Hitman 'drops mask for flirty hostel receptionist'

She asked to see 'his pretty smile'

- CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

A FLIRTATIOUS exchange at a hostel could prove pivotal in the hunt for the masked gunman suspected of assassinating insurance boss Brian Thompson.

Police released images showing the man smiling, with his mask lowered, after a receptionist asked to "see his pretty smile", according to reports.

It is hoped the brief exposure will lead to his identification. Last night, the suspect was still on the run.

The hooded man, labelled a person of interest, was staying at the hostel, on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where he flirted with the female worker before Thompson was shot on Wednesday.