Trail of Greed: Fighting Fraud and Corruption... A Dangerous Game by John Dysart Page A
Authors: John Dysart
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taking slightly longer than the rest of us. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She seemed aware of this and smiled back at him.
“Bob, Mike, I’d like to introduce you to Sophie Lamarre, a long-time friend of mine.”
We nodded and smiled a welcome to her. Mike promptly got up to order drinks for the new arrivals.
“Beer for you, Pierre? And Sophie . . .?” “A small glass of cold, dry white wine, please,” she said, her eyes following him as he went over to the bar.
Pierre sat back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face, as if he had made exactly the effect that he had intended. He said something in French to Sophie who laughed out loud, revealing a perfect set of teeth.
There was a definite elegance about her, but also an indication of strength and fitness in that slim body. Someone who looked after herself or someone who enjoyed outside pursuits. The slight tan seemed to indicate the latter.
We chatted for a few minutes as one does when a stranger suddenly arrives in your midst and you want to make them welcome. Have you been to Scotland before? What do you think of the weather? And other such comments.
I tried my best to get the conversation going but I couldn’t bring up our Purdy adventures because I didn’t really know who she was. Was this Pierre’s partner? Could be. They certainly seemed to be very much at ease with each other.
Meanwhile Mike, unusually for him, hardly opened his mouth.
When I started to stall a little Pierre decided to let us off the hook. He murmured again to Sophie in French and received a nod of the head in return.
“Listen guys, we both know what you’re thinking. We’re used to it. Let me just say straight away that Sophie and I are not, as you say it over here, an ‘item’. We are just very good old friends. Most people have the same reaction, which I take as a compliment to my sense of taste. Sometimes we let people think so because it gives Sophie some protection. But this time I have to tell you straight away. I just wanted to have a little fun.”
“Well you certainly looked very much like a couple when you came over here,” I said. “Pierre, the well-dressed Frenchman, with his beautiful partner” – I can be a charmer when I want to be!
“In France we dress to please the ladies,” said Pierre. Mike grinned and couldn’t stop himself from coming out with a rejoinder.
“Over here we undress to please the ladies.” Then he realised that he’d perhaps over-stepped the mark, coloured slightly and buried his face in his beer. Sophie was clearly not bothered by this remark and joined the laughter.
Pierre continued. “I hope you guys don’t mind but I’ve invited Sophie over here to help us in our project.”
He then proceeded to explain to us that Sophie had worked for his company from just after she had graduated from college and she had been with them until he sold out. She had developed into a top-class IT security and hacking expert. When Pierre had sold the company she had sold the shares that she had accumulated from various bonuses and had set herself up as an independent expert.
“Bob, when you mentioned that it would be good if we could get hold of other AIM investors, I immediately thought of Sophie. Perhaps she can hack into their systems. So I went over to discuss it with her. She has some free time at the moment and said she’d love to help.”
“D’Artagnan,” said Mike. “I beg your pardon?” said Sophie, looking puzzled. We then had to explain to her why we had called ourselves APA Consulting. She liked the idea immediately and accepted to be D’Artagnan.
I readily agreed to the help that Sophie could bring. If she could get into their systems we’d be in an excellent position to unmask Purdy.
Mike agreed for reasons known only to himself – but suspected by me.
Over lunch I called the meeting to order and we reviewed the steps we needed to undertake.
“Sophie, what do you need to be able to get into their
“Bob, Mike, I’d like to introduce you to Sophie Lamarre, a long-time friend of mine.”
We nodded and smiled a welcome to her. Mike promptly got up to order drinks for the new arrivals.
“Beer for you, Pierre? And Sophie . . .?” “A small glass of cold, dry white wine, please,” she said, her eyes following him as he went over to the bar.
Pierre sat back in his chair with a satisfied smile on his face, as if he had made exactly the effect that he had intended. He said something in French to Sophie who laughed out loud, revealing a perfect set of teeth.
There was a definite elegance about her, but also an indication of strength and fitness in that slim body. Someone who looked after herself or someone who enjoyed outside pursuits. The slight tan seemed to indicate the latter.
We chatted for a few minutes as one does when a stranger suddenly arrives in your midst and you want to make them welcome. Have you been to Scotland before? What do you think of the weather? And other such comments.
I tried my best to get the conversation going but I couldn’t bring up our Purdy adventures because I didn’t really know who she was. Was this Pierre’s partner? Could be. They certainly seemed to be very much at ease with each other.
Meanwhile Mike, unusually for him, hardly opened his mouth.
When I started to stall a little Pierre decided to let us off the hook. He murmured again to Sophie in French and received a nod of the head in return.
“Listen guys, we both know what you’re thinking. We’re used to it. Let me just say straight away that Sophie and I are not, as you say it over here, an ‘item’. We are just very good old friends. Most people have the same reaction, which I take as a compliment to my sense of taste. Sometimes we let people think so because it gives Sophie some protection. But this time I have to tell you straight away. I just wanted to have a little fun.”
“Well you certainly looked very much like a couple when you came over here,” I said. “Pierre, the well-dressed Frenchman, with his beautiful partner” – I can be a charmer when I want to be!
“In France we dress to please the ladies,” said Pierre. Mike grinned and couldn’t stop himself from coming out with a rejoinder.
“Over here we undress to please the ladies.” Then he realised that he’d perhaps over-stepped the mark, coloured slightly and buried his face in his beer. Sophie was clearly not bothered by this remark and joined the laughter.
Pierre continued. “I hope you guys don’t mind but I’ve invited Sophie over here to help us in our project.”
He then proceeded to explain to us that Sophie had worked for his company from just after she had graduated from college and she had been with them until he sold out. She had developed into a top-class IT security and hacking expert. When Pierre had sold the company she had sold the shares that she had accumulated from various bonuses and had set herself up as an independent expert.
“Bob, when you mentioned that it would be good if we could get hold of other AIM investors, I immediately thought of Sophie. Perhaps she can hack into their systems. So I went over to discuss it with her. She has some free time at the moment and said she’d love to help.”
“D’Artagnan,” said Mike. “I beg your pardon?” said Sophie, looking puzzled. We then had to explain to her why we had called ourselves APA Consulting. She liked the idea immediately and accepted to be D’Artagnan.
I readily agreed to the help that Sophie could bring. If she could get into their systems we’d be in an excellent position to unmask Purdy.
Mike agreed for reasons known only to himself – but suspected by me.
Over lunch I called the meeting to order and we reviewed the steps we needed to undertake.
“Sophie, what do you need to be able to get into their
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