"AmIlookingforanythingparticular?"
"Justforanythingyoudon"tunderstand."
Hepeeredatmespeculatively."ThisboxwenttoItalyearlier,dinnit?"
Iagreedthat.i.thad."WentlastFriday,returnedbyTuesdayevening."Therehadbeennoproblemsorhold-ups,though;asfarasIknew,ofcourse.
"ThatBrettnevercleansitproper.GotnoJekyll."
JekyllandHyde,Ithought:pride.
"BretthadWednesdayoff,"Isaid."HarvedrovealoadofcoltstoNewmarketthatdayinthisbox.BretttookittoNewmarketandbackyesterday.Acoupleofoddthingshavehappened,so...carryonwiththecheck."
"Youtalkingaboutthatstiff?"
Partly."
"Hedidn"thavenochancetodufftheboxup,though,didhe?"
"Idon"tknowanymorethanyou,"Isaid."Andgetamoveon,Jogger,I"vegottogetthisthingcleanedandoutontheroadwithinanhour."
Helaydownphilosophicallyandshovedhimselftrustinglyoutofsight,exceptforhisfeet,undertenorsotonsofsteel.Justtheprospectofitgavemeasortofclaustrophobia,whichJoggerknewaboutbutloftilyforgave.Myfailingincreasedhisself-esteem:itdidnoharm.
IwentbacktothehouseandHarvephoned.
"Dave"sonhiswayalongtoyounow,"hesaidwithagitation."ButhesaysBrett"s.p.a.ckinghisbags."
"He"sdoingwhat?
"DavesaysBrett"snotacompletethicko,heknowshistrialthreemonthsisnearlyupandthatyouwon"tkeephimon.He"sduckingoutfirst.Thatwayhecangoaroundsayinghegaveyouthechuck,nottheotherwayround.He"llbewhingingallovertheplaceabouthowhardheworkedhere,Davesays,andhowyouneverappreciatedhim."
"Hecangetonwithit,"Isaid."Thethingis,whatabouttoday?"
"TheMarigoldshuttle,"Harvesaid."Brettwasdoingthat."
"Exactly.Whoelsehavewegot?"Iknewtheanswera.s.soonasIasked.Wehadme.
"Well..."Hehesitated.
"Yes,allright.I"lldoitifthere"snooneelse."
"It"snotjusttheshuttle,"hewentonunhappily."Vic"swifesayshe"sgotatemperatureofahundredandthreeandnowayishedrivingtoSandown."
Oneofthosedays.
"They"rebothhereatthefarm,"Harvewenton,"Vicandhismissus.Hesayshewantstogo,shesaysshe"lldivorcehim.Youcanseehe"sgotafever,though."
"Sendhimhome,he"lljustspreadthefluaroundmore."
"OK.But..."
"Givemeaminute.Inspirationwillstrike."
Helaughed."Hurryitup,"hesaid,disconnecting.
Isuckedmyteeth.Ifracehorsetrainershadn"tbeenasfussyastheynormallywere,IcouldhavetravelledthetwoSurrey-boundbroodmaresinoneoftheboxestaking"chaserstoSandown.Theboxcouldhavedroppedoffthetworacers,takenthemarestotheirdestinationandreturnedtoSandowntobringthe"chasershome.ImighthaveriskeditifIhadn"tbeensurethetrainerinquestionwouldgettohearofitfromhislads:andthetrainerinquestionwouldnevereverlethisownhorsestravelwithanyhorsesfromanyotherstables.Sendinghisrunnersincompanywithbroodmareswouldlosemehiscustominstantlyandevermore.
Iwentouttothenine-horsebox.JoggerwasnowheretobeseenbutwhenIyelledhisnameapairofbootsslidoutintoview,followedbygrease-cloggedtrousers,filthyarmysweaterandadirt-streakedface.
"You"reright,we"vepickedupastranger,"hereported,andadded,grinningwithyellowteeth."Didyouknow?Youmusthaveknown."
"No,Ididn"t."NorwasIpleased.Veryputout,infact.
"Haveadecko,"heencouragedme,removinghimselffromthesliderandslylyofferingmehisplace.
"I"lltakeyourwordforit,"Isaid,stayingupright."Whathaveyoufound?"
"I"dsayit"sstuckonwithamagnet."Hegavemehisopinionjudiciously."It"sasortoftinbox.Likeabigcashbox,liddownwards."
"Shiny?"Iasked.
"Coursenot.Want.i.tout?"
"Yes,butwait...um...we"vegotthreedriversnowwithflu.Wouldyoudoarunyourself,justtohelpout?"
Herubbedhisgreasyhandsdownhistrousersandlookeddubious.Drivingmeantcleaningupandtherewasnodoubthefelthappierdirty.Iseldomaskedhimtodrivemorethanhisregulartestrunsonalltheboxes,whenhelistenedtotheirresonancesastoalanguageandheardtroublebeforeithappened.
"Broodmares,nottotheraces,"Iexplained.
"Wellthen...when?"
"Lunchtime."
"Bonus?"
"Sure,ifyoudoyourregularmaintenanceworkaswell."
Heshrugged,laydownagainontheslideranddisappeared.Iwentbacktomydesk,phonedHarveandtoldhim,"Jogger."
"He"sdriving?"Hesoundedincredulous."Heagreed?"
"ThebroodmarestoSurrey,"Iconfirmed."It"sPhilwhoseboxisinformaintenance,isn"t.i.t?Wakehimup,twisthisarm,sobstuffifyoulike,tellhimhisdayoff"spostponed,weneedhimtotakeVic"sboxtoSandown."
"OK.".
"Thatshouldcoverit,"Isaid.
"Fingerscrossed."
"Comedownhereyourself,wouldyou,whenyouhaveaminute?"
Afterthebriefestofpauseshesaid,"Right."
HewouldbewonderingwhatIwantedbutnottothelevelofworry.Atleast,Ihopednot.
Daveatthatpointbicycledinacrossthetarmacandleanedhisrustyconveyanceagainstmywoodpile.Davedidhaveacar,evenrustierthanthecycle,but.i.tspentmostofthetimeoutofaction.Oneday,he"dbeensayingformonths,hewouldequipitwithretreadsandget.i.tbackontheroad.Noonebelievedhim.Hespenthismoneyongreyhounds.
Heknockedontheoutsidedooronhiswayinandappearedinthesitting-roomdoorwaywiththemartyredairofhavingsteppedoutofatumbril.
"Youwantedme,Freddie?"Hewasnervousb.u.t.tryingforbravado:notasuccess.
"IwantyouandBretttocleanthatbox.It"sdueoutagainbeforenine."
"But,Brett-"Hestopped.
"Goon."
"Harvetoldyou,didn"the?Brettsayshe"llbewaitingattheofficedoorforhisP45thesecondIsobelgetsthere,thenhe"soff."
"He"sduesomewagesandholidaymoney,"Isaid,unruffled."Yougetbackonyourbikeandgoandtellhimhecanhaveitnow,here,incash,butcleaningthatboxisyesterday"sjob,andifhedoesn"tfinis.h.i.t,hisunemploymentdatesfromyesterdaymorning.Nopayforyesterday,understand?"
"Youcan"tdothat,"Davesaiduncertainly.
"Wanttobet?Byrights,heshouldgivemeaweek"snotice.Andaskhimifhethinkshemighteverneedareference."
Davegavemeahollowlook.
"Hurryandfetchhim,"Isaid."Andcomebackyourself."
Whenhe"dgoneIswitchedonthecomputerandbroughtBrettandhisaffairstothescreen.Everyjourneyhe"ddoneformewaslistedthere,withdates,times,horses"names,expensesandnotes.Thedaybefore"sjourneyofninetwo-year-oldstoNewmarkethadbeenenteredonlyas"proposed":nodeadbodiesyetclutteredtheentry.
Histermsofemploymentwerethere,alongwithdaysworkedandholidayent.i.tlementearned:noproblematalltoputtogetherhispresentdue.Iprintedacopyoftheincomeinformation,readytogivetohim.
Throughthewindow,IwatchedJoggerheel-and-toehiswaytowardsthehouse,agreyish-brownshapelikeabigs...o...b..xinhishands.Hecameintothesitting-roomandplonkedtheobjectdownonmychart,notcaringaboutmundaneconsiderationslikedirt.HelookedsurprisedwhenIaskedhimtolifttheboxupagainsothatIcouldspreadanewspaperunderit.
"Ihadah.e.l.lofajobgettingitoff,"hesaid."Likealimpetmine,itwas."
"Where"sthemagnet?"Iasked.
"Stillstucktothecha.s.sis,behindthesecondfueltank.Super-gluejob,mostlike.Thisboxcameoffintheend,thoughIhadtouseatyrelever.Noonemeant.i.ttomove,I"mtellingyou."
"Howlongwouldyousayit"sbeenthere?"
Theboxwasthickwithgrimeexceptforacleancircularsaucer-sizedpatchonitsundersidewhereithadbeenincontactwiththemagnet.
Joggershruggedunhappily."It"snotinaplaceIneedtoinspectallthatoften."
"Aweek?Amonth?More?"
"Dunno,"hesaid.
Ipickedtheboxupinthenewspaperandshookit.Itwascomparativelylight,withnorattle.
"Empty,"Joggersaid,nodding.
Aboutfifteeninchesbytenbysixdeep,itwasastrongold-fashionedgreymetalcashboxwithroundedcorners,arecessedcarryinghandleandast.u.r.dylock.Nokey,naturally.Adentononeedgefromthetyrelever.Thecarryinghandle,stuckintoitsrecess,wouldn"tliftup.
"Canyouopenit?"Iasked."Withoutbreakingit."
Joggergavemeasidewayslook."IcouldpickthelockifIfetchmytoolsandyousquinttheotherway."
"Goon,then."
Hedecidedtotaketheboxouttohisvanforthejobandpresentlywithayellowgrinreturnedwithitopen.
Nothinginside,notevendust.Iputmynosedowntoit.Itsmelledsurprisinglycleaninsideconsideringthegrimeontheoutside.Itsmelledevenfresh,liketalc.u.mpowderorsoap.
"Howdifficultwasittosearchunderneath?"Iasked.
"Easy,onaslider.Veryeasyoveraninspectionpit,ifyouknewwheretolook.Inearlymissedit,though.It"sthesamecolouraseverythingelseunderthere.See,that"sit,youwouldn"texpecttoseeit,unlessyouknewitwasthere.You"dhavetoparkthatbitoverthepit,too,whichyouwouldn"tnormallydo."
"HowlongsinceyouhadBrett"sboxovertheinspectionpit?"
Heraisedhiseyebrows."Didanoilchange,checkedtheairbrakes,sayfiveweeksago.Totaloverhaulmust"vebeenbeforeChristmas.Don"tremembertheday."
"Thecomputerwillhaveit,"Isaid.
Joggerlookedacrossatthedarkscreenwithoutfavour.Helikedtobeabletoinventmemories,nothavethemchecked.
"Thanks,anyway,"Isaidwarmly."Iwouldn"thavefoundthiscashboxmyselfinamillionyears."
Theyellowteethmadeabriefappearance."Youwanttogetunderthere,"hesaid.
Butno,Ididn"t.
DavecamebackonhisbicyclefollowedbyBrett,slowly,inhiscar,neitherofthemshowingmuchappet.i.teforthemorning.Theycameintothesitting-room,greetedJoggerunenthusiasticallyandlookedwithoutreactionatthedirtygreycashboxlyingopenonthenewspaper.
"Haseitherofyouseenthatbefore?"Iaskedneutrally.
Uninterestedly,theysaidtheyhadn"t.
"It"snotmyfaultthehorseboxwasn"tcleaned,"Brettsaiddefensively."SandySmithwouldn"tletmenearitlastnight."
"Cleanitnow,w.i.l.l.you,whileIa.s.sembleyourpaypacket?"
"ItwasDave"sideatogivethatma.n.a.lift."
"Yes,soyousaid."