Comment from Carol Hillebrenner

Excellent

Good idea to have Tommy read some of the story without the glasses. That was what Alan had done ultimately to teach himself how to read. Creepy Warren is sure to be the thief, but he must know someone smarter than himself as I doubt he knows about patent lawyers.

 Comment Written 18-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 18-Apr-2024

Excellent thought. He's in a hurry now to get some money, so he must have figured out a different way to do that. The patent process can take a while.

reply by Carol Hillebrenner on 18-Apr-2024

Could be one of his card playing friends is a patent attorney or he has sold some wiseguy on the value of it.

reply by the author on 19-Apr-2024

Ooo! I like your thinking.

Comment from BethShelby

Excellent

You gave enough clue for us to be able to know that his man would end up being trouble. Since the place was left as it was he probably had no intention of returning. I hope you were able to capture him on the recording.

 Comment Written 17-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 17-Apr-2024

Yeah, he wouldn't exactly be welcome back. The tape will become important, but not quite in the way you might imagine.

Comment from Ulla

Excellent

Hi Jim, it is a disaster all right.
But to be honest, I also think that Alan was a bit too gullible, believing everything that Warren was saying to him. Now on to the next chapter. Ulla:)))

 Comment Written 17-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 17-Apr-2024

I agree with you. He probably should have seen it coming. The clues are there, he had his suspicions, and he thought he took adequate precautions, but he was wrong. Let's see what he does about it now and if there is any salvaging the situation.

Comment from LJbutterfly

Excellent

I knew things were coasting along too smoothly. I didn't know what would happen, but I thought Warren would be involved. Did Warren search everywhere, or did he know exactly where to go in the files to get the information he wanted to steal? I know he would be smart enough to take the computer hard drive. If Warren is the thief, how is he going to make money from his stolen wares?

 Comment Written 16-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 17-Apr-2024

Warren was totally familiar with the files, so he had to search them all before he found what he wanted in the bottom drawer. He probably brought floppy disks with him or possibly an external hard drive to copy the files in the computer, but since he couldn't get past the password, he just stole the hard drive. Your last question is THE question. How indeed?

Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill

Excellent

I'm caught up now. This really swept along. Marriage , adoption, an invention or two, A new employee , my goodness. I enjoyed catching up, I can read laying down. But I must sit to write so, Only the new one got a review. You must get most of my stories and poems from my page because I enter blind contests and they do not show up in your mail box. I do not always have enough points to promote them. Karen

 Comment Written 16-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 16-Apr-2024

I've missed you here for a while. Thanks for your interest in the story and for taking the time to catch up, Karen.

Things are getting a little dicey now. Alan's forthcoming meeting with the patent attorney should be interesting.

reply by Karen Cherry Threadgill on 17-Apr-2024

I will read, and when i write more than you do, and you review me, I will go back and review old ones. But, I found out that some contests I enter don't show up in the mail. You have to go to my page. Karen

Comment from T B Botts

Excellent

Hello Jim,
Well, we kind of knew that things were going to go south with this clown. I guess I shouldn't be judging before I see what happens on the tape, but given the pattern that was starting to develop, and the fact that he already was a little light in the morality department, everything is pointing to him. I'll be interested in seeing what develops. Crap, what good would the glasses do him, if he doesn't have a working understanding? I hate thieves.
Well done Jim.
Have a blessed day.
Tom

 Comment Written 16-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 16-Apr-2024

Thanks very much, Tom. That's a good question: How does a guy who knows little about a great idea make any money from it? Let's hope I've got a good answer for that in the coming chapters.

Comment from lyenochka

Excellent

It's good that Alan took the advice of the smart ladies and had the camcorder going. But why would Warren want to steal an invention that he has no interest in and probably could not explain on his own?

 Comment Written 16-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 16-Apr-2024

Very good question, Helen. Several possibilities I've thought of are:

1. Offer to sell it back to Alan
2. File a patent application before Alan does and charge Alan a sum of money to withdraw the claim.
3. Attempt to sell the goods to a company who will file for the patent.
4. His mother is blind and could use the glasses, plus he needs a hard drive for his home computer that only has a floppy disk drive.

Perhaps there are others I haven't thought of (but then again, it's unlikely it would be one of those!)

Comment from Pearl Edwards

Exceptional

So Warren has finally shown his true colours it seems, though I think Alan was a little bit too yrusting of him. Another good chapter Jim, with things becoming very testy for Alan now. Well written,
Cheers
Valda

 Comment Written 16-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 16-Apr-2024

Thanks very much, Valda. I really appreciate those 6 stars too. After experiences like that episode with Tina and now this theft, I think Alan will be a little less trusting and naive in the future.

Comment from barbara.wilkey

Excellent

I'm pretty sure it was Warren too, or the people he owed money to for his gambling debits. You did a good build up to the robbery, although we all knew it was coming. I do like this story.

 Comment Written 15-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 15-Apr-2024

Thanks, Barbara. Yes, it was pretty obvious it was coming, but how does Alan recoup from it? That will occupy much of the rest of the story.

Comment from Wendy G

Excellent

This is terrible. What a conman. His black eye was probably from a fight about the money he'd lost. But he was setting the stage for staying back later, alone. I am feeling for Alan. How absolutely devastating. Even if the camcorder shows it was Warren, they still have to find and charge him. Aargh.
Well written!
Wendy

 Comment Written 15-Apr-2024

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reply by the author on 15-Apr-2024

Thanks, Wendy. Great analysis of the situation. Maybe it's not as bad as it seems, but then again...