Author's Notes: It's been a while, but I have been busy with work, school, and now I've been picked for jury duty on top of that! I know excuses, excuses, but I am here now and that is what is important. Last time, Arnold and Helga thoroughly discussed his case; Although Helga believes that he is being framed. Thanks to the following for reviewing: ahhelga: I love Law and Order, John Grisham etc. etc. My older brother is in law school, and my sister will be entering next fall, Arnold Summers: Your HA-ER story evokes the same feeling, S.L.Cipher: you finally updated Years Later , and raine84: We'll see how events, but rest assured Helga is innocent of murdering Lila, but is she completely innocent?

Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold.

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Vanity's Bane

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Chapter Three: Quid Pro Quo

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"Do you think that he's guilty?"

Helga asked munching on a carrot stick. She grimaced at the taste, but gulped down the crunchy vegetable anyway. Surprisingly, the visit to the morgue had left her feeling hungry. Apparently, seeing dead bodies did not deter her hunger. The rabbit food she ate was healthy, but tasted too bland. If only she hadn't binged on candy earlier in the week. The things that she did to herself for the sake of staying in shape were appalling at times. Her lunch companion, enjoying his thick juicy burger smirked as she downed the nasty looking cauliflower. Harold simply grinned as she eyed his burger hungrily while stabbing at her limp floret of broccoli. Taking a sip of his amaretto, Harold smiled at her behavior.

The weekly outings that the two shared had become a ritual of sorts. Ever since they began attending Wrestle-mania together back in grade school, both Helga and Harold would enjoy a sporting event together and then have lunch. Now that they were professional working adults, they both made time for at least one meal together during the week. Helga reached for Harold's pickle chips, but her hand was slapped away. Harold rolled his eyes when Helga stuck her tongue at him childishly. Helga rubbed her hand gingerly, giving him an angry glare. Harold shrugged, obviously not feeling bad about the incident.

"Why don't you just order some real food Helga? You and I both know that you want the steak special. The problem with you and women in general is that you stick to diets religiously. Patti's always on about that South Beach diet, or some other nonsense. What's wrong with healthy protein once in a while?"

Helga swiped the last of his pickles as he spoke, popping them into her mouth triumphantly. Patti Berman was Harold's wife of six years, and just like Helga she enjoyed snatching food from Harold's plate when he was not looking. They had married straight out of high school, and Helga attended the wedding. These days finding a committed man in this city was like searching for needles in a haystack. It was a hope that she had long since given up. The two made a wonderful couple, and she was happy that they had finally tied the knot. Sighing contentedly, Helga leaned back in her chair patting her stomach happily. Harold ordered another round of drinks, celebrating being off duty for the weekend.

"That's because we women have to look good for you men, or you would not have us any other way. Well, you'd have Patti and she's beautiful so that counts for something. It's a shame that there are not enough men like you, Harold. But anyway, you never answered my question. Do you think that Arnold is guilty?"

Harold sighed, swallowing the last of his French fries. He knew that the question was bound to be broached sometime during their meal; he just hoped that he would not have to answer. The problem with being friends with a fellow member of law enforcement meant that he was not exempt from questions regarding cases, especially when they concerned childhood friends. Arnold had been a friend for quite some time. They had known one another since they were in preschool and he could never fathom the mild mannered man to be a murderer of any sort. Nevertheless, as Officer Berman the facts were hard to ignore. Any novice could see something was foul about his case, but he was still unsure if that made Arnold innocent.

"I think that Arnold is a good person of strong moral fiber. He is my friend and I will support him as best I can."

Harold answered delicately, showing diplomacy that Helga had forgotten her friend possessed. She smirked at his answer, but she needed to hear the truth, not double speak so that he could avoid the question entirely.

"I thought that we lawyers were only allowed to give the runaround. Seriously, Harold I'm asking for your honest opinion, not as an officer but as a friend. Arnold's in real trouble and it would help if his close friends believed in his innocence. I just don't want to be the only that believes his innocence simply because of our past personal history."

Harold sighed, taking the hand of the uncertain woman before him. Helga was almost always confident in everything that she did, but when it came to Arnold, all sense of knowing right from wrong abandoned her. Arnold had the strange power to make her into a totally new woman. Harold wasn't entirely sure if that was a good trait anymore. If she was who she was as a result of their break up, he did not know how to feel about that. He frowned slightly, his ire temporarily directed towards Arnold. He was the man that she be holding her hand, reminding her of what a wonderful person Helga was, not him. In fact, Arnold was not supposed to be on trial for the murder of Lila in the first place.

"Listen Helga, it won't matter what I think in the end. You are his attorney not I. You're the one that is going to keep him from prison. Now as a friend, I believe Arnold doesn't have a violent bone in his body. He has always been as a peaceful person for as long as we've known him. As an officer of the law, the evidence does point to him, but even that is suspect. We should stop talking about this Helga. We already have what some would consider a conflict of interest by knowing Arnold so closely, and being law enforcement officers."

Helga nodded, leaning back in her chair. Harold made an excellent point, but she wanted to believe that she was not the only person that believed he was not guilty. It was imperative that she allow her head to guide her instead of her heart. Arnold needed a professional, not some woman tied emotionally to him. She would have to think critically, making sure that she took everything about the case into consideration. Helga bit her lip, a habit she had thought she had outgrown. Her anxiety was making her antsy, and the last thing she needed was to lose her cool. Helga gathered her coat, kissing Harold on the cheek.

"Hey, where are you going you need to pay your share Helga! Hey!"

Harold called out to his longtime friend, perplexed by her abrupt exit. Slapping a few bills on the counter, Harold ordered a cup of hot cocoa to go. Whatever epiphany the woman had experienced, he'd probably hear about it later.

"I've got to think. I'll call you tomorrow. Give my love to Patti. Oh and I'll pay the next time we go out."

Helga responded, rushing past busy waiters. She headed for her car, revving the engine she peeled out of the parking lot like a woman on a mission. She couldn't go to her apartment because of all the distractions it posed, but she couldn't go to her office either. She didn't like being there all alone. The big building left her feeling uncomfortable when she was the sole person inside. She could always crash at Phoebe's place for the night. Something about her visit to the morgue earlier in the day had left her suspicious.

Lila had died from multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck. Arnold's fingerprints were found on the murder weapon. It did not take a Law and Order junkie to see that the knife could have easily been swiped from his home, and used to kill Lila. When she held her meeting with Arnold they had only discussed the basic facts of the crime. She hadn't been able to ask him how tight his security was. Could Lila herself have taken the knife? No, she frowned, zooming through traffic. What purpose would stealing a butcher knife from Arnold's apartment achieve? Aside from being an obvious ploy to frame Arnold, Helga believed that things went deeper than that. Arnold hadn't been caught with the smoking gun, but his fingerprints matched.

Whoever had caused Arnold's trial to be expedited obviously had something to do with the murder itself. Someone wanted the trial sped up as quickly as possible. Even the police officers she had spoken to mentioned that this was unusual. The top brass were mum on the situation, but Helga knew something foul was afoot. She pulled into Phoebe's driveway, noticing a car that she hadn't seen before. Was Phoebe entertaining? How could she hold a dinner party without inviting me? Helga thought wistfully.

She knocked on the door once, frowning as she heard muffled voices. When the door swung open she hadn't expected to see Gerald Johansen. Stepping back to the look at the tall handsome young black man before her, she suddenly smiled. He had certainly changed. He was still tall, smooth looking young man she had always known, but now he was growing a beard. His hair was trimmed low, and he wore the typical dark blue suit of a G-Man. Before she had known what happened, he embraced her. Helga returned the hug, feeling surprised that she still cared about the boy with whom she once shared a mutual dislike.

"Geraldo? What are you doing here, at Phoebe's no less?!"

Helga said, stepping into the warm apartment. Phoebe sat at the dining room table, giving Helga the 'we'll-talk-later' look. She embraced her best friend, sitting down at the empty seat across from Gerald.

"We just got back from Lila's wake. I came by because Phoebe wanted to talk and…"

He trailed off then, and the three young adults sat in awkward silence for a moment. Helga shifted uncomfortably, embarrassed because she had obviously walked in on a private moment. She had major work to do, and she knew that she should not be sitting around being a third wheel. She needed to get to the point.

"I stopped by because I was wondering if we could switch apartments for the night. The law library is closed, and you know how distracted I get at home, and how creepy my offices can be late at night. I see you're busy however. I'll just go on home. I have got serious work to do, what with Arnold's case. It was nice seeing you again Gerald but I'll be leaving now. I'll call you later Pheebs."

She said while gathering her purse and jacket. She should have called Phoebe before coming over. Usually, none of that mattered, but now with Gerald back in town, she supposed things would change now. She wished that they could have spoken on better terms than this. Perhaps they could catch up with one another some time later in the week. As she headed for her car, Gerald rushed out behind her.

"Wait Helga, I need to talk to you! I just wanted to warn you that I uh… spoke to Arnold and he's kind of waiting at your apartment. He really needs to speak with you about the case."

She nodded silently, but inside she screamed at the audacity of her former boyfriend. Who in the hell did he think he was? Yes, he was her client, but she had other clients that had serious cases just like his but they did not show up at her home! That football head would never learn, apparently.

"Thanks for the heads up Gerald. Listen, for what it's worth, I'll do my best to get Arnold off."

The young man smiled weakly. He offered his hand and they shook hands before he headed to Phoebe's warm apartment, and she headed home. He turned as Helga started the engine, with a somber look on his face.

"Maybe you and I can catch up later, just you and me. I mean we used to be cool right?"

"Yea we were. I'd like to think we can be again. Phoebe will give you my number. It was nice to see you again, although I hope we will have a chance to chat later on in the week. I wish it were on better terms. Goodnight Geraldo!"

Helga said weakly, zooming out of the Phoebe's driveway. Gerald's presence was a shock, but it was to be expected. She never did get to ask where they had met up, earlier in the day. She could talk with Phoebe about it later. Now she had a certain annoying client to deal with. The morgue director's words ran through her mind. Lila's body had been buried, and the autopsy report came back inconclusive. How in the hell could a stabbing victim have an inconclusive report? Either the doctor was grossly negligent, or maybe someone had switched the records.

When she arrived at her apartment, Arnold was there, standing dumbly outside her apartment. He gave her a meek smile, but they both knew he would see her ire. She trudged past him, not bothering to address him. As if on cue, Arnold entered the apartment behind her. He closed the door, standing by the coat stand sheepishly. Helga placed her briefcase and purse on the dining room table, kicking off her shoes in the process.

"I won't ask why you why you're standing outside my apartment this late at night, or why you insist on being a pest. I will however ask what it is you wanted to speak to me about. Surely, whatever emergency that you have could not have waited until the next business day?"

Arnold shrugged nonchalantly, helping himself to a glass of brandy. Helga frowned at Arnold, displeased with his ability to get so reacquainted with her home. He was treading on very thin ground. Even though she was his lawyer, he was beginning to cramp her personal space. He was not paying her enough to work solely on his case, and his behavior was borderline offensive.

"I just wanted to tell you that I may have discovered a connection in my case. After I left your office, my publicist informed me that I had received a fax from someone who claims to have seen me leave Lila's apartment before the murder took place. However this person, who only left me an email address and pager number, says that his or her silence is because this witness wants to extort money from me. Can you believe that?"

Arnold asked, slamming his shot glass down angrily. Helga's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the new development. The message Arnold received was strange indeed, but it was also a clue that may have held some merit. She took out her legal pad, ready to document his speech. Chewing thoughtfully on her pen, a queer thought entered her mind.

"Whoever sent you that fax could be a nut just trying to get a rise out of you. This person may not know anything at all. It would be best if we did not do anything until we can prove that the person has information. Obviously there has been no new evidence we could use that this person was willing to share. I don't buy it."

"Why don't you?"

Arnold asked her, staring deeply into her eyes. Helga felt her cheeks flare, and that all too familiar tingling sensation erupted in her belly. She silently cursed Arnold's ability to make her feel so nervous and giddy.

"If I were going to try to extort money from someone in exchange for giving valuable information, I'd at least provide them with a tidbit, something that could be verified as true. That way they would believe me and I would actually be successful in getting money out of them."

Helga would have gone on, but Arnold's cell phone rang. She nodded to him as he left unto her terrace to talk privately. She waited calmly, mulling over the information in his case. The visit to the morgue had been a dead end. Harold was oddly about the way the police were investigating and she had not been able to get in touch with any of the D.A.'s assistant attorneys. Someone with many far reaching connections had managed to keep those lawyers from representing Arnold. Who could hold such political clout?

"That was my publicist, Vincent Edgewood. He wants to speak to you. I think he wants to know when you're available for a press conference. He says without you there to counter the attacks of the media, this could be detrimental to my career."

Helga couldn't help but roll her eyes at Arnold's statement. Arnold being charged with murder was detrimental to his career, and his life. Her absence at a press conference was a minor snag. Taking the cell phone from Arnold, she stretched in her seat, ready to speak with the infamous Vincent Edgewood.

"Hello?"

"Finally, I am speaking to the renowned Ms. Pataki?"

"This is she. Arnold tells me you want me to attend his press conference."

"Yes, that is exactly what I desire. Arnold needs you there at his side. Some of these vultures at The Ledger and The Post are having a field day. I fear that anything that they print will be libelous in nature. Any questions stepping over legal boundaries of free press should be shot down by his gifted attorney."

Helga contemplated Edgewood's words silently. She knew that eventually she'd have to face the cameras with Arnold, and things would be as they once were. Before he had really achieved true fame with his second novel She Descends with Grace, Arnold had been a struggling writer, and she had been at his side. It seemed as if their relationship had been completely over with the publishing of his second book. With the book's popularity came the scrutiny of any rising star. Their relationship had been strained to the breaking point. Both had left feeling numb, although the other had no idea. As much as she might have wanted to be there in the glitz and glamour of it all, she had to wean herself off fame that could and would eventually fade.

Moreover, she would only be able to attend one of his press conferences anyway. If any more press conferences were planned than Arnold would appear guilty, searching for appeasement. She was slightly curious however to see the media's reaction to Arnold's lawyer. As his one time lover and childhood friend, the tabloids would eat all of that up. The last thing Helga needed or wanted was bad publicity for her up and coming law firm. Still, she and Arnold were in a binding contract, and she had promised to represent him. She had yet to receive snubs from her colleagues, but Helga had no doubt that they were on their way.

"I can only attend one conference. I really think you should quit with all these press conferences. That only helps the prosecution anyway because it makes Arnold appear anxious and guilty. We need him to exude the demeanor of a man confident in his innocence. Besides, I am his lawyer, and I cannot be expected to be pulled away from building my case for him if you are always meeting with the media. Is that understood, Mr. Edgewood?"

She could hear cackling in the background and she was positive that the man with whom she was speaking was no doubt bellowing with laughter. Perhaps he did not take things seriously, but the publicist would have to change his tune.

"It's understood crystal clear, Ms. Pataki. This will be the last conference for the duration of Arnold's trial unless it is absolutely necessary. The conference will be at the Marriott. Dress conservative, ten a.m. sharp Wednesday. My personal assistant will give you a press pass. If I may speak to Arnold once more…"

Helga passed the phone to Arnold, giving him her famous we-need-to-talk look. He frowned, remembering that look's power during the time when they had been together. Whatever had passed between his attorney and his publicist had not gone over well. He ended his conversation with Edgewood quickly turning to face Helga.

"You should fire Edgewood. I don't trust him. He could very well be involved with your framing. Thanks for giving me the info about extortionist. In the future fax something to my office, or call me. Do not show up at my home again Arnold. I'll review this new info in the morning, and keep you abreast of my proceedings. If you're going to be here, you might as well get comfortable. It's going to be a long night."

Helga said, while barely stifling a yawn. Tonight she and Arnold would go over every relationship that he had with his business partners and others who may have known Lila. In the morning she would have to hire a private investigator. For now, their focus was on finding any discrepancies in his case, and a connection between Lila's murderer and any other co-conspirators. Helga began brewing the coffee, preparing to drill her client thoroughly.

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Footnotes: It's been awhile but my aunt passed away, and I have been busy with my life's commitments. Thank you to all that are reading and reviewing my story. I appreciate this very much. Stay tuned for the next update, peace!