Ann came down a little after half-past seven.
“There is something wrong over there, Harry,” she said
coming to the entrance of the garage and staring across the
road at the two policemen.
“Looks like it,” I said indifferently. “Well, it’s not our business.”
“Do you think there’s been a robbery?”
“I don’t know. Look, darling, I want to get this done
before Tim comes in.” I crawled under the van again and
began tightening the nut on the brake drum.
“Couldn’t you ask Harris, Harry?”
“I will if I see him. What are you getting so excited
about?”
There was a long pause. I could see her small feet and
slim ankles as she stood near the truck.
“I’m not getting excited. I’m worried, Harry.”
“Oh, forget it, and let me get on with my job!”
She went away then, and I worked until eight o’clock. I
had just finished when Tim came in wheeling his bicycle. By
this time there was a small crowd standing in front of my
entrance, gaping at the sorting-office. Several Press cars had arrived and three men with cameras were taking photographs.
“Morning, Tim,” I said, wiping my hands clean on a lump
of waste. “Looks as if there’s some excitement across the
way.”
“There’s been a robbery, Mr. Collins,” Tim said, his eyes
round behind his spectacles.
“One of the mail vans?”
“That’s right. No one seems to know if they got away with
much. It’s not in the papers yet. I asked one of the reporters.”
“Well, never mind that for a moment. Come into the
office, Tim. I want to talk to you.”
Surprised, he reluctantly dragged himself away from the
activity going on outside and followed me into the office.
I knew it would be too dangerous to let him stay in the garage a minute longer than necessary. I didn’t want to get rid of him, but I had to. I couldn’t let him tell the police about Dix and the others.
I sat on the edge of the desk and to cover my embarrassment. I lit a cigarette.
“Look, Tim, I’m not going to beat about the bush.
Business is rotten. I’ve got to economize or I’ll go bust. I’m
sorry, but I can’t afford to keep you on.”
His face fell.
“Oh. Well, I was rather expecting it, Mr. Collins. There doesn’t seem any work coming in, does there?”
“That’s a fact.” I flicked ash on to the floor, went on
without looking at him. “I’m not going to stand in your way,
Tim. You can pack up right away. I’m going to give you two
weeks’ money.”
He stared at me.
“I’ll work my week out, Mr. Collins. I wouldn’t like to leave you in the lurch.”
“I can manage all right, and I’ll feel happier if I knew you
were looking for something else instead of wasting your time
doing nothing here.”
“I can get another job easily enough. I’d like to work out
my week here.”
“There’s no point in that. There’s no work to do. You get
off right now, Tim.”
He shuffled his feet. I tried to meet his eyes, but I
couldn’t.
“I—I haven’t done anything wrong, have I, Mr. Collins?”
“Don’t be an idiot, Tim. It’s just that I want you to get
fixed up right away, and also, if I’ve got to do without your
help, the sooner I get down to the job the better.” I took out my wallet and counted nine pounds down on to the desk. “There you are, Tim. Now you get off. I’ll send you a cracking fine reference. You’ll get it tomorrow.”
“I can’t take that, Mr. Collins,” he said with a dignity that
surprised me. “I’ll take a week’s money, but not two weeks. That wouldn’t be fair.”
“Please yourself,” I said, beginning to get irritated. I was anxious to get rid of him in case Ann came down. “It’s due to you.”
“No, it isn’t.”
He took four pounds and a ten shilling note and left the
rest of the money on the desk.
There was a long, awkward pause, then as he still
showed no sign of going I said, “Well, Tim, thanks for all
you’ve done. I can’t say how sorry I am this has happened.
You get off now.”
“If you’re sure you want me to go, I suppose I’d better go.
I’d like to say good-bye to Mrs. Collins, please.”
I was expecting that
“She’s busy right now, Tim. I’ll tell her you wanted to say
good-bye. She’ll understand.” I forced a laugh. “It’s not as if we shan’t see you again. I hope you’ll look us up one of these
days.”
I knew this would be the trickiest part of getting rid of him. He was devoted to Ann.
The worried, unhappy look went
out of his eyes, and something like anger showed in them.
“Does Mrs. Collins know I’m going?”
“Of course she does.” I had to stop this, and stop it
quickly. “As a matter of fact, Tim, it was she who suggested
you should go. Don’t let’s embarrass her with a lot of good- byes.”
He went as red as fire.
“Oh, I see.”
I got up and began to crowd him out of the office.
“Of course she doesn’t want you to go any more than I
do, but we’ve got to be sensible about this.”
“I’d like to say I have been very happy here, Mr. Collins.
I’m sorry this has happened. If there’s anything wrong, I’d like
you know you can rely on me to help.”
“There’s nothing wrong. Now get off. I’ve a lot to do this
morning, and I can’t stand here nattering all day.”
I spoke more sharply than I intended to, but my patience
was rapidly running out.
He turned even redder.
“Well, then, I’ll say good-bye.”
“So long, and good luck.”
I watched him put on his coat and cross over to where he
kept his bicycle.
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