Case No. 47
CAFE & DINER PRE-CAFE AND DINER · OUTSIDE OF LONG BEACH, CA · ANOTHER ANGEL TO DEFECT
DINER RECEIPT
RECEIPT NUMBER: WMO01
RECEIPT DATE: 10 5 19XX
MANAGER TITLE: BALTIMORE
RECEIPT NOTES:
Who could have guessed? Another unexpected turn of events. At this point, I should expect nothing less. A guest arrived at the Cafe and Diner today—odd, considering we're not yet open for business. I can only assume our reputation precedes us. Exceptionally so. But it wasn't just any guest. No, they weren't here for coffee… they were looking for a job.
Strange fellow. Tall, nondescript, friendly. Not at all what he seems. He introduced himself as Mr. Octo. Whether that's his real name or just an alias, I'm not sure. Either way, he seemed very interested in our operations. In fact, he seemed eager—maybe too eager—to help us get the Cafe and Diner off the ground. I might say he tipped his hand a little too much. Still, with his knowledge and our collective expertise, we might just rival even the Lighthouse's coffee game.
Of course, as we've discussed countless times, taking on new hires before our debts are paid and our foundations are secure is a risk we can't afford. And yet… Perhaps this Barista is the exception. Or maybe I'm just playing with fire. Or frost. Whichever suits the mood better. The decision may not be entirely in my hands, but I only need to convince Mon Amour and my Trusted Associate to go along with it. Luckily, time is on my side.
Besides, Mr. Octo has something I want. And I'll do whatever I need to get it. Though, even if he's unwilling to share, I doubt I'll need to wait much longer. These things, after all, have a way of working themselves out.
Yours to be,
Baltimore
DINER RECEIPT
RECEIPT NUMBER: WMO02
RECEIPT DATE: 10 6 19XX
MANAGER TITLE: TRUSTED ASSOCIATE
RECEIPT NOTES:
Good to see nouvel ami finally coming around to my way of thinking. Though I didn't quite expect we'd be hiring some unknown hippie off the street. That's where my hesitation lies with this "Mr. Octo." I've been around for a long time—longer than nouvel ami, that's certain. Longer than la dame? No, not quite. But few have been around as long as she has. Still, considering the circles I ran in before this new venture, you'd think I'd have heard something about this Octo. Especially if what nouvel ami claims he knows is true. He seems to know things about the bigger picture, things even most of my old coworkers were in the dark about. Maybe Alfa or Shaka knew. But that's where the list of people in the know runs dry.
If it were anyone else—Marcus Douglas, or perhaps Madeline Saturn—I'd be fully on board. And nouvel ami, I assume you're reading this: I don't need to remind you of Mr. Douglas' skills. And from what I've heard, Madeline Saturn has some rather unique abilities that would greatly benefit us. Just suggestions, of course. But if we take Mr. Octo at his word, I fully expect we'll be hiring more baristas soon. It's only fair—and it would take quite the load off you and la dame.
As for this matter, I'll defer my vote to la dame. Since I know nothing about this "Octo" character, I can't give my seal of approval. But if you can get la dame to agree, nouvel ami, then it seems fated that Mr. Octo will join our team. Still, we'll meet with Madeline this month and Marcus the next. It may be worth reaching out to our little "Secret" as well. To see if he knows anything about this Mr. Octo. If anyone around here were to know something, it'd be Secret. He's truly a man of marvels, nouvel ami. Glad you came around to see it.
DINER RECEIPT
RECEIPT NUMBER: WMO03
RECEIPT DATE: 10 7 19XX
MANAGER TITLE: MON AMOUR
RECEIPT NOTES:
Well… I've been thinking it over the past few days. Big thanks to you, Luthuli, for making this my decision. And honestly, I'm still not sold. On any of it. A strange man shows up at our not-yet-open Cafe and Diner, offering up esoteric secrets about the "bigger picture." Where I come from, that's how you end up paying a visit to my older sister down south. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm worried this won't play out the way mon amour thinks it will.
Then again, if the past few months have proven anything, it's that he usually knows what he's getting into. Almost has an uncanny knack for predicting how things will go. But then again, luck runs out eventually. And right now, it feels like we're pushing ours. Still, it would be nice to have someone else around to help get things up and running, especially if what he's promising is true.
But there's something I can't shake. It's hard to explain. For someone so worried that a single-digit could give us away… why invite a stranger whose name is literally that number? Sure, "Octo" isn't exactly the same as the number itself, but like mon amour said, isn't this playing with fire? We haven't even opened our doors yet, and already there's a real risk that getting involved with Mr. Octo could shut us down before we start. I won't pretend to fully understand how the Erratas work, but if mon amour is right, and someone's watching for that number, this feels like a bad idea.
Then again, he's the one worried about those things. And knowing him, he's thought this through and knows what he's getting into by dealing with Mr. Octo. So… fine. Let's go for it. But on one condition: Your Trusted Associate and I reserve the right to veto Mr. Octo at any time. I love you, mon amour, but sometimes you get carried away by your own ambitions.
DINER RECEIPT
RECEIPT NUMBER: WMO04
RECEIPT DATE: 10 8 1988
MANAGER TITLE: EIGHT
RECEIPT NOTES:
I'm glad to be part of your little, uh, gang of sorts.
I know, I know—watch the numbers, right? Don't sweat it. :) Me and JM had a chat about that whole "Errata" thing. Bottom line: no need to stress so much over a single number. At least not yet, you feel me? I've read everything up to this point, and it seems like you all think of me as some kind of "Big Picture" guy, huh? Well, I guess that's fair. I do have some big-picture ideas. But don't mistake ideas for answers.
Anyway, I'm happy to help however I can. I also noticed JM seems to want something from me—though I can't say I know what that is, and he won't tell me. Probably should've filed that under the AND, am I right? Haha… just messing with you. I know coffee's your thing. That's the whole deal, right? So a few twists and turns along the way are to be expected. But trust me, if I had something you needed, I'd give it over in a heartbeat.
That reminds me, I should probably introduce myself more formally—or, uh, "informally," I guess. My name's Jack Octo. My friends usually just call me 8. You can call me 8, or Jack, or Octo—whatever floats your boat. :) I can't say I'm as, you know, illustrious as you all are. I'm just… me. But when I heard what you guys were up to, I knew I wanted in. I've got a feeling this coffee venture is gonna be huge. It'll be worth all the trouble—I know it.
And if things are heading in the direction I think they're heading, we're gonna need a combination Cafe and Diner more than ever. Big things are happening, not just here, but across the country. Maybe the world, if you can believe it. People are starting to wake up, and what's the first thing you grab when you wake up? That's right, a nice warm cup of coffee.
Anyway, I'll be around, so just holler if you need me. :)
-8
Caffeinated Report: C-TBP01
"(ic, x) (iycppiyc,ppiycpp)
ic = 8 – 8
x = 8 + -5
iycppiyc = 8 * 1/4
ppiycpp = 8 / 8/9."
Cipher | 1 Word
Caffeinated Report: CD-WMO05
"XLIII."
French Poetry Trivia | 4 Words