Mary did not rush to discuss psychological issues with Jimmy but instead chatted about what Jimmy had seen and heard since coming to New York, allowing Jimmy to gradually relax.
Afterwards, the two shifted their conversation to Jimmy's previous life, deliberately avoiding any talk of the shooting incident. Since it was Jimmy's first encounter with a psychologist, he had no experience to draw from and simply followed Mary's lead. At least in the current conversation, nothing sensitive was broached.
After three rounds of drinks, Mary wrapped up the conversation and told Jimmy to head back and return the next day at the same time.
Jimmy was completely baffled; he had no clue what they had actually discussed that day. Was this it for psychological intervention, just chit-chat? And it was all trivial family gossip that didn't get into any specific issues.
A bit dazed, Jimmy left Mary's office, went downstairs, and returned to his apartment. Since there was still time, he rested for a while and then headed out in the evening. This was near the financial district of Manhattan, relatively safe, so Jimmy didn't think too much of it and decided to find a bar to have a couple of drinks.
After working for an extended period, Jimmy felt oddly uncomfortable with the sudden leave of absence. He had spent months continuously studying at the academy and then started working in New York straight after, with no rest in between. In fact, Jimmy had been unknowingly in a constant state of tension, and the afternoon tea and chat at Dr. Mary's was the most relaxed he had been in months.
It was Jimmy's first visit to a New York bar, and immediately he ran into trouble. He was used to drinking at Justin's quiet bar back in the small stone town, but this place was different—Jimmy felt somewhat out of touch with the younger crowd.
He didn't stay long before heading straight back. This wasn't the kind of place for the mood he was in to drink. It might have been suitable for a casual visit with no other plans, but he was still on administrative leave and had to see the psychologist the next day, so he was not in the right frame of mind.
The next day, Jimmy returned to Mary's office, where she had changed into a new outfit: a dark red blazer and deep red shirt paired with matching trousers that showcased her shapely figure.
It's no wonder Jimmy always paid attention to Mary's attire. A woman who knows how to dress up, especially a beautiful one, truly adds a spark of intrigue and maturity that is far more appealing than any girl Jimmy had encountered before.
This time, the conversation still involved tea drinking and casual chatting, with Jimmy following Mary's lead in a wide-ranging discussion.
The subject remained Jimmy's past, though occasionally touching upon interesting cases he had encountered as a police officer. Jimmy had no intention of keeping secrets; these were all normal topics that did not involve his privacy.
When today's tea time concluded, Mary stood up to see Jimmy out. At the doorway, she told Jimmy, "You don't need to come by tomorrow, Jimmy. Just enjoy your leave."
Jimmy raised an eyebrow, "That's it? That's all?"
Mary replied, "Yes, don't worry. Everything's normal. Just enjoy your holiday and relax. Goodbye."
Jimmy shook hands with Mary to bid her farewell and left her office.
Jimmy had thought Hughes prescribed a week's mandatory leave because psychological intervention would take that long, yet it had all ended in two days. Since he was in no hurry to return to work, Jimmy decided to go back to the small stone town for a bit.
Now that he was settled in New York, he had quite a few belongings left in the small stone town that he could consider bringing over.
Checking the time, Jimmy figured he could make it and headed straight for the airport. Even though on vacation, he was fully equipped: FBI credentials, two handguns, and thus went through the usual procedures at the airport desk before buying a last-minute ticket to the small stone town.
While Jimmy was on his way back to the small stone town, Dr. Mary Walter also left the office. With Jimmy's file in hand and her assessment, she headed to the FBI's Manhattan office.
Peter asked, "Mary, what's the matter?"
Mary replied, "The assessment report for Jimmy is ready."
Handing over the file to Peter, Mary reassured him, "Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with Jimmy, at least that's what my assessment says."
Peter took the file, opened it, and took out the report. "Have a seat, Mary. Let me take a look," he said.
Mary didn't wait for Peter to finish reading; she initiated the conversation, "Peter, Jimmy's been a cop for nearly three years, constantly under stress. Before coming to New York, he went through about six months of FBI academy training without any break and started working straight away. It's clear he's been very tense all along. A stress reaction is normal under these circumstances, and it can be resolved simply by having some thorough relaxation."
As Peter listened to Mary while reading Jimmy's report, his furrowed brow didn't relax.
After finishing the report, Peter placed it back in the file, crossed his arms on top of the desk, and looked up at Mary, "Mary, your report doesn't touch on Jimmy's state after the shooting of the suspects. Can you share your thoughts? Off the record," he asked.
Mary took a deep breath and said, "Some things are not quite right to be included in a report. In truth, I think Jimmy's state is a bit abnormal.
He doesn't seem to have much psychological reaction to shooting two people. I have not yet decided what caused his indifference, but based on our conversation, I don't believe he's a cold person. In fact, I think he's quite old-fashioned, honorable, sentimental, and remembers even the ordinary assistance of friends. A person like that shouldn't be an indifferent killer."
Peter nodded, glanced at Jimmy's file, then looked up at Mary again. "Mary, the next thing you see has to remain confidential." After Mary nodded, Peter took out a key, unlocked the cabinet under the desk, and produced another file.
"This is Jimmy's file from his past two years with the county police. Have a look," said Peter.
Mary took the file and started reviewing it from beginning to end. She then grabbed a pen from Peter's desk and began jotting down symbols and diagrams on a piece of paper that were indecipherable to Peter.
Peter didn't interrupt Mary as she flipped through the file for over ten minutes, and finally, she placed it back on the desk. Looking up at Peter, Mary took a few deep breaths and then shook her head.
Mary said, "Peter, you should've shown me this file earlier."
"Did you find any problems?" asked Peter.
"No, no problems. In fact, I'd say you've found a treasure."
"Explain," prompted Peter.
"I've just cross-referenced Jimmy's records from the first shooting to the latest ones and it matches my assessment: Jimmy indeed carries that rare old-fashioned style that is scarce among young people today."