Creature of Habit

Reese looks up from his cluttered desk as Misty enters his office. Though he was tired and just a little bit cranky after recent events, he does manage a smile for his niece.

Hearing her question, he furrows his brow and leans back in his chair. "No... No, as a matter of fact, I called him a couple days ago, wanting him on a case and he turned me down. Said he had too much other stuff on his plate - and that it wasn't a good time." He shrugs. "We managed, but we coulda used his help, too. I figured he had his reasons, though." It really had been very unusual for Carson not to jump on the chance to get away from the restaurant for a couple days. But Reese hadn't questioned him and had simply found someone else.

"As far as him acting strangely..." A little grin creeps across his lips and he winks at Misty. "I'm not sure that's a very big oddity."


"No apology or thanks necessary." Tal smiles as he drives. "Besides, seeing Leo off to the side with a wrench in his hand, ready to pounce, tends to make a guy a little braver." There was no doubt that if Tal had been all by himself, he would have done the exact same thing. But he didn't like taking credit for anything.

"We may want to, um... postpone... telling Eli any of this though. Otherwise, we might find him in jail for murder."


Zach wanders into the bar and looks around for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the smokey dim light. He was rather familiar with the place by now. He'd been in here maybe four or five times since that first stop when he'd had a flat tire and needed to ask directions to the nearest auto shop - Briarville wasn't a huge town but it was taking him a while to get his bearings. He wasn't in the habit of visiting bars, but this one seemed to have something rather special. He also wasn't in the habit of actually pursuing such "special" things, but for some reason, he just hadn't been able to let this one go.

Ambling up to the bar he finds a stool and casually glances around at the signs, stacks of glasses and others who were scattered around at tables. His eyes drift to the woman who was tending bar tonight, presently busy with another customer. Jackpot. He'd finally figured out which days she normally worked so he'd know on which nights to stop. Looked like he had it right. She was the one who had given him directions that first time he'd stopped. He'd expected someone gruff who didn't care, and instead, she'd been soft-spoken and very sweet. Not to mention, she was downright pretty.

It wasn't like him to go chasing after a girl, but then, there weren't many times he was quite as desperate for the company of friends as he was now either. His mother would warn him against finding friends in a bar, but Zach saw something in the girl that night - and he saw it now too. While she seemed at ease with her job, there was something about her that didn't fit in this atmosphere. Maybe that's what intrigued him so.

Seeing her glance his way, he gives a little wave. He'd order a cherry coke like usual - he was a creature of habit, after all. Tonight though, maybe he'd have enough guts to break his habit of silence and actually talk to her. Find out her name at least.