Colleen went on a sabbattical from teaching, with her tenure secured at the school, and decided to devote more time to science and inventing, which would give her an ostensible reason for posting the following job advertisement:

PERSONAL ASSISTANT – TEMP

Company director needs a personal

assistant to help with all kinds of

work around the premises. Apply, in

the first instance to:

Colleen Balfour

T/A Reduced Interest Co,

using the address or telephone number

at the bottom of this advertisement.

The only respondent to the advertisement was a young man had finished school, and put together a resume. Since he’d only who had short term part time jobs on top of his time at school, the resume looked rather light at a glance.  He consoled himself with the thought that this would have been the case for anyone who had just graduated. It was hardly cause to think that an employer would not give him a chance. Besides, he had found a job that seemed to be tailored to his limited experience. He looked over the advertisement once more, as he thought about the questions he might be asked at the interview:

“It sounds like a financial loan company,” he thought, “I haven’t had any experience in that area. Let’s hope it’s an entry level position. I don’t think the mock interviews I did at the Careers Reference seminars we had in uni are going to help me much with this job.”

He put on the suit he had saved up for, and his best tie, and went to the premises that Colleen had opened in the village.

“I’m Patrick O’Murphy. I have an interview for the temporary personal assistant position,” he said.

“I’m Colleen Balfour. If you fill out this application for employment form, I will see you soon,” said Colleen.

Patrick sat on one of the velvet covered chairs and took the pen from the top of the clipboard. He had soon completed the form.

“Patrick,” she said, “Come on through.”

Colleen showed him into her office and closed the door.

She sat down, and took his resume in her hands, having prepared for the interview by having it on her desk with certain lines highlighted in pink.

“You wouldn’t be working for this office,” she said, “This is just my public front, which turns over enough consolidated loan interest to keep anyone from wondering about my more private business. I’ve just taken over the business from my retired father. Reduced interest is a play on words, which also reflects the research which has my main attention. If you get the position, I’ll be pretending to have hired nobody. Then I can start you at my private office at home. I have set up as a private scientist. There’ll be no suspicion, when you disappear that way.”

“Disappear?” he asked, “In what way, exactly.”

She turned to a cabinet beside her desk. There was a fish tank on the cabinet, and a short rod with a small net attachment beside the tank. She picked this tool up, dipped it in the tank, and moved it about.

Most of the fish were able to elude the net, but she looked eagerly at them, relentlessly pursuing them. She seemed to be enjoying the fact that the fish had no way out of the tank, and could ultimately not escape the net forever either.