Ockham's Razor: A Deductive Riddle

Chapter 30

Ian strode up to the gas station after hiding his bike in the trees across the parking lot. He did not bring his lock and he was a little unsure about leaving it out for everyone to see, and possibly steal. He hid it among some bushes, hoping that this would be enough. After all, he would not be long.

He entered the gas station, nodded a polite hello to the pretty clerk, his future co-worker, behind the counter to his right, and then proceeded to head down to the office in the rear of the store. He was not yet scheduled to work. Dave had secured him the job. However, he had a cryptic text message from Dave that the fur was going to fly at the gas station, and Ian, having a feeling that it involved Dean, wanted to know if he could help.

All told, Ian was surprised at how much he was looking forward to working at the gas station. He was going to be responsible for only keeping the store tidy, the customer happy and the till under observation. He already got along with the owner and the other employees. Dave was certainly glad to have him on board, and Dean would either be tolerable or out of a job.

This gas station was a busy one too. That helped. It was at the junction of the major east to west highway bypassing town and the north south major artery going through town. That resulted in plenty of highway traffic, and because the boss offered full service for self-service prices, plenty of city traffic. It was not unusual to have over one thousand dollars in the till because it had been so busy that a safe drop was not possible.

Ian also liked the inside. It was not completely modern, but had been redone in the past decade. That helped him feel at ease, as he thought that most of the modern stores with their LED lighting looked too much like a hospital ward or cinema, rather than a store. Attached to the gas station was a bit of a restaurant. Nothing that would have drawn Ian here in the first place had he not been working here, but something that a traveller desiring a decent, homestyle cooked meal would enjoy.

As he approached the office in the rear he wondered where Dave was. He found Dave in the office, visibly annoyed and muttering under his breath. An ominous sign.

"What's going on?" asked Ian.

"Oh nothing, just trying to sort out the shift from last night. Dean was on, and every night that he's on, there is always a discrepancy in the totals. It seems like last night we were short about twenty dollars. On other nights, with other clerks, it is usually within two dollars, half and half for over and under. However, with Dean, we are consistently under ten to twenty dollars."

Ian felt the pangs of guilt start to build up in his chest. He knew that getting Dean a job was a gamble regarding his ability to hold a job, but he did not know that it would jeopardise his friend's job, and worse, his friendship with Dave.

"Sorry about this. Have you got the schedule? I'd like to look at when Dean's working so as to rearrange my schedule to work then."

"I've talked it over with my boss," Dave began gloomily, "he says he does not blame Dean's performance on me. However, he asked me to see if Dean would not mind stepping away from the job. He gave me some latitude to find a replacement, wut. Of course, I'm putting you in most of the shifts. But, I still feel like a heel for having had Dean do this."

"Don't blame yourself, pal. It's my fault, and I'll sort it out."

"Well, no time like the present to get some of the paperwork sorted. I've got to go out front to get the applications from others who want to work here. I know it seems stupid, but the corporate head office keeps them and you have to have one filled out to work here. We don't keep them here in the back because the people who look for jobs here often just go to the front."

As Dave left the office Ian sat back. He thought about working here. For two months, it would not be that bad. It offered him time to catch his breath, earn some cash, and do something respectable for once. The only drawback was that he was working for someone else, and with Dean. He hated being manipulated, but this boss was not so bad. Especially when Dave was there. Manipulation was the key reason why he was glad when that whole affair with the Benefactor was over.

He heard a commotion outside the office. There was someone yelling in the store. Ian tried to pass it off as some highway traveller arguing over the price of gasoline. According to Dave, that was not uncommon. But when this one did not seem to quiet down after a minute, Ian stuck his head outside the door to the office.

There was a masked man, holding up the store. Ian ducked down to avoid being seen. He decided against crawling out to try anything. It was safer to hunker down in the office. He grabbed a wrench off of a tool shelf in case the robber tried to come into the office.

There was more yelling outside, in the store. With his curiosity piqued, he looked out once again. The robber had a pistol pointed right at Dave. Dave's employee was filling a satchel with the cash from the cash register. Ian was worried for Dave. He could be killed or seriously hurt if that pistol went off.

The satchel was handed back over to the robber who seemed satisfied. He pulled his pistol down, pocketed it, and ran out the front of the store. Dave and the employee were breathing heavily, obviously relieved that they were not hurt.

"Are you guys alright?" Ian hollered from the back.

Dave seemed about ready to pass out. "I think we're fine. The silent alarm was pressed, so the police were alerted. They should be here any second now."

"I got a good look at the guy" cried the clerk up front. "I think I could identify him if he was in a line up."

Ian did not need to put him in a line up. He recognised the satchel and disguise used in the hold up. He recognised the robber. He recognised Dean.