"Jimmy, it looks like you've been doing well lately, even put on some weight." Chris joked as soon as he saw Jimmy, who could only exercise in his room without going out, with meals delivered three times a day.

Jimmy smiled in response, "It's like being in a nursing home with someone taking care of me every day." He took a seat, noticing the spotless table, apparently cleaned by Chris.

Looking at the file on the table, still the same one from before he left, Jimmy picked up the missing person's case and asked, "How's this case going? It's been three months, and I still don't know the outcome."

Chris said, "No progress, the NYPD already archived it. Give it back to me, I forgot to take it with me."

Jimmy said, "Alright, what should we do now? I've been idle for so long; it's time to get moving."

Chris said, "Okay, just hold on, come with me to see Hughes later."

Jimmy nodded and went with Chris to Hughes's office.

Hughes briefly greeted Jimmy and asked him to wait outside for a while. A few minutes later, Jimmy was called back into Hughes's office, where he learned about his new assignment. Due to the sensitivity of the previous case, Jimmy was temporarily assigned to work in the evidence room, waiting for the OPR evaluation to decide whether he could return to the Homicide Team.

It was the OPR again. Although the case had temporarily concluded, for the Manhattan office's OPR, Jimmy was still considered an unstable element. They had already investigated him based on his assets and alleged excessive use of force. Now, they were assessing whether his involvement in significant cases and his ability to perform his duties as an agent were impaired. Essentially, they were determining whether Jimmy should remain on the agent team.

Jimmy nodded in understanding and respected Hughes's arrangement. Chris stayed behind to continue talking with Hughes, while Jimmy left for the evidence warehouse.

It wasn't his first time here; Jimmy had already spent a few days here as a trainee. However, his mood now was different from then.

The work in the evidence room was somewhat dull, dealing with various identifiers and storage of evidence, along with checking out items when needed and occasionally transporting them. Overall, the job was stable, uninteresting, and repetitive.

After work, Jimmy passed through Chinatown and bought an unregistered phone. He didn't make a call but sent a message to Tom's phone, unsure if Tom still kept the same number after a long time without contact.

A few days later, Tom contacted Jimmy using a different phone. Sitting on a bench in Central Park, they ate lunch and exchanged a few words. Tom had already been aware of Jimmy's killing Frank and others, and although what Jimmy did was quite unethical, Tom hadn't said much. It might have been Jimmy's misconception, but Tom seemed to be in a very poor mood.

After exchanging a few simple words, Tom left again. Every time Jimmy saw Tom, there was a bit of a change. In terms of makeup skills, Tom was truly impressive; except for young people, he could convincingly portray various styles of middle-aged and elderly persons. If Jimmy hadn't been so familiar with him, it would have been tough to recognize him at first glance.

When Jimmy got home, he reflected on his slightly cold conversation with Tom and felt some regret. He had acted impulsively at the time, jeopardizing Frank and others for his own safety—which might have been too extreme, considering Tom had only suggested a potential danger, not a certainty. In any case, Frank was an acquaintance of Tom, who had tried to minimize the risks for Jimmy, but Jimmy had disregarded his perspective and made a poor choice.

Pouring himself a drink, Jimmy raised his glass towards the window and murmured an apology, then downed it in one gulp. He sat alone on the couch, drinking despondently until he completely passed out.

The next day, Jimmy woke up on the floor, glad it was spring. If it had been winter, he might not have survived lying on the carpet all night. Somewhat fuzzy-headed, he took off his clothes for a shower, which slightly revived him. Glancing at the time, he hurriedly changed and headed to the evidence warehouse.

The supervisor, aware of why Jimmy had been assigned there, saw Jimmy's drunken appearance from the previous day. No one needed to ask why; they all knew. A young man with a promising future suddenly embroiled in such a case and then relegated to managing the evidence warehouse—anyone would be upset.

Watching Jimmy registering evidence items on the computer, lacking any vigor, the supervisor asked, "Jimmy, do you want to take a break, maybe go for a walk?"

Jimmy stopped, his emotions having overwhelmed him the day before, and now he felt spiritless. After thinking it over, he turned to the supervisor and said, "Supervisor, I might take a few more days off."

The supervisor nodded, "Go on, take a walk, relax, and then come back."

Jimmy tidied up a bit, signed a leave request, and left the evidence warehouse without going home, heading straight to the airport to fly back to Stone Town.

-----------------

Jimmy checked into a hotel, went down for dinner, bought a bottle of liquor, and then took a taxi to James's house.

"Ding Dong," Jimmy stood at the doorstep of James's house and rang the doorbell, and it was Mrs. Baldwin who came to open the door.

"Jimmy! Long time no see, what brings you back?" Mrs. Baldwin seemed surprised, she hugged Jimmy and let him into the room.

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