Tie hunched quietly before the giant's desk, within a space similar to his own at Enercorp. He was afraid that any movement would create an explosion of fluttering sheets from the teetering stacks of papers and folders between them. He peered at the cop between two stacks, like a man behind bars in jail.

The officer hummed the theme from 'M*A*S*H*' while entering Tie's information into his computer, studying the screen as if he had uncovered a secret.

Tie wiped his sweaty palms on his slacks. His phone bubbled a text.

He discretely read it.

"Running a bit late, almost there, traffic is a mess, sorry :/"

Tie tapped a hasty response,

"I won't be there"

Upon hitting send, his phone shut down. Tie frowned, and then remembered that it normally spent the day on the charging pad at his cubicle.

Another officer strolled by,

"Dan, coffee and cake in the Chief's office."

Tie's cop sprang from his desk like a football running back, dodged the partition, then joined his colleague as they ran down to the end zone hallway.

Tie leaned forward through the paper stacks to peek at his file on the computer screen. He discovered an incomplete game of Solitaire, and grumbled.

He reached for the phone on the desk, and proceeded to call Renee. He couldn't recall her number; his phone did it automatically when he pressed her picture.

He dialled his best recollection of it, which an automated voice advised was not correct.

He tried another variation, like a safecracker, and received the same irritating message.

Tie glanced at the wall clock; it was two. The wine bar was impossible, and, he had one hour to deliver the package five blocks away.

Upon thinking of the delivery, Tie realized that he had left the package on the ATM at Walgreen's. His heart accelerated as it sank into his tightening stomach.

Officer Dan re-emerged around the corner, licking icing off his fingers as if they were popsicles as he hummed 'Happy Birthday'. His eyes widened when he spotted Tie at his desk.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked, and looked at Tie as if he was a toddler, "Stevenson brought Lululemon in. You can go."

Tie shot out of the station.