Ockham's Razor: A Deductive Riddle

Chapter 65

The meeting at the Diner broke up quickly after Dave left. Ian collected his thoughts. Saturday was three days away, If Dave was going to engage, then he needed to be asked. And, if Dave said no, they needed ample time to readjust their plan. He got out his phone and dialled up Dave.

"Hello, Ian. What can I do for you?"

"Yeah, Dave. I'm done the meeting. Want to go for coffee?"

"Want me to meet you at the Diner?"

"No, let's go to the coffee shop by the mall. I'll come by your apartment to get you."

They got to the coffee shop and sat at a table near the washrooms. Ian did not quite know how to broach the subject. He needed Dave's help, but did not want to jeopardise their friendship. To his surpirse, but also to his relief, Dave brought it up.

"What were you and Dean doing with those other people at the Diner?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I came in to see if you were there. I saw you sitting in the corner with that group. One member of your group hid themselves in their hoodie, but I recognised it as the same hoodie the thief, Dean, wore when he robbed the gas station." Ian was shocked that Dave knew that much.

"Uh, we have a situation the six of us have gotten into."

"Does it involve the robbery at the bank in St Barb's last autumn?"

That floored Ian. "How in the devil did you know about that?"

"I've known for a while. Last year, when you used my computer, you marked the mapping program with a bunch of pins. One of which was right on the bank on Kingfisher. I understood it to be a starting point for a race, as you described. But shortly afterwards, that bank was robbed, and the perpetrators escaped on bicycle. That tipped me off."

Ian did not know what to say.

Dave continued. "I took it that it was successful because you did not lack for money too greatly after that. You had quit your pizza job. You bought a few more things than I thought you would. You claimed it was a due to some bets, but you are always more engaged in describing the bets to me in much detail, which was lacking." Dave took a long sip of his coffee. "So, I suspected that Dean was one of the conspirators with the bank job and you wanted to get him a job. Of course, I would help out. When the store got robbed, and Dean stopped working there immediately, I assumed it was Dean that robbed it. Then, the hospital breakout occurred. Dean's name was tied to that by some bloggers. And I assumed that you were involved in that. Then, you got involved in environmentalism and the politician Danny Corcoran. How that came about, I'm not sure. Maybe blackmail. But you've certainly changed your focus for getting money."

Ian tried to collect his thoughts. Dave was far more aware of what was going on than made Ian comfortable. "What do you know about all of us?"

"I've told you all I know. "

"I don't want to bore you, but Kate delivered..."

"Kate is involved? I did not see that one."

Ian took a deep breath. Ian was shocked. He thought he hid it so well, but someone who knew nothing of the Benefactor at all had figured out his involvement in something. He was somewhat frightened. Ian confessed what he knew about the job. He covered that he thought he was working for a security check on the bank, not a robbery. He covered in quick time the actual heist. He told Dave that he has been paid ten thousand dollars for his role in the heist. Then he got onto how Dean had been compromised, the freeing of Dean, the takedown of Stephen Gillies, the subsequent take out of Daniel Corcoran, and now the final showdown with Stephen Gillies. About the only thing he left out of his confession was Kate's role. He wanted to minimize her part out of it.

"So, here is what I'm asking. Gillies is expecting six people to meet him in the park. I am hoping you can use a video camera to sneakily capture video of Gillies confessing."

"I'm there." It was that simple. Dave would help them,

"Will your work schedule fit it?"

"Our friendship is too important. I can take the night off work, wut."

Ian felt a rush of gratitude and affection. Dave was truly a friend who could help the six of them escape their nightmare.

Feeling grateful, he looked down at the stack of envelopes from his pocket. He thumbed through them absentmindedly while Dave finished his coffee. As he got down through the stack something stuck out. Second from the bottom was a plain white envelope, exactly like the ones they used to get when the Courier dropped them off.

Ian ripped open the envelope and quickly read the message inside. The vague notions of a plan became a lot clearer after having read what he had just read.

But one thing that kept him smiling... Kate was not yet truly out of the picture.