‘I thought Matt had lost his senses when he suggested this,’ Jake continued, ‘but, after sleeping on it, I think it might work. However, lads, if we can’t make a go of it, then we’ll have a job to survive much longer.’

‘Don’t worry, boss.’ Steve already had a heavy mallet in his hands. ‘We’ll make it work!’

As Steve and Alan went off to get stuck into their demolition job, Jake turned to Harry and Matt. ‘I only want the best vehicles, as we won’t be able to sell rubbish in Mayfair. Try for makes like Lagonda, Wolseley, Singer, Daimler, you know, things like that. We don’t want cheaper models unless they’re in first-class condition.’

‘I’ll give them a good going-over before we buy,’ Harry told him.

‘And while you’re doing that I’ll see if we can have a petrol pump put in.’ Jake strode back to his office actually humming a tune.

‘Where do we start looking?’ Harry asked Matt.

‘I’ve bought a few newspapers, so we can look in those first. And I’ve got enough money on me to buy at least three cars. My brother Luke is loaning Jake the money to get started.’

‘That’s good of him.’ Harry studied Matt thoughtfully. ‘I suspect you and your family are propping us up.’

‘No, we’re not, Harry. We’re investing in a business we believe has a future. Once things pick up, Jake will pay us back.’

‘But how long will that be?’ Harry turned the page of a newspaper in a distracted way.

‘I don’t know, but we’re going to have to come out of the depression and start producing again. There are things going on in Germany I believe are dangerous.’

‘The Nazi movement you mean?’ Harry placed his finger over an advert to keep his place, and glanced up.

Matt nodded.

‘Well, that is starting here as well,’ Harry said. ‘This Sir Oswald Mosley is saying that he’s going to save the nation.’

Matt’s laugh was derisive. ‘That’s just what Hitler is telling the Germans, but I hope to God we don’t believe Mosley.’

‘I don’t think he’s got a chance. We’re having a tough time with the depression, but the British people don’t like fanatics, and that’s what he is. We’ve got an election at the end of October, and that’s only three weeks away, so we’ll find out then what the people think of his politics.’

‘You two found anything yet?’ Jake came up behind them.