Chapter 45 – Confirmation
The rear storeroom had changed significantly since her recent visit. The two desks which sat next to each other were cluttered with more paperwork, and there were three others in the store. Two beings were unpacking the newly delivered crates and placing items on the shelves, while another man sat at one of the desks, calling out items as he appeared to be completing a stock take. SJ glanced down the room but couldn't see the rear exit clearly to see what had been done to secure it. She had known that deliveries had been listed for the rear entrance, and they had been delivering crates from the front of the store, so she wondered if they had fully blocked off the rear entrance.
The man who escorted SJ took a seat at the empty desk. The pamphlets and papers were neatly arranged, and he offered SJ a seat next to the desk.
"Please do sit."
SJ did as he asked. She felt a little apprehension about being at the scene of her break-in, but doubted they had any leads on who had done it.
"I'm pretty sure no one saw you," Dave said, reading SJ's thoughts.
Never mind, she was dressed completely differently and looked nothing like her nighttime persona.
"Let me start by introducing myself properly," the man said as he reached out his hand. "I'm Tarquin Evergreen, the main financier for the store. Evelyn, whom you met, is our treasure who designs and oversees the creation of the clothing."
SJ took his hand gently, portraying a very demure handshake.
"I'm Lauren," SJ lied.
"It's very nice to formally meet you. Please let me explain the investment opportunity to you, and then you can decide how much you would like to invest. As I say, any amount will present amazing returns. All those who invested in the first round have already recouped their initial investment, and we haven't even opened yet. The main financing now is for the factory construction."
"Where is the factory?" SJ asked.
"It isn't anywhere yet. We have identified a location in District 5 which would be perfect for the setup and distribution due to its location in the wider city as we open more stores over the coming months."
"This is your very first store, then?"
"Yes. Here in Asterfal. We plan to expand as quickly as we can, and based on the initial feedback on Evelyn's designs, it shouldn't take us too long to begin establishing others. For now, though, here is our priority." The man opened the desk drawer and removed a ledger. It was new; its binding was still fresh with no markings. He opened and removed a folded piece of parchment. "Let me show you the factory design." He said as he unfolded the parchment, displaying a floor plan.
SJ leaned forward to see the design clearly as he started to talk through the key points of the area, the loom setup, and the configuration to enable efficient product production. It was strange speaking to a being talking about manufacturing on an industrial scale. She hadn't been close enough to other traders to understand what the network was behind their businesses.
He isn't a Legionnaire, is he? SJ thought.
"No," Dave replied. "Definitely an Amatherean."
This approach appears very similar to Earth's manufacturing setups, and I've never seen one before since arriving.
"Many large businesses have similar setups. It would be very unusual for a solo trader to have anything like what he is describing, though."
SJ continued to listen, asking various questions as Tarquin commented on different aspects of the factory. He was doing a very good job of selling the vision; his enthusiasm was almost palpable. If SJ hadn't known better, she would have believed he almost believed it himself.
"It looks very impressive," SJ said. "I can see why you would be seeking investments. Producing something on the scale you are stating would require significant financial backing. I looked into a loom myself once and know how much they cost, never mind anything else you are planning."
Tarquin smiled. "It is, but I can happily say we are over 80% funded already. We are in the final stages to allow the contracts to be signed and begin operations."
"Do you have staff already?" SJ asked.
"Evelyn personally vetted several staff members to work there. All tailors like yourself. She may even have an opening if it was something you were interested in?"
SJ smiled. "Unfortunately, my job keeps me busy enough. My tailoring is a secondary occupation that I perform for leisure."
"Ah, I see that is a shame, but understandable. It's not a cheap profession."
"I can agree with that," SJ nodded. It had been a standing statement among many of her friends and acquaintances since she arrived."
"What is the return on investment you expect? You say those who have already invested in the store are already making a profit."
"Excellent question, let me show you the financial projections." Tarquin lifted the ledger and placed it on the desk. He opened it, revealing a complex listing of entries of values from projections. It included taxes, staff, sales margin expectations and overall performance metrics. "As an investor, your return on investment is expected to double within the first three months as the operation takes off, then over the first year, we plan to open at least two further stores. All this will do is increase returns, and there will even be further opportunities to invest further as we expand."
Evelyn walked in from the front of the store, picked up some cloth from the shelf, then turned to leave again. "Everything alright?" Tarquin asked.
"Yes. I hope everything's going okay here. If you have any questions, please let me know," she smiled as she left again.
"Boss, we have finished unpacking. Did you need anything else from us today?" One of the staff in the storeroom asked.
"No. You can call it a day. We have a busy day tomorrow. Thanks for your hard work today."
The beings left the storeroom.
"What do you think so far?" Tarquin asked.
"It looks like you have covered most things I would consider, not that I am an expert in setting up a business," SJ feigned ignorance. She knew exactly how businesses operated down to the penny, or in this instance, the nearest copper. She did, after all, deal with finances every day of her role in Killic. "It's very tempting. You mentioned that you are 80% funded for the factory. How much more do you require?"
"We currently have 250 gold invested in the factory and require a further 50 to secure the final contract item procurement."
SJ inhaled sharply. "That's a significant sum of coin."
"It is, I agree," Tarquin nodded. "We will take out a loan from the bank for the remainder if we don't get the investors, but I would prefer others to make a profit over the bank."
SJ nodded in understanding. She wasn't fully aware of how the bank operated its loans on Amathera, but could imagine it was similar to Earth. SJ looked at the clothes, now neatly stacked on the storeroom shelves. It looked legitimate and was a brilliant front that was being created. She could genuinely understand why Yawnee and her friends had been conned if they had experienced a similar approach.
"What is the process for investing?" SJ asked.
Tarquin looked at SJ, his face breaking into a warm smile. He was in his mid-thirties, looking at him, and was such a smooth talker. If she hadn't known he was a conman, she could have seen him genuinely doing well in business.
"All you require is to offer a sum and sign a contract," Tarquin said. "This shows our commitment to you as an investor and secures your funds." He lifted one of the blank contracts from the neat pile at the corner of the desk. The first one had a damaged corner. "Oh, apologies here," Tarquin said, casting the first into a waste bin under the desk. "We had a break-in last night, and our paperwork was all over the floor this morning," he said in passing.
"A break-in?" SJ asked, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, but she felt no animosity towards her, and her senses remained neutral.
"Yes, unfortunately, someone broke into the rear of the store last night. They didn't take anything, and thankfully, the main stock didn't arrive until today."
SJ feigned concern. "What if it happens again?"
"Oh, don't worry. We had wards placed on the store this morning. It won't happen again," Tarquin said definitively.
"I see," SJ said, taking the new contract he handed her. She started to read it, and it was similar to the one Yawnee had signed previously.
"How much would you like to invest then?" Tarquin asked after a few moments.
SJ hadn't even said she would invest anything yet and looked at him, pretending to mull over the question. "I would need to speak to my husband before making a final decision; unfortunately it's his coin I would be spending," SJ smiled sweetly.
"A very lucky being," Tarquin acknowledged.
SJ flushed from his comment. "Oh, please, you're so kind."
"If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you had attended acting school," Dave said.
SJ ignored his comment. "You say your husband. May I ask who your husband is?" Tarquin looked genuinely interested.
"He is no one special. He works as an ambassador for my kind. I don't know exactly what he does; it's beyond me." SJ hoped he didn't know much about Larianco and Sarontino, but it would hold true about a male fae in the city if he was aware of one.
Tarquin nodded in understanding. "Well, time is short, and we need to move quickly to secure the property. I will be going to the bank tomorrow after our grand opening."
"What time are you opening?"
"It will be at 11 AM for the investors, and then the general store opens from noon. We are expecting a large crowd."
SJ sat thoughtfully, looking at the contract again. "I'm sure I can talk him around. We have a bit in savings. What time would you need to know by at the latest?"
"Midday is really the cutoff; that's when I plan to leave for my appointment. You know what the traffic can be like in this city," he smiled.
SJ nodded knowingly. "I need my husband to read the contract before I sign it. Do you mind if I take this with me, and I will come back tomorrow before noon?"
Tarquin smiled broadly. "Of course, that's understandable. Although I must warn you, once we have the bank loan, we won't be taking any new investors. Not at least until we look into opening other stores, and that will be several months. You really don't want to miss an opportunity like this. It's going to be huge."
"I won't," SJ said with determination. "Thank you for showing me the designs and explaining them to me. It really does look like you have everything organised very well."
"Now it's my turn to blush," Tarquin said.
"I'd better get going. I've kept you long enough as it is," SJ said, standing.
"Not at all. It was a pleasure to speak to you, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow," Tarquin said as he escorted SJ back to the front of the store.
It was now early evening, and the light outside was beginning to fade.
"Remember, I need to leave at noon, so please come before then," Tarquin waved as SJ walked away.
"Well, he is very good at what he does," Dave said with admiration. "He didn't break his facade once."
Very convincing, SJ agreed.
"I liked your husband's line. I thought you were thinking of Fas at first, then considering Sarontino genuinely surprised me."
At times, SJ wished Dave couldn't see every thought she had.
Why would I think of Fas? SJ replied a little too hastily.
"No reason," Dave chuckled.
SJ fumed at Dave's remark as she walked away. She hadn't considered Fas romantically in any way, especially after his reveal and spying on her. She thought of him more like an older brother, if anything, as she tried to justify her thoughts. After several streets, SJ ducked into the alley of a residential street, which was much quieter. As soon as she was, she shrank and changed her dress and boots, taking off into the early evening light.
I think I will go and speak to the tower guard in the morning.
"The tower?" Dave sounded confused.
Yes, this isn't a quest. There are no rewards, and if I want it shut down properly, then I need to get support from the tower. I can't do it alone. I have enough evidence to show them: the contracts, the testimony from Yawnee and Sally. I have the contract for the three stores through Lapswing, as well as the other details regarding store openings and closings. It all adds up heavily against them.
"You think the Tower will be interested in a District Ponzi scheme?"
They better be, or I'll be going to the chancellor when he returns. I may just see Alec tomorrow. I can't trust the guard in this district not after our previous encounters with them. We have no idea what level of corruption still remains.
"That's fair," Dave replied.
Right, time to eat, rest and be up early to get to the tower. SJ thought as she flew home.
Yawnee and Lurtew were in the kitchen when she walked down from her room.
"Go and wash up in the bedroom, not in the kitchen sink," Yawnee complained as Lurtew started washing his very filthy-looking hands.
"Hey," SJ said.
As she entered, Lurtew stomped past her, sulking. "Hi."
"Great timing. I was just preparing dinner. Did you want some?"
"Please. I'll make a coffee if I'm not in your way?"
"Of course not," Yawnee said as she opened the cold store and pulled out various ingredients.
They chatted as Yawnee prepared the meal and SJ sipped her delicious coffee. Lurtew soon returned, now clean and presentable again.
"Why were your hands so filthy?" SJ asked once he sat at the table with a coffee.
"The drain in the yard was starting to overflow when it rained last. Didn't you see the puddle?"
SJ hadn't paid it any attention. "No, sorry, I didn't notice it."
"It was becoming a problem to store anything by the rear garage entrance into the yard due to it."
Eventually, Yawnee delivered three plates of perfectly cooked tenderloin of hogling with vegetables. It had smelled delicious while cooking and was even nicer as SJ ate it, pouring a thick gravy over everything. Once they had finished, SJ cleaned up. "I managed to find out some more about the scheme," SJ said as she finished drying the plates.
"You did?" Yawnee asked, a tinge of hope in her voice.
"Yes," SJ placed the last plate on the rack and then sat back at the table.
She removed the contract copy she had got from Tarquin and placed it on the table. "I went to their new store location and showed interest in being an investor."
"New store?" Yawnee said, surprised.
"Yes, they are setting up again in District 10, the same scheme by the looks of it. They were after factory investment funds and discussing expansion. The returns they are offering are absolutely unachievable. There is no way they could return what they are stating."
Yawnee's fur ruffled. "I wish you had been with me when I had gone the first time. I may never have got in this position in the first place."
"I'll be honest with you. He is exceptionally good at what he does. If I hadn't known about the scam prior, then I could easily have been fooled by him. Don't put yourself down. I'm not surprised he has managed to con so many."
Yawnee smiled weakly in response. Lurtew reached out and gently held her hand. "See, I told you it wasn't all your fault."
"The factory they are talking about is supposed to be in District 5. I doubt it's even a real location. He stated they had raised 250 gold of the 300 target they needed to secure the premises without a bank loan. He was pressuring me to invest before noon tomorrow, as that's when he is going to the bank."
"What are you going to do?" Yawnee asked.
"Go to the tower," SJ said flatly. "I can't resolve this alone. I have no authority to. I need the tower to get involved. I want to try and stop it before it goes any further, so I will be visiting first thing in the morning to speak to them."
"Do you think they will do anything?" Lurtew asked.
"I have enough evidence, and they have taken my word before about other issues. With Yawnee, Sally, and their friends, it's clear they are performing a scam."
"I hope it works and you can stop them," Yawnee said.
"I will find out tomorrow. I'd rather not have to take things into my own hands. I think this scam runs deeper than the front they are putting on."
"Do you think we will get the money back?" Yawnee asked hopefully.
SJ looked at her, shaking her head. "Probably not. "They've likely already spent it, or if my suspicions are right, they don't even control it."
Yawnee appeared heartbroken at the news. "Don't worry, I'll cover the 80 silver."
"Absolutely not."
"Don't be daft, you are aware of my wealth... We will discuss it further once it's shut down." SJ said, stopping Yawnee as she went to speak.
"I'm going to call it a night. I want to be at the tower first thing."
"We're coming with you," Yawnee stated. She looked at Lurtew, who nodded his head strongly in agreement.
"You don't have to."
"I do. I'll get Sally as well. We can testify directly to what has happened."
SJ looked at both her friends and smiled. "Tomorrow morning then," she said as she stood from the table.
"Is this definitely the right approach?" Dave asked as SJ made her way upstairs.
"I hope so," SJ said, entering her bedroom.
