Soft, relaxing music was played on the radio, and the rattle and clatter of plates and cutlery filled the cafe.

　　As the last customer from the lunch hour rush had walked out of the café, the waitress began to clean up the dining area. Dirty plates, mugs, and cutlery were placed inside a small carrier before they were taken into the back to be washed.

　　Elise Reed gathered her long hair into a neat ponytail and picked up some dirty plates along with the others.

　　Suddenly, the bell at the entrance jingled, and the door swung open. Elise looked up and saw a familiar face walking into the café. Her expression sunk upon seeing the person she wanted to avoid.

　　The middle-aged man looked around the shop, and a smile curled on his lips when he saw Elise. Finding a clean table, the man then sat down with his gaze still on Elise. It was not difficult to guess that this man wanted her to attend his table.

　　Elise looked around and saw that the other waitresses were busy cleaning up the area. No one bothered to look up at this time.

　　Taking a deep, resigned breath, Elise walked over and forced a smile. "Welcome to Clover," she greeted as she handed over the menu card. "What can I get you, sir?"

　　"What do you have?" the man asked. His fingers tapped softly on the table.

　　"We have chicken salad," Elise suggested, recalling that it was the man’s favorite for lunch.

　　"I wanted to try something else," he said. "What’s your specialty?"

　　"You can try our steak and egg benedict. It’s one of our chef’s specialties. Definitely our best selling."

　　He crinkled his nose at Elise’s suggestion. "Nah. I’m watching my cholesterol level. You know how my wife will nag at me if she found out that I’m eating meat. Just give me a cup of coffee."

　　Elise rolled her eyes in irritation, turned around to grab a clean mug, and poured the freshly brewed coffee. Then, she returned to the table with a mug full of coffee along with a small bottle of sugar and cream.

　　The man poured two teaspoons of sugar and a teaspoon of cream into his coffee. He took a sip, made a face, and decided to add another teaspoon of sugar. He took another sip and nodded, satisfied with his coffee.

　　"Can I get you anything else? Do you want to try our sandwiches?"

　　"No. I’m not exactly hungry. I’ve just had my lunch."

　　Elise had a lot of complaints, but she could not say them out loud in front of the customer.

　　"Okay. Enjoy your coffee." Elise attempted to escape and failed when the man stretched his hand to grab hers.

　　"Elise," he sighed upon noticing Elise’s expression and released her hand from his grip. "We need to talk."

　　With a glimpse at his expression, Elise was able to tell the reason this man had come to find her. However, she was not in the mood to discuss whatever he wanted to say.

　　"I have nothing to talk about, Captain Caldwell."

　　Captain Ben Caldwell is a man in his early fifties. His black hair has mostly turned white in a certain area, and the top of his head has begun to thin. He was Elise’s direct superior when she was in the precinct. Recently, Elise had this feeling as if Captain Caldwell was trying to act like a father to her.

　　"How’s your vacation?"

　　Elise closed her eyes, and sighed, not enjoying his attempt at small talk. "Fine."

　　"Did you visit anywhere exciting?"

　　"I took a short trip to Europe. It was fun, but I ran out of money. Which was why I started working here," Elise said. "I’ve got bills and rent to pay. Sorry that I didn’t get you any souvenir."

　　Her words were short. Anyone who heard them would know that she wanted to keep her distance. Apparently, Captain Caldwell seemed as if he could not take the hint.

　　Captain Caldwell scanned the surroundings and turned to me again. "Do you like working here?"

　　"Yes." Elise nodded.

　　Now that Elise thought about it, it was probably crazy how she had decided to switch her career from busting criminals to waitressing.

　　Not too long ago, she had tendered her resignation letter but was denied. Instead, Elise was asked to take two months of vacation to think things over.

　　Time passed. Her two months’ vacation almost ended, and Elise has not changed her mind about resigning.

　　Vacation or not, Elise needed money to pay her rent and bills. Captain Caldwell was unwilling to let her quit but refused to give her paid vacation.

　　The balance in her account became worrying. It was then that Elise decided to start waitressing at her best friend's cafe. The salary as a waitress wasn't so bad. At least the money was enough for her to pay her bills. She was provided with meals, and most of the time, her customers gave her generous tips.

　　"The working hours are crazy," he commented.

　　She narrowed her eyes at him, and he returned it with a grin. "And you think the working hours as a detective in narcotics isn’t as crazy?"

　　"But you like it there."

　　Elise shrugged. "I like it here. I made good tips, and my boss does not yell at me every day."

　　Captain Caldwell grimaced at her comment, looked away, and let out a dry cough when he recalled that yelling was what he often does. After a while, he lifted his head to look at her again. "Did you see a psychiatrist as I suggest you to?"