bakerstreet | ( picture prompt meme )

( there's a great deal less formality, to run an law office of one. Karen is no longer at the front to greet any walk-ins. there's an aching absence in the office across from his, only an empty desk left behind from where his partner used to sit. even the life buzzing in the lobby is gone — the clients always had a kind word for him, but it was Foggy they'd come for and Foggy they'd trusted. Foggy who had been there, when they needed, when they needed someone to rely on. Matt's track record for being there was about as bleak as his vision, and while he understands that he has yet to make any attempt to change it.

as the only member of Nelson and Murdock still remaining, it's up to Matt to head toward the door to see if it was actually someone he would choose to help. for someone with no clients, you'd think he'd be less picky about the requisite of innocence, but that seems to be a sticking point for him still. he ignores the walking stick propped up by his desk to head that way, idly reaching for the door he knows will be there as he heads to the quiet lobby.

he can't see the woman standing there, not technically. he can taste the strength of her perfume in the air, though, and despite how much he lacks he can fill in some blanks. the smell of alcohol, the nervous and quiet clench of her fingers. what he can't see is the dramatic hat she happens to be wearing, the swath of black like she's just come from a wake. he tilts his head, idly fixing his tie before he tucks hands in his pockets. )

If you're looking for the dental hygienist, she's just down the hall. ( the last couple walk-ins had been headed that way. unsurprisingly, considering nobody much seemed to go to the basically defunct law office. )

[ she is dressed quite dramatically, but it suits her well. sometimes you have to fully lean into who you are, and much like her hat she's always been a little intense. despite her looks, she didn't come from a funeral, she came from court. Cashmere's here on the behalf of her brother, to get a better attorney than he already has. if she can't get Matt to sign onto this case, she'll have to face the very real possibility of losing Gloss forever.

she turns to glance down the hall and then back to him. dental hygienist? ]

What if I'm looking for a lawyer? [ her voice is light, teasing. she's in the right place, even if he's oddly puzzled by the idea of having a client show up to his office. ] Can you help with that? Because my insurance only covers two dental cleanings a year and I've already used both of them.

( there's no stammer to her heartbeat when she requests his counsel, nor even to the idea she's had both her cleanings for the year. he's used to dishonesty, casual and unexpected, for no reason at all. the bizarrely upfront confession is ... hopeful. he's taken clients on that lied to him before, of course, but the idea of someone that will be honest is appealing.

he inclines his head, looking at a point just past her, putting together puzzle pieces that she's not aware of in his head. the hint of perfume, the sweat of her palms — nervous, but that's pretty expected if you need a lawyer — the teasing tone, despite all of it. she's a good actress, able to disguise what she's feeling and her nerves. interesting. )

Matt Murdock. ( he offers, a few seconds late, but the oddness of the delivery is a bit expected with a man that isn't capable of seeing social cues. he steps forward with a hand extended. ) The one on the door, or so they tell me. I hope I can help with that, Ms... ( he trails off, eyebrows lifting over the red of his glasses as he waits for a name. )

[ Cashmere doesn't see a lot of point in lying. honesty is a double-edged sword and her bluntness isn't always appreciated. it helps her now, even if she's unaware of that significance to Matt. she searches his face, trying to read what his impression is of her.

out of habit she tries to meet his gaze, but he's looking elsewhere. it occurs belatedly to her that he's blind - she'd been told that before but still wasn't really expecting it. Cashmere takes his hand when he offers it, shaking his hand firmly. ] Ritchson. But you can call me Cashmere. Cash. Do you have time to talk? It's about my brother.

[ she wonders if he tracks these things - the people who get arrested, the cases that go to court. if so, he'll recognize the name. Gloss is currently being held on an extraordinary amount of bail, accused of murder in the first degree. she know she's innocent, but she doesn't know how to prove it. that's where he comes in. ]

( it's the luxury of those with sight not to see what they don't expect. he's not lost to the irony of that. Cashmere wouldn't be the first to not realize he's blind, at least in the first few seconds. without his cane, he could just be a rather eclectic light-sensitive stranger. it's only time that settles in the rest, and Matt has never been above milking the idea of what he wasn't.

keeping up on current events is admittedly more difficult when you have to translate them to braille or let a toneless computerized voice read them to you. still, when he's so protective of New York, and especially Hell's Kitchen, Matt does make a point of keeping himself abreast of things. especially crime related stories, and most especially, ones that might need legal counseling.

he hasn't invited himself to this one, though, because there doesn't seem to be a lot of doubt in the man's guilt. Matt's brow furrows, though a tough case isn't really going to make or break things. it's always a bit more complicated than that. ) Of course. Generally it's important to meet a client face to face, but perhaps you could give me the details and I can arrange a meeting. ( he releases her hand, shifting his hand just barely along her arm to land at her elbow, directing with his other hand toward his office. ) Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? ( it's getting late, probably later than he should be in his office, but as long as she doesn't comment? neither will he. ) It's old coffee, I'll warn you, but old coffee managed to get me through law school.

He'd be here if he could. Then again, if he could be here, maybe we wouldn't need to talk to you. [ but... here she is. ] But I'll make sure you meet him soon.

I'll take coffee. Thanks. [ it is getting a little late in the day for that, but she never had much of a chance of sleeping well, anyway. as she moves towards his office, she notes that there's no one else around. aren't lawyers supposed to have paralegals or assistants or something? maybe he doesn't but doesn't force them to work the odd hours he does. ]

I brought a lot of paperwork and I'm not sure where we start on these things. I don't usually hire lawyers. [ she cracks a smile, her tone light again. it's followed by a sigh. keeping her spirits up (for who, exactly?) is getting exhausting. ] I can send you digital copies? [ she isn't sure how to make this easiest for him. ]

You can tell him I'm looking forward to it, though I can't complain about the liaison. ( before he can take the case, he'll have to speak to her brother. the problem about hearing a lie is that Cashmere will need to know she's telling one to show any of the signs. if she truly believes her brother is innocent, it won't give him any pause; it's Gloss he'll have to meet with to actually know for sure.

and despite the lack of paralegals, or a partner, or something, Matt Murdock still has a tendency of only representing clients that turn out to be innocent. you'd think he'd be a little less particular.

he returns with her coffee, carefully landing a hand on her shoulder with his empty hand before he finds the desk and sets it down. ) Digital works. I have a transcriber. ( though, if he's honest, ) That can wait. Let's start simple, tell me everything you know and we'll go from there. Here, there's... ah, there it is. ( the seat is a little out of place, but he manages to sidle it up to the desk and waits for her to sit down before he circles to his own chair. )

[ she sits and sighs again. everything she knows? where to start? ]

He's not perfect. No one is. And he's made a few mistakes. I know that. But he's not guilty of this. [ that is... not helpful but she's trying to sort her thoughts. give her a moment. ] We've lived in the same neighborhood all our lives. Our neighbors, the Golds, never had any children and in their old age they've need some help around the house, which Gloss did. A few months ago he went over in the morning to mow the lawn and no one answered the door. So he tried calling. No answer. He was worried that something had happened so he forced his way in and found them both dead in the kitchen. He called 911 and when the police showed up, they took him in as a suspect.

He doesn't have much of an alibi. He was home with me and I fell asleep early.

( he' heard about the case, in bits and pieces. hard not to, when it was so high-profile, and so sensationalized. everyone had a theory on why Gloss had suddenly snapped and murdered his elderly neighbors in cold blood; there was nobody really pushing the angle of his innocence. Cashmere is the first dissenter he's heard, and the city has already garnered quite an opinion, despite the fact most of them had no relation to the case whatsoever.

Matt frowns, sorting through the details she had, though they truly weren't much. )

Is there anybody that could have wanted to hurt the Golds? Or Gloss himself? ( it would take quite a vendetta to kill two unrelated people, admittedly,
yet there had to be a reason two people were dead. )

[ her brow furrows in thought, and she shakes her head hesitantly. ]I don't know. Gloss mentioned they had some nephews and nieces who lived far away but I've never seen them visit.

And Gloss has people who don't like him. [ she laughs a little. ] I mean other than everyone in the city who watches late night news. Commit murder to frame him is a little more than thinking he's an ass.

Gloss thinks it was a random. Maybe a burglary gone wrong. The police didn't find any evidence of that, just plenty of evidence that Gloss had spent time in the house.

( Gloss has people who don't like him. Matt offers a half smile. it was nigh impossible to live a life without a few hateful stragglers. especially not someone like Gloss. Cashmere was right and he had heard of their story. they were common names around the city even before the murder conviction, and that had only sensationalized the case further.

which meant it could likely provide much needed exposure if he took the case. Matt really couldn't afford to be picky, Foggy had always been quick to remind him of that, yet even as an army of one running an empty office, he still managed to find reasons not to represent parties he knew to be guilty. )

Hard to say. I'll need to look into the case file to know more, and I won't have access to that unless until I've been declared your brother's legal counsel. ( which offered a good segue to a point he was bound to make sooner or later. ) I'll need to talk to him if he wants my firm to represent him. Personally.

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