I know it's only one review, but while I have readers I will post chapters . . . so, here's the second chapter. Thanks thecardboardunicorn, much appreciated. :')

Mixed up priorities

As the day went on Mia began to accept that paperwork was all she would be doing for the next few weeks at the Grossberg criminal defense law firm and so decided it was probably best if she just got on with it. She had earlier ordered all the paperwork she had into one pile and sorted out which cases where for who. Much to her annoyance, the biggest pile on her desk was surprisingly for Diego Armando. She found this odd because from what she had heard so far he was the newest lawyer her (other than herself) and yet seemed to have them most cases. He might be unprofessional towards colleagues, she thought to herself looking through the documents, but he sure seems to get complicated cases.

As she finished looking at one of Diego's simpler cases and moved onto the next she felt her eyes scan over some writing that felt strangely familiar to her.

Name: Terry Fawles

Charge: Kidnapping, murder

Sentence: Death penalty

Fugitive movements: After escaping Fawles met with, and then murdered Sergeant Valerie Hawthorne. He was recaptured on Eagle Mountain 8 hours after his escape.

Autopsy report: Stabbed with a knife in the back, died from blood loss between 4 and 5PM.

Extra notes: Threw Dahlia Hawthorne, (14) off the bride into the Eagle River. Was convicted for this 5 years ago. Murder of Valerie Hawthorne is thought to have also taken place here. No decisive Evidence and so witness testimony had to be taken into account. Testimony was by Valeria Hawthorne: the person who confronted him. After confronting him she then arrested Mr. Fawles at the scene. She later testified against him saying that she witnessed Mr. Fawles throw the young victim into the river. Dahlia Hawthorne's body was never recovered.

Trial to be held on February 16th.

Mia re-read the report and searched her head for where the information sounded familiar from before realizing that she had in fact heard Mr. Grossberg and Mr. Armando discussing it earlier. It seemed like such a complicated case as there was so much that the police did not know about what exactly had happened. She saw a yellow post-it note, stuck to the top of the report reading-

"Think about it - M.G"

Assuming that the messy scrawl was from her mentor Mr. Grossberg to Mr. Armando she kept it there and decided that it was time to deliver all the files to Mr. Armando ad she had now looked through nearly all of them. She lifted the considerably lighter pile off her desk and went to search for his office. Mia walked quickly up the small set of stairs as her arms began to grow tired from the still heavy smaller pile of case files. Knowing that Mr. Armando's office was not up the same corridor as Mr. Grossberg's she headed straight on and then turned left now seeing a larger staircase on her right. She climbed it quickly and saw that the name plate read "Diego Armando-Attorney at Law". She knocked and instantly heard a reply of "Come in.". Mia turned the door handle and entered the room to be greeted by the image of Mr. Armando sitting on his desk playing on a-

"Gameboy?" she asked outraged "I've been downstairs working my ass off while you've been sitting here playing on a Gameboy?" Mia clapped her hands over her mouth at her sudden out burst and feeling her cheeks, not for the first time glow red.

"Why yes, I believe that I have for a very good reason too. Because I've already finished all my work." he said now oozing smugness "Would you like a go?" he asked raising his eyebrows in mock sincerity and offering her the small compact games console.

What am I meant to say, now? she asked herself, she hadn't even meant to say that out loud. He probably knows that, but just enjoys making me squirm. Mia chose to ignore the question and say "I brought you your documents Mr. Armando, here." she placed them on the desk and turned around to leave.

"Wait, now you've got to tell me about them as I look through them." He said just as Mia pulled at the door.

Why, are you not capable of reading? Of course, she couldn't say this to him,"Fine." she replied and strode back over to the desk.

Feel free to get yourself a chair Ms. Fey." Mr. Armando said gesturing to one in the corner. She dragged it over and picked up the file on top. Incidentally it was the file she had been reading earlier on in her office. "So, what's the case about? Just the basic details please…"

Basic details? She thought about it a moment No, that makes no sense, It's not basic if there are details right? Deciding to forget about this started but saying-

"Well basically," Mia started, putting extra emphasis on "basically" then continued, "This guy, Terry Fawles escaped from prison and went to meet with the victim Valerie Hawthorne. He wasn't captured for 8 hours and he was convicted for the murder and kidnapping-"

"Wait…hang on, if I didn't know better I'd say this was the case that I told Mr. Grossberg, only earlier I wasn't interested in. Geez, that man doesn't know when to give up . . . " Diego he muttered, cutting across her.

"Possibly…" Mia knew that it was true as she had heard the conversation herself but didn't say anything.

"Well you should know! You were listening in, oh sorry you were just "leaning against the door" weren't you?" he asked, sarcastically.

Feeling quite embarrassed, Mia decided to ignore his comment and thought perhaps it would be a good idea to distract him from his angry rant. "…Mr. Armando, if you don't mind me asking, why won't you take the case?"

"Ms. Fey, I've already looked carefully through the case file very carefully and escaped death row prisoners plus a lack of decisive evidence plus and 8 hour gap where no one knew where the defendant was equals a lost trial, something that at my stage of the carrier is not good."

"Do you even know if the defendant is guilty or not?" she asked.

"Hmm…He might not be but I'd say there's a very low chance of success." He read the next page of the report and pushed it towards her, under her nose "See look, there's evidence against him, a decisive witness testimony. I feel for the poor defense attorney who gets this case pushed onto them."

Mia was outraged "You feel for them do you? Wow, that would imply that you actually have feelings. That man could be innocent and may end up with a sub-standard defense because you were too busy worrying that if you lose the case your win record will be scratched, well I feel for you Mr. Armando!" she yelled all of this before getting up and opening the door, ready to stomp out.

"You…do?" he said clearly puzzled.

"Yes…I do: feel sorry for you if you care about your stupid win record more than saving and innocent life" and with that she slammed the door leaving Diego Armando alone with his thoughts.