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Friday — 6:04pm
Thenoiselevelofthe bar was somewhat louder than the establishment from last night. The weekend had arrived, and the patrons were unwinding from their stressful work week. The location where Officer Hadley Soerig had chosen to relax with friends was old-school, consisting of the bar and a few high-top tables near the far wall that allowed just enough room to reach the restrooms in the back.
People came here to drink, talk with friends, and then leave.
“…waiting for the defendant to arrive at the courthouse.”
There was only one television in the corner due to the smaller square footage, and the channel had been turned to a local news station. A verdict was due in under an hour of a wife who had allegedly killed her husband and his mistress in a fit of rage. The trial had been all over the news for the past month, and the lawyers had given their closing arguments three days ago.
Theo thought he recognized a judge sitting at one of the high-top tables. This establishment serviced mainly law enforcement officials, and once that determination was made, it was a rare occasion that any other clientele would walk through the front door.
Theo hadn’t even known this place existed, and he was well-acquainted with the downtown area. The bar had been discreetly tucked in between two takeout restaurants, and he was beginning to suspect the owner had chosen the locale for a reason.
The one thing he hadn’t expected was to find Officer Soerig sitting by herself in a corner. She’d been observing him the entire time that he’d been standing near the front door and searching for her. She lifted her bottle of beer in salute, and he began to make his way through the narrow maze to her location.
While she was an attractive woman in uniform, she was even more beautiful in civilian clothing.
Her hair was longer than he’d originally thought, dropping a few inches below her shoulders. She currently had it secured with a hair tie on the left side of her neck so that the remaining strands rested against the fabric of her cream sweater. Since she was sitting at a high-top table, he could see her faded jeans and knee-high black boots. It didn’t appear that she was carrying her firearm.
Theo was beginning to think that he shouldn’t have requested this meeting. He’d done so under the pretense that his interest was solely due to the case, but that was far from the truth. Hadley didn’t seem to be sending him the same signals, though. He’d keep things professional and then take his leave.
“Officer Soerig,” Theo greeted before pulling out the chair opposite from her. She was still monitoring his movements, as if she was cataloguing every action he made. “It’s good to see you again.”
Theo hadn’t bothered to take off his winter coat. He’d had to exchange his leather coat for a wool peacoat that was a bit longer at the waist. One, the lining was a hell of a lot warmer this time of year. Two, the length made it far easier to hide his firearm. Three, his mother had given it to him as a birthday present last year. No one could argue that she didn’t have the best eye for design, which was where he’d gotten his penchant for style.
“Former Special Agent Theo Neville.”
Theo tensed at the way Officer Soerig had used his previous title. He was used to long stares of curiosity due to his eyepatch, just as he was accustomed to people recognizing his surname. His father, who was on the cusp of taking over as the NYPD Commissioner, had been making headlines recently. He was more than deserving of such a title, and his dedication to the city had been his driving force.
“That’s right,” Theo stated cautiously as her tone solidified his plan to keep this meeting short. Still, he didn’t want to come across as the rude one. He tried to lighten the mood. “I’m going to need a drink, aren’t I?”
Officer Soerig finally broke their stare and caught the gaze of the bartender. She lifted her arm and signaled that she wanted two more drinks, presumably the same beverage that was in her hand. The gesture signified that she knew the bartender personally.
“Call me Hadley.” She drained what was left of her beer and set the empty bottle near the napkin holder. “I’m curious. Why did you leave the Bureau?”
“Do you really have to ask that question?” Theo countered as he seriously debated calling Brook and letting her know that he’d made a mistake. He probably should have left well enough alone, but there had been something about Hadley that made him want to get to know her. To say that he was second-guessing himself now would be an understatement. “Look, I can have someone else take this meeting.”
“I’m being serious.” Hadley frowned, as if he was the one who had the problem. “I don’t understand why you would leave the FBI. I get why they might not want you in the field, although I’m sure you can handle yourself just fine. Still, you can’t tell me that they wouldn’t have you working investigations from the inside.”
“You mean a desk job?”
“Does it really matter if you’re out questioning people or sitting at a desk? Either way, you get access to the files. Grunt work doesn’t necessarily mean anything in the grand scheme of things.”
Theo found that he might be having a change of heart.
He might actually enjoy the upcoming conversation.
He smiled as he stood from the chair. By the time that he’d removed his winter coat and placed it around the back of his chair, the bartender himself had delivered two bottles of beer.
“Hadley, don’t forget that you’re up in an hour. I owe you.”
“No, Dad owes me a lot more than one. He needs to hire another bartender. I won’t be available after this weekend.” Hadley waited for the bartender to return to his post before she held up her beer. She waited for Theo to do the same. She then clinked the neck of her bottle to his before taking a healthy swig. “In all seriousness, I’d like to know why you gave up a career to go into the private sector.”
Several things fell into place, and Theo was glad that he’d made the decision to meet with Hadley. He was attracted to her drive, her no-nonsense attitude, and her need to see that justice was delivered. He wouldn’t deny that her beauty played a part in it, as well.
“Your parents own this establishment, the bartender is your brother, and you recently took the detective’s exam. I’m guessing that you passed it with flying colors, and you’re being transferred to homicide next week.” Theo paused to take a drink of his beer. The cold, wheat beverage was most welcome after spending the majority of the day behind a computer screen. “As for your view of the FBI, I didn’t take you for an idealist, Hadley.”
Hadley returned his smile and sat back in her chair. She began to rotate the bottle in her hands as she replied to his conclusions.
