*Caroline:* Caroline leads him a short distance away, though not out of the room, and leans close, her lips facing away from the rest of the group. "How serious is it between you and Cecilia, because I can't make this go away or stop what's about to happen. The charges against them are very serious, and I don't have any standing officially. I'd need to call Carson, and Cecilia needs to contact their family attorney."

*GM:* Luke's face looks grave, if not a shade paler than before. "We're serious, Caroline. What... what did you see there? I asked them what the charges were. Our families can make this go away."

But his words are doubting.

*Caroline:* "Yes, we can. In the long run. But not before they are strip-searched and processed and interviewed."

*GM:* "They're terrified out of their minds. Especially after..." Luke glances out of the corner of his eye towards where Hannah used to be. "They're going to crack."

*Caroline:* "Half those charges won't stick, but someone is [redacted]."

*GM:* "What? [redacted]?" Luke repeats.

*Caroline:* "[redacted]," she murmurs into his ear.

*GM:* "_Fuck_," Luke whispers furiously.

*Caroline:* "And with an injured cop they're going to be sniffing around extra hard. Do you know how badly he was injured?"

*GM:* "He's in the hospital, Caroline. They're not... he sounded like he was hurt pretty badly. The cops have all been saying what a legend on the force his father was. _Gettis_ actually remarked on that, and he's hardly said a word."

*Caroline:* "Then I'll make the call, but this is going to take a lot of clout, including, likely, Dad getting involved."

*GM:* Luke sighs heavily. "Well, the milk's spilled. Nothing to do now but mop it up."

*Caroline:* She nods. "All right."

*GM:* "We've been trying to reach Cecilia's mother. This would be so much easier if she were here too."

*Caroline:* "Let me get things moving, sooner rather than later," Caroline replies. "Let Cecilia know. Have her get her sisters ready, and get the number for the family attorney if she has one." She slides away from her brother and digs for her phone.

*GM:* Luke puts a firm hand on her shoulder before she goes. "Maybe you should talk with Cecilia's sisters, Caroline. Hear their story and school them on what to say. Cecilia's been making calls to her mother's lawyer, but she hasn't been able to get him out of bed." He then corrects, "Or at least, not to say. I know, they shouldn't say anything at this point."

*Caroline:* "Anything they tell me I'm obligated to repeat. I have no privilege with them, or anyone for that matter right now," she explains, then sighs. "But I'll speak with them briefly."

*GM:* "This is why we called you, Caroline," Luke says with a weary smile. "Cecilia and I won't forget this. Now all right. Let's."

*Caroline:* The not-quite lawyer moves over to the other girls, heeled feet clapping on the tiled floor.

*GM:* Their pale complexions are blanched even further. The non-Devillers girls aren't taking it much better. Hannah's mother is gone from the room. Cecilia is stroking a sniffling Simmone's hair.

*Caroline:* "Girls, I'm sorry this is happening to you, but I want you to understand so that you know what's coming and that you're going to be all right at the end of it, ok?"

*GM:* "Pretty sure they're all fucked, actually," the hunkish cop remarks.

*Caroline:* "You should stand by that phone," Caroline replies. "It's going to start ringing soon."

*GM:* The girls' faces are like seesaws as they desperately rise, fall, and rise just a little.

"You're Caroline, right?" says one of the girls. "Are you a lawyer? L-listen, we-"

"Don't say anything, Yvette," Cecilia urges gently but firmly.

*Caroline:* She turns her attention back to the girls. "Let me finish," she interrupts.

"Because you've been arrested you will be searched. It's going to be invasive, and probably a little humiliating. I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do about that. Don't try to fight, just make sure you remember anything that happens that is inappropriate. After that they're probably going to keep questioning you. Because you're all minors they can't put you in the parish jail, so you're likely to be held here until they decide what to do. I'll do everything I can to clear this up before that happens, but the most important thing to remember is nothing you tell them is going to make this better, it only eliminates options for you in the future."

"You don't have to explain anything. Any time they ask you questions about what happened ask for an attorney. Nothing you tell them is going to make them stop. But stay tough, you'll get through this. I'm going to go make some phone calls to try and get you out of here more quickly, ok?"

*GM:* "Someone's been watching those 'if you're ever arrested' YouTube vids," remarks the grinning cop. "They don't include the pep talks, though. That's a nice touch."

"Those are for a more black audience though," remarks the cop behind the desk. "Uh, no offense, Captain."

The captain ignores the other man entirely.

*Caroline:* She turns back to the cop. "I know you're upset that one of your own is hurt, and I'm sorry, and I hope you catch whoever was responsible. But god help you if you stick even a toe out of line here, because no one else will."

*GM:* "Don't you worry about us, ma'am. You worry about those girls," says the first cop.

The teenagers seem to cling to Caroline's words like drowning women on driftwood. They node gratefully.

*Caroline:* "What could they have to worry about surrounded by New Orleans' finest?" Caroline asks as she pulls out her phone, her heels again snapping against the tile as she heads for the door.

*GM:* "My mother won't forget this, Caroline," Cecilia says, repeating Luke's words as she strokes Simmone's hair.

The female cop re-emerges from the room ahead and looks across the girls. "All right, next one in."

*Caroline:* The heiress continues walking, seeking privacy outside for the calls she's about to make.

*GM:* Caroline makes her first call. The phone rings several times. "Caroline. What is it?" sounds an older man's steady voice without preamble. This isn't the first time Carson has been called by one of Nathan's children in the middle of the night. Or _about_ one of Nathan's children.

*Caroline:* "I'm sorry to call so late, Uncle Carson, but there's been an incident. No one in the family involved directly, it's more than vaguely within our interests, as well as... well. I'll just get to it."

*GM:* There's an expectant silence from the other end of the line.

*Caroline:* "You remember the Devillers family, Luke has been going out with one of their daughters? Three of them were arrested this evening on a laundry list of charges related to an incident where an officer and another teenage girl were injured. Warren Whitney's daughter was also involved. I don't think they were directly involved in either injury, but you know how the police get when one of their own is hurt. They've gone... well, high and right. Luke called me to see if I could provide some guidance, but this is going to turn into both a nightmare for both families, and a public affairs nightmare for the NOPD if someone doesn't step in."

*GM:* "I know who the Devillers are, Caroline," her first cousin once removed (though it's easier to call him 'uncle') replies to her initial question. Not dryly. Just as a simple statement of fact.

There's a pause as the criminal judge seems to chew over her words. "What station as they being held at?"

*Caroline:* "The 8th District. They were getting ready to strip search an 11-year-old girl on charges including battery of an officer and [redacted] when I stepped out to make the call. I don't think they realize--or care--what kind of a mess they've stepped into."

*GM:* "Injured cops," Carson replies. Not tersely, but emphatically. "They look after their own. Especially here."

*Caroline:* "I know, I know," Caroline replies knowingly and not unkindly.

*GM:* "All right. I'll call Delron and reject the warrants. You already know these girls shouldn't say anything." With those final words, the call ends with a click not unlike the .45 Colt that Westley has wondered if the Vietnam vet actually sleeps with.

*Caroline:* Caroline lets out a small sigh of relief--all too small. Rejecting the warrants will take time. She wonders how many of the girls will get processed before that happens.

Another shake of her head, another call, this one to her ex. There's no certainty he's awake, or on the floor, but there's also a better than zero chance, and even if he isn't in tonight he'll be able to give her better information than she has eventually.

*GM:* Caroline's phone rings several times. "Hi, this is Neil. Please leave your name and number, and I'll get back to you," sounds the resident doctor's pre-recorded voice.

*Caroline:* "Neil, I got a call about a girl and a cop that got banged up pretty badly. I was hoping you might have heard something about it. Give me a call back. I promise, no Hippo." The last bit is a touch of levity, an inside joke from when they were both pre-med and eager for all the gory details.

*GM:* After ending the call on that nostalgic note, Caroline has better luck with her next one. After all, this is the time when Jessica White is on shift. "Hi, Caroline?" greets the young officer. No relation so far as she knows to the Captain White here. It's a common enough last name.

*Caroline:* "Hey Jessica, how's it going?"

*GM:* "Well, the night shift is what it is. I had a pretty weird call recently though."

*Caroline:* "Oh?"

*GM:* "Well, a woman called 911 when a random stranger by a po'boy joint threw a trash can at her head. So I showed up and arrested him. Because, well, for battery. But the woman says, her exact words, 'whatever. He's not why I called. I called because the po'boy place didn't give me enough sriracha'."

Jessica laughs. "You just can't make this up."

*Caroline:* "Wow." Caroline keeps her impatience to a minimum through the story despite the seriousness of the matter at hand, but can't help but smile at the tale. "Every night an adventure."

*GM:* "The woman said her server was rude, so she wanted to see if we could harass him for more sauce. We decided to remove her from the po'boy joint instead. Anyway, what's got you calling at this hour?"

*Caroline:* "I wish it was happy news. I heard one of yours got hurt tonight, wondered if you'd heard anything about it."

*GM:* "Oh, no, I hadn't," Jessica says concernedly. "Not yet, anyways. Who was it?"

*Caroline:* "I didn't get the details, but your old fossil is all over it. He's here in the 8th District having 11-year-old heiresses arrested."

*GM:* "Really, the dinosaur? Huh."

*Caroline:* "Yeah, I guess the guy's father was big on the force? Maybe they used to work together."

*GM:* "That'd be a first. I can't picture him working with anyone. Not that he seems to mind me working for him." There's a simultaneous smile and frustration to the words.

*Caroline:* "I'll stick to only imagining. Anyway, right, thanks anyway. I'm going to make a couple other calls before the truckloads of attorneys start to show up here. The dino really kicked over a hornet's nest with who got picked up. We need to catch up sometime though, maybe an early breakfast coming off shift or something. Let me know a day that works."

*GM:* "Yeah, def--wait, hold on a second, you said he arrested an 11-year-old heiress?"

*Caroline:* "I don't know if it was him specifically, but a bunch of the girls that got picked up in association with it are... they're the children of important people, Jess. People who are going to raise absolute hell over this if their kids were traumatized and strip-searched without a really good reason--and who are connected enough to do it."

*GM:* "Oh, wow. Sounds like a hornet's nest..." Jessica trails off.

*Caroline:* "I know you guys and gals in blue have to look out for each other. And everyone understands that whenever a cop gets hurt it's serious."

*GM:* "Yeah. He's actually felt on edge lately. The dinosaur, that is. I mean, I think. It's hard to tell with him."

*Caroline:* "Any particular reason you can think of?"

*GM:* "Wish I could. He actually hasn't been asking me to do his paperwork."

*Caroline:* "Maybe the old dog has a bone he's gnawing on?"

*GM:* "Maybe." There's another smile that sounds more than a little frustrated. "I don't think he'd wanna share it with a pup like me."

*Caroline:* "You'll get there, Jess, but I really have to run."

*GM:* "Right, I understand. I'll give you a call back when I hear more."

*Caroline:* "You're the best."