"Will you speak first, or should I?"

Franziska was walking alongside Phoenix on a road leading back to the Ivy Law School. They had left for a bus straight after their meeting with Iris, and she had not said a word. Oh, of course Phoenix had tried to reach out. He had asked if she felt alright, or if she felt sick. He had asked at regular interviews in the thirty minutes that had eclipsed since their visit concluded. He had finally gotten desperate enough to ask her if she had wanted ice cream, of all things. All Franziska had known was when the time came, she would first break the silence.

"Phoenix?"

Startled, the male student stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. He paused, open-mouthed, his body paralyzed. A landmine would be easier to defuse….

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'" Franziska crossed her arms, letting her crop hang loosely from her fingers. "Frankly, I do not understand why Iris' plight is so troublesome to you." It was strange, but even the act of speaking the girl's name was enough to make Franziska tighten her grip on the crop handle. Overcoming his initial shock, Phoenix spoke up, but with a frown.

"Isn't that obvious!? Iris is my friend! I can't even imagine what's going through her head right now, but I know I'd do anything to help her out! I-" He gulped as he watched Franziska's face flush.

"You know the facts! The police have her under suspicion, and there was nothing at the crime scene that would exonerate her! You cannot seriously say that it is inconceivable for her to carry out what she has been accused of! Do you mean to say she is incapable of all this?"

"No!" Phoenix shot back. He moved closer, his breath touching her face. "But that means I have to give her the benefit of the doubt and support her!" He leaned back and threw his hands up into the air.

"What is your problem with Iris, anyway? You're always on edge around her! It can't just be about losing the mock trial, right? You act so cold whenever she's near me! I-" He stopped.

"What?"

"You act so cold when she's around me. And when I talk about her. And when I wear that pink sweater she gave me. You-you go into that...state whenever it's about me, you, and Iris." He shook his head. It seemed so unreal.

"You're saying I act like that because...of you and Iris? Together?"

"Because you feel...you...me…" Phoenix gaped. Franziska went cold, and her eyes grew wide.

Franziska looked at Phoenix. Phoenix looked back at Franziska.

And then the moment was interrupted.

"Howdy, people!"

"What?!" was Phoenix and Franziska's simultaneous answer.

A strange man was in front of them. He was wearing a grey suit this time, not just spare parts from his store. But he still had his red-rimmed sunglasses, and his body language and face were unmistakable.

"Didn't think I'd see you here! Thanks again for coming to my shop way back!"

"Sir?" Phoenix looked up and down. "You're the owner, right?"

The man gave him a lazy wave with the thermos of coffee he held in his right hand. "Even Old Man Dodder needs time away from home!"

"Oh." The frown came back to Phoenix's face. The man was...no, had been...Jane Dodder's grandfather, or "Pops." He bowed his head. "I want you to know I am truly sorry for your loss, sir."

"Please, Old Man Dodder is fine." He took a swig from his thermos. "And as it is, I'm on the road to make sure justice prevails, believe it or not. I'm a witness for the trial on account of my baby Jane's death."

"R-really?"

"You bet! I talked with the police, and I am ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure that black-haired girl is the one who did it!"

Phoenix was crestfallen, Franziska could tell right away by looking at his face. She acted on impulse and spoke. "Why do you think that?"

"Now, now, girl," Old Man Dodder waved both hands and chuckled. "I'm not sharing anything with anybody. That's what the witness stand is for, you know." Phoenix stepped in front of Franziska, half-sure she was ready to wind up her crop. As it was, it was half-raised behind him.

"Anyway," Old Man Dodder continued. "I gotta see the detective. We'll be talking about my testimony. Take care, lovebirds!" He made a half step away.

"Old Man Dodder," Phoenix hesitated. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm as good as I'll ever be." Phoenix saw the shopkeeper smiling blandly, but he could see movement behind the dark lenses, and a tear was falling through the left one. Old Man Dodder choked out another farewell, turned his back, and walked off hurriedly. He did not even react to spilling his coffee through his downturned thermos by doing so.

For a moment everything was silent. Then Phoenix turned back to Franziska.

"Later?"

"Later."

Iris sat still. She knew her lawyer would be arriving soon, but she still felt nervous. She had never been in this situation before. Would the lawyer be nice? Would she speak a lot, or "efficiently"? Was Iris herself presentable for the occasion? How would a "legal" conversation go between two people with a barrier between them?

All of these thoughts were interrupted by the main door opening. Iris sat back straight in her chair as a tall woman with long brown hair and a black pantsuit walked in. Iris could see her smile from a few feet, and she felt more at ease as the stranger walked gracefully to the barrier and sat down until the two were at the same level.

"I am Mia Fey, attorney at law. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise." Iris nodded and smiled back. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Mia shook her head. "No problem. Now…" She leaned forward, her face just an inch from the barrier. "Can you tell me where you were on the day you were arrested? Before you were arrested, I mean?"

"Yes, of course." Iris nodded. This attorney was straight and businesslike. "I was in my dorm room that day. I didn't have classes that day, so I spent time for myself."

"The police say their witnesses will say that you were near the Pride of Ivy, where Jane Dodder's body was found. But understand, people can make mistakes and memories, if nothing else, are malleable. We will gather further information and use it to our advantage."

"Of course."

"Do you know Doug Swallow? Did you know Jane Dodder? Did you meet either of them prior to the day of your arrest?"

"No, not at all. There are no records of me interacting with them, Ms. Fey."

Mia nodded. Good. This was an excellent start to a client-attorney relationship. But...the other questions remained. She had seen Iris' face before, but not on Iris. It couldn't hurt to ask…

"Ms. White, the police are still in the process of ascertaining what was used to kill Jane Dodder. What about poison?"

Iris shook her head. "No. I wouldn't know where to get it, or how to use it. There was a really bad poisoning at our university lab, actually, but they're keeping a lid on it. It would be hard enough just to handle the poison, let alone kill with it. I'm not part of the lab group, Ms. Fey."

There was a pause. Then Iris spoke up again. "Do you have other questions, Ms. Fey?"

Mia composed herself before speaking.

"Have you ever heard of someone named 'Dahlia Hawthorne?'"

-A multi-chapter story; Chapter 23; story idea by CRed1988 and writing by Jerviss.