Risky Compromises (Steve)
Matt pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, feeling a headache coming on. Headaches weren't usual for the lawyer, not something that he incurred any more than anyone else might. But the call that had come in to the office pertaining to a certain incarcerated male was enough to spawn the beginnings of a whopper of a migraine. This was the last thing, for the last person on Earth, that Matt wanted to deal with at present. He had not signed up for all of the baggage when he agreed to assist Effie Nashton with her marital problems.
Effie was one thing, an easy enough ordeal fixed with a quick process. Edward was more complex and he was still trying to work through all of the details. When the call had come from The City Jail, Matt had managed to stifle a series of irritates groans as he discussed representation with the Officer. Edward had named him as the appropriate outlet of legal representation, and while Matt wanted to refuse....well, he really couldn't. Ethically, Matt avoided cases like these. He did not want to represent an obvious criminal against the justice system, but he knew that nobody else would take the case if he didn't. Matt was not going to push this case off on Laurel, either.
It was better that he handle it, clear it up and be rid of it as soon as possible.
So after a dreaded trip to the Jail to get the full story from the battered man he was supposed to offer legal counsel to, Matt found the idea of a late lunch to be welcome. And necessary. There was so much to go over, and from what his client had described, Matt knew Eddie had deserved every beating he had taken. Honestly, Matt would have been honored to shake the hand of he man responsible for beating up his client. The idea actually made him smile a little in amusement because Matt would have done the same thing to Eddie had the oppertunity presented itself in the same way. But he hadn't been out sweeping the streets looking for trouble, either, and he felt a little bad about it.
Rose would understand a nocturnal check of the surrounding area, right? He hoped so. If anything like what happened to Ariel even came in a breath near Rose, Matt would be doing more than putting a man in jail. He hoped it never had to go there.
He pushed open the door to the Deli next door, and the chime of the bell greeted him warmly. His briefcase was clasped in one hand, white-knuckled, anxious to get back to the office and begin sorting through everything needed to wrap this case up. The other hand was holding his baton, the end near the ground swaying back and forth as he moved. Only when Matt reached the back of the short line to the register did he stop.