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“No, sir, always me.”
“You made a reference to running it just the way you like it. I take it by that you mean you like the old-fashioned methods? I notice there are no computers.”
“Don’t need computers, Mr Gardener. I come from good stock, with good memories. I know where everything is, and what I have in there. I keep my stock records on cards, not a computer.”
“Where are they?”
“The big cabinet with all the drawers, behind the counter.”
“I thought as much. Your suppliers, you know them all well?”
“All of them, by name.”
“Any problems with them?” asked Reilly.
“What do you mean by problems?”
“Anything. Faulty stock, late deliveries, the usual sort of thing.”
“It’s the nature of the business, Mr Reilly. You’re always going to face things like that, but we’re all adult enough to get over them. I’ve been dealing with my suppliers for years. We know each other well enough to sort things out amicably.”
“What about your customers, Mr Armitage?” asked Gardener. “Do you know those as well as your suppliers? Do they talk things over when there’s a problem?”
“What are you getting at?” replied Armitage, leaning forward.
“I’m not getting at anything. You’re helping me with my investigation, and in order to do that I’d like you to answer my questions.”
Armitage sighed. “Once again, usual run of the mill stuff. You can’t run a business without it. If we sell faulty goods, we replace them, without question.”
“Okay, so there are faulty goods now and again. Any disgruntled customers?”
“Not my regulars, they understand as well as I do. New customers may not be so patient.”
“And on that subject, have you had many new customers that would cause you concern for any reason?”
“None that I can think of.”
“Anyone asking strange questions that don’t fit with the business?”
“That could mean anything,” replied Armitage. “Someone asking for directions wouldn’t really fit with my business, but I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”
“I meant something more specific. Maybe it was a bad example. What about people asking for strange or unusual tools?”
Armitage thought for a moment, but had to eventually say that he could not recall anything.
“Any recent disagreements you can think of regarding pricing, or the returning of a faulty article?”
“Like I said, Mr Gardener, we replace faulty goods immediately. As for pricing, well, you’re always going to have competition. But I like to think I sell quality goods, charge a fair price, and offer a good service. Anyone who thinks any different is quite at liberty to shop elsewhere, but we won’t fall out over it.”
“I presume you have a lot of trade customers,” said Gardener. “Any of them have accounts with you?”
“Only the ones I can trust. You have to remember, Mr Gardener, it’s a small business. I can’t afford to let too many people have credit.”
“And those that have settle on time, do they?” It was only the second question Reilly had asked.
“Yes.”
“Any financial problems?” asked Reilly.
