Maxie and Spinelli met Claudia the next day at the PCPD. Nikolas had convinced Alexis and Lucky to let them meet with Johnny together. Johnny sat opposite them, confused at the united front.
"Johnny, Diane Miller is going to be your new attorney." Claudia began.
"What about Ric and Trevor?"
"Diane is going to represent all of us." Maxie told him. "She knows what really happened."
"Maxie…" Johnny started threateningly.
"I know, Johnny." Claudia interrupted. "We had a meeting last night and Lulu came clean."
"And you two let her do that?"
"It was necessary." Spinelli told him. "Stone Cold and I could not find…"
"John, this whole thing was mismanaged from the start." Claudia said. "If I'd known it was Lulu, maybe we wouldn't have destroyed the very evidence that would have acquitted her."
"I reacted!"
"We know. And now we have to fix it." Maxie told him.
"And the way to fix it is through Diane." Claudia added.
"So what's the plan?"
"Stone Cold and the Lady of Justice are collecting evidence as we speak. Once they have it, the Blonde One and Maximista will tell D.A. Davis what happened."
"No!" Johnny yelled.
"Johnny, Lulu already agreed." Claudia said. "Ms. Miller will argue that Lulu felt she was in imminent danger, that Maxie was emotionally distraught, and that our upbringing was so screwed up that we had no choice but to cover up Logan's death."
"And you think that's going to work."
"We're sure it's going to."
"It better work."
--
Jason walked into Kelly's looking for Mike.
"Hey Jason! You hungry?" Mike greeted him from behind the counter.
Jason sat on a stool. "Just a coffee. You got a minute?"
"For you? Sure, what's up?"
"You remember the night Logan Hayes died?"
"Yeah. I think so."
"Maxie and Lulu had a fight here, right?"
"Yeah." Mike laughed. "Spinelli ended up covered in orange soda."
"Did you notice anything unusual about Maxie that night?"
Mike thought a minute. "Now that you mention it, her arm was bruised."
"Which one?"
"Left, above the elbow. It looked like finger marks." He thought some more. "And she was favoring her right leg. Like she'd hurt it."
"Would you swear to that?"
"Sure. Why?"
"I'll let you know. Thanks Mike." Jason took off.
--
Diane rapped quickly on Alexis' office door, and then stuck her head inside.
"Ready for me?"
"Yeah, what's this about, Diane?" Alexis put her glasses on and sat down.
"Well, first," she pulled a piece of paper out of her briefcase and dropped it in front of Alexis, then sat down, "I have been hired to represent John Zacchara."
"And how do Trevor and Ric feel about that?"
"When I get him off, who cares what they think?"
"We have a strong case, Diane."
"You have the wrong case, Alexis."
"What do you mean?"
"Off the record?"
"Tell me first."
Diane laughed.
"Alright, off the record." Alexis agreed.
"I am also representing Lulu Spencer and Maxie Jones."
"Okay." Alexis said slowly.
"John Zacchara did not kill Logan Hayes. Lulu Spencer did."
Alexis lowered her head into her hands. "Are you trying to give me a headache?"
Diane told her the story.
Alexis was incredulous. "Is there any evidence?"
"The physical evidence was destroyed, as you know. However," Diane reached into her briefcase again, "I have affidavits from the men who replaced the door and carpet, from Dr. Hunter, from Kate Howard, from Clarice, and from Mike Corbin, who saw Maxie with bruises and an injured leg. I also have an evaluation that Dr. Winters did on Miss Spencer and another on Miss Jones. She feels Miss Spencer was traumatized by seeing what happened to Miss Jones, and that neither of them was responsible for their actions. And here are the records from Miss Spencer's phone, showing that she attempted to call Detective Spencer, Mr. Zacchara, and the Crimson offices at the time of the attack."
"Are you trying to bury me in paper? What about the Zaccharas?"
"Research studies on how mob life affects children. They come to believe that covering up trouble is always the right course of action. John and Claudia Zacchara had no other choice."
Alexis lowered her glasses and looked up. "What are you looking for?"
"Self-defense for Miss Spencer, with diminished capacity if necessary. For Miss Jones, temporary insanity I suppose. And for the Zaccharas, not guilty due to mental disease or defect."
"And you think Scott Baldwin is going to go for this?"
"I think everyone is too scared of what Scott Baldwin thinks. The man is not all powerful. If this case goes to trial, first I'll motion to change venue, no way I lose that one. Then, everyone except Detective Harper has a conflict of interest, so I'll get all your evidence dismissed. I'm giving you a gift by even offering this, Alexis. And don't pretend you wouldn't be thrilled to have this over with."
"I would be, Diane. You know I would. But…"
"No buts, Alexis. Logan Hayes was an abusive, violent young man who terrorized two young women. Miss Spencer needs to be in Shadybrook, not jail and Miss Jones should be happily homemaking with Mr. Spinelli."
Alexis sighed. "Come back tomorrow with your clients. I'll see what I can do."
--
The next morning, Diane, Johnny, Claudia, Lulu and Maxie made their way into Alexis' office where she waited with a court reporter at the ready.
"Alright everyone," Alexis began, "here's what I'm prepared to offer, after reading Ms. Miller's evidence. And this is on the record. For Lulu Spencer, self-defense in the death of Logan Hayes, as long as she remains in Shadybrook until it is determined that she is no longer a threat to herself or others. For Maxie Jones, eighteen months suspended sentence as an accessory after the fact. You know what that means, Maxie?"
"If I stay out of trouble for a year and a half, it comes off my record."
"Exactly. For Claudia Zacchara, the same. And for John Zacchara, eighteen months suspended for accessory, and time served for fleeing prosecution. None of you spend any time in jail unless you screw up down the line. Diane?"
Diane looked at her clients, all of whom nodded with relieved smiles. "We'll take it."
Alexis let out a sigh of relief. "I took the liberty of drawing up the paperwork. If you'll all read over it and sign, then I just need you to tell me what happened for the record."
--
Scott Baldwin was on his way to Alexis' office when Diane and her clients walked out. He watched Maxie run into Spinelli's arms and glared at Johnny and Lulu talking quietly together. He hurried into Alexis' office.
"What's going on here?" He demanded.
Alexis dismissed the court reporter. "This is my office. I prefer that you knock."
"Why isn't Johnny Zacchara in jail?"
"Because I just took his plea." She shuffled the papers on her desk.
"I didn't agree to a plea. Not for the guy who killed my son!"
"He didn't kill Logan."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Johnny didn't kill Logan, Scott. Lulu did."
"So why isn't she in jail?"
"Because it was self-defense." She handed him a file with copies of the affidavits Diane had given her.
He rifled through the paperwork. "Come on, you actually believe this mob crap?"
"Mob? There are affidavits in there from people who have nothing to do with the mob."
"Well, we'll just see what Mayor Floyd thinks."
"He approved the pleas." Scott stopped short. "I took him all the information last night. He agreed that prosecuting a troubled young woman for killing, in self-defense, the man who made her troubled and who she had observed attacking another young woman, the Police Commissioner's daughter no less, was a waste of time."
Scott was apoplectic.
"He was my son!"
"I know, but that doesn't mean you get revenge. Lulu killed him; she will live with that the rest of her life. You want to punish her more? For what, keeping herself alive?" Alexis pulled some papers out of her desk. "As long as I live, a woman defending herself against violence will not go to jail. Here." She handed him the papers.
"What's this?"
"Lulu Spencer and John Zacchara were both granted restraining orders against you. Since Lulu will be at Shadybrook for the foreseeable future, you cannot enter that building."
"Wait a second…"
"Look, Scott, you've got one kid left. Go be with Serena. Keep her safe." Alexis left the office, Scott standing dumbfounded in the middle of the room.