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As she walked towards her bedroom Jinx was the first to break the silence, "So, what was that about?"
Brandi stared at Mary curiously and saw her frown, "Come on Mare, sharing means caring."
Mary stopped on the threshold of her bedroom and turned to the pair, sarcasm in full swing, "Sure, why don't I put on a pot of coffee, then we can all sit around the table and share." She rolled her eyes at the nerve of those two, "Since when do I share anything with you two?"
"Well, there's always a first time for everything," Brandi said with a snicker.
"Huh, same way you shared with me about Chuck and his shady business?" she sneered at the younger woman, "What are you doing here anyways? Aren't you shacking up with Peter now?"
Brandi's eyes filled with tears at the memory of her ex-boyfriend and his demise, making Jinx jump up and wrap her arms around her, "Do you always have to be so cruel?"
She rolled her eyes at them again, walking into her door muttering loud enough for them to hear before she slammed her bedroom door for the second time that night, "Yeah, it's a gift."
The weekend had found Mary in the Sunshine building catching up on her paperwork; she knew that Marshall wouldn't come into the building since he had finished his share of paperwork throughout the week.
On Sunday night, she came home from work and sat on a lounge chair, drinking the rest of the beer she had started to drink when Marshall had been there on Friday night.
Brandi and Jinx had stayed clear of her, she had heard them hurriedly leaving the house amid cooing and sniffling on Friday night and Jinx hadn't come back. Mary figured that she was staying clear of her with Brandi and Peter, something she was grateful for. She didn't want to talk to either woman; she just wanted to be left alone. The feeling in her gut, the one that told her that something was going to go south, which usually only worked when she was on a transport, was screaming at her.
Mary closed her eyes and rubbed her stomach, No more fighting Marshall, can't you leave it alone? Nothing can be done anymore, game over.
By Monday morning, she still couldn't shake the feeling off, unsure of what to do, she continued to ignore it. Damn, I hope no emergency comes up with any of the witnesses. The last thing I need is a transport with Marshall. The questions alone will have me jumping out of a moving vehicle.
Mary walked into the Sunshine building, swiping her card on the door to walk into the office. She noticed her partner already behind his desk, something that really didn't surprise her, he was always in early, going at it at his computer in full swing. She shrugged the uneasy feeling once more before squaring her shoulder for round two; she walked around her desk and sat behind it.
She was surprised that Marshall hadn't paid her any mind; he was so preoccupied that he didn't look up when she walked in. She rolled her eyes and turned to her computer, she thought he was ignoring her on purpose, which suited her just well. Fine jackass, you want to play that way, I'm all for it.
Stan walked into the office and noticed the partners hard at work, "Morning Inspectors!"
Marshall looked up startled; he shook his head to clear it, surprised that Mary was sitting behind her desk. He had been in deep thought, trying to figure out a way to find out what Mary had been up to during her vacation, so concentrated that he had missed her walking into the office. Come on, Mann, you could've gotten caught! She would torture you for this one. You do not want to be in deeper water here.
He shook his head again and continued his search; he had already found her cancelled trip to Cancun, Mexico. He had been shocked to say the least. Where'd Faber take you, Mare? Back to Denver? Is that where you were? Too ashamed to tell me? He inwardly sighed at where his thoughts had strayed and thought, maybe I should've left when I had a chance. I wouldn't be in this limbo if I had taken that security job.
He pushed his chair back and walked around his desk, heading to the kitchenette and poured himself a cup of coffee. Turning back he leaned against the counter and observed his partner. She was looking at him wide eyed, before she caught him looking and then she scowled and turned back to her computer.
For the rest of the morning, they ignored each other while they worked on their paperwork, going full swing on their computers. Stan had gotten up a few times to make sure they were still in the office, since it was the very first time it had been quiet since Mary had come to work in the office to be partnered with Marshall. He sighed sadly and noticed how either Mary or Marshall would glance at the other and sigh regrettably. With that he came to the conclusion that they had gotten into a fight either during the weekend or Friday night before they went home from work.
"These two are going to give me brain damage," he muttered as he walked back behind his desk.
By 11a, Mary had finished most of her work and got up, she walked to Stan's office, hands on hips, she looked down at Stan and grimaced, "Hey Chief, I gotta check on the Davises, something about a neighbor giving them trouble."
"Alright, are you taking your partner?" he asked curiously.
Mary turned to look out the window and shook her head, "Nah, he's busy and the Davises are good people, I think I can handle them and take care of a nosy neighbor all on my own."
Stan leaned back against his chair and studied his inspector, "Okay, when will you be back?"
"I'll probably go to lunch and then come back afterwards," she shrugged in response.
He nodded and looked out his door, Marshall was looking busy, which Stan caught on. He knew that Marshall was curious to know what Mary had come into his office for.
"Fine, call if you need back-up," he pointed an accusatory finger at her with a glare.
She rolled her eyes at him, sarcasm in full swing, "Back-up? With the Davises? What? Do you know something I don't? Are they going to tie me down and torture me with, what, tickles?"
He rolled his eyes in return, waving her off and muttered, "Just go."
She chuckled and walked out of the office, her smile fading when she saw Marshall hard at work behind his computer, the keyboard clicking loud and fast. She sighed sadly and pulled her bag from the floor, opening the desk drawer, drawing her Glock and badge out. Once the badge was clipped and the Glock holstered she walked out of the office with a sideways glance towards her partner.
He didn't look up at her, even though he had felt her verdant gaze upon him several times during the morning. He just didn't want to argue with her anymore, he just wanted to figure out her whereabouts since she left on her vacation. What are you hiding from me partner? I don't know if I can keep going without knowing. I need to know who caused you harm, caused you pain. If Faber caused it…he couldn't finish the thought, it was too dark.
After an hour, she was driving away from the Davises house and on her way to lunch. It had gone without a hitch at the Davises, she was able to pacify the witness and his family. The neighbor was just a nosy old lady, with nothing to do but spy on her neighbors.
Mary drove to her favorite lunch spot, Larry's Diner, mainly because their Monday lunch special was a Philly cheese steak sandwich. On her drive there, she had thought of going through the drive thru, but as she pulled up, she noticed the long drive thru line. She shrugged with a mumbled, "Damn people, can't they bring lunch to work?"
The restaurant was a restored diner from the 70s, with the typical black and white tile that ran up along the counter that sat against the only solid wall, bay windows all around.
She sat in a booth enjoying her philly cheese steak sandwich, she looked out her window thoughtfully. She was thinking about her partner, how things had gone down south pretty fast between them because of a talk and a vacation. She didn't know how to go back to what they used to have, how to get back her best-friend. I don't know what you want from me, who is this guy you envision me with? It wasn't you, why I thought you referred to you, I have no idea. But apparently I was wrong, since you have a girlfriend now. I don't want to hurt you by keeping things from you Marshall, yet, I feel like that's what I've done. I'm sorry, but I made a promise.
Marshall drove into Larry's Diner, he went looking for his partner, he needed answers and he wasn't going to let her go without them. He had come up from one obstacle to another, until he got tired of trying to figure it out and decided then and there that he would locate his partner and get his questions answered.
Mary shook her head to shake her somber mood, when she finally focused, she spotted two figures that seemed somewhat familiar. She frowned and squinted to make out their features, trying to figure out who they reminded her of.
She sat back, eyes wide in shock, "Shit! Shit…shit…shit."
Michael Hurst, aka Hurts, was holding a device and pointing to the dark man to take the right side of the diner, the man she had shot on the thigh, noticed him with a cane, limping next to Hurts.
She jumped up, pulling her cash out and dumping it over her food as she took off, muttering as she left the diner, "Damn it all to hell!"
Marshall saw her jump up out of the booth and dump her money on the table, he frowned when she took off running. What the hell? Damn it Mare, you can't run away from me!
When Marshall saw her run, he assumed it was because she had seen him drive into the parking lot, which disconcerted him. He didn't want Mary running from him, he turned his truck to drive around the diner and meet her on the other side, but luck was not on his side. His cell phone went off and he cursed under his breath, he pulled it out and it was Abigail.
"This is Marshall."
"Hey Marshall, its Abigail. Are you busy?" her cheerful voice bothered him a bit, but he pushed it out of his mind. Pushing Mary right along with it, he needed a distraction from what had just happened with his partner.
"No, not busy at all," he murmured as he stopped his truck next to the building. Marshall saw it all unfold as Mary had jumped into her car and squealed out of the parking lot, he thought he should follow, frowned at what could've made her leave so hurriedly. She must've gotten a call before I saw her, maybe a witness? What the hell's going on with her? I guess she wasn't running from me.
He could almost hear her grin spreading, "What do you say about meeting me for lunch?"
"Sure, where'd you like to meet?" he said looking down at his watch, he knew he had enough time to eat lunch with Abigail.
"Mmm, why don't you choose?" she asked happily.
Marshall looked up then closed his eyes, with an internal sigh, "Meet me at Larry's Diner over by…"
"I know where it's at, I'll see you in a bit," she cut him off cheerily, happy that she would see him soon.
Mary had seen the dark man move towards the right side of the building and took flight, she was out the restaurant in record time, she could almost see Hurts walking towards the front door of the restaurant. She looked around and moved stealthily towards her car, as soon as she saw her car; she jumped in and took off. Not waiting to see what the pair was planning on doing, she donned her sun glasses and drove by Hurts, still holding the device on his left hand.
She figured he must've seen something on the device; he looked up and stared at her as she took off. She saw him stand there in surprise; he bellowed something at the dark man as soon as he cleared the building on the opposite side.
Mary frowned as she took off, she figured that whatever Hurts had on his hand must've been a tracking device, "Damn it!" she slapped the steering wheel as she reached for her cell phone.
What Marshall didn't see when she took off was Hurts and the dark man, he had automatically assumed that she had a witness emergency.
Mary made a few turns before looking down at her cell phone, speed dialing Stan, "Chief McQueen."
"Stan, I got a situation here," she muttered angrily.
"What? The Davises are torturing you with tickles?" he asked sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.
"Even better, remember my little extra-curriculum activity during my vacation?" she asked as she checked her rearview mirrors.
Stan was quiet for a few seconds, then sighed deeply, "Yeah, what about that? I thought you didn't want to discuss it?"
"Look, apparently that little situation just showed up, I'm going to have to take a few days off," she growled as a few cars got in her way. She hopped into the highway and took off, "Need to figure out how to take care of it. Not sure when I'll be back. Please don't tell Marshall."
TBC
