The man extended his arm first as if he was the one in charge, giving me a firm grip. He had blond hair that was longer on top, and icy blue eyes that still held a warmth despite their cool tones. There were creases along the corners of his eyes and mouth that suggested he had either laughed a lot or been thinking too hard. Probably the latter, I thought as I released his hand.

‘Hi Liz, thanks for seeing us. I’m Special Agent Mark Hannigan and this is my partner, Special Agent Tamara Beck,’ he gestured to his partner, who also extended a hand to me.

Beck was slightly shorter than Hannigan and had dark brown hair that was slicked back, ending in a neat low bun, not a single hair out of place. In stark contrast to the severe hairstyle, her face was soft and welcoming as she gave my hand a shake.

‘Hi Liz, nice to meet you,’ she said.

Her grip was not quite as firm as her counterpart’s, her nails short and clean. I wondered if they ever played good cop bad cop, and if she would be the good cop. She was much less intimidating than Hannigan. They both looked to Travis, eyeing him up with curiosity.

‘Oh, sorry, this is my friend, Travis,’ I said, gesturing to him. He reached out his hand, assuming a professional persona that I had never seen from him before.

‘Travis Baker,’ he said, stiff but polite, shaking both of their hands in turn. ‘I work with Sachs and Sullivan downtown.’

‘Nice to meet you Travis,’ said Hannigan. ‘But I assure you, Liz, there’s no need for legal counsel. We’d really just like to have a quick conversation.’

‘Well that’s a relief,’ I said, smiling nervously. ‘But really, he’s just here for moral support. Why don’t you come in and have a seat?’ I stepped back and gestured them in the rest of the way toward the living room. ‘Can I get you something to drink? Coffee? Water?’

‘Oh no, that’s alright,’ said Beck. ‘Just a few quick questions, it shouldn’t take long. Nothing to be nervous about.’ She was clearly good at reading people, trying to calm the anxiety she no doubt saw lingering on my face. I’d never been good at hiding my emotions.

I opened my arm toward the couch where they sat themselves on the edges of the cushions, not getting overly comfortable. Travis and I sat in two mismatched chairs across from them that I’d pulled around from other areas of the apartment. I spun my ring around on my finger, waiting for someone to break the silence.

‘Okay, so let’s just dive right in, shall we?’ Hannigan said, giving me a smile.

‘Yes, that would be great,’ I responded. ‘What is it that you want to talk to me about?’