The phone rang, and Jimmy picked it up. "Hi, Ryan, it's been a while, how are you?"

Ryan: "Jimmy, I'm doing well. How about you? Just got back from a business trip?"

Jimmy: "Yeah, just got back to work today. Did you get a call from Hughes?"

Ryan: "Yeah, the cases over here are ongoing. Do you want to take over directly, or wait for new cases?"

Jimmy: "How's the progress? How about I come over to your side to take a look?"

Ryan: "Sure, come on over. It's been a long time since we last met."

Jimmy: "Alright, I'm heading out now."

Jimmy took his assigned car keys from the drawer, put on his suit, and headed downstairs. The assigned car hadn't been used in a long time, and he was worried it might not start, so he didn't leave his personal car keys upstairs.

By the time Jimmy reached the underground garage and saw the state of the assigned car, he gave up immediately; the tires were almost flat.

Driving in his CLS, Jimmy headed straight to the Queens field office. After flashing his badge, he went upstairs and arrived at Ryan's office.

Upon seeing Jimmy, Ryan stood up to welcome him: "Jimmy, you've been missing for quite a while. What have you been up to?"

Jimmy: "I was temporarily assigned to Dallas for a while but just got back. How's it going? Most of the recent cases have been assigned to your team. Are you busy?"

Ryan: "Not too bad. Take a look at the cases."

Jimmy took the file from Ryan's hand and frowned after glancing at it. "Is New York this chaotic recently?"

Ryan nodded: "Several cases of homeless deaths. They're with NYPD now. We've looked into two of them and found no relation, basically determining them to be unrelated cases."

Jimmy: "Did you guys make a map for the cases this time?"

Ryan nodded, "We didn't make one, but NYPD had previously made maps for a few cases and found no connections."

Jimmy: "This case reminds me of a serial killer case I handled before. But that killer is already dead. Evidence from the scene and a home search confirmed the killer's identity. I won't take this case now; I'll go back and check the records."

Ryan: "You think there's a connection?"

Jimmy: "Not sure. That case was a long time ago. If this was mimicry, it would've surfaced earlier."

Jimmy frowned as he returned the file to Ryan. "Speaking of which, has there been any major events in New York over the past two months?"

Ryan shook his head: "No real major events, just a lot of minor cases of all sorts. The biggest case should be a bank robbery in the Bronx. The robbers fled after the teller alerted the police, and they haven't been caught yet. The good news is the bank lost only a few thousand dollars."

Jimmy laughed: "What were these people thinking, huh? Any leads?"

Ryan: "Only surveillance. The robbers were well prepared; we only know they're black, no other leads. The case has been shelved."

Jimmy: "Alright, there's not much to be done with these kinds of cases. I'll go back and check the records. See you, Ryan."

Jimmy spread his arms for a hug with Ryan and then turned to leave the office.

Driving back to the Manhattan office, Jimmy was still contemplating the cases he had just seen.

He had handled a case before where a person was possessed by an Evil Spirit and would come out at night to shoot homeless people to feed it.

After handling that case, he reported to Hughes, who said they would bring in experts to handle it, and there was no follow-up.

The current case is different from the previous one because, according to the files, the methods of killing are different. Apart from the victims being homeless, there's not much similarity. It just reminds Jimmy of the past case, which warrants at least a verification of any possible connection.

If it is related to the past case, regular agents wouldn't be able to handle it.

Jimmy arrived at Hughes' office: "Hughes, do you remember the serial killer case I handled back then? Someone who shot homeless people at night, that particular incident."

Hughes frowned in thought, then nodded: "I have some impression of it. What's up?"

Jimmy: "There are several cases of homeless people being killed with different death methods on Ryan's side. It doesn't seem like mimicry, but I want to confirm if the previous case was fully handled by the experts you found?"

Hughes: "Go back for now."

Jimmy nodded and turned around to return to his office. He called the vehicle management department to have his assigned car checked out. It hadn't been driven in two or three months and needed a thorough check-up. Being always out in his own car could be a concern if any issues arise, and he'd be the one to regret it.

Currently, the assigned car is just a regular one. His previous one with bulletproof doors was retrieved after an attack. Since he left New York, he hasn't reapplied for one.

Which brings up the question, can he apply for another patrol car with bulletproof doors? Jimmy thought for a moment and headed to the administrative department to see Tim Dunn.

Jimmy knocked on Dunn's office door, smiling as he looked inside. Dunn seemed to be typing a report on his computer, his fingers never stopping: "Come in."

Jimmy: "Hi, Dunn."

Dunn stopped and looked at Jimmy: "Jimmy, when did you get back?"

Jimmy: "Just got back, started today. Dunn, the last car you gave me was shot at. Did you guys fix it?"

Dunn: "Let me check. That car has already been reassigned."

Jimmy was quite helpless; he'd been gone for almost three months and naturally, the car wouldn't wait for him all the time. "Do you have any others now? With police lights, sirens, radios, and bulletproof doors?"

Dunn: "You're asking for a lot, Jimmy. We don't have many bulletproof cars available."

Jimmy: "I'm sure there's something. By the way, can't we outfit all our cars with bulletproof doors? My girlfriend said their precinct is starting to retrofit them, planning to replace all doors in the next year or two."

Dunn: "There is an update plan, but it's not extensive yet. New cars that arrive later will get the upgrades, and they'll also come with emergency kits."

Jimmy: "When will they arrive? If it's soon, let me reserve one."

Dunn sighed, "Alright, alright, wait a few days. When the new cars arrive, I'll reserve one for you. Don't worry, they'll all get replaced eventually."

Jimmy: "Thanks, I'll treat you to a drink later. I'll head back now."

After thanking him, Jimmy left Tim Dunn's office.

Returning to his office, Hughes was already sitting on the sofa. Jimmy: "Hughes, any results?"

Hughes got up: "After work today, wait a bit in the office. I'll take you to a place."

Jimmy: "No problem."

Seeing Jimmy nod, Hughes turned and left the office.

This wasn't the time to ask about the destination. Judging from Hughes' demeanor, there seemed to be an issue, though whether it was related to a new case or an unresolved one from before was uncertain.

Jimmy was somewhat in the dark. The place they were going to at night remained a mystery. He opened his drawer, took out a half-box of spare .44 Magnum bullets, packed them in a small evidence ziplock bag, and prepared to take them along at night as backup.

If it was about a new case, that would be fine. But if it was about an old case not fully settled, he might very well need the 1875 revolver given by Roland, which he usually didn't carry with him. The .44 Magnum spare bullets took up significant space.

Nearing the end of the workday, Jimmy went downstairs to find a food truck, bought some tacos, and packed them for the office for an early dinner. He waited until after 8 PM when Hughes called to notify Jimmy to come down to the parking garage.

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