An Unforeseen Turn of Events

Chapter Sixty-Two

"It's foolproof, Jim! I swear to you it's foolproof!"

Jim contemplated Ozzy's scheme as he chewed a French fry dangling from his mouth. The shorter the fry became, the more convinced he was that Ozzy was onto something.

"I'm in!" he jutted his hand out.

Ozzy shook it and said, "Wait til I call my LA connection—Buddy Catalano! He's a big shot investigator! He'll want to hire me for sure."

"Hey, maybe he'll want to hire me too!" Jim said. "Then I can torture my ex-wife even more. Remember she left me?"

"Yeah, I remembered. The first year you got married," Ozzy said as he got out his phone and dialed.

Jim was deciding whether to order another large fry when Ozzy nearly jumped in his seat.

"Mr. Catalano, I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Ozzy. If you don't, I'm sure you'll never forget me now because of what I have to tell you. . ."

"Go on," he heard Buddy say carefully.

Ozzy became even more excited. "Mr. Catalano, of course you know about the big star, Ryan Monti, don't you? You've probably done work for him."

"Of course I've heard of Ryan Monti."

"Well, I have very good reason to believe he's the father of one, maybe two kids! Don't worry, I can get you proof."

Ozzy's brows furrowed when Buddy didn't reply.

Jim sat glued to his seat. He forgot all about the French fries when he saw Ozzy's face redden. He clutched the table so hard his thumb landed on his small packet of ketchup and it sprayed all over his clothes.

"I. . .I. . .I. . "

He couldn't get words out. Ozzy's hand went to his neck as if he were afraid he was about to be beheaded. His small mouth attempted to form words again but nothing came out. It appeared all the strands of hair dotting his head were rising up as if he turned on a faulty switch.

Jim sighed and shook his head. He wouldn't be moving to California. He wouldn't be there to keep hurting Shana for having the nerve to leave him. There would be no great job for him there. Another one of Ozzy's hair-brained schemes turned to dust.

Might as well order another large fries before I have to go back to work, Jim thought.

He walked away from the table as Ozzy put his head down right into his Big Mac. As he released his phone, he tipped his large Coke, which dripped into his lap.

Jim returned with his fry in a carry- out bag, tapped his shoulder and whispered, "Ozzy, it's time to think about a real job."

***

Ryan had never experienced this emotion before: laughing and crying at the same time. He resolved to put himself together as he drove to his parent's house. He received a call from Buddy that if Ozzy breathed another word about Ryan Monti he would put his private investigators to work blacklisting Ozzy from ever finding work again, either here or on the East Coast. He could breathe easy again as he parked into his parent's driveway.

"Ryan, why have you been hiding? It's been forever since we've heard from you," his father told him before Ryan even walked through the door. Meeting in the hallway, Jerry said, "Son, tell me, tell me please, what the hell's been going on?"

Before Ryan could even open his mouth to answer, his mother ran out of the kitchen and practically fell on him.

"Ryan! What's been going on? I fought with Dad for days about calling the police! I've been worried sick about you! It's taken years off my life!"