Ockham's Razor: A Deductive Riddle

Chapter 48

The city looked particularly clean and fresh after a solid night of rain. There were a few puddles around, but the usual dust and dirt on the sidewalks, cars and streets had been washed away. Even the grass poking out from the cracks in the sidewalk seemed greener.

Ian and Kate took their time getting down to the Diner. They stopped and looked in a shop window, over nothing in particular, but Ian did not mind. He was very happy to have people around him see a very pretty woman by his side. If he could have walked like a peacock, he would have. Part of his brain knew that he had no right to feel proud, as it was her choice to be with him, and he had done nothing in particular to make her want to be with him, but he could not help but enjoy the glances from the other people on the street as they passed by. They may not have been casting jealous glances, but he could imagine they were.

They got into the Diner and sat down in a booth. Not the booth they shared last autumn, and the one the gang regularly occupied when discussing the Benefactor, but one right by the door, near the big window. Ian was still in a show-off mode.

The usual morning crowd was there. The workers grabbing their breakfast, the two foreign men talking sports, or economics, or politics, or whatever they talked about, the nurse getting her bagel and coffee to go, everyone.

Jen came over to give them the menu. "Good morning, Ian. Here for coffee or a full breakfast?" Her smile was telling, and perhaps a bit too forced. She had been around when Dave and Ian had talked about Ian's status as player with women, so she probably thought of him as a bit of a womaniser. However, that was all talk and he had never brought a woman to the Diner. She seemingly liked Ian's personality when he was alone or with Dave, but not this womanising characteristic. At one time, she tried to convince him to find a nice girl, which meant a farm girl, and stick with her.

"Hi, Jen. Yes, we will be here for breakfast. Could you get two coffees? Did you need a menu, my dear?" Ian saw her flash an unimpressed look as she gave him his menu. Oh well.

"You know her well?"

"I've been coming here for a couple of years. I know all the staff. Jen, our waitress, is married to Craig who is one of the cooks. Jan is Jen's sister. She tends to work the afternoons and evenings. Her husband, Ryan, works for the city. Their Mom, Marcie, owns this place. I really like it here. The only person who works here outside the family is Whitey. He's a cook in the back."

"You really do know them well."

"I like them. They are good people and they treat me well. Besides, I am a terrible cook."

The door to the restaurant flew open and in walked Dave. He spotted Ian and, like every other time, came over and plopped down on the seat across from Ian. It was almost as if he never even saw Kate, but he sat down right beside her.

"Hey, Ian. I saw you through the window, and I thought to myself that a good breakfast would be a great way for me to start my day. And who better to share that time with it than with my best friend." He turned to Kate, "Hi, I'm Dave."

Without skipping a beat, "Hi Dave, I'm Kate. I believe we talked on the phone last night."

Ian had to smile. Both of these people were just being themselves, a bit goofy, but not anything special. He knew them in two different ways. He always thought it was neat when people from two different circles of his life met.

"Uh, Dave," Ian interrupted, "You have to be aware that Kate is a psychological researcher, she tested me last autumn at UGP because I'm a great guy. I would not say too much if I were you."

Dave cracked back almost immediately "Well, with a psycho nut job like you, she would need recurring appointments to crack that personality." Ian started to get embarrassed, but Kate started laughing. That only encouraged Dave. "So, I take it by a breakfast during a time when this guy is usually still toes up in bed that you two are an item. Very interesting. Isn't that against medical ethical standards? Dating your lab specimens?" She laughed even harder. "Seriously, it is probably not against medical ethical standards. After all, you guys met last year, but, dating Ian is against human ethical standards."