OOC<div class="floatright"> (https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4mRzhBZ3GvU/XGQnu-GlaeI/AAAAAAAAFuk/y-UAS0dN7GMp6V8wCgcmbtlVvqRZ6UKjQCLcBGAs/s1600/nguyen-huong-giang-idol-02.jpg)</div>Time: Day 2 - Late Night<br/>Location: Blaine's House<br/><br/>Characters<br/>Blaine<br/>Karen McConnel (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TQjkX1IbaF79Bcze6X7lX2ynGcwkx4AukKLXuqPe8WA/edit#heading=h.kq2o5recxiic) - Human, Detective, Frank's gang killed her partner when she was in Patrol LVMPD<br/>Frank Parker (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=344531.msg16258873#msg16258873) -<br/>Melissa (maiden name), two kids<br/>Four pups<br/><br/>Mechanics.<br/>Frank owes Karen a debt (2nd debt), and Karen's going to help Melissa;<br/>'owe an NPC a debt to Escape a Situation' - Melissa owes Frank.<br/>A significant arrest would/will fulfill one of Frank's debts to Karen.<br/>Melissa and the two kids are free - although someone will need to show up in Court in the morning.<br/><br/>Action:<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>We got Blaine, the four pups, Kazumi, and now Melissa, the younger child, and possibly Frank staying at Blaine's house. I figure the sleeping arrangement warrant at least a passing mention.</li><li>There's an interesting point of whether and how much to involve Karen in your next steps.</li></ul><br/><hr/>Karen seemed oddly reluctant to call the lawyer she had recommended.<br/><br/><strong>"Hi, this is Karen; I"</strong><br/><strong>"Oh, ah, you recognized my number..."</strong><br/>Slight blush on Karen's face,<br/><strong>"No, I'm calling because I've, er, a client for you."</strong><br/>Deep sigh,<br/><strong>"It's a home invasion. No, not the home invaders. Homeowner, she shot two of them in self-defense."</strong><br/><strong>"She's ok. It's gang-related. I've got her in hiding right now. I just need..."</strong><br/>Karen shakes her head,<strong>"Yes, you're the expert. It's just..."</strong><br/><strong>"No, you don't need to remind me."</strong><br/><strong>"We're at..."</strong><br/>A bit indignantly,<strong>"What do you mean you're tracking my phone?"</strong><br/><strong>"Alright, we'll see you in twenty minutes. We'll leave the garage door open."</strong><br/><br/>Karen took a deep sigh and turned to face Blaine and Frank.<br/><br/><strong>"I need to explain, Nina. She's a brilliant lawyer, first in her class at UNLV. She should be making six figures working for one of the major law firms. However, Nina realized in Law School she was transgender. When she got out, the Public Defender's Office was the only place that would have her. She liked representing the people who get lost in our justice system's cracks. Only, she didn't like representing scumbags. So, she went out on her own. She's got this gimmick - LD360, on call 24/7, but she only takes clients selected clients."</strong><br/><br/>Karen smiled at Frank and laughed,<strong>"She's good, but she's gonna cost you, Frank, and not just money."</strong><br/><br/><hr/><br/>Twenty minutes later, the radio app on Blaine's phone beeped with a "White Motorcycle Inbound." Less than a minute later, a white motorcycle pulled onto the street and into Blaine's garage with a slim figure clad in a white motorcycle suit.<br/><br/>The figure took off her helmet and smiled at the group,<strong>"I'm Nina Jones. I heard that you need a lawyer."</strong>Then Nina turned to Karen, stood on her tippy toes, and kissed Karen on the cheek.<strong>"Karen, you know I'd come running for a late-night date with you."</strong>Karen blushed but didn't back away from the kiss."<br/><br/>Nina laughed and turned to the group,<strong>"I guess the detective didn't tell you how we met. Karen got a bit frisky with an arrestee, who happens to be transgender. It looked grim for the detective - excessive force, with a side of gay bashing. However, I took the Detective's case pro-bono. I got the plaintiff to drop the charges - something about a few acts they didn't want to see the light of day. I got Karen to agree to Anger Management classes  - which she needs - and Internal Affairs agreed not to put anything in her file."</strong><br/><br/><strong>"And."</strong>Nina smiled.<strong>"To deal with the whole transgender bashing thing, the detective came out and started dating me."</strong>Nina chuckled, "We drive each other wild. She's so totally my type; I love a butch woman. The problem,"[/b] Nina smiled at Blaine,<strong>"Is that we both like the same type of woman - independent and strong."</strong><br/><br/>Karen flushed,<strong>"I didn't invite you here to share the sordid details of our relationship."</strong><br/><br/>Nina smiled at Karen,<strong>"Fringe benefits."</strong>then she turned to Melissa,<strong>"Now, you poor dear, tell me all about the trauma."</strong><br/><br/>The group watched as Nina gently walked Melissa through the entire episode. The door being broken in, fleeing to the safe room.<br/><br/>Nina laid out her plans,<strong>"Riffing on Sun Tzu, the truly great lawyers win their case, and then enter the courtroom. I'm not quite there yet, but I will stack the odds in your favor, Melissa. I know a reporter at KSNV who will jump at the chance to interview the victim of a home invasion. The judge happens to watch KSNV news before coming to the Courthouse."</strong><br/><br/>Nina held a cautioning finger up,<strong>"You only tell what happened up to the point that the saferoom door was ripped off. Say you cannot say anything more until your lawyer clears it. The judge and the public see you as a victim, and everyone is left salivating for more information. I will go to court and zoom you into the preliminary hearing. Normally, the judge would not be happy, and the prosecutor would argue to get you in jail. However, who wants the optics of dragging the poor woman off to jail."</strong><br/><br/>Nina turned to Karen,<strong>"My job's the easy part of this. You said it was gang-related.  That means they will be coming after her again; either you shut the group down, or Melissa and her kids need to disappear. She has two kids on social media, but I only see the younger one here; where's the other kid?"</strong>She looked quizzically at Frank.<br/>