Cliff but too late remembered their brief encounter at this very table a couple of months before, and then again in the pub afterwards. Although she was sure Paul was unaware of the sexual awakening she had experienced as a result of his concerned hugs on two occasions when she had been upset, her body was unkindly reminding her of its response to his touch, and it was beginning to affect her speech. Aware that she was now increasing the size of the large hole she had been digging, and desperately trying to draw together her scattered thoughts so she could STOP talking about touching and stroking, she hurriedly asked ‘Would either of you like any more of anything?’
Inwardly she groaned, although it was possible she had done it out loud and now she was so uncomfortable and unsettled that she was afraid she was losing her faculties.
‘Yes please Lisa, I’ll have another coffee. Cliff?’
‘Yes, I’ll have another one too; better make it a pot of coffee. Oh, might as well have a couple of mince pies to go with that don’t you think Paul? ‘Tis the season and all that?’
‘Good idea, another pot of coffee and a couple of mince pies please Lisa.’ Paul wasn’t sure he would be able to swallow anything he felt so ill about the problem he was faced with, and resolved to take any leftover mince pies back home to eat later. He was oblivious to Lisa’s discomfort, and had his own problems to concentrate on. The owner of the bronzes was someone he regularly did business with, and he hated to think they may be using his auction house to launder fake items. The penalties for consciously providing false information in an auction catalogue are severe, and Paul was likely to face a prison sentence if found guilty. He was also disturbed by the thought that the person could be deliberately deceiving him. Trust is a vital part of the antiques business. He was finding the whole experience upsetting.
Cliff was unaware of the full extent of his friend’s dilemma, but had picked up on Lisa’s embarrassment and correctly guessed that at least part of it was to do with him, and also could see that some of it was to do with Paul although he wasn’t sure the extent of her interest in Paul. ‘Oh well, I have to expect people will stumble over their words for the rest of my life,’ he sighed, ‘but you were not helping her either. Have you two had a fling?’
‘No!’ Cliff wondered why Paul was so vehement in his denial. The fact was that Paul’s focus was on his business problems, his love life was a mess, and he wasn’t in the mood for being teased. ‘Anyway I think Lisa’s heart is with someone else now. I’ve seen her with a man, in The Ship Inn.’
‘Yes, I have too, a few weeks ago now though, not recently. He looks vaguely familiar but I can’t place him. Do you know who he is?’
‘No, no idea. Haven’t really paid him much attention. Anyway, back to my problem. What am I going to do?’
‘Well, it really depends if he is a good customer or not doesn’t it? If you don’t mind upsetting him by rejecting what he wants to put in your auction then just say no. You must have done that loads of times before? On the other hand, if he is using your auction house as a way to fence fake antiques then there is probably more to this than you know about, and there could even be people watching your auctions to see what happens to these items. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn’t risk it.’
‘Yes,’ Paul sighed. ‘I think you may be right. I need to reject his custom, don’t I. Trouble is the repercussions could be huge.’
Chapter 18
Thursday 31st December 2015, 11.50pm
Mike Handley had been feeling ill for several days. The Christmas holiday season was always a busy time for The Ship Inn in Woodford, and both he and Sarah had worked as many hours as they could, often not falling into their bed before half-past two in the morning and then up again for seven o’clock deliveries. The pub
Inwardly she groaned, although it was possible she had done it out loud and now she was so uncomfortable and unsettled that she was afraid she was losing her faculties.
‘Yes please Lisa, I’ll have another coffee. Cliff?’
‘Yes, I’ll have another one too; better make it a pot of coffee. Oh, might as well have a couple of mince pies to go with that don’t you think Paul? ‘Tis the season and all that?’
‘Good idea, another pot of coffee and a couple of mince pies please Lisa.’ Paul wasn’t sure he would be able to swallow anything he felt so ill about the problem he was faced with, and resolved to take any leftover mince pies back home to eat later. He was oblivious to Lisa’s discomfort, and had his own problems to concentrate on. The owner of the bronzes was someone he regularly did business with, and he hated to think they may be using his auction house to launder fake items. The penalties for consciously providing false information in an auction catalogue are severe, and Paul was likely to face a prison sentence if found guilty. He was also disturbed by the thought that the person could be deliberately deceiving him. Trust is a vital part of the antiques business. He was finding the whole experience upsetting.
Cliff was unaware of the full extent of his friend’s dilemma, but had picked up on Lisa’s embarrassment and correctly guessed that at least part of it was to do with him, and also could see that some of it was to do with Paul although he wasn’t sure the extent of her interest in Paul. ‘Oh well, I have to expect people will stumble over their words for the rest of my life,’ he sighed, ‘but you were not helping her either. Have you two had a fling?’
‘No!’ Cliff wondered why Paul was so vehement in his denial. The fact was that Paul’s focus was on his business problems, his love life was a mess, and he wasn’t in the mood for being teased. ‘Anyway I think Lisa’s heart is with someone else now. I’ve seen her with a man, in The Ship Inn.’
‘Yes, I have too, a few weeks ago now though, not recently. He looks vaguely familiar but I can’t place him. Do you know who he is?’
‘No, no idea. Haven’t really paid him much attention. Anyway, back to my problem. What am I going to do?’
‘Well, it really depends if he is a good customer or not doesn’t it? If you don’t mind upsetting him by rejecting what he wants to put in your auction then just say no. You must have done that loads of times before? On the other hand, if he is using your auction house as a way to fence fake antiques then there is probably more to this than you know about, and there could even be people watching your auctions to see what happens to these items. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn’t risk it.’
‘Yes,’ Paul sighed. ‘I think you may be right. I need to reject his custom, don’t I. Trouble is the repercussions could be huge.’
Chapter 18
Thursday 31st December 2015, 11.50pm
Mike Handley had been feeling ill for several days. The Christmas holiday season was always a busy time for The Ship Inn in Woodford, and both he and Sarah had worked as many hours as they could, often not falling into their bed before half-past two in the morning and then up again for seven o’clock deliveries. The pub
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