Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI

A/N: The story now jumps to the present – but before the scene at the LVPD crime lab, the portrait is discovered in L.A.

"It is so sad about Annabelle "Starla" Rodgers' death. She was such a good cop, and art teacher, it is a shame that she was killed in the line of duty." Said Joe. (the cop that was at her apartment)

"Why she would choose us to clean out her things is beyond me. I mean doesn't she have family?" Grant (the other cop said)

"No she had no family. She was an only child, parents and grandparents died years ago." Replied Joe.

They continued to box up various items and found something interesting behind the sofa.

"What the hell is this – who is this?" Grant asked.

"That is David Hodges, he used to work for the LAPD, until he was transferred 7 years ago."

"He was a kiss ass wasn't he?" Grant asked making a face.

"Yes. He was."

"Let's send it to his lab…" Grant said, a big smile spreading across his face.

They packaged it up nicely and addressed it to the LVPD crime lab, but addressed it to someone else in the lab. Someone that would be willing to play a somewhat embarrassing and mean joke on David.

When the huge package arrived, the person in question unwrapped it and since David Hodges wasn't on duty as of yet, the person went to his lab and hung the picture up where everyone who passed the Trace Lab would see it.

David, none the wiser walked into CSI that day and saw that Judy couldn't make eye contact with him and when he went to the break room to put his lunch away, Mandy and Henry were there and they couldn't make eye contact with him either.

"What is going on here?" he asked finally when neither Archie nor Bobby Dawson made eye contact with him either.

"Um, go to your lab…" Mandy managed before ducking her head and ran to her lab.

Confused and a bit angry he went to his lab where he saw it. The naked picture of him from 19 years before. The only one who hadn't apparently seen it was Wendy as she had been running late and hadn't arrived.

"Oh NO" said a voice. Hodges turned. (it was Catherine staring at the picture open mouthed)

"Oh yes!" Said another female voice, quieter and barely audible but Hodges heard it.

"Oh GOD!" Hodges said and tore out of his lab and into the locker area.

Wendy stared at the picture and then realized that … she had been in that classroom when Hodges was posing. Both of them had changed quite a bit in the course of the 19 and the reason they hadn't recognized each other when Wendy first started at CSI was because they hadn't actually met.

Wendy left Hodges' lab and went to the locker area to find him sitting on the bench, his face buried in his hands moaning.

"David?"

"I don't want to discuss it"

"Um we have to talk." She said. "Please."

"I can't face anyone Wendy – I just can't."

"Catherine is removing the painting and um going to put it somewhere safe for you."

"Has the entire lab seen it?" he asked.

"Most people I think have, I'm sorry to say." She replied in sympathy.

"Ecklie?"

"Him I do not know. But it will get back to him – someone will tell him."

"UGH!" he said. "I want to explain w-why I did it."

"I was there David."

"Y-you were t-there?" he replied stuttering. "H-how um uh"

"Me and my friend decided to take a n art class before starting Freshman year. We thought it would be a great way to spend the six weeks prior to buckling down for 4years + of college."

"Do you still have the picture you did?"

"At home. I was not a very good artist, David but I had a very good friend of mine render it into a photograph." She replied and fished through her wallet and found it and showed it to him.

"You had this picture in your wallet for 19 years?"

"Yes. I don't know why – but you intrigued me. A young man who poses nude for an art class. I didn't get to speak to you after the class as you took off so fast, but … I " she stopped as he looked at her.

"You were that determined to find out who I was?"

"David look at this pic – you are very sexy." She said.

He snorted. "ME sexy? I am not all that. I dunno why I was even chosen to model. Something tells me though it had something to do with that teacher."

"Starla?"

"You remember her name? Wow what a memory Simms!"

"Her real name was Annabelle Rogers but she called herself Starla when she was teaching or under cover or stuff like that. She was a cop remember."

"Was?"

"She was killed in the line of duty."

"That is why that portrait was sent to me! Someone cleaning out her apartment found it – figured out who I was and sent it." he said.

"They have a few leads as to who did it, but LVPD are not on the case. LAPD are. We have no jurisdiction David we are not cops or CSIs."

"I want to know who sent this here! Who wanted to humiliate me so badly that they sent a nude portrait from 19 years ago."

"David, let it go please." Wendy begged him.

"Wouldn't you want to know if you were in my shoes?"

Wendy sighed. He was stubborn but very sexy when he was.

A/N: I know kinda cheesy but oh well. It was a plotline on Three's Company so why can't it be worked into the plot on CSI. Now to find out who killed Starla and why?