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Sidney Glass walked outside in the freezing cold weather. He walked away from the Calvetron and down the street a couple of blocks, his breath making itself visible in the form of white puffs escaping his mouth. He paused for a bit almost wanting to turn back around because he could no longer take the cold, but silently thanked the heavens when he saw the black car pull up to the curb. The door swung open.

"Get in," the low feminine voice said. Sidney looked around a couple of times and then slid into the vehicle. He was almost scared to look up, but when he did, he saw Regina Hatter staring back at him, a circle of smoke trailing from her freshly painted lips.

"Do you have anything for me?" Regina asked, as the car began to drive.

"Not exactly," Sidney admitted. Regina took a drag of her cigarette and stared at Sidney.

"Why not?"

"There just wasn't anything to see, Mrs. Hatter," Sidney said, afraid to upset anybody with the last name of 'Hatter.'

"Do you mean to tell me that I'm paying you all this money to trail my husband and you've got nothing for me?" Regina asked, but her tone stayed even.

"Well…kind of," he swallowed. "But that's good and bad."

"I fail to see the good."

"Think about it," Sidney said, holding onto his coat as he looked at the illustrious Mrs. Hatter. "The bad part is obviously that I don't have any information for you to use against him. But the good part is that in the three weeks I've been trailing him, I haven't seen Jefferson do anything out of the ordinary. And that, in and of itself, is fishy."

"I don't follow," Regina said, blowing out a smooth stream of smoke.

"Everybody in New York knows that Mr. Hatter has his hands in some illegal pots," Sidney said, not wanting to make Regina angry. "And the fact that he's never been in any place he wasn't supposed to be…no shady meetings, no dark alley talks, not a single late-night rendezvous…I think he knows he's being trailed and it's making him extra careful."

Regina stared straight ahead as the car drove through the falling snow flurries. She put out her cigarette and sighed. She had promised herself she would stop smoking those things.

"Keep following him," she finally said. "I need to get out of this marriage."

"I hate to ask the obvious, Mrs. Hatter…"

"Regina."

"Regina. But why don't you just divorce him?"

"Because, Sidney," she said with another sigh. "I can call you that, right?" Sidney nodded. "You don't just divorce a guy like Jefferson Hatter. Everything is a game with him and you have to play to win."

"Pardon me for saying so, but if you really wanted to leave him, you would. Are you sure Jefferson doesn't have some information on you?"

Regina stared at Sidney, and Sidney knew he had asked too much. He turned to look out the window and Regina tapped her glove-covered hands on her lap.

"Just do what I'm asking you, okay? I'm paying you a lot and I expect results. They say you're the best investigative journalist this side of the New York. Were they lying?"

Sidney looked at Regina, and he could almost feel the woman's desperation. He shook his head slowly. "No."

"Good. Then we shouldn't have a problem."

The car pulled up to a set of apartments and Sidney opened the door. He got out without another word. Regina needed help. And Sidney wanted to give it to her.

Regina's heels echoed against the floors throughout the hallways of the mansion she shared with Jefferson. The whole ride home was sat in silence.

"Welcome home, my dear wife." Jefferson smiled smugly, greeting her as she went to her bedroom and Jefferson following behind her.

"Did you need something Jefferson? Because I'm really not in the mood right now." Regina said, putting her purse near on her vanity chair.

"I saw you last night." Jefferson walked over to her, " I would appreciate it if you didn't flirt with another guy right in my face."

Regina toed off her heels and shrugged. "I wasn't flirting with anyone."

"Oh please. The guy at club last night, what's his name? Locksley something?" Jefferson asked.

"Robin Locksley," Regina corrected him, with a small smile.

"I don't give a fuck who it was. You were flirting with him. Have some shame, for God's sake."

"Jefferson, please," Regina rolled her eyes and she turned around and approached the bed. "I smiled at him and asked his name. Don't make a big deal of it."

"Maybe for other guys and their wives, it wouldn't be a big deal," Jefferson said. "But with you…I have to watch everything you do."

"I was trying to make him feel welcome."

"You were flirting," Jefferson said, clearly irritated with his wife. "And when you do that, it makes me look bad and people start talking."

"People are already talking," Regina smiled. "And don't act so innocent. Maybe I wouldn't have such a roaming eye if you hadn't started screwing around with Ruby."

"I'm not screwing around with her," Jefferson said seriously. "The times I've seen her were strictly business."

"Right," Regina rolled her eyes. "You must think I'm really stupid."

"I think," he said, walking over to her and grabbing her arm roughly. "That you keep forgetting that your role as a wife is to support me and keep your mouth shut. What I do in my personal time is none of your business."

"Oh really?" Regina smiled, trying but failing to remove her arm from his grasp. "I'm sure Mother would love to know how you treat me."

"And I'm sure she'd like to know that you fucked her main opposition's son for the Senate seat, too, wouldn't she? Wouldn't your Mother like to know what a loyal daughter she has?"

Regina narrowed her eyes and clinched her jaw. "Let go of me," she snarled.

"Remember your place," Jefferson said grimly. He let Regina go and she pushed him.

"Asshole," she muttered underneath her breath.

"What did you say?" Jefferson asked, flaring his nostrils at her. Regina stared him down and didn't hesitate to answer.

"I said…ASS-HOLE," she said, making sure he understood each syllable.

And without warning, Jefferson raised the back of his hand and almost slapped Regina across the face with it.

"I dare you to fucking lay a hand on me." Regina said provoking Jefferson.

Jefferson and Regina stared at each other, as Jefferson reluctantly put his had down and stormed out of the bedroom, making sure to slam the door behind him. Jefferson walked towards his study. He went to his desk and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" a male voice answered.

"Yeah, it's me," Jefferson said, grabbing a cigarette and popping it into his mouth out of frustration.

"You sound upset."

"My wife," he grumbled.

"I hear ya," the voice chuckled. "Should I come pick you up now, sir?"

"Yes…I'm ready."

The Apex Club was loud and jumping as usual, the sounds of jazz music filling the air, along with the usual cigarettes and booze. Robin Locksley moved through the crowd, his head down and a fedora covering his light eyes. He was bundled up in a black coat, with the lapels up to cover most of his face. He walked to the bar and tapped his fist a couple of times. The bartender walked over and smiled.

"What can I do for ya?" he asked.

"I'm just here to have a little fun," Robin responded. "Have a few drinks. You know, the usual."

The bartender nodded slowly and then pointed to the back room. "I think you'll find that back there, sir."

Robin barely tipped his hat and then walked discretely to the back room. He knocked on the door three times and when it opened, he was met with David's face.

"You're late," he said. Robin walked in and closed the door, pulling off his hat and coat.

"I apologize," Robin said, nodding at all his friends. Graham, John, Will, and John sat around a dark table, all dressed to the nines in stunning suits. Robin joined them at the table.

"Nice of you to join us, Robin," Graham smiled.

"Let's get started," David said to his group of friends. "We've all been here in New York for a while and we've barely worked up a profile on Jefferson Hatter. The Bureau will want to know something soon. Does anybody have any information?"

The five men had all been assigned parts in the operation to take down one of the biggest suspected racketeers and undercover criminals in the country, Jefferson Hatter. John had been assigned the job of becoming Jefferson's new bodyguard. He was not only to protect Jefferson but eavesdrop on his conversations and pick up any information he could.

Will had been assigned the job of working as a servant in the house. His position is to hear intimate thoughts and secrets around the house and he had the chance to snoop in Jefferson's things.

Graham had been placed as an intern at Jefferson's main office, Mad House Enterprise. He got to follow Jefferson around and ask him questions and get the guy to think that he looked up to him, hoping to lure him into a false sense of security.

David was the behind the scenes guy. As the leader of the Organized Crime Unit, he orchestrated the events and the espionage without ever getting directly involved.

And then there was Robin, He was supposed to get in good with the Calverton Times and push pressure on Hatter from the media side. Perhaps if Jefferson felt that people were beginning to uncover his dirty dealings, he might let some secrets slip to one of the other well-placed guys and give David some information to actually work with.

"Nobody?" David asked.

"The guy is as tight-lipped as they come," Graham groaned. "I follow him around like all day, asking him all kinds of questions. He never says anything out of line."

"Same here," Will nodded. "Nobody on the housing staff seems to know anything personal about him."

"He certainly doesn't say anything to me," John agreed. "The most I've heard him talk about was his wife and how she's driving his crazy."

"And what a wife she is," Robin smiled slowly. All the guys looked at him. "I met the Hatters today for the first time. That Regina…" He shook his head. "She's something, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she's more trouble than she's worth," Graham warned. "Whatever you do, do not get caught up in her web. She'll have you spinning so fast, you won't know what happened."

"Are you speaking from experience, Graham?" Robin asked.

"Everything I say is from experience," Graham said seriously. He stood up and rolled up his sleeves. "We have to get the drop on this guy one way or the other, gentlemen."

"His wife might be the best way to go," Robin suggested with a shrug. "Who would know him better?"

"Being her friend, that's one thing," David said. "But anything more, and you're stepping over the line of professionalism."

Robin held up his hands in defense and he sat quietly while the boss ran over some new ideas to catch Jefferson in a lie or in a compromising situation. Everyone had their new assignments, some of which involved trickery. But sometimes trickery was the only way to catch criminals like Jefferson, who were smart enough to stay one step ahead.

"We'll meet again in a couple of days," David said, as John and Will filed out of the room, leaving Graham and Robin.

Robin put his hat on and as he slid on his coat, Graham grabbed his arm. "Stay behind a minute, will ya?"

When everyone else was gone, Robin adjusted his hat and nodded. "You have something to say?"

"Look, I'm all for using whatever resources we have to get to Hatter," Graham told him. "But I'm telling you, his wife is bad news. Don't get caught up with her."

"I won't," Robin said confidently. "You know I don't mix business with pleasure."

"Make sure it stays that way." Graham put on his own hat and coat. "You're the best we've got. We can't afford you getting your mind all mixed up with some girl just because her eyes make you shiver a little."

Robin smirked. "You really do sound like you're speaking from experience."

"Just be careful with her, all right? I'll see ya."

Robin pulled his hat down his eyes and nodded.

He kept Graham's words in mind but he couldn't help but wonder what it was about Regina Hatter that attracted him so, and made Graham so adamant against Robin becoming involved with her.

Either way, it didn't matter. Robin was a professional and his job was very clear: take down Jefferson Hatter.