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The news from Jeryn isn't likely what Danny Rand would like to hear. Because of a conflict of interest, he has had to recuse himself from the case. He also serves the Rockefeller family. The three top lawyers with excellent resumes are all on cases at the moment. The fourth: a young, open lawyer, with an undefeated record. Jeryn recommends going with Matt Murdock because he's heard good things.
The night is long and cold. Uncomfortable. The good news is that Danny looks good in orange. The better news is that the guard has led her to a conference room to meet with her lawyer, who will be arriving shortly.
The guard unhooks the cuffs. She may notice that a lot of law enforcement seem to be getting off on the idea that justice is finally coming to Danielle Rand. What goes around comes around, they seem to think. So while not all prisoners are cuffed when they are transported to the conference room, Danny Rand is of course.
The thing about Danny Rand is, she's been through worse. Actually, she's been through all of this (specifically) before, but this really doesn't measure up to watching her father fall to his death, or her mother being eaten by wolves, or the various trials she was put through in K'un Lun, a strange foreigner, before she earned the right to risk her life to become the Iron Fist. Danny Rand doesn't deal with adversity through complaining.
Danny Rand deals with adversity by staring it in the face and being - more or less - an ass to it.
"Buddy, if you want to play with cuffs, there are places you can go for that, you know," she smirks at the guard when he takes them off, a bit of an edge to her smile. She doesn't rub at her wrists, either. As a matter of fact, the real rub of it all is that somehow, even if they manage to get a little rough with her, she seems to be just fine by morning.
She settles smoothly into the chair at the table, taking a look around. Sure, she could break out of this place. But then she'd have to stay out. So time to meet the new kid.
"There sure are," the guard says. "And as soon as you meet Big Roxie, you'll find that this is one of those places." He leaves just as the lawyer arrives. Despite needing a bit of a shave, he's dressed well enough. His hair is neatly parted and his charcoal jacket is finely pressed. A white undershirt with a black tie. Those are the normal things. The odd things are the red glasses he wears and the cane he brings into the room with him. Clearly he is blind.
"Miss Rand," he begins. "My name is Matt Murdock. I was contacted by your normal lawyer to represent you in this matter, if that is your wish. How are you being treated?"
"Honestly, Mr. Murdock, I'd prefer if Jeryn were here," Danny says honestly, keeping her hands clasped on top of the table. Her heartbeat is regular - and slow, for that matter. Definitely not the heartbeat of a scared socialite who didn't expect to spend the night in jail. "But. Despite what some people might think," she raises her voice toward the door, "I get that the law's the law and it applies to everyone."
She settles back a bit in her seat, looking back to the lawyer. "They're treating me like they think they've got a clue. Which they don't. Because I didn't kill him. But I can take care of myself. Short of anything that's going to give me some sort of mistrial so I can move on with my life, I'm not complaining."
Matt goes quiet as she speaks, looking deep in thought, almost trancelike. In reality he is listening to her heart. Once she declares that she is innocent, he believes her immediately. "I understand, Miss Rand. I assure you that myself and my associate will be devoting the entirety of our time to your case and seeing to it that you get out of here as quickly as possible. May I sit?"
"Go for it," Danny gestures toward the chair as if he's going to see it. She does pause for a moment, as if to stand and help, but thinks better of making any moves toward the lawyer. Knowing the way these cops are watching her, they'll claim she tried to attack him. "Honestly? I'm not that worried about getting out of here in a rush. As long as they set bail, I can make it. And if they don't, I can take care of myself. The problem is that I've got a project going on. The community center. That can't stall out, Mr. Murdock. There are too many people who need it."
Matt takes a seat and slides in underneath the table. He listens to her thoughtfully and nods. "Given that this was the second time you have been accused, I am concerned that the judge may not want to issue bail. He will be primarily concerned with whether or not you pose a flight risk and the severity of the crime. I would like you to consider offering to voluntarily give up your passport. Can you give me information about the first time you were accused of murder? The records seem rather sparse and I would like to hear it from your perspective."
"Mr. Murdock, I have exactly no family," Danny points out, dry. "My parents have been dead since I was nine. Flight risk is low." She leans back in her chair, slouching there as she considers him for a long moment at the question. "I'm not interested in going on trial for Harold Meachum's death again," she finally says. "That was already decided. And they had a hell of a better case for that than they do for this. The story's the same as it's always been. I got back to New York, and yes, I went looking for him. When I found him, though…"
She trails off, looking away as she lets out a deep breath. "Harold Meachum was a sad, old, very sick man. He wasn't worth hating. At least not for me. He must've been for someone, because a damned ninja dropped in the window and killed him right there."
"I have a feeling the judge may disagree. You are wealthy and could easily travel to a nation where the United States does not have extradition agreements," Matt says. "Regardless, it's the judges decision, not ours. I just want to be prepared." As she discusses the topic of Meachum he nods a few times. "How was your lawyer able to show that you didn't commit the crime?"
Danny laughs low, scrubbing a hand over her face. "Well, I found the ninja and brought him in. Sort of helped back up the whole story, so. After that, they sort of had to admit I wasn't the one who did it."
Matt raises his eyebrows, not realizing how easy that must have been, then. "Whatever happened to him? The ninja, I mean?"
"Died mysteriously in prison, like ninjas tend to do." Danny wrinkles her nose at that. It's an old grudge, the fact that she found him only for him to serve no justice. Only to leave everything still in doubt. Also, damned ninjas. "I never found out if they were really after Harold, or if the goal was just to make my life difficult. Either way, they succeeded."
"I see," Matt says with a frown. "With the arraignment scheduled for this afternoon, I will finish our preparations in plenty of time. Before I go, I wanted to ask you two questions. First, do you have any idea why a gun matching the caliber of that which killed your date might end up in your apartment?"
"None." Danny reaches up to push her hands through her hair, shaking her head. "I don't use guns." Guns, she says. As if they're a particular class of something, rather than that she just doesn't have a gun. "And frankly, I upped security at the apartment a few months ago, so no one should have been able to get in to plant it there, which almost bothers me more."
"As we get closer to trial, I hope that we can unravel that part of it, but all in good time," Matt says with a nod to her. He sounds confident, but that particular part is the worry for him too. The elephant in the room. He knows she did not commit this murder, but explaining away a gun found in her apartment with all of the security is going to be rather difficult. "Is there anything else I can do for you before arraignment?"
"Let Jeryn know that if the board so much as stalls one red cent on the community center because of this, I will drop a body," Danny grumbles, forcing herself to straighten up in her chair. "Tell him to manage the press, too. He might not be allowed to be my legal representation in this case, but he knows what he needs to know to handle everything else. And…" She pauses, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Mr. Murdock. For not acting like I'm crazy, or lying. I'm neither."
"I didn't believe you murdered Mr. Meachum when I read about the case in the press. And I believe you now. I think it is far more likely that someone is trying to ruin your life. And we're going to prevent that from happening. If you need anything, I have left my phone number." He nods to her. "I will pass on your message about the community center." He pauses, "Can I ask where you're putting it?" Then Matt stands as she answers.
"Hell's Kitchen," Danny answers, glancing toward the door as she waits for the guard. "Where it's needed. All sorts of plans for after school programs, gym, playground. I even had some interest in setting up a clinic there, though I'm not sure if we'll be able to keep it staffed every day of the week. Job skills training, job search help. We're going to make a difference."
Matt stops as he approaches her to shake her hand. "Thank you. For that, I mean. For putting it in Hell's Kitchen." He gives her a faint smile and then begins to undo his cane before offering to shake his hand, "We'll see you this afternoon."