Page 33 of Mission: Possible

"Sure thing."

"Before I go, does the name Austen Takahashi mean anything to you? Or Sophie Takahashi?"

"Can't say I ever heard of either one."

We waved as I left and I followed Garrett's directions, reaching Jord's shared office only a couple of minutes later. The room was stuffy and busy with several old desks spaced equidistantly. The windows were hidden behind partially open metal blinds, with one set barely clinging to its attachments. There was a dead potted plant on the window sill amid a pile of folders. A radio played softly. Aside from Jord, there were two other men and three women occupying the office, each clad in off-the-rack suits and the kind of comfortable footwear I doubted I'd ever feel comfortable wearing in public.

Jord looked up and waved me over as he checked his watch. "You took ten minutes to get here," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "I owe Garrett ten bucks," I sighed.

"What for?"

"Never mind. Garrett wouldn't give me any coffee. Can you get me one, please, while we go over my witness report in case I missed anything?"

"Did you miss anything?"

"Maybe. Coffee?" I turned my pleading eyes on him.

"The coffee pot is busted. Either bring your own or beg from another department."

"What kind of a place is this?"

"Your average, underfunded, overworked police department."

"Garrett sometimes has fresh donuts in his office."

"No need to boast."

"Fine. I'll survive without. I'm glad you got the case. Are you excited?"

"Thrilled!" Jord gave me jazz hands while his face remained passive. "Always wanted to catch a bank robber."

"When you were little, you wanted tobea bank robber."

"That ambition didn't go over so well when I announced it at Dad's birthday party one year."

"You did proclaim it to a roomful of cops."

Jord relaxed in his chair, which gave an ominous squeak. "Yeah, kinda ruined it for me. They all wanted a role in keeping me on the straight and narrow when I was a teenager. The only reprieve came when I entered the police academy. I swear, they've waited years to ask if I had anything to do with this. The jokes are just rolling in."

I laughed too. That was more fun than fending off our relatives’ questions about my involvement.

"Wait until you solve it," I told him. "You'll be the town hero."

"I guess."

"Unless the FBI get there first," I threw in, just to see his response.

"Yeah, what's their story?" Jord asked. "Maddox was tight-lipped about the whole thing."

"Really? What did he do when he was there?"

"Took a look around. He wanted to see the vault and examine the damage as well as some of the boxes. Didn't seem too concerned about the contents strewn all over but I can't be sure he didn't see something that captured his interest because Agent Farid was asking plenty of questions and distracting me. Maddox took the manager to one side to question him privately but the manager said he just asked a few basic questions. Maddox also wanted to read the witness statements before he took off. I haven't heard anything since."

"Didn't that seem strange to you?"

"Very, but I'm mostly relieved they didn't whip the case out from under me. While I might not look excited, I actually do want to work on this case."