The 12.30 from Croydon by Freeman Wills Crofts Read Free Book Online

hadn’t, old man. That’s all right. I’m not pretending I’m not sorry: I am. The work would have come in handy enough. But it’ll be a good lesson. Macpherson has been plaguing the life out of me for some new machines and now he’ll have to get them. If we’d had them we’d have had a better chance of your job.’
    Brent seemed relieved. ‘Very decent of you to take it like that,’ he declared. ‘I’m glad it’s not going to make any real difference to you.’
    ‘I didn’t say that,’ Charles smiled. ‘But I don’t think it’ll bankrupt us.’
    But that was exactly what Charles did think, and it said something for his self-control that he was able to join with apparent ease in the conversation and chaff of the lunch table. The talk, after concerning itself with the Bender & Truesett dividend, continued for a little on business topics, and then slid gradually over to cricket, where it remained. Stimpson and a couple more were going to Leeds on the following Saturday to see Yorkshire wiping Kent off the pitch – so Stimpson put it – and they discussed County fixtures like schoolboys.
    Lunch over, the men adjourned to the smoking-room, and there, when the good-looking maid brought round coffee, they separated into little groups and began more intimate conversations. Charles, who had engaged in a political discussion with Witheroe, the bank manager, manœuvred him into a corner.
    ‘I was considering calling in to see you this afternoon,’ Charles said when the iniquities of the Government had been adequately dealt with. ‘What I wanted will only take a moment, and perhaps it would save the time of both of us if I were to mention it now.’
    ‘Delighted to see you,’ Witheroe returned. ‘But by all means go ahead now if it’s more convenient.’
    Charles drew slowly at his cigar. ‘I’m going to have to put in three new machines at the works,’ he said. ‘I’ve been considering it for some time and I put it off as the present didn’t seem the best time for launching out. But I find I was wrong. I should have done it months ago.’
    ‘I thought your plant was pretty up to date.’
    ‘It’s not so bad, but it’s just bad enough to make the difference. I’ll tell you, Witheroe, between ourselves. We tendered for that reconstruction job at Brent Magnus Limited’s, and I’ve just heard that we’ve lost it. That’s because I didn’t get those three machines. If we’d had them our tender would have been well below the winning figure.’
    Witheroe murmured polite regrets.
    ‘It was my own fault and I can’t grouse about it,’ Charles went on. ‘Parkinson’s have a very modern plant and they deserved to get it. But with these machines we could beat Parkinson’s. Our transport costs are less, for one thing.’
    ‘You’ve a good lot of men, haven’t you?’
    ‘Absolutely top-hole. I’d back them against any other crowd in the country.’
    ‘I’m sorry about that job, Swinburn. Apart from yourself, I’d like to have seen the money staying in the town.’
    Charles nodded. ‘I’m sorry, too, of course. But I’m not really worrying about it, because, as I say, I see where we went wrong and we can remedy our mistake. But that brings me to business, Witheroe. I’d like, if it was quite satisfactory, to get the money for these machines from you.’
    Witheroe looked grave. Before replying, he very slowly and carefully pushed the tobacco down into his pipe. Then when it was settled to his satisfaction, he looked up.
    ‘You know, Swinburn, there’s no one I’d be better pleased to oblige than yourself, but you’re pretty well overdrawn as it is.’
    Charles nodded. ‘I know that, and, of course, I’m not asking you to do impossibilities. I can easily raise the money, and more, by selling a couple of my late father’s pictures. But, as you can understand, I don’t want to do this unless I can’t help.’
    Witheroe whistled an inaudible tune below his breath. ‘How much will the