Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI

Hodges, before Ecklie could stop him stormed over to where David Phillips was. He and Doc Robbins were in the middle of an autopsy when Hodges interrupted.

"What can I do for you Hodges?" Robbins asked pleasantly.

"I want a word with Phillips here." He said glaring at his co-worker.

"What did I do to you?" he asked.

"You were the one who hung that portrait of me in my lab. Care to explain the reason why?"

Philips looked at him. "Not right now, I'm in the middle of an autopsy."

"Screw your autopsy I want answers!" Hodges raged.

Ecklie and Nick came running into the autopsy room and managed to grab Hodges before he actually touched David Phillips.

"Don't touch him Hodges, you don't want assault charges on you" Nick warned.

"No I want answers from him NOW."

Phillips pulled off his gloves, pushed past his co-workers, and left the room without a word.

Ecklie and Nick followed with Hodges trailing behind, on the orders of Ecklie.

"David, what the hell is the problem!" Ecklie demanded of the young assistant coroner.

"I hate him. Hate him so much." He said glaring at Hodges.

Hodges had no clue as to why he was hated by the Assistant Coroner so much.

"What did Hodges do to you that caused you to thoroughly humiliate him by posting his painting? That was so childish and unprofessional!" Ecklie said.

"You don't remember do you Dave, you don't remember the torture you caused me and my sister in school."

"You are holding a grudge against him for something he did when you were teenagers?"

"Revenge is sweet!" Phillips said.

Hodges looked at him and shrugged. "Clue me in Dave; I have no idea what you are talking about."

Phillips sighed and recalled what 'torment' he was referring to.

"It was our senior year of High school she and I were 18, it was the beginning of the year. Me and my sister were new to the school, and you had a crush on her, even though you were three years younger than us. A massive crush I might add. You asked her out and she flatly turned you down. You didn't like being disrespected so you made her life hell for the entire year. She would start dating a guy and you would tell him that she slept around or other such rumors. When you found out that I was her brother, you caused me to almost fail a class when you refused to do your share of the work on a joint project. I could go on. My sister subsequently changed dramatically including her name, to Annabelle "Starla" Rogers. She became a cop and was recently killed in the line of duty."

"That was your sister?" Hodges said his jaw dropping.

"The same woman that you prepositioned when you were 17." Replied David Phillips smirking. She came home that night and told us about it.

"I don't know what to say."

"Payback – is sweet!" replied the Assistant Coroner. "It was done all for my sister. Who before she changed her name was Jessie Phillips. Does that name ring a bell?"

Hodges thought about it and nodded silently. "Yes Jessie Phillips – I remember her now. I was 15 and she was 18 and we shared one class together, despite me being only a freshman and she a senior. They allowed me to take that course. On a dare, I asked her out and she rudely turned me down – in front of everyone. She laughed at me and at 15 who likes to be laughed at by a girl!" he said.

"So you almost ruin the school year for both of us?"

Hodges thought about it. "So what she did with that art class posing thing was all planned?"

Phillips shook his head. "No she was an art teacher – it was just pure LUCK that you happened upon her advertisement. If you hadn't come upon it – she would have sought you out."

"So the plan was to humiliate me." Hodges pressed.

"No. Starla wasn't obviously meant to die – it was just chance that Joe and Grant found that painting and knew that you used to work for the LVPD Crime Lab and that I worked for the LVPD and voila they sent it to me knowing that Starla was my sister."

"Pretty childish boys" said Ecklie shaking his head. You should be ashamed of yourself David – um Philips that is for your part in this. Hodges well I don't know what to say."

"I want an apology from him." Hodges said referring to Phillips.

The two David's squared off staring at each other. Neither wanted to break the stare.

Wendy ran in to the hall where the standoff was and said. "There's been a break in the case involving the killing of Annabelle Rogers. Come to the break room – it is on the television."

A/N: Well I dunno where I'm headed with this one as I haven't thought about who the killer is going to be nor what the "break" in the case is yet. Please review.