“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAjCKhqIeCDO
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAVNumNJ6Vz1
425Please respect copyright.PENANAKoY7p9drwv
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAkxJ9sgbfUO
425Please respect copyright.PENANAjWJwU5ond8
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANACa3w4yYzfN
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAII7XnNUIGz
425Please respect copyright.PENANAo1rWIslB0s
425Please respect copyright.PENANAVcqKXjIRM6
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425Please respect copyright.PENANAUrcrz0v1Cg
425Please respect copyright.PENANA1GnLIipQwN
425Please respect copyright.PENANA0Hyi87E2kU
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425Please respect copyright.PENANAKQIczlaJER
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425Please respect copyright.PENANANzkI6vWnuT
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANALXxsvsOgCH
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAokDnokFoCQ
425Please respect copyright.PENANAxbo5AXgkG1
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAIg0tPhwEKV
425Please respect copyright.PENANAUj8GgZYoOu
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA9HcQjiHNln
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA2zxLkVXGLr
425Please respect copyright.PENANAlMTNWza0xX
425Please respect copyright.PENANAR5uLSrcsMT
425Please respect copyright.PENANADOjXXWAZ7v
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425Please respect copyright.PENANAtGkRVoxDbO
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANArnzmWHUnjc
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAZMmVfkvM42
425Please respect copyright.PENANAMre4r9L6AG
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAQS5GAQdx2p
425Please respect copyright.PENANAEBWRIXAxpk
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAAtEOULLFuy
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAZtareqouX2
425Please respect copyright.PENANAR7PMX4A8Vq
425Please respect copyright.PENANAg46ssvTIxt
425Please respect copyright.PENANAyPmuNGL1RW
425Please respect copyright.PENANAtVuvFN03SW
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAxq5fchEDQm
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAOOvVXUC393
425Please respect copyright.PENANAukqD9uIIij
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAj10rh86qvr
425Please respect copyright.PENANAlW4tVQsrcI
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAzh0ReQiggf
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAgCj7NlmpFC
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA7iV4xt98XX
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAgQtTQkO4hG
425Please respect copyright.PENANAHViaxPAIJh
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAeucZCuIibL
425Please respect copyright.PENANAI0wdkgKm4p
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAyvCI0Qf2Uv
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAaHR9Q8Oy7o
425Please respect copyright.PENANANlYOkYvohA
425Please respect copyright.PENANAErXmXH8js5
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA5VYoNXrVza
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAt9sENWfXIH
425Please respect copyright.PENANAp0zxGrfVpi
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAZPSoIbUSge
425Please respect copyright.PENANAwiydLkAn5M
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAfQnqbuNLaD
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA3TCa3lBfn2
425Please respect copyright.PENANADg2LLyzumL
425Please respect copyright.PENANA4z0zyUjPVX
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425Please respect copyright.PENANAkVpxCo9uZL
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA9RYAOuNJZI
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA2cWRgrSKoA
425Please respect copyright.PENANAPLMatY4lOe
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANASbsdJoi9sr
425Please respect copyright.PENANAX9bkQ487WN
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA1LW3GfCJ3T
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAak87y6a6pi
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAmMiCQR3fPk
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAlrpwU8XFfP
425Please respect copyright.PENANATwPSCzBsdr
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAp5fOPQI6je
425Please respect copyright.PENANAYS7VJS2591
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAYSLGDEsQzk
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAp5gBytyyDk
425Please respect copyright.PENANAl55DMwhKvX
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANANCVMC2QMOg
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAcV0ILJVTsc
425Please respect copyright.PENANAqFKtWiqLAX
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA9l8icxG3du
425Please respect copyright.PENANAziv6hsuD43
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAReHRyQzNdi
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAzAOcSfIY3g
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAzsBnu215Z2
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAQjRJHXguSt
425Please respect copyright.PENANALtDVeaE5dA
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAMgE8ZjwmZg
425Please respect copyright.PENANAGY4mb6aSZ5
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAMmTEYZAQpV
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAnaUHLG3ymU
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAmI40Uh8anp
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAnSkewBHOJb
425Please respect copyright.PENANAcQGevGESAD
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAAynJ5HeoOr
425Please respect copyright.PENANAUsWmUDFG6E
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAxWQhBjuSvN
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA4uLyNM3oFV
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAYexkqFGjbM
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAG0Jw02z9Qm
425Please respect copyright.PENANAlHwyUpnq95
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAsz5U4x9DtK
425Please respect copyright.PENANAcLlNR8mafZ
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAs1UmHyUhzJ
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAPCvrN5qSA0
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA0iwhreWe7X
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAsLaLdIkFuU
425Please respect copyright.PENANAhRvZzip7vE
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAV7WOoGYoRg
425Please respect copyright.PENANAKEezaHLOOV
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA66nVCbV5GA
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANApVcDQL78G0
425Please respect copyright.PENANAGbG0pa7mTK
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4zUTXYhaF
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA2eQ2Bl8dDT
425Please respect copyright.PENANApum0HTl8Nq
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAeOQDNFUdPy
425Please respect copyright.PENANA3JgcvgSwbi
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAusmYRkEBoy
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANACkGwrEOnWi
425Please respect copyright.PENANAINoM1Yv7az
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAQtMv5UrkWi
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAWs4Ymh6DoZ
425Please respect copyright.PENANAti4QKb0RLv
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANADN6kkZLVpf
425Please respect copyright.PENANAnZnSqTIieo
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAG9GqsyMhxG
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAFcBjbuXGAW
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAtQxF0y08i8
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA1HTqXxXCN4
425Please respect copyright.PENANAtsLrn7xw9z
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAJwOlGjvGg4
425Please respect copyright.PENANAPuOZgYUinB
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAkdsoUYCr5Z
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAR3s4dWgcVI
425Please respect copyright.PENANAH7UU4WBW99
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425Please respect copyright.PENANAS53SrGlbnR
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAk8woohVYYz
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANATCwZULTRSa
425Please respect copyright.PENANAVmWc1pVWJN
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAMqe6LH9Hst
425Please respect copyright.PENANAmP0TfMu27L
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAqQmJdUrMxq
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANALEv78PRvA5
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAczEjUkUpy7
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAxqG2ebn0d9
425Please respect copyright.PENANArD4OFlAmT2
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANACTU4RbscuX
425Please respect copyright.PENANA1WixZhcC7D
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA44aC3bJc4p
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANANziInYbE1j
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA023kUitZmV
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANApUf7hhKfDU
425Please respect copyright.PENANAl5buaM6yfy
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAJjUX43qcei
425Please respect copyright.PENANAr2OwWjXJAn
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANANmasOYOGqo
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAJKuAGTERcG
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAe6PoyHEZfj
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAWIVgFPixxU
425Please respect copyright.PENANAM9foOkbHcK
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAQGjbpeVXH2
425Please respect copyright.PENANANPgKLDTGmG
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAUCFb0pK34o
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANANGgfgvVeMU
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAMfhiIWZAkf
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAFkLI3Ambxc
425Please respect copyright.PENANAnVxXQDo5ht
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAXxHhOiGFh9
425Please respect copyright.PENANA4Bhj2BJplK
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANARDbV6bW0F2
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAgkL1d0Zgat
425Please respect copyright.PENANAIDgWtosldA
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425Please respect copyright.PENANASkWEHCWIOP
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA93uxcgWcpR
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAf0dybnb8vs
425Please respect copyright.PENANAzkWdfp1kgs
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAzcI0JmUcHG
425Please respect copyright.PENANAJdBVU1hqT5
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAuvKD4VRkhe
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA9YWna0UgoA
425Please respect copyright.PENANAD7Z17pagkM
425Please respect copyright.PENANACDCa7itt47
425Please respect copyright.PENANAtWiwP5texs
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAvHLlO9Cnk6
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAK6FstIquzr
425Please respect copyright.PENANAMODdSEDMH4
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANANr4AVK3b4Z
425Please respect copyright.PENANAs1kSjJNx7A
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAXVcW2qyCnl
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAjlzfiw0h0m
425Please respect copyright.PENANAP7oB1Y3LoB
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAjnTAUbIy5j
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANANGUsufCdAW
425Please respect copyright.PENANAysc6QvatSQ
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAkP6sX5svGi
425Please respect copyright.PENANAkxb7LVELe1
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAEKgMt62wbc
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAF1eGVEDI06
425Please respect copyright.PENANA9IVpTB6MPm
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425Please respect copyright.PENANAOj4Ihy8jUa
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANACXtDNbe2Nh
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAasNvdP3BQ3
425Please respect copyright.PENANAtA774QzRmf
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAIbIY8h86my
425Please respect copyright.PENANAm5gY7i56M8
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAMXmO0UWfw7
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAoAEewahprD
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA9MPNgBAzZp
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAV4WODXm5pV
425Please respect copyright.PENANAY56A6kPXpI
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAPMvQ1xj337
425Please respect copyright.PENANA3QZdRMJeWi
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAo2aU2x32Ww
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
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425Please respect copyright.PENANA54ltqPqf2x
425Please respect copyright.PENANA1bp86vVzLZ
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAOwCOBGvxdb
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAMYRDrPLKu7
425Please respect copyright.PENANAFKSCtgnsnx
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA7JJhmimnr6
425Please respect copyright.PENANAoaewLChJsr
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAKjdumyIxWa
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAQqtEcZHehM
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425Please respect copyright.PENANAviOqBZfRkH
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANACPUc1NRoDL
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAhKKsnPM3Ro
425Please respect copyright.PENANArVemsrjRxX
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAk6eVyVA9uA
425Please respect copyright.PENANAxgbn2WfbBt
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAz3URSEqxqQ
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAlERzXKhK6q
425Please respect copyright.PENANAK5DXV2H3gt
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAUTgd5st9EQ
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANALYlAknD2eJ
425Please respect copyright.PENANAanEkYNpyVQ
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAVv5mMLTnTC
425Please respect copyright.PENANABvOR7tPht6
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA41U5Ff2IBJ
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANA2x8qmTL2M4
425Please respect copyright.PENANAIC1jjReYQe
425Please respect copyright.PENANAwfPnEjeLAS
425Please respect copyright.PENANAfj0iv8UwUv
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAMdjyn4Yoyt
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANACURgztw46k
425Please respect copyright.PENANAQA2qLIJgRs
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAgNl1ztA934
425Please respect copyright.PENANAdL4KYPNr2d
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANArtlG2KYZH4
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAaukzGBbtVk
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANABhV0rE9pQp
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANATMlASCvI2H
425Please respect copyright.PENANApoKDF7kRPy
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAtL971RJBgr
425Please respect copyright.PENANAJ92TbppQkV
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAjlEMUe4bWI
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAj2nwGFgAoL
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“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANArTGCpl6jYt
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANACBcfg1LiEr
425Please respect copyright.PENANAqOXI4hev4w
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAXZVMUzxai4
425Please respect copyright.PENANAPZLamun1VC
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAGW44fRVPvo
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAVR4BnJjrhb
425Please respect copyright.PENANAxmCCINuinZ
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425Please respect copyright.PENANA0nk6r9K5hp
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAsZyYtLb2Q3
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAGBnnvWCTkA
425Please respect copyright.PENANAJGkDC9H3Pe
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANATSyNvG4zOZ
425Please respect copyright.PENANACYxsYbozMa
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANA1oRRZEzBEH
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAPuY5X9gGmb
425Please respect copyright.PENANAhxVZ98hW4i
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425Please respect copyright.PENANAG5OusznQVo
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAUfz7thVPvt
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAV1l5yDewtl
425Please respect copyright.PENANAYRSdeqnOUI
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAWHtRHMGKo5
425Please respect copyright.PENANAaMAS7Q4cE7
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAxnYfR3nhS8
Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAwth5YhVbNh
425Please respect copyright.PENANAHfVMAaDHIr
425Please respect copyright.PENANAoQWyzvWlk3
425Please respect copyright.PENANAPNw24d2JWn
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425Please respect copyright.PENANA0MtWnLgDT4
“Charlie, how are you doing?”
It had been five years, but I recognized the voice. “Johnno! what’s happening?” How are Mary and kids?”
“We’re all doing fine Charlie. I have a problem you might be able to help me with.”
“At your service Johnno. I owe you a few from old times.”
“A question first Charlie. Are you up to speed on technology these days? You know, the internet, computers, all of that?”
“Read and send email, and Google search, that’s about it Johnno.”
“Ah, pity, this requires somebody who knows their way around technology Charlie.”
“You didn’t let me finish boyo. Got someone working for me who is a rock star at that side of the business.”
I saw no reason to mention my IT wizard, Walter, is a student, 18 years old and lives at home with his Mom and Dad.
“The work he has done to date has been impressive. I have a lot of confidence in him. IT is a part of the game now. I had to do something to keep up. So we have all bases covered. What’s the problem?”
“These days I run a small innovation, design and manufacturing company aimed at various industries. In the past six months one of our competitors beat us to the punch twice with products almost identical to ours. It’s as if they knew our production secrets. We missed out on a lot of money both times Charlie.”
“It might not be as IT intensive as you think Johnno. It sounds like good old-fashioned industrial espionage. Give me a time to come and see you. Make it look like a business appointment. Only the two of us in the room. In the meantime prepare a list of employees with access to vital information, who make a habit of working after hours. Early starts or staying late. And one question Johnno, do you have security cameras in your dumpster rubbish removal area?”
“No.”
“Get onto that quick smart. Cameras and movement activated flood lights. We’ll discuss it when I come in.”
“Ok, Monday 10 am is good for me.”
“I’ll be there.”
425Please respect copyright.PENANAJULuMAqwqv
I could not do much until the meeting with Johnno. A stakeout of the rubbish removal area might be worth the effort. Many business owners give no thought to the information on all aspects of their business, found in their rubbish. I left my car across the street from the front of the building at midnight. 2am to 4am is the preferred time for the people who make a living collecting, sorting, and selling business rubbish. A vantage point behind a hedge gave me a 360-degree view of the entire area. Right on 2am a vehicle with no headlights rolled to a stop opposite the dumpster area. Two figures with torches exited the car and made a bee line for the rubbish area. Five black plastic rubbish bags leaning against the dumpster disappeared into the vehicle, replaced with similar bags. They had come prepared. Switching to a torch with a stronger beam, one bozo climbed into the dumpster. The other did sentry duty. Over a period of an hour they filled three empty rubbish bags from the dumpster
That was it for the night. I raced back to my car and drove up in time to see them turning the corner. With my headlights on low beam, I tracked them for ten kilometres until they turned into the driveway of a house. I gave it ten minutes before walking up to the house. They had clumped the rubbish bags together on the Veranda. The house was in darkness. It took two trips to get the bags to my car. I left a note stuck to the front door: ‘We have reclaimed our property. Any further interference with our rubbish will result in rigorous prosecution.’ It is notoriously difficult to get a conviction on pilfering rubbish. The knowledge we knew where they lived would be enough to deter them until Johnno installed cameras and lights.
425Please respect copyright.PENANAbQhsCosi0M
425Please respect copyright.PENANAZHyYBx2m1q
Johnno looked good. He had put on some weight, but then haven’t we all? We reminisced about old times for a few minutes. My small adventure with the rubbish was a wake-up call.
“It never crossed my mind people would go to that extent to get business information.”
“It’s a common practice. A full-time occupation for some.”
Johnno watched as I ran the bug detector over his office. Nothing. While checking the only window, the apartment building next door sparked my curiosity. One window, level with Johnno’s first floor office, had no curtains. The interior behind the window appeared to be unfurnished. I made a mental note to have a nose around over there.
Johnno’s list had three candidates. Two managers and his personal assistant, Judith Preston. I asked his permission to set up a small temporary video camera to take in most of his office. Walter had found it online. 23 mm square, video, night vision, and movement activated. The two managers and Judith Preston had open access to Johnno’s office day and night.
Johnno recoiled at spying on his trusted leaders. Fortunately for me the rubbish incident had loosened him up enough to accept we had to account for all possibilities. I fixed the camera on top of the door frame with bluetac.
425Please respect copyright.PENANApwWuyocWtx
425Please respect copyright.PENANA52UbfrFAnT
10 am Tuesday I was outside the apartment block. With most tenants at work it is the best time to snoop around. The one first floor apartment without a tenant name tag had to be my destination. I climbed the stairs, picked the lock, and slipped inside. Other than the carpet on the floor, the place was empty. I opened the door into the room with the window adjacent to Johnno’s office. As I had suspected, a laser bug, also known as a laser microphone, sat on the carpet below the window. A sophisticated device that picks up conversation from sound wave vibrations on a window. Most spy gadget shops sell them.
The faint click of the front door closing caused me to turn. Two men had entered the apartment. One short, thin, with glasses. The other a Colossus who must have been at least two metres tall. The big knucklehead came at me and swung a roundhouse punch. I was slow in deflecting it and it caught me on the side of the head. I staggered back, shaking my head to clear the double vision. Trading blows with this giant guaranteed disaster. If one more of those connected, I would be out cold on the floor. I raised my fists and shaped up to the lunkhead in a boxing stance. is smile He smiled and prepared He smiled and prepared to swing again. Dropping my hands I stepped forward and kicked him between the legs, followed by a hard chop across the throat with the edge of my left hand.
My attention turned to the small guy. His hand had gone into his coat at chest level. Going for a gun? I had to take that as a yes. I smacked him in the face with a straight left and grabbed his lapels to hold him up as his knees sagged. I don’t advocate violence. But I am big on self-preservation. My hand in his coat found a gun in a shoulder holster. Taking the shooter with me, I got out of there. Knowing I had the gun would make them think twice about following me.
Johnno was aghast at my report of the incident. “They have been listening to every word we speak in my office with that thing?”
“Pretty much, yeah. You need a laser bug defeater gadget. An inexpensive gizmo with suction cup for mounting on the window. Most spy gadget retailers sell them.”
I asked Johnno to take the camera down on Friday morning and leave it in an envelope with reception. Walter and I would look over the contents after download to Walters computer.
At Walters House, the reception was always chilly. His Mom had been dead set against him working for me. Dangerous and unsavoury work was the reason. She was right. I did not want Walter exposed to the repugnant people and places I inevitably come across in my work, either. Walter and his Dad wangled her reluctant agreement with the assurance I would confine the work to his computer at home.
Friday afternoon I watched over Walters shoulder as he downloaded video from the camera. The two managers made brief appearances in Johnno’s office amounting to only a few minutes. Judith Preston had come in at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On all three days the footage revealed her taking files from a cabinet, photocopying them, then replacing the originals in the cabinet. It looked like hanky panky. Walter pulled up the ladies home address for me, and I asked him to do a previous employment check on her, over the next day or two. He tells me the big social media sites are ideal for unearthing details on people and their lives.
“It won’t take me long Uncle Charles.”
“Ok, give me a buzz on Saturday night.”
Watching the comings and goings of Miss Preston was my intention for Saturday. Equipped with my Canon EOS 1300D Digital camera, a thermos of coffee, and five energy bars, I was in place at 9am. 11am the lady left her apartment carrying a briefcase, hopped in her car, drove to the CBD, parked, and walked to a Starbucks coffee outlet. Within fifteen minutes a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes joined her at the table.
My telescopic lens recorded clear shots of Miss Preston passing a thick folder of papers from her briefcase, to her companion. He in turn handed her an envelope. She checked the contents before placing it in her briefcase. Considering everything arrayed against him, I marvelled Johnno was still in business. Later I followed her confidant to his car and recorded his number plate on film. I placed a quick call to Walter asking him to get all he could on the number plate, and to include it in his report Saturday night.
The plate belonged to a Company car at Parkway Holdings Ltd. Walters employment details regarding Judith Preston held no surprises.
“She has worked as a personal assistant at four different firms in the past three years Uncle Charles. Leaving each time after six months. What does that tell you Uncle Charles?”
“Well Walter, it points to her being what you might call a professional industrial spy. She works for six months at a Company, receiving a salary, all the while stealing Company secrets and passing them to the highest bidder.”
“Wow.”
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Dismayed and crestfallen best describe Johnno’s response when I presented the evidence. He confirmed Parkway Holdings was the competitor he mentioned earlier.oldings was the competitor Blatant betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. Seeking his lawyers advice on how to precede was the next task. On the positive side, he was still in business, and delivered from the naïve belief people will always do the right thing.
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