UNDERCOVER The Secret of Luck Read Free Page A

up.” Could you get me a cup of coffee?” he asked.
    “Just one minute, boss”, said Sheila. She liked to call him ‘boss’, even though Russo had insisted that she address him with his first name, John. Two minutes later, she returned to the office with two mugs filled with coffee. John rarely asked for her to bring coffee. He usually got it himself. There are times when he did ask her to get him coffee, but those were the times when he wanted to discuss something. Sheila had been expecting something like that for a while. John was now seated at his regular chair, closer to the window. Sheila took the chair that was reserved for clients. As she dropped into the comfortable leather chair, she turned off her cell phone.
    “Do you remember that day, about a month ago?”
    “That day when you were passed out on your sofa. At your place?” said Sheila.
    “Yes, that was the day. You asked me if something was wrong.” said John. He wasn’t really looking into her eyes. He was looking like a small boy confessing to his elder sister about something he denied but now was admitting to his mistake. Sheila did not say anything. She did not wish to interrupt the flow.
    “Do you remember when we started? About eighteen months ago, when we started out. You were just out of college, and I was just starting out. The whole thing was amazing. Both of us were just thrilled to begin our business.” said John. He was sounding like an old guy. A guy much older than his age.
    “I remember, boss. I liked what you were about to do with your job. It sounded pretty exciting. Otherwise, I doubt if I would have taken this job.” said Sheila, nodding along with him.
    John took another sip from his coffee and continued. “That was the thing. I had this idea in my head, and I thought I had everything figured out. I really thought I did. I did all things I was supposed to do. I got this fantastic office, decked it up, made the right connections, and it seemed like we were on a roll. Let me ask you something, Sheila. In the last eighteen months, how many jobs have we taken up?” asked John. His coffee cup was completely empty. He started looking around, for a refill. Sheila noticed this and got up. She returned from the kitchen with another cup of coffee and took her seat. Then, she picked up her tablet from the table and started opening up her document list. She spent a few minutes, while John waited patiently. Then she was done and read out her report.
    “Sixty-three. Sixty three cases from fifty two clients. That is a final tally, boss. If you don’t mind me pointing this out, about sixty of them came to a satisfactory conclusion.” said Sheila, putting her tablet back on the table.
    “I have to admit, we have done a good deal of work. You and I both. Now, tell me something. Of all those cases, how many are related to marital affairs?” asked John.
    Sheila picked up her tablet again. She worked on her spreadsheet, tallying numbers and everything. This time, it took her a little longer than expected. Ten minutes later, she was still working on it, and then finally she put her tablet back on the table. She looked a little pained. She hesitated a little more, and finally spoke her mind out.
    “Well...John, that would be fifty nine. More than ninety five percent cases had to do with marital issues, or sometimes, child custody related investigations. Man, is that all we have been doing all these months. That is kind of depressing.” said Sheila.
    John got up from the sofa, placed the coffee mug on his table, and walked from one corner of the office to another. Then, he took his seat on the sofa.
    “That is when it hit me, about a month ago. I realized that night, that we are not doing what we are meant to be doing. I am not happy with any of the jobs that I have taken for the last eighteen months. I am thinking of quitting, Sheila. What would you suggest?”
    “I don’t know boss. You are, after all, the boss. If you want to quit, you