
    ‘That’s right. Harry Dickinson.’
    ‘Jimbo was coming to see you at ten, but he’s been inundated with reps this morning and hasn’t been able to escape. Is everything OK, he says.’
    ‘Absolutely. The system is unbelievably simple and does the trick marvellously. Whoever wrote the program must be a genius.’
    Harriet smiled. ‘I’ll tell him, he’ll be flattered.’
    ‘Jimbo did it then?’
    ‘He did. Hours of sweat and toil ironing out the gremlins, but got there in the end. Must go. Busy, busy. He told you about lunch?’
    ‘He did.’
    After Harriet left, Harry sat down to contemplate his good luck. Never in the whole of his life had he fallen on his feet to such an extent as now, and how he relished it. Such trusting people, that was what surprised him. They’d never met him before and they hadn’t even asked for references before entrusting all this to him. He looked round the office at the thoroughly pleasant surroundings, the thick carpet, the marvellously contoured chairs provided; he wasn’t going to get backache sitting in one of these all day. Oh no! Top of the range, they were. And that wonderful view from the window, now that he really did enjoy. Back to work.
    *
     
    Jimbo came to see him towards the end of the afternoon, apologising for having neglected him.
    ‘Please don’t worry. I haven’t felt neglected, and I’ve processed three quarters of the pile.’
    ‘You have! That’s terrific! I thought you said you would be slow to begin with?’
    ‘I did say that, but I only meant the first hour and since then I’ve been rattling away. I rang Mrs Jones in Mail Order with a query which she was able to sort out for me. Other than that …’
    ‘She’s usually right. Not always, of course, but more often than not. Works like a slave, does Greta, and well worth her money. Ten pounds an hour, is that all right?’ Jimbo’s eyebrows arched a little as he waited for his answer.
    ‘That’s absolutely fine. Yes, absolutely fine.’
    ‘Feels fair?’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘Lunch OK?’
    ‘Yes, thank you. I paid my pound.’ ‘Did you get a receipt?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘Damn. I shall go down there and play hell.’
    ‘Not on my account.’
    ‘No, on mine. Four-thirty, it’s time you weren’t here. I don’t pay overtime unless it’s agreed beforehand.’
    ‘I won’t ask for extra payment, but I want to finish this batch before I go for my own satisfaction.’
    Jimbo studied Harry’s expression. ‘Very well then, that’s your choice. Bye.’ He liked the chap, he really did. He’d taken a risk with him, but it seemed to be justified. He liked that phrase of his, ‘for my own satisfaction’.
    Before he left, he went into the kitchen to play hell like he’d promised Harry he would. He found a few things he wasn’t exactly pleased with in the kitchen hygiene routine so he was longer than he intended and, when he was leaving, he saw Harrygoing into the