Mahoney huffed a short breath when he noticed who was walking through the precinct's front desk. Not that he really disliked Foggy. They were more like – what did his niece call it? – frenemies. He enjoyed getting the better of his childhood rival and, really, Foggy wasn't that bad for a defense attorney. At least he generally kept his practice to those who actually needed to be defended. Mahoney could respect that.
Murdock, on the other hand, was still pretty much an unknown. A competent lawyer from what Mahoney had heard - and hell against a punching bag - but Mahoney had little interaction with him outside of the job.
"Something I can do for you, gentlemen?" Mahoney asked as the duo reached the front desk. Murdock released his hold on Foggy's arm and gripped his white cane with both hands when they stopped. Mahoney had a brief image of Foggy as a seeing eye dog and had to suppress a childish grin.
"We are representing Antione Ferguson, who is currently in one of your holding cells," Foggy answered with a friendly smile. "We'd like to talk to him, if it's not too much trouble."
Probably even if it was too much trouble, but Foggy was normally affable even when he didn't need to be. On the other hand, word around the precinct was that Murdock had little tolerance for people who failed to meet his attorney-given rights. He suspected that rumor had started with Detective Blake though who hadn't been the most agreeable person himself. Mahoney, however, hadn't seen any evidence of Murdock's impatience and would withhold judgement until he had.
"I'll have him brought up," Mahoney replied. He turned to one of the rookies that was riding the desk due to an injury and sent him after the attorneys' client.
"By the way, I have something for Bess at the office if you want to come by and pick it up," Foggy said. "Matt wouldn't let me bring it with me."
"I pointed out that people might start talking if he kept bringing you packages, even if they were for your mother," Murdock said softly.
"Appreciate that," Mahoney said dryly. "It's bad enough that vigilantes are sending criminals to me directly. Last thing I need is for anyone to start thinking I actually get along with defense attorneys."
"Daredevil is sending you criminals?" Foggy asked, sounding startled. He glanced at Murdock who, of course, didn't notice. "How does that work? Does he gift wrap them too? Maybe a big bow?"
Mahoney snorted. "You remember Detective Hoffman? Told him to turn himself in… to me, by name. Like I'm the only honest cop in the precinct."
"That may have been our fault," Murdock replied. "When we were working with Ben Urich, Foggy may have mentioned that we knew at least one cop we could trust. Ben admitted that he'd talked to Daredevil a few times. That may be how he got your name."
"Thanks for that," Mahoney replied again, though he was actually pleased that Foggy hadn't doubted him, even when they'd suspected that half the precinct was in Fisk's pocket. Not that he was going to admit that to Foggy. "Hoffman was just the beginning. I now have three muggers, five purse snatchers and a couple of robbers to my arrest record, all thanks to that idiot with the horns."
"I know, they're ridiculous, aren't they?" Foggy exclaimed with another sidelong look at Murdock. "I mean, it was bad enough when they just called him 'The Devil'. He had to go and bring the image to life. Way overboard, in my opinion."
"Yeah, because the horns are what the cops are really worried about," Mahoney replied sarcastically. From Foggy's sidelong looks at his partner, Mahoney suspected that there was some difference of opinion between the partners about Hell's Kitchen's resident, illegal crime-fighter, but Murdock chose to keep quiet on the subject.
When Mahoney glanced Murdock's way, Murdock was rubbing his nose just underneath his glasses. He could just see the edges of what looked like a black eye before the glasses dropped back in place.
"That's some shiner, Murdock. You let your guard down again?" Mahoney asked. "You know, your opponent isn't going to show any mercy. You've got to keep your hands up."
"What? What opponent?" Mahoney was fairly sure that Foggy actually squeaked in surprise. Maybe Murdock hadn't mention his nocturnal boxing practice. "There's no opponent, is there, Matt?"
"He means my boxing practice at Fogwell's," Matt replied calmly. He explained about the call that Mahoney had investigated. "It's nothing, Sergeant. Just an accident."
"Yeah, accident," Foggy echoed and then added, "Nearly ran over by one of those bicycle messengers, wasn't that it? Knocked you into a… a light pole, right?"
Murdock hummed what Mahoney took as affirmation, but he knew that Foggy was lying. He had no idea why Foggy would bother though. It was just a black eye. Not like neither of them had gotten one before.
"Those guys ride like they're on crack," Mahoney said. "You wouldn't believe how many complaints we get about them every week."
Foggy relaxed a bit when it looked like Mahoney had bought his lie.
"Like I said, it was just a freak accident. I doubt they meant to knock anyone over," Murdock said.
"Hey, Sergeant, Ferguson is in room 3," the rookie that Mahoney had sent on the attorney's errand called out.
"Guess that's us," Foggy said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them as if in anticipation. To Mahoney, it looked like he was overly relieved that the conversation was cut short.
Murdock inclined his head in Mahoney's direction. "Thanks for the assistance, Sergeant."
"Yeah, thanks," Foggy added. He hustled his partner in the direction of the interrogation room without waiting for a response.
Foggy was definitely hiding something. Something that Mahoney was growing more curious about the further away the partners walked. It might not be a bad idea to keep an idea on those two. Something wasn't right in the state of Denmark, or in this case, in the world of 'Nelson and Murdock'.