Ultramarine By Oscar Tezanos-Pinto (slightly modified)

Once upon a time, there was this guy named Ultramarine. Ultramarine worked in a depanneur near his house. After working there for about two months, Ultramarine decides he wants to plan a robbery. He convinces one of his friends to come by while he is going to be alone in the store and rob him. He tells his friend to take the cash from the register and to take the many envelopes that are in a safe that will be placed at his feet.

All the envelopes contain many 20 dollar bills that the workers put and hide after there are too many bills in the register. In one envelope, there could be around $300 dollars, and that's why they are placed in the safe that opens and locks. Ultramarine says he's going to leave it open so his friend can take that cash also. Ultramarine will be fined $250 dollars for not locking the safe during his work hours, but he will pay that fine with the same money that his friend is going to steal and that they are going to split 50-50.

The day of the robbery, Ultramarine arrives at work as usual. He sees his coworker David, who happens to be the boss's son, finishing his shift and counting his cash before handing over the register to Ultramarine.

They talk for a little while, and then David puts all the money that was in the register inside a couple of envelopes and into the safe. Ultramarine tries to remain the most normal. A couple of minutes later, David heads off and leaves the whole store in Ultramarine's care.

As planned, his friend shows up, wearing a mask and armed with a pistol, and robs Ultramarine. Because of the surveillance camera in the store, Ultramarine puts on an outstanding performance. His friend steals the cash from the register and the safe, which Ultramarine left open, and runs off. Ultramarine calls the police and his boss to report what just happened.

No one suspects a thing, but they tell Ultramarine that unfortunately he has to be fined $250 dollars for leaving the safe open. Ultramarine doesn't really care because he knows that he will pay the fine with the same money his friend just stole and which they are going to split.

The next day, Ultramarine goes to his work to pay off the fine. Like usual, David is there as he always works on the shift before Ultramarine's, but Ultramarine wasn't working that day since the boss gave him the day off because of the drama he suffered the night before.

Ultramarine starts putting money on the counter so David could count it and take it, given the fact that David is the boss's son. While David is calculating the money, he stops and puts one of the many 20-dollar bills on the side and continues his count up.

All of a sudden David asks Ultramarine: "Do you have something to tell me?" Ultramarine doesn't know what to say and asks why. David responds by saying:

"I was working before you yesterday, and something strange happened. This guy came in the store and tried to pay with a 20-dollar bill that had a drawing on it. I didn't want to accept it but after a couple of minutes he convinced me and I took it. Now tell me, what are the odds of you paying me with a 20 dollar bill with the same drawing on it as he paid me yesterday?"