condensed master

The Reluctant Agent
A Compelling Story of Espionage
He was a slim, happy-go-lucky type, and there were very few problems with his
department. Everything seemed to be going like clockwork, until one day, Joanna
failed to balance the quantities by fifty records. Suspecting an error, they checked
their entries and the stock many times, but with the same result.
Someone was stealing the stock and probably selling it. Suspecting the theft's
were taking place out amongst the production presses before transfer to the secure
area at final inspection, Will checked out the process there, but failed to come up
with anything tangible, that could point to a flaw in the security chain. While this
was going on, a second batch was discovered missing. He had sworn Joanna to
secrecy, hoping to resolve the matter, but it was now time for more positive action.
Will called his assistant Mike Cowley, into the office. "Mike, someone's
stealing the stock. Have you got any ideas?"
Mike looked taken aback. "No, it can't be anyone in my department, our
security regimes are all in place and working one hundred per cent." At that
moment Joanna left the room and Mike turned to Will. "The only unauthorized
person I can think of, and he only seems to come here when you're away, is
Joanna's husband. He works down on production test." He hesitated.
"Is there more? If there is, I want to know about it."
"People that work with him reckon that he was part of the Hitler Youth
Movement during the war, and that he married a Dutch girl, and took on a Dutch
name, to hide the fact. He's not a very likeable character - too forceful for most
people."
"Are you telling me that he's a Nazi?"
"That's what some people think."
Fortunately Stefan, Joanna's husband, did not come under Will's jurisdiction.
He had enough problems to deal with.
As one last try to resolve the matter, Will thought it best to go down to
Stefan's department and make a few discreet enquiries. The reaction he received
from his immediate superiors validated Mike's previous statements.
"Where is Stefan now?"
"He's with someone over in the salvage department."
Most rejects from production of any value ended up in the salvage department
where they were sold off to the staff at a reduced rate. It was a way of controlling
the destiny of faulty components that were not scheduled for destruction,
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