The Principle Of Chance (22 page)

‘You mean your ‘blonde’ days are
over?’ Frank couldn’t believe Jack had turned a corner. Was it for Monica’s
benefit?

‘I don’t know what you’re talking
about man!’ Jack grinned.

‘Talk about a surprise.’ Frank’s
friend was never in a relationship, never with the same woman twice, but people
change as times change too.

‘I will get over it Frank.’ Jack
laughed.

‘You will Jack. By the way, you know
we are to hit the tabloids?’ Frank announced.

‘You don’t say old man. You don’t
say!’ Jack said opening a bottle of beer. ‘Why do it now?’  

‘Publicity for the movie Jack.’

‘You don’t need that!’

‘No I don’t, besides I can afford to
pay for it, if I wanted to.’ Frank said with a certain pride.

‘Why then?’

‘This time
we will
have the
last laugh.’

‘I like the sound of that, but I
might need a vacation Frank. I’ve heard your country is beautiful in August.’

A slow smile appeared on Frank’s
face. ‘I was thinking the same, keep out of the limelight for a while, take a
trip.’

‘Can you hire the Hunting Lodge?’

‘No need. I own it!’

‘You do?  Damn, I
knew it! You are predictable Frank, you have a pattern, still I didn’t see this
coming.’

‘Yeah, a certain lady
friend could’ve occupied your thoughts lately. ’

‘Funny, very funny. Yes, she has a
place in my thoughts.’ Jack admitted proudly, thinking of Monica. ‘Maybe I’ll
invite myself then?’

‘You need no invitation Jack, treat
it like your own.’ Frank said.

Don entered the room quietly. ‘The
car is here gentlemen.’

‘Already?’ Frank asked.

‘It is time.’

‘All clear?’ Frank questioned his
man.’

‘Yes, I have checked with security.’
Don replied.

‘Good. You can take the night off
Don, won’t need you.’ Frank said.

‘Thank you. Good night gentlemen, as
always – watch your backs.’ Don discreetly left.

‘Yes boss, we will.’ Jack had heard
Don say this many times, still they needed reminding?

‘All right, let’s get on with it.’

‘Last time I change my clothes
Frank, this is the very last time. I am getting too old for this chase!’ Jack
grumbled.

‘You have a point Jack!’ Frank
agreed. ‘Last time it is.’

****

Justin was walking up the curved
drive to Jack’s house. To his annoyance, his car had a flat tyre, and he’d had
to leave it down the road. He called the recovery people who arrived promptly
and he decided to walk up to the house. They will drop his car off by the
security at the gate, he didn’t need to wait.

When he got nearer to the house, he
saw two men dressed in drab clothes getting into a dark car behind the
shrubbery. He did a double take; - Jack and Frank. He wondered what they were
up to as he watched them drive off. He quickly turned around to run back to the
gate. As expected the car was there and the tyre had been changed. He thanked
the guys and jumped into his car to follow Jack and Frank. He shouldn’t be
doing this, he thought while he kept his distance, their car was going towards
the East side of the city; the guys don’t party there. This was interesting
news.

Chapter Twenty
Eight

After nearly an hour’s drive Frank
and Jack stopped in front of a burger place. It was nearing midnight. The guys
entered and sat down at a window table. They ordered something from a tired
looking waitress. Justin waited patiently in his car, thinking about why he was
spying on the two men. He had a good view without leaving his car, but his
shiny car attracted stares. He wouldn’t be able to stay here long or there
could be trouble.

Eventually he saw them asking for
the check. They came out, got in the car and moved on. Justin followed. The car
pulled up at a gas station. The driver was getting some gas. Frank and Jack
went inside. They seemed to spend a long time talking to the cashier. Next it
was a late night grocery store, again a long chat with an assistant, possibly a
cleaner. Then a run down, late night bar. Time to join the guys.

When he entered the bar, at first he
couldn’t see anything as heavy smoke filled the air. Music was blasting from an
old radio behind the dirty bar. Vacant looking people were stretched out on
chairs and even on the billiard table. Justin quietly sat down on a stool next
to Jack and Frank who didn’t even notice him as they were engrossed in a
conversation.

‘I wonder what you two are playing?’
He asked casually.

Both men looked at him in alarm.
‘What the hell ...’ Jack couldn’t believe his eyes.

‘How did you get here?’ Frank didn’t
look pleased at all.

‘You tell me! I am interested in
your
story.’ Justin said ordering a beer.

‘This is our entertainment, don’t
get involved.’ Frank said, obviously annoyed.

‘You followed us?’

‘I did! Don’t tell me if you don’t
want to …’

‘He will badger us to the grave
Frank!’

‘He will! You tell him Jack.’

Jack pulled himself straight up on
the stool and proceeded to tell the story.

Justin thought it was a joke! It must've
been a joke - but Jack wasn’t smiling. It transpired that Frank and Jack
‘dressed down’ on occasions and hit a run down area of the city.
          

‘Nothing dangerous kid.’ Frank
explained.

‘We explore places where people work
hard for a living.’ Jack pointed behind the bar. ‘Watch that waitress for few
minutes Justin, see what you make of her.’

Justin
saw a woman probably in her late forties. She wore her long, bleached hair tied
back with a clip. Her pale, tired face was without makeup. Her body was
skeletal looking and her hands were dry and red. He recalled that when he
ordered his drink she was very pleasant and had served him within minutes.

‘What do you think Justin?’ Frank
asked with an
‘I told you so’
expression.

‘I don’t know what you’re doing, but
I
hope
it isn’t anything illegal?’ He asked anxiously.

Frank decided to fill him in. ‘We
have seen three or four different people tonight. These people all work very
hard for very little money, live in difficult circumstances and their lives are
a struggle. Some women take their hard earned cash back home to a drunken
husband or boyfriend who usually sits at home all day. You would be surprised
…. In many cases they earn the money so the other half can spend it on booze or
drugs.’

Jack continued. ‘Often they are
simply born in the wrong environment, family or location and can’t find a way
out. They haven’t got the abilities or the money to build a better life.’

Justin overheard the waitress
talking to a girl about a movie she’d seen. How excited she was, her eyes were
dreamy and her face lit up.

‘I’ve not been to the movies for
years.’ She said. ‘My son’s new girlfriend works in the one downtown, she got
me a free ticket.’

‘What was the movie?’ The girl
asked, uninterested.

‘Oh, it was ever so…. romantic and
sad. Blue Velvet it was called.’

Justin felt sad, - Frank and Jack
were studying him. That was Monica’s movie –
The Blue Velvet.

‘Ok, stop staring at me, I get it.’
He said irritated. ‘What now? What do you do?’ He thought about his life, he
had everything he wanted or needed and more. He would never come to a place
like this. He lived his life on the
other
side of the city.

‘We
try to help these people Justin.’ Frank said.

‘How?’

‘There are ways….’

‘You give them cash?’

‘Sometimes we do.’

‘Other times?’

‘We try to find them better jobs,
homes, even friends.’

‘How do you know that it’s going to
work? I mean some people are simply set in their ways, or don’t want your
help?’

‘Listen, it isn’t easy but it is worth
a try. They will have another chance! –
what they do with it,
is up to
them. Firstly we run some quick checks on these people, where they live, what
are they circumstances, so on...’ Jack nodded in approval.

‘If it looks that they could
appreciate help, an opportunity is provided. Sometimes it’s a job they were
dreaming of, or an unpredicted inheritance or hard cash. We employ a private
detective as you probably guessed and a bunch of experts. These people are not
left alone until they settle into their new lives, then we have a meeting
called ‘‘revisit’’ to see how they are doing.’

‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this!’
Justin mused.

‘We’ve been found out at the right
time Justin, this is our last outing; we are too old to continue.’ Frank lit a
cigarette which Justin had never before seen in his hand. It was always a
cigar.

‘Oh come on, I can’t start puffing
on an expensive cigar here!’ Frank snapped.

‘If this project of yours works, you
can’t stop now! If you are helping people and they appreciate it you have to
continue.’ Justin announced.

‘You are getting the idea kid.’
Frank was beginning to relax.

‘There are other ways to help
people. We might be finishing with this but we are not stopping.’

‘This is a surprise. I never thought
you two could do something like this.’ He paused. ‘Take me on…’

‘You want to be part of this?’ Jack
was speechless.

‘Sure, think about it. I have
everything I need, yes I work hard but I was presented with the opportunity in
the form of money from my parents. I used it, maybe it’s my turn to do
something for others.’ Justin scanned the clock on the wall. ‘I need to get off
now, early call tomorrow.’

‘How did you find us?’ Frank
remembered to ask the question.

‘You want to know? I had a flat tyre
near Jack’s house. I know….! I walked up to the house while the rescue guys
changed it. That’s when I saw you getting into a car, - I followed.’

‘I never checked! What a fool…’ Jack
slapped his forehead.

‘You said it Jack…’ Justin grinned,
paid and left.

Frank and Jack watched the waitress
get on with her job. People came and went, she must've been exhausted but
carried on.

‘Who do you have in mind Jack?’

‘Gas station?’

‘You want to do all?’

‘The waitress at the burger place,
but tonight they all have a true ringing story. See what the report will show,
and then we will decide.’

Chapter Twenty Nine

Amy woke early. She had a lot of
work to do. As well as working for Frank, she had her own clients and Mr Carter
had called demanding to see her. She had finished working for him, therefore
she had no interest in meeting up. Holding a coffee and a heavy file, she
walked into her office. The phone rang and interrupted her work.

‘Are you up or are you still in
bed?’ A familiar voice asked.

‘It
depends…’                                                                      

‘Depends on what?’

‘Why do you want to know?’ She asked
cautiously, she hadn’t heard from Justin for weeks and now suddenly he was
calling. What was she supposed to do?

‘Can you let me in?’

‘In where? Where are you?’

‘In front of your gate.’

There he was, sitting in his white
convertible just like posing for a magazine cover. She opened the gate. Justin
drove in and presented her with a massive bunch of white roses.

‘Thank you.’ Amy was so surprised
she didn’t know what else to say.

‘You look good in your … underwear?’
He watched her intensely.

‘I know, I’ve just got out of bed.’
She was still in shorts and a top
she slept in.

‘What are you doing here Justin?
Wait, but I don’t need to know, you want coffee?’

‘Yeah, that’s why I drove this far -
to have a cup of your delicious coffee served with attitude.’

‘Funny.’ She murmured on the way to
the house.

‘I’ll make the coffee, you get
dressed. I bet you can’t wait to do that.’

‘Strong, no sugar please.’ Amy said,
thinking it was a good idea to put some clothes on.

‘I remember how you like your
coffee, and more….’

‘You do?’ She felt her face redden,
for God’s sake, why was she blushing?!

‘Every word!’

‘Oh, what a poet!’ She left,
laughing.