“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAAp65VGybcC
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAM1YWjfL5iR
668Please respect copyright.PENANAv2AqpY0rAR
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAaYODdMGv52
668Please respect copyright.PENANAdEzHfspoU9
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAxKxbxPqcg0
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAzVS7SG7XwU
668Please respect copyright.PENANAlj8DbkGhLL
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAF9gu7mWOIS
668Please respect copyright.PENANACINT0BzOG8
668Please respect copyright.PENANAN02alC6MCp
668Please respect copyright.PENANAZysGTAOtJD
668Please respect copyright.PENANAsEFoVsGYtP
668Please respect copyright.PENANAiGqPkrr6uM
668Please respect copyright.PENANAd6P1P52eXc
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANALdsDsZ7rjf
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAgiy0HEeEEx
668Please respect copyright.PENANA2YuBNvrr0e
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANATOxwd5vVoe
668Please respect copyright.PENANAg7irFKIytn
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAgByAGEEqHQ
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAkiAMPV1Y84
668Please respect copyright.PENANANgXIZ8P41V
668Please respect copyright.PENANAd7iRfxV1ne
668Please respect copyright.PENANAJgtIrEJk1E
668Please respect copyright.PENANATvhKgLsCYm
668Please respect copyright.PENANAqdzr5WhhXz
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAIaDkK9gABf
668Please respect copyright.PENANAnZ0qFJXvXU
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAfZgqEPrxBm
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAAa4UWGsWPT
668Please respect copyright.PENANAhTTHnii21U
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAy9pFrOxDmP
668Please respect copyright.PENANAvfB0ZIvpo5
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANA4RFHKKPr83
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAYWudNNP65y
668Please respect copyright.PENANAZP4Ucb0lAy
668Please respect copyright.PENANADaCSiQplIv
668Please respect copyright.PENANADDJjd2IhPl
668Please respect copyright.PENANA6qYHBirWiy
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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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAWPVd1oYPPq
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAvAqnwHvQfr
668Please respect copyright.PENANAqfFxUTC0Ng
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAMLEJP9iBlb
668Please respect copyright.PENANAUpWYTbhzsj
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAXmnOk7sjcB
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA5rtb2wxlzj
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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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAzvlmzahJR2
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAT3qm6bisJH
668Please respect copyright.PENANAolnkCNTZRp
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAjAWEyPDtZS
668Please respect copyright.PENANAavPjl6pium
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAbSQlKwbQJH
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAr4EFcAK4IR
668Please respect copyright.PENANAQV44yNavOh
668Please respect copyright.PENANApEwG69BMpl
668Please respect copyright.PENANAjum97PowO8
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAa1wZaS0ywC
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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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAky7GGp7ohH
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAJVVcIueLRn
668Please respect copyright.PENANAqLvWshB7e7
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAu9oj5pFVNK
668Please respect copyright.PENANAVmCbASQS4G
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANA8UEsXE8LOA
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANALlBxC7wk1N
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAUqbam3U6NK
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAT0zmw2lHd3
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANABF2TM5MC2T
668Please respect copyright.PENANAa2k8XG89n0
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAJ45XOJ340Z
668Please respect copyright.PENANAjhLKLky0FC
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAHe1hphUnlM
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAnYrg2wrYov
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668Please respect copyright.PENANA8LEblQbQtz
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAFMXekGW5nb
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAipOy4yqwpB
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAMhtof1WjB2
668Please respect copyright.PENANAPCJn74UXDa
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA0UV9uGrp8B
668Please respect copyright.PENANAsS9a6R6mQ2
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAogbDKoXOpg
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAEJYFB6PqYR
668Please respect copyright.PENANABkjaj7nJNG
668Please respect copyright.PENANAur8drpdEEq
668Please respect copyright.PENANApJgiZjok85
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAt5YR0yB1jQ
668Please respect copyright.PENANAArfbakbwaI
668Please respect copyright.PENANAF9d1ZqDr0X
668Please respect copyright.PENANA0hdHBcUJ4a
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAPOKXg6zZ4C
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANARyykiLadS1
668Please respect copyright.PENANAWZ9LkznBA1
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANANihdxrJYzH
668Please respect copyright.PENANARV5REn4LxF
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAfyg2uvg3ux
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAUEHDbCUVew
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAELzkKsNGQb
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAABBUPX85BG
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAApbXttL7i9
668Please respect copyright.PENANAaUKEJaAWaw
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAn6eAQmqlMY
668Please respect copyright.PENANAkQNxrXtRQz
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAoWzEHwPUIv
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAts2DprmEJP
668Please respect copyright.PENANAeIKM6P9Tnn
668Please respect copyright.PENANApDpsUxVL7R
668Please respect copyright.PENANABlL2hUDReK
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668Please respect copyright.PENANArYJFN1wc59
668Please respect copyright.PENANA6SSlW7Fjqy
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668Please respect copyright.PENANACUwLiUAF1O
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAxNcHPbd0af
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAmtqVwMwd9o
668Please respect copyright.PENANAyhJfyqTZAj
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANADUZIzSwkE3
668Please respect copyright.PENANAxGJlzBzA67
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANA9bkXXmT3qa
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAFpIDcmmdgl
668Please respect copyright.PENANACFfQTV6yQg
668Please respect copyright.PENANA2O4VEkJObz
668Please respect copyright.PENANAf2HgmCb4co
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAhkmMIx3sce
668Please respect copyright.PENANAGqNDefYf8W
668Please respect copyright.PENANA3vhGIFDovf
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAYlEzKClSXH
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAL8gqWPXtMW
668Please respect copyright.PENANAJLecfLCnwO
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANANN3gtGoQM4
668Please respect copyright.PENANAwfjBuUfGt9
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAO8omyll3tw
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAy3dhmgbECI
668Please respect copyright.PENANA3hSDvk2IWC
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAS8f4j5kIB4
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAsSgtA4VJWu
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAeXApawYwai
668Please respect copyright.PENANAVYMaEr5iue
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAB3XHSEumhV
668Please respect copyright.PENANAMAwyLhJdvc
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAS5SrpUXKyz
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAefbpiOlhCi
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAp1vzkO1VIu
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668Please respect copyright.PENANA7JaiWoZyC3
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668Please respect copyright.PENANASVT4KjXdgv
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAAd2fktTxOm
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAeKTNZoNNXv
668Please respect copyright.PENANAGFC48HZfU4
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAU8f66ODjrm
668Please respect copyright.PENANARVc6jTG5O1
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAYxlGp2vPVZ
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANALeGUqukYUf
668Please respect copyright.PENANAIRwrwHA5kf
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668Please respect copyright.PENANA56DVIQJKIn
668Please respect copyright.PENANATWChI7hodk
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAxDTku9x92S
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAphXlDeDikV
668Please respect copyright.PENANA1lCZiTylsc
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAHpy0GGtImk
668Please respect copyright.PENANAB65nG9XgiW
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAnzazjrkEVb
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAyCg15XoUmD
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAOMtaS9DsVj
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAaN1zpbxw1Y
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA5uFAXKyVoJ
668Please respect copyright.PENANAjx06qOS0iZ
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA7epe38zd9n
668Please respect copyright.PENANAToRbu7fMxJ
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAlAE3iG66XM
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANARrG3MJ6IAW
668Please respect copyright.PENANARy87CfJuHt
668Please respect copyright.PENANAGHQvYR3gy3
668Please respect copyright.PENANAQ1OB3fAG1l
668Please respect copyright.PENANACWCizvIAqM
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAkYWq3FxZJ4
668Please respect copyright.PENANA5iQB0KMLQa
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAHVnWnWv4QI
668Please respect copyright.PENANA2M7Ze9asg8
668Please respect copyright.PENANAUiPp9oQClv
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAyXM7UC6Ffo
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA6Lx0gFNA54
668Please respect copyright.PENANAb4ZxlnNZOU
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAHsZEJ8WPj8
668Please respect copyright.PENANAgJ0yrppaSF
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAsnz4yh488G
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAC8TXJFBdlV
668Please respect copyright.PENANAru9gNOdsOi
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668Please respect copyright.PENANABYVTVrLBmc
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANA9HzzV8K3zd
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAbuR7Kln8v4
668Please respect copyright.PENANAI32ehf3p1n
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAGTSZnnlFO6
668Please respect copyright.PENANA293bnRHvht
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAhbul3lk2F2
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAj2AHSp8spL
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAUGIheGXjbN
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANA3yqsEXbeKh
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAi8jJfwkPhJ
668Please respect copyright.PENANAaNWT80yugO
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANABlmpDpIXdg
668Please respect copyright.PENANA6InbWFGQ4n
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAeSH5RZnh0G
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAF4Klf3kcL5
668Please respect copyright.PENANAqP9HwxPl0b
668Please respect copyright.PENANA05rz5I2YVr
668Please respect copyright.PENANAJmTAvXh7Mc
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAMgQuYpihiL
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAbuFP82CeA2
668Please respect copyright.PENANARXYhcBtZ09
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANA0SJLZehfcn
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAHjC0yg3Csc
668Please respect copyright.PENANAQjW4NfzxWe
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA2QvKRXDkDE
668Please respect copyright.PENANAffYTylvKJf
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAAWAi03TL8h
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAFievvebR9I
668Please respect copyright.PENANAowfEUCeX1X
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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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAz8v4VxckEU
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAp3RA0Ss4ra
668Please respect copyright.PENANA1UqrBlA56t
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANARxQXhXWoR6
668Please respect copyright.PENANAVpCtAUssvG
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAl1x8EDta6a
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAbL4iIr1Kdm
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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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANACcRopJROr9
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANApLNQKisPWK
668Please respect copyright.PENANA91WGiktSIG
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAD4BRqv1qPh
668Please respect copyright.PENANAhLkyhlXPZp
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANA1dppLHtuH6
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANARRufH2c3Ci
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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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANA47Z5xMx6jd
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAwY0EgpNAf7
668Please respect copyright.PENANA7C5zDXxCio
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAH821CcSQws
668Please respect copyright.PENANAcdLA6I3ues
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAXl3dOS8qun
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAs2ypWcQzJk
668Please respect copyright.PENANAaYF7Ahymxo
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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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAeT7Q6sdJZv
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANARA7CAziyEF
668Please respect copyright.PENANAZz9I83Whsl
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAqNz4pWpxiV
668Please respect copyright.PENANAqUyGH8qUQN
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAvfI7YnUye4
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAHqnGoMyF7v
668Please respect copyright.PENANA5PrtsuBaL7
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAqlD7JRJ0s6
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAx7nHyKlqVq
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAXNcDiNjPnO
668Please respect copyright.PENANAFZUS4Cmpwp
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANASorqMCMJ3t
668Please respect copyright.PENANAjuDzcPk4JF
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAEWlJQfl7yn
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAUit9174NnY
668Please respect copyright.PENANAtFDlkhuyga
668Please respect copyright.PENANA9ziMJzYgaa
668Please respect copyright.PENANA5Vpd9ITlRn
668Please respect copyright.PENANATt3GWWjh8X
668Please respect copyright.PENANA1OfPP9trMr
668Please respect copyright.PENANAbt3lzaAnzf
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAxQvjBiAaB5
668Please respect copyright.PENANA5SuQdT5jAw
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668Please respect copyright.PENANApHsA93lMow
668Please respect copyright.PENANA53NbzuLXuL
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAXnzN9sIHd3
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA8NNGS0XZPB
668Please respect copyright.PENANAaGcM4oMyPU
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA69RQC8NgRv
668Please respect copyright.PENANA2vgrr1gQFv
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAzDM3vbilJ2
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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668Please respect copyright.PENANAZEsIIhcnnN
668Please respect copyright.PENANAg4KxlQKwtz
668Please respect copyright.PENANAaCquxJEkny
668Please respect copyright.PENANAD0QvcVLE7Z
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAxvT8RlJ7qT
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAOHxww0W9Kw
668Please respect copyright.PENANADRuc6XrijK
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAECa91Rblj1
668Please respect copyright.PENANAUvfx7RudQA
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAptfYcB4xGm
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAsVVueVCfsd
668Please respect copyright.PENANAdAf98erS2b
668Please respect copyright.PENANAmbd6oCUNfV
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAma4NVdefqi
668Please respect copyright.PENANAVZCGOjaag2
668Please respect copyright.PENANANgRMGDfnpk
668Please respect copyright.PENANAGDFpWC2Bt0
668Please respect copyright.PENANABozibx2PwK
668Please respect copyright.PENANAHsSTEMbcME
668Please respect copyright.PENANAjEF2vEyh9D
668Please respect copyright.PENANAw0WhZ9auGH
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAYUvvabGxMG
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAYmvVpVJ1bi
668Please respect copyright.PENANAxAxVjTU3Yp
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAcJEqIc8SBa
668Please respect copyright.PENANA6qoIxxYNRz
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAODJLoMIWtQ
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAShGusLuKON
668Please respect copyright.PENANAODumzAJWxb
668Please respect copyright.PENANAZTkezvSFlL
668Please respect copyright.PENANAVVfFhSirEA
668Please respect copyright.PENANAWsjSaD0YG5
668Please respect copyright.PENANAIykpRytkKC
668Please respect copyright.PENANAnYSO9Nn2yT
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAcbhyMR5hXC
668Please respect copyright.PENANAUOM0OFLl6P
668Please respect copyright.PENANAwiZWAsADpk
668Please respect copyright.PENANAwqYJtSMb8n
668Please respect copyright.PENANAhA4mB0LytU
668Please respect copyright.PENANAvfqOEBrvD9
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAQZdxnwQHLR
668Please respect copyright.PENANAALJCaYHet1
668Please respect copyright.PENANA9rIJTtNLLw
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAlSO61tqLOP
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAyT5IhvOWGe
668Please respect copyright.PENANAHoKLpFxgnd
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA4g3YwQ0Avd
668Please respect copyright.PENANAFSYs24hLCh
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAwyBxLINXlQ
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAHLwfyAPRjr
668Please respect copyright.PENANAJz85OAHpZS
668Please respect copyright.PENANA91SyKQ2TFE
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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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANATRb6oMhoK2
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAzYof47qRHv
668Please respect copyright.PENANAkuVpqS0yqo
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAZFH1pJoo3k
668Please respect copyright.PENANAVhGxKGnHTf
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANABRRHStUCvU
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAecLeVyIcMj
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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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAB4nEjQLwxa
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAgAiNC0TQB2
668Please respect copyright.PENANA75exV5ejGI
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAjiDSCBjvwJ
668Please respect copyright.PENANAloS4mqXssm
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAD6GhArIDxZ
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAkiSaX9jHuu
668Please respect copyright.PENANAsAkRhOMwak
668Please respect copyright.PENANA4s0oIc3A2J
668Please respect copyright.PENANAKAwny2ToUY
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668Please respect copyright.PENANA6uw10cLeL7
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANA9PweB8LLbn
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAQmC99uMkq2
668Please respect copyright.PENANAxTNMzYyRe0
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAcYaFiXKUEd
668Please respect copyright.PENANA0Z8YW0iuNm
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAlQyN5RObKm
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANA659X2kH4qO
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAxAsAOiLVYD
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAFKFVSM9yTk
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAOUUMZP8KUi
668Please respect copyright.PENANAFVG0WLd15p
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAL0GHj4E78r
668Please respect copyright.PENANADlRmlmyq3f
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAEqwGNuV4GU
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANARQOegLYFTJ
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAwVSn7PJHSd
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAAPY0rIJWme
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAuhcytgVNv2
668Please respect copyright.PENANAtfFxqLSKLW
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAMxVenP81iA
668Please respect copyright.PENANA0fE2XLSbkP
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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANARx3gbYuUKD
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAGTjX0GwRB8
668Please respect copyright.PENANAyJznPYb8sa
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668Please respect copyright.PENANAxkxfL9WfJi
“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.”
668Please respect copyright.PENANAazTpvh2Afj
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAbw7qvaeWi8
668Please respect copyright.PENANAegsaLI9h1t
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.
668Please respect copyright.PENANAj9WhGq76xk
668Please respect copyright.PENANAwmretkyZEY
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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