Notes on Chapter 24
In Chapter 24, we find out what Len did as a 17-year-old: he went to New York by himself, with no money, and found out what happened to his brother Jack. He got by on his wits, working day jobs for cash and asking everyone he could think of, and following blind leads until he realized, “Hey, Jack must have joined the Merchant Marine to get to Russia!”
I named his brother “Jack” because I had a brother Jack who’s no longer with us. He didn’t go like Jack Saunders, though.
The Battle of Stalingrad really was fought partly in the tractor factory, the building of which an American architect, Albert Kahn, supervised. Jack Saunders spent two years over there helping build it, which explains why he felt compelled to go and help (not that he would have been allowed to join the fighting, probably)
Len also remembers how he helped catch bad guys, both during the war and after. How many books have you read where an accountant is the hero? (Actually, Al Capone was brought down by an accountant, not by Eliot Ness.)
Then he disappeared into Corporate America for Chrysler, and forgot all that, or thought he had. Now a minister gave him this ill-defined task (“The money is flowing out faster than it should!”) and he and Dan solved it! It turned out to be a couple old ladies stealing small amounts to play bingo with, but hey: they still busted an embezzling ring.
Now the news media is playing it up as the first Internet crime bust! People are realizing that the Internet is going to be big, but they still don’t know much about it. Len is bemused more than anything else. A public TV show wants to have him and Dan on for an interview.
I modeled this show on The Computer Chronicles, which aired in the late 80’s / early 90’s.
Dan, who’s become the son that Len never had, realizes that this is Len’s big chance to achieve his dreams, and tells the TV producer what she wants to hear. Janet realizes that her old dad still has some fight left in him and tells him to go for it.
In Chapter 25, we see them tape the show.