She stared at her favorite green tea chai latte set beside her and frowned.

"Hey, I didn't order this," She called to the waiter walking away.          

"True, but I did," The chilling, familiar voice sent shivers down her spine as he sat down in front of her, "Hello again."

His raven hair looked freshly cut. The suit he was wearing was crisp and clean, other than the small stain on the sleeve, possibly coffee. He stared at her politely, as if to allow her to take her time, have a look around. She scanned the cafe. Three people were steadily staring at her. There were defiantly more, and at least two by the exit.

She looked at the green tea and ran her finger around the rim of the saucer. She would not be able to leave without causing a commotion. She looked at the man sitting across from her. His deceitfully kind brown eyes stared back. He reached out his hand. She leaned back.

  "Relax Michi, I was reaching for the tea." He said as he pulled the cup closer to him. "I ordered it after all." He smirked as he took a sip. He put the cup down, frustrated with the lack of response.

He started to tap his finger. Michi stared at him while listening to the taps. T-A-L-K  T-O  M-E     B-O-R-E-D. He tapped. Michi rolled her eyes.

"Very funny." She mused. He leaned back with his hand on his heart in mock surprise.

"She speaks! I do not believe it." Michi glared at him, judging if his level of immaturity was worth whatever he had to say. "Fine." He spat, realizing that his humor was not going to work with her.

He pulled a file out of his briefcase as tossed it on the table. Michi glanced carelessly, even though she was dying to see what it read.  

"Well," She said, pretending to be unsatisfied.

"It's the file, I stole it from a fellow worker. He was having quite the day and didn't even notice when I took it." He rambled. Michi lifted the file to test its weight.

"Light, remarkably light for a case of this importance." She said, looking at the man for acknowledgment. He nodded as he stirred the green tea.

"Yes, they thought that the file was closed, but I had some doubts." He said. Michi opened the file. Inside was a few pictures of a crime scene, a written description, and a newspaper clipping. Inked on the side of the file was a name, Gabriel Snow.

Below that name was a stapled piece of paper that just said: "Man found dead". Michi looked under the paper. Beanth there was smudged white out over the name Atticus Haven.

Michi looked at the paper clipping. It depicted the arrest of some girl, who the didn't name, for his murder. She looked through the other papers for a name, but there was none. She put down the file.

"What was her name." She asked. The man put down his drink and whipped his mouth with a napkin.

"Who's name." He asked. Michi tossed him the file.

"The girl. The one that they arrested. They didn't say her name." Michi reached across the table and tapped the news clipping.

"Why?" The man asked, furrowing his brow.

"Someone deliberately cut her name out of the paper," Michi challenged, maintaining eye contact with the man. There was silence. Michi noticed one of the designated watchmen moving closer.

"Who is it?" Michi questioned. The man looked up from the cup her has distracted himself with.

"I -Its's a long story that is not for now." He whispered harshly, looking up at her.

"What is her name," Michi growled leaning forward. The man glared at her. It was an inside standoff.

The man lightly hit his hand on the table and sat back, seeing that Michi was unmovable. Michi smiled smugly. The watchmen moved closer. The man looked away and drummed his fingers on the table.

"The name?" Michi demanded, not noticing the woman dressed as a waiter standing behind her.

"Cassiopeia Haven." He gritted. Michi held back a smile, replacing it with a scowl.

"Is that why your name was hidden in the file?" She stated, getting rather loud.

"Be quiet," Atticus commanded. He furiously tapped on the table, but Michi was too distracted with her breakthrough.

"It is. You gave me this case because she was arrested and you don't think it's her. "

"Michi," Atticus warned, even risking to glace up at the woman. He tapped the table. Michi eyes lit up.

"Because you love her." She shouted.

"No, Michi," He pleaded. Michi looked at his hand. P-E-R-S-O-N     B-E-H-I-N-D.  Michi looked up with a frightening look of realization. The woman behind her calmly adjusted the cups on the tray.

Michi tapped the table. W-I-T-H     Y-O-U. Atticus shook his head. Atticus shrugged his shoulders.

"No, we are siblings." He continued to play with the empty cup. The situation they were in was causing Atticus to need to open up, to keep the situation calm. Michi smiled at the realization.

"So you ran the investigation, found that your sister killed," Atticus shot a glare at her, "Is accused of killing," Michi corrected. Atticus went back to his cup, "Gabriel, you can't prove her innocence, but you think I can." Atticus nodded.

Michi scoffed. "The great Atticus, known y some as the definition of intelligence, has come to an unknown, insignificant genius for help?" She questioned as she shook her head in disbelief. Someone had taken Atticus's empty cup and replaced it with two glasses of water.

Michi pulled one to her and took a slow sip. Atticus stared apprehensively. She slowly placed the glass down.

"I'll take it." She smiled. Atticus's expression didn't change. She grabbed the file and walked out the door. She paused in the doorframe to look in the file. Inside was a hastily written note that said, "I didn't order those." Michi turned to Atticus, who could only watch as his last chance of freeing his sister fell to the floor in a dead heap.

A woman screamed. Commotion arose. People swarmed Michi's body. Someone tried to call an ambulance, but their phone sparked and was tossed to the floor. Just as someone tried to carry her a gunshot sounded a few stores away. Everyone scattered. Michi landed on the floor in a jumble of limbs. Before long, the only people left in the cafe were Atticus and Michi.

He kicked her body. Her eyes flickered responsively. They drifted up to him. He crouched and pulled the file from under her body.

"Sorry Michi, but you asked too many questions." He shook his head.

"I'll be just like Gabriel Snow. They'll lock you up like your sister." Michi gasped. She violently shook.

"No Michi, you said it yourself, you're just an unknown, insignificant genius." He brushed a strand of her black hair out of her face as a single tear ran down her face.

Atticus walked off from the cafe with the file in his briefcase, and not a shred of guilt on his mind.