Here are Chapters 1, 2, 3 & 4 if you missed them:
https://steemit.com/life/@francesleader/pinstripe-spy-chapter-1
https://steemit.com/life/@francesleader/pinstripe-spy-chapter-2
https://steemit.com/story/@francesleader/pinstripe-spy-chapter-3
@francesleader/pinstripe-spy-chapter-4
I had achieved the impossible by purest luck it seemed.
Being in the right place at the right time but especially, with the right state of mind.
I was covering a maternity leave for a PA who worked for the Company Secretary of a prestigious City insurance corporation.
I had very little to do it seemed. Just field phone calls & type out a few memos and letters. I was bored stiff by lunchtime.
I was invited to lunch with the Managing Director's secretary and the Chairman's secretary, both of whom were almost at retirement age and very astute ladies indeed. We adjourned to the beautiful dining rooms within the building.
The ladies quizzed me a bit and I did my best to gain their approval but the thing that impressed them the most was my offer to help them as I did not have enough work to fill more than a couple of hours a day.
I was given a key to the archives and the board room.
I was on a rota to provide minute-taking duties there.
After a couple of months my kindly gentleman boss called me into his office and stated that they had found me a permanent position within the company and took me to meet Dr Elisabeth Muller, the inventor of Inmarsat.
I had no idea what Inmarsat was but soon found out.
I kept my keys to the archives and board room when I moved to my new office which happened to be adjacent to the board room and very conveniently situated for overhearing the general office buzz.
I had begun to research the origins of this famous corporation by delving into the archives. I had uncovered some very interesting information about the founders and present owners.
Dr Muller was a stout German lady with a thick accent. She needed help with constructing speeches about her invention and she gave me access to all the background information I needed about Inmarsat.
I learned that it was an International Maritime Satellite System which would eventually link all ports, airports and cities in a communications network, providing essential information to all members of an exclusive and expensive 'club'.
It was 1997 and I was learning how to use email which was entirely in-house and international, but not public at that time.
When my turn to take the minutes of a Board meeting arrived I quietly slipped into the Board room and took my position. I was barely noticed by the men who were loudly arguing whether Singapore or Bangkok would become the new far eastern hub for their business interests after Hong Kong was ceremoniously given back to the Chinese.
I appeared to be distracted with my paperwork but was actually feverishly taking verbatim shorthand notes of the entire conversation.
By the time the meeting was called to order and the dull matters on the agenda raised, I had the measure of these arrogant gamblers.
I shivered at their power.
I felt quite nauseous.