Hodge rested a hand on a big overstuffed chair, smiling and good-natured. A real friend to everyone he met. That was until someone pushed him, and no one really liked Charlie Hodge when he was pushed. He became an altogether different man. Lillie figured you got to be like that after working some years undercover with the Born Losers motorcycle gang.

“Ladarius is wanted back in Tibbehah County,” Lillie said. “He’s on the run with his girl.”

“Don’t know nothing about it.”

“Of course you don’t,” Lillie said. “But it’s in the best interest of those kids they get back home. Can’t have anything bad happening to them. They’re traveling with a young girl named Holly Harkins and a boy that’s nine.”

“A Holly what?”

“Harkins,” Lillie said. “Holly Harkins.”

The man stared direct at Lillie, hands in his blue work pants, muscles bunched in his shoulders up to his thick neck. The smell of weed was heavy in the room. The TV was on and showing two healthy folks engaged in some intense barnyard activity. The sound was down low but you could still hear a good amount of yelling and panting.

“You into nature shows?” Lillie asked.

“Man, I’m just chilling out,” he said. “Kicking back a little. You know how it is. Watching me some flicks. Y’all got a problem with some natural acts?”

“What’s your name?” Hodge asked.

“D’Shawn.”

“You tell us where we can find Domino and we’ll let you get back to your chilling out, D’Shawn,” Hodge said. “I don’t want you pulled into this family mess. Aiding and abetting some juvenile fugitives. I promise it’s not going to be worth the effort.”

“I don’t know her people,” D’Shawn said. “Only known Domino since Christmas. Met her down at the shake joint putting on a little show. She was dressed up as Missus Claus. Biggest damn titties I ever seen. She had me sit in her lap and asked me what I wanted her to bring me. I told her how ’bout I give her the best damn candy cane in Memphis.”

“Beautiful story,” Lillie said. “Some real Hallmark movie shit.”

“Girl’s trying to work,” D’Shawn said. “She don’t need no trouble.”

“How about you?” Hodge asked. “Nobody’s looking for you for anything. Right? No old warrants you forgot about?”

D’Shawn didn’t answer, standing there dead-eyed. The folks on the TV screen about to enter a crescendo of happiness, a lot of groaning and moaning, direct talk about what the man was doing and how much the woman sure was enjoying it. Lillie knew the whole thing embarrassed the hell out of Charlie Hodge, his face colored a bright pink. At his core, Charlie was a goddamn Puritan.

“Which shake joint, D’Shawn?” Lillie asked.

“What her cousin do?”