Authors: William Shenton
‘We are a firm of private investigators.’ He saw her look of disdain as he continued. ‘You look as though you disapprove. That’s interesting considering your chosen profession.’
A flash of anger crossed her eyes. She was about to speak but suddenly gained control of herself.
‘I understand what you’re thinking. You assume, like many people, that private investigators are rather unsavoury individuals.’
‘I don’t think I’ve ever met one before, but yes, you’re right. The image I have of them is that they are rather unpleasant nosey people. They have a pretty low reputation, only just below that of lawyers and accountants,’ she said.
‘They only exist to fulfill a need. Person A needs information about person B. He can’t find it out himself without being compromised. Therefore, he employs person C to get that information.’
‘So you want me to go around snooping on people?’ she asked.
‘No. My particular company doesn’t deal with the seedy side of the business. By that I mean the small-time stuff of getting the dirt on cheating husbands, or wayward wives. Many people do that, and the rewards are not very high. The company I represent specialises in doing work for the corporate business sector, and, in exceptional circumstances, for very wealthy individuals.’
‘Industrial espionage?’
‘It forms part of what we do, yes. There have been occasions when we have been asked to gather that type of information,’ answered James.
‘I imagine its a much more highly paid area,’ she commented.
‘The fees we charge are very high, but the service we offer is unique, and of the highest quality. Our clients are always satisfied with the results we achieve for them.’ He sounded very sincere, and she found herself beginning to listen to him with a growing curiosity. He had a certain charm, and certainly didn’t fit the stereotyped image she had of a private eye.
‘So what would you want me to do for your company? I assume you would have told me its name by now, if you were going to.’
He paused to light a cigarette and to observe her.
‘There’s no reason for you to know its name. Does that worry you?’
‘No. Just curious, that’s all. But perhaps its better if I’m not,’ she answered.
‘To return to your other question. Often, we find that we have a need for someone who is able to offer the type of services that you yourself have been providing for the last three months.’ He noted her startled reaction to this last statement, but also saw how quickly she regained her composure. With training she could be taught a number of skills that would make her a very useful asset.
‘So you’ve done some research on me already, I see.’
‘That’s why I’m here now. You’re very different from most of the other women we’ve met who endorse your chosen profession. We believe we could find an interesting position for you in our company.’
‘From what you’ve told me, already, I’m quite interested.’
‘Should you decide that you’d like to work for us, you’d have to give up all your other clients and commitments.’
‘What remuneration are you offering?’
‘In return for exclusive rights to your time, we would pay you a monthly retainer equivalent to three times what you’re earning now, whether you work or not. In addition there’ll be a generous bonus when you have to work. Whatever gifts, clothes, jewellery, and presents the client gives you, remain yours to keep. You will probably have the opportunity to travel and naturally all your expenses will be taken care of.’
He went on to outline the type of client, the services that would be required and the type of behaviour that would be expected. That which was on offer was many times better than she was experiencing now. It was a most extraordinary job offer. She would become an upmarket lady of pleasure, a far cry from her present circumstances.
If she could believe half of what he said, she could have lots of fun, travel, and earn a fortune at the same time. In a few years she could become a very rich woman.
‘There is one other aspect which I cannot stress sufficiently. We expect absolute discretion. No one, and I mean no one, must every find out what you do, or with whom you do it. We will be aware of any slip you make. You will only ever make one and that will terminate our relationship. Is that perfectly clear?’
She felt a shiver go up her spine and the hairs on the back of her neck rose as she looked into his grey eyes. She had no doubt as to how the relationship would be terminated. From what this man James had said she was well aware that she had been invited to join a group whose power and activities probably stretched many times further than he had indicated or than she could imagine.
‘Perfectly,’ she answered, trying to sound calm. ‘I don’t have a problem with that.’
‘You are to tell no one.’
As James closed the flat door behind him he felt very pleased. This woman was much, much better than they had even dared to hope. Out of all the hundreds they had monitored and looked at over the years this one was quite outstanding. Not only beautiful, but intelligent and quick to grasp a situation and adjust to it as necessary.
Mr Ackermann would be very pleased, in the morning, when he read James’s report of the meeting.
‘Don’t think I’ve ever seen you so enthusiastic, James. What did she do, cast a spell over you?’ Ackermann asked with sarcastic glee. It was not often that he was able to have a laugh at James’s expense, and he was making the most of it.
‘No, its just that’s she’s different from all the rest we use.’ James felt uncomfortable. Ackermann was far too perceptive of another’s weaknesses.
‘You mean you fancy her! Is that it, you sly old dog?’ Ackermann laughed. James blushed.
‘Well, well, well. At long last you’re finally tempted. Can’t say I blame you. She looks stunning, and well educated and intelligent by all accounts.’ Ackermann paused, raised his head on one side with a quizzical look and asked, ‘So did you?’
James was taken aback, but there was no point in trying to lie. Ackermann would see right through it. ‘I must admit the thought did cross my mind, but that would be totally unprofessional, and not to our long-term benefit.’
‘So you didn’t, but you thought about it. Well that’s a relief. I was beginning to think you were a shirt-lifter, a hangover from that minor public school you attended.’
Changing the direction of the conversation James continued. ‘I think, handled properly, she could turn out to be a tremendous asset. The best we’ve ever had.’
‘How do you think we should proceed?’
‘I think we should keep her for the very special assignments. Don’t over-use her. Pamper her and give her everything we can, but not too much. Just enough to show her what the rewards are. To keep her hungry for more. We buy her loyalty, but we buy it in such a way that she thinks she’s giving it to us for free. That she’s doing us a favour. She mustn’t think that we own her, or that she’s as good as she is. Its a delicate balance we will have to maintain, but if it works, and I am confident that it will, then we will have something unique, something that we will be able to exploit and manipulate for a long time.’
‘Where do we begin?’
‘I think we should move her into the flat. That way we can keep a close eye on her activities, and make a final assessment of her abilities.’
‘I’m sure you’d like to keep a close eye on her activities James, and any other part of her anatomy that comes into view.’ It wasn’t the way that James had intended the remark to be taken, but Ackermann had hit straight to the
point.
‘As I’ve already stated, my professionalism takes first place.’
‘Methinks he does protest too much, or however it goes. Just joking James. Don’t be so serious.’
‘Then we try her out on a relatively simple project and see how she performs, and take it from there.’
At the second meeting, a week later, between James and Diana she had been totally surprised, worried initially, but in retrospect reassured, by what had transpired.
He had arrived at her flat mid-afternoon and had proceeded to supply her with all the documentation for Diana Johnston. Driver’s licence, birth certificate, national insurance number and even a passport.
She was about to ask how he had managed to obtain these documents, but then thought that it was probably better if she didn’t know, and certainly not a good idea to seem too curious.
A bank account had been opened in her real name, into which had been deposited the first two months’ retainer and a substantial allowance for her to spend on her wardrobe.
‘My company would prefer it if you were to move house. This, although I’m sure it has charm, doesn’t quite fit in with the image we have of you, or what we’ll be requiring you to do. Do you have any objection to that?’ he asked.
‘No, of course not. This place was only temporary until I could afford to get somewhere better. I won’t miss it, that’s for sure. Anywhere in particular you’d like me to live.’
‘Yes, as a matter of fact there is.’ James smiled. ‘ The company has quite a comfortable flat just off the King’s Road. Two bedrooms, living and dining rooms, fully furnished. It would be more in keeping with the character and lifestyle that we expect Diana Johnston to lead.’
‘Sounds wonderful. How much is it?’ she enquired.
‘We are prepared to let you stay there free of charge for as long as you work for us, and for as long as we are happy with the work you do. Does that seem fair?’
‘More than fair. When would you like me to move in?’
‘Let’s go over there now. Bring your essentials and I’ll arrange for someone to help move your other things in the morning.’
As she took the lift to the fourth floor of the Edwardian mansion block where she now lived, she couldn’t believe how her situation had changed in the last ten days. She had just returned from a buying spree in shops that previously she had only been able to look through the windows of. She had money, somewhere pleasant to live and even a new identity to hide behind when working. She was beginning to enjoy life.
Peter
Knight ran a moderately successful market research company. Its principal client, Amalgamated Magazines, had been with it since its earliest days, some ten years ago, and was a large magazine publisher. Without that client the company had very little going for it, but with it, it was able to command a position in the market out of all proportion to its true worth. Having this major client, it was able to obtain work that would have been otherwise outside its reach. If it were to lose Amalgamated Magazines then in all likelihood the company would probably go into liquidation within six months.
It was this fact that brought it to the attention of Dan Ackermann, when his public relations company was looking around for a market research company to purchase in order to offer a more comprehensive service to their own client base, and to keep in-house, consultancy fees that were, at present, going elsewhere.
Ackermann’s analysts had made discrete enquiries and had gathered a comprehensive report together on both the company and its personnel. Ackermann had just finished reading this report when James entered his office.
‘What do you make of this
Knight character?’ he asked without looking up.
‘My first impressions are that I don’t think he’s as clean as the image he likes to portray to people. I think if we delve a little deeper we’ll be able to find some dirt that may help our plans, if we decide to go with this one.’ James seldom gave anyone the benefit of the doubt.
‘Good, my feelings exactly. There are aspects here, which on the surface make him out to be too good to be true. Find out more about what Knight is really like. Let’s do an in-depth check on him personally, and let’s scrutinise his business. You know what we’re after – weaknesses – girls, boys, the usual, and have a close look, in particular, at how the company started, and find out exactly what its association with that publisher is.’ Ackermann had a sense that something was a little strange in that area.
‘I know what you mean. I’ll do some digging.’
James left to initiate the next phase of the operation.
Two weeks later Ackermann chuckled to himself as he read James’s next report about
Knight. He always derived a considerable amount of self-satisfaction from seeing his hunches vindicated, and this one was no exception.
Firstly,
Knight was thirty-two, engaged to be married for the last six months to the only daughter of a retired high court judge, who had been left a considerable fortune by her grandfather. Before meeting his fiancée two years ago he had quite a reputation as a womaniser, gambler and party-goer, who had considerable personal debts, with creditors frequently after him. She had sorted all that out for him and he seemed to have settled down. Every now and again though, despite the engagement there were rumours that he was occasionally tempted by his old habits. Apparently, on occasions when he got extremely drunk without his fiancée around he was not averse to visiting various escort agencies. However, James had been unable to find any concrete proof of this, but was of the belief that if necessary this possible weakness could be turned to their advantage.
It was the other part of the report, concerning the early beginnings of
Knight’s company, that gave Ackermann most cause for self-satisfaction.