Starlight

XXVIII: Blood In The Water

Only spineless snobs
Will quarrel with the morally dubious jobs
Yes, blood in the water
Your scruples are a flaw
You're nothing until the thrill of the kill
Becomes your only law

- 'Blood in the Water', Legally Blonde

xx.xx

Linda stalked about Professor Hidgens' lounge like a caged tiger, glaring every which way she went. "Nice place," she sneered. "Small. I could never live somewhere like this, but to each his own, hmm?"

"It's served me well over the years." Hidgens stood stiffly nearby, trying his best to appear casual. Robbie sat silently at the table, noting the sweat already forming on his forehead, the discomfort in his face.

"Good for you." Linda brushed past him brusquely, crossing to perch on the arm of his couch. "My husband Gerald and I are always renovating, always expanding. Our house is bigger and better every year. Only the best for my children." She glanced around at the room again - bare, no photographs or mementos on display. "Do you not have a family, Professor?"

He shuffled his feet. "Not in the traditional sense of the word, but I have friends. Very good friends."

Robbie daren't look at him for fear of smiling or crying - her emotions were running so high she didn't know which would come out. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Scott sit on the couch next to his aunt, his arm casually draped over the back as if he owned the place.

Linda stared at Henry, her icy glare as intense as it was cold. "Charming."

Bang!

The group were startled as Gary slammed his suitcase down on the table with a noisy, clumsy clatter. He looked at them all expectantly though his spectacles. "Let's get down to business!"

Hidgens, Robbie, Scott and Gary gathered around the tiny table, a far cry from the congenial dinner shared there with Finn and Danny the night before. Linda remained perched atop the couch's armrest, a position from which she would be able to watch them all - and she did so with the precision of a hawk.

Robbie hadn't expected Scott's aunt to be more intimidating than his attorney, but such was so. She watched as the man began pulling papers out, feeling Linda's eyes boring into her back all the while.

"I'm Gary Goldstein, attorney at--"

"Yes, thank you, Gary," Linda cut in before he could finish his spiel. "I hired Gary to help Scott because, put simply, he's the best attorney in Hatchetfield. And my nephew deserves the best. I've come along to make sure that's what Scott gets."

Gary seemed flustered for a moment, hardly the cool and collected shark of a lawyer Robbie and Henry had anticipated; that hardly seemed comforting, given that Linda appeared to be a far more dangerous species.

Henry took a breath, drumming his fingers against the table. He didn't look at Scott - he barely even looked at Gary, preferring instead to keep his eyes downcast and his voice low. "S-so... How can we help you?"

"As you know, my client, Mr Thomas, had his status as a student at Hatchetfield University revoked. We believe that the circumstances around this expulsion were unfounded and discriminatory."

Robbie winced. She hadn't spoken yet; she struggled to find her voice when in groups of unfamiliar people, but he made her blood boil like no one else. "Scott, do you honestly think that-"

"Mr Thomas." Linda squawked so sharply that it startled Robbie, who whipped round to catch the older woman's steely eye. "You ought to call him Mr Thomas. I think we should remain formal, don't you? You really don't want to make a bad impression on us."