- So Tiia was put in charge of hitting everybody up for the money. Her tactics were quite admirable for a beginner in this line of work: discreet little cards with all the relevant information listed, nice and neat and legit, with just the right hint of the need to pay up on time or else. Her only problem was with those foreigners: they don't necessarily understand such subtleties and the absolute importance of the rules of the game. But you know me: foreigners are my specialty. So, naturally, she enlisted my help.

- I must say, I handled it like a pro. I had the money within ten minutes of walking in the door. Once business was taken care of, we settled down for a relaxed evening of friendly chitchat. That's the way to work these guys: you have to build a solid rapport first, show them you're really working for their best interests. With that mutual understanding, the job gets done with a minimum of fuss. It's really unfortunate when you have to hassle people who don't get it. The bottom line is, when the boss says pay, you pay. It's really that simple.

- Tiia was real pleased when I handed her the bulging envelope, not a penny short. What can I say? This job has its moments, I guess.

-BC!!