...

Jimmy cleaned himself up and changed into his best suit. Well, it was called the best, but it was actually just a suit he had bought for a thousand or so for social engagements. He wouldn't wear it for work normally.

Speaking of which, Jimmy's shopping plans were always interrupted by cases or being called away on business trips. This time he was back, he promised himself he would find time to really sort out what to buy.

Of course, going out, he definitely needed to bring his gun. Once back in New York and dressed in a suit, it only felt safe to carry both guns. After checking his appearance in the full-length mirror, Jimmy called a taxi company and headed straight for Madison Park.

Luckily, despite the traffic, Jimmy managed not to be late. Just as he got out of the car at the intersection, he saw a red Ferrari Enzo parked at the entrance of No. 11. Mary and Jenna were getting out of the car, and a waiter had already taken the keys from Jenna.

Jimmy stepped forward and said to Jenna, "Wow, Jenna, nice car. It's beautiful."

Jenna pointed at Jimmy and asked, "Are you talking about the car or us?"

Jimmy replied, "Of course, it's you guys."

Mary and Jenna were both dressed in formal gowns, with Mary in a red one-shoulder dress paired with a black shawl. Her left arm featured a thin fabric style, and she wore a silver-white necklace on her neck. The dress length reached her knees, paired with high heels that made her calves look slender and elegant. Jenna, on the other hand, was wearing a backless, double-strap dress that faded to purple, also knee-length, with a dark necklace that probably had a pearl pendant. It must be said, the two of them standing together certainly drew everyone's attention.

Suddenly, Jimmy felt that attending their dinner might have been a mistake. Standing next to them, he always felt like he was spoiling the beauty.

Speaking of which, they had made a reservation to come here for dinner well in advance, and now dressing so formally, it seemed, maybe, he had been out of his mind during the day? It was too obvious.

Mary said, "Let's go inside." Mary came up and took Jimmy's left arm and walked towards the restaurant, with Jenna on Mary's left side.

Truth be told, this was Jimmy's first time in such a high-end restaurant, and he was completely out of his element. Mary could tell from Jimmy's actions, so she led the conversation the whole way as they walked in, with Jimmy just tagging along like a fixture.

Once seated, Jimmy completely let go. It was his first time having French cuisine, and he had no idea how to choose from so many dishes. He handed the choice over to Mary, just there to add to the ambiance.

Clearly, when Jenna and Mary were together, Mary took the lead, so the task of ordering was entirely up to her.

The waiter left their spot, and Jenna said smilingly to Jimmy, "Lucky guy, tell me, did you know in advance that we were gathering today? We booked half a month in advance, you know."

Jimmy smiled too. Jenna's personality was quite cheerful, whereas Mary looked more like an intellectual beauty. However, having played squash with them, Jimmy knew Mary wasn't as composed as she seemed.

"I also wish I had known in advance, then I could have prepared a bit."

Jimmy gestured to his outfit, which, compared to Jenna and Mary, just seemed like any regular office worker's clothes.

Jimmy added, "I know how bad this looks."

The aperitifs arrived, and the three raised their glasses. Jimmy said, "Here's to this wonderful serendipity."

The three spoke softly, just casual chatter, with Mary and Jenna occasionally whispering to each other.

Jimmy experienced the complexity of the French dinner for the first time. He had never thought a dinner could take over two hours. The lengthy meal, complicated steps, and Jimmy couldn't even remember how many courses he had eaten. With three rounds of wine—champagne to start, wine to accompany the meal, and liqueur with dessert—the only thing Jimmy clearly remembered at the end was that the Alaska dessert was delicious.

After finishing their dinner, the trio reached the entrance where Jenna's car was already brought around by the valet.

Jimmy said goodbye to them. Clearly, the dinner had turned them into slightly familiar almost-friends. Jimmy said, "Thank you for the dinner."

Jenna replied, "Goodbye, lucky guy." She moved forward with a kiss on the cheek, "Goodbye, Jenna. Be careful on the road." She turned and got into the car.

Mary also stepped forward to hug Jimmy. "Goodbye, Jimmy." "Goodbye, Mary. Goodnight." She got into the passenger seat, Enzo started, and drove off, leaving Jimmy alone at the entrance, watching the tail lights fade away.

This was Madison Park, and Jimmy didn't call a cab but opted to stroll down the road instead.

Although he had been eating for over two hours, he hadn't eaten as much as he'd imagined. Now, feeling just right, Jimmy thought of taking a stroll to digest his meal. Speaking of which, upon seeing Madison Square Park, Jimmy suddenly remembered that there seemed to be a basketball arena nearby. He considered buying tickets to watch a game sometime since it was all in Manhattan and not far away.

After wandering for a while, Jimmy saw an empty cab by the roadside and hailed it to head home for some rest.

On Monday, dressed in a suit, Jimmy arrived at Federal Square. Today, he wasn't alone; he had called Jones in the morning to come along. Reaching the 23rd floor, the two separated, Jimmy went to find Ruiz.

Jimmy knocked on the door of Ruiz's office, which was ajar, "Hi, Ruiz, I'm back."

Ruiz looked up, "Yo, our seconded detective is back. How was Dallas?"

Jimmy, "So-so, not as many acquaintances there as we have here. How have things been recently? Any cases to handle?"

Ruiz, "Plenty of cases, but you should first stop by Hughes's office."

Jimmy, "Uh, why?"

Ruiz, "It's pretty clear, you might have a new assignment. Go ahead."

Confused, Jimmy headed to Hughes's office. Last Saturday, Hughes hadn't mentioned anything while he was in the office. Could he really be so principled not to arrange things on non-working days?

"Knock knock," Jimmy knocked on Hughes's door, as seemed customary since the doors to the offices were almost always left open unless there was something that needed privacy.

Hughes, "Sit." Jimmy sat down in front of Hughes's desk, "Jimmy, how was Dallas?"

Jimmy, speechless, thought, don't you know? As my supervisor, shouldn't you have my case report? Lambert must have briefed you.

Jimmy, "Fine, although I didn't handle many cases, I didn't run into any trouble either."

Hughes, "Really? There seems to be a missing week or more in your Dallas file. Were you on leave?"

Jimmy, "Uh, there was a small issue with my former boss, so I went to Little Rock. I had pre-reported it, and supervisor Lambert had approved it."

Hughes, "Alright, I'll verify with Lambert. Now, let's talk about your work. Since June, you've been halfway through your probation period. Any thoughts?"

Jimmy, "Ah, time flies. There are some thoughts. Since coming to the Manhattan office and really starting to handle cases, I've realized I still lack a lot of experience, even though I've been a county police for two years. I'm thankful to all the leaders for their care, allowing me to get into the swing of things quickly..."

Hughes raised a hand to stop Jimmy's rambling, "Stop! Stop! I don't want to hear that. Have you thought about which department you'd like to go to?"

Jimmy, "Uh, Hughes, did I do something wrong?"

Hughes took a deep breath and then exhaled, "No, I just want to hear your opinion on which team and cases you'd like to be involved in after your probation period."

Jimmy, "I hadn't thought about it. I'll leave it up to your arrangement."

Hughes, "Alright, you can go now. Wait for my call."

Jimmy, "Okay, Hughes, goodbye."

Jimmy buttoned up his suit jacket and left Hughes's office, taking a deep breath only after leaving. Man, what a bunch of loaded questions earlier. When had the FBI changed their bureaucratic style? Can one freely choose their work internally, especially an intern who hasn't yet finished their probation?

What was Hughes really thinking? Why did it feel like there was a chill down his spine?

Also, how could Lambert possibly not know why he was missing for over a week? The supervisor in Little Rock, Pete, had been contacted through his help. Hadn't he synced this case with Hughes?

Were these supervisors trying to play games with a lowly intern detective?

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