going, and I’ve a customer coming in at eleven, too. Would you consider taking the job, though, with a view to starting tomorrow if you can?’
Glen fought with himself not to jump up and give the man a hug of gratitude. Regardless of his main reason for wanting a job with this particular company, he still needed one in order to survive and he liked this man, felt he’d be a good boss to work for. They went over a few formalities, then shook hands on the deal.
Glen made his way back down the stairs. When he saw Jan, she was looking up at him with an enquiring look. He flashed her a brief smile, hoping that would tell her that he’d been successful. Reg Swinton’s secretary was now hurrying past him, on her way to bring Jan up to the office. As she passed Glen at the bottom of the stairs, he whispered to Jan, ‘I’ll wait for you down the road. Best of luck.’
While she made her way up the stairs behind the secretary, Jan was aware that the other woman who’d come after the canteen job was looking daggers at her.
Fifteen minutes later she came hurrying down the street to join Glen, who was waiting for her perched on a low wall. She had a worried expression on her face and he automatically took that to mean she had not been successful. As she reached him Jan gave a violent shiver and said, ‘Brrr! It was as cold in that office as it is out here. Did Mr Swinton seem all right to you?’
Glen frowned. ‘He had a good sweat on and I’d say he looked tired, but apart from that he seemed all right.’
‘Mmm, I think he’s sickening for something myself,’ Jan mused.
‘Well, your concern for the man is commendable, but I take it from the look on your face that you weren’t offered the job?’
She smiled triumphantly. ‘I certainly was. Start tomorrow. I’m looking worried as I’m concerned about our new boss. He seemed like a really nice man to me. I don’t think the woman who came in after me is very happy, though. She was of the opinion that the job was hers as her friend already works in the canteen and has recommended her. Well, she shouldn’t have taken it for granted, should she?’ Jan rubbed her hands together and said gleefully, ‘Anyway, Mr Trainer, seems like the first part of our plan has worked.’
Glen was just happy at this moment to have been given gainful employment and could keep up the new life he was living. The thought of returning to his previous existence did not appeal one little bit. ‘I didn’t like deceiving Mr Swinton as to the reason why we wanted jobs with this particular firm.’
Jan slapped him on his arm. ‘Sometimes we have no choice but to do things we aren’t happy with. That’s life. Come on, let’s get out of this cold and go and celebrate with a cup of tea and a slice of cake in a café. I think we should splash out now we’re both earning and have pork chops for our dinner tonight.’
Glen wasn’t sure whether the money she’d taken had been meant to be spent on such luxuries. Nevertheless, his mouth watered at the thought of a pork chop – something he hadn’t had for years.
He hurried after her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The next day at work seemed to drag on for ever to Cait, each minute seeming like a hundred. Her sour-faced boss had still not forgiven her for taking a day off without just cause, as well as for the fact that she hadn’t as yet caught up with her work. Last night yet again her sleep had been anything but restful, and so her day had been one long struggle. She was mortally relieved when home-time came as she was desperate to leave, make herself a cup of tea and drink it while she scanned the Accommodation pages in the Mercury, hoping to find something that was suitable for her. Then she’d have a long soak in the bath and go to bed.
As she let herself in at the front door she heard movement coming from the kitchen and froze rigid. Her parents were away, the daily laid off until they came back, so the house should be empty. There was no other explanation for a presence in the house other than burglars. She felt a rising sense of panic and decided