Serena polished off the burger which turned out to be a lot better than what she had expected. As she sat, warming her hands around the coffee she had ordered afterwards, she watched the bartender polish a row of tumblers. The bar had thinned out — just a few regulars scattered along the counter, the sound of a muted TV filling the space between words.

She waited until he passed by again.

“You’ve worked here a while?” she asked, casual.

He nodded. “About eight years now. Why?”

She offered a faint smile. “Just getting a feel for the place. I’m with The Echo North news.” She slid her notebook halfway...