Chapter 9: BLIND
As the days drag on I become buried in the case. Peeta helps as much as he can. It was a nice distraction from Gale and the catastrophe of my personal life. Annie and I work hard, however I can still sense an undercurrent of tension within her. This didn't get better as she had spent multiple days at our house with Finnick. Jo and I both threatened him about using her enough times he could practically quote what we were about to say. When Annie asked me whether this was usual for Finnick I told her the truth. Yes. She seemed disheartened and I wondered whether this would be for the best.
Cinna paces the briefing room. He wears all black but with flecks of gold. One of his gold buttons catches the light.
"Okay, okay. Let's go through this. We are claiming that Lora Mellark stole the funds of the Mellark owned and partnered companies. We need hard evidence that does not incriminate our client. Evidence that money was mistreated from the hands of Lora Mellark and not the other way around. Right now we all we have is records that the money was taken and Lora Mellark is claiming that she does not have anything to do with it and cannot access those accounts as they are in our clients name. Ideas anyone?" He gestures desperately.
"Is there a way to prove the account was hacked?" Someone else asks.
"It's a possibility. We are going to enlist Beetee's help with that." I liked Beetee. He was a strange little man a few years my senior. But he could do things with computers that compared to nothing else. "Anyone else?"
"We need to get a hold of these fake identities and credit cards." I tell the room.
Cinna appraises me. "Good Katniss. However the only proof of these has come from Peeta Mellark whom you interviewed. Unless we can get evidence of them I'm afraid his word is no better than hers."
I sigh. "What about the other charges?"
"Abuse? I don't think it is prudent we focus on that. We have no evidence that is current or complete. I would prefer to focus on the theft and fraud."
"You can't just ignore-"
"Can you prove it Katniss?" He cuts me off but he speaks gently.
I resign and shake my head.
Cinna keeps on talking while I am wrapped in my own thoughts. Cinna's words rang in my head. Can you prove it? It happened. I know Peeta wouldn't lie. There had to be a way to prove this.
I walk out of the room an hour later, exhausted from the onslaught of legal problems. As I'm heading down to my car, checking my watch to find it is 5:00pm, Annie calls out behind me.
"Katniss wait!"
She jogs up to me, puffing. "I…uh…."
"Spit it out Annie." I say mildly.
"Finnick asked me out to lunch. I was thinking of saying yes."
I eye her carefully. "Do you really like him?"
"I really do."
"Then say yes. But don't you dare screw him over." I say.
A frown forms on her face. "I thought you were scared of him screwing me over? Or perhaps more to the point, screwing me."
"I was." I say offhandedly. "But he's different about you. And he doesn't deserve to be mistreated." Flashes of images from years ago parade in front of my eyes. Finnick's face when his last tie to his family, his mother, died.
"I won't. I promise."
"Good." I smile. "Then say yes."
She runs off to her own car happily and I'm glad my friend was genuinely excited about something like this. As I check my phone I find the day's new onslaught of messages and missed calls from Gale.
"Give up." I mutter, deleting them all. I didn't know whether he was calling to apologize for leaving me or yell at me for being such a bitch. But the possibility of the latter kind of scared me. We'd fought before, many times. This wasn't really new, but the seriousness and the finality of what had happened was. I knew Jo was right and what I had done with him was wrong- for both of us- but my temper got the best of me and I reasoned that he had known the rules of our relationship, if you could call it that.
When I park my car in the drive I find Thresh and Cato on my porch. They sit with Johanna talking and drinking beers. I greet them but head through the door.
Inside I find Finnick kneeling by the coffee table looking kind of scared as Delly jabbers at him pointing to various papers on the table. They were both studying paramedics.
I trudge up the stairs and slip into my comfy jeans with rips in them and a half top. The air was still muggy and the sun still out. I ponder my day at work and the problems cropping up in the case. I look for my notebook planning to go over my notes to find some sort of lead. My dresser is empty as is my bookshelf. I frown and walk down the hall peeking into Peeta's room.
"Hey." His voice scares me. I spy him in the corner of the room at the desk, pencil in hand. He smiles genuinely at me before resuming his drawing.
"Hey. Did I leave my notebook here?"
He points to the bedside barely looking up. I spy the green cover and grab it, planting myself cross legged on his floor.
"Why aren't you downstairs? Everyone seems to be here today." I question.
"I wanted to finish a drawing." He says, immediately snapping his sketchbook shut. "And besides I spent the afternoon with Thresh and Cato and didn't need to see Delly talk Finn's ear off."
"Can I see?" I ask, eyeing his sketchbook and crawling in his direction.
"No, it's not finished." I rock back, hesitate.
"Doesn't matter, show me." I get on my feet and try to grab the sketchbook. His hands are quicker and moves it out of my reach. "What is your problem?" I laugh taking another swipe for it.
"I'll show you later." He tries to reason but my curiosity gets the best of me.
"Oh come on." I grin. His face does not waver and he quickly shoves it into a drawer. "Fine." I mutter turning my back. I take a step back to where I was to make him think he's won. When he gets up off the chair I run and make a dive for the drawer before he can stop me. I manage to get the sketchbook out before his arms are around my waist pulling me away.
"No! Katniss!"
His hands grapple at the sketchbook and I twist trying to escape his grasp. He steps wrong and trips bringing me down to the floor with him. I lose hold of book and he takes advantage of that and slips it under his bed.
"God you are relentless!'" He laughs.
"Why won't you show me?"
"It'll be better when it's done."
I squint at him trying to detect the lie but he blanks his face.
I disentangle myself and decide to drop it for now. I'd find out later. "Well before all that I was meaning to ask you something actually." I admit stretching myself out on the carpet beside him.
"Hm?"
"I want to nail your mother for abuse." I say bluntly.
He does a double take. "What?"
I sigh. "We're focusing on everything else at the firm but proving fraud and theft is hard. They won't consider the abuse part because they have no proof other than your statement. I want to prove it because I know it happened and I think it could really help."
He looks at me carefully. "I have no evidence of that." His eyes wander to the ceiling.
"Yes, but we can find some!" I urge him, the excitement betraying my voice. I prop myself up on my elbow.
"How?" He wasn't sharing my optimism at the moment. His eyebrows drew in over the bright blue. "I don't have any evidence! It was years ago Katniss."
"What about medical records?"
A brief flash of pain moves through his eyes. "There are a few but I still can't link it to anything." Seeing the hopelessness in his eyes tries my heart. How could somebody so wicket get away with all these things. It also brings the question of how far she had abused him but I don't think he'd answer my questions if I asked.
"Did it ever happen to anyone else? Anything that could help?"
He sighs lacing his fingers together and I can almost see the cogs turn in his head as I realizes something. "I guess there could be one way."
"What?"
"I think she assaulted an employee once. He was young like me. She caught him sneaking money from the till or something. He went to press charges but didn't pursue it so she wouldn't press charges against him."
I stare open mouthed. "Do you know who he is?"
He shakes his head. "I could contact dad. Get the information."
I slap my hands together in delight feeling a rush of optimism. "This could help! This might be a turning point." He smiles at my excitement. I flop back onto the floor in contentment. "We can do this, I know we can win it."
"You sound awfully eager."
I shrug. "I get invested in my work."
"Always like this?"
"Well maybe this one is a little different." I admit.
He looks at me with a look of pure gratitude but before he can say anything yells emanate from downstairs and I make out the words 'pizza' and 'now'. I remain on the floor as Peeta gets up.
"Come on. We can finish this later." He nudges me with his foot but I really can't find the energy to get up. "In a sec." I mumble stretching out my arms above my head.
The yells carry up the stairs again and I detect Jo's voice rising above the rest. "Coming!" Peeta yells. He surveys me for a moment, still stretched out before swooping down and throwing me over his shoulder. I scream from surprise. He marches out the room and I flail trying to get down.
He's flipped the switch again. Changed his emotions so rapidly. Something I was sure he had mastered over the years. He'd gone from hopelessness to playfulness in a heartbeat.
"Let me down!" I yell at him.
He only laughs and makes his way down the stairs. I stop flailing aware of our precarious position on the stairs. "You weren't going to come." He reasons.
"I hate you Peeta Mellark."
He laughs louder. When he reaches the floorboards again I try and kick him. He just restrains my legs.
"Cut it out!" I scream.
He walks all the way into the kitchen before he roughly puts me back on my feet.
"Wasn't so hard was it?"
I throw him a dirty look and fill my plate with pizza. I see the other five in the room smirking at us. As most people our age, they've taken our friendship as a couple thing, simply because we joke around. It was annoying at best. And I couldn't seem to avoid spending time with Peeta because of the case and all and the fact his room was a door away from mine. Delly gets up and brings Peeta and me a beer each.
"Come on, let's go out front." Jo says and leads us onto the front porch.
Delly and Cato take the rockers, I lean against the rail while the others sit by the wall. The air was warm and insects buzzed in the dim light.
"So I was thinking a house party soon." Johanna says casually stuffing pizza into her mouth. There's a chorus of approval before I groan. All eyes flicker to me.
"What now Katniss?" She says in exasperation.
"Why does it have to be our house? What if they break stuff?"
She laughs. "No one's breaking anything and besides if they do Haymitch will just buy a new one."
"Well I'm in." Finnick announces.
"Me too." That was Delly.
"Yeah." Thresh.
"Definitely." Cato.
Four pairs of eyes look at Peeta. He throws me an apologetic look before agreeing too. I knew I'd have to be the bad one. But I also knew that my vote would be overruled.
"Great!" Johanna claps her hands together.
I sigh. Everyone knows that if you throw a party near the campus about five times as many people will turn up than you invited. And everyone also knows that the cleanup is a bitch. Back when we lived on campus and frat parties were held that chore was saved for the freshman. Shame there was no freshman available when you had a party at your own house.
"So what were you two doing upstairs?" Johanna asks between mouthfuls as she sends suggestive glances towards both me and Peeta.
I roll my eyes. "Talking."
"Talking? We could hear the crashing and banging."
The sketchbook comes to mind. I can't contain my smile. "He wouldn't show me the drawing he was doing."
"Why not?" She asks Peeta, truly perplexed. Not long ago she had raved at his knack for art possibly in an attempt to try to get me to like him.
However this was one of the very few times Peeta Mellark struggles for words. Amazingly a blush slowly creeps to his cheeks. I am about to tease him but he was saved when Finnick shouts something out in surprise. He gets up and jogs down the steps towards a dark haired woman. Annie.
"What's she doing here?" I whisper to the others.
Johanna shrugs and Peeta raises his hands in an unsure gesture. But then I think back to what we talked about this afternoon before we left the firm.
"Oh…"I hum. "She's saying yes."
"What?"
"Nothing." I shake my head, eyeing the couple. I could see Annie's face which was plastered with a big grin which I could only imagine was identical to Finnick's.
"Look at that." Thresh mutters, watching the two's exchange. "I think we are witnessing the first girl to ever get her hands on Finnick Odair."
We all laugh quietly at what had been named the impossible. Ever since second year Finnick had been labeled as both the god of the university and also the biggest player. Everyone knew long lasting relationships didn't exactly come with Finnick.
"Finally there'll be someone to put him in his place." Cato chuckles.
"They've only gone on a few dates." I remind them.
Johanna shakes her head and looks at me. "Doesn't matter. You can see it between them. When you find that, there's no doubt."
I think that over and find she is right.
000
When the weekend arrives so does the good news. Its arrival is signaled by Peeta's shoes running down the hall.
"Katniss!"
I lean over the railing on the stairs, halfway down to the landing.
"What?"
He looks up at me with a spark in his eyes, something I enjoyed seeing. "I have it."
"Have what?" I frown.
"The information of the employee my mother assaulted." His excitement contrasts his words. Wordlessly he holds up a slip of paper just out of my reach.
My mouth drops open and I race down the stairs to snatch the paper out of his hands. "Thank you!" I throw myself into his arms and nearly knocking him over. He takes a small step back to right himself.
Laughing, he asks, "This will help?"
"There's only one way to see." I grin and race off to the phone making no hesitations with pursuing this lead and spending no time in thinking clearly.
He watches me with an amused smile as I dial the number. I wait….but It rings out. And I'm glad it does because I put down the phone with a sudden sinking feeling.
"I've got to go to work."
I move past Peeta and down the hall but he grabs my wrist to spin me round. "What's wrong?"
"I've got to go show Cinna. I can't just take control and I definitely can't ring this person on our home phone!" Every time I got ahead another mistake seemed to sneak up. I'd never been this careless with anything. What was happening to me?
He lets me go with a small nod and I jump in my car and drive over to the firm. I'm still in sandals, shorts and a singlet but I don't worry myself with my attire. I race the elevators up to Cinna's office and knock frantically on the door.
It swings open revealing a confused looking Cinna. I was lucky my hunch was right and he was here on the weekend.
"Katniss?"
"I found a lead." I announce.
He appraises me before widening the door. I take a seat in one of his comfy chairs and wait for him to signal for me to begin.
I pass the slip of paper over to him and explain what Peeta had told me. He stares at it for a long time before he sighs and leans back in his chair.
"I told you to focus on the other charges, not abuse." He states plainly.
"Yes, I know." I say quietly wondering if I have gotten myself into dangerous territory. Who am I kidding? I've been in dangerous territory long before today.
"Peeta Mellark gave you this information?"
"Yes."
"And I'm guessing you got this information today?" He says giving me a once over. "Did you meet with him today?"
I pause knowing I am slowly digging myself into a hole. I try to lie convincingly. "Yes. I contacted him to find a lead on the charges of abuse. He gave me that information."
"You should have run this by me first. You do realize I am in charge of the case, Katniss?"
I tense. "Yes, sir."
"And that while you have been interviewing Peeta Mellark, he is still part of my clientele?"
"Yes sir." I say again, quieter this time.
"Why have we not heard of this evidence until now?" From a man that always used to like me and was always kind I was really trying his patience.
"The employee never charged Lora Mellark with abuse because he was worried he would incriminate himself."
Cinna sighs in frustration. "Then what makes you think he will be willing to talk?"
"We can offer him immunity." I suggest.
He frowns. "I'll take it from here."
I stand on cue and wander to the door. He holds it open for me.
"You know Katniss," he begins.
"Yes, sir?"
"I specifically asked for you on this case. You know that." His eyes penetrate mine. "And I admire your work. But be careful because on something as serious as this I can't have you going rogue."
I nod minutely and I leave with a heavy feeling in my limbs. I was slowly losing it and I couldn't seem to help myself.
000
When I return I find Annie in the kitchen accompanied by both Finnick and Peeta. I knew before I could even hear them that they were talking about this new lead. I can see their spirits dull once I enter the room and they take in my face.
"I think they'll pursue it." I say without needing prompting. "But I don't think he's happy. He thinks I've gone rogue."
"Well…haven't you?" Annie asks carefully.
I sigh and open the cupboard roughly, pouring myself some bourbon of Finnick's. I couldn't deny what she said was true. I don't bother saying anything as I take a large gulp and the liquid burns my throat.
"We have to be more careful." Peeta says.
"You're telling me." I scoff, anger at Cinna seeping into my tone.
"We just have to treat it like any other case we have," says Annie.
I share a look with Peeta. "That's easier said than done." I tell her. "We live with each other."
"I know." She reasons calmly. "But we're all in this situation now and we have to have a plan/"
It made sense in theory but it proved to be near impossible. The air is noticeably tense and finally Peeta has had enough of it. "You know what? "We're gonna have fun. We're gonna forget everything about this case and everything that we've fucked up. We can deal with that tomorrow. Because we are going to snap soon if we don't watch out. " He was right so we all remained silent. "Tonight we can just be Katniss, Peeta, Finnick and Annie. And we can hang out like normal friends in college that have normal issues and drink ourselves stupid until the morning."
Tentative smiles pass around the group. Only that could come from Peeta.
And then he pulls out a deck of cards and points to the bourbon on the counter. "Time for Kings."
A/N: First of all, sorry for the late update! I know it's been over a week but I ran into some problems.
I just wanted to explain Katniss and Gale a little because I know some people have been a little put off with her actions. (I meant to do this last chapter...but I didn't). Firstly I like writing flawed characters they have a lot of depth so Katniss obviously is not perfect and clearly has made some bad decisions. She actually came off a little more harshly than I intended so I totally understand everyone's reactions. But pretty much Gale knew she wasn't out for a relationship and he disregarded that and she knew he liked her but she disregarded that. So basically it's like one massive miscommunication and one seriously bad decision to sleep with your best friend.
Anyway, I'd really appreciate your feedback on how the story is going so far and how this chapter was. Lately I struggled writing some of the story so it'd great to hear what you want to happen, what you want more of etc etc.
Thank to everyone for reading! The next chapter is the party ;)
-Elli