My name is Jim Priest and I’m a Private Detective. Sounds cool doesn’t it? Unfortunately getting roughed up by a Kitchen Maid who had stolen a decryption device that could have solved a hundred year old mystery wasn’t cool [JIMP#19]. It also wasn’t cool to discover that her accomplice, John, had been present when I found the cryptographic key. Trying to trace them soon revealed that they had used false surnames. Their friends and colleagues at work were none the wiser. I tried to contact St.Agatha’s Domestic Service College in London who had supplied staff to Bristlingdown Manor for over 100 years. However, they refused to speak me about their graduates. Visiting the college in person was a waste of time as the security men on the door refused me entry unless I had an appointment. Trying to get an appointment was fruitless.

Just when things looked bleak, I received a letter sealed with the impression of a multi-limbed Asian goddess. Curious to be receiving something from the mysterious Amazon organisation I only knew as The Sisterhood, I opened the envelope. Inside was a job advert for the post of IT manager at St.Agatha’s and a reference from The Salvation Army on headed notepaper from Major Anne [JIMP#15,16]. I also noted a small stylistic representation of an angel at the bottom.

A few weeks after submitting my CV and application form, I received an invitation for an interview with Gill Butcher, the director of training and recruitment. Wearing my only suit, black shoes, white shirt & a tie, I arrived at the college. St.Agatha’s is a large spectacular neo-classical building in the heart of London dating back to the late 18th Century. Signing in at the security desk, the uniformed guard told me “Somebody will be down in a few minutes to collect you, Mister Priest. Please take a seat”. I waited anxiously for several minutes occasionally glancing down the long high-ceilinged corridor that I can see on the other side of the glass panelled security door.

Finally, I see a petite woman approaching wearing a smart white satin jacket and trousers over a high necked black top and wearing very high heels. At first glance I thought that she was oriental but as she neared the security door, I realised I was mistaken. Her jet-black hair was cut in a shoulder length bob with a full fringe that completely covered her ears. Standing barely over 5’ in her high heels, the woman was slim with a small bust. Mature, she had a small elfin face with slim dark eyebrows framing small slender eyes. The eyelids were lightly enhanced with a pale blue eye shadow. Her nose was long and sleek with daintily swept back nostrils. A pleasant thin-lipped medium-sized mouth glossed with a pale pink lipstick sat above a small firm chin and jaw. The overall effect was of a pleasantly attractive mature professional woman. Opening the door she looked at me and said “Mister Priest, please come this way”. Her voice was slightly low with a cold detached tone. Her smile highlighted prominent cheeks and pearly white teeth. A fair number of faint wrinkles on her face and neck together with faint liver spots on her hands suggested to me that perhaps she was in her late fifties.

Gill led the way down the long corridor with a small attempt at chitchat about the weather and the state of public transport. Rooms led off from the corridor, the decor making little concession to modern living. “St.Agatha’s is a grade II listed building which means we have to make every effort to maintain its historical character whilst delivering education to modern standard” she told me. Turning off through an open double doorway, we came to a landing for a very grand, very wide staircase that spiralled in rectilinear lines from below then climbed to levels above. “Very impressive” I commented, looking at an extremely long chandelier suspended down the central stairwell and a large atrium above. “St.Agatha’s has two basement levels and three levels above ground” Gill explained as we climbed to the highest floor. After walking along yet another corridor and stopping at a drinks machine to collect coffees we reached Gill’s office.

The room was large with a desk at the far end, several seats and various cupboards and units with office equipment around the sides. The main central area was empty. “Please sit down” she said indicating a chair then sat on the opposite side of the desk. Sipping her coffee, the woman read through my CV. From the expression on her face, she didn’t seem impressed. Without looking up she said “Jim Priest. Any relation to the private detective who keeps sticking his nose into other people’s business?”. Without waiting for an answer she continued scanning the page. “No management experience. No experience in the education sector. Not very promising”. Her expression changed however when she read the letter of reference, her eyes opening wide with astonishment. She had clearly seen something there that I hadn’t spotted. Her whole attitude changed from outright dismissal to one of reluctant acceptance. “Well Mister I’m-not-a-private-eye Priest. I don’t understand why and I don’t like it but it seems that you’ve got the job”.

She started to rise, signalling that the interview was at an end. “Confirmation of your engagement will be posted to you by the end of week” she said extending her hand. I suspected that she worked for The Sisterhood. Taking her small hand in mine, I looked into her small brown eyes and asked “are you able to tell me the whereabouts of the Bristlingdown decoder?”. Slipping her hand away she snapped “I have no idea of what you are talking about, Mister Priest”. I started to explain about the device but she wasn’t interested and cut me off. “I may be obliged to give you this post but do not look to me for assistance. That will be all. Goodbye Mister Priest”. She headed towards the door, I was clearly dismissed. As I got to the door Gill moved close and looked up with her hard brown eyes. “I expect a high standard of staff discipline. You keep your nose out of my business or I will break you”. Opening the door, she smiled and said loudly “Goodbye Mister Priest. I look forward to you joining us”.

I started work a few weeks later. The daily commute into London by train was a killer until I established a pattern of starting work mid-morning to miss the worst of the rush hour and working late to miss the return crush. Luckily the job gave me a good excuse to snoop around as I performed an ‘audit’ of the existing network. This also gave me an excuse for hanging around after most people had left for home so that my audit would avoid impacting lessons and administrative duties. Gill also seemed to be a late worker, although I had the suspicion that it might have been to keep an eye on me. Although we acknowledged each other, her cold demeanour made it clear that she didn’t want to be friendly. That all changed one night several weeks later.

Harry Carter prided himself as being the best safe cracker in London. When he was approached about this job, he accepted without reservation. They had paid handsomely for his services many times before. He got a couple of lads young enough to tailgate students without alerting the guards to scout the layout over a period of time.

Friday evening was when most people had left early for the weekend. Harry and his boys entered the college using a little used basement side door that the young men had earlier propped ajar and disabled the alarms. Stealthily they made their way to the principal’s office on the top floor. Easily unlocking the door, Harry entered and spotted the large floor standing safe in the corner. “Make sure I’m not disturbed” he told the boys then closed the door behind him. Harry prided himself as a master of his craft and spent several minutes observing the safe before even touching it, gaining the measure of his adversary.

Outside, the boys spot a man with black curly hair wearing a suit, walking down the corridor. He reminds them a bit of Tom Hanks, although he was about 5’8”, medium built and slightly podgy. The middle-aged man kept glancing nervously at them then entered an office a few doors down. “He clocked us. I’ll take him out” said Weasel, a tall lanky youth with a long thin pointed face and small beady eyes. Like his companion, he wore a black hoodie and jeans. Approaching the office Weasel can hear voices, a man speaking with a woman. Signalling to the other boy, Skunk, he raised two fingers. Skunk, a short messy thuggish boy gave him the V in return. Shaking his head he mouthed ‘two people’. Seeing that Skunk was joining him, he drew a crowbar from the back pocket of his jeans and entered.

With the man is a small mature woman wearing a white blouse, brown jacket with a knee length brown leather skirt, black fishnets and high heels. He slams the crowbar against the top of a side unit making them jump. Pointing with it to the man he told him “You, over here in front of me”. He was going to take out the threat by coshing the bastard. The leather skirt and fishnets on the old bird were quite hot and he fancied getting his dick in there. The woman spoke in a firm authoritive voice “What is the meaning of this? where’s your pass?”. “Shut up and start getting your knickers off. You, over here mate, I won’t tell you again”. Just then Skunk arrived. “Don’t chat with them, just bash them and go” he said.

Gill stepped forwards. “Who are you and why are you here? Answer me now” she demanded. Skunk sneered “Phoar nice skirt luv. You’re going catch my dick in those fishnets in a minute”. The youths gave a dirty laugh. Gill replied, “How dare you! You two are well out of your depth. I have you know that I’m a champion in Ballroom and Salsa”. The youths laugh outrageously, “Oooh what? You’re going to dance us to death”. They laughed again.

Suddenly the woman starts to move as if dancing to some silent Latin rhythm. Her elfin face smiling, her hips swayed as she sashayed across the room, stepping forward and back, extending a very shapely calve as she placed a foot out to one side then the other. All the time her upper body is kept straight seemingly unaffected by the movements of her hips and legs. The way the petite woman moves is quite sensuous, calling upon primitive emotions, the leather skirt and fishnets adding to the allure. The youths and the man look on in appreciation. Well into her dance, she throws in an occasional low kick to one side then the other. Moving onto one toe, she swiftly brings her knee up very high level with her chest, her skirt riding up high to reveal shapely legs in all their glory. “Phroarwow” moans the curly haired man. The youths couldn’t agree more.

The bright fluorescent lights overhead reflects off the sexy leather skirt as it and the fishnet covered shins dance, mesmerising the three males with their sensual movement. Smiling, the petite bob haired woman slinks up to Skunk. Going onto one toe, she repeats the high knee move. Three pairs of eyes watch the leather skirt ride high up her thigh. One feels a knee hammered forcefully between his legs lifting him to his toes. The groins of the other men contract in sympathy. “Arggg!”. With tears in his eyes and his groin ablaze with pain, Skunk has to hold onto the sexy firm thigh for balance as the dancer keeps her knee held high for several agonising moments. “Now are you feeling more talkative young man?” the ball buster asks.