The Man in the Coffee Shop.

He came into the coffee shop at about the same time each day. An older man, dressed always in a good pair of slacks and a sports jacket. He looked in good physical shape and was relatively slim. He always carried a book, which he actually seldom read. He always had a pleasant smile on his face and a nod of his head to everyone. As a result everyone smiled back and said hello. He would sometimes say something to a person, but the conversation was always but a few sentences at the most. No one seemed to know him, except as the man they saw at the coffee shop. Then one day, he did not show up at his usual time. Someone inquired of the people behind the counter.

“We don’t know who he is. He always has the same cup of coffee and pays in cash,” was the reply. “Good morning and his order is all we ever get out of him.”

Several days later, he again showed up at his regular time. He looked somewhat tired and his slacks little rumpled. However he had his normal smile on his face and he nodded to everyone. Someone asked him where he had been but he ignored the question as if he didn’t hear the person. He continued to come at his same time for about two weeks, then on a Monday he didn’t show up. Three days later the police came inquiring about a man of about this man’s description. It seems a bank teller recalled seeing such a person in the coffee shop when she came to get her morning coffee. They were told that he had not been seen since Sunday. Apparently the bank had been robbed on Monday by a well dressed man of this man’s size. It was the second bank that had been robbed in the last few weeks. The staff of the coffee shop gave the police what they knew of this man, which was very little.

The policeman smiled, “That’s hardly enough to accuse a man of robbing a bank.”

The newspaper reported the police had several good leads and several days later someone was taken into custody. Three days later, the man came into the coffee shop at his usual time with his pleasant smile and his nod and dressed in his normal slacks and sports jacket. He was again asked where he had been and he again appeared he did not hear the question, although he smiled pleasantly at the questioner. He continued to come to the coffee shop at his regular time for another three weeks and then in the middle of the next week, he again failed to show up. The newspapers the next day carried a story of another bank that had been robbed by a well dressed man. The same policeman came and inquired of the man but it was just a very short questioning for a few minutes and then he left. The man picked up the first time had been let out on bail and he apparently had jumped bail and left the area. The following Monday the man again showed up at his usual time dressed in a completely new outfit that looked a little more expensive than his previous outfit. Again someone asked where he had been and again he seemed to ignore the question. He continued to come at his usual time and was his normal pleasant but relatively uncommunicative person. Several people wondered where he was, when he didn’t come in, because otherwise he came everyday and at exactly the same time. A couple even wondered if he had anything to do with the bank robberies, as he seemed to disappear at the same time the banks were robbed. Most of the people just laughed at the idea he could have anything to do with that. There were no more reports of any bank robberies for over a month and so that speculation died down and the man came at his regular time. Then one day he walked in dressed in jeans and a wool shirt. Everyone looked strange at him but he acted in his regular normal manner and didn’t seem to notice. He continued to arrive that way for a week and then he was back to his normal dress the next day. A week later he disappeared again. This time he was gone for two weeks, but then he showed up at his usual time. Two days later he came in with a very pretty young woman who they heard call him Dad. They both got coffee and then went and sat in the very back of the coffee shop and were in quiet and very earnest conversation which was carried on as they left. He did not come into the coffee shop for several days after that, but then began to show up at his regular time again and acted as if nothing had happened. Again if questioned he seemed to not hear the question, even though it was repeated. He never said anything about the young lady who came with him that one day. It had been noted she was well dressed and rather attractive. Up to that time he had always been alone and there had been no indication if he had ever been married. Then one day he came with a very well dressed older woman who some thought looked like the young woman he had been with. They went to the back of the room and sat in quiet and earnest conversation as they drank their coffee and ate a roll. They were there for quite a while constantly in conversation. Then they left still quietly talking. She looked much more finely dressed than he did and some commented she looked much wealthier than he had. Someone commented the perfume she had on was very expensive. He was gone a few days and then he was back at his usual time and looked the same way he always looked. This triggered some speculation among the regulars for a while. They wondered if she had been married to him but divorced and he was paying for her better style of living. However, everyone had to admit it seemed like a friendly conversation between them. He said nothing about the woman and seemed to forget about that and continued to act in his normal fashion. Soon speculation on that also died down. It was about a month and a half later, he came in one morning with a very attractive lady perhaps ten years younger than him. She was very attentive to him and he to her. She did not look anything like the other two women it was noted. For the next three weeks she would come in with him every once in a while and they were both very attentive to each other but ignored everyone else. Then she also seemed to disappear. The week after her last appearance he also did not come in. He was gone for several weeks and then he began coming back in his usual manner and dress, but he seemed even more than usual in his own little world and merely nodded in greeting but said nothing.