UNDERCOVER The Secret of Luck

by James Kipling

  “Go on.” said John, allowing her to continue.

  “It may take a month or so until the phone calls stop coming, asking for help about divorces. I would say, given our revenues for the last eighteen months, our finances should hold up.” said Sheila.

  John could not help but notice that she sounded like a wife who was talking to a husband who was about to quit his job. John wanted to tell her that she was beginning to sound like she was married to him. Given that he had other things to worry about, he thought it best not to mention what he was thinking at that moment. Sheila continued to voice her thoughts.

  “What happens after a month is perhaps even more serious. What if we are wrong in our assumption that there really is sustainable private detective work available other than those dealing with marital/domestic issues? Let us assume that there is indeed work available that is crime-related. If so, we should be back on our feet in no time.” said Sheila, like a professor who was proposing her new thesis for a new academic calendar.

  “That sounds fair. What if we are wrong, Sheila?” asked John.

  “If we are wrong, our current finances would hold out for six months. Assuming we cut on all the supporting functions of the business.” said Sheila.

  “You do understand that you are one of the ‘support functions’ that I would have to let go?” John asked with a worried look.

  “I know, Boss. You asked me what I thought and I am sharing it all with you. If that means telling things as it is, so be it.” replied Sheila.

  “I agree with you, and I have to admit that I am very lucky to have an assistant who understands. If it comes to it, Sheila, I will be more than happy to give you generous references. Given your educational qualifications, I think you will do just fine outside.” said John, almost sounding like a boyfriend who was breaking up with his live-in girlfriend.

  “Don’t think like that, Boss. I don’t mind working for you for free. If you remember, I signed up to work with you, only because the job sounded exciting and not for the money. If anything, I would be even more excited to work for you now than before. It looks like you are looking to take the action to the next level.” said Sheila.

  “Assuming that there is indeed a next level to go to. All said and done, thank you for those kind words. If it comes to it, I may have to let you go. I just don’t believe in the concept of letting anyone work for free.” said John.

  “As you wish, Boss.” said Sheila.

  John figured that they had discussed every possible consequence of the decision he had taken this morning. He looked back at the eventful day that he had. Him collapsing on his sofa early morning with a feeling of sadness. Shouting at his assistant. That talk with the janitor who turned out to be someone else entirely, then the cab driver, and finally the conversation with his father, which was the endgame for everything that had been bothering him. Now, here he was, figuring things out with his assistant, and she has already figured everything out.

  I would say that today is a day that went as well as one could expect said John to himself. He turned to Sheila as he got off the sofa.

  “Guess that takes care of everything, Sheila. I will see you tomorrow at the office.” said John, walking towards the door.

  “I agree, Boss. See you tomorrow.” said Sheila, letting him leave through the front door. John stepped into his car and drove to his apartment. He took a shower, cooked himself dinner, ate, and went to sleep.

  One Week Later

  It was afternoon. John was sitting in his office, watching the television on the wall. He was running through a television series about a giant monster that was ravaging through the city and destroying everything in its way. John did not really enjoy watching the show. He was never the kind of guy who watched television in the first place. Then again, just as he predicted, there hadn’t been any actual work in the last week. He had to do something, and that was when Sheila decided to step in. About 3 days ago, she went shopping again. She bought him a big television screen that would occupy the wall opposite his sofa. She also got him one of those streaming service memberships, and now, all John would do was sit on his sofa and become a slave to the idiot box. John did not like it one bit. But there was not anything else to do, either.

  Outside, Sheila sat at her desk. Given that she was now bombarded with phone calls and emails, she had no choice but to use her work computer instead of her tablet. During the day, she would be forced to speak with at least a dozen people. Each and every one of them upset that their favorite detective had decided not to take any new marital/domestic cases.

  She looked up and realized that it was lunch time. She locked her computer and put the landline off the hook and switched off her cell phone. She shouted from the office lobby and called out to John.

  “Boss, should I order lunch delivery for you?”

  “That would be fine. Get me the usual food please.” replied back John.

  “Okay. I am heading out now. Will be back in a hour.” said Sheila.

  A few minutes later, John heard her leave the office and then there was silence, except for the television with the monster that was destroying buildings. John looked at the television set, tried to figure out what he would do if was being accosted by a huge monster. Would he scream loudly? Or pull out his gun and start shooting mad? The bigger question was, why the hell he was sitting here on his sofa, watching some poorly edited show with even worse special effects. There were days when John did not have answers to every question. This turned out to be one of those days.

  John heard a knock on the door. He thought it might be a client and sat upright in his chair. Then he heard a voice.

  “John, its Rod. You there?”

  “Rod. Come in buddy. I am in the office, just watching some television.” said John.

  Rod Kingsley was an old college friend of John’s. They both studied at the University. They used to be classmates before John decided to switch his studies to become a private investigator. Rod continued on to become a practicing lawyer. In many ways, the two friends had taken separate paths, but were equally successful in their own ways. Rod always insisted that John go back to school and continue the path of being a lawyer. John would just ignore his advice. In the end, it all turned out okay. Rod and John eventually became friends who also ended up forging a strong business relationship. Every time John closed a case, it would have to be dealt with from a legal perspective. Those things would be managed by Rod. Overall, things were good. That was until last week. John expected Rod to step into his office, and he was not surprised by Rod’s appearance.

  “How are you doing, John? Haven’t heard from you in a while.” said Rod, pulling up a seat with rolling wheels and sitting down.

  “I am doing just fine, Rod. I thought my assistant sent you an email.” said John, getting up from his sofa. He went to the fridge and grabbed the brand of soda that Rod preferred. With two glasses, John returned to his sofa. He placed the drink and the glasses on the table. Rod uncorked the bottle and poured the soda into the glass. He took one for himself and then offered the second one to John.

  “Thanks.” said John, reclining on his sofa.

  “Yes, I got the email. At first, I did not take it seriously, but it’s been a week. By now, you would have at least sent two clients with paperwork that needed to be taken care of by me. I figured that you are serious. Your phone was switched off, or I would have called before coming.” said Rod.

  “Sorry about the phone Rod. I have been getting too many angry calls from upset customers who are not happy with my new direction.” said John.

  “Your direction being that you don’t want to work anymore?”

  “I never said that I don’t want to work, Rod. I just did not work in that particular area of interest. Also, please don’t lecture, that it is not the right thing to do. I have already made my decision, and I am sticking with it. In fact, if you start le
cturing me about the pitfalls of not going back to my previous line of work, I will have no choice but to ask you to leave.” said John, with the last sentence told with a hint of authority.

  “I am not here to advise you, John. A guy like you would not take decisions lightly. So, I am not going to argue with that. I just came to talk, as a friend and business partner.” said Rod.

  “Thanks, my friend. I am actually glad that you came here. I was sort of getting bored with the whole thing. In fact, I am not bothered as much by the lack of work as I am with the boredom. I never figured that it would be this boring.” John admitted.

  “Well, it sort of makes sense, doesn’t it? You are almost like me. Which is why we are friends, I suppose. We are both men of action. Can you remember a single hour during our university when we just lied down and relaxed like the other students?”

  “No, not really.” said John.

  “That is pretty much how we rolled. We are both part of a species that likes to be kept busy all the time. If we are not busy, we are going to get bored. If it was up to me, I would say, you will go completely insane out of boredom in a matter of weeks.” said Rod, genuine concern in his voice.

  “Really? Is that even possible?” asked John, showing mild curiosity.

  “You will find out for yourself. Just remember one thing, John. If you ever want to talk about your problems…”

  “I don’t have any problems, Rod!” said John.

  “Don’t get excited, John. You may not have any problems right now. They will come soon enough. If you think I am your good friend, you will nod along and hope that my words don’t come true.” said Rod, finishing up his soda and placing the glass on the table. He got up to leave.

  John looked at him, smiled, and then nodded.

  “I hope your words don’t come true Rod. Thanks for the opportunity to talk. I will take you up on that if things get really bad.” said John, getting up to shake hands with his friend. Rod took his hand, shook it, and waved him good bye. The meeting was a quick one, and Rod was gone as quickly has he had come. Ten minutes later, Sheila was back with her lunch.

  “Was somebody here when I was gone?” she asked.

  “Rod was here. He was talking something about me losing my mind due to boredom. You think something like that could happen to me, Sheila?” asked John.

  “I strongly believe that it could, Boss. That is why I got you that streaming subscription and also that big television screen. I want you to be sane, as long as you can.” said Sheila.

  John agreed with her and decided to jump head first into his lunch. He hoped that he wouldn’t lose his head.

  Seven Weeks Later

  John got up from his bed. It had been about two months since he quit his previous line of work. He had been getting repeated nightmares that were affecting the quality of his sleep. As he got off his bed, he opened the curtain and looked outside. The morning sun was just coming above the far off mountains, and it looked like a beautiful day. John wanted it to be a beautiful day. He could not remember the last time that it was a beautiful day.

  John was up and running as usual and left his apartment by eight thirty. Even with the worst traffic conditions, he would still reach his office before nine thirty. As he drove at snail speed through the packed streets of Primer city’s rush hour traffic, John had only one thought. The previous night, he had been doing some calculations on his financial situation. He also spent a lot of time thinking about that conversation he had with his assistant about two months ago about the consequences of his decision and the worst case scenario.

  Now, as he drove through rush hour traffic, he could not help but admit it. The worst case scenario was becoming real. It was one thing to sit in the comfort of a house and talk about possible scenarios, but something totally different to live through the worst option. What he was about to do made John extremely upset, and perhaps a little depressed. John had reached his office car park. He parked his car and sat there, thinking about what he was about to do. Twenty months ago, he could not imagine something like this would happen, but it was happening.

  He took the lift and went directly to his office floor and then into his office. Sheila was already at her desk and was doing something on her tablet. John noticed that it was the same tablet he had gifted her as an apology two months earlier. She smiled as John walked in. Usually, John would simply return the smile and continue onto his chamber. However, today, he stopped and took a seat on one of the client waiting chairs.

  “Sheila, there is something I need to tell you.” said John.

  Sheila, kept her tablet to the side, and sat upright. John had a feeling that Sheila would have already worked out what he was about to say. He thought she looked like she was going to say something, but she remained quiet. By the look on her face, he figured she knew what he was going to say.

  “Sheila, it looks like we are actually going through the worst case scenario. That means, I need to cut off all the support functions. That includes…”

  “…me.” said Sheila, finishing off what he was going to say.

  “I am afraid so.” said John. His voice was upset, and she could tell that he was genuinely sorry for it.

  “Boss. You know that I won’t mind working for free. I really would not mind backing you up in the difficult times. You are already alone, and you hardly speak these days. If I am not here, you might completely lose your mind. Just like Rod said all those weeks ago. Think about it, Boss.” implored Sheila, getting up from her chair.

  John noticed that Sheila was wearing her blue dress today. Her hair was dyed a slight shade of dark red, which almost looked like it was black. John thought she looked beautiful. Sheila took the seat next to him. She was hoping that John would let her continue to work, without pay. She was honest when she said that. Her old man left her something of a substantial nest egg. She did not have to work to earn a living. She had a comfortable life as it was. John was aware of her financial situation.

  “I am sorry, Sheila. It is against my beliefs to let anybody work for free. I am afraid that you will have to clear out your desk and leave right away.” John stood and turned away. He then briskly walked into his office and locked the door from inside. He was almost like a young boy who was letting go of his best friend. John dropped on his sofa and turned on the television. He switched to the channel about that city-destroying monster and put the volume up. Outside, Sheila sat there quietly. She knew this day would come, but that did not make it any less dreadful. A few tears rolled down her face. She sat there for a few more minutes, hoping that the office door would open. She was hoping that John would come out and ask her to say. An hour passed and the door never opened. All that came from the door was the noise of some stupid television show about a giant monster that was let loose in the city.

  She wiped her tears, got up, and collected her things. She wanted to say goodbye but decided against knocking on the door. She left the tablet, a gift from John on the table. She picked up her stuff, touched the door as if to say goodbye, and left without saying a word.

  Two Months Later

  It had been almost two months since Sheila had said goodbye to him. Despite the time gap between that event and now, John was still upset about it. Sheila offered to work for free and even pay for her own expense. But John would not have that. He could not have that. If someone was spending time on their job, they should be getting paid, and he would not have it any other way. A few times, he almost picked up his old fashioned landline and called her. Perhaps to ask her out for dinner, or maybe a movie. John would not do that though. Something in his head made him decide against it.

  John also knew that she would never call him. John hated it if someone did anything that he did not ask them to do. Sheila was several things, and one of them was that she was professional through and through. John always wondered what he would do if she called him up and asked him out for dinner
. Would he say yes? Would he go out with her? What would be his reaction to such an invitation? John had no answer. He continued to stare out of his office, looking down on the busy streets of the city of Primer. He must have been doing that when his phone rang. The mobile phone, not the land line.

  John noticed that it was an unknown number. He answered the call.

  “This is Russo. Who is this?” said John, answering the phone call.

  “John?” said a voice on the other side. John recognized the voice right away. It was an old friend from his college years.

  “Nancy?” asked John, allowing the caller to confirm their identity.

  “John, you remember my voice.” said Nancy.

  “How could I possibly forget it, Nancy? How are you?” He asked. He was a bit bewildered by her call.

  “I am good. I was in Primer on business. I checked the college directory and it told me that you live in this city. If you are free, perhaps you could take me out for dinner. Catch up on old times.” said Nancy.

  John thought about it. He wasn’t doing anything anyway. At that instant, John also realized that he hadn’t been with anyone for almost two months. Perhaps a date with an old college friend was not a bad idea.

  “I am free today. Where should I pick you up from?” asked John.

  “I have a meeting at the Aubrey Plaza. It will be over by five. Could you be at the Plaza’s lobby by five thirty?” asked Nancy.

  “I know that place. It is four now. I will be there. See you soon.” said John, looking at the clock.

  “Okay. See you, John.” said Nancy, and the call disconnected.

  John stepped away from the window and sat on his chair, thinking about Nancy. John met her for the first time about four years earlier, in his second year at university. He was taking part in the college play, playing one of the minor supporting characters. John did not enjoy taking part in such events. Despite his best efforts, John ended up in the play, as he had to fill in for a friend who had fallen sick at the last minute. By the time John reached the rehearsal arena, he looked like a guy that was about to puke. He was sitting alone on one of the audience chairs, waiting for his turn to come, when someone tapped him on his shoulder.