P is for Plausible Deniability
 

Chapter 1


 

The street was relatively quiet for this time of the night as Sgt. Mahoney pulled his squad car over outside Fogwell’s. He couldn’t imagine what anyone would find to steal inside the old gym, but someone had reported hearing suspicious sounds coming from inside and Mahoney had been directed to investigate.

Mahoney approached the door cautiously. He could hear what sounded like something being hit repeatedly. If the lights had been on, he would just have assumed someone was working out late. The lack of lights was probably why someone had called it in.

Pulling out his flashlight, Mahoney pointed it through the grimy glass door. He could just make out someone standing by a punching bag, hitting with well-learned precision. For a moment, the silhouette reminded him of someone. Someone he’d only seen a couple of times before in dark alleys.

Surely it couldn’t be…

No. There was no way Daredevil was calmly working out in a gym, even if it was after hours.

It could explain why the lights were out though. Should he call for backup? If it was Daredevil, he’d most likely try to run. As fast as the Devil moved, there was no way Mahoney would catch up with him if he went out the back.

The guy shifted as he worked over the bag and Mahoney relaxed as he recognized the boxer in the weak beam of the flashlight. He was glad he hadn’t call for backup. The guys would never let him live down needing help to take down a blind lawyer.

Mahoney pounded on the door. “NYPD. Open up.”

Murdock grabbed a towel and wiped his face as he walked towards the door. “Is there a problem, Officer?” he asked after unlocking and opening the door.

“Murdock,” Mahoney said in way of greeting as he glanced around. Not that he could see much in the dark room “Guess that explains the lack of lights.”

“Sgt. Mahoney,” Murdock said with a nod of greeting. A slight smirk played at his lips. “Just doing my part to stay green.”

“Didn’t know you boxed,” Mahoney said. He was actually rather impressed. For a blind man, Murdock looked like he knew his way around a punching bag. But then, his dad had been a boxer. In fact, Mahoney was fairly sure that this was where Battlin’ Jack had trained.

Murdock shrugged, the smirk becoming more pronounced. “Just work out when time permits. The owner’s good enough to let me come in after hours.” He cocked his head to one side. “Is there a problem?” he asked again.

“Just a passerby afraid some poor sap was getting the crap beat out of him in the supposedly closed gym,” Mahoney said. He located the light switch beside the door and flipped it on. Murdock backed up a few steps as Mahoney stepped through the doorway.

“Guess I could turn the lights on, but then someone else might want in,” Murdock said as he walked over to his gear and felt around until he found his water bottle. “Seems to make others uncomfortable to have a blind guy in the gym.”

Once his eyes adjusted to the light, Mahoney noticed Murdock had a split lip and a slight abrasion on one cheek. “You get that lip hitting the bag?” he asked.

Murdock patted the bag with his wrapped hand. “My opponent got a couple of good licks in, but I vanquished him in the end,” Murdock replied.

“Maybe you should try wearing some headgear. Can’t imagine clients want their lawyer looking like he just walked out of a bar fight.”

Murdock did grin at that. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Uh-huh,” Mahoney grunted in response. He doubted Murdock would listen to him any more than Murdock’s partner, Foggy, did. He completed his survey of the room, not that he’d expected to find anything once he’d realized what was going on. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

“Sorry to have caused a problem, Sergeant,” Murdock said as he followed Mahoney back to the door.

“Lot less paperwork when it’s nothing,” Mahoney replied. He stepped back outside and then turned for moment. “Don’t forget to keep your hands up. You don’t want that bag getting any more lucky hits.”

Murdock half-grinned again. “Good advice. See you around, Sergeant.”

Mahoney gave a short wave as he walked away and then realized that Murdock wouldn’t have seen it. “Remind that partner of yours that I don’t need him enabling my mom’s bad habits,” he said in parting. He heard a slight chuckled from behind him before the door closed. When he got back to his car and turned, the lights were off and the slight thump-thump from inside the gym could be heard once again.

The things you learned about people on this job.

Amazing.

 

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