Jimmy: "Should this case be transferred to Miami?"
Ted: "Let's wait a bit. I need to report this upward and see what the decision will be."
Jimmy: "OK, let me know if there's a follow-up. You have my number."
Jimmy said goodbye to Sergeant Ted, then drove away from the LRPD police station himself.
Jimmy had only fractured his left arm. The pain in his right arm had dissipated, and although it wasn't safe to drive with one hand, he couldn't just ask another officer to take him home.
Jimmy had received a long vacation this time, but unfortunately, as an injured person, he now didn't even have the opportunity to go to the bar. He didn't want to go to the bars near his apartment because they were somewhat chaotic. Given his current condition, his ability to defend himself was questionable. And the bar he usually went to was too far, near the police station.
The only thing Jimmy could do now was rest at home, study, and familiarize himself a bit with the Bible. However, he had to go out tomorrow. Chief James had told him that if he shot a suspect, he needed to go to the church for confession. This time after the shooting, Jimmy planned to go, just to get acquainted.
The next day, Jimmy drove to the church, walked inside, and asked a Monk Apprentice if Priest Royte was inside. The Apprentice went in to inform the priest, while Jimmy directly entered the confession booth.
A few minutes later, Priest Royte also entered the confession booth.
"Father, I'm troubled. Yesterday, I apprehended a suspect assaulting a police officer and injured him severely with my gun. But afterwards, I found out he was a criminal from a murder case years ago. I deeply regret not having killed him on the spot yesterday," said Jimmy.
"All this is God's will. God is testing you, testing whether you have lost your true heart, and he's also testing him, whether he's worthy of redemption. Don't worry about it. You have done what you should do, and the rest should be left to others. God will bless His people," replied the priest.
The priest said a few words casually and then left the confessional. It was clear to him that Jimmy was just making an appearance; Priest Royte was no fool.
Jimmy fulfilled his task of making an appearance and left the confessional, heading home to rest properly.
A few days later, Jimmy's arm had completely stopped hurting. He met with the doctor at the hospital for an X-ray, and then he received good news. Possibly due to his physique, his recovery was progressing very well. Although there were still some slight traces of the fracture, everything was moving in a positive direction.
After leaving the hospital, Jimmy decided to visit the bar next to the police station.
The business card from Mark Riz had caught his interest. The emblem he had seen only at the bar, nowhere else—could Mark Riz be a special member of the bar? What was their relationship?
Since it was still early, Jimmy first drove to the police station, read some books, and idled away some time, waiting until evening before he went to the bar.
Jimmy again chose to sit at the bar counter.
"Justin, pour me a drink," said Jimmy.
"Oh, Jimmy, haven't seen you for a few days. What happened to your left arm?" replied the bartender.
The bartender served him a glass of Glenlivet Whisky, of course, it was what Jimmy had stored there himself.
"I was injured while apprehending a criminal. I went to the hospital today. It's almost healed, should be able to have it removed in about a week."
"God bless you, your profession is too dangerous," replied the bartender.
Jimmy shrugged his shoulders, as 'God bless you' was a common phrase in the United States. Although nominally a follower of God, he knew how much he actually believed deep down.
Jimmy took a sip from his glass and then continued to observe his surroundings with his keen senses. The space he had previously noted behind the Whiskey shelves seemed to have more stuff than before, but that was normal; it had been many days since his last visit.
The hidden compartments in the walls around him were, as before, stocked with handguns—easily distinguishable by the shadows. It seemed these spaces were indeed just reserves, untouched as long as there was no need.
The emblem he had noticed before in the bar was not in a conspicuous place, but inside the bar, on one of the cabinet doors under the shelf that held the ice-making equipment—a plaque about 10 cm high, the same as the one Jimmy had seen on a card from Mark Riz, except this one was in a matching dark brown color with a silver-grey emblem.
Noting that no one was approaching and the bartender was fairly free, Jimmy spoke up.
"Justin, I have a question. Is that a plaque on the cabinet? Which company's is it? I've never seen this emblem before," asked Jimmy, pointing at the emblem.
The bartender turned to look where Jimmy was pointing and said impassively, "Ah, you mean this. This is the emblem of a club. They provide professional custom services. As long as you make a request, they will design and provide solutions and products for club members, though the prices are quite steep."
"Oh? What kinds of things can you customize? High-end furniture?" replied Jimmy.
"Anything, really. Club members state their requirements, and they set the prices accordingly. Their service is very good," replied the bartender.
"Is that so? That's great. I'm planning to buy a house later. How about helping me contact them to customize some furniture? I like this emblem," said Jimmy.
"Oh, that won't work. They only accept orders from members. You can't contact them if you're not a member," replied the bartender.
"Can't you place an order for me? How does one become a member?" Jimmy asked.