McQueen's Agency Read Free Page B

declined. ‘My husband will be picking me up. We came over on the ferry. We have a shop in the Nethergate, Lamont Antiques, and I like to drop in every now and then. We also wanted to see some of the events that are planned for the Coronation celebrations but the town is so busy we might give it a miss.’
    After she left, Molly kept a lookout for Edna to give her the good news and also to give her the times of the ferry and the bus that regularly ran from Newport to St Andrews.
    According to Lena Lamont, the bus stop was a few hundred yards from Cliff Top House.
    By four o’clock, there was no sign of Edna so Molly decided to go to her house later with the details.
    She was debating about closing up at five thirty when the phone rang. Molly, who hadn’t taken a message on it since it was installed, looked quite dazed at the insistent ring before picking it up.
    ‘McQueen’s Agency 3435.’
    ‘Good afternoon. I saw your advert in the paper and I want to hire someone who can do shorthand, typing and bookkeeping.’ The man had a pleasant voice and sounded quite young.
    Molly couldn’t believe it. Two jobs in one afternoon.
    He started to give his details and Molly had to lean over and grab the diary.
    ‘My name is Mr Knox and my address is 27 Constitution Place. I’m writing a book and I need help with taking notes and typing the manuscript. Is it possible to have someone tomorrow? I’ll need her for a week or two.’
    Molly said that would be no problem.
    After the call, she realised it was a problem. There would be no one to stay in the office next week and take messages. What a pity Mary couldn’t start until the end of June.
    It meant getting in touch with Jean, one of her friends who had offered to help out if needed and, if other work came in, then it would mean calling on other friends. Molly was suddenly struck with how small her workforce was but until she had built up a steady stream of clients, her finances couldn’t stretch to hiring permanent staff.

    Edna and her family lived two flights up in a two-roomed flat. The close was still well lit by the evening sunlight that had emerged after a day of grey drizzle. Molly thought she wouldn’t like to climb these stairs in the dark but maybe it was well lit in the winter.
    Billy was in bed, tired out after a busy day in the town, but Edna and her Mum were pleased that work had come in.
    Molly explained about the job at Cliff Top House. ‘I’ll do that one, Edna, because I live on the same side of the river and also it doesn’t start until next week. Another job has come in which starts tomorrow and I thought you could take that one on. Molly left the typed sheet with Mr Knox’s details before leaving to make her way to Craig Pier and home. She felt tired and was glad the day was over.
    Tomorrow, she would get in touch with Jean about coming into the office next week and she also wondered if Mary might like to come in after school and all day Saturday. She would write her letter tomorrow.
    It had been an eventful day and hopefully the start of a successful agency.

4
    Harry Hawkins made his way down the narrow gangplank of the cargo ship and, dodging the many obstacles that lay on the dockside like discarded rubbish, made his way towards the town.
    He was in a jubilant mood and still couldn’t believe his good luck. This was his first visit to Dundee and what a bonus it had turned out to be.
    He put up the collar of his jacket. It may have been June, the month with the longest day coming up, he thought, but the weather wasn’t summery.
    Walking swiftly through the Victoria Arch, he saw the bar at the corner of Dock Street. The City Centre Bar. It was seven o’clock and the bar was very busy.
    He managed to get a space and when the barman approached, ordered a double measure of navy rum, straight from the bottle with nothing added.
    The alcohol hit his stomach and he felt the warmth spread through him, Aye, there was nothing to beat a nip of rum on the