Thank you for reading my story, I hope that you enjoy it. Love Mica xx, Yorkshire England.
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The further adventures of Liz the Agent. The previous stories in the series will help set the scene if you are new.
It had been a few weeks since I last saw Ali, I had been and checked out his new commercial properties at Halifax, Bradford, Keighley and Leeds as requested, and had sent Ali my opinion by mail. The silver Audi was no longer parking in the road by the house, perhaps it was just going to follow Ali when he reappeared, I neither knew, nor cared.
I had just got out of the bath and put on my robe when the doorbell rang. I checked that I was decent enough and opened the door, Ali stood there.
"Well, come in then," I said, "and tell me what is what."
"I have eight containers of plant coming here, two to each of the premises. I have decided to rebrand them, and am selling all the existing stock, it is not what I want to do, and, if any of the existing staff want to set up in competition with me, they can, but I won't be stocking what they are experienced in."
"Okay, you are letting them all go then?"
"Yes. I want my own people in place, not people who have a loyalty to an old system that is no longer in place."
"Okay, the engineers may be a loss."
"Not for the new plant. It is all basically self-serviced by the purchaser. I shall hold a stock of consumables that they can buy. If they don't service properly then that is their look out."
"Okay, so, what are you stocking?"
"A range of small plant, excavators, dumpers, loaders, plate vibrators, scissor lifts, I think that is it for the first delivery. It covers all the things that a small contractor might use and is light enough to be carried within the weight limits of their vans and pickups. I shall get the sites rebranded starting next week, and the stock will be here within three weeks, it has already departed."
"Okay, advertising, that sort of thing?"
"Big spreads in local papers, although they don't really carry much readership these days. Local radio coverage, and advertising hoardings."
"Okay, what happens if you sell everything and have no stock for people to look at?"
"It is all going to be four to five week delivery, so no stock will leave until the new stock arrives. If it sells well, I shall increase my stock holding."
"Okay, how will it work?"
"It is all cash only, fifty percent on order, the remaining fifty percent on collection four weeks later."
"And the books?"
"Initially I shall book them through for a grand more than they sell for, I know that there are other vendors around the UK, I cannot be too much more than them otherwise the revenue will start investigating. The people I am dealing with in China are happy if I become the sole UK Franchise."
"This could actually become a big legitimate earner for you?"
"Well, it could, but that is not its purpose. Depending on how it goes I have other premises in mind further afield, Doncaster, Rotherham, Halifax, Manchester and Sheffield. I have not formally expressed an interest yet, I want to see how this idea of your pans out."
So, it is being viewed as my idea, no doubt I it goes wrong it will be my fault, if it goes right, it will be his business acumen.
"Okay, any other irons? The other thing that you were interested in that I got you the details for from my old employers?"
"Yes, that is going satisfactorily, those products will be delivered to Bangladesh for onwards distribution. I have ideas on shipping."
"Oh? You will still have to get past customs wherever your destination country is."
"Yes. As you know shipping containers are made with effectively corrugated sides, tops and bottoms."
"Yes, well, I mean they look that way, yes."
"And that they are X-rayed from the side as they go through customs?"
"I didn't know that." Actually I did know all of this, but I didn't want him to know that, a little implied ignorance never hurt anyone.
"Well, we will fill the troughs in the roof and floor with my merchandise and then weld the troughs shut. From the side it won't be possible to see what is there, it will just look solid. I shall then have more of my standard plant inside the container, all of that will show up and will match the manifest."
"One thing."
"Yes?"
"Those numbers stencilled onto the containers, aren't they the weight parameters?
I suggest that they match the new weight of your welded containers. If customs unload your container and discover it still weighs more than stated, they will rip it apart."
"Thank you. Yes, I shall make sure that happens."
And I shall make sure that the Agency knows of this plan of his to get past customs. I am not sure how I will know what his actual shipments will be, but I can hope that the agency has appropriate contacts.
"I have missed you," he said.
"Have you?" I asked, "or have you just missed my body?"
"Both, of course, your ideas are incredible, and your body is delightful."
I looked at him with a critical eye. His body was not repulsive, he was toned and had a clean odour, positives. He knew how to please a woman's body, he just sometimes put his own desires first, a negative. He was a criminal, big negative. He was male, neutral. I was not in the market, but a woman could do worse, she could also do a lot better.
"Do you have time to go upstairs?" I asked.
"No, sadly, but be assured my desire for you is there. I have things I have to do. Could I take you for dinner this evening?"
"What time, I don't like to eat late." Well, I don't, it gives me indigestion.
"Pick up at seven?"
"Okay, yes then, I shall be ready."
He moved to me and pecked me on the cheek, I air kissed him back, he turned and was gone, was that an attempt at romance I wondered. I turned and went upstairs and finished getting dressed, a simple strappy dress would do for the day, I had no plans, although I thought I might go and look around the White Rose centre and rummage through a few of the clothes shops, my wardrobe was a little thin.
The door bell went, I opened the door, it was Victor.
"I see lover boy is back," he said with a smile on his face, "fancy coming over for a cup of tea? I made some scones too."
"Hardly lover boy, Victor," I said, "and yes, put the kettle on, I shall be over shortly."
I was still unsure about Victor, something didn't read right about him, I wasn't sure what it was, but there was something. I knew that he was not someone I could trust with anything. I might get the office to do a deep dive on him, I have avoided doing that as the office have enough to do with the actual case, and he could just be a distraction. But I would get it done. I think part of it was that he was, i think mid fifties, but he appeared a much older man, it felt like an act to me.
I sprayed a little EDP here and there, locked up and went across to see Victor. He must have been watching, because as I went up his drive he opened the front door, creepy.
"Aha, there you are, come on in, the kettle has just boiled."
He stepped to the side and I walked past, and I realised that he hadn't stepped aside quite enough as I brushed against him as I walked in. I didn't pause, I simply headed to the kitchen and then turned to await him.
"Yorkshire Tea okay?" he asked.
"That will do nicely, milk no sugar."
He made the tea and we sat in his front room, him opposite me, I left my knees slightly apart, I am such a tease.
"I haven't wanted to bother you too much, you seem so involved with our local gangster."
"Gangster?" I said trying to inject surprise into my voice.
"Oh come, you must know."
"Know? No. Ali? He has taken me out a few times for meals, but then we are both single."
He looked at me and I swear he shook his head.
"Okay well, does he not ever talk about his business?"
"God no, why would he do that with me? I am just a semi-retired accountant. I have no idea what he does, I just assumed he owns a business."
"Okay, well, I shall say no more, I too am just a single person."
"Well yes, you told me that you sold your engineering business and now just occasionally help them out."