THE SECRET OF THE CROSS
‘I’m the guy that had your parents killed. ‘
IT fell like a bombshell. Those words echoed inside the car. Dead silence followed. Neither of them spoke, not even the guy on the phone. Joe and Lisa stared into each other’s eyes. He saw sheer terror in her eyes. By this time his mind had become a rainforest of thoughts, jumping from one tree to another like a monkey. ‘What is the purpose of this call? Is this a trap? He couldn’t concentrate on the road. He pulled over the car.
With a trembling voice and shocked face Lisa asked, “What did you say?”
“Come on Lisa. We both know you heard me. I gave it enough time to sink into your veins.”
“What do you want?” Joe asked with a calm but firm voice.
“That, my girl, is the question you should be asking. I’m starting to like your boyfriend. Were you too having romantic moment? So sorry…”
Joe cut him off. “Why don’t you quit stalling and get to business?” “Boy, don’t you get bossy on me. You think you are alive because of you outsmarted me? You are alive and well because I am letting you be. Don’t make me to have your loved ones put flowers on your grave. So listen carefully. I know you have something that belongs to me. You give that to me and I disappear from your life.” “Why? I want to know why. Why did you kill them? ”Lisa spoke.
“Why should I tell you that? I’m not calling to make a confession. I just thought I would give you a chance. After all my boys here tell me that you are the angel raised by demons. Now, I leave you guys in control. You call me when you are ready for the exchange. Be quick. Don’t test my patience and don’t waste time trying to trace this number. You will not succeed.”
“What makes you think we will call?” Joe asked.
A laugh broke out on the other side of the phone. “Trust me, you will. And kid, a little free advice. Love is a fantasy and only children believe in fantasies.”
“May be that is why Jesus said ‘Unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.’”, Joe said with shear pride in his voice and looking Lisa in the eyes.
“May your faith save you?” And the caller hung up after speaking that last line with absolute disdain in his voice.
Lisa sunk back into her seat. Her eyes became a pool of tears. Looking out of the window she said, “At least now we know that papa and mamma were indeed killed.” After a pause she continued “Angel raised by demons!!” she smirked with pity, shaking her head.
Joe held her. “Everything is going to be okay”.
Lisa leaned on to Joe’s shoulder, held her arms tight around his arms. “I don’t want to lose you too, Joe.”
“Hey, chill nothing is going to happen. He is just bluffing. He can’t just kill me like that. The repercussions will be big and he knows that.” He wasn’t sure of what he was saying but anyway he said it for her sake. He had something to ask Lisa but he buried it in his mind to dig up another time.
“Wait here”, Joe told Lisa as he walked into Shruthi’s office cabin leaving her at the reception.
“May I come in?” he said peeking into the office through half opened door.
Shruthi was at her desk scanning through some documents wearing a black structured shirt. Without taking her eyes of it, she said “Please come in and have a seat.” Once again without bothering to check if he had taken a seat she asked, “How can I help you sir?”
“You can start by looking at me”
That certainly grabbed her attention. She took a moment to look at the handsome guy in front of her, “Oh my God, Joe? What a pleasant surprise!” Her face lit up. “When was the last time we met? Convocation day?”
Something about her seemed different. It wasn’t that old nagging, arrogant Shruthi who ruined Joe’s plans on the convocation day.
“Yeah convocation day”, He replied without much excitement in his voice.
“You gave me a huge headache that day”.
“So sorry. You were going to talk to Lisa weren’t you?”
A bomb exploded in Joe’s mind. ‘What? How did she? She knew?’ His eyes almost fell off his face. “What?”
“Oh come on Joe. Don’t lie to me. I have seen the way you look at her, the way you talked to her and the way she watched you walk away...Hell, half the class knew.”
“You are kidding”
“Really?” she made a face. “You think so?”
“Okay whatever”
“So you guys together now?” She seemed very eager to know.. Joe took a moment to decide what answer he should give her. It didn’t look like was into him anymore. Actually she was eager to know about him and Lisa. May be telling her about Lisa isn’t such a bad idea.
“Actually she is outside”
“What? Why would you?” she passed as if she realized something. “I get it. You thought I would be jealous, huh? Can’t really blame you. But you are going to be happy to know that I got engaged.” Shruthi said showing off the ring on her left hand.
“Oh that is great news. Congrats.” Joe was so relieved.
“Thank you”. She said and then spoke through the intercom on her desk. “There is someone named Lisa waiting outside. Send her in.”
Within seconds, the receptionist escorted Lisa into the office. She seemed a little surprised to be called in like that.
“Hai,” Shruthi spoke to Lisa as she sat down.
“Hello”.
“I am so happy that you guys are together.”
Lisa gave Joe a confused look which was like asking what the heck just happened.
“So what brings you guys here? Looking for a nice apartment? “Yeah, coming to that. We need a place to stay for a few days. Somewhere we will not be tracked. We were hoping that you might have a model apartment that we could use. ”The pace of his speech reduced towards the end of the sentence.
“You two don’t happen to be running away from home. Are you?”
“Why does everyone has to ask this question?” Lisa grieved.
“Everyone?” Joe was surprised.
“I heard Sam.”
“Sam? He sent you here?”
“Yeah. Is there a problem.” Joe enquired.
“No, no. I was wondering why you think of coming to me for help given our history. Sam and I had met recently. He was here with one of his relatives to book an apartment.”
“Well he didn’t mention that part. Did he? “Said Lisa giving Joe a sideways glance.
“No. He skipped that part out?”
“But actually I don’t have any model apartments at this point?”
“Oh”, Joe and Lisa said in unison. They turned to each other. “That’s bad news”, Joe expressed his disappointment.
“Still I may be able to help you guys.”
“You can?” Lisa asked.
“Like I told you earlier”, Shruthi said pointing Joe. “I got engaged. My fiancée is on a foreign tour and I happen to have the keys to his apartment.”
Joe was happy with the offer. But the Lisa’s face said she wasn’t. “Is that a good idea, considering our situation?”
“It is. There is no way they are going to get there. How would they know about her? I’m not even friends with her on Facebook.”
“You’re not?”
“He unfriended me after the convocation day mess”, Shruthi answered for Joe. “By the way, you didn’t tell what the problem is.” She complained.
“I will tell you this much. We want to hide from someone for some time. The less you know the better. Don’t worry you are not going to be in any trouble.”
“Fine. Glad I could be of help.”
Joe found himself in a posh apartment on the 10th floor of a 24 story building along with Lisa and Shruthi. Everything in the apartment screamed art. Right from the flooring to the bedroom cupboards and wall hangings were work of art.
“Your fiancée has got a good taste.” said Joe admiring the apartment.
Shruthi smiled and said “He is an interior designer.” “Well, that explains”
“You haven’t still told me what your problem is.”, not letting Joe and Lisa say anything she continued. “But it’s you two, so cool. If there is anything else I can do, just give me a call.” She left her business card on the table.
“Sure thing”, Joe said.
“I’ll be off now. I have a meeting to attend.” On her way out she paused, turned to Lisa and said “You are blessed to have him. Don’t ever lose him.”
Lisa was out in the river view balcony, resting her arms on the railings and letting her hair free allowing it to dance with the wind. She seemed to be lost in the word of thoughts. Joe walked out to the balcony with two glasses of red wine in his hands and stood beside her on her right side.
“I found some wine”, Joe offered her a glass which she accepted with a plain face. “Everything is going okay Lisa.”
“And you know this how?”
“Because that’s how things happen in this world. Problems and solutions are two sides of the same coin. The solution is right behind the problem. You just have to flip the coin. And we will flip It.” .Joe took a sip of the wine.
“But flipping the coin is not that easy in this case”.
“True that”.
Lisa took another sip. It was then that Joe once again noticed the cross hanging bracelet on her right hand. “You wear this always?”
“Always. This is the last gift they give me. It’s their memory. It makes me feel like they are with me”.
Joe ran his fingers over the bracelet and held on to the bottom of the cross. He had only seen it twice before. First, on the convocation day and then when they arrived at his rest house. It stood out because of the size of that cross. Joe hardened his grip on the cross when he tried to picture him in her situation. Not noticing his grip on the cross, Lisa suddenly turned around. A chill went down his throat when he realized that a part of the cross was in his hands. It was hollow and it didn’t look like it broke off.
“Lisa “, Joe called out and held up the piece.
Lisa was quick to check the cross. Both of them froze when saw the tip of the cross. It was actually a pen drive.