Crow's Nest [✓]

Part 1 - Chapter 1

Harry Hole's heart sank as he boarded the plane and found himself assigned to the dreaded window seat. He had always been a nervous flier, and the thought of being trapped between the glass and a stranger for the entire flight made his palms sweaty. He reluctantly settled into his seat and tried to take deep breaths to calm his nerves. The passenger next to him, a talkative middle-aged woman, tried to strike up a conversation, only increasing his anxiety. As the plane took off and the cityscape outside disappeared, Harry clenched his fists and silently recited a mantra to himself, preparing for the long, uncomfortable journey ahead. An 8 hour flight straight out of Oslo to New York felt like torture to Harry.

He ran out of gum he had bought at the airport back home and was unsure if they charged for drinks on this plane. He tried to get some sleep but was woken up by the slight turbulence. A flight attendant had assured him that it was just a minor shake and not the plane crashing down in flames.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the plane touched down on the tarmac, and the passengers started to gather their belongings and make their way off the plane. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he stood up and stretched his cramped limbs, grateful to be back on solid ground.

As he made his way towards the exit, he saw someone holding up a board that said, instead of the regular tradition of the person's name they were coming to pick up, it just said 'Norwegian'

It was sturdy man in his mid-twenties, Harry had guessed, with a friendly and laid-back demeanour. He was dressed in a flannel shirt, faded jeans, and a pair of worn-in work boots. His hazel eyes sparkled with warmth, and his short brown hair was tousled as if he had just rolled out of bed. He had a perpetual smile on his face, giving him a boyish charm despite his rough exterior.

Harry walked up to the man and shook his hand.
"Hello, I'm Detective Harry Hole."
The man looked Harry up and down and smiled.
"Thomas Crow, chauffeur for day."
His Brooklyn accent wasn't as deep as Harry thought it would be, maybe he tried suppressing it for his guests?
"I wouldn't have thought they'd send a fresh-out-of-the-academy officer to come pick me up," Harry said as Thomas offered to take his bag.
Thomas' smile fell and he frowned.
"Actually, I'm a senior detective in the Homicide Department back at HQ. They sent me because I'm the only one who doesn't have a hangover." Thomas said crossing his arms.
Harry blushed slightly, biting his cheek and mentally cursing himself for his error.
"Sorry, you just looked younger than what I had expected..."
Thomas chuckled. "That's alright, I get it all the time. I always love getting a reaction out of people when I tell them my real age."
"How old are you?" Harry asked curiously.
"I'm 25, a young detective, eh? Only reason they made me a senior detective was because there was a shortage on senior detectives a while back so they chose the two best and automatically promoted them. I'm not complaining of course, but they could've warned me about the amount of paper work..." Thomas said with a smile.
Harry nodded. Not only was he older than the man, but definitely more experienced. He wondered who would take lead on the case.

They walked out of the airport to the underground car park. Thomas put Harry's bag in the trunk before getting in the car. Harry got in the passenger seat and fastened his seat belt.
"Fair warning, it's going to be a 35-40 minute drive to Brooklyn. That is, if traffic is generous."
"Is traffic that bad here?" Harry asked.
"Usually yes, but today... I passed by at least three car accidents on the way here. Two of them were minor and the other one was definitely more than just a scratch."
"Bad driving?"
"Bad drinking." Thomas said and he pulled out of the car park and on to the road.