"Whoa!"
Li Jie got a surprise when he pushed open the door.
His new office was midway down the second-floor corridor, just two doors from Sarah's office, and at least twice the size of his old one in the East End. The windows faced the street, their glass polished to a shine. Gotham's sunlight poured in unobstructed, bathing the whole room in a dull gray glow. The floor was solid wood and didn't creak underfoot. The desk stood by the window. It was a little old, but at least its surface was neat and clean.
"This is nice. No wonder Gordon did so well at Central Headquarters."
Li Jie stepped inside with a sigh of admiration. This was prime real estate, a perfect position whether you wanted to advance or retreat. Just sitting in this office, even if you did nothing all day but watch how the chief ran her meetings and listen to what she said and did, would feel very...
Wait. He couldn't say that.
A metal filing cabinet stood in the corner, its doors labeled "Wanted notices" and "Closed case reports." There were also two sofas for visitors. Their brown leather had worn to a shine, but they were probably much more comfortable than the battered chairs in the East End.
Li Jie sat behind the desk and spun the chair around once. The bearings gave a faint squeak, but it turned smoothly. He looked at the desktop, then the window, and suddenly felt a little out of place.
Back in the East End, his office window had faced the parking lot. Every day, he watched police cars come and go, and occasionally caught Harleen delivering a flying kick to the crotch of some prisoner who had mouthed off at her. This window faced the street instead,