UNDERCOVER The Secret of Luck

by James Kipling

  “About six months ago, I made a conscious decision to stop what I was doing. I wasn’t happy with the kind of cases I was handling, and decided against doing that type of repetitive work anymore. I thought that there was still room for the traditional way of doing detective business. Six months later, I see that those opportunities no longer exist. That is why there has been no money and why there is no gift. I am sorry I lied to you, Mom.” said John, sounding extremely sad.

  “John. It is okay. I am not angry with you for not telling me.” she went closer to him and placed her hand on his head.

  “Thanks, Mom. I really am sorry about lying. I won’t do that again.” said John, enjoying his Mother’s touch.

  “I am glad that you told me about this so quickly, without dragging it into a long drawn out discussion. Now, this is what I really wanted to discuss with you.” said Mrs. Russo.

  John sat upright. He thought the discussion was over. It took John a few seconds to realize that his Mother had a plan for him. He had a bad feeling about that.

  “Do you remember Torn Mint? He was at the anniversary party last month.” his Mother stated.

  “That bald guy who helped Dad a long time ago with some financing for the business? I remember him.” said John.

  “He was here last week. A casual visit with his wife. He was talking about his business and how he was expanding it. He was getting into insurance fraud business and he is looking to hire some new talent. He asked me about you. He told me that your name had a good reputation in the investigative circles.” said his Mother, with a hint of pride about the last word of appreciation.

  John wasn’t really sure where this was heading. He thought that he should protest, but he did not know the full extent of his Mother’s thought process. He waited for the inevitable showdown, the second one for the day in as many hours.

  “He asked me about your certificates and a few references. I provided them to him. He called me up a day later and said that you would be an excellent agent for his new line of business. It’s a job offer John.” said his Mother.

  John knew this was coming the moment she said there was a second topic of discussion. He thought about how he should react. Should he get angry at her for doing what any Mother would do? Should he be happy that his Mother had a new job for him? As far as John was concerned, this simply amounted to more things he did not want to worry about.

  “Mom, I really don’t think that this job would be the right one for me.” he said, saying the first thing that came to his head.

  “You are going and speaking with him. You are taking this job, because I cannot see my exceptionally talented son waste away his life and talents.” said Mrs. Russo.

  “Mom, I really don’t think it’s a good idea.” repeated John.

  “If you don’t want to take the job, then do this for me. I will ask your Father to lend you some money.”

  “What!” exclaimed John.

  “Yes, one way or the other, your bank account is going to be credited. Either you take up this job offer, or you take money from me, John. I cannot see you like this. You are my son, and I won’t let you be like this!” said his Mother, almost on the verge of crying. John could see a lot of things, but not this. He finally relented.

  “Okay, Mom. Give me his contact number. I will fix up an appointment with him and see what he has to offer.”

  “Actually, you don’t have to worry about that. I have already spoken to him and told him that you would be seeing him tomorrow afternoon. He is coming to see you at your office.”

  “Why is he coming to my office? I thought I was the one who wanted a job. Would not protocol suggest that I go to his office for the job interview?”

  “He is very impressed with you, John. He badly wants you to join his organization.” said his Mother.

  John wasn’t surprised with this. He remembered what Sheila had said about him being pretty good at what he did. He also remembered his early morning appointment with the shrink. He figured that it would be over by afternoon and he could take care of the job interview in the afternoon.

  “You know Mom, I think I will just go through with it. I am not making any promises though. If I don’t like the job, I am not taking it.” said John, assertively.

  “If you don’t take that job, I will have your Father transfer some money into your account. Either way, you are going to listen to what I tell you to do. And, don’t start arguing now!” said his Mother.

  “Okay, Mom. I will do as you say. I will let you know tomorrow evening what happened with Mr. Mint.” said John.

  “Good. It’s settled then. If you want to stay, your room is ready. If you have to leave, then you better leave now, for it is getting late.” said his Mom.

  “I think I will leave, Mom. I have an appointment tomorrow with...a business partner. Bye, Mom.” said John, getting up to leave.

  John was back at his apartment an hour later. Maybe it was the feeling of relaxation that came from talking to his Mother. Or perhaps he was feeling better that he was no longer lying to his parents. John had a sound sleep until it was disrupted by the recurring nightmare. The nightmare was less scary this time. The dungeon had more light, and the crawlies could not touch him. For the first time in so many weeks, he had a fairly good quality of sleep.

  John got up feeling slightly better than other mornings. He called up the shrink’s office to confirm that his appointment was still on. The appointment was still on, as planned, at eleven in the morning. John decided against going to the office. He spent an hour watching television, left his apartment by ten, and was at the doctor’s place by ten-thirty.

  The shrink’s office was smaller than he had expected. He noticed that the waiting room was big enough to hold, at most, three people. The waiting room was decorated with a couple of ceramic sculptures which were placed on either side of the waiting chairs. There was a single office desk and behind that sat a lovely young lady in black. John assumed that she was the one who answered his call. She seemed to be busy with her desk computer and did no more than smile at John as he entered the office. There were three abstract paintings adorning the three walls of the waiting room. Each of the paintings did not make any sense to John. It looked like someone had splashed random colors, put them in nice frames, and sold them for a fortune. Some people are gullible for anything that looks weird and expensive John thought to himself.

  The doctor’s door opened and a young woman stepped outside. Her eyes had traces of tears that had just been wiped off her face. She looked around the waiting room, found the door to the restroom, and went into it. John felt that she had probably wanted to fix her makeup before heading out of the doctor’s office. The lady behind the reception desk looked at him, smiled, and asked him to go in. John got up, returned the smile, and entered the doctor’s office.

  The shrink was older than John with short hair. She was tall, almost as tall as John, and sat on a chair which did not have an accompanying desk. The whole room was just one big cubicle. It had bright light, but John could not make out any bulbs or other light sources. There were no windows and there was no furniture. At one corner of the room, were a couple of bean bags, and that was about it.

  “Hello, John. Make yourself comfortable.” said the doctor.

  John removed his jacket, and decided to just sit on the floor, opting against using the bean bag. Seeing him sit down on the floor, the shrink also decided to get off her chair and landed on the floor. The floor had carpeting, and John felt rather comfortable.

  “Thank you, doctor. I have never spoken to a shrink before. So, I am at your disposal.” said John, stating the purpose in a rather vague fashion.

  “No one comes to this office. Not unless something is bothering them. I am assuming that you were asked to come here by a friend?”

  “Yes. My friend Rod gave me your card. Does he come here?” asked John, trying to build
a conversation.

  “Did he tell you that he came here?” she asked.

  “He never said to me if he came here.” replied John.

  “Then, I don’t know if he has come here.” replied the doctor, with a hint of a smile.

  “Ah! The infamous doctor patient privacy thing. I like the way you side stepped that question. As a guy who also works with clients intimately, I appreciate your professionalism, doctor.” said John.

  “Thank you, detective. Now. Why don’t you tell me what is bothering you?” asked the shrink.

  John felt a lot more relaxed. Thanks to that little titbit about her professionalism, he was very comfortable with her now. He decided to tell her about the dream.

  “There is this dream I have been having, doctor. Every day, the dream starts in the same way. I wake up in a dungeon. I don’t know how I got there, or what I am doing there. The dungeon does not have an entry door, and it is completely dark.”

  “Do you know what kind of dungeon it is? Is there any light?”

  “It’s completely dark. I would say it keeps getting darker with each passing night.” answered John.

  “What are you wearing in this dream?” asked the doctor.

  “My work clothes. The suit, with my tie and weapons holder. Oddly enough, the gun is gone from the weapons holder, and so is my cell phone. I end up walking along the walls of the dungeon until I find some matchbox. Every night, and in every dream, I find a box of matches. When I strike and light a match stick, it burns until I find a lantern and light it. It all seems very surreal, and then I find a tunnel with a light at the end of it.” said John.

  “A tunnel with a light at the end of it. Keep going, John. What happens next?” asked the doctor, showing genuine interest in his story.

  “Then these crawlies start attacking me. Sometimes I manage to escape them through the tunnel. Sometimes I get rescued by a man on a white horse. Sometimes I get killed. So many endings, doctor. I usually wake up screaming, and I am sweating like a crazy person.” said John.

  The doctor thought intently about what he had said. She sat there quietly, thinking the story over and over again. Then, she spoke.

  “You are wearing your work clothes in the dream. That would have to mean something. How is your job going on, detective? Be honest, now.” asked the doctor.

  “In one word doctor - Abysmal.” said John.

  “I think that’s the problem. The fact your dreams are getting worse with each passing night shows that you are doing something very wrong. You are trying to escape something, but sometimes you do, and sometimes you don’t. You are in two minds about what to do. Make a choice soon, and get out of it, John. Perhaps this job is not what you want to do. Or maybe, you want to do it, but you refuse to accept that this job is dead in the water.” said the doctor.

  John thought hard about what she said. In many ways, what she was saying seemed obvious. He never really looked at it that way.

  “You know, doctor, I have to agree with you. I really should do something about this. I should make a choice. I cannot take these nightmares anymore.” said John, concurring with the doctor.

  “You want to talk more about this, John? Unless you believe that you have figured out what to do about your nightmares?” asked the shrink.

  “You know. Doctor. I think I know the solution now. I may have the solution by tomorrow morning, and perhaps I will finally get a really good night’s sleep.” said John, getting up from the floor. The doctor mirrored his actions and stood up too.

  “I am glad I could help you, detective. If you have any more questions, you have my office number. I will walk you to the exit.” said the doctor.

  John left the doctor’s office and reached the building parking. He looked at the time. It was lunch time. John had lunch at a hotel which looked like a cross between a pizza center and a family restaurant. With his lunch done, he drove to his office and waited for his future employer to show up. He turned to his television and turned to his favorite monster show. An hour must have passed when his office door opened and Torn Mint walked in. John walked up to him, shook hands, and then showed him to a seat.

  “John, how are you?” asked Mint, sounding every bit like the senior manager he was.

  “I am good, Mr. Mint. Thank you for coming here. If you had told me, I would have been happy to see you at your own office.” said John.

  “That’s not necessary. I will get to the point right away. John. Our business is expanding to include fraud investigation, mostly about income tax returns and investments. Your Mother was kind enough to provide me with your educational and work background. I made a few phone calls to some friends who had used your services in the past. I have to say, I am very impressed.” said Mr. Mint, explaining things in a strictly business manner.

  “Thank you, Mr. Mint. I am glad you think that way.” said John. John thought that this interview would have been uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the meeting with the shrink. Maybe it was the happy thought that this interview would make his Mother happy. Perhaps John was looking forward to a good night’s sleep where he wouldn’t be chased down by creepy crawlies. John was also pleased that if he ended up taking the job, he wouldn’t have to borrow money from his parents. All these thoughts crossed his mind. John was so far happy that this discussion about employment was happening.

  “You are welcome, John. Don’t be so modest. You should know that you are pretty good at what you do. Anyway, we have an opening for you. The salary is on par with what the industry offers and we offer excellent employment benefits and growth opportunities. If you are interested, I will have our human resource contact you tomorrow morning and mail in the necessary paperwork. What do you say?” asked Mr. Mint.

  “I think I would be interested, Mr. Mint. Here is my card.” said John, handing over his card. Mr. Mint got up from his chair, took the card, and put it in his pocket. John also stood up.

  “Before I leave, John, there was something about the job I wanted to tell you. I have already told you everything that is of importance. This is more like an advice, coming from an old guy like me to a young man like you. I would understand if you do not wish to hear me out. If that is indeed the case, I will leave now and wait for your answer tomorrow.” said Mr. Mint.

  “Mr. Mint, I would consider that a blessing. My Mother speaks very highly of you, and I believe I remember Dad mentioning your name as well. I would be more than happy to hear what you have to say. Given that you will soon be my employer, anything you have to say would be very helpful to me.” said John, showing him to the client chair.

  Torn Mint took the chair that John had pointed him to. John took his usual chair on the other side of the table and waited for Mr. Mint to speak. John noticed that there was a sudden change in the expression of Mr. Mint’s face. He seemed pleased with the developments, especially the last bit about what John had said. He sat in the chair comfortably, took a deep breath, and started speaking.

  “John, I say in the most respectful way possible. You remind me of my younger self twenty years ago. Before I tell you what happened, I would like to know something. You said that your parents have mentioned me. What did they say?” asked Mr. Mint.

  “They told me about how you have been employed at your company for more than fifteen years now. Mom told me about the many awards you have won over the years. There was also this bit about you being one of the youngest managers at your company. I thought that was pretty impressive. Come to think of it, that was one of the many reasons why I decided to meet with you. The way Mother talked about it, you are an inspiration and role model for a lot of people. You could count me part of that as well.” said John.

  “Thank you for the kind words, John. I don’t mind being honest with you. I am fairly proud of what I have achieved, and your parents aren’t wrong with what they are saying. There is something I usually don’t share with everyone. Somehow,
I don’t mind sharing that with you. Fifteen years ago, I wasn’t anything like I am today. In fact, I was sort of like you. I would even go as far as to say that you are doing much better than I was doing back then.” said Torn.

  “How so? Do you mind if I get two glasses and something to drink? Some vodka, perhaps?” John asked as he turned to go to the kitchen.

  “I would like that, John. Thank you for the offer.” said Torn.

  John expected that this discussion would go on for a while. So, he figured, he might as well make an evening out of it. He went into the office kitchen where he kept all the drinks. He returned with a bottle of vodka and two glasses. On his way back to the office, he had picked up some crackers and chips and laid them out on the table. He poured vodka into both the glasses and placed the bottle on the table. Mint picked up his glass and took a sip.

  “This is good vodka. You have nice taste, John.” remarked Mint.

  “I don’t deserve all the credit for that, Mr. Mint. My assistant picked it up when she was still working with me. She took care of everything.” said John, picking up his own glass.

  “She sounds like a good assistant, John. Where is she?” asked Mint.

  “She is…on vacation. She should be back next week.” lied John.

  “I see. Well, give her my best. Coming back to the topic I was about to talk to you about. Fifteen years ago, I was this weird guy who had no clue what he was doing. Do you want to make a guess, how many jobs I had worked before I landed at this company?” asked Mint.

  “Two jobs. Three maybe.” said John, making a guess based on the fact that Mint has been at his current job for more than fifteen years.

  “Well, you could not be more wrong, detective.” said Mint.

  “So, just one job then?” asked John.

  “Twenty-three.” said Mint, taking another sip from his glass.

  “Twenty-three jobs? That is unbelievable.” said John, completely taken aback.

  “That’s right, son. I had changed twenty three jobs before I landed at this job. When I came for a job interview that day, the manager who has behind the hiring table was less than convinced with me. At that point, almost everybody would have been less than convinced with my ability to hold onto a job. What they did not know, though, was that things had changed for me.” said Mint.