Puzzletober 2025: Mustache

Somewhere in the rural American countryside, a man in his mid-thirties lugs a four-wheeled suitcase along an unpaved road. He is protected from the cold by a decent brown jacket, gray sweatpants, and a deerstalker hat. The only building in sight is a two-story rustic hotel. There is an old woman in a simple wooden chair knitting something on the front porch; she briefly glances at him as he knocks on the front door. The door is answered a few seconds later by a man between their ages who shivers at the temperature of the atmosphere.

The man with the suitcase says, "Do you have a spare room for the night? My car broke down on the side of the road about a mile that way," and he gestures accordingly. The other says, "We normally only take reservations. But... seeing as this is an emergency, we'll see what the innkeeper says. I assume you've tried calling a tow truck." "No service." "I know. It never hurts to try. Can I get your name?" The clerk strokes his mustache until he understands the answer. "You're bluffing," he says. "No, I have an ID... in my wallet..." He rummages through his jacket pockets and displays his vindication. "Well, I'll be," says the clerk with delighted surprise.

"Anyways, Mr. Camden is currently out spending time in nature with the main patrons of today. I advise you to wait downstairs until they return." The clerk steps back inside.

Rules: Determine the newcomer's name by matching together two halves of these cut I(n)D(ex) cards.



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