74 EURAMERICA continued to run the business as usual. For Pectacon, Otto had wound it up and transferred its entire stock and all the machinery to a new company, N.V. Handelsvereniging Gies & Co., set up at the same address. Kugler and Jan had assumed positions of Gies’s managing director and director respectively. In reality, Pectacon’s business continued in the name of Gies, and Otto remained in charge of the company, giving orders and making decisions (Gies & Gold, 2009: 82-83; Paape, 2003d: 10-15). Otto’s plan to continue running his business secretly was facilitated by the fact that his hideout was inside the business premises. He was able to discuss his business with Kleiman and Kugler when seeing them. However, Otto still had to think of ways to deal with the problems caused by his absence. For instance, on 1 April 1943, Anne mentioned that her father had adopted someone’s suggestion to lie with one ear pressed against the floor and eavesdrop on an important business conference held downstairs in the private office: . . . at half past ten yesterday morning Margot and Pim25 (two ears are better than one!) took up their position on the floor. The talks were not finished in the morning, but by the afternoon Daddy was not in a fit state to continue the listening campaign. He was half paralyzed from remaining in so unusual and uncomfortable a position. I took his place at half past two, as soon as we heard voices in the passage. Margot kept me company. The talk at times was so long-winded and boring that quite suddenly I fell asleep on the cold hard linoleum floor. Margot did not dare to touch me for fear they might hear us, and talking was out of the question. I slept for a good half hour and then woke with a shock, having forgotten every word of the important discussions. Luckily Margot had paid more attention. (372-373) 25 Otto was nicknamed Pim by Anne.
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