Haven walked into the bookstore and ordered a strong cup of coffee before she took a seat and tried not to notice all the people glancing at her in her gown. She didn't have to wait long though before Reddington joined her, still in his tuxedo.
"I must apologize for the delay," Reddington began, "It has been quite a busy night, hasn't it?"
Haven nodded, "You killed a woman and didn't let her be processed and properly handled. What's next?"
"Your tone makes it sound like you don't approve but I assure you that I only kill those who truly deserve it. We don't have a next case as of yet, but I am off to Italy this afternoon and when I return I will have the next name ready for Agent Keen," he explained causing Haven to feel suddenly frustrated toward him.
"Then why are we here? I could have gotten 45 minutes of sleep before I had to change out of this dress and back into my clothes for work," she whined, her tone not hiding her irritation at all.
"Cranky when you've had no sleep, aren't you?" Reddington quipped as he ordered two croissants and a coffee for himself, "Let's get some food in you and then hopefully you'll behave better."
Haven wasn't amused. She was tired and a bit confused, "I've been blinded by your charm over the past couple of days but now I want a lead or this meeting is useless and I will not come again. What are you after? You have Keen," she stated, her tone confident unlike how she felt standing up to him.
Reddington cocked his head to the side as he looked at her then his lips curled into an amused smile, "You are quite right to question my motives because I am after you for more than your mind. However, we must remain platonic for this arrangement to work so here is your lead, The Silent Partner," he disclosed.
Haven heard the name of the lead and she took a mental note but she was more concerned with something else he'd said, "You don't need me for that either, Reddington. I saw you with your bodyguard," she challenged him yet again. She was pushing her luck and she knew it.
Reddington sat forward in his seat capturing her eyes with his own as he pushed her croissant towards her, "You are too observant for you own good but her relationship with me is purely physical. You and I have to stay away from each other because there is more than that on my mind when I look at you. Anything else?" he asked, his tone dangerous as if she'd reached the end of his patience.
Haven nodded looking at him, "That is all. What do I need to know about this Silent Partner?"
Reddington leaned back, seemingly relieved, "There has been a bombing in a tunnel and it looks like a simple suicide bombing but I believe it is the Silent Partner using veterans suffering from PTSD for their own benefit. Go to the tunnel and see what you can find and then present it to your team."
"They are going to wonder how I found this crime scene and why I think we should pursue it," Haven stated, worried they would discover her connection with Reddington easily.
"You asked for a lead and I have given you one," Reddington said as he stood from the table, "Now, figure out how to do your job," he said as he turned and walked out of the bookstore.
Haven sat for a moment taking it all in. She'd certainly hit a nerve with Reddington so she knew she needed to play nice for a bit but what she was more intrigued by was the fact had been flirting with her but didn't want to pursue anything. Did she want to? She knew in her heart she did but as he said, that wasn't a possibility. She sighed deeply as she finished her coffee and croissant before heading to her home to get ready to head out the bomb scene and figure out how to present that to her team at the Post Office.