A/N: After writing the next chapter it became very clear that this scene really belongs in Chapter 8 instead of the next one. This is the challenge of publishing a WIP! So, I apologize for this very short and uneventful update, but promise that another chapter is coming soon!
Chapter 9
Monday morning had been back to work as normal after Hunter's chemo hangover. Hunter has been feeling like himself again, and McCall is feeling more relaxed with the new postponed wedding date. Charlie agreed to a shift change, with Hunter and McCall working Saturday through Wednesday until further notice. The detective team of Molina and Ryan were more than willing to give up their weekend duty to trade shifts with them.
Work itself, however, has McCall feeling like beating her head against the wall. Every new lead led to a dead-end until there were no more new leads. Charlie has them back in the barrel to catch a new case.
"I haven't worked a Saturday without overtime pay in…," Hunter raises an eyebrow and scratches his ear as he works out the math in his head, "eleven years? Yeah, I believe it's been eleven years."
"Six for me," McCall says, dressed much more casually than her recent standard pencil skirt and matching suit jacket. Her desk is covered in photographs from the Clark case — the crime scene, Michelle Clark's body, interesting items of notice around her home. McCall has searched these same photos numerous times the past few days, unable to give up on the case. Although she's conversing with Hunter, she never looks up from her task. "This weekend thing will be good for us, remind us of why we worked so hard to get our superiority. Besides, I am not going to complain about having two days each week that are guaranteed to be courtroom-free."
"Amen to that. So what is Mitch doing this weekend without you to fill his social calendar?"
"I believe his plans have something to do with football, the couch and beer. You know, he may decide he likes this arrangement after all." McCall is able to laugh about it now, but earlier this week it was definitely a sore subject between her and Mitch.
As Hunter had predicted, Mitch was less than thrilled with McCall's new hours and even less thrilled that it was her idea. She had tried to play up the positive of being truly off duty for Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks, she wouldn't even be on-call like years past, but Mitch couldn't be placated. If Mitch is going to be her husband, though, he's going to have to get used to the idea of her calling the shots when she feels emboldened — and when it comes to maintaining her partnership she always feels emboldened.
"It's unfortunate we couldn't at least get a partial print from her neck," Hunter laments, referring to the fingerprints found on Michelle's neck.
"I hate unsolved cases. Hate them," she says, still not looking up at him as she speaks.
He looks over at her and watches for a moment. Her determination and attention to detail is what makes her a world-class detective, but her level of care for the victims and her inability to let go is actually her weakness instead of her strength. He knows from experience.
"Yeah, they haunt me, too," he responds.
McCall catches the emotion in his voice and looks up at him. "I just want to figure out her story, you know? I want to be able to tell her son, her parents, why. Even if it doesn't make sense, just so they know why."
Hunter's phone rings, but he nods in understanding before reaching for the receiver. She watches as he listens patiently on the phone, jotting down an address on his notepad. He hangs up and takes a deep breath.
"Let's go. We caught a case."
...to be continued...