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James furrows his brow, clearly still concerned. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just unlike him to be so unresponsive. If you hear from him, let me know, okay?"
"Will do," Derek assures him with a nod.
James eventually takes his leave, reminding us once more about the urgency of the case. Once he's gone, Derek turns to me, his expression unreadable. "You look different today.”
"I just felt like wearing a little makeup today. You know, to look more awake and less like a walking zombie." I respond, brushing it off.
Derek raises an eyebrow with a slight smirk, not entirely convinced by my explanation. "Or is there another reason for the sudden change? Are you trying to impress someone?"
I frown for a moment until I understand what he is implying, to which I throw the balled up garbage from my bagel at him. “No, I am not trying to impress anyone. I don’t need to impress anyone. Except maybe whatever sleep gods are out there.”
Derek scoffs but doesn’t say anything further as we both get back to working through the available case information looking for new leads.
As we continue sifting through the case information, Derek glances at his watch and then looks at me with a knowing look. "It's almost time. We need to head to the café to meet Winters."
I frown down at the table for a moment before looking back at him. “Thank you for giving this approach a try, I know how much you dislike journalists and I appreciate you doing this.”
He looks away from me for a moment and I can’t tell what he is thinking. “We weren’t making any progress. if there is the chance that he can provide some new insight or lead then my issue with the press shouldn’t factor into it.”
Tilting my head, I continue to look at him, “Are you going to tell me why you don’t like them?”
“Maybe when this is over,” he responds before looking at me with a grin. “Wouldn’t want to affect our relationship with our new bestie.”
We head out of the office together, making our way to the café where we agreed to meet Tristan. The streets are filled with the hustle and bustle of the morning rush hour, but my mind is preoccupied with the upcoming meeting.
When we arrive at the café, Tristan is already there, sitting at a corner table, waiting for us. He looks up as we approach, a half smirk on his face. "Well, well, fancy meeting you two here," he says, his tone playful.
I give Tristan a small smile, taking a seat across from him. "Good morning, Mr—
I mean Tristan. Thanks for meeting us."
Derek is more abrupt, nodding at Tristan. "Morning. Let's get to it. We're hoping you can help provide some new insights into the case."
Tristan seems unfazed by Derek's demeanor and instead, he leans forward, genuinely interested. "I'm all ears. Lay it out for me."
I proceed to give Tristan a brief overview of the case, careful not to reveal too much sensitive information. I share the basic details about the victims, the murders, and how nothing we have found connects them.
Tristan listens intently, occasionally asking questions to clarify certain points. When I finish, he leans back in his chair, deep in thought. "So you're looking for something more, something that ties all this together?"
"Yes," I confirm. "We believe there's a bigger picture, but we're missing crucial information to see it clearly."
Tristan drums his fingers on the table, pondering. "Hmm, interesting. Well, if you think there might be information hidden or deleted, my friend Max is pretty good with data recovery and digging up digital traces. He's a bit of a genius when it comes to technology."
Derek's skepticism is apparent, but he doesn't outright dismiss the idea. "And you trust this guy? We can't afford to leak any sensitive information."
Tristan nods. "Absolutely. He's trustworthy and discreet. Besides, he owes me a favor."
I glance at Derek, hoping he'll consider this option. "It's worth a shot, Derek. We're at a dead end, and this could be the breakthrough we need."
Derek looks thoughtful, then nods reluctantly. "Alright, fine. But I want to meet this Max and make sure he understands the importance of keeping this information secure. We can't risk compromising the case."
Tristan grins. "I'll call him and see if he can meet us here. He should be close by."
I watch as Tristan stands up and wanders away from the table, pulling out his phone and making a call. He speaks briefly and then hangs up before returning to the table. "He said he'll be here in a few minutes."
As we wait for Max, the anticipation builds. The cafe is bustling with customers, but our table feels like a little island of tension in the midst of it all.
A few minutes later, the café door chimes, and Max walks in. His eyes light up when he sees us, and a warm smile spreads across his face. "Hey, Agent Darling, it's nice to see you again," he greets me warmly.
