regarded Gareth levelly.
'You want all five cars at that price in their present condition?'
'Right,' said Gareth.
What if I tell you that only three are runners two are 'shot all to
hell.'
'That wouldn't affect my offer.' Jake reached out and drained the
Tusker bottle. Gareth opened another for him and placed it in his
hand.
Swiftly Jake ran over the offer. He had an open contract with
Anglo-Tanganyika Sugar Company to supply gasoline powered sugar-cane
crushers at a fixed price of 110 pounds each.
From the three cars he could make up three units maximum of
330pounds.
The Limey's offer was for all five units, at a price to be
determined.
'I've done one hell of a lot of work on them,' Jake softened him a
little.
'I can see that.'
'One hundred and fifty pounds each for all five. That's seven hundred
and fifty.'
'You would replace the engines and make them look all ship-shape.'
'Sure.'
'Done,' said Gareth. 'I
knew we could work something out,' and they beamed at each other.
'I'll make out a deed of sale right away,' Gareth produced a cheque
book, 'and then I'll give you my cheque for the full amount.'
'Your what? 'The beam on Jake's face faded.
'My personal cheque on Courts of Piccadilly.' It was true that
Gareth Swales did have a chequing account with Courts. According to
his last statement, the account was in debit to the sum of eighteen
pounds seventeen and sixpence. The manager had written him a spicy
little letter in red ink.
'Safe as the Bank of England.' Gareth flourished his cheque book.
It would take three weeks for the cheque to be presented in London and
bounce through the roof. By that time, he hoped to be on his way to
Madrid. There looked to be a very profitable little piece of business
brewing up satisfactorily in that area, and by then Gareth
Swales would have the capital to exploit it.
'Funny thing about cheques.' Jake removed the cheroot from his mouth.
'They bring me out in a rash. If it's all the same to you,
I'll just take the seven fifty in cash money.'
Ok Gareth pursed his lips. Very well, so it wasn't going to be that
easy either.
'Dear me,' he said. 'It will take a little while to clear.'
'No hurry, 'Jake grinned at him. 'Any time before noon tomorrow.
That's the delivery date I have for my original buyer. You be here
with the money before that, and they are all yours.' He rose abruptly
from the bath, cascading soapy water, and his black servant handed him
a towel.
'What plans have you for dinner?' Gareth asked.
