Ockham's Razor: A Deductive Riddle

Chapter 44

"I was talking about Seattle."

She laughed. "Have you been to India?"

"Of course. I've visited my grandparents and relatives there on several occasions. But I don't get involved with Indian politics. I don't even like thinking about American politics."

"I bet your society is focussed on karma as a force in politics."

"First, remember, I'm American. So, my society is your society. But second, back in India, I am not Hindu. I am an Indian Christian. We are not a true subscriber to the belief in karma. However, I am very aware of how Hinduism functions."

Looking a bit chastised, Kate diverted the conversation. "Ah, I really want to go to India."

Ian, softening his person, "Me, I want to go to Fiji."

"Why Fiji? What is there?"

"Back in Seattle, I had a friend from Fiji. And he made it out to be an island paradise. One day, I will go there and experience paradise itself."

"That's beautiful. Take me with you when you go. I'll skip India, I'll go to Fiji with you instead."

Realising the fantastic development that she liked him, he had to remind himself that she had been drinking, and a sober Kate may not want to go to Fiji with him although a sober Kate had said she liked daring men. That brought him back to the point of the meeting tonight. "I'll take you to Fiji, if you answer one question for me."

She paused, took a sip from an empty glass through the straw, put it down, looked at him and said nothing. Just stared at him.

Ian, stalling for a moment, waved to Pete for another round. He took the natural pause while waiting as the trigger to ask. "Have you ever been been manipulated by someone to do something you disagreed with?

She chuckled, then laughed. "I thought you were going to ask me to sleep with you." She continued laughing. The alcohol was hitting her.

"I'm serious."

"Look," she began, "I like you. There is something really interesting about you. I don't know what it is, but from the moment I saw you in that race last year, I knew that I wanted to know you. I took your silly coffee date, despite my ethical compass saying to leave you alone. I tested you myself even though I have undergrads all lined up to do that for me. You, Ian, are an intriguing man."

Ian was struck with affection, but part of him could not get over how, despite all those words, she had not answered the question. Did he need to press her harder? If what she said was true, then he had some leeway to press harder without jeopardising his standing with her.

He paused for a second as Pete came, dropped the cocktail and pint onto the table and cleared away the empty glasses.

"I did not hear you answer the question."

"Why would you even ask such a question? Are you asking me if I've been raped?"

Horrified that she jumped to that conclusion, he immediately changed tack. "No. No. No. Not at all. But, last year, after our interview...um, I've been wrapped up in a situation that has been full of intrigue. I've been involved with other people who, likewise, have been in a situation we can't seem to comprehend. When we look at it, all of us have two things in common." He paused here to look at her. She seemed focussed on what he was saying.

"We are all from out of town with no firm connections to Great Plains. Second, we all were involved in testing through your lab, your experiment." Pause. No reaction. "If I were to apply Ockham's Razor to the circumstances around our involvement with this intrigue, it tells me that you, or someone you work with, is using our information to have us manipulated into acting against our wills."