The Money Makers by Harry Bingham Read Free Book Online

grow, filled only by the rumble of traffic from Camden High Street. ‘Where’s George, d’you know?’ he said, changing the subject.
    ‘No, no one knows. Josie left loads of messages at his flat, but he’s either not there or not responding.’
    ‘I wonder what he’s up to. He’s going to have a bit of a job financing his lifestyle now.’
    That was true enough. George’s playboy life had been paid for by huge dollops of cash from their father. No more cash, no more jet-setting.
    ‘You never know,’ said Matthew. ‘He’s probably persuaded a billionaire friend of his to give him a couple of million to tide him over. He was always good at getting cash out of Dad. Better than us.’
    Zack shrugged. ‘I don’t think we need worry. George would get through a million in a matter of months.’
    Both men laughed. They weren’t worried about George getting his million. Zack was the cleverest of the brothers, Matthew the most determined. George wasn’t smart and he hated work. Both brothers had always vaguely resented the ease with which George had taken cash from their father, but now it was payback time. Zack knew that Matthew was his only serious rival, and he was Matthew’s. The two men looked at each other warily. They were tense, defensive, nervous.
    When the doorbell rang, Zack stood up quickly.
    ‘That’ll be her now. If you get the door, I’ll get her a drink.’
    Matthew opened the door and found a stranger. It was Josephine alright, but as he’d never seen her. She wore a navy blue skirt with a white cotton blouse. A single gold chain was her only jewellery. Her long, dark, naturally curly hair was pulled back and pinned up. A few weeks before, Josephine had been a slim, pretty, lively girl with a passion for dance and parties. Today, she was professional, competent, unobtrusive. For maybe the first time, her mouth was tucked down, not up, at the comers.
    ‘Jesus Christ, Josie,’ murmured Matthew. ‘So soon?’
    ‘Yes, I was lucky. I got a last minute place at the Cavendish Secretarial School and I’ve been there a week now. It’s going OK.’
    ‘And this stuff - from M & S, I suppose?’
    ‘Yes. I’d never realised how much £500 could buy. I’m all set up now as you see.’
    She gave a half-twirl as though to show off a party frock, but her heart wasn’t in it.
    ‘It’s not right, Josie. It’s not right.’
    She looked away, not wanting to let Matthew see her quivering eyes.
    ‘I haven’t many options, have I? Besides, it’s how most girls my age get by.’
    Matthew raised his arm, offering her a cuddle, but she gently pushed it away. She’d cry if he cuddled her and she wasn’t here to cry. Once inside, Josephine took a tumbler of gin and tonic with a sigh of relief. She stretched out her legs on Zack’s gleaming glass coffee table, uncomfortable beneath her brother’s dark unemotional scrutiny.
    ‘M & S, huh?’
    ‘That’s right.’
    Zack just nodded. Josie saw his eyes pass the information to his brain, which stored the fact as just another item to be memorised and filed. He cut to the chase.
    ‘Well, Josie, are you going to reveal why you’ve got us together or shall we guess?’
    ‘I don’t think it should be all that hard to guess,’ she said, keeping her voice steady and reasonable. ‘Mummy’s shocked, she’s depressed. Even after a month, she’s showing no sign of improvement. I think we need to do something.’
    ‘She needs to get out,’ said Zack. ‘Get a job.’
    ‘She can’t. She can’t type any more, and secretarial work is all she’ll do.’
    ‘Oh, come on. We all know she could type if she wanted. She could do anything if she just pulled herself together.’
    ‘Zack! She’s in a bad way. She’s finding things hard.’
    ‘What are you suggesting? We take it in turns to sing her lullabies?’
    Josie’s temper began to rise despite herself, despite her foreknowledge that Zack would be difficult.
    ‘I’m saying that she needs help. From all