UNDERCOVER The Secret of Luck (4 page)

“I know, son. Rocky is bringing it right now.” said his father, pulling off the apron and settling down on the chair opposite him.

“Thanks, Dad. Actually Dad, could you make the milk shake yourself? Please.” asked John, unsure if he should really be discussing what he wanted to discuss. He and his father were close, but not as close as you would see in those family movies.

“No problem, son. I will be back in a few minutes.” said the elder Russo, getting up and heading back to the kitchen.

As the senior Russo walked back to the kitchen, John could not help but think of a similar scenario three years ago. It happened at the exact same table. John had just finished his third year of his college education and returned home for the summer vacation. His mother told him to go see his father, who wanted to talk to him about something. John was always the smart guy. That day though, he did not need his smartness to figure out what exactly the discussion was about.

As he drove to his father’s diner that day, he was, in an odd way, impressed with himself. He thought his lie would come out a lot earlier than it did. He was surprised that his façade held on for so long. He should be proud of himself and maybe give himself a pat on the back. He actually patted himself as he drove through the busy streets of Primer, taking a left at the 56th, then overcoming the dozen signal lights, and finally reaching his father’s diner. As soon as he stepped out of his car after parking it, he knew that he was up for some serious reprimanding.

John was just about to step into the diner whe
n his phone rang. John was in no mood to answer phone calls. The discussion, which was about to happen with his father was an important one. Out of habit, he pulled out his phone to see who it might be. When he saw the name on the display, he was glad that he answered the phone call. It was Rod, his best friend at the university.

“John, have you reached your father’s diner place yet?” said Rod.

“I was just about to enter the place. You got me just in time. What happened, Rod?” said John.

“Look, you do know what this discussion is going to be about, don’t you?” asked Rod. Rod was his best friend and his concern was as genuine as it could get.

“Of course I know, Rod. The deed is done, and there is no way to take that back now. I cannot go back in time and change that, Rod. You know that better than anyone.” said John.

“John, I know you. Even if there was a time machine, you would not take up on that ride. Before you go in, though, I want to ask you to drop your…”

“Drop my what, Rod?”

“Well. I will come out and say it right away. Drop your aggressive attitude. It is one thing to defend your turf when you are in college and trying to win. I am fairly certain that you are going to argue with your father, and try to defend your decisions. Wasn’t that your plan? Talk to your father, make things worse.” said Rod.

John did not say anything. He did not want to argue with Rod, because he was right. John’s plan was simple. He was going to get angry and defend like there was no tomorrow against his own father. As Rod said, that was John’s policy of dealing with problems.

“I will take it from your silence that you agree with me. John, try to look at this from your parent’s perspective. You have lied to them for more than four years. You promised them that you would be pursuing something, and now they know that you have been doing something entirely different. As your friend, I understand that you had your reasons for doing what you did. I am proud of what you did.” said Rod.

“Thanks, Rod.” said John.

“You don’t need to thank me. All I am doing is backing you up. I just want you to do one thing, John. Once you step into the diner, you will probably find your father furious. Things will get ugly. Here is the truth. They don’t have to get ugly. Try your best not to get aggressive. Keep telling yourself that you are talking to your father, the person responsible for your existence in this world. Think of your mother. If you have any room left in your mind, think of me as well. Bottom line, come what may, do not get excited and work things out. You trained to be a detective, and you have told me so many times that patience is the key. In many ways, this interaction you are going to have with your father is your first real world test. Do you get me, John?” said Rod.

“I hear what you are saying, Rod. I promise that I will be nice.” said John.

“I am happy to hear that. I am also happy that you respect my words enough to agree with me. Okay, let me know how it goes later. Bye for now.” said Rod, hanging up.

The diner had most of its exterior lights shut off, and there was a board which said ‘Not Open’. John thought hard about what his Dad would say. John knew what that meant. The diner had been closed for business for the day. It was odd, because it was only seven in the evening, and the diner would run until the clock struck eleven. John took a deep breath and walked toward the door, building up his counter argument. He was thinking of all the many questions that his father was going to ask. He tried to put himself in his father’s position and imagine how he would react if his own son had done something like this. He tried hard, but could not imagine anything. John was not father material, and his relationships were never long enough to build him or prepare him to become a father. As he reached the door of the diner, he gave up imagining being his father. He decided to go with whatever was his gut feeling and pushed open the door.

His father was sitting at the far right corner table, which was his favorite table. The same table he would always sit at when he was a young boy. As John walked closer, he removed his jacket and hung it on one of the coat hangers. As he reached the table, his father did not look up at him. Senior Russo seemed furious, but he did not seem angry. John took a seat, and switched off his cell phone. The discussion could go on for a while, and the last thing he wanted was a phone call at the most inopportune time. As he sat down and looked directly into his father’s face, he was wishing that he had brought his mother along with him.

You really have messed things up, John. Just remember what Rod has just told you. Everything will be fine as long as you keep your head straight and keep calm. It is all going to be alright,
John spoke to himself. His father pushed a glass filled with a milk shake, John’s favorite drink, toward him. John picked it up and took a sip. Despite his father’s mood or whatever it was, the drink tasted good. John waited quietly for his father to speak first. Minutes passed, and finally, the senior Russo spoke.

“I received your university letter today John. Just as I expected, you have got A+ in all the subjects that you have studied. I am not even surprised with the grading, despite what other parents said about the university being a little rigid with their evaluation.” said the senior Russo.

John could not help but notice a hint of pride in his father’s voice. His father might be upset about what he has discovered, but he was still proud of his son. John had always been extremely good at anything he did. This applied his skills to his studying habits as well. John always loved showing his report cards to his father, letting him pat him on his head, and then watch his face smile like a lion that has just had a full meal.

John wanted to respond to what the senior Russo had just said, but decided to keep quiet. He wanted his father to bring up the topic of discussion.

“That is all well and fine, John. What bothered me was the title of the report. It said that you are not part of the program that will end with you becoming a criminal lawyer. It says here that you are studying to become a criminal investigator. I don’t quite understand. Every semester, you would send us letters saying that you are doing well, and not once, did you mention anything about this.” said the senior Russo. It was clear that he was holding back a lot of rage. If John were ten years old, or even a teenager, senior Russo might have shouted at him. As a responsible father, he realized that he has a twenty year old son, and shouting would not get him far.

Chapter 2

John still did not say anything. The senior Russo continued.

“Two years ago, when you came running to me with the admission letter to the University, I thought you promised to become a lawyer. You did not even argue with me and just went with it. For the last two years, I have been paying the fees, your expenses, and your mother’s been praying that you would come out with a degree in law. Will you please tell me what is going on here, son? Why did you lie to me? Why did you lie to us?” asked the senior Russo, at the verge of losing his calmness and his voice.

For a while there was almost complete silence, the only sound coming from the ticking of a clock hanging above the main door. Both of the Russos continued to look at each other. John finally spoke.

“I am sorry, Dad. Something told me that you wouldn’t even let me join the University if I told you that I never wanted to be a lawyer. I knew that you would argue with me that becoming an investigator is kid’s stuff. You would have said there was no future in it, and wouldn’t be able to make a good living. So, I enrolled in the University and figured out a way to switch courses mid-way. I am sorry for keeping you in the dark. I am also sorry for keeping mother in the dark about this as well. I wanted to tell you about this and did not want a letter from the University to break the news.” said John.

“John, my son, you are not a kid anymore. You do realize that we don’t live in a noir world, where some criminal will steal a doll. Then, some crazy woman will walk into your office and ask for private help. We don’t live in such a world. And, did you forget the difficulty your father faced when you were young? I slaved my entire life to raise you with comfort, and...”

“Dad, I don’t want to hear that story again. Yes, you worked hard to be where you are. Yes, I know you wanted to be a lawyer and decided to give up on your ambitions to raise a family. I know all about that. I am glad you did, and I am glad that you gave me an easy life to live. Unfortunately Dad, I am not you. I don’t want to be a lawyer. You wanted to. Not me!” said John, with the last few words almost sounding like big blocks of bricks being dropped from a height.

The senior Russo, who had been as calm as possible, got up from his chair, his face filled with anger. When the words came out of him, it was more of a scream than a conversation.

“Really? Is that your response! I slaved like a complete ass all my life...!”

“Rick. You promised not to shout” said a female voice from the door. Junior and senior Russo turned to look at the door. John’s mother, and Rick Russo’s wife, was standing at the door. Her eyes were red, and she had a look of a woman who had had trouble sleeping for the last few days. Rick Russo breathed heavily, sighed, and then sat down. Mrs. Russo walked to the table and took the seat next to her husband.

“Mom. I am really sorry that I did not...”

“No need to apologize, John. It’s okay. I am your mother, and I will support your decisions, whatever they may be.” said Mrs. Russo. The senior Russo was about to say something, his face flushing with anger. Mrs. Russo gave him a ‘quiet down’ stare, and he decided against saying anything. There was silence again, and the Russos sat there, looking everywhere but at each other. Finally, John decided to break the silence.

“Mom. Dad. I am really sorry that I lied to you. I admit that I should have told you about this, but you are my parents, and you should support me. This career of being a private investigator is what will make me happy. I still have two more years to go, and I cannot change that now. I will do it, whether you support me or not.” declared John to his parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Russo looked at each other. The senior Russo seemed like he was about to break out into a rage again. At that moment, Mrs. Russo took her hand and placed it reassuringly on her husband’s hand that was next to her on the table. She then nodded at her husband, which probably meant something that John never would understand. Finally, Mr. Russo spoke.

“Son. If this is what makes you happy, so be it. Your Mom and I are happy as long as you are happy.” said the senior Russo, managing a smile.

John knew that his mother could do magic, and this was one of those times. He looked at his Mom first, then at his Dad, and smiled.

“Here you go, son.”

John woke up from his flashback. His father was back in the same chair where they had a heated discussion about his career. There was a milkshake on the table, and in front of him was his father, looking at him with a generous expression. John could not believe that he was back in this spot. He could not help that he had argued that he would love his career. Today, he was back in the same table to tell his father that he was not happy. He did not say anything. The senior Russo decided to encourage him to speak.

“I know something is bothering you, son, courtesy of your mother. She told me almost a month ago, that something is not right. I wanted to ask you then and there. Your mother insisted that we wait till you are ready to talk about it. If today is that day, I can take the rest of the day off. If you are not comfortable talking about this with me, you can call up your Mom. Or, I could have her come over. So, what will it be, John?”

Russo thought about it. Should he call his Mom? His mind went back to that day three years ago when his mother had intervened. Should he resort to using his favorite wild card this soon? Are things really that bad? He told himself that it was not that bad. Not yet. That much, he was sure. If things got out of hand, he could always call up his Mom to come over. Or he could move the discussion over to the house. This felt this was something that he should talk with his father first. Man to man. He felt a lot more comfortable about asking his father about this. Yeah, he made up his mind, and decided to share his latest dilemma.

“Dad, you know my business is doing well, right?”

“Yes. You have been gifting your Mom regularly.”

“It turns out, you were right, Dad. All those years ago when you told me that it was going to be a poor choice, you were right. The detective business is as boring as any other job. I could have been a sales person or a business manager, and I would probably be equally bored. Heck, I could have become a lawyer like you always wanted me to. I cannot believe I upset you and Mom and lied to you for this.” said John, repeating the same things again and again.

The senior Russo waited for his son to continue.

“All I have been working on are these shitty divorce cases, Dad. You won’t believe the number of married couples who are cheating on each other. When I look at that, and then come home visiting you and Mom, it is unreal. Two months I worked on this. This wife was cheating on her husband during their honeymoon. What is up with that? If they are in such a hurry to break off things, why get married in the first place?”

The junior Russo was losing his temper again. He calmed down. His father still continued to maintain silence. The senior Russo was always a calm man. He could not help but think of that day when he had that raging discussion about his son lying to him about his college degree. Even today, the senior Russo was upset with himself for shouting at his son. At the same time, he was also glad that his wife came just in time to calm him down. There were many days when he felt blessed for having such a good wife. That day happened to be one of those days. He knew, and admitted several times, that his wife was the reason that his fine milk bar went from being a small shop to a decent setup that it is today. His wife would constantly remind him about the value of patience in listening. Senior Russo was glad that he listened to her.

John picked up the milkshake, took in a couple of sips, each sip, calming his mind, clearing his thoughts. Once the glass was half full, he set it back on the table and resumed talking.

“Dad, do you remember that janitor guy at my office?”

“Yes. I remember him.”

“Did you know that he is actually the owner of my office building and several other such real estate properties around the city of Primer?” asked John.

“Really? I should be shocked, but for some reason I knew he was too wise to be a janitor. Why do you bring him up?” asked senior Russo.

“Today, I was taking the elevator down. Just going for a walk to clear my mind about the state of things. Weirdly enough, the elevator lost power, and I was stuck with the janitor for a few minutes. He told me that I should figure things out before my head exploded. Even more odd was that, he reminded me of you. Which brings me to ask you something, Dad.”

“I will answer anything for you, son.” said the senior Russo.

“Why do you still work at this diner? You have already established this business. You have spent a good twenty years at this diner. Why can you not take a break, or move out of being a waiter? Most people who come to this diner don’t even realize that their table was waited upon by the owner of this very place.” said John, trying to figure out the many conversations he has been having all day.

“Well, son, it makes me happy. The same reason the building owner still works as a janitor. I like waiting tables. Is that not what you said three years ago, when you were still in college? You wanted to do what makes you happy? Same thing here. I do what makes me happy.” said the senior Russo, with a sense of pride gliding over his face.

John put his now-empty glass on the table, and leaned back. He looked intently at his father, and then looked outside the window. For the first time in so many months, his head was clear. He felt like a young man who was running around the city of Primer, looking for an office to set up his private detective business. For the first time in a long time, he did have a clear, blank mind. Finally, he had made up his decision, and he could not think of a better time to discuss this with his father.

“This is what I think. I don’t want to do divorce cases anymore, Dad. I have decided to only work on cases that are criminal in nature. No more divorce cases for me.”

The senior Russo figured that, this moment, would be the right moment to say something.

“I think that is the wise decision to take, son. I would not be happy doing any job that I wouldn’t be happy about. Don’t see why you should. As a businessman for more than thirty five years, I am sure that there is more to this decision than what you have told me so far.”

This was the difficult part that the junior Russo was worried about. This is the actual topic that he wanted to talk to his father about.

“Well, Dad, the thing is, whether I like it or not, I have built a reputation for being a good detective for helping upset husbands and unhappy wives. The word on the street is that people apparently no longer use private detectives for actual crime investigation. It’s a dead career. I don’t know. So, once I decided to stop accepting the assignments I have been working on for the last eighteen months, I don’t know what is going to happen. I may not earn a dime for months. I don’t know how long my savings will hold out.”

The junior Russo stopped, feeling a little relieved now. He was waiting to discuss this with someone, this decision of his. Earlier this morning, he thought about this topic, staring at the ceiling. He got angry at his receptionist for no reason. His mind was heavy, and he thought he was getting a headache. Now, he felt good. He wouldn’t admit it, but he loved his Dad. He wanted to get up and hug his father, but that was out of the question.

John got up to leave, and still decided against a hug. His father smiled, realizing that his son was fighting against the urge to give him a hug.

“Well, Dad, as always, thanks. Just cover Mom from this okay. I don’t know what is going to happen next, but at least I feel better that you have got my back.” said John, walking away from the table. As he reached the door, he looked back to see his father wiping the table and picking up the milk shake glass. John smiled to himself, thanked God for giving him such a good friend, and stepped out of the diner.

As John Russo stepped out of his Dad’s diner, he could not help but notice that he was feeling like a completely new man. When he walked into the diner, he was this troubled guy who was completely screwed up. Now, less than an hour later, here he was. Standing under the calm shade of the tree in front of his father’s diner, he felt good about himself. A huge weight had been lifted off his head, and that meant that it was time to fix some bridges that were sort of burnt in the last twenty four hours. John looked around to see if his previous cab driver was still around. He looked around and did not find that nice cab driver. He pulled out his wallet and dug into it and snatched that card that the cab driver had given him earlier.

It was only after he had the card in his hand that he realized that he wasn’t carrying his cell phone with him. He looked around, found a phone booth, and made the call. The phone call went through and it was answered even before the first ring finished its song.

“Hey is this the cab driver? Do you recognize my voice?” said John.

“Hello, sir. You already looking to hire for one of your special investigations?” said the cab driver.

“Not really. I just want a ride back to my office. You around the diner where you dropped me off an hour ago?” asked John.

“I was just wrapping up my lunch. I will be there in five minutes, if you don’t mind waiting a bit.” said the cab driver.

“That’s fine. I will wait here.” said John.

John paid the store clerk for the phone call and decided to grab himself a chocolate from the store. There was a visitors chair in the store, and John decided to use it. As he sat there, he was thinking hard about what he would say to his receptionist. John was still a little upset with the way he spoke to Sheila earlier. Then, there was this janitor, the lobby boy, and the cab driver who seem to have shaped his day. There was also his father, whom he really wanted to say something to. He should have hugged his father when he had the chance. So many missed opportunities to show his gratitude.

Five minutes later, the cab was where he called from, just as promised.

“Hope I am on time, young man.” said the cab driver, putting his head out of the driver’s window.