I will now leave you alone,? said Mrs Buttercream, as she left the basement. ?Honestly speaking, I don?t undestand anything about these things. Moreover, it is puzzling to me as to how this inspector can know about the pipes in my house when he has not seen them at all.?

?Can?t say,? replied Higgins. ?But I wouldn?t protest if I were you. Such types are very sensitive and can cause a lot of trouble for you.?

?That is indeed charming,? shouted Mrs Buttercream. ?Well, fortunately, you will set everything in order.?

?But of course, madam. You needn?t worry about that at all,? Higgins assured her.

She had hardly turned her back on them, when Higgins grabbed a heavy hammer.

?Do you actually know how one checks whether a pipe is defective?? he asked his helper.

?Oh? no,? answered the helper truthfully.

?Like this,? said Higgins, taking a big swing and hitting one of the pipes hard with the hammer. Water immediately gushed out of it.

?You see?? he then said satisfied. ?The pipe is definitely leaking.?

When both the plumbers appeared at the villa the next day, they were met by a furious Mrs Buttercream.

?Mr Higgins, I have something to discuss with you,? she said in a serious tone.

?Always at your service, Madam? he politely replied. ?Well??

?It is about a few strange things that struck me unpleasantly. Is it possible perhaps that you have made a couple of mistakes??

Higgins audibly gasped for air. ?Mistakes?? he panted horrified. ?No question! You are dealing with professionals here.?

?Certainly. Then explain to me why warm water is suddenly flowing out of the cold water tap and vice versa.?

?That is no mistake but a ?suitability test? replied Higgins as quick as lightning. ?We do this in order to make sure that the pipes are suitable for hot and cold water.?

?That may be, but how is it that water is also flowing out of the gas lines??

?In order to clean them of residue, which gradually clogs the lines.?

?Good. And can you tell me why the shower is now mounted above the washbasin??

?For safety reasons madam. You don?t know how many people have scalded themselves each year under the shower or injured themselves because of the fittings. That cannot happen anymore,? explained Higgins with a very charming smile.

Mrs Buttercream said absolutely nothing for some seconds, then her aghast expression gave way to a relieved smile. ?Then everything is fine,? she sighed. ?And here I thought you were taking me for a ride.?

When she had gone, Mickey spoke up. ?You can?t be serious about what you said, boss. Mrs Buttercream is completely right. Nothing functions here anymore like it should.?

Instead of answering Mickey, Higgins calmly lit a cigarette, winked conspiratorially at Mickey and blew out the smoke in small curls. ?My dear young man, it is time that you understood one thing,? he explained in a grand manner, ?these days mistakes are made on all building sites. They are part of the job. The only important thing is to keep your customer satisfied. And Mrs Buttercream was satisfied after I explained everything to her clearly, wasn?t she??

Mickey was flabbergasted. ?B-but, we m-must put everything right in spite of that, isn?t it?? stammered Mickey, totally baffled.

?Later perhaps. For one, the building work is completed. Now the inspector himself must look at the whole thing. If he objects to anything, we will naturally have to redo it. Let?s wait and see what he has to say about it. He should be here soon, by the way.?

And there at the bathroom door, stood a small, very correctly dressed man. He nodded briefly and handed a visiting card to Higgins, who looked impressed.

?H. Doolittle, inspector, public office for gas and water works, Duckburg,? he read. ?What does ?H? stand for??

?For Harras. But please, no more talk. I am on duty.?

?Me too,? countered Higgins dryly. ?So then, please carry on the inspection.?

To be continued