@outsidelost. | CLOSED STARTER FOR ALAN.
“Marshall, I just need ten minutes with him. Just ten! I want to get my hands on him while he’s still... fresh.”
But he knows that look. That clenched jaw, those knitted eyebrows. He knows how to smooth them over, too: decades of practice masked as friendship. The Head of Operations crosses her arms: never a good sign. But Darling’s determined. If nothing else, he can bribe his way into that interrogation room.
He holds up the tupperware. “I made you bourbon-chocolate truffles. The recipe was in the NYT last week. Emily tried some and says they’re delicious,”
his hands have always talked for him. Each word follows a gesture, gesture finding word,
Yes? Up goes the tupperware, perhaps dangerously. No? Down it goes, the chocolates rattling inside it.
“Casper. Bribing goes against Bureau policy.”
Impenetrable, as always. Marshall arches an eyebrow, and then holds out her hand.
“Helen,” Half laugh, half scoff. An octave higher than his speaking voice, “Never change. Ten minutes.”
The door to the interrogation room buzzes closed behind him. He waves at Marshall through the small glass window at the top and then turns towards Alan. He sits across from him, palms splayed and that slow, kind smile that he can bring so well even to the corners of his eyes. They crinkle. To be the first friendly face Alan sees: fundamental to ensuring his cooperation. Whatever may come.
“Right. We don’t have much time, Mister Hammer. Pleasure to meet you: I’m Doctor Darling, and after Marshall’s boys will be done with you, I’ll probably be the person you’ll be dealing with most. But I wanted to get you before they did, just to hear your side.”
