|
Daisy picked up the telephone and tried to get through
to her client again. |
|
Her client, a certain Frank Baccini, who had a warehouse
of electrical goods, had not paid for her two days' work. |
|
Daisy had managed to discover where Mr. Baccini's
dishonest partner was now living and was anxiously expecting her cheque. |
|
Daisy was beginning to think that her client was
dishonest too. |
|
A very bored "Hello, can I help you?" was the
reply at the other end. |
|
It was a young woman's voice, Frank Baccini's secretary. |
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"I'd like to speak to Mr. Baccini, please." |
|
"Sorry, Mr. Baccini is out of town." |
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"But when is he coming back?" insisted Daisy. |
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"I'm afraid I don't know." |
|
"Will you tell him Daisy Hamilton telephoned and
would like to talk to him urgently." |
|
"Well - yes, I suppose so," was the completely
unconcerned reply. |
|
This was the tenth telephone conversation Daisy had had
in two weeks with this young woman, but Frank Baccini hadn't got in touch
with her yet. |
|
Daisy was furious and decided to go to Mr. Baccini's
warehouse to see if he was there. |
|
When she arrived, she knocked on the office door. |
|
Mr. Baccini's secretary said in her monotonous voice:
"Come in." |
|
"I've telephoned many times - my name is Daisy
Hamilton." |
|
"Really? Who did you want to speak to?" asked
the young woman without even glancing at Daisy. |
|
"I want to speak to Mr. Baccini," replied
Daisy. |
|
She was becoming even more aggressive. |
|
"I'm afraid he's not here," said the secretary
in her usual monotonous way and went on reading her magazine. |
|
Daisy shouted "Enough is enough!" and banged
the door closed. |
|
Daisy felt rather depressed. |
|
"I know what I'll do," she thought, "I'll
stop off at Luigi's for a nice banana split." |
|
Daisy liked sitting in Luigi's ice-cream parlour and
having a little chat with the owner, a positive-thinking Italian. |
|
As Daisy walked up the stairs to her office she felt a
little less sore about human beings. |
|
Just as Daisy was changing her shoes to a more
comfortable pair, someone knocked on the door and walked in. |
|
It was a workman in overalls. |
|
"Excuse me miss - are you Miss Daisy Hamilton?
Where shall we put these?" pointing to two large boxes on the landing. |
|
"Yes, I am Daisy Hamilton but what have you got
there - what's in those boxes?" |
|
"The big one is a fridge and the smaller one is a
cappuccino-making machine. You've chosen well, you know, these are the
best makes around." |
|
"I haven't ordered either of these," exclaimed
Daisy. |
|
"But it's your name on the delivery note!"
insisted the workman. |
|
"It's all paid for - just tell me where to put them." |
|
Daisy was just about to refuse the goods when she saw
Frank Baccini coming in the door, too. |
|
"Miss Hamilton. I'm very sorry I haven't been in
touch. |
|
"I do hope you don't mind but I had noticed you
didn't have a fridge in your office and... this cappuccino-making machine
is a little speciality. |
|
"Oh, by the way here is your cheque for the
excellent work you did, with a little extra for your expenses." |
|
Frank Baccini saw Daisy was astonished and added: |
|
"My secretary did phone you, I hope? I've been away
for a couple of weeks on honeymoon." |
|
Daisy recovered herself, "Well, no, she didn't -
but that's quite all right Mr. Baccini!" |