Hughes still cared about Thomas's situation and, after waiting several days without any news, he pulled Thomas's information from the system. After noting it down, he found someone unaffiliated with the FBI to inquire what had happened to him.

However, the results were very bad. Thomas had been missing for several days. His neighbor said he hadn't been home for several days, his phone had been turned off, and his family couldn't reach him, even reporting him missing to the police.

When Hughes received the news, he found it somewhat unbelievable. A middleman was no minor player; such a person must have credibility, status, and the ability to be recognized by all parties. Could such a person just disappear? Although many people went missing in the United States every year, the disappearance of such a person at this time made it hard not to think of some unpleasant things.

Josh, the person Thomas had mentioned this time about Jimmy being investigated by the OPR, must have been involved. Hughes had thought long and hard, and ultimately he decided against a straightforward official investigation, opting instead to ask an acquaintance for help. He also obtained Thomas's phone's historical location information through certain channels; if nothing went wrong, he might uncover some clues.

The inside man, Derek, had already confessed, and the contact person had also identified someone, but unfortunately, it was a burner phone number. Other than paying in cash, there was no way to connect with that person.

Although there was still no progress, that didn't prevent Hughes from tying everything back to the Thomas thread. After all, Thomas was the one who reached out, and though he only provided a name, it must have been something he felt compelled to do.

Keep in mind he reached out to Hughes, the assistant supervisor of field agents at the FBI's Manhattan office, in charge of all field agent operations. Although he might not seem as formidable as those directors of certain bureaus, he was definitely a key executive in a powerful unit.

He would rather say nothing at all than give false information to Hughes. Once discovered, he might have to say goodbye to his career forever; being a middleman would be out of the question.

Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the investigation results. Once Thomas's death was confirmed, then Josh would be the next target, and perhaps it would be time to synchronize the cause and effect with Jimmy.

Hughes found himself being overly cautious in handling this matter, unsure if it was because he was nearing retirement, getting older, becoming softhearted, and considering more long-term and stable approaches, unable to act decisively anymore.

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

While at work, Jimmy received a message from Woody, the bartender at the bar near his apartment, inviting him to come to the bar that evening. After thinking it over, as he had nothing else planned and Nia wouldn't be coming over that day, he confirmed his attendance with a reply.

Jimmy hadn't been to the bar recently, mainly because he had been too busy and it had been particularly risky. It was best to avoid alcohol to avert any potential disasters.

Now that the mole had been caught and the people from Azte had been dealt with, the danger had temporarily subsided, so there shouldn't be any problems.

After work, Jimmy drove home and, after dinner, arrived at the bar where Woody, still wearing his bartender outfit, stood behind the bar wiping glasses. Alright, just like Justin back in Smallstone Town, every time he saw him behind the bar, he was always wiping glasses, as if there was some other-dimensional space inside the bar from which glasses kept emerging.

Jimmy walked up to the bar and tapped on it: "Hey, Woody, make me a drink."

As soon as Woody saw Jimmy coming, he put down the glass in his hand, grabbed the cocktail shaker from the side, and started making the drink, knowing Jimmy's taste well after a long acquaintance. In no time, a Black Russian was placed in front of Jimmy.

Woody: "A Black Russian, appetizer for you, I guess. I added some lemon juice."

Jimmy raised his glass in a toast, then took a small sip. The ice-chilled vodka's spiciness combined with a slightly lemony tang was still quite excellent, of course, partly because Jimmy had been accustomed to drinking high-proof spirits like whiskey before.

Jimmy: "It tastes good. Woody, is there something on your mind?"

Woody: "Haven't seen you in a while, how have you been?"

Jimmy shrugged: "You know my job, sometimes I get so busy I can't deal with anything else."

Woody: "Actually, I just wanted to give you a heads-up, I might not be here much longer."

Jimmy's eyes widened as he stared at Woody: "Why? Going back home?"

Woody shook his head: "No, it's just that this place might be closing down soon."

Jimmy watched Woody, waiting for him to continue, but Woody had already turned to greet another customer. Jimmy picked up his drink and sipped, thinking that if such an excellent bartender were not here, he would have to change where he went for drinks after work.

Woody was truly exceptional, having been a bartender for many years, expertly making any drink with ease, and even able to create some atmosphere-appropriate cocktails on the spot, like when Jimmy first came here with Nia for a drink, the "True Love" drink Woody served them was his own creation. Unfortunately, Jimmy had tried several times to learn it but couldn't, as many of the bottles Woody used in the bar were unlabelled.

After a while, when Woody had finished his tasks, he poured himself a glass of ice water and clinked glasses with Jimmy, "It's a bit busy today; where were we?"

Jimmy: "You're going back home?"

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