Chapter 199: The Blind Lawyer
"Karen, do you really think that intern lawyer he mentioned is reliable? Maybe we should find someone else," Fiona asked Karen, sharing the concerns she and Lip had discussed the night before.
"You're thinking about hiring one of those lawyers from the internet?" Karen looked shocked. "Do you have any idea what kind of lawyers those are? Most of them barely get any cases — they're bottom-tier attorneys."
"Even if this one is just an intern, they're still on a completely different level than the so-called 'licensed' lawyers you'd find online."
"Look up Hogarth Law Firm — it's one of the most prestigious firms in the country. They handle legal affairs for billion-dollar corporations."
"A firm like that is extremely competitive. Lawyers fight tooth and nail to get in, and even interns there are top of their class — graduates from elite universities. They're not remotely comparable to random freelancers on the web."
"Seriously, tell those small-time lawyers to try and land an internship at Hogarth — they'd beg for the chance, even if they had to pay for it," Karen added with some exasperation.
Karen was genuinely trying to help, but Fiona and Lip didn't seem to grasp just how valuable this favor really was.
It was like handing someone a bar of gold, only for them to say they'd rather have brass. There's no comparison.
Truthfully, if it weren't for her respect for Frank Sr., Karen wouldn't be involved at all.
"And this intern came recommended by one of the firm's top lawyers," she emphasized. "Even if he's still in training, with my connection, he's not going to slack off. Don't worry about his competence."
"We don't really know much about this stuff... Alright, let's give it a try," Fiona replied hesitantly. "But when will the lawyer contact us?"
Ring ring. Fiona had barely finished her sentence when her phone started ringing. It was an unfamiliar number.
"Hello? Is this Ms. Fiona Gallagher? I'm a lawyer from Hogarth Law Firm," a voice said from the other end. Speak of the devil.
Fiona spoke with the lawyer briefly and scheduled a meeting that afternoon at a local restaurant.
As before, Fiona and Lip went to meet him alone. Karen didn't come — she'd already done more than enough. From this point on, it was up to them.
When they arrived at the restaurant, the lunch rush had passed, so the place was mostly empty.
It wasn't long before someone walked through the door — a young man, likely in his twenties, well-dressed in a sharp suit with sunglasses on and a cane in hand.
At first glance, he looked striking and professional. But then, they noticed the way he tapped the cane in front of him as he walked. It was a white cane.
He was blind.
Fiona and Lip, still waiting for the lawyer, didn't think much of the man at first.
"Excuse me, are you Ms. Gallagher?" the man asked as he passed their table and stopped right beside them.
"Huh? You're..." Fiona was taken aback.
"Hello, I'm Matt Murdock, an intern at Hogarth Law Firm," the blind man introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Fiona, and this is my brother, Lip." Fiona quickly stood up. She hadn't imagined that the lawyer they were meeting would be blind. They hadn't paid any attention when he came in.
Matt reached out to feel the table, groping slightly as he took a seat — a bit awkwardly, but with quiet confidence.
Fiona couldn't help but feel a little worried.
Not only was he just an intern, but he was also blind. She didn't mean to be discriminatory, but it was hard not to have doubts.
"You don't need to worry. I may be an intern, but you can trust me," Matt said, almost as if he had read her mind.
"Uh..." Fiona looked embarrassed at being so easily seen through.
"Well, here's the situation..." Fiona quickly pulled herself together. Reliable or not, they had to give it a shot. She laid everything out for Matt in detail.
"I understand," Matt said calmly after listening. "Would it be alright if I visited the children?"
Fiona was puzzled. What did seeing the kids have to do with the custody case? And besides, Matt was blind — it's not like he could actually see them.
Still, she and Lip brought him back to Sheila's house.
"Welcome, welcome!" Sheila greeted them enthusiastically and poured Matt a cup of coffee.
Fiona went upstairs to call the kids down. But when she got up there, she found Carl swinging around one of Sheila's oversized rubber toys like it was a sword. She had no idea how he even found it — Sheila had supposedly hidden all her "personal items" before the kids arrived.
"Carl! Put that down!" Fiona barked.
"Sorry about that," she said, hauling Carl downstairs and clearly embarrassed.
"You're blind? You really can't see anything?" Carl asked, clearly fascinated by Matt.
Debbie was equally curious. She sat beside Matt and waved her hand back and forth in front of his face.
"Debbie, Carl, be polite," Fiona quickly scolded them.
"It's alright. They're just kids," Matt said with a smile, gently patting Debbie on the head.
"I'd like to visit your mother, if possible," Matt said to Fiona after sitting for a bit. "If you want to win custody, everything hinges on your mother — Monica."
Fiona didn't want to see Monica again, but if Matt thought it was necessary, she agreed. Maybe he'd succeed where she couldn't.
They found Monica and her girlfriend Roberta, but barely exchanged a few words before Roberta exploded.
"Get lost! You think just because you brought some blind lawyer, we'll be scared? Liam is ours. If you've got the guts, take us to court!"
Roberta slammed the door in their faces.
"Sorry you had to go through that," Fiona said, trying to calm Matt. Every time she dealt with Monica and Roberta, it was a nightmare, and she figured Matt — being a lawyer and blind on top of that — would be rattled.
"I'm fine," Matt replied calmly. "I understand the situation now. I will help you win custody of the children."
Fiona's heart leapt with joy. If he said that with such certainty, then he must have a plan.
"What should I do next?" she asked, full of hope.