Strange Love

[crybaby]

@Sir Pouncelot

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

Striding down the hallway, Annalise tucked the file under her arm. It contained the details of a case she'd been working for a few weeks now. Hopefully, though, it would get all wrapped up today. After all, she had the number one suspect in custody and dead to rights. A simple confession and her job would be done. She could move on to the next case, the next criminal, the next person to get tossed behind bars. A never ending parade of people to put away. Wasn't that what the job was all about? Maybe to some of her coworkers. Annalise just liked the puzzle, really. She liked figuring things out, and getting answers. What she didn't like was unanswered questions. The actual people involved in the case were more like extraneous details to her, something she didn't really need to pay attention to. It was also why she had such a hard time hanging on to a partner. Not many of them lasted longer than a month or two, and the latest one had requested to be switched just a couple days ago. Her reputation had quickly spread and the chief was having a helluva time finding someone willing to work with her. Annalise hoped it took a while.


She reached the door to the interrogation room, pausing for just a moment before swinging it open. She marched in and sat opposite from the suspect, laying the file out in front of her. For a moment, she sat in silence, studying the case. Of course she already knew every detail, but it gave her a few moments and tended to make the one waiting anxious. Finally, she looked up, right into the woman's eyes.


"Dolores Keane," Annalise said calmly. "If you don't mind, I'll refrain from listing your aliases. We do, after all, have a limited amount of time. So, let's cut to the chase." Here, Annalise paused once more, leaning back in her chair. She looked Dolores over, trying to gather any details she could. "Tell me why I shouldn't hand you over to the prosecution. I have more than enough evidence to do so."

 

[crybaby]

Dolores didn't know why they had insisted on handcuffing her just for the interrogation- it wasn't like she was going to whip out a knife on the next person who walked in. Besides, she didn't even know how to do that, it had always been somebody else's job to do the stabbing. Still, despite her best efforts to convince the officers otherwise, she had been told it was 'protocol' and that she just had to 'deal with it'.


As the door began to open, she quickly looked up from her mediocre attempts at lock-picking to watch the person walking in, and gave them a once over. Displeased that she couldn't glean anything from the woman at first glance, she broke the uncomfortable eye contact that they were making, choosing to stare instead at her hands.


"Dolly." She corrected the other woman, an expression of boredom on her face. "Dolores is such an old ladies name."


"I mean, I could give you the name's of everybody involved in this branch. And what's about to go down. If I wanted to, I mean."

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

For a moment, Annalise thought she was going to have to continue talking, as the other woman broke eye contact and didn't say a word. Just as she was about to begin again, however, Dolores Keane spoke up. Annalise arched an eyebrow at the comment, silently wondering just how Miss Keane would judge her name. It wasn't up to suspects to determine how they would be called, however, and Annalise kept her gaze icy and her expression placid.


"Well, Miss Keane, I will be sure to take a note of that," Annalise responded. Calling suspects by their first name wasn't exactly something she did commonly anyways. Actually, she had very few people she was on first name basis with at all. To her, that seemed like it required a level of intimacy she never really reached with anyone. Now was not the time to be pondering her isolationist habits, however, as Miss Keane certainly had some interesting things to say. Annalise continued to stare her down, listening quietly to the proposition.


"That is fascinating," she said, calmly. "But how would I know you were telling the truth? After all, you are clearly a gifted liar, considering how long you've evaded us." Simple ego stroking, to get a suspect to soften up. One of the teachers back at the academy had said that. Of course, Annalise typically only used it when she had true compliments to pay. Otherwise, her falseness would've been too clear. It was fairly impressive that Miss Keane had managed to get so powerful and yet stay out of jail for so long.

 

[crybaby]

"I mean, obviously. But I still got caught." Dolly leaned back in her chair, still outright refusing to make eye contact. "Besides, these guys are big enough that if you do enough digging, you'll find dirt on one of them eventually."


She was tempted to look at the other women, just to see if she could get a glimpse of her besides the cold exterior. Still, it was some reassurance that she hadn't been caught by a complete buffoon. Ever since she had been arrested, that had been the fear plaguing her. It would've made her a complete laughingstock to have had some no-name cop take her down. Especially given her reputation.


Even so, she'd never be able to go back into the business again now that this had happened. Her face was far to public- a 'liability'. Hell, she didn't expect to live much longer even though she was still in custody. The only reason she was debating sharing these names was a shot at the witness protection program, or (the far more likely result) some post-mortum revenge.


"Say, you know my name. Why can't I know yours?" A grin crossed over her face, like she was laughing at some inside joke. "C'mon, detective. Promise I won't tell."

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

"Everyone gets caught eventually," Annalise replied. It all came down to how long it took to get caught, and how soon the lawyers could get them out. "Or I could dig myself a grave," she added. After all, if Miss Keane gave her dangerous names and nothing else, there was always the chance it was a trap. A sacrifice to get herself back in good graces with her bosses, perhaps. Although now that she'd been caught, there was always the chance that Miss Keane was next on the hit list. It depended on the kind of people she worked for, and their level of paranoia. She couldn't help but hope that it was high.


Annalise leaned forward in her chair, resting her arms on the table in front of her. So far, Miss Keane had still refused to meet her eyes longer than a second or two. Not a good sign of her telling the truth. Annalise understood that her straightforward, unwavering gaze could be unnerving at times, many people had commented on it, but she had thought someone like Miss Keane would be more willing to stare her down. It seemed she had misjudged the situation. Not surprising. Individual character traits often confused Annalise.


"You can call me Detective Blanchard," Annalise said, leaning back once more. "Now, Miss Keane, it would be best if you told me what you wanted out of all this. That way, we can move on to the information sharing."

 

[crybaby]

"Alright, Detective Blanchard." Dolly replied in a patronizing tone, her smile breaking into a grin and dissolving into a frivolous laugh. For some reason, the ridiculousness of the whole situation struck a cord with her. It was so surreal to begin with. If somebody had told her ten years ago that by age twenty-five she'd be arrested for leading a goddamn drug cartel, they'd probably gotten punched. It was just so funny to her now, almost like she was living a dream.


"Blanchard, I'm just gonna give you the cold facts." Her laughter faded, but her eyes and grin remained transfixed on the ceiling. "The second I get out of this place- where to doesn't matter -I'm a dead girl walking. My friends probably hired the hitman in charge of putting a bullet through my head two hours ago. At this point, the only thing keeping me going is the fact that I want my revenge."


Idly, she tugged at the handcuffs, wondering why exactly the other woman's named seemed so familiar.


"Hey!" The chain's clinked as she perked up, rapidly changing the topic of conversation. "You're the chica who took down those guy's by the docks, right? The one's lacing their pot with LSD?"

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

Laughter... Well, that was certainly unexpected. Annalise didn't think her name was really amusing in any way. Was there some strange connection to it that Miss Keane had? It was unimportant. The important part was the information, getting all she could out of this interrogation. Getting to know Miss Keane and why she did the things she did was unimportant.


"We can protect you," Annalise replied, with conviction. Of this, she was completely sure. That was why the police were there, after all. To protect the people. Even people like Miss Keane, if they needed it. "I will personally make sure of it," she promised, sincerity in every facet of her being. If Miss Keane really was willing to give up everyone else in her operation, she would be helping and even saving many, many lives. That certainly earned her protection as far as Annalise was concerned.


The sudden change of topic took Annalise aback, and she arched an eyebrow at the question.


"I worked that case," Annalise said, not sure where Miss Keane was going with this. Or why she was asking about it. That was a case she'd had only a little while ago. The laced pot had killed people, and she'd tracked it back to the suppliers and put them out of business. Simple police work.

 

[crybaby]

"Oh, cool. I knew those guys, and most of them were dicks anyways." She sighed a little as she came down from her suspiciously non-medicated high. Quietly, she wondered if the mood swings were just from withdrawal, or merely a side effect caused by the knowledge of one's imminent death. Casually, she swung back to their original conversation.


"Oh, believe me, you can't." She offered, tone neutral. This was a rather pessimistic outlook on things. Sure, there was corruption in the force, but what Blanchard had said seemed to have some truth to it. Dolly just wasn't in the mood to agree with anybody, especially not the woman who had arrested her.


"But hey, I'll give you this tidbit for free if we start negotiating now." She added, suddenly swiveling her gaze from the ceiling to make direct eye contact with the detective. "Some big shit was about to go down. I don't know what it was, but the higher ups were definitely preparing for something."

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

"I'm glad you approve of my arrests, Miss Keane," Annalise responded drily. Perhaps prior knowledge would make this go smoother. Miss Keane didn't seem upset at Annalise's past cases, at least. Unless she was pretending, but Annalise couldn't come up with a logical reason for her to do so.


"We've already covered that it will take more than that for me to believe you," she said, her conviction still standing firm. As far as Miss Keane thought her organization spread, Annalise could take her further. As dangerous as they were, Annalise could be even more so. Whether or not Miss Keane believed it was besides the point. If she got what she wanted, then Miss Keane would get her life. Hopefully, a better one than she had led so far. After all, Annalise could spot the beginning signs of withdrawal. Clearly Miss Keane didn't just sell the drugs. Rehab would be a must, but Annalise could arrange that no matter where the other woman ended up.


Annalise nodded, silently digesting the crumb of information Miss Keane had finally dropped. "That is helpful." Well, it sort of was, anyway. There had been some rumblings about big things happening, but nothing had been confirmed. Until, it would appear, now. "Miss Keane, I am sure you have some requests before talking some more. Why not share them, and I'll see what I can do."

 

[crybaby]

"First of all, these handcuffs kind of suck." Dolly jangled her wrists for emphasis, offering a small grin as if to say 'take these off, I definitely won't stab you'. It wasn't a very convincing act, but she was almost positive Blanchard would never follow through with her promises, cops never did, so it was best to make her propositions as exaggerated as possible. But it wasn't just the fact she was a detective that set her on edge. The way the other woman talked, and the body language she gave, was incredibly unnerving. She acted like a robot.


"Secondly, I need some pills or something up in here, 'cause I'm probably gonna be puking pretty soon if we don't." Her grin was sharp as she delivered this line, watching carefully for a reaction from the detective. Still, nothing.


"Third, when I get out of here I want all my clothes back, capiche? Not a single mink stole is to be missing."

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

Without a second thought, Annalise reached into her pocket for the keys. She leaned over and unlocked Miss Keane's cuffs, even pausing to check her wrists for chafing before putting the keys away again. After all, it wasn't like Miss Keane could escape, and Annalise was sure she could defend herself if need be. Especially since the other woman was beginning to go through withdrawal. It would make no logical sense for her to attack. With that in mind, Annalise sat back in her chair, expression unchanging, and gestured for Miss Keane to continue with her list of requests.


"I will speak with a doctor to see what will benefit you most," Annalise said. There were a few paramedics who didn't mind helping the police out with this sort of thing, and she was confident she could get whatever she needed. Even if she had to pay for it, Annalise didn't mind. After all, these requests had so far been exceedingly simple.


For a moment, Annalise thought about the third thing, before nodding slightly. "We'll have to search them first, of course," she told her. "Is that all, Miss Keane?"

 

[crybaby]

"I mean, try not to get me killed." Dolly replied after a moment's deliberation, although her sarcastic tone was tinged with a hint of despair. The whole scenario left a bitter taste in her mouth, like bile rising in the back of her throat It was strange, to suddenly be hyper aware of your own mortality.


"Thanks." She added, a tad surprised when Blanchard acquiesced and removed the handcuffs, even going so far as to delicately check her hands for chafing. Still, that didn't make her trust the other woman any more. There was something off about her, the way her eyes flickered when she was thinking, cold and calculating. She reminded Dolly of a snake, albeit, one that didn't seem incredibly deadly at the moment.


Rubbing her wrists awkwardly, she sighed and finally answered.


"I also want my lawyer."

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

Annalise couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at Miss Keane's comment, actually slightly amused by it. After all, sarcasm was one of the few forms of speech she had managed to get a grasp on. "I shall do my utmost," Annalise said calmly. She looked Miss Keane over, wondering how it felt to be on that side of the table. Rather like a highly intense interview, she supposed. Of course, for this particular woman, things were slightly more stressful. Annalise had found herself in mortal danger several times over the years, but she could still remember the first time like it was yesterday. It was not a pleasant feeling, although she hadn't had nearly as much of a reaction as most expected out of her. For someone who felt things more strongly, she assumed it would be very upsetting.


When Miss Keane thanked her, Annalise only nodded slightly in response. If she could keep her promises, she would. It was simple, and logical. Lying and breaking promises usually only made enemies, and were to be kept until she had no other choice. Miss Keane's nature, however, suggested that she used such techniques easily. So far, most of the things she had said in this room had been some variation of snark. There was always the chance that this was a protective mechanism, of course, activated because of her uncertain position. Annalise doubted she would get to know Miss Keane well enough to figure out the truth, but it was still an interesting puzzle to fiddle with for now.


"Of course," Annalise replied, nodding at Miss Keane's request for a number. "I will get you a phone." Annalise stood, intending to go out in the hall quickly to retrieve one, but paused. "Ah, and Miss Keane, if you decide not to share what you know after all this, I would like to inform you that I will personally seal you in a jail cell for the rest of your life."

 

[crybaby]

"That sounds illegal." Dolly snorted, rolling her eyes as she leaned back in her chair, holding out a hand for the phone, flinching slightly as the door closed. With some force, she might add. Grumbling, she folded her arms and attempted to swivel around in her chair, but quickly discovered that that was nailed the the ground.


Bored, she got up, walking around the room. Donovan hadn't said anything about staying still, right? Speaking of, what was up with the detective anyways? She's heard rumors of her unnatural ability to solve any case, but hadn't actually believed any of them until she'd been arrested by her.


"Uhhhhhhhhhh." She groaned, squinting at the harsh ceiling light. God, she hoped her interrogator returned soon. After this, it was back to solitary confinement, which sucked. Plus, she kind of felt like she was about to throw up.

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

"Not when I do it," Annalise said, turning and walking out of the room. True, when a cop sent someone away for life, it was usually supported by the law. Dolores Keane had, in fact, committed a myriad of crimes for which a life sentence would be the norm. She was getting a second chance here, and she seemed to be taking advantage of it. If this was a trick, however, or she changed her mind, Annalise had no problem letting her face the consequences of her actions. It was only logical. She only got a reprieve through helping Annalise stop other such criminals. If she failed to do so, that reprieve was gone.


Annalise dug into the drawers at her desk, quickly retrieving and old cell she kept for purposes like this. Any calls made on it could be traced, and it didn't connect to the internet. Plus, she had made sure that, if she wanted, it could record any and every conversation. This was only for special occasions, of course. Annalise knew the law. If Miss Keane were to call her lawyer, she was not allowed to phone tap without cause or a warrant. Simply the fact that she could, if need be, was enough for her, however. Thinking quickly, Annalise dug for her own phone, shooting off a quick text. Only a few moments later, it buzzed in response. Annalise turned, grabbing a nearby black-and-white to ask him for a favor. That done, she headed back for the interrogation room.


"A phone, Miss Keane. And something to help ease your symptoms is on the way."

 

[crybaby]

"Thanks, babe." Dolly replied with a wink, and a fake smile she had specifically tailored to put people on edge. She held out her hand to receive the phone, making an 'uhg' noise when she realized it was a burner. Still, she flipped it open and dialed a number she knew by heart, eyeing Donovan as she paced around the room.


"Heyitsloripleasepleasedonthangup." The words came out of her mouth as soon as the person on the other end picked up, and she could hear a man sighing, who after a tense silence ultimately spoke.


"I can't help you." The creak of a chair could be heard as the man leaned back in his chair, grumbling wearily. "I don't know what you expected, Lo. Besides, the state will supply you a lawyer. Sorry."


"We've known each other fo-" But the line was already dead. In a brief moment of lucidity, she threw the phone to the other side of the room, eyes dull and calculating.


"Well, I guess refuse to let the state get their grubby hands in on this. I'll represent myself."

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

Annalise stared at Miss Keane, vaguely confused by the sudden term of endearment and the smile. Sarcasm, most likely, but to what end, she wasn't sure. It didn't matter much anyway. Annalise simply nodded at the other woman, before turning to leave the room. Miss Keane had a right to privacy when talking with her lawyer. Besides, the officer would probably be back in a minute or two. There was a drug store just down the street, after all. Annalise headed out the door and into the pen, going for her own desk first. She pulled out her phone, noticing a string of texts from the same person, all with multiple question marks. Annalise tapped out a characteristically brusk reply, before turning to see the officer she'd sent out coming back in. He handed her the bag, and she nodded quietly in thanks.


That done, Annalise turned to look back in on the interrogation room, opening the door just in time to see the phone flying through the air. "Please don't treat police property like that," Annalise said calmly, walking in and putting the bag on the table before going to retrieve the phone. Whoever Miss Keane had called, the conversation had clearly not gone well.


"Are you sure, Miss Keane?" Annalise asked, calmly. After all, representing yourself was always harder than it seemed.

 

[crybaby]

"It's a fucking burner, why should you care?" Dolly responded flatly, returning to her previous state of staring at the ceiling with blank eyes. She was absolutely screwed.


"Even if I had the best lawyer in the country, there's no way I could win. So yeah, I figured I might as well find out what it's like to defend somebody in a court of law." She added with an uncharacteristic dullness in her tone, swiveling her head around to face Donovan as she placed the bag on the table.


"Is that for me?"

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

A burner. Well, that was true, but it was still technically owned by the police station. "It's police property," she repeated, seeing no argument against that. After all, she was a detective, therefore she had to protect the station and everything in it. As well as the innocents of the world, of course. It was simple logic. Protection was her job. That did not stop when she passed through these doors. Annalise brushed off the phone and slid it into her pocket, intending to return it to her desk later. For right now, her attention was on Miss Keane. After all, the other woman was the most interesting thing in the room. Annalise gazed at her, head tilted slightly as she tried to read every detail she could.


"That seems pessimistic," Annalise commented, wondering why Miss Keane was so certain she would be the loser here. "After all, if you provide good information, you will be in a very good position."


Attention was brought to the bag on the table, and Annalise moved to push it closer to the other woman.


"Yes, Miss Keane. Clonidine hydrochloride. It should ease your withdrawal symptoms."

 

[crybaby]

"If I make it to court, there's no jury in the world that would let me walk. That is, unless your lovely little justice system rigged it for me. But I doubt that's going to happen." She gleans back some of her characteristic cockiness, still refusing to make eye contact with Donovan. "Which is why I'm going to cooperate to the fullest extent of the law. I mean, even if they do manage to get a bullet through my skull, at least they'll have a prison sentence to remember me by."


Carefully, Dolly uncurled the paper bag, retrieving one of the little orange pills from it's depths. She inspected it closely for a couple moments, before swallowing it dry with a shrug.


"How many milligrams?" She questioned, idly wondering how many of them it would take to get high. "Also, how long we gonna be here for? I need my beauty sleep."

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

Annalise hesitated slightly. While she didn't like Miss Keane's defeatist attitude, it did mean that she was willing to provide information, and that was important. More important than impressing the fact that she was safe upon her? Logically, the answer was yes. The personal feelings of one criminal did not outweigh the safety of an unknown amount of innocents. After all, slight emotional upset would not damage Miss Keane, and she would still be able to render a full confession. A moments quick calculation, and Annalise had reached the obvious answer.


"Of course, Miss Keane. I will make sure that your colleagues end up in jail," Annalise responded coolly. She watched silently as Miss Keane retrieved a pill from the bag, reaching over to take it as soon as she was done. Peering inside, Annalise picked one more pill from the bottle, placing it on the table. As for the rest, she kept them in her hand, well aware of Miss Keane's predilection towards drugs.


"You can shorten your time here by writing out a confession now," Annalise pointed out, coolly ignoring the first question. "After all, Miss Keane, you seem to wish to cooperate, but I have yet to get even a name out of you."

 

[crybaby]

Dolly settled down slightly as she felt the familiar haze of medication settle over her eyelids as she carefully pocketed the remaining pill on the table for later. It was slightly embarrassing to be treated in this way- like some child who didn't know when to stop. Then again, she supposed that that was just how the police viewed all drug addicts, even if the one in question could prove invaluable to their operation.


"First off-" She raised her hands in a gesture of peace, "I'm not signing any confessions until I know just what the deal is. Secondly, I'd like some more confirmation that you'll follow through on my requests before I release any names. Some legal documents to bind things up all nice and pretty."


Lowering her arms, she shrugged, making a small humming noise. "I'll give you one, though. Just to show I know what I'm doing." She finally compromised. "Franklin Delacroix, the real estate tycoon? He practically runs Miami through his proxies."

 

[Sir Pouncelot]

Demands, now. They were easy to understand. So long as Miss Keane said what she wanted, Annalise could understand her. Sometimes there were weird looks in the other woman's eyes that she couldn't quite decipher, but this was the part she was good at. Paperwork was simple and straightforward, and she could definitely do that for Miss Keane. Annalise nodded slightly, eyes tracking Miss Keane's every movement.


"I will get to work on those immediately, although it may take a while," Annalise replied, seeing the logic in this. "We will be prepared to offer you immunity for any past crimes, and a new identity." And safety, of course, but Miss Keane hadn't seemed to believe that last time Annalise brought it up and she didn't want this shaky new peace to be interrupted.


"How about I get you an escort back to your cell while I check up on that name and get your paperwork started?" They probably wouldn't even be able to sign anything until tomorrow, and Miss Keane was already looking worn down. At the very least, Annalise could get the name Franklin Delacroix into the system and see what popped up.