Security - 25. Chapter 25

Someone once said if you want to hide something, place it where everyone can see it. With that in mind, I design a lapel pin and a tie pin, the motto was I Spy. Directly below the motto was an eye, which was the camera. When I finished with a prototype, I showed it to Bobby. “What do you think?”

“That is cool but why I spy, you aren’t a spy. I don’t see the connection?”

“When I wear this, the eye being a camera, will spy on whoever is in front of me.”

“Clever, but doesn’t it take some sort of power to operate the camera?”

“Yes, this will power the camera. I’ll slip this in my pocket. I fasten this to the pocket on my jacket and then put the power cell in the pocket.”

“But that will only take a picture, how are you going to store the picture so you could view it later.”

“Look at this. I fashioned this slim box, the back holds two small batteries and the front is a wire recorder that will record any information the camera sees. I want to test this, so this weekend why don’t we invite Noah and Gwen for dinner.”

Saturday evening after dinner, I played back the recording that I made of Noah, Gwen, and Bobby. The recording wasn’t as clear as I hoped but it was clear enough to determine who I was recording. Noah wanted to know what I was going to do with the device and more importantly, why did I think I needed it. That led to me attending the dinner party. “I felt uneasy and even knowing that they could not copy the bracelet, I felt they might be more aggressive. With this device, I thought I could prove, if necessary in court any physical action taken by them or their hired people. In all truth, I should never have attended the meeting but curiosity got the better of me.”

“Well, if nothing happens you have another device to add to your security line of products.”

I thought about that and the company I now owned. Why not include this as a line of personal protection, I’d need of course to clear any patent rights.

The following Monday I called Johnathan and set up a meeting for the coming Thursday. In preparation for the meeting, I reviewed the products I bought, noting the name of the manufacturer. I wasn’t sure if they owned the patent or were a contracted manufacturer, I did note that the design of the box to provide the energy source and the recording device were mine.

I met with Johnathan as planned. He was interested so I suggested we put his people on checking out patents and think about overall design and price. “Johnathan, when you are ready, I’d like to have a report before we bring it to the board.”

While I was there, I took advantage of the time and reviewed sales, profits, and potential markets with the various heads and Johnathan.

Back in California, I continued building my wrist bracelets, sales were growing as more and more governments recognized the potential. There were a few case histories of people trying to remove the bracelet. One story was very interesting, an individual thought if he surgically removed the portion of his arm above the bracelet location he could then safely open the bracelet. It didn’t work and now he doesn’t have his left hand.

I was a very lucky man, thanks to Lee. Our college engineering developed a security system that would pay me for seventeen years and by then I’ll have modified it enough to re-patent the design. The small camera I was using as a personal security device would become a part of the new design. I started to think of the many ways I could have incorporated it into the original design.

The Adams Security company was doing fine and new ideas were being developed utilizing the small camera. I was financially secure which allowed me to more or less live a worry-free life.

One evening Bobby asked me if I ever felt the need to marry. I thought about that and even though I enjoyed being around women, my life had settled into a routine where I was happy and didn’t feel the need for a companion.

Over the next few years, my life became routinize, monthly meetings at Adams Security, working on the bracelet and appropriate sale pitches, consulting for Global, and keeping tabs on Bobby, occupied my time. I spent time in the Gulf cottage as well as the California cottage.

For Bobby’s graduation, I flew his mom and dad to California. They stayed at the cottage and made a big fuss over Carlito who now was very friendly with me. We took walks along the beach and he had quite a few boxes of colored rocks and shells. He tells everyone there are his and my treasures.

I was content, my work with Global resulted in friends all over the world. The General became a close friend, they have a new Prime Minister. I was invited to royal weddings and special events held in western Europe. I made friends all over western Europe and unfortunately enemies in those countries where we didn’t install Global security systems. I did offer my bracelets with a price premium, double normal prices.