Ockham's Razor: A Deductive Riddle

Chapter 29

Ian did not feel as well as he thought he would. School was out for the end of the year break, but it had been five months since the Benefactor had paid the team their money and "hosted" that party. At the party, they each got another five thousand, it was not enough to clear the board completely with his debts, but it definitely kept the wolves away from the door. With some judicious spending and careful management, it would last quite a while.

Ian had also recently followed through on his promise to Dean to help him get the job at Dave's work. Dave had been more than pleased to help Ian out by getting a job for a "friend" of Ian's, but Dean had proven himself to be less than an able employee.

In the beginning, it looked like Dean was trying hard to be a reliable gas jockey. However, within two weeks, he was starting to become a bother in the workplace. He would not serve customers with the energy his boss demanded, and would only do the barest minimum of work in order to satisfy his job description. It nearly came to a head one day when the male bathroom had a clog in one of the toilets. The boss turned to Dave to have Dean clean it up, but Dean refused because he wasn't a plumber. In the end, to avoid confrontation, Dave was the one who cleaned it up.

Dave would frequently come to Ian's apartment to vent about Dean. Now, Dave was sitting on Ian's couch complaining about the fact that Dean was booking off every Friday night shift, and to prevent the boss from knowing, Dave has been covering them without collecting the overtime he should be receiving. He dare not let the boss know because the boss is looking at Dave as the one responsible for getting Dean the job.

"You've got to help me get Dean sorted out, or out of the gas station."

"You don't know how badly I feel about that, Dave. I'm so sorry. How exactly do you want me to help out?"

"I don't know! He's your friend. Talk to him and let him know that he is ruining everything." Ian could hear the stress and emotion in Dave's voice. Ian also knew that he and Dave were solid friends, but even Dave had limits, and if he did not do something, Dave might forsake their friendship.

Ian started to say something, then paused. He knew in his mind that talking to Dean would do nothing. He started thinking about how to create an exit strategy for Dean. "How much is his performance at work affecting others?"

"Plenty. No one wants to work with him. He's just too unreliable."

"Okay, how about I go to your work tonight," Ian hesitantly put forward, "and I look at the schedule and I find out from others if they can cover off a shift or two. I'll get a hold of Dean, tell him his days are numbered, and", he paused, knowing that he was about to become a respected employee, "I'll take over Dean's shifts, and I promise to not let you down. I'll do this for short term, only going until the end of June. This will give the boss enough time to overlook Dean's performance, and repair your standing with him."

Ian looked at Dave after getting the last out. He could not believe the smile on his friend's face. It was as if he had just handed him the crown jewels of Sweden.

"That'll do nicely."

With that, Ian sighed, smiled and realised that he might actually look forward to getting a job.