[b]Lynn[/b]

[i]”Lynn Holmes? It’s your turn. First room on the right.”[/i] Cara announced over the intercom, informing her that her interrogation room was prepared and ready for her arrival. Gennedy had decided that the AI could do the job just fine, so he remained in his seat. It was a quaint room, one side being a one-way window for any potential observers, the room itself was furnished by two foldable chairs and a small table. Given the use case, that was all it needed. As Cara made her announcement, Archie’s own investigators appeared at the doorway and requested his presence as well. Lynn considered telling Archie not to go lizard and eat any of them, but figured some snake lawyer would twist her words on her. Lynn had a strange feeling that she could not quite articulate. She wanted to joke with Archie, but she knew when he walked in those doors, he was going to narc, and that made her want to turn the precinct into a crematorium. Lynn pushed it aside. There were more pressing matters.

Lynn gave it a full ten seconds before she started to rise from her chair slowly - just long enough that the guards glanced about nervously and began to slowly reach towards their belts. Lynn did another glance around. She noted a dark-skinned security guard and a young looking one following him like a puppy. [i]Pretty boy puppy, [/i] Lynn thought. He looked young. Real young. Lynn gave him a once-over as she walked to the room, trying to sess him out. [i]They hiring kids for dumb muscle, now? [/i] 

Lynn came into the room and looked at Gennedy. Old. Pissed off looking. Probably used to scaring kids shitless. Eh. She came and sat down in the chair, resting her hands on the table. Lynn looked at him, smiling softly and genuinely. Her hair was back in a ponytail, which afforded the option of seeing it change color slowly and in its totality. At the moment, it was blonde, campfire yellow.

Lynn said nothing.

Gennedy met Lynn’s gaze with disinterest. Maybe even indifference to who or what she was. With his right hand, he reached for his cup of coffee, and with his left he produced a recorder from his pants pocket. He finished his sip, and then placed the cup on the table. Once he was ready, he pressed play on the recorder and spoke for the first time.

“My name is Gennedy Hardin, head of The Promise security division, investigating the death of Doctor Arthur Coleman. I am speaking to Cordelia Lynn Holmes on her relations to this incident.” He said, simply. He looked to Lynn’s eyes. “Please state your full name in confirmation.”

Lynn blinked. Hmm. Yes, she remembered him now. This guy had been at the orientation right before everything went to shit. [i]And conveniently gone when it all did. Some head of security I’m looking at. [/i] Lynn knew enough about how this worked to know that she had to tell them her name. Beyond that, a slim part of her entertained the notion that some kind of audio trail might behoove her. [i]Assuming that recorder is actually running. This is a kangaroo fuckin' court if I've ever seen one.[/i] “Cordelia Lynn Holmes.” Lynn said, her tone neutral. She had not said her full name in a long time. [i]Cordelia.[/i] “I want my lawyer.”

“No.” was all Gennedy said in response, his tone more bored than it was anything else. “Today is October 19th, current time is 9:32AM.”

Lynn grinned at that. Well, at least the old fuck was honest. There was a quiet place in her gut that had gathered together since the night before. She’d had her fair share of run-ins with the law before, had her day in court, everything. But not like this. Lynn knew what was up. Lynn knew it was only a matter of time. Maybe days. Maybe in a holding cell for this case, maybe in her dorm, maybe maybe maybe. If there weren't lawyers here, there sure as shit wasn't going to be this much of an investigation for a dead gangbanger. Lynn kept her smile, unforced. “Am I not under arrest, then?”

“You are a Parahuman. You have no rights with regards to penal action or criminal investigation.” he explained. “Now, perhaps I am behind on things, but I believe I am the one to be asking you the questions this morning. Am I correct?”

Lynn shrugged. “Maybe. If I don’t get a lawyer, maybe I get to ask you questions. Hey, doesn’t that mean you can’t be in law enforcement, either? This is all pretty new for me too.”

“Let’s keep it new to you. I don’t want to have to see any of you again if I can help it.” Gennedy stated. He released his grip on the table’s metal leg closest to him, which was now crumpled like tissue paper. His patience was already wearing thin with this one. “You will get no lawyer. You will answer the questions I ask you. You have nothing to worry about if you are innocent. Am I clear?”

“Careful, Ginny,” Lynn said. “You are a Parahuman. You have no rights to penal action.” Lynn leaned back, her feet dangling off the ground. “Let’s cut the shit, man. If I have no rights, there’s nothing keeping you from throwing me away for no reason. And there’s nothing stopping you from beating the shit out of me to get what you want. So why should I help you either way?”

“You are correct.” Gennedy said. “You should help, because your boyfriend out there will probably want someone to take to dinner after all this is over. May we proceed?”

Lynn opened her mouth but closed it wordlessly. [i]Close, you fucking idiot.[/i] Lynn thought. [i]If he thinks Archie and I are a thing, that’s a little wiggle room in my corner. And if you ask why he wasn’t around to stop your boyfriend at orientation like you almost did, you’re running face-first into those carving knives faster than the dead doctor did. [/i] Lynn smiled. There was a death threat on the recording, now, for whatever that was worth. “Fire away. But I know nothing, and you know I know nothing.” Lynn studied him for a moment. [i]This one is used to bending things the way he wants. And he doesn’t give a fuck about doing it to kids. And the balls it takes to sit in this room without a nullifier on means no one’s ever called him on his shit for it, either. [/i] Lynn thought about everyone in the waiting room. She knew...she knew what they were going to say. That she was there. That she’d been there. For all she knew Spoons had hidden a fucking stenographer in the bushes. But for some reason Lynn was still pissed off this fuck was going to do it to them. They were just Clarita and Megan but a little older. Lynn had never felt more like Lucy, squinting into the harsh glare of the fluorescent lights. [i]Dance with me, you fucking meathead. They can’t keep up, but I’ll roast your shoes off your feet and keep on going. [/i]

Gennedy snorted at this, smiling and shaking his head. “Let it be made known that I do have a sense of humor.” he said, directing his eyes to the recorder. “Please tell me about the events leading up to the body’s discovery?”

Lynn shrugged. “No idea what body you’re talking about. Sorry about your doctor friend. Don’t know anything about a body.” [i]If this isn’t legal, then lying isn’t perjury.[/i]

Gennedy’s grin seemed to fade at this, and he seemed more exasperated than anything else. “Would you like me to show you the video footage that we have of you, Ms. Nelson, Ms. Plasse, and Ms. Ellis entering the woods after Mr. Anderson?”

“First, man, I don’t know these people’s last names. Second, I don’t see every person who took a walk in the woods last night in that holding cell.” Lynn looked around. “I see a bunch of scared kids. Seems to me if, what’s her name, Carrie was watching everything, you might see who killed this friend of yours, and you wouldn’t have to question me.” Lynn nodded her head, as if having a realization. “But, I reckon there’s not this footage, because otherwise you would see who killed this guy. So maybe you’re hoping you can scare a kid or two into confessing to some dumb shit.” Lynn smiled. Behind it, she felt like her heart was burning hotter than a sunny day in hell. She had a soft spot for those stupid kids, for reasons apparent to almost anyone but her. “I’d love to see the footage. You’ll see me walking into some woods. Later, you’ll see me walking out. Red Riding Hood and Smokey the Bear came with me. Smokey and I don’t get along too well most days, but last night we picnicked. Hell, he even got to third base. Can I go yet?”

Gennedy brandished his phone, and turned it sideways. He played a five minute video clip of Archie going into the woods, screaming, and the others piling in after him. Several minutes later, Lynn, Amelia, and Keaton exited alone. “I have just shown Ms. Holmes the video evidence of her association.” He said out loud. He looked to Lynn once again. “During this video, Ms. Ellis called Promise Security informing us of the body’s discovery. There are no cameras in the woods of The Promise. We- I am interrogating you as to what you saw, so we may find who did this to Doctor Arthur Coleman and put them to justice. You are not here under criminal charges. Are you sure you do not wish to change your answer?”

“Make it a true double Jeopardy, Alex,” Lynn said. Lynn's incorrect use of Jeopardy terminology was apparently lost on her.[i]They have no cameras in the woods,[/i] Lynn noted. [i]He wouldn’t tell me that if they were going to let me walk. No fucking way. [/i]“ You sure talk about justice a lot for a guy who doesn’t give kids a fucking attorney. You have footage of me in the hospital thirty minutes before this happens? Criminal charges don’t mean anything because you just said you could lock me up for no reason anyway. I don’t see me looking at a dead body on that video. I see me walking in the woods. Any half-decent lawyer could get me off, which is why I can’t have one.” Lynn grinned. [i] He said we, [/i] Lynn thought. [i] And didn’t correct himself the second time. Someone else is in this room. [/i] “Another question, Gin and Tonic. How long can an unsolved murder go on before parents want their kids back home, and you guys lose tuition money?”

“With regards to penal and criminal investigation, yes. I can. I would like to avoid the paperwork, if possible.” Gennedy stated, then looked Lynn in the eyes. “Long enough.”

He bit back the threats. She didn’t need to know that she wouldn’t be the first that had never had the opportunity to contact a lawyer, and likely wouldn’t be the last. He didn’t want to make a mountain out of a molehill. Not over a minnow like this. “Well, should you decide not to say any more. You are free to go. In the event that your friends give us an official statement, we [i]will[/i] be in contact. Ms. Ellis seems to be the rule abiding type. Perhaps she will be more cooperative.”

Lynn shrugged. “Sure thing, boss. I just got out of the psych ward though. Who’s to say what my testimony’s worth. Plus, that lizard jostling me around when I was busy doing your job.” Lynn stood up, hands in her pockets. He wasn’t letting her go this easily for no reason. He could bluster all he wanted, but even if they put her at the scene, it didn’t matter, because they could in no way pin her to that murder. She looked him dead in the eyes. [i]I’m already taking the fall for this and you know it, [/i] she wanted to tell him. [i]You traitorous fuck. You sit up here and scare little parahuman kids who don’t know any better shitless and tell yourself you’re big and tough. Pussy. If you were on Earth instead of beating up kids and fucking up police reports up here maybe we wouldn't be where we are. [/i] “Oh, some advice, man,” Lynn said. “Maybe you should go after the guy who fucking steel booted a child in the face on the first day of class. That’s the guy I’d be looking for. But I’m not one to know how you lawyer-less folks run things up here.”

Gennedy gave Lynn a knowing smile. “Already taken care of, Ms. Holmes. You are free to go.”

[i]So they’ve already killed that fucker,[/i] Lynn thought. [i]Or he’s in on it. [/i] Either way, Lynn felt fairly confident she came out ahead on this interrogation. Lynn gave Gennedy a smile that she hoped expressed all her hate. “Free’s a funny word, ain’t it, Gin?” Lynn asked. Then she turned and walked out into the waiting room. [i]I need to talk to Denim,[/i] Lynn thought. Denim had come and sat down right next to her at the start of this, which moved her up several notches in Lynn's book. [i]Denim has some balls. And she stayed quiet which means she has some brains.[/i] Lynn figured there was a good chance all of them had sold her up the river, but if Denim hadn't, maybe there was still a way out of this. They'd hammer the others until they remembered seeing Cordelia Lynn Holmes waving a butcher's knife at the scene of the crime an hour before anyone got there, Lynn was sure, but Denim might just have stayed quiet. [i]If she can figure stuff as good as she claims maybe we can track this bastard down.[/i]

“Free to walk, boys and girls,” Lynn said with a smile. “Move.” Lynn said to the guards, walking to the exit. She looked up at Puppy Dog again, trying to study him as much as possible. [i]His eyes, [/i] Lynn thought. [i] I’ve seen his eyes before. [/i] Lynn stopped at the door. “What are you waiting for, Boat Farmer? Let’s go.” Lynn eyed him, trying to see what he'd said from the way he was standing. Even if he'd snitched, Lynn wanted them out of the station as quickly as possible. These guys would take any excuse to do whatever they wanted. Lynn didn't intend to give it to them.