CHAPER 18
It was clear they had done this hundreds of times. Dave and his lad shifted the tins with ease. Jimmy continually chivvied them along, conscious of the risk of an unwanted curious passerby. Within a few minutes Jimmy’s van was loaded and the doors locked. Jimmy and Dave had a quick word. Not polite conversation, time was too short for that. Just business and being organised.
It was hard to get to grips with what Dave said. A stutter and a lisp was a bad combination but he managed to spit out, “When for the next load, Jimmy boy?”
“Sorry, but three weeks or so. I’m stuck here a week and need to set up the next drop. Yeah, three weeks should do it.”
“Same load?”
“Yup. But if you’ve got more tins of meat, sling them on. The lady here will take them and there’s a few others who’ll be interested. I’ll take all the flour, tins of veg, jam, marmalade that you can get on. All the usual. I don’t have a problem shifting that sort of stuff.”
“Where?”
“The Hasting spot. There’s a couple of places there that need stock then I’ll work my way up the coast to here… By the way, what’s in the meat tins?”
“Don’t ask… Beef for sure. There’s spam of course. I think lamb in some sort of gravy, but I’m really not so sure. Does it matter? You know how hard it is to get some stuff. These fill the gaps on the shelves. To some they’re priceless. Just tell the cooks to add loads of seasoning to the meat. The fruit is no problem as you know.”
“Same as always, no labels?”
“Of course. A quick soak and they come off. We can’t have people knowing where they come from, can we?
“Fair enough. Anything else you’ve got?”
“Would you be interested in fresh meat? Comes in a cold van packed in ice. Good stuff. We lift it straight from the wholesalers. It’s cheaper than the market. Interested?”
“Sure. There’s a few restaurants that struggle to get enough at a good price. I’ll have a word and let you know… Now, we’ve been here too long, you need to get going.”
Jimmy watched them turn the corner then fired up his van, crunched it into first, had no trouble with second as he got the revs right and sped off with the back playing a tune full of clunks and rattles. Next stop, The Happy Cafe, for a decent breakfast for a change and to ask about digs in the town.
As Jimmy pulled up outside the cafe the sounds and smells coming out the open door made him just want to get inside. The waitress, a mid-aged chubby lady, was laughing at something the man behind the counter said. Her long blue apron as clean as the time she put it on straight out of the laundry. Her shoes low flats that showed months of hard use. A bell dinged and she moved to the hatch to the kitchen and picked up a plate and steaming mug of tea. Jimmy sat near the back and as she passed, she said, “Be with you in a minute, dearie.”
He ordered a full English with toast, proper marmalade and proper coffee to celebrate a good deal. He deserved it. Jimmy did the sums. Eighty tins, large and heavy. Average cost: five bob a can. Resale: one pound ten shillings each. One hundred pounds profit thank you very much for little risk. What an earner. Add that to all the rest of his pies and bingo, his next stop: rich man status and in the fast lane. When the food arrived, he asked the waitress about lodgings in the area. She disappeared and returned with a handwritten list saying they were all she knew about.
I’ve got all morning. There’s six addresses here. I’ll check them out. See if I can locate Dexter Carmichael. Will he be in? I doubt it, I heard Dee say he was going to London. Maybe, with luck, if he’s leaving late and happens to be in, a swift word would not be out of order. If not…well, I’ll know where he is if the need arises. Trouble? Nah. Dexter looked like he could handle himself for sure but he won't start anything and when the time came the lads and I would deal with him no problem.
Looking at the list the addresses seemed to mostly be in the same area so Jimmy parked around the back of the station and walked. What about all those tins? No problem. The back doors of his van had no windows eliminating any worry about security. Besides, he did not expect to be too long. The first three addresses came up blank. All full and no Dexter Carmichael. The door of a drab house opened and Jimmy was confronted with an old lady who did her best to match the look of the house. She stood on the step smelling of tobacco smoke and stared at him, mouth open and showing no teeth. In reply to Jimmy’s question she croaked, “Sorry, don’t take in lodgers no more,” wheezed a sigh and slammed the door. He had seen them all as he had flitted from lodging to lodging way before the war but this one… who would want to stay there anyway? He laughed. Two more to go then he would head for the boarding house.
The next street had a smarter look about it. Slightly bigger houses maybe and cared for. Fresh paint here and there. Number twenty-five was in the middle of a row. No gate. Looking at the lugs set into the brick pillars it had been metal and had probably gone in the war to make a tank and never been replaced. A short concrete path to a white front door with one of those brass looped knockers with a small knock plate that almost silently rattled in the wind. Two swift blows and he waited. Through the obscured glass set in the top half of the door he saw the outline of a woman come out of a door at the end of the hall and reach for the door handle.
The door eased back a fraction. Left a gap of what? Six inches. Why she shouted Jimmy was not sure. Maybe because she felt the small gap would stifle the sound. Anyway, the lady simply said, “Yes?”
Jimmy shouted back, “Names Jimmy Raynott. I’m looking for a fella called Dexter Carmichael. Mary in the cafe said to ask you because you took in lodgers. She said yours was a cut above the others and a posh guy like Dexter would stay in the best.” This one’s got the feel of a dragon about her. Flattery works best on a dragon.
“No need to shout. I ain’t deaf,” Dora said.
“It’s the door not open. Can you hear me?” he almost whispered back, playing with the fire breather.
“What did you say? I can’t hear you.”
“Open the door please then I can talk properly,” Jimmy shouted back.
The door swung in and Dora stepped onto the threshold. “You want to know about my lodger?”
“That’s better, isn’t it. Yes, if you’ve got time. Dexter Carmichael. He owes me money. Does he stay here?” That’ll get her going. She’s the sort to be hooked up on money.
“Owes you money, eh. You know he’s a crook, don’t you?”
“Is he? That’ll explain everything. So, he does stay here then?”
“Sure he does, Paid for the next month.”
“He’s not in then?”
Dora knew Dexter might not be back but sensed there was some money to be made with this man, so she said, “He’s gone to London for a few days then he’ll be back.”
“I’ll need to see him straight away. Can you call me?”
“That’s got to be worth something?” said Dora with her eyes narrowing.
“A fiver now and another when you call. How about that?”
“I can’t pick up the phone for less than a tenner,” she said, putting her hands on her hips and lifting her chin to stare at Jimmy.
“Okay, a tenner it is.”
“Ten now and ten when I call.”
“You’re a pushy one… okay, but make sure you call. You got a pencil and paper?... Thanks. This is where I’m staying,” and Jimmy wrote Gloria’s number and his name. “I’m there until next Wednesday.”
“My tenner?” said Dora, holding out her hand and Jimmy handed her two fives.
“Don’t forget to call. I don’t want to come back and have another conversation with you. You understand?” The menace in Jimmy’s eyes made Dora wonder who the fella could be. She had the thought that maybe she had just made the second mistake of the day.
Comments
Post a Comment