FICTION

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Helen 1-W-1 FPE

When Russ Jenkins asked for the key to his hotel room he couldn't help but notice the careful scrutiny he received from an ugly giant of a man standing at the clerks desk beside him. As he entered the elevator another glance revealed that the brute of a man was still staring at him intently. As the lift took him upward to his eleventh floor room he searched his memory to discern if he had seen him before, but without success. "Oh well"... he exclaimed softly, “I guess he mistook me for someone else". Had his ears been able to hear a conversation at the same moment from the pay booth in the hotel lobby, he would have been frightened.

"I tell ya boss it was Muggsy dat I saw. Whoever done the hit on him muffed the job. He checked in room 'leven eighteen. It can't be a mistake, boss. I worked wid him on too many jobs." The big man listened for a while, nodding his balding, pointed shaped head as he listened. "Okay boss" he chimed in finally, "I'll get a room as close to his as I can and wait for Shorty and Joe. They gonna come right down?" An affirmative answer had him nodding in agreement and soon he was obtaining a room. The room across the hall, number 1119 was vacant. Moments later the burly character was kneeling in front of his keyhole watching the door of 1118.

At that moment a tired Russ Jenkins had finished a warm shower and was slipping on a pair of printed jockey shorts. After a drink of ice water brought up by the bell hop he stretched out on the comfortable bed and in no time at all was sound asleep. He had hardly stirred in the four hours he was permitted to sleep. The shady gents had waited for things to calm down for the night, before checking out their man. At nearly two A.M. two of them stood on either side of Russ's door and

36