Read Online The Fat Innkeeper by Alan Russell - Free Book Online

almost turning American, and Am wasn’t sure he liked that.
    “When I arrive,” he said, “I find another young man sitting in my office.”
    So, thought Am. Someone had finally beaten Takei to work.
    “He had the same story as the others,” said Takei. “I tell him there is a mistake, and that he should remove himself from
     my office, but he will not leave.”
    That was a first, thought Am. His predecessors had quickly vacated Takei’s office when asked to leave.
    “He say that he was hired as the manager,” said Takei. “I tell him more than a few times that that position is already taken.”
    Takei’s tone was firm. The unsaid echo was there might be an opening in security very soon.
    “I’ll take care of it,” said Am.
    “You tell me that before, three, four times. Did you call the authorities like I suggest? The FBI?”
    Am got the feeling that Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., was still headlining on reruns in Japan. “We’re talking about serial hiring,”
     said Am, “not serial murdering.”
    Takei’s face went white. “This is not a funny thing,” he said, “even if everyone seems to think so.”
    Somewhere in that somber statement Am heard a child’s cry of “Everybody is laughing at me.” That explained why, from appearances
     at least, Takei was more alarmed about this situation than he was by Dr. Kingsbury’s death. In Japan few things are more important
     than saving face.
    “I’ll get back your office for you,” said Am. “And I’ll try to get answers. Maybe this one noticed more than the others.”
    “If he did not, what will you do?”
    Am almost said, “I’ll perform
seppuku in
the lobby,” but instead replied, “I’ll come up with a new plan.”
    It would have been more accurate had Am announced he would simply come up with a plan. What he had been hoping was the practical
     joker would tire of his game. But this prankster was single-minded, if nothing else.
    The kid was sitting in Takei’s leather chair. He looked as Am expected, about eighteen or nineteen, and still in the market
     for acne cream. Diana Wade was talking to him, trying to put the young man at ease. Takei’s administrative
assistant
was getting all too used to these kinds of situations, and was hard-pressed not to show her amusement.
    “Hi, Di,” Am said.
    Diana was new to the Hotel, one of the few recent additions that Am approved of. She was a single mother successfully raising
     two young boys, which meant she was basically unflappable. Her job, Am had heard her say, was the easy part of her day.
    “Hi, Am. I’ve got another new boss. This one’s named Larry Young.”
    The kid was the fourth GM to announce himself in the past month. There was a similarity to all of the pretenders to the throne.
     They were eighteen to twenty years old, equal parts cocksure and unsure. All of them had applied for a job at the Hotel, any
     job. Apparently someone had managed to purloin their applications. The young men had been called and arrangements made to
     meet them at a site off the property. The mystery interviewer had been uniformly impressed with all of the candidates. Their
     intelligence, their acumen, and their character had in every instance astounded the bogus human-resources director. He had
     told the applicants that they were not just suited for any job, but the top job. They were to be hired as general manager.
     It was the kind of story which only a young man could believe, could swallow without too many questions. It didn’t totally
     surprise them that someone else confirmed what they had always suspected: they were very special.
    “Hi, Larry,” said Am. “My name is Am.”
    Am offered his hand, but it wasn’t accepted enthusiastically. “Mr. Fletcher,” said Larry, “warned me about you. He said I
     shouldn’t listen to either you or Mr. Takei.”
    “Fletcher” was elaborating on his practical joke. That wasn’t good news as far as Am was concerned. Now he was even coaching
     the