13012/Who you gonna call

Who you gonna call
Date of Scene:	09 October 2022
Location:	Jennifer Walter's Office
Synopsis:	Art seeks out the services of Jennifer Walters to get her mother out of prison early..Before the League finds her.
Cast of Characters:	Artemis Crock, Jennifer Walters

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Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock had called Jennifer Walters ahead of time to make an appointment, and while lawyers, especially good ones don't come cheap, she did manage to acquire the necessary funds somehow ..Just don't ask how, exactly. Being in the spotlight of a legal office, even if it may well be for her mother's own good still made her a little nervous given her own history with the law..But, some sacrifices had to be made for the greater good.

So here she is, in the waiting room of Walter's Law office, dressed in a (hopefully) sharp looking navy blazer and skirt, long blonde hair tied back into her signature low ponytail. Artemis isn't one to dress up much or wear a lot of makeup but she did want to make a good first impression on the lawyer.

Jennifer Walters has posed:
    Jennifer's office isn't as big as people would think someone of her caliber is. The waiting room is currently unstaffed, so there's just a keureg on the table with a sign that says, 'Help yourself to coffee.' There's a door directly behind the desk with Jennifer's name emblazoned on it, and a hallway off to the left that seems to have a couple of more offices.

    At the appointed time, Jen comes out of her office and approaches Artemis with a warm smile. "Artemis? It's a pleasure to meet you," she says holding out her hand for a handshake. "Come on back. Let's talk about what you need."

    She leads Artemis back around the desk and into her own office which looks exactly like what you think an attorney's office would look like. Bookshelves lined with all sorts of legal books, wide mahogany desk that houses a laptop and various other knickknacks. A *very* comfortable looking desk chair and two other comfortable chairs facing the desk.

    "Have a seat," she says gesturing to one of the chairs as she takes her seat. Once they're settled in she asks the question. "So how can I help you?"

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock does take time to pour herself some coffee because why not? She is actually surprised the office is so small, having expected something fancier from the famous superhero lawyer. But maybe that's a common mistake people make.

She manages to take only a couple of sips before Jennifer makes her appearance and she smiles and nods to her, grasping her hand for a nice firm handshake. "Ms Walters. A pleasure to finally meet you, we spoke on the phone earlier, I'm Artemis." well, she most likely already knows who she is but it doesn't hurt to reiterate, just to make sure she came at the right date and time.

She follows her into the office, still balancing a coffee cup in one hand as she gives the place a brief analytical sweep before settling down in the chair opposite the desk.

"Thanks, as for why I am here, let me get straight to the point. My mom is in jail, she pretty much turned herself in or at the very least she didn't resist arrest, and to be fair she took the fall for a bigger badder criminal.."

She pauses to take another long sip of coffee, perhaps moreso to keep her awake after..Recent events, even if it does make her a tiny bit jittery. Still Art was always good at keeping her physical ailments in check.

"She was badly injured before they arrested her and it is highly unlikely she could ever return to a criminal life whenever she is released, even if she wanted to. However, I want to plead to have her released sooner than the allotted time on grounds of good behavior and compassion.."

Jennifer Walters has posed:
    Jennifer listens to what Artemis has to say, fixing her bright green eyes to hers. "I see," she says, once her prospective client. "How long has she been in jail?" she asks. "Has she ever considered a plea bargain to turn over evidence to the 'bigger badder' criminal? That, combined with her good behavior would make a case for early parole open and shut."

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock hmms, "About a year now, I believe she has about four years to go. I'm not sure she has considered that..Mostly for fear of retribution. And.." her frown deepens, setting down her coffee mug. "Well..Recently, I was..Captured..tortured..By her enemies. They demanded to know where she is, what she is up to, how she is doing.." her dark eyes narrow, gripping the edge of the chair tensely.

There is a look of pain and trauma in her eyes, even as she does her best to hide it with sheer determination. "They promised they would find her, and..'question' her..I fear for her life..If we can't get her out of prison and soon, she may.." her lip trembles a bit, shaking her head as she reaches for the coffee.

Jennifer Walters has posed:
    Jen watches the display and her face softens with compassion. "We can try to set up something with a witness relocation program to help her disappear. New life, that kind of thing." She drums her fingers on her desk thoughtfully. "The DA would only agree to that if we ca prove there's significant risk, and if your mother has enough evidence to create a case against them, or if they already have a case, add significant leads for it."

    "They'd do a much better job of disappearing your mother than what she can handle herself ... or what her enemies would do," she says. "Plus your testimony about being kidnapped and tortured would probably break the case for the DA." She grins, "And besides, with me as you and your mother's lawyers, your enemies will think twice about targeting either of you."

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock flinches a bit. "About that...I..Er.." she frowns, looking away, avoiding eye contact, acting dodgy but hesitant to say exactly why. "I'd rather keep this case as low profile as possible, I'd rather not testify if I can..I'm sure the opposition might..Dig up dirt on me.."

She glances back at the lady. "I'm sure however, that my mom could find dirt on the people she used to work for. I..Don't have any physical evidence, just my testimony but.."

Jennifer Walters has posed:
    Jennifer echoes Artemis' frown with one of her own. "That's unfortunate," she says, "but we can work with that. I'd urge you to consider testifying and entering the witness relocation program too, if they're that dangerous."

    "All right," she says, standing up and moving over to a filing cabinet tucked away in a corner. She rifles about until she pulls out a contract and sets it on the table. "I charge, on average, $250 per hour, with a $1000 deposit. I use a sliding scale depending on your income and I /have/ been known to occasionally waive fees if you're that poor." She grins, "I have a hard time turning away people in need."

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock nods and sighs, "It might be easier if I testify..I just don't want to get caught in the headlights. If my mom is promised a witness protection program and maybe a guard while she's in prison or something, I am certain she could name names or dig up other useful dirt on the criminal organization she once worked for."

She nods, peering at the contract, "Sounds fair enough..And as luck would have it, I was able to procure the necessary funds. Will a personal cheque work?"

Jennifer Walters has posed:
    "Well, we'll see how the cards lay out about your testimony," Jennifer says. "If we can get that testimony without shedding light on your... other activities then we can probably use it to further the case." She gives Artemis a mischievous grin. "I've had a startingly large number of clients who have had a checkered past."

    "Personal cheque is fine, as long as it clears," she says, though from the tone of her voice she doesn't sound like she doubts that would happen. She slips the paperwork into a binder and slides it over to her new client. "Sign these, make sure to read the fine print. You don't have to do it now, but sooner or later would be ideal."

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock frowns, shaking her head. "It's not like I was a seasoned criminal..I was forced to do things..Until I escaped. It's the reason the league of Assassins are after me, and they have more reason to come after my mom.." Aha, now she knows just exactly who they're up against, and that won't be easy at all.

She nods and pulls out the cheque for the deposit, signing it before sliding it over. "Not a problem. Here, you can cash it right away." as for the contract, she peers down at it, reading it slowly, thoroughly, before checking and double checking the fine print. And sighs, "I suppose it can't be helped either way, I'm pretty desperate..You can protect her...Right?"

Jennifer Walters has posed:
    Jennifer's attention snaps to Artemis at the mention of the League of Assassins. "A /lot/ of people would like to have some dirt on the League," she says, "but everybody who has turned over evidence has either wound up missing or dead. This complicates /everything/."

    "I'm not turning your case away," Jen explains. "I'm not scared of them. It's just working to get your mother out of jail and have her remain /alive/ is going to get tricky." She taps her fingers on the table again, "I think turning over evidence would do more harm than good for your mother, so we'll just stick to good behavior and a year served."

    She reaches out and takes the cheque and files it away and starts to write out a receipt. "I'll talk to Batman about seeing if we can set up a safehouse for her. He'll be able to get something more secure than the FBI can ever do, and he's used to dealing with them. I'll get the details from you and your mother about the League and get it over to him."

    "All right," she says, standing up and offering her hand. "I think that's it for now. Give that contract a look over, and once you get that back to me we can start in earnest." She goes over and opens the door to lead Artemis back to the reception room. "It was a pleasure meeting you. Here's my card."

Artemis Crock has posed:
Artemis Crock nods, "It is dangerous yes..I barely escaped alive and they're probably still out to get me. I can say this, my mother is a reformed woman. She is dedicated to turning her life around and leaving a life of crime behind her. She is a good person who has had a profound effect on me and my own decisions to quit the league.." oops that just kinda slipped out.

She frowns, hoping she didn't catch it or choose to judge her for it. Too late how either way, and she signs the contract, pushing it back. "I will do whatever I can, pay whatever price to save my mom from those monsters..Afterall, it's because of me that they even know where she is now.."