A/N: If you're not familiar with the Detective Mellark characters you can read the previous stories or see Kat Tales, Chapter 1. Please review. Thanks.
Chapter 1
Gale spotted their target. He and Darius had been tracking Morris Weber for three weeks. They were sure he could lead them to the murderer of three drug gang members. They may have been scuzzbags, but murder was still illegal. He brought the radio mic to his mouth. "Darius, he's going out the back door."
"10-4, I see him," Darius said.
Gale stepped up his pace. "Meet me on thirty-fifth, we'll see where he'll lead us."
Morris Weber turned his head from side to side and quickened his pace. Gale kept his distance. He met Darius on thirty-fifth street. Both spun around.
"Where'd he go?" Gale asked.
"I don't know," Darius said.
Gale threw up his arms. "God dammit."
"Don't worry we'll find him. Go take your vacation and enjoy yourself."
"Please rise," the court officer said.
"Have you reach a verdict?" The judge asked
"Yes, we find for the plaintiff."
Peeta's head sunk and he felt like everybody was staring at him. Making a run for it and hiding wasn't an option, his boss, Annika Hansen blocked his path. "Mellark, you lost." Her ability to point out the obvious was on display.
"I know, I've been working on that case for five years."
"Start on the appeal now."
"But I'm on ..." She was already through the door.
His associate patted his back.
"Don't worry Peeta, I'll start the appeal process. You go on your vacation and enjoy yourself."
... ring ... ring ... ring
"Sergeant Mellark."
"This is ADA Cohen. The grand jury didn't indict Burkowsky."
"Oh, crap. We spent six months on that case."
"Well, you can start over." click
Katniss slammed the phone. "Shit" A room full of eyes turned to her. She grabbed the file. "April, I need you to reinterview the witness'-"
April's head flew from side to side. "No can do. I'm already on the Ramos homicide."
Katniss turned to Connie and Carol. Connie held up a file. "We're on Barrett."
"Where's Gale?"
"He and Darius are tracking down Weber."
Katniss sprinted into her Captain's office. "Emma, I just found out they didn't indict Burkowsky. I have to start over and I'm going on vacation." Katniss flashed the saddest puppy dog eyes. Emma handed her a note.
"Oh my God. Burkowsky was found dead."
"Yup, bullet to the back of the head."
"Where?"
"Outside of Atlantic City."
"YES! He's their problem now."
"He sure is. Have a nice vacation. I have a project for you when you get back."
Katniss stopped her sprint. "What project?"
"I'll tell you when you get back. It involves a lot of paperwork."
Emma flashed a quick grin, Katniss' head drooped.
"Have a nice time."
Katniss watched Emma's office door slam.
"Let's see. The doorman is going to hold our mail. I suspended the newspaper. Kelly at work is going to handle anything that might come up."
Madge held out her hand.
"Damn, I broke a nail."
The rooster crowed at his usual time. Already awake, Sae looked out the window and saw him corraling the hens.
"Good boy," she said.
"Um, you say something?" Her husband turned over and tried to catch just a few more minutes of sleep.
"Time to get up Matt." She pulled open the blinds and the sunlight streamed in and lit the room in bright orange. She shivered when the breeze blew in after she opened the window. "Autumn is definitely here."
Matt pulled his comforter over his head and rolled himself into the fetal position, but it was too late, he awoke.
"Ugh, I hate mornings," Matt said.
"You shouldn't have moved onto a working farm."
"I don't think twenty-four chickens and a vegetable garden count as a working farm."
"Those chickens provide for half our breakfasts and the garden gives us our salads."
Sae knew that days like this made him miss the city he enjoyed for the first half of his life. The closest they got to farm life then were the window boxes full of herbs that lined the terrace of their East Side apartment. He never saw the sunrise, their windows faced west. He never got up before seven, unless, of course, he had an early tee-time.
Sae felt him staring at her as she prepared for her day. Overalls, sweatshirt, boots and a wool cap rounded out her morning wardrobe for the last ten years. She couldn't remember the last time she wore a cocktail dress. They were still in her closet and she chuckled when she thought of herself picking up the eggs in a little black dress.
She took a deep breath. The cold morning air filled her lungs and she sprinted down the stairs.
Sae changed out of her farming duds and into her day dress. They served their guests breakfast and ate themselves. The guests insisted they meet the chef. She brought Eula Bates from the kitchen.
"Are you the chef?"
"Cook."
"Well, you can cook for me anytime."
"You pay me and I'll be there. Where do you live?"
"Hartford Connecticut."
"That ain't happening." She threw her towel over her shoulder and ambled back to the kitchen.
"Sorry, but she never leaves the village."
At eleven o'clock she checked the upcoming reservations and email.
"How many are checking in today?" Matt asked.
"Just two couples, the Mellarks and the Hawthornes," Sae said.
A cold chill went up her spine and she shivered. "Where is that chill coming from?" She shook her head when she didn't feel any breeze. "That is so weird." Sae pulled her sweater tight and bent down to see if a breeze was coming from under the counter. "Matt, where is it coming from?"
"You figure that after all the renovations we did, we'd stop the drafts," he said.
Katniss stared at Peeta as he looked at himself in the mirror after he showered and shaved. His eyes were his focus. He squinted, then opened them wide, then pulled the skin down, then pulled the skin back, then he frowned.
Peeta's odd behavior started about two weeks ago. Katniss was reluctant to ask him about it. Something bothered him and she didn't want to make it worse. She just wanted her old Peeta back.
"Are you packed?" Katniss asked.
"Uh ah." He didn't take his eyes off the mirror.
"I'm almost ready."
"Uh ah."
"It should take us about four hours to get there."
"Uh ah."
"I'm naked and I want you to have your way with me right now."
"Uh ah."
Katniss rolled her eyes, marched off to their bedroom and dropped the towel that wrapped her. She scrunched her nose and paced the room with her chin in her hand. If she was at work and she and Gale were questioning a witness or a suspect they would each use different techniques. Gale asked questions in a soft tone and told folksy stories. That put a suspect at ease.
Katniss, on the other hand, moved right in. Her goal was to intimidate him, scare the crap out of him, make him wet his pants. She thought what was needed now was the Gale approach.
Katniss sauntered to the bathroom. She stood behind Peeta, bit her lip and curled her hair in her finger.
"Peeta."
"Uh um."
Peeta almost printed his face on the mirror when Katniss shoved him.
"What was that for?"
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're standing there making faces in the mirror all morning."
Peeta's eyes turned to the floor. His crimson face stood out against his blond hair. "Um, nothing." He sprinted out of the bathroom. "I'll be ready in a few minutes."
Katniss put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. "I should have let Gale question him."
The pitter-patter of two small feet got louder. Katniss felt the warmth spread through her body when Lily showed up at the bathroom door.
"Lily, where are your clothes?"
"I'm like you mommy."
"Oh, Christ!" Katniss scrambled for her robe. "Come on baby. Let's get you in your pjs and back to bed. It's too early to get up."
Gale put his small duffle bag and his and Peeta's golf clubs in the Hawthorne Family Truckster. His golf game gave him grief. He took a practice swing on the sidewalk.
"Ah! Watch out!"
He didn't think anybody would be walking up the street this early in the morning. He smiled at the woman in an orange, velour jumpsuit. She looked like a giant, jogging grapefruit that was topped off with thick, black-framed glasses. The morning jog won't help her considering the size of the jelly donut she shoved in her mouth.
"Sorry, ma'am."
"I oughta call the cops on you."
"Sorry, it won't happen again."
"It's people like you that ruin this city."
Gale politely nodded.
"Asshole," she said.
Gale watched the orange lady continue her morning workout. He jumped when he felt the tap on his back.
"I'm surprised you didn't wrap her over the head with that club of your's," Madge said.
He kissed his bride good morning on the forehead. Madge reached up and pulled her husband down and pressed her lips hard against his. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her almost a foot off the ground. She pulled away and placed her hands on his warm cheeks. Gale felt her heart flutter and he thought about how they still made each other feel after fifteen months of marriage.
"Good morning to you too." Her face flushed as her body slid against his until she reached the ground. She patted him on the chest. "Um, I think we should load the car. Katniss and Peeta are probably waiting for us."
The doorman wheeled Madge's luggage to the car; Gale's eyes got wide. "What is all this?"
Madge stood next to the stack of hard plastic cases. "Well, these are my clothes."
He rolled his eyes. "I know what's in the duffle bag, what's all this?"
"These are my ghost hunting supplies."
Gale leaned in and turned his ear towards Madge. His eyes blinked and his breathing stuttered. "Your ... um ... ghost hunting supplies?"
"I told you last Sunday."
"No, you didn't."
"Sure I did. You were watching some game."
"AHHHHHH! That idiot! I can't believe they got intercepted!"
"Gale, I ordered some ghost hunting supplies."
"Those morons! They were sure to get at least a field goal."
"You don't have a problem with that, do you?"
"Jesus Christ. That's gonna cost me a hundred bucks in the football pool!"
"Thanks, sweetie!"
Gale's eyes flicked back and forth like a 1960s computer reaching deep into its memory banks. He shook his head. "Whatever. But, all this stuff won't fit."
"Sure it will. You can do it." She stood on her toes and kissed him. He frowned and she touched his cheek. "You're really good at Tetris. I'll get some coffee and muffins."
Gale watched Madge walk away. He nodded as she swung her hips. "Yup, she has me wrapped around her itty bitty fingers."
"Hi, Kit-Kat!" Madge charged Katniss and hugged her like they hadn't seen each other in years.
"Hi, Madge."
She spied a bucket at Katniss' feet. "What's in the pail?" Katniss lifted the towel off the top. "Oh my God. Your mom sent you pears too!"
"Yup, the harvest for the Premium Popular Panem Pear was prodigious."
"I concur. I traded mine in at the corner grocer."
"Shit, I shoulda thought of that. Well, I'm giving them to the couple that owns the bed and breakfast. They can make pie, cobbler or some other pear themed meal they can think up." Madge nodded her head. "As long as they keep it far from me." Madge's nod sped up.
Gale lifted the hatch. "Whoa, what's all the stuff ?" Peeta said.
"Madge's ghost hunting equipment."
"Really!" Peeta's head whipped around and laughed. "Madge, you gotta be kidding, ghosts!"
Madge narrowed her eyes and scrunched her nose. "You just wait Peeta Mellark. You'll be sorry when I find a ghost. I picked this place because they have a history of apparition sightings. I saw them on that ghost hunting show."
"I can't believe that an intelligent woman like, OUCH!"
"Be good Peeta. Put our bags in and the pears too," Katniss said.
"Yes, dear."
"Thank you, Kit Kat. Us girls have to stick together."
Katniss rolled her eyes.
A/N: If you want to know what Katniss' issue is with pears see Kat Tales, Panem Tales, Part III