“Why?” asked Nora.
“Because,” said Buckley, “someone shot that sign with some kind of gun. Seems like a machine gun of some kind. An automatic weapon. I don’t want them shooting one of us!”
I heard a squealing noise. A car was speeding towards us and its tires squealed as they spun along the rain-soaked streets. Buckley pushed us back with his arm and pulled his gun from its holster. He pointed it at the approaching car.
“What is it?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”
The car drove nearer to us and I noticed it was being driven by an elderly lady. I could recognize the look of shock on her face when she saw Buckley’s gun. She drove away, in a hurry, and Buckley holstered his gun. His face was red.
“Oops!” said Buckley. “Well, you can’t be too careful. Anyways, let’s get inside, okay?”
The squealing noises, Buckley’s comment about guns and my own confusion made me nervous. I covered my ears and Nora led me back into the agency building.
“No!” I said. “The surprises are supposed to be over!”
“What did you say, Trueman?” asked Nora.
“I said the surprises are supposed to be over!” I said. “I sent Rozzozzo the details of my new invention. The ‘surprise revealer’ invention will stop all unexpected events like this! I thought if I stayed home and didn’t go anywhere I could avoid any surprises until Rozzozzo calls to say she’s done the surprise revealer! But now, this horrible surprise has come!”
“Oh!” said Sal. “Mr. Bradley, that reminds me…”
“What?” I asked.
“Dr. Rozzozzo called,” said Sal. “She said she’s coming over to talk to you. She’s said something about having ‘done the invention.’”
“What?” I asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Sorry, boss,” said Sal. “I forgot.”
I was annoyed that Sal forgot something that was so important to me, but I was overjoyed to realize the surprise revealer was ready and my days of enduring surprises were over.
“Well, that’s okay, Sal,” I said. “I forgive you. I don’t mind this stress, as this will probably be the final surprise.”
Nora led me to a chair and wrapped a blanket around me.
“Now, you relax, Trueman,” said Nora. “I know this kind of thing is stressful for you. Just sit down here, in front of the window, and let the sound of the rain calm and soothe you. We’ll call the police and take care of this problem. Okay?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’ll sit for a while.”
“I’ll make you some fresh tea!” said Mrs. Levi.
I listened to the calming music of the rain and watched the little raindrops as they slid down the window pane, making an endless pattern of random pathways on the glass. It was relaxing to watch the rain and ignore the world outside myself. If I could wait here, in this safe place, until Rozzozzo arrived with the surprise revealer, then I could avoid the need to experience any more unpleasant surprises.
I closed my eyes and tried to forget everything, because my memories of the smashed agency sign were causing me stress. Although I never liked surprises, the memory of that smashed sign seemed to cause me more anxiety than anything else I’d experienced for a long time. As hard as I tried to forget it, the mental picture of the broken sign was stuck in my mind.
I have a powerful visual memory, and I could see every detail of the sign clearly in my mind, as if it was physically in front of me. I could see the electrical sparks coming from the wet wires; I could see the jagged bits of broken glass on the wet sidewalk; I could see every drop of rain hitting the wall where the sign had once been. Seeing the sign caused me fear and anxiety, but I couldn’t dispel the mental image.
I tried to identify what about this mental image made me so terrified. Was it the electrical sparks? Was it the holes in the wall, which I now realized were caused by bullets?
“No,” I said to myself, “it’s Stokowski.”
“Did you say something, dear?” asked Mrs. Levi.
I was as surprised as Mrs. Levi was. It was only just now that I realized my fear was not caused by the image of the broken sign. Sometimes I saw equations as visual patterns and I could see them clearly, as if the equation were a physical thing. Subconsciously, I had applied my crime-fighting equation to the broken sign and it had indicated to me who broke it. The answer to my equation appeared in the form of Chief Stokowski, seen clearly in my mind. It was that subconscious image that had been frightening me, not the sign itself.
“Stokowski broke our sign!” I shouted.
“What?” asked Mrs. Levi.
“Call Buckley and Nora!” I said. “I need their help! Stokowski is a criminal and he’s going to attack us again! We need to arrange a mission and catch him before he catches us!”
15
The Surprise Revealer
Twenty-four hours after our agency sign was destroyed, I was in the public washroom of an opulent casino. Earlier, I had spent the night in my room, creating the equations that would help me to nail Stokowski. Rozzozzo had arrived at my office and given me the ‘surprise revealer.’ I was busy all night, inputting 1,062 bits of data into it. Now, with the help of Buckley and my equations, I was in an opulent casino, on a mission to reveal the crimes of Stokowski.
The casino was decorated with marble stone and gold-plated taps. But despite the luxury, I was not comfortable. I was in a toilet enclosure, trying to balance on a toilet seat. I was peeking over the wall of the enclosure, watching a man who had just finished washing his hands. I was waiting for him to leave, so I could continue, in privacy.
“Trueman!” said Buckley.
I had forgotten that Buckley was hiding with me. He was in the adjacent toilet enclosure. His sudden comment had made me jump and lose my footing on the toilet seat. My foot slipped into the toilet. I heard a loud splash and felt cold water enveloping my foot. In my panic, I had lowered my hands onto the toilet and accidentally pushed the lever to flush the toilet.
I felt cold water swirling around my foot and I crouched down, covering my head with my hands. This was horrible. Not only was my foot very uncomfortable and my mind panicked by this unexpected occurrence, but that man who had been washing his hands may have heard me. The toilet was making a very loud flushing sound and I covered my ears until it was finished.
“Sorry,” said Buckley, after the flushing stopped.
“It’s okay, Buckley,” I said. “It is my fault actually. I had my surprise revealer switched off. If I had my surprise revealer, or SR, switched on, it would have warned me that you would talk to me and then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
“A handy tool, that SR,” said Buckley. “And call me Sam!”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “I keep forgetting.”
I switched on my SR. It was a small computer that strapped to my wrist, and it looked a lot like my wrist TV. I wore my wrist TV on my right wrist and my SR on my left wrist. The SR’s computer screen was activated and I saw the familiar compass design. The SR was similar to the TET. The TET warned me when it was safe to do something specific, like crossing a bridge; the SR, however, warned me of any possible disturbance, at any time, doing anything. With the SR, I could be certain that my plans would never be ruined, because it warned me, ahead of time, if anything would happen that could ruin my plans.
“So, how’s that SR of yours work, anyways?” asked Buckley. “And explain to me again, please, why we’re hiding here. Why are we sitting on a couple of toilets here?”
“To answer your first question…” I said, “the SR’s operation is very complex and you should have asked me when I had more time to explain. We can’t talk about it now, we need to follow the plan exactly. To answer your second question, we are sitting on these toilets because the SR told me this is the safest place to begin our mission. Now, please, no more questions. Turn on your wrist TV. It is time to begin the mission by explaining the plan to everyone.”
I switched on my wrist TV and used it to call Sal, Nora, Mrs. Levi an
d Buckley. The screen was split into four sections and I could see their faces.
“Trueman?” asked Nora. “What’s happening? Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I said. “I want to explain what exactly will be happening, so you all know what to expect. This time, because I have the SR, nothing will change the plan. So, what I tell you is exactly what will happen.”
“Why can’t I be there to help you?” asked Nora. “After you discovered that Stokowski destroyed our sign, you locked yourself in your room and did equations all day! And now, you and Buckley left someplace without telling us where! Now, what’s going on? I’m worried about you! Let me come help!”
“I’ll explain,” I said. “My crime-fighting equation told me that Stokowski destroyed our sign. It also told me he would probably try to attack me personally. So I hid myself in my office with the door locked, so Stokowski couldn’t get me. I was waiting for Rozzozzo to come with the SR. I knew that if I had the SR, I could create a plan to reveal Stokowski’s crimes and get him arrested. The SR is designed to make plans proceed perfectly, without any surprises. So, I was in my room entering data into the SR. I explained the situation of Stokowski to the SR and it created for me a perfect plan to nail Stokowski.”
“So, where did you and Buckley go?” asked Nora.
“Call me Sam!” said Buckley. “Please!”
“Sorry, Sam,” said Nora.
“We are in a casino, in the district of Yonkers,” I said.
“Yonkers?” asked Sal. “What are you doing there? And why didn’t you ask me to drive you there?”
“Because the SR created a plan for me,” I said. “I must follow the SR’s plan exactly and then I can nail Stokowski without any surprises. The SR told me to take a taxicab from Reade Street to this casino in Yonkers. It didn’t explain why.”
“Why didn’t you take me with you?” asked Nora.
“The SR told me to take Buckley!” I said. “I mean, Sam!”
“Sam, yeah. Thank you, Trueman,” said Buckley.
“Okay, good,” I said. “Now, the SR told me I should call you all and tell you what will be happening. So, here it is. The SR says that I need to get to the penthouse of this casino. This casino is operated by an Italian Mafia family and today is a special day. It is the birthday of one of the bosses. So the casino is full of violent gangsters with guns. They’re all drunk and celebrating their boss’s birthday.”
“What?” asked Nora. “Trueman, are you joking? I won’t let you stay in a place like that! Get out of there, now!”
“No, Nora!” I said. “It’s okay! My SR is designed to avoid trouble. If I follow the SR’s instructions, I will not be hurt. I am just explaining the situation to you. You see, the SR told me to come to this casino and to sneak into the building by picking the lock of an outside door. That door led into the casino’s bathroom. So, we are in the casino’s bathroom right now. Actually, Sam and I are sitting on the toilets.”
“You’re on the toilet, dear?” asked Mrs. Levi.
I could interpret the shock on Mrs. Levi’s face.
“No!” I said. “I don’t mean we’re using them! We’re hiding here because this is where the SR told us to hide. Remember, we must do everything the SR instructs us to do.”
“I’m still not sure I like this, Trueman,” said Nora. “Those are real gangsters out there! They might hurt you!”
“Yeah, Trueman,” said Buckley, “I can’t say I much like being here either. Those Mafia guys may not know who you are, but a lot of them might recognize me. When I worked for the NYPD, I probably sent a lot of their friends to jail! You sure about this, Trueman? I mean, that SR might’ve made a mistake.”
“No!” I said. “The SR doesn’t make mistakes. I used to doubt my equations and my inventions. But after that hearing and knowing how much you all trust and admire me, I have no self-doubts anymore. Please, my friends, if you trust me then please have confidence in my equations and my inventions! If we follow the SR’s plan, we’ll be safe. Please believe in me!”
I couldn’t interpret the emotions on any of their faces, although Nora’s face showed some indications of pride and love.
“Okay, Trueman,” said Nora. “We trust you.”
Everyone nodded their heads.
“What’ll happen now?” asked Nora.
“Okay,” I said. “My SR says that I should leave this bathroom in about ninety seconds. I will need to follow the SR’s instructions to get through the room of dangerous criminals safely. Sam, you will continue to sit on your toilet and wait for me to call you.”
“Lucky me,” said Buckley. “But if I hear gunshots or something, I’m not waiting here, Trueman. I’m coming to rescue you, alright? You can’t expect me to just…”
“No!” I said. “We need to follow the plan, exactly! Even if you hear gunshots, don’t do anything until I tell you!”
Everyone was silent. I knew everyone was worried about me, and I appreciated how they cared about me, but I also wanted to be able to believe in myself and my equations. I didn’t want anyone doubting me, or I might start doubting myself too.
“Sam,” I said. “Wait on your toilet until I call you on the wrist TV. I will call you and tell you to go somewhere. I don’t know where yet. The SR will tell me those details later. Be sure to follow my instructions exactly, okay?”
“Sure thing, Trueman,” said Buckley. “Just as you say.”
“Good,” I said.
“What do we do?” asked Nora.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“What do you mean?” asked Nora. “Can’t we help you?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “My SR only told me to call you. It didn’t tell me anything else about you. Not yet. Just wait for me to call you, I guess.”
“Trueman, dear,” said Mrs. Levi. “Can we at least call the police and tell them to wait outside the casino in case you need them? Or something like that?”
“Yeah,” said Sal. “My cousin Vino knows somebody who works as a bartender in that casino! He’s not Mafia, but maybe he can get you out of trouble, if you need him. I’ll call him!”
“No!” I said. “Please, just do what I instruct, okay?”
Everyone was silent and I could interpret the worry in their faces. But I was resolved not to let their worry affect me. I watched the clock on my wrist TV and gathered my courage.
“Ninety seconds have passed!” I said. “I must go! Bye!”
“Trueman! Wait!” said Nora.
I switched off my wrist TV before Nora could finish speaking. I hated to be rude to her, but my SR was telling me to leave the bathroom now, and if I didn’t obey its instructions, the whole plan could be ruined and I might get hurt. I opened the door of the toilet enclosure and walked out.
“Trueman?” asked Buckley. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah!” I said. “Just wait here! I’m fine as long as I obey the SR. Wait here for me to call you.”
I walked to the door that led out of the bathroom and into the casino. I could hear the sound of loud music and drunken laughter. I put on my special sunglasses and my earphones.
“Good luck, partner!” said Buckley.
“Thanks, Sam,” I said.
I pushed open the door and stood for a few moments, observing the scene. It was very loud. Even with my earphones playing Mozart’s music, I could still hear the sounds of the casino. This was the largest crowd I had ever seen in one building and it made me dizzy to look at it; so many unpredictable bodies moving around each other, closely, like snakes in a snake-pit, slithering over each other. I’d always hated crowds, and this was one of the worst I’d ever seen.
There were flashy gambling machines everywhere and colored lights emanated from the ceiling. At the bar, men in expensive suits were drinking alcoholic beverages and talking loudly. Their movements were drunken and aggressive and it made my stomach sick with tension to think of getting closer to them.
A singer was on a nearby stage. His music
was loud, his outfit shiny and he jumped around the stage like a wild monkey. The casino stank like stale cigarette smoke and alcohol. So many different types of cigarette brands were identifiable in the air that it made me confused and dizzy. This place was so busy and fast-moving and distressing that I wanted to turn and run away.
I heard my SR beeping. That was meant to get my attention, because it was instructing me to do something. I looked at the SR and felt better. This place might have been confusing and full of dazzling sensations that made me sick, but the SR was predictable; the SR was safe. It was like my guide in a world of unpredictable phenomena. It would take this mess of unpredictable possibilities and find me a safe path through it, without any surprises or unpleasant shocks. I was so grateful to have the SR in this busy, crowded casino that I kissed it.
“I’m so glad I have you!” I said, to the SR.
The SR beeped, as if in reply. The screen lit up and I saw that it was giving me an urgent message.
“Talk to the media,” I read.
“The SR wants me to talk to the media?” I asked.
I looked into the crowd and saw no media. There were no reporters or journalists, not even a newspaper delivery person.
“What media?” I asked.
The compass design appeared on the SR screen and it pointed to the bar, where the noisy gangsters were. At the bar, I could see Gwen Tone, with her cameraman. They were sitting there, watching the crowd, as if they were looking for someone. This reporter had been following me around for days, trying to get information about my love life. I wondered if she had followed me here and was looking for me. Whether or not this was the case, the SR was instructing me to go talk to her.
“I must have faith in my inventions!” I said to myself.
I lowered my gaze to the floor, so I wouldn’t be dazzled by the crowds, and looked at my SR. The compass arrow would tell me where to walk. I walked through the crowds without bumping into anyone. My SR was working, helping me avoid any surprise. Finally, the compass disappeared and I looked up to see that I was at the bar. Gwen Tone was in front of me, smiling widely.