Ockham's Razor: A Deductive Riddle

Chapter 26

The next few days proved to be highly stressful. Ian had not heard from the Benefactor, but that that was small solace. He was hoping for a good payoff. But he was also not looking forward to confirming that the Benefactor still has control over him.

On the Tuesday after the job, Ian and Dave were on their way to the Diner for lunch. Ian was going to be attending class that afternoon, but he needed the coffee and carbohydrates to survive.

They turned the corner near the Diner and Ian stopped in his tracks. Dave turned quickly. "What's up?"

"Dave, you remember that woman from the bike race? The hot one that asked me to participate in the study?"

"Yeah. She stood you up for a date, wut."

"I swear I just saw her across the street, dropping into that store."

"You're dreaming. You couldn't identify her at that distance, haha."

"It was her, I'm going to go find her."

And he froze again. Smooshface was by that same store.

"What's up now?" asked Dave.

"Nothing, let's go eat" Ian replied quickly heading into the Diner. He hoped the fact he saw Smooshface was just a coincidence. But he did not want to assess it, because he feared the result.

Ian continued to lay as low as possible for the next few days. He wanted to maintain the usual veneer of activity that he had before all this started, but he also did not want to appear as if he was replete with cash. That would be an indicator to the police that he was not as he pretended to be. He continued to keep an eye out for Kate, but also kept his eyes peeled for Smooshface and the Bulldog. His nerves could not handle too many coincidences like that.

It proved a challenge to act normally, but he had to try his best. He even let Dave buy him lunch one day.

"What about that bet for racing that guy through the city?" Dave inquired during lunch.

"What? Oh, that guy." Ian was scrambling trying to remember what the lies were that he told to Dave to get the mapping done. "Oh, we raced that like three days after you helped me with the maps. I lost. I thought that if I crossed the Oxbow at the Pedestrian Bridge that I could beat him to Central Mall. However, I had not figured on how hard it would be to get across Lewis & Clark Avenue."

Dave seemed hurt. "You did not want me to come"

"Sorry pal. He wanted it to be really quiet. He had seen the one that finished by Trailhead Monument. He did not want any of that crowd."

Dave finished his coffee. "You didn't think that I could keep it quiet? That's alright. You lost, eh?"

Ian, waving down the waitress to refill their coffee cups, replied "Yeah, I did. It cost me two hundred dollars. I'm out of the racing game for the time being. I've got to recoup some of my losses." He finished that off with a smile to the waitress as she filled his cup.

"Well, next time, include me, even if he wants to keep it quiet. I'm good luck for you."

"I won't forget that. You are on."

When Ian got home from lunch with Dave, he got into his apartment, closed the door, and he noticed sitting on the floor the familiar blank white envelope. He dreaded opening it. He feared that it was a call to do another "job". But fearing what would happen if he did not open it, he grasped the envelope, and tore the flap off the back. Inside was a plain piece of paper, with just same information. Room 468, Midcontinental Hotel, Friday, 2 pm.