Conrad knew the man was trouble as soon as he walked into Greta’s living room. They must have had some history together – she kissed him as he entered – but that did not reassure Conrad at all. She didn’t look enthusiastic about it. In fact, she seemed nervous, and he had never seen Greta nervous, had never associated her with nervousness. The man’s appearance was unpromising. He was wearing a suit, but it was a tasteless parody of a suit, dark blue, a little too short in the sleeve and in the leg, the three buttons of the jacket fastened and making it look too tight. He was wearing a parody of a tie, too, some kind of pattern of red and black, knotted too tightly and veering to the right, against a frayed blue shirt. Then, there was the cheap plastic briefcase. But it was the man’s face that put the matter beyond doubt. It was a hard face, sporting a heavy black stubble, and scarred on the left side from just below the eye to the middle of the nose. The eyes were as hard as granite, dark and impenetrable.
‘I’m Danny Cleary, Mr Rainer,’ he said, offering his hand with an obviously false attempt at pleasantry. ‘Greta’s told me all about you. Very impressive. I understand you’re interested in obtaining some cash?’
The accent was South London. Conrad’s every instinct was to put a stop to it there and then. Nothing was looking right about this. He could still walk away. Whatever his problems, there was no point in making them worse. But then again, he had to find a solution somewhere. There could be no harm in learning more. Perhaps some ideas would come to him as a result.
‘I’m interested in hearing what you have to say, Mr Cleary,’ he replied.
Cleary smiled. ‘Good. Well, no need to stand on ceremony, is there? Why don’t we all have a seat, nice and friendly?’
‘Do you want a drink, Danny?’ Greta asked. She still sounded nervous.
‘No thanks, darling. Not when I’m working. Got to keep a clear head, don’t you, Mr Rainer? I’m sure you know that, in your line of work.’
Conrad lit a cigarette.
‘So, you might want to borrow some cash?’
‘I might.’
‘Fair enough. I might be able to help. The thing is, Mr Rainer, I represent what you might call a syndicate.’
‘A syndicate?’
‘Yeah. Well, it’s just a group of friends really, friends who have a few bob to lend, and don’t mind lending it in a good cause.’
‘A group of friends? So, it’s not a company?’
Cleary laughed.
‘A company? No, definitely not. More like a rabble, if you ask me, more like a mob. But they’re good lads, you know. I can vouch for them. If they say they’ll come up with the money, they will. I don’t put up any cash myself. I only wish I could, but I’m not that fortunate. So I just represent them.’
‘I see,’ Conrad said. ‘And what are your friends’ terms for lending a few bob?’
‘That depends on how much you want,’ Cleary replied.
‘So I assumed.’
‘What did you have in mind?’
‘What if I wanted £20,000?’
Cleary looked at him.
‘Twenty grand? That’s a fair chunk of cash, that is,’ he said, his eyes never leaving Conrad’s face. ‘Usually, people want five hundred, or a thousand or two. It’s not often we go very much more than that.’
‘If it’s not possible, I quite understand,’ Conrad said.
Cleary did not reply at once.
‘I didn’t say it wasn’t possible, did I? It might be. But I’d need to know a bit more.’
‘Such as what?’
‘Such as what you’re going to do with it. I mean, that’s enough for someone to disappear, innit? If you run off to Brazil or wherever, taking their twenty grand with you, and you’re never seen again, my friends are going to be very unhappy with me, and I don’t want them to be unhappy with me, if you know what I mean.’
‘Conrad’s not going to disappear anywhere,’ Greta said.
‘Darling, why don’t you disappear somewhere?’ Cleary replied, without turning to her. ‘Why don’t you go and powder your nose, or whatever?’
Greta shook her head in frustration, but retreated silently into the bedroom.
Cleary laughed.
‘She’s a very pretty girl, but pretty girls get in the way of business, don’t they, Mr Rainer? I’m sure you’ve noticed yourself. Now, where were we?’
‘You were suggesting that I might disappear,’ Conrad replied.
‘No offence, Mr Rainer, but it’s my job to think of these things. My friends depend on me to think of these things. See, twenty grand buys you a lot. Look, truthfully, I don’t care what you do with it, as long as my friends are going to see their money at the end of the day. That would be a lot of money to them. It might be their retirement money, or the money they were going to use for the villa in Spain, or the diamonds for the wife for their silver wedding, or whatever. So, they just need to make sure you’re good for it. They don’t want you doing a runner. As long as you’re good for it, you can spend it all on the nags, or the latest fashions for your good lady wife, for all they care.’
‘They’ll get their money back,’ Conrad said.
‘I don’t doubt it,’ Cleary replied, ‘you being a gentleman of the law, and everything. But what they’re going to ask me is: what you’re willing to do to show good faith.’
‘Meaning what?’
Cleary shrugged.
‘Well, they can’t leave a loan of twenty grand out there for too long. We’re not talking about a long time for repayment. They’re going to insist on a substantial rate of return, and they’re going to insist on regular cash payments on an agreed schedule.’
‘How much?’
‘I’d have to verify this with them, but I would think we’re talking about half the amount in interest, so that’s ten grand, and a monthly payment of two and a half, representing a payment of capital and interest, first payment in four weeks.’
Conrad almost choked on his cigarette.
‘You’re asking for £2,500 a month? You can’t be serious.’
‘I said I’d have to verify it. That’s just my first impression. They have the last word, obviously.’
‘That’s outrageous.’
‘Well, I could be a bit off, Mr Rainer, but honestly, I don’t think so. I know these people, and I know how they think, and I’m usually pretty close. Look, on that schedule, the loan’s outstanding for half a year, and that’s much longer than they usually allow. They’d be doing you a big favour.’
‘I don’t believe it.’
‘We’re not a bank, Mr Rainer. I know you could go to the Midland and get a much better deal, but I’m thinking you have reasons for not wanting to go to the Midland. Am I right?’
Conrad did not reply.
‘See, the thing is: this is what’s known technically as an unsecured loan.’
‘I’m aware of that,’ Conrad said testily. ‘I know what an unsecured loan is.’
‘Yes, but I did say “technically”,’ Cleary said, ‘meaning that we don’t have any paperwork – we don’t have a mortgage or a promissory note, or such like. But, just so there’s no misunderstanding, that doesn’t mean it’s entirely unsecured.’
Conrad nodded.
‘Meaning, if I don’t pay, I will be in trouble, whether there’s paperwork or not.’
‘I didn’t say that,’ Cleary said. ‘But let me put it this way: it wouldn’t be advisable to default, which I believe is the correct legal term. So, what you have to decide is: how much you need the money, whether you really need twenty grand, and whether you are prepared to agree to the syndicate’s terms now that you understand what would be involved if you were to default?’
He stood.
‘Why don’t you think it over? If you want to go ahead, Greta knows how to get in touch with me. Tell her to call me, and I’ll have the cash for you in 48 hours.’