"Boiled egg whites, yolks, blueberries, whole wheat toast, bacon strips..."
Nygma placed the breakfast items on his plate and neatly arranged them. He was turning to head back to his seat when he spotted Li Jie entering the Police Department cafeteria with a bulging travel bag.
"Morning, Ed."
Li Jie dropped the bag onto an empty chair, walked over to the coffee machine, and poured himself a cup.
"Morning, Jay."
Nygma adjusted his glasses, his gaze sweeping quickly over Li Jie. "You were supposed to take two months off, but you were only gone for twenty-three days."
"Yeah, I didn't really know where to go." Li Jie shrugged. "I was thinking of visiting some other countries, but at a time like this, it's better not to invite trouble."
"A wise choice." Nygma sat back down at the table. "Better... not to invite trouble."
"Huh? Why do you seem a little off today?" Li Jie glanced at him. "Or am I imagining things? Oh, did you get the gifts I mailed back?"
At every stop along his trip, he had mailed back a box of local souvenirs, including but not limited to cheap T-shirts printed with Viva Las Vegas, slot-machine keychains, "The house always wins" coffee mugs, cowboy hats, Texas flag stickers, longhorn skull decorations, hot sauce, miniature revolver models, handmade leather goods, and all sorts of other odds and ends.
"Oh, yes. Thank you." Nygma smiled. "Everyone at the Police Department loved them."
"Oh, good."
Silence settled over them. Nygma said nothing, devoting himself to the food on his plate with the single-minded focus of a meditating monk. Li Jie grew increasingly suspicious and leaned over to ask, "Ed? What exactly happened? You're not even happy to see me?"
"Um..."
Nygma smacked his lips, swallowed a piece of egg white,