Full Circle

Chapter 6 - Many Rivers to Cross

Chapter Description: Peter and Ellen join forces. With Neal and Henry, they uncover a clue to how James has stayed hidden.

Winston-Winslow NYC branch. July 12, 2006. Wednesday morning.

After the morning briefing, Peter went to the Win-Win offices with Jones and Diana. When they stepped off the elevator, they saw the familiar frosted glass doors and the obvious security camera that was almost certainly tied into the company's state-of-the-art facial recognition software.

But when they opened the doors and stepped inside... "This is different," said Peter.

He'd grown used to the idea of Win-Win's New York branch having a staff of half a dozen people who worked in a common area much like his own team's bullpen. He knew they had expanded into insurance investigations and facial-recognition applications, but he hadn't thought about what that meant for the company.

The former bullpen-like space still contained a pool table and was still surrounded by entrances to conference rooms and smaller huddle rooms. The work tables in the central area had been replaced by a beverage and snack bar, accompanied by cafe tables and streamlined sectional-type seating where employees and clients could lounge.

Blocking the path from the entry to the lounge area was a circular desk, or more accurately, two half-circles with passthroughs to the interior where the desks almost met. One half-circle faced the door, where a friendly employee with a Win-Win badge efficiently checked them in. She gave them temporary badges with their names and photos and encouraged them to make themselves comfortable while they waited for Henry. The second half-circle overlooked the lounge area, with monitors that showed the entrance and the conference rooms. Another employee was seated there, checking the monitors and making notes on a laptop. Shelving near his computer contained reference books and journals.

Some of the huddle rooms had been quirky before, and now it seemed each one had a theme. There was still the one that held a variety of drums. Another had a collection of toys clearly meant for kids. Beside it was a room set up for video gamers, and another room that featured a poker table. And tucked away at the end was a space that looked so much like a conference room at the Bureau's Manhattan office that Peter thought it had to be intentional.

"Can I get you anything?" The employee who had checked them in — she'd introduced herself as Nirmala — had followed them to the beverage center. "I'm making myself some tea, it's no bother."

They accepted her offer, requesting coffee. She looked so young that Peter asked, "Have you finished college?"

She smiled. "I'm interning here during my summer break. I'll graduate next year."

"You wouldn't happen to be a psychology major, would you?"

Her smile widened. "Yes! Win-Win is so supportive of the liberal arts and especially likes to recruit psychology students." She gestured toward the employee who was sitting at the half of the circular desk that faced them. "Chidi is getting a doctorate in psychology with a specialization in theater and role-play. He's my mentor."

Peter sat down with his coffee at one of the cafe tables, studying his surroundings. A frosted-glass door on the right side of the office frequently opened, providing a glimpse of a corridor as employees scanned their badges to enter the area. It looked like the space beyond the door contained private offices. Some employees hung out in the lounge, enjoying the camaraderie of their peers.

What particularly struck Peter was that the Win-Win crew made him feel old. It looked like their ages ranged from twenty to mid-thirties. Having recently turned forty, he seemed to be the oldest person here. At the Bureau, he was used to being in the middle of the age range, mentoring people like Neal and learning from those who were a decade or two older than he was.