Carol smiled half-heartedly and Davey breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed today was a big punch-up with Carol, and with Carol, a big punch-up was what you got. She didn’t know how to argue, only how to fight.

‘Here she is!’ Carol sounded relieved.

Davey stood up and breathed a deep, heartfelt sigh of relief.

As Donna walked across the forecourt she studied the cars intently. Five Mercedes, one a Sports, two BMWs and a Rolls-Royce Corniche shone in the weak sunshine.

She entered the office with a spring in her step. ‘I got Pemberton to extend the credit!’ Then she looked askance at the two people in front of her. ‘Is everything all right?’

Carol grinned. ‘’Course it is, you just caught us having a barney!’

‘Shall I go out and come back in again?’ Donna joked.

‘Nah,’ Carol laughed. ‘Just sit yourself down there and I’ll make us all a cuppa.’

As she disappeared into the tiny kitchen Davey sat on the edge of the desk and looked at Donna as she took off her jacket.

‘How’d you swing it with Pemberton?’

Donna shook her head. ‘That man! He should be locked up. I talked rings round him - logically, as your Carol would say. Actually, he gave in quite quickly. I told him the Murphys had offered us the money.’

‘And he believed that!’

Donna grinned. ‘Not for a second. But he played the game. I told him that if I didn’t get the houses finished he would not get a penny if the bank foreclosed. It was sound economics.’

‘Anything else happen today?’

Donna sat behind the desk. ‘Such as?’

Davey shrugged. ‘I don’t know, anything unusual?’

Donna shook her head. ‘No. Has anyone rung here for me? I’ve had my car phone turned off. I hate taking calls while I’m driving.’

‘Only Big Paddy. I’m just going to the workshop. I’ll be back for my coffee in two shakes.’

Davey strode from the office and across the forecourt to the garage area, dialling Big Paddy’s number as he walked. He had to let him know that Donna was safe and at the car lot.

Carol brought the cups of coffee through and placed one in front of Donna.

‘What a day, eh? I tell you, Donna love, I’ll be glad when it’s over.’

Donna sipped her coffee without answering.

Lewis was watching Fifteen to One in the rec room and as usual you could hear a pin drop. It was Lewis’s only concession to TV, that and Mastermind. He answered the majority of the general knowledge questions with ease, a sneaking feeling of pleasure at each right answer enveloping him.