Ockham's Razor: A Deductive Riddle

Chapter 17

Outside the hotel, Ian grabbed Dean and Lauren and dragged them into the lea of the building from where he had planned his entry into the hotel.

"Alright, I don't like this. I want to make that clear. This is not what I expected." He caught himself subconsciously rubbing the spot on his head where he had been hit. He quickly dropped his arm.

Lauren, in her terse persona, countered "You think we volunteered for this? I'm stuck doing this. So, let's get it out of the way and then we can avoid having to ever deal with each other again."

Dean, looking like he was enjoying the others discomfort, smiled.

"Did you guys get a Traveltel Motel key?" asked Ian.

Lauren opened her envelope and pulled out the key. Dean just nodded.

"Ok, what do we do now?" Ian chafed at being manipulated like he was. He was looking for any way out of this, and if Dean or Lauren had the answer, then he would be very thankful for it.

Lauren shook her head in defeat. "I think we need to go through with this, just do what the Benefactor says and get him off our back." She sneered when she mentioned the Benefactor. This was a good sign. Ian was warming up to the terse woman. He considered her an ally. Her reliability might become an asset, if she had some.

Dean finally broke his silence. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going home. Do you want to meet up tomorrow?"

Ian, shocked at Dean's decision to not go to the Traveltel Motel, stared at Dean. Dean returned his stare, almost daring Ian to do something.

Then it struck Ian. Why go to the Traveltel Motel? There were no instructions to go to that hotel. There was just a hotel key. Perhaps there was an implied task to go to the hotel, but nothing stated. He smiled. "I'm going home too."

Now both Dean and Lauren stared at him, Lauren like she wanted to protest and Dean because he was being subverted. Ian, with a grin, explained "If we apply Ockham's Razor, the decision becomes simple. Option 1, this is all an elaborate ploy to control us completely so we are forced to carry out the Benefactor's plan. And staying at the Traveltel is a crucial part of the plan. Option 2, the Benefactor is providing us with as much opportunity to get this job done to his satisfaction, including providing a distraction-free workplace without us knowing too much about each other. Simplest solution is the right one." With that, he turned and headed across the street to catch a bus back to his neighbourhood.

Dean asked him, "What's that got to do with razors, dude?"

Lauren called, "What time and where will me meet?"

"At the Traveltel Motel, tomorrow at eleven!"

"What room?"

"Guess!" Ian did not doubt that the room would be 468.

With that Dean and Lauren turned their own ways and left. Ian continued to the bus stop silently giggling to himself about razors.