fandomtownies | Cabot and Associates, Wednesday

Hinata	It had been two hours and fifteen phone calls since she'd talked to Hayley. Hinata had patiently, but implacably over-ridden every objection her father had, the Elders had, the bank had and finally managed to secure enough funds for ready usage to be able to afford a trial. Her classes in law had given her enough background to make a good estimation at the costs. The money was there, the only hassle was in making it readily available rather than tied up through various funds and trusts. She would remember the surprise in her father's voice for a long, long time. Rereading her notes, carefully duplicated and tucked into a folder, Hinata left Yei behind and headed into town. She stopped outside Cabot & Associates for a moment, steeling herself, and then entered. She paused just inside the door for a moment to get her bearings.
Alex	Alex was doing important legal research on what happened to be a personal matter. It was her law office; that made it her prerogative to do whatever she liked during office hours. Especially if that involved annulment case history in the commonwealth of Virginia. She glanced up when the door opened, smiling as she recognized the dark-haired girl. "Hinata," she said. "Come in, please." Students were just as welcome as potential clients. Although, judging from the uncertain look on Hinata's face, Alex wondered if the girl might be both.
Hinata	Uncertain only for a moment as she snapped herself out of the nerves--this was no time to fall apart--and bobbed her head, half a bow, a who she thought of as simply 'Professor Cabot'. "My apologies for interrupting you," she said, voice slow and steady. "But might I have a few moments of your time?" Try hours, more likely.
Alex	"Of course," Alex said. She flipped her laptop shut and pushed it to the side, straightening up in her chair as she did so. "Please. Come in. Have a seat." Alex picked up a pen, but didn't reach for her legal pad yet. Some clients seem to worry that note-taking made their comments somehow more official, and became more circumspect. "Is there something I can help you with?"
Hinata	She remained silent as she took a seat, spending a few seconds fussing with her position. "I wish to retain your professional services on behalf of a recent alumni, Hayley Fitzpatrick."
Alex	Hayley Fitzpatrick? Alex couldn't place the name. Probably not one of her students, then, but she imagined she had seen the girl around school. "First things first," Alex said. "Is Ms. Fitzpatrick aware that you're contacting me, and does she also wish for you to retain my services?" Just to be perfectly clear. If Ms. Fitzpatrick was, for some reason, refusing counsel, and Hinata acting on her own accord, that was a more complicated start.
Hinata	"She has verbally requested that I obtain a lawyer for her," Hinata said steadily. "I do not have it in writing, however."
Alex	"Okay," Alex said, relaxing visibly and offering Hinata a reassuring smile. "Just making sure that we're all starting on the same page. An oral agreement is sufficient for now. I'll need to speak with her, directly, and we can finalize matters then." With the essential preliminaries out of the way, she could at least move on to the basics. She pulled the legal pad in front of herself. "Why is Ms. Fitzpatrick seeking legal representation?" She suspected it was a criminal matter. If her client had been detained, that would explain asking Hinata to seek counsel on her behalf.
Hinata	Hinata straighten in her seat further, shoulders straight, chin level--precisely the way she'd been taught to sit. Properly, properly. Decorum mattered. "She has been arrested by the Gotham City Police Department on multiple charges of murder." Hinata glanced down at her notes. "Her family--mother, father and brother were the victims."
Alex	The legal pad was in front of Alex, now, and she was scratching furiously on it with her pen. Mother, father, brother. Gotham City (juris??) "What was the cause of death?" Alex asked. "Who found the bodies, and called in the authorities?"
Hinata	It was here that Hinata began to feel inadequate. "My understanding is that a gun was used as the murder weapon," she said, forcing herself to take her time to avoid stuttering as much as possible. "Hayley did not mention who found the bodies. A suspect was, however, spotted at the scene of the crime wearing clothing that Hayley woke up in when the police came to arrest her." Hinata's lips firmed. "The weapon was found in her room."
Alex	"So she was dressed to match the suspect's description," Alex said, scribbling further. "I'll assume they can't prove it's the same clothes, via bloodstains or fibers, or they'd say it's the same instead of saying that it matches." Similar clothing was tenuous at best. Not too hard to poke holes in. "Have they proven conclusively that it's the murder weapon?" she asked. "Were there any fingerprints on it?"
Hinata	A deep flush began crawling up her cheeks. "My apologies," she said, not looking up. "I cannot answer those questions." She hesitated for a long moment. "Hayley cannot remember anything past her appointment with the... psychiatrist, Dr. Nygma, the day before." That seemed important to say. Hinata hesitated another long moment, loyalty warring with honesty and honesty winning because... this required it. "She is not, at this moment, considered sane by the Gotham City Police Department. She was in Gotham in order to undergo evaluation to have herself declared sane."
Alex	"It's fine," Alex said, finishing her thought before setting her pen down. "It all comes out in discovery. I wanted to see what we were dealing with, that's all." The shape of it seemed clear, at this point. That helped. "So Ms. Fitzpatrick has been arrested, but she has no recollection of the night in question. I'll need to look into insanity statutes for Gotham, to see if that's a possible avenue for a defense." Clients often balked at the idea, but it was preferable to life in prison. "Are they holding her without bail?"
Hinata	"I do not believe so," she said, still studying her notes. "Hayley was not particularly calm," which meant some details had fallen by the wayside, "but she said that 'they would not let her go until she had a lawyer'." Hinata cast a glance up to look across the table. "I believe she can be bailed out." Hinata paused, then added, "I can afford anything that is needed."
Alex	"I'll work on bail first," Alex said, nodding again. "If they think she's a danger, they might be pushing the rules a little. Lawyers are good at pushing back." In fact, sometimes just the presence of an attorney was enough to make the police extra-cautious about keeping their noses clean. She fiddled with the pen slightly, aiming for tact. "Bail on a murder charge is going to be exorbitant," she said. "If I were the ADA and I had an allegedly unstable suspect accused of triple homicide, I'd ask for at least five hundred thousand. You don't need the full amount to make bail, but ten percent is still a substantial outlay, before we get anywhere near court costs." Hinata might have that much money, but she might not. Either way, she should know the enormity of what she was agreeing to in advance.
Hinata	She accepted the numbers with a nod. About what she had expected—her own law research had given her enough numbers to make guesses. "I assure you," Hinata said, something indefinable sliding through her eyes. "Money will be of no object."
Alex	Hinata hadn't flinched. Good. One less concern before them. "When can I see her?" Alex asked. "There's some paperwork that needs to be filed, too, so I can see the State's evidence. Where is all of this taking place?"
Hinata	For the first time, perhaps ever, there was something of the heiress in Hinata as she held her phone up. "I can have a portal for us in an hour," she said, the world feeling sharp around her. For her friend, she could do this. For her friend, she would move mountains. "This is happening in Gotham City, year 1963."
Alex	Forget comity. She hadn't even been born yet, in 1963. This was going to require calling in favors and finding someone who could pull a few strings, but Alex was up to the task. "One hour," she agreed, already dialing her own phone. There was no time to lose.

(Preplayed with the fabulous

shyest_eyes as part of

onlysmokesnics's plot-stravaganza! Alex is available for all your lawyerly needs before Hinata stops in -- after that, she's packing up to head to Gotham.)

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Alex's going to close the office for the day when she leaves. So if you want to just miss her -- or stare at a locked door, why not! -- go to town!

Batteries not included.

Hinata would like to comment that she cannot be bought with love or money but you will get her attention with cinnamon rolls.

Cabot and Associates, Wednesday

Talk to Alex (Before Hinata)

Locked Door (After Hinata)

OOC (Hinata Sold Separately)

Re: OOC (Hinata Sold Separately)