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“Morning, Harold.”
Finch turned to look at Reese as he placed a bag of pastries and a cup of tea on his desk.
“Mr. Reese, you’re looking rather cheerful this morning.”
“It’s New Year’s Eve, Finch.”
“Indeed it is, Mr. Reese. It’s been a good year, hasn’t it?”
John took a moment to consider. It was hard to believe that it had only been earlier in the year that he had been living on the streets.
“It has. We have a new number?”
“His name is Garfield Bently. No wife, no kids, lives with his sister in a two-bedroom apartment.”
“Any leads?”
“None so far, Mr. Reese. You’d be better off watching him for the day.”
Harold looked out the window and grimaced. Although it was no longer snowing, the cold spell had dropped the temperature to nearly five degrees below zero. Just put a camera and come back here, he wanted to say. But it was unreasonable, there was nothing John could do if he was watching from the library.
“Just be careful,” he settled for.
It turned out that Bentley had been the victim of a scam and had reported the operation to the police. Worried that they had been caught, they had hired a hitman to take care of the main witness. Reese had promptly kneecapped the hitman and delivered him to Detective Carter.
“Really, John? On New Year’s Eve? And I was just enjoying my day off.”
“I wouldn’t mind leaving him here for a few days if that would be better.”
Joss shook her head and brought the perpetrator to her car in handcuffs.
“Take care, John.”
Harold opened the connection on his end.
“Mr. Reese, you should come back to the library. The weather out there seems terrible.”
“Bentley still needs to leave town and get a new identity,” John replied through chattering teeth.
“That can be taken care of remotely. Tell him to get on the next train to Jersey, then head to the east stairwell of the train station. A man will be waiting there with everything he needs.”
Reese shrugged, then did as he was ordered. Once the number was safely on a train out of state, he drove back to the library. He entered through the side door and took a minute to appreciate the warmth of the building before going upstairs. Harold turned to look at him as he entered and handed him a cup of coffee. John took it with a grateful smile.
“I’ll take care of the rest, Mr. Reese. You have what’s left of the day off.”
“Do you have any plans for New Year’s?”
“Nothing in particular. I suppose you’ll be watching the fireworks from your apartment.”
“Actually, Harold, I’m planning on dropping off some supplies at the homeless encampment. I could really use an extra pair of hands, if you have the time.”
“I would, Mr. Reese, but I’m busy tonight.”
Disappointment flashed across John’s face for a moment before he forced his expression back to indifference. If Harold didn’t want to help, he could say it outright instead of making up excuses.
“See you tomorrow, Finch.”
Harold looked back at him as he left, hiding a quiet smile.
John walked back to his apartment, stopping at a store to buy some food. He had already assembled some boxes of hygiene supplies and blankets in the loft, and he just needed to drive over and distribute them.
It was a short drive to the encampment, but the snow covering the streets slowed down traffic so much it took nearly an hour to get there. By then, it was already dark, and the only light in the encampment was a small fire. Still, Joan recognized him as soon as he left the car. She hugged him and chuckled at his attire.
“A bespoke suit, John? You’re doing well for yourself.”
Reese chuckled. His coat alone probably cost more than all the clothes he’d ever bought combined. A rainstorm had hit during a rather difficult case, and he had come back from rooftop stakeouts soaked and shivering three days in a row. Finally, Harold had had enough and bought him a better coat, one that he had specially ordered from Gianni.
“Yeah, my boss pays me well. I came to drop off some food and supplies, figured you all could use them with the weather these days.”
“That’s too sweet of you, John. You shouldn’t have.”
Reese looked around the camp and realized he hadn’t brought nearly enough for everyone. Joan realized the same thing, and she began to hand the food and blankets out first to families with children, then the elderly. The rest were distributed to those who didn’t have jobs to help support them. There were still dozens of people left without, and John tried not to let his frustration at himself show on his face.
“Uhh, John?” A man asked from behind, “There’s a man here asking for you, says his name is Harold. Glasses, nice suit, has a limp?”
John furrowed his brow and walked over to the door. If Harold wanted to talk to him, he could have just called. As Reese walked up to the car, Finch approached him, smiling. His usual winter hat was replaced by a Santa hat, and John had to laugh.
“Happy New Year’s, Mr. Reese.”
“Finch, what are you doing here?”
“I knew you bought those supplies, I just didn’t know for whom until you told me. I realized you hadn’t gotten nearly enough for everyone here, so tonight I was busy buying some more. I apologize if I seemed rude at the library, but I wanted to surprise you. I hope you can forgive me for that.”
It took John a minute to find his voice.
“Thanks, Harold. You didn’t have to. I know you were planning to relax tonight.”
“You gave me a better plan, Mr. Reese. Now, let’s get these boxes to everyone here.”
That night, John had a difficult time explaining to Joan that Harold was his boss without giving up too much information, but he could tell she approved of his new employment. Everyone in the camp got a new blanket, and there was plenty of food to go around. As the clock struck midnight and the whole city cheered, Harold took John’s hand in his own, welcoming the start of the new year.