News NetworkThe Man with a Smile and a Hundred Coats

The Man with a Smile and a Hundred Coats

The below story is fictional and has not been modified in any way through the editorial process. Any similarities with persons living or dead is purely coincidental. The content below may contain explicit material not suitable for children.

The room was crowded with elegantly dressed people, men wearing their silver hair proudly, accompanied by their younger wives in expensive dresses.

Leopold was also present, but not as a guest, he was an employee of the hotel, he worked at the coat checkroom and, even though he had just been working there for two weeks, he seemed very dedicated. So dedicated, in fact, that he demanded he was placed at the entrance of the grand salon: the room where most black-tie events were set at. This gave him a great opportunity to shake the hands and benefit from the more than generous tips from the millionaires that usually frequented those events.

His interactions were so well intended that they appeared almost artistic. He would greet the guests, and, following the strictest etiquette, he would take their winter coats; always taking great care of them, all this with a smile and a quick comment that, more often than it should, granted him a handshake concealing a bill that bound him to the silent agreement of treating that person's belongings with special safekeeping.

The grand salon was hosting a fundraiser for the opening of a new clinic for the low-class citizens of the city. One that promised not only quality care, but also all the comforts needed for a quick recovery; with more accessible prices to those that had the misfortune of never having the presence of mind, or a good enough salary, to get insurance.

As more and more people filled the room, suddenly, Leopold found himself attending to his last customers of the evening: A lovely couple; the man was wearing a black tux with a dark blue tie, matched by a handkerchief of the same color. The lady complimented the man's style perfectly with a dark blue dress with a corset-like top, and a straight cut downward; both aspects of her dress accentuated her athletic figure, and her cleavage let little to the imagination, but was tastefully concealed by a silk stole that also curtained her shoulders, which, if left uncovered, would give her a slight masculine shape. Her black hair was slightly combed to the back, but was hanging loose, with a damp effect. Leopold took the man's coat and hung it in a nearby wooden box with an overlay of mirrors and golden frames that provided it with the appearance of an actual closet, rather than an improvised contraption.

The event began with a quick greet from the host and a short but profound speech from the project manager, followed by a comedy-like act that explained the reasons for both the fundraiser, and the project.

After those two activities; that lasted about an hour and a half, dinner was served. Leopold observed the waiters and was glad that his boss let him wear a black suit, instead of the dark-red vests and pants that made the staff more easily identifiable.

The dinner carried on as the guests drank, ate and laughed their way through pleasant interactions. The room was particularly colorful that evening: The black carpet and table-cloths, coped with the white wallpaper on the walls, depicting flowers and leaves in bas-relief; set a comfortable tone for the occupants of the room. The fact that there was a podium in the far end of the room, without curtains or giant white screens with a projector on the ceiling, gave a high class feel, despite the obvious minimalist ambiance.

The waiters, like an army of red ants, quickly cleared all the tables of dishes, and left in their place a glass of champagne that could be seen on the hand of every one of the guests. After a quick toast to "good deeds" as the well-spoken host stated, the interesting part of the evening began.

That next part was the reason Leopold had asked not only for the job, but also for the possibility of being present in the events, even if he had to work double shifts his first week to be able to gain such an honor. The guests were called forward, in front of a big metal box, where they handed a check to the host and he read out loud the amount of money and the name of the donor. Leopold loved this scene; it marked the moment where all the bluffs were called and people had to keep true to the appearance they were conveying. It was the hour when people would notice (to later comment) who gave how much money, and, incidentally, it set apart the blabbermouths from those who spoke the truth. Women would pressure their husbands to write a check for them, apart from the one they were giving themselves, so they could have their names announced and they had something to brag about during the rest of the weekend. It was a sort of "pass" to criticize in a "good intended" way those wives who were not able to convince their husbands, who were well aware of the subtext of the petition, and who sometimes indulged while they sipped more champagne and continued their conversation, as if they were just asked by a kid for a couple of dimes to put in a candy machine. After the woman had completed her objective, she would patiently wait for her husband to write a second check, this one with either an equal or a larger amount.

The moment Leopold was waiting for was finally at hand: The lovely couple from before came forward and, following the ritual all other couples had already engaged in, delivered their checks to the host, who read the amounts to the audience and congratulated them. Their names were Sylvia and David. The host also mentioned their last name; unfortunately, there was a loud ovation in their honor for having provided the final and second biggest contribution, which made it impossible to hear it.

The guests reunited at their tables, and were greeted by a mint mousse the waiters had placed for them as they were distracted with the previous activity.

It was two in the morning and the evening was coming to a close, or rather, that's what most guests thought, yet, Leopold was expecting another event which, for him, was the most important occurrence of the entire evening.

He was leaning back against the wide doors that represented the only exit, when he noticed his very own main event was about to take place. A man approached him and asked very politely if he could do him a favor: He was going to the lavatory and he didn't want his companion to be left alone, the favor simply consisted in talking to her for various minutes; Leopold agreed and the man kindly slipped a bill in his front jacket pocket as he escorted him to his table.

Leopold knew this favor was not something random, he was convinced it was a skillful move devised by someone clever, a subtle move designed to keep him away from the door. He arrived at the table, and stood next to a young woman; dressed with a black, strapless dress that made her skin look paler and her hair darker. She greeted him and thanked him for agreeing to the man's plea. His impression was confirmed when, as he sat down, he glanced over at the door and noticed a big man guarding it.

The woman tried to engage him with tales about her preferred brands of wine and several wine-tasting events she had both attended and hosted herself. To Leopold, her conversation was simply static for his mental preparation of the events he was sure would soon come about.

The lights abruptly came on, causing an interruption to all conversations and a game of stares between everyone in the room, Taking advantage of the silence; a group of six men wearing black suits with black shirts and ties came forward in an organized way and stood in a line behind the podium, facing the audience. Out of the crowd, several other men with the same attire stood up and one of them walked towards the podium and took the microphone, Leopold noticed the man standing at the door as part of their group.

The man with the microphone scanned the room and did not say a word. Leopold felt a hand brushing against his back, turned around and saw the man who had asked him to talk to the woman standing next to him. The man gave him a malicious grin.

-How was your trip? -Leopold asked in a whisper.

-Couldn't go, I was engaged by a beautiful woman.
Leopold acknowledged his instinct was right and that the man was simply distracting him so his partner could assume his post.

The man with the microphone introduced himself as Gilbert and he engaged in a similar speech as the one which started the evening, but he did it in a heavily sarcastic tone. All the guests looked at him with disgust.

There was a man guarding each one of the fifteen tables, and they all ordered the guests to surrender their mobile phones to them.

Once he was done mocking the host, the cause, and the overall event, Gilbert explained to the room that he had been moved by their kindness and was not only going to take the money accumulated. He also explained how they were now part of a club dedicated to him and had to pay a mandatory fee of one million each.

The man scanned the room once again; his dark eyes coldly went through his public as he smiled at them. He was tall, slim and moved with confidence. Even though he was not a handsome man and he was wearing the same suit as his thugs, his clothes gave him a considerably more stylish appearance.

Gilbert continued explaining that the fee would grant them the possibility to leave the room unharmed. He then manifested that their donations had earned them the right to be treated as both ladies and gentlemen, before mouthing off about his hatred for violent treatment. Gilbert also brought out the fact that he and his men were armed and that if everyone cooperated, they would not use their guns and would let everyone leave the room safely at noon.

Leopold understood the plan: A fundraiser between the wealthiest men and women of the city could easily extend as long as necessary, uninterrupted. Probably the man guarding the door had instructions to bribe any employees that got curious so they could carry out their plan. Gilbert was pressuring people to comply to his wishes so he would not harm them, after all, as he explained during his speech about his repulsion towards violence, he knew what each guest was worth and, as the businessman he claimed to be, he was willing to reduce the amount to be paid, five thousand each time, but those cuts would be accompanied by a bullet that he would hate to waste. Given the odds, naturally, everyone in the room would agree to his terms without hesitation, after all, everyone there had a stature higher than a mere million.

Finally, after the last check was written, they would probably send one man out with the metal box containing the donations. Knowing the fundraiser was taking place, no-one would suspect of a man leaving with that box. Leopold knew that whoever took the spoils would then deliver them to a second team, whose task would be to cash each check before noon. Since every check goes to a specific foundation, they probably planned to threaten the host more aggressively than the other guests for the account information, that is, if they didn't have it already. After that, it would not represent a problem to transfer the funds to a different account before disappearing forever. As for the host, the waiters and himself, Leopold was sure they planned to kill them; after all, the guests were major players in that game, on the other hand, he and his co-workers were mere spectators.

Leopold got up from his seat and walked towards Gilbert; the man guarding his table followed him and placed his hand firmly on Leopold's shoulder, trying to stop him. Leopold gripped the man's hand with his right and squeezed it tightly as he turned around and kicked him in the stomach. Everybody let out a concerned, yet surprised gasp and looked at him and then back at Gilbert, who was clearly aggravated by the scene.

-Take him out! -yelled Gilbert as his men reached into their jackets to grab their guns. The guests leaned towards their tables and covered the back of their heads with their hands. Leopold continued walking as a smile appeared on his face.

A wave of confusion filled the air as Gilbert's men looked at each other. Gilbert ordered them once again to draw their weapons as he saw Leopold coming towards him and was feeling distraught.

-You idiots! Shoot! -he said, and after noticing none of his men were obeying he decided to take Leopold out himself.

He reached into his jacket on his left side below his armpit with his right hand, and, in the act of doing that, his face changed from angry to concern at his discovery: his holster was empty.

That was it! Leopold got the reaction he expected, he turned back and ran in the direction of the man at the door. When he reached him, the man tried to punch him in the stomach, but Leopold dodged his attack, and, in a quick motion, placed himself behind him and pushed him, the man fell on the floor and looked back at Leopold, and at his hand resurfacing from his side with a gun.

-Get up and go to your boss! -ordered Leopold.
The man did as instructed. Leopold drove his left hand inside his jacket and took out a second weapon. He proceeded to round up the group of men and asked the host to call the police.

-How? -asked Gilbert while laying face down on the floor. His men did the same.

-Simple: My friend Jack, your host for this evening, told me about this event and asked me to help him, convinced someone could come after the money, and how right he was! The hard part was to get a temporary job here at the hotel and enough leeway to place a "checkpoint" at the entrance of this room, which, as you can see, is so private that it lacks surveillance, or guards. Already set outside the room, the easy part followed: I was supposed to frisk each one of you as you checked-in your coats with me. I am pleased to report you were the only ones here, besides me, carrying weapons, and that I skillfully took them from you. The most splendid part is: most of your men and, of course, yourself, rewarded me handsomely for disarming you. Later, it was a matter of waiting until you finished making a fool of yourself with your prattle so I could effortlessly apprehend you.

The police arrived and placed the gang under arrest. As they were dragging him away, Gilbert looked at Leopold angrily.

-That was a very impressive display of sleight of hand.

-Thanks -said Leopold as he walked outside along with him.

-Who are you?

Leopold walked away from Gilbert and the cop car he was being pushed into. When he reached the corner, and just before crossing the street, he turned around and yelled:

-My name is Leopold, ask around when you are in the lockup if you wish to know more, I hear a lot of guys there have stories to tell about me.

The next day the papers featured a small column titled:

"THE MAN WITH A SMILE" PREVENTS ROBBERY.

Author - Armando Garcia

Armando Garcia is a writer and apprentice novelist. He often likes to play video-games when he can break the symbiosis between him and his computer, he also enjoys writing short stories as warm-up and still mourns the loss of his first novel draft to a virus he swore revenge against.