Chapter 2

"Has it ever occurred to that your daughter simply doesn't want you in her life?" Haymitch asked, leaning back against his seat as he watched them.

The Trinkets exchanged a glance and it was clear to him that that line of thought had never crossed Lysandra Trinket's mind. A woman of her stature and prestige likely had people lining up to kiss her feet, clamouring for her attention and having someone not wanting her in their life was a foreign concept to her.

"Whatever do you mean?" she frowned.

Haymitch grunted, impatient.

"There are three kinds of missing people," he explained. "One, they don't want to be found. Two, they're not missing. You are just not part of their lives – a life they built for themselves after moving away. Your daughter falls in that category … or the first, really. Three – every other missing person. Those that was kidnapped or abducted or murdered."

"She was not abducted and I am quite certain she is still very much alive," Lysandra informed him. "But one can never tell what tragedy can befall with her being so far away from home. All the horror stories I've heard…. Our request still stands. You are to find her and persuade her home. We already told you where she is."

Haymitch snorted.

"You said Asia and that's a whole fucking huge continent. She could be anywhere in China or India or somewhere else. She's relocated to a continent where her identity is unknown which makes it difficult for me to find her; difficult to pry her whereabouts from people when no one there knows her. It's all about following the traces they unknowingly left behind."

They were listening to him with such rapt attention he felt almost sorry – almost - when he broke it to them.

"So, no," Haymitch smiled. "I ain't doing it. I'm not 'bout to travel to the other side of the world searching for someone who might not even want to be home, someone who might not even want any of you in her life. She's a rich brat who's got the money to just up and leave, and I ain't gonna waste my time. It doesn't interest me, nothing's at stake except for your reputation."

For the first time since he sat across from them, the role switched and he witnessed the thunderous expression on Stefan Trinket's face at his refusal. Unlike his wife who was more expressive with her thoughts and feelings, Stefan ran a hand down the front of his waist coat to gather himself together before piercing Haymitch with a look.

In that split moment, Haymitch wondered which parent Euphemia took after; the loud, haughty mother or the pensive but stern father, or if she was an equal combination of both. That, he supposed, would be interesting.

"Do you have children, Mr. Abernathy?" Stefan asked.

He really should have seen the question coming. Haymitch's gaze trailed towards where Katniss was standing next to Peeta, helping him with the pastries arrangement on the tray and then to Prim, polishing the cups and plates by the counter.

"You want only the best for them..." Stefan murmured, glancing once in the direction of the three children.

Haymitch could understand that. He really did. Katniss, Prim and Peeta weren't his, not by blood. They unwittingly came into his life and over the years, they became his and he understood wanting them to have the best that life had to offer, even if where they lived, opportunities were limited.

"There are times, Mr. Abernathy, that what we thought is best might not be what they want... or need. We pushed too hard and Euphemia... She was always pressured to succeed and carve a name for herself by the success of her sister and brother, and her us, her parents. My daughter yearned to assert her own individuality – a constant source of consternation in our family – and succeed based on her own capabilities without her mother's meddlesome hand."

Lysandra clicked her tongue disapprovingly at that insight to her relationship with her daughter.

"She has always come to me with problems and I was aware that she has been unhappy for a very long time but having said that, I was still surprise to find her gone. I… had hoped it was a passing folly but I have not seen or talked to her in three years."

He heard what Stefan did not say; that he was disappointed she did not talk to him before leaving or sought his advice, that he longed to see his daughter again and wanted a chance to set things right.

"It will not be possible for Lysandra and me to find her on our own. We are the source of the problem."

"Oh, do not be ridiculous, Stefan," Lysandra interjected.

"The sooner you realise it for what it is, the better," Stefan retorted. "As I was saying, Mr. Abernathy, the sight of us would likely risk her fleeing once more which is why I am willing to pay you to do the job, however much you need. Name your price."

Haymitch let out a sigh.

"Look," he rubbed the back of his neck.

He had never been a big believer of fate but he would like to think there was a reason the Trinkets were here and that it could benefit him in a way, if he played his cards right. There was something he could get out of them.

"That kid you've been talkin' to... Prim," he began, "she wants to be just like her mum. Iris was a healer. Prim's got a good heart, she likes helping people but she's stuck here, yeah? And there's nothin' much here. She's gonna need training in the future, good grades to get to good school. What I need is for that kid to have a chance … a shot at that. I ain't saying the teachers here aren't good. They are but I want to give her more. She's doing alright at her school right now but it ain't enough. You need to get me a tutor for her, the best the city's got to offer. You know anyone like that? And when she applies to colleges later on when she's at that age, you remember her and you put in a good word of recommendation for her. You're well connected enough to do that, yeah?"

Haymitch would have asked the Trinkets for her to be enrolled in a reputable school in the city where opportunities would open up for her but Katniss would never agree to being separated from her sister, not this soon after what just happened with Iris, so he did the next best thing.

"If that is what it takes for you to agree to this, we can work towards that," Lysandra said. "You can be rest assure that we will hire only the best tutor for her."

"Okay," Haymitch said simply. "One more thing…"

His gaze briefly flitted over to the three children but they were no longer paying him any attention, their attention now focused on serving the two new customers that just walked in.

"The record Chaff and I have… The time is coming up when it will be made public. I need that record gone."

Lysandra and Stefan exchanged a glance.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Lysandra declared.

Haymitch chuckled derisively. "You did your homework before coming to see me. You must know of my background, come on."

"That…" Stefan shifted in his seat, "is a difficult thing you are asking."

They stared at each other before Haymitch pushed his chair back and stood up, "Alright, I guess meeting's over."

"Difficult but not impossible," Stefan said calmly and slowly, Haymitch sat back down. "I will see what can be done."

Haymitch nodded, accepting his word.

"Now that we have an understanding, are you able to guarantee that you will bring my daughter home in three months' time? My daughter, Eirene will be married in three months and we need Euphemia to be home just before the wedding. Everyone has to be present – the perfect image."

"No," Haymitch snorted. "I don't know why you came to me. I ain't an investigator anymore and I sure as hell ain't a miracle worker. I'll find her and I'll get her home but I won't give you a specific time."

Lysandra pursed her lips impatiently.

"Your dwindling business is exactly what makes you the suitable candidate for the job," she told him. "No one will be expecting you of all people to be looking for our daughter. We do not need the press picking up on this. Above all, we absolutely do not want to give anyone the impression that there is trouble in the family which is why I need you to treat this with urgency, Mr. Abernathy," Lysandra implored. "Three months – that is all you have."

"I agreed to do it so let me do it my way," Haymitch stated firmly. "I need a starting point. Has she ever told you of some place she wanted to visit before? Anything is a clue."

"Nothing in particular but Euphemia is very fond of her nephew and we came to know that they maintain a form of contact with each other even after she left," Stefan explained. "She sent a few photos of herself to him and one of it caught my attention. I've shown the same to Beetee Latier. I assume you are acquainted with him?"

He knew Beetee, after having worked with him in a few cases, and he had been instrumental in assisting him and Chaff.

"The photograph also provided us a clue as to where she might be…"

The photo in question was in Stefan's phone and when he handed it over to Haymitch, he was floored by the image of her. Euphemia was striking. Her eyes which were bright and gentle caught his attention first and it reminded him of the ocean, pale and crystal clear blue. The way she smiled could convince just about anyone that the world was right even if it was falling apart around them.

Still, there was a sharpness in her expression, a subtle warning that she should not be trifled with and in that, he saw a glimpse of Lysandra Trinket. Haymitch wondered how she sounded like. He tried to place a voice to her face; if it was high-pitched and irritating or honeyed as if she was constantly sugar-coating her words or perhaps, Haymitch wondered if she spoke quietly in a light and pleasant tone.

"Her background…" Stefan's sharp voice brought him back to attention. "Do you see it?"

He brought the phone closer to examine it and there it was, at the top right hand corner, a landmark that could give her location away.

"The London Eye?" Haymitch asked with a little hope that perhaps she was not in Asia as her parents thought she was. Travelling to Europe, he figured, would not be as bad as traveling to Asia. "Or… the High Roller, yeah?"

That'll be even better.

Stefan glanced up.

"As it so happened, which I am sure it was on oversight on my daughter's part or she would have taken steps to have it remove, the photo has a … geotag function. Mr. Latier was helpful to assist me with it. The geotage -"

"- tells you the location," Haymitch finished.

"Yes, and we did say Asia, Mr. Abernathy," Stefan smiled. "That's the Flyer."

The wheels in his mind turned and he quickly began to put the two together. Haymitch left out a breath.

"Singapore."

"Yes, indeed. The photograph was sent two days ago to my grandson and while it might not prove length of stay, I have reasons to believe that she has been domiciled there for a while now."

"Right," Haymitch drummed his fingers on the table. "Guess she really went for it – put in as much distance as possible in a densely populated city. Finding her will be a challenge…"

And he loved a challenge.

"You'll be covering my expenses, right?"

In the first draft of this chapter and the next few after this, I wrote Effie as being in Central Thailand but as much as I know and I like Bangkok, I know my own little lion city more and since in her review, marizpe was also asking if they would be in S'pore, I've brought hayffie to my backyard to play :)

Haymitch and Effie have yet to meet but we'll get there! In the meantime, let me know your thoughts.