Jimmy stepped out of the back of the limo that had been sent to pick him up and made his way into the elegant townhome he had been summoned to on the edge of town. 

Inside an older lady in a maids outfit took his coat and led him to a study which would have looked quite beautiful were it not for the stacks of books and documents that filled nearly every flat surface except for one chair behind the large mahogany desk and one in front of it. The maid asked him to take a seat in the chair in front of the desk and then poured him a scotch and placed it in front of him without comment. Jimmy thanked her and took a sip of the smoky drink as she left the room and he waited for whoever it was that the Upright Man was going to have him meeting with this time. 

After a few minutes a tall, wiry man who appeared to be in his late forties hurried into the room stammering what Jimmy thought was meant to be an apology for his tardiness in arriving but which he had trouble understanding given the extreme speed in which it was given along with the mans slight mumble. 

“Now, how can I help you sir?” The man finished his statement as he took a seat on the edge of the chair behind the cluttered desk. 

Jimmy sat flabbergasted for a moment before his brain caught up with the odd question from this rather odd man. “Well sir, you called me to this meeting - or more likely one whom we both have business dealings with from time to time did. So, I feel the correct question is how might I help you?”

The man looked flustered and began searching through piles on his desk before unearthing what appeared to be a planner from below a stack of papers. Flipping through it quickly to the current date his eyes lit up with slight surprise before he turned once again to Jimmy. 

“My apologies, I didn’t think our meeting was until next week, but then, how time flies. So, straight to business then - too much to do, far too much to do and not enough time to do it, mustn't waste time on pleasantries.”

At this the man shook his head slightly before seeming to break from a slight daze and continuing in a slightly less hurried manner. 

“You are correct, a mutual friend has a proposal for you that he feels will be most beneficial for all involved. As you are aware our friend has become quite proficient in bringing in goods from around the world that are of a - unique - nature and that some rather short sighted individuals would prefer not be traded. Most unfortunately one of our friend's previous partners who handled shipping and selling within the States felt he should go into business for himself and ended his partnership with our friend. Sadly, he had a fatal accident before he could get his own business off the ground.”

“Fortunately for you, however, that means our friend is seeking an enterprising individual to assist in distribution and sales. With that in mind he would like you to set up shop here in Philly.”

The man eyed Jimmy up and down a moment before continuing. 

“This room is swept for bugs twice a day and the Upright Man is confident you can be trusted so let’s drop the pretense shall we. Your orders are to set up a business front of your choice in the Old City District but it needs to be something that will allow you to bring in and ship out large amounts of merchandise of different kinds without raising suspicions. Any profit from the front end business are yours to keep. Additionally, you will get 25% of all profit from merchandise you ship or sell for the Upright Man. When can you get started?”

Jimmy noted with little surprise the shift from discussion of a business opportunity to an order handed down - though he was a bit surprised at the candor and the fact that it came from the Upright Man himself. 

Finishing his drink and nodding Jimmy stood. 

“I have the perfect idea and will start looking for a premises today. If all goes well I should be up and running within a couple of months - though I might need to dip into the deep pockets of our employer to get original stock.”

The man smiled a somewhat evil smile

“Whatever funding you need will be supplied - for a price. We can work out the details when the time comes.” 

With that the man quickly walked out of the room and the maid came and showed Jimmy out of the house and back to the waiting limo. Getting comfortable on the luxurious leather seats Jimmy smiled to himself.

Three weeks later Jimmy was standing outside of a slightly run down but well laid out showroom at the center of the Old City District. The showroom would take some work to get up to the standard his clients would be expecting but he preferred to put in elbow grease rather than go into debt with the Upright Man any more than he had to. One he had explained his idea the Upright Man had agreed to cover all of the cost for the warehouse and the security upgrades that Jimmy felt would be needed to protect the valuable cargo the Upright Man - and Jimmy for that matter  - would be storing but anything to do with the front business was all on Jimmy. 

Jimmy turned to the young man on his right and spoke, 

“Alright, get your boys cleaning. As agreed I’ll pay each of them ten bucks a day as long as you all work hard - if I see someone slacking money won’t be their concern, got it?” 

The young man nodded and waived his crew forward. Jimmy had reach out to some of the young hoodlums on the street and offered them a way to earn some quick cash on the up and up. He was paying less than he would for a typical contractor and helping out kids that were in the same spot he had been not that long ago so he considered it a win win. 

Over the next few weeks Jimmy would be bringing in more specialized labor get the interior built the way he wanted and to install some of the special features he wanted. It was going to be a lot of work but Jimmy could almost see the gleaming storefront of Needful Things in his minds eye as he watched the ragamuffins he had hired get to work. 

This was it, nearly two months of hard work and eating bologna sandwiches as he put every extra penny he had into the new business was paying off. 

Looking up Jimmy admired the entrance sign of Needful Things. The Brass edging glinted in the sun and the bold black letters in elegant font spoke of riches within. 

Walking in the door Jimmy glanced over the glass counters that had been polished to a shine filled with various items. In one glimmering jewelry ranging from traditional wedding bands to antique gemstone necklaces, in another fine smoking accessories for the cigar lover with a discerning taste, near that a display of crystal glassware. On a bookshelf nearby first additions and other collector books stood waiting to be perused by those willing to spend a small fortune on paper and ink. Still another display contained cards showing famous baseball players - these items were just starting to catch on with collectors but Jimmy was sure there would be those who would sell their soul for that card that just couldn’t be found anywhere else. For that was the heart of Needful Things - it didn’t trade in any specific item, but a specific type of item. The hard to find kind. If you could find another version of it at another store within 100 miles of Needful Things it wasn’t likely to be on the shelves, but if you were seeking an exotic perfume that was handcrafted in the Middle East - well, Needful things was the place for you. And if he didn’t have it Jimmy had tapped into the massive Mockers network of smugglers to find it - nothing was outside of his reach. 

Moving through the 8 inch thick steel door that led to a small chamber with a massive mirror on the right side Jimmy nodded to the guard he new stood behind the double sided glass which had been paid for by the Upright Man at great cost. It was, however, a cost he was willing to pay for the added layer of security between the business front and the backend were the real money was made. No matter how successful the front ended up being Jimmy new that the smuggling that took place out of the back would far outstrip it. Walking through the second steel door (which, along with the first would be solidly shut once the business opened) Jimmy saw workers busily preparing shelves for the first shipment of good which would arrive within the week. Under the cover of bringing in oddities from around the world and using a large array of secret compartments, paid off officials, and friendly dock workers, Needful Things would import illegal goods ranging from booze, to guns, to a plethora of drugs to then be shipped around the country. Most of the profit from these things would go into the coffers of the Mockers but Jimmy knew that his small cut would be more than enough to pad his retirement nicely. 

Glancing up Jimmy saw the catwalks he had built already being patrolled by hired guns paid well for their absolute loyalty to the Mockers and to protecting the goods they stored in this warehouse. The guards could not only see the entirety of the warehouse from their perch but small slit windows had been cut into the walls at intervals to all them to scan the perimeter of the building and fire down on anyone attempting to breach it with force. 

Walking back into the showroom out front Jimmy cut to the left and entered his private office. The Cherrywood desk and bookshelves played nicely with the deep brown leather of the seats and the polished silver of the desk set. The door to this room resembled any normal wooden door but anyone opening it would notice that it was heavier than one would expect. That was because it too had a 2 inch steel core intended to slow any attacker down while Jimmy either grabbed one of the many weapons secreted away in the office or exited through the bolthole hidden behind one of the bookshelves that emptied into a small garage with a waiting 1929 DeSoto Roadster ready to make a quick getaway. 

Sitting down at his desk he proofread the small flyer that would be posted in newspapers around the country:

NEEDFUL THINGS

Old City District, Philadelphia

Are you seeking that which seems impossible to find?

Do you desire more than the commonplace? 

Then come see the amazing collection of items at Needful Things

Whether you are seeking jewelry, collectors items, or something more exotic our highly trained staff is ready to help. If we don’t have it we will find it, guaranteed. 

For special orders please book an appointment in advance.

Nodding to himself Jimmy called out to his secretary, “The flyer looks good, get it to print; it’s time to open for business.”