Madzia Helminski had been in Detroit for a total of 5 months and 4 days. Her employment with Santoru Gojo and the Void had begun only two weeks after her arrival in the U.S. In that time, she'd worked harder than she had in her entire 24 years on earth. Interestingly, her actual job was the easiest thing she did on a daily basis. It was what she did in the meantime that kept her the busiest. When she'd arrived, her English had been broken and heavily accented by her Polish upbringing. She'd been taking private lessons in English, and now spoke more clearly and with better diction than most of the natural Americans around her. Her wardrobe had improved well beyond the shoes that Mr. Gojo had gotten for her the day they met; though she still wore them often and quite proudly. All in all, Madzia felt much more confident in herself and in her surroundings. America had become her home, and she was finding her own way through the big, bright, American dream. 

Everything wasn't so bright in all aspects, though. Shadows of her past still haunted her at night, and Madzia knew that if she didn't handle them, things could get much worse. With her newly re-invented self, however, she finally felt the time was right to start making the necessary arrangements to assure her future in a safer way. Madzia was determined to do everything she could for her own security before involving Mr. Gojo. It was her job to clean up his house, not his to clean up hers. 

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Madzia appeared at the office of Michael Haller- a well known attorney and friend to Mr. Gojo. She'd known his name from being around the house, and had seen him briefly a few times when he visited. She hadn't made an appointment, but that was by design. She wanted to speak with him before he had a chance to speak with Mr. Gojo. With an ivory colored briefcase in her hand, she pushed through the door and approached the reception desk. She was dressed in a simple, blue sheath dress that stopped just below the knee, with a white sweater draped over her shoulders and held with a silver sweater pin. She wore white gloves and a blue hat that matched the dress.

"My name is Madzia Helminski, employee of Mr. Santoru Gojo. I would like to see Mr. Haller on a matter of great importance."

She'd chosen her words carefully, neither confirming or denying that it was a personal matter, or that she was here on behalf of her employer, either. Hopefully it would work and he'd see her. There wasn't really much reason that a high-profile attorney would see a house keeper otherwise. While the receptionist got up and disappeared, Madzia stepped to one side of the desk and waited, both hands on the handle of her briefcase.

Mickey was sitting at his desk finishing up some paper work, transferral of property and deeds, a couple of cease and desist orders and the 9th divorce filing for AdmiralAckbar. He wasn't due in court today, so he only had his Henry Poole & Co Black Herringbone suit on, with a white shirt and no tie. The 11oz soft fabric had been sourced from Standeven, and its heavier weight was perfectly suited to Chicago's more inclement weather. For mid March it was still relatively cold outside, only 45 degrees outside and the forecast had said a high probability of rain. it was also a perfect excuse to open a bottle of Macallan 18-Year-Old Sherry Oak Single Malt, purely for medicinal purposes in order to keep out the chill. Spring was literally just around the corner, but looked like it would be rather late in arriving this year. As he signed his name with a flourish he heard his case manager, Lorna Taylor raise her voice a little.

"I'm sorry Miss, but Mr Haller is busy today, there is absolutely no way he can fit you in without an appointment. I could fit you in this Tuesday at say, 4pm if you would like?"

Lorna was far more than a case manager. Book keeper, gatekeeper, receptionist as well as case manager, Mickey would be truly lost without her, and its why he had paid for her and her husband, Dennis 'Cisko' Wojciechowski, who also served as Mickey's PI to move from LA to Chicago. Rising from his desk he crossed the hall to the Reception area and what served as Lorna's office. He met Lorna in the hall as she was standing in the doorway, probably not to get Mickey, but to show whomever was in the waiting room to the door. Mickey raised an eyebrow and Lorna shook her head and shrugged. Mickey decided to at least see if he knew the interloper, its not like he advertised his services anymore, tending to work almost exclusively for the Mob. He briefly wondered what His Half Brother, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch would think if he knew. Standing by the desk was a woman. A woman he half recognised, but at first couldn't place where from. As he entered the office he was hit with a name, Madzia something, he couldn't remember her surname, but knew that it was Polish, like Cisko's. Ahhh, Satoru's housekeeper, that was it. The numbers of Pollak's in the states had risen sharply following the war, particularly with the fall of Poland into the clutches of Stalin's Soviet State, but they were still small enough in number for their names to stand out. It wasn't like Satoru to use his Housekeeper for business purposes, so Mickey wondered what she wanted. He gestured subtly to Lorna that he would deal with this, and fully entered the reception area.

"Madzia, sorry I wasn't expecting you, how may I be of assistance?"

Madzia wasn't going to raise a fuss. She knew that there was a chance she'd miss him without making an appointment; and she was about to do exactly that when Mr. Hawley appeared at the door. A rush of relief washed over her, and she spoke quickly as she took a single step forward.

"Mr. Hawley, thank you. I am sorry for not making an appointment- the matter I wish to speak with you about is...quite sensitive. There are some arrangements I need to make; dealing with a will, chiefly. But it's a bit complicated."

She hesitated, suddenly wondering if this really had been the best way to handle things. Her voice was calm, but her face betrayed that with a look of concern.

"I can make an appointment if needed. I really do not want to waste your time. I just wasn't sure who I could trust otherwise."

Mickey flinched inwardly at either the mispronunciation of his name or Madzia getting it completely wrong, however on the exterior he never gave any hint of his annoyance, too many years in the courtroom had made him far to hard to read. Instead he simply smiled.

"I'm sure I can fit you in, it doesn't sound overly difficult a task. Lorna, hold my calls please." Lorna returned to her seat and simply called out, "Certainly Mr HALLER, holding your calls."

Mickey smiled, and moved towards the door. 

"If you'll follow me we'll head down to my office and see what we can do for you Madzia."

Mickey entered his office and gestured to one of the chairs before closing the door over and slipping into his own well appointed chair. Despite the large size of the former Library, the Resolute desk completely dominated the room.

"So what exactly can I do for you miss...?"

Madzia's cheeks burned as she heard the receptionist pronounce his name. Despite her studying, there were still times that her English needed correcting. She made herself a mental note and continued to follow him.

The office was impressive, clearly communicating that this was no small-time ambulance chaser. With a small, grateful nod, Madzia took the seat to which he'd gestured. After neatly tucking her skirt beneath her, she reached down into the briefcase and pulled out a well-worn envelope of papers. "Well-worn" was being generous. The envelope was battered and barely held together, and had been taped and stapled in many places. Madzia held it close to her, quite protectively, as she began to speak.

"Helminski- but please- call me Madzia if you prefer.  I am in need of several things, actually. I will do my best not to waste your time, but some of it might require explanation."

She smoothed out her skirt, more of a nervous gesture than out of necessity, then continued. 

"First, I am applying for my American citizenship. I am told it is smart to have an attorney to help me through that process. I know it can take some time, but I was hoping you might know a way to expedite it. You see...there are certain protections that American citizens have on American soil that immigrants do not...and I believe that I may need those protections at some point or another."

For a second, she glanced down at the documents.

"And I need to set up a will. I've been saving my wages from my job with Mr. Gojo, and while I am by no means wealthy, I've amassed enough that I would like to have a will set up in the case that the protections I'm trying to establish...fail. I have no children, or siblings, so I'd like the money to go to the Polish-American Civil League of Detroit."

It was the final part that was harder to explain.

"These documents belonged to my father. The contents of these documents implicate a foreign government in what must be several different war crimes. And one of them is an encrypted 'map' to where my father left my inheritance. Clearly, if this foreign government knows of the existence of either of these things, they will be looking for me. I cannot keep them with me any longer; I need somewhere safe to hide these things, and I was hoping you might have some suggestions."

Madzia looked up at Mr. Haller, holding her breath a bit.

Mickey nodded as Madzia talked and made notes on a note pad. When she finished speaking he waited for a moment, before lifting his head to face here.

"Ok, so the first one we have two options. you can apply for Naturalization the traditional way. You have a job, but no family attachments and you are not married to a US citizen, you also come from a country that is Considered a Communist state and a part of the USSR, which means INS is going to dig into every aspect of your life. Its not impossible, but it will be difficult, and it won't be quick. The alternative is that I have a 'friend' in the INS who has been known to look favourably on certain applications. Its not cheap, costing around $10,000, but it is a sure thing and usually takes no more than 3-6 weeks for him to push through."

Mickey paused and took a sip of his whiskey, before opening the cigarette box on his desk and taking out a Morley^TM. Lighting up he took a deep draw from the cigarette before continuing.

"Help yourself to a cigarette if you smoke. The will is easy, we can have that done before you leave today, its a fairly standardized form, so I can have Lorna type that out, You and I can sign it and Cisko can notarize it before you leave. There's nothing difficult in that at all. As for your final requirement, there are a couple of suggestions available. Firstly, Satoru has a really good safe at the HQ, probably as good as you'll find in any bank. Secondly, I have a similar one here that I keep peoples Title deeds, bods, Stocks and legal documents in. The final option is that you take out a safety deposit box. Brinks Security have offices both here and in Detroit and are probably as safe as anywhere short of Fort Knox. There is a monthly fee of $75, but then your documents can be left there, and can be secured by Key, and requirement of Passport ID and a password. And those are your main options. What it comes down to is your levels of trust."

Mickey took another draw of his cigarette whilst he gave Madzia a moment to think over her options.

It was quite striking how casually Mr. Haller had taken all the information she'd just divulged. Then again, she knew enough of the sort of business that he and Mr. Gojo were involved in; perhaps this wasn't the most alarming thing he'd heard before. That made Madzia relax her posture a little. She considered his suggestions for only a few moments longer before she'd made up her mind. 

"This friend of yours...do you think it's possible that double his fee could keep the agency from digging too deeply into my background? I have no criminal record, nor did my father - my concern is who might be doing the digging and who they might be selling information to. I understand that it may sound quite paranoid, but the circumstances warrant it, I assure you."

Reaching into her handbag, she took out a checkbook and a pen. 

​​​​​​"Because of your relationship with my employer, I will put my trust in your advice. Whatever he requires to be as discreet as possible with the citizenship, I will pay it."

She balanced the check book on her lap and began writing in it. 

"This should cover his fee, and your time for this consultation and the matter of the will. If anything comes up short, please bill me for the rest."

She glanced up and gave a little grin.

"I believe you know where to find me, anyway."

Madzia removed the check from the book and stood, handing it toward Mr. Haller. She looked thoughtful for a moment. 

"On a slightly more personal note - I haven't brought all this up to Mr. Gojo yet. I didn't want to bring him trouble after he's been so kind to me. I wanted to have taken every possible step to protect myself so he didn't feel he was obligated to do so. Now, I think is the time. Do you think I've done enough? Is there more I could do?"

Mickey smiled.

"Don't worry with the background checks, if we take the second option, your 10k will nullify any and all checks. It will just take the 3 to 6 weeks so that everything lines up and so that if the Department does an audit they don't flag your Naturalization as being processed too quickly. Alas with the people that you have mentioned, nothing will ever make you truly safe, short of their deaths or your apparent death. Ensuring your documents are safe is the first step. Down the line you could link the evidence potion of your documents to your will, so that in the event of your death or disappearance they are released to a suitable party. I'd suggest the NY Times or another suitable media outlet so that there is no blowback on your employer or family line. I'll get Lorna to give you my number, so if you require anything else, don't hesitate to call. Although a heads up in future would be appreciated."

Mickey smiled again and stood up, gesturing towards the door.

"Now why don't we go and get that Will sorted out, and you can be on your way. Would you like me to phone a Cab for you, or have you alternative transport arranged?" 

Taking her briefcase up from the floor, Madzia nodded and stepped toward the door to his office.

"I have a car waiting, thank you. I really do appreciate you taking the time to see me. I will think about the things you suggested. I'm sure we will be in touch."

She left the check on the desk, then followed Mr. Haller to the front office.

----------------------

The ride home was pleasant, and Madzia felt a little bit of weight lifted from her shoulders; but only a little. There was still the matter of talking to Mr. Gojo, and then deciding where to stash her documents. As the car moved through the busy Detroit streets, Madzia pulled a single piece of paper from the envelope and looked over its familiar contents. She'd read the words over and over, but the cypher was far more advanced than she could probably imagine. What in the world made her father think she could even begin to work this out?  He'd never even taught her things like this. Sighing, she replaced the page and tucked everything securely back into her briefcase. The car made the right turn into the driveway of the Headquarters. Time to see the boss.