Thaddeus Hodge

Los Angeles, CA

I'm sitting in the interrogation room, meeting the eyes of the man who's just trying to do his job. He's trying to stare me down, possibly look past the blue and into my soul where he could find some semblance of the truth.

"Let's try this again," he started, fidgeting with his notepad until he had turned to a new page. "Tell me what happened."

"I've already been through it all. Twice," I answered. "I've also asked for legal counsel with my request ignored."

"Why would you need legal counsel? We're just having a chat, as friends." He stares me down again, expecting me to submit. The word 'friends' coils out of his mouth like an ugly snake.

"Alright. I'm gonna go, unless you want to charge me with something," I reply, getting up and collecting my purse and pink fuzzy jacket from the back of the uncomfortable metal chair. The detective leans back and sighs.

"I'll talk to you later, miss O'Dell," he promises as I leave the room.

These people have no idea what they're doing. They have no idea the consequences of keeping me here, no idea who they're dealing with. The officer was just trying to do his job, at least, that's what I keep telling myself. I ignore the many eyes following me as I leave, through the offices and out the front door. No surprise there, the man I killed last night had his face on every news station in the city. As soon as I'm outside, I take a deep breath of the fresh air. No offense to our boys in blue, but that office is as musty as my great grandmother's coat closet. I walk towards the bus station, although I have no interest in taking one. About halfway there, my partner pulls up in the blue chevy truck that had been authorized to us.

"Hey lady," he said. "You need a ride to the nearest strip club?" He was obviously referring to my ridiculous outfit, fishnets included. I rolled my eyes as he continued to rake his green eyes over me, taking it all in I suppose, and hopped in the passenger seat. "You have any problems at the station?" He asked, giving me the side eye as he continued chugging the truck along.

"That officer is determined. I gave him the Lana O'Dell name, haven't used that one in a while. But as long as we disappear within the next day or two we should be fine," I explained.

"We might have a problem with that," he started, seeming like what he was about to say would piss me off. "We have another assignment in the city. A man named Thaddeus Hodge."