Crow's Nest [✓]

Chapter 6

Thomas walked into the police station, turning left by the front desk and up the stairs to his office, his mind on the day ahead. As he approached his desk, he noticed Harry sitting at one of the chairs, a frown on his face. "Ah, Harry," Thomas said with a nod. "You're here early. Something on your mind?"

Harry glanced up at Thomas, his expression still sullen. "Yeah, I'm here early because I can't stand being in my crappy hotel room," he griped. "The place is a dump, and the manager is a racist prick."

Thomas' eyebrows shot up as he took in Harry's words. "Whoa, hang on. You're telling me the manager was racist to you?" he asked, his tone betraying his surprise.

Harry nodded, his anger still simmering beneath the surface. "Yeah, he basically implied that I was somehow less capable of recognizing cleanliness standards because I'm a foreigner," he sputtered.

Thomas sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Some people just have no manners," he muttered under his breath. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that, Harry."

Harry grunted in agreement, his hands clenched into fists. "I'm half-tempted to go back there and give that guy a piece of my mind," he said, his voice tight with suppressed anger.

Thomas laid a calming hand on Harry's shoulder. "Trust me, it's not worth it," he said, his voice soothing. "People like that aren't worth our time and energy. We have more important things to focus on."

Harry huffed out a breath, but grudgingly nodded. "I know, I know," he groused.

As Thomas was trying to calm Harry down, the door to the office swung open, and a haggard-looking Detective William Lockwood stepped inside. He had a pair of dark glasses on, and his steps were slightly unsteady. It was clear he was nursing a nasty hangover. Thomas and Harry looked up as Lockwood staggered into the office. Thomas gave him a knowing glance. "Look who decided to grace us with their presence," he said, his tone dryly amused.

Lockwood gave a half-groan, half-snort in response. "Spare me the sass, Thomas," he gruffly replied, collapsing into his desk chair. "I feel like I had a wrestling match with a bottle of cheap whiskey last night, and lost spectacularly."

Thomas gestured discreetly to Harry, who was still seething with irritation. Lockwood removed his dark glasses and squinted in Harry's direction. "Oh, hello there. Didn't notice you when I came in," he croaked, his voice gravelly from a night of debauchery.

Lockwood squinted at Harry for a moment longer, trying to focus through his hazy vision. "You look familiar," he muttered, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Have we met before?"

Harry shook his head. He decided that he'll keep his meeting with Lockwood a secret, after all, Lockwood had no idea who he really was at the time they first met.

Thomas chuckled at Lockwood's attempt to place Harry. "No, you've never met him before," he replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "This is Harry Hole and he's from Norway. He's assisting us on a case."

Lockwood rubbed his temples, wincing at the sharp throb of a headache. "Right, right. And what case is that again?" he mumbled, his memory clearly impaired by the alcohol still in his system.

Thomas sighed, shaking his head at Lockwood's forgetfulness. "Seriously, you really need to lay off the drinking," he said, his tone laced with a mixture of frustration and concern. "We're working the case where a new drug, Syflocyl, has been spreading around New York and Oslo, Norway. There have been a few overdoses reported."

Lockwood groaned, clearly struggling to recall the specific details. "Right, right," he grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. "Drugs. Great. Can we start talking about this after I've had a cup of coffee? My head feels like it's gonna explode."

Harry perked up at the mention of coffee. "Coffee sounds great," he chimed in. "I could definitely use a cup myself. I haven't eaten breakfast yet, and that hotel room didn't have any coffee or breakfast options."

Thomas gave Harry a sympathetic look. "No breakfast, huh?" he said, before turning back to Lockwood. "Alright, I'll go grab some coffee and sandwiches for us. Can you manage to hold down the fort until I get back, or will your headache interfere with your duties?"

Lockwood gave a half-hearted wave of dismissal. "I'll be fine," he muttered, his eyes closed again. "Just be quick about it, will you?"

Thomas chuckled at Lockwood's impatience. "Alright, alright," he said, rising from his seat. "I'll be right back. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, you two."

Thomas left the office, leaving Harry and Lockwood alone in the silence. Lockwood leaned back in his chair, his eyes still closed as he attempted to soothe his aching head. "So, Harry," he croaked out. "You're helping us on this drug case, huh?"

Harry nodded, his irritation from the hotel incident momentarily pushed to the back of his mind. "Yes, I am," he said. "I've done some research on the case, but I've got a hunch about the drug being used in the USA and in Norway. It just doesn't add up, you know?"

Lockwood cracked one eye open and peered at Harry. "A hunch, huh?" he said, his voice a bit more clear now. "And pray tell, what makes you think the drug is being used in both the US and Norway?"

Harry's eyes lit up as he began to explain. "Well, it's just intuition based on the information we have so far," he began. "There are some aspects of this case that don't make sense. The drug is being distributed in two different countries at the same time, and it's popping up in a really short period. And on top of that, the drug itself is very hard to find traces of. It's almost like it's being produced in very small batches, and for very specific purposes."

Lockwood's eyebrows furrowed as he considered the possibilities. "That's a valid supposition," he said, a hint of grudging respect in his voice. "It could be a trial run before they ramp up production. But why focus on two countries at once? And why pick Norway of all places?"

Harry shook his head, a frown of concentration on his face. "Not sure yet," he admitted. "But I have my theories. It could be that whoever's producing this drug is trying to keep it under the radar. Maybe they're targeting specific groups or individuals. Or it could be something even more sinister, like a test run for a larger distribution project."

Just as Lockwood and Harry was deep in discussion, the door to the office creaked open, and Thomas entered, his hands balancing multiple steaming cups of coffee and a paper bag filled with sandwiches. His eyes moved between Lockwood and Harry, who appeared deep in conversation.

"I come bearing gifts," he announced, setting the cups and the bag down on the desk.