Mad Love, Part Two
Part Two
As soon as Chloe emerged from the elevator the next morning, she was accosted by the same unhappy girl who had dropped off the obituaries the day before.
“Editor wants to see you,” she scowled.
“Thanks,” Chloe replied with a smile, hoping she might encourage a friendlier interaction. A grimace crossed the face of the girl, who really held too much anger for someone so young.
Chloe quickly walked to her desk, shaking off the awkwardness of the conversation, and deposited her coat and bag. She grabbed a notepad and pen, and then walked back across the sea of desks towards a big oak door in the corner with a gold placard proclaiming ‘Editor’, hanging dangerously by only one screw in its upper left corner. She knocked and opened the door slowly, poking her head into the office.
A gruff man in his early fifties peered back at her from his desk, his nameplate identifying him as Spencer Hawk. Once a star journalist, he’d made front-page headlines in the Gazette when he reported on the possible mob connection to the Wayne murders.
Hawk, who worked the crime beat in his glory days, didn’t turn a blind eye to the corruption in Gotham, and that’s probably what landed him buried in the second floor. Or, at least, that’s what Chloe had been able to glean from the Internet and the gossiping of her fellow interns.
He was the stereotypical newspaper editor, with grey hair, suspenders and a cigar burning in the ash tray on his desk. And yet, Chloe thought to herself, he was nothing like any of the editors she’d had before, having had only one competent editor out of three during her latest tenure at the Planet. What she had witnessed of the paper since told her that Tess was no better than her predecessors. Hawk’s shirt sleeves were rolled up, and the tips of his fingers were covered in ink.
“Come in, Ms. Payne,” the man beckoned as he indicated a chair opposite his desk, the corner of his mouth curving upward when he said the name. She’d insisted on a pseudonym when she agreed to Andrea’s plan, and it seemed the Angel’s rather ridiculous choice of Penelope Payne had not fooled him. Chloe sat, as he closed the folder he’d been working on and clasped his hands.
“I like you,” he said, suddenly. Shocked by the blunt declaration, Chloe didn’t reply, and so the man explained, “You finished proofing everything I sent over to you yesterday and you didn’t bug me with fifty questions about how to do it.”
“I’m glad my work was satisfactory,” Chloe said. It was nice to receive praise from an editor for once.
“I have an assignment for you. The mayor is giving a press conference at 10 am today about a special task force the new Commissioner’s assembled to combat the mob. I want you to get yourself down to city hall, get some quotes, and get me the copy by five. Now, I know it’s not the most glamorous piece, but it’s the best I can give you on the second floor.”
“Wait? You’re sure you want me to do it? After only one day?” Chloe asked. She was perplexed with the speed she had advanced at the Gazette. Hawk didn’t know she was already a seasoned reporter, and a city hall piece was a big step up for an intern. She supposed this is how Lois felt at the Planet. But, unlike Lois, who didn’t mind if she made enemies on her way to the top, Chloe’s mission relied on her existence under the radar.
“Of course I’m sure, Penelope.” Again Chloe detected the slight smile. “Half my staff is owned by somebody, be it the mob or some corrupt politician, and don’t act like you don’t know it. I need someone on this who isn’t going to slam the police for wasting their resources, and I don’t want them sugar-coating things either. Besides, Vicki told me I shouldn’t waste you on the obituaries. Now that you’ve paid your dues, I want you in the field.”
So Vicki had talked to him. This was helpful, Chloe supposed. Being out in the field gave Chloe more freedom to figure out the Batman mystery. After the conference she’d have time to visit Arkham and see what the Joker has been up to.
Hawk glanced down at his watch. “9:15 already. You better scoot.”
Chloe stood and offered her hand to the man, who took it and shook firmly. “Thanks for the opportunity, sir,” she said.
“Copy by 5,” he reminded her. “And try to make those crooks quiver in their boots, will ya.”
Chloe nodded and let herself out.
As she walked back across the floor towards her desk, Chloe noticed more than one jealous stare. As she gathered up her things from the desk, one male employee with a desk beside hers remarked, “So the old Hawk has freed you from the pit already. What’d you have to do to manage that?”
He raised his eyebrows to make it clear what he was implying, while the people around snickered. Chloe scowled and reminded herself that she couldn’t afford to make enemies while she was here. She held her tongue as she pulled on her coat, and headed for the elevator.
“He won’t help you get ahead,” the man called. His voice had lost it’s arrogant lilt. “Not in this town. There’s a reason he’s been banished down here. I’d remember that before you end up on the wrong side of the wrong people.”
Without even trying, Chloe had begun to rustle some feathers. Well, if she already had a target on her back, she might as well not pull any punches today.
* * *
The press conference was less about fighting the mob, and more about a photo opportunity for Bruce Wayne. According to the mayor, a donation from Wayne Enterprises had provided the means to assemble the task force. It seemed Wayne had found time during his whirlwind life of fancy parties and beautiful women to befriend both Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent, two victims of crime in Gotham.
After a brief introduction by the Mayor, the man stepped up to the mic.
From her place at the front of the crowd, with the other members of the press, Chloe could see he was extremely attractive. If Chloe were one to use clichés, she’d say he was the very definition of tall, dark and handsome. He seemed to know it too, as he smiled for the cameras before he began. Chloe didn’t know a lot about Bruce Wayne, only that he’d lost his parents as a child and once he’d reached adolescence, he disappeared. He was gone so long, in fact, that he’d been declared dead.
His mysterious past, however, was now often overshadowed by the playboy image he projected. Chloe knew two other billionaires who’d crafted the same image, and used it quite convincingly to mask their true selves.
“I want to thank everyone for coming, today.”
Applause rang out in the crowd, and Chloe heard more than one excited female cheer.
Bruce grinned, and continued, “We’re here to talk about a saddening and disturbing truth. Gotham is under siege. In the past year I’ve lost close friends to organized crime. People willing to stand up and fight for Gotham. They were lost because for too long the Gotham Police force has not had the resources necessary to adequately fight the corruption in this city.”
Wayne paused to allow the crowd to cheer their agreement. When he received the expected response, he flashed a fake smile for all the cameras.
Chloe rolled her eyes.
“Wayne Enterprises is prepared to equip a task force, to be assembled by Commissioner Gordon, with these resources to ensure that Gotham can again become the bright city that it once was.”
Again, he paused for applause. “Now, I would like to call on the Commissioner himself, Mr. Jim Gordon, to inform you about the objectives of the task force.”
Wayne stepped back from the mic to stand beside the mayor, and clapped as the commissioner took centre stage.
“Good morning,” the Commissioner greeted. “After the recent acts of terrorism enacted by the Joker, the mayor and I feel that a special unit is necessary to maintain the safety of Gotham City, which Mr. Wayne has generously agreed to finance. The unit will consist of experienced officers who have proved themselves to be dedicated to serving Gotham. They will be working specifically to lessen the choke hold of organized crime on the city. They will also work to bring in the vigilante known as the Batman, whose acts in the past have impeded police investigations, and serve to intensify mob violence in the city. Although thought of as a hero in the past, he showed his true colours when he murdered one of Gotham’s best, also a friend to Mr. Wayne, Harvey Dent.”
Silence had fallen over the crowd. It seemed the pain of losing their hero was still fresh.
“In closing, the Gotham Police force, as well as the Mayor and Wayne Enterprises, want the people of Gotham to be assured that your security is extremely important to us, and we will work tirelessly to protect it. Thank you.”
The crowd cheered once again, and the Commissioner stepped back from the microphone. A woman, stepped forward then and announced, “Ladies and Gentleman of the press, we thank you for coming and will now take your questions.”
Around Chloe, people vied for the chance to speak.
A woman to the right of Chloe was chosen.
“Jen Malloy, The Bugle,” she indicated. “Is there reason to believe that the Batman is connected to the string of murders that has been uncovered in the narrows? Is there any truth to the rumour that the Batman left his insignia at the scene of the crime?”
This peaked Chloe’s attention, and she waited as Gordon stepped forward to field the question.
“The recent murders are currently under investigation. As the case is still open, I cannot comment on evidence found at the crime scene at this time.”
Chloe would bet her cute new vespa that the murders in the Narrows were exactly like those in Metropolis. She was disappointed that she hadn’t heard about them sooner, but it was only her third day in Gotham. Chloe mentally added research mysterious deaths in the Narrows to her to do list.
A man was chosen next. “Hank Giles for GTV news,” he announced and then asked, “ ‘Combat the mob’ is an extremely broad statement of action. What are the specific short term goals of the task force?”
The mayor stepped forward to answer this time. “I’ve met extensively with Commissioner Gordon regarding this issue. The task force will begin by working closely with narcotics to stop the flow of drugs and other illegal goods that give organized crime its livelihood. We will concentrate on starving them out, so to speak.“
The crowd grumbled in approval. When the Mayor stepped back, Commissioner Gordon stepped back up to the mic, “With an entire task force on the job, known members of organized crime will be constantly watched, as well as known meeting locations. This was impossible before, and eventually a mistake will be made that will allow us to take action against the crime that is destroying our beautiful city.”
Polite applause, and then another reporter was called upon. Satisfied that she had all the quotes she needed, and conscious of her looming 5 o’clock deadline, Chloe decided she had better head over to Arkham now. She edged toward the periphery of the crowd. She stopped suddenly when she heard the Gazette mentioned up on stage.
Chloe looked over and saw Bruce at the microphone. “I assume the Gazette has some questions for us as well?”
Chloe groaned. Her editor would kill her if she passed up this opportunity, and unfortunately, Chloe was still a reporter at heart. She strode back toward the stage, and raised her hand. When she was close she called, “Penelope Payne, Gotham Gazette.”
Chloe didn’t have a question prepared, so she asked something that had been bugging her throughout the conference.
“If Batman is working on your side to bring down the mob, why are you using the unit to hunt him as well? The Batman has worked hard to help the people of Gotham, why does he deserve the same treatment as the mob?”
Wayne looked at her curiously from the stage. Chloe, who worked closely with other arrogant men as Watchtower, knew when she was being sized up. She pulled herself to her full height and looked him dead in the eye.
“It is the job of the police, and not vigilantes, Ms. Payne, to keep Gotham safe. It is also known that the Batman is responsible for the murder of Gotham’s previous District Attorney, as well as the millions of dollars in damage he has caused during his acts of heroism.”
The last word was said with so much disdain, the only way it would be more obvious that Bruce Wayne was not a fan of Batman was if he’d used air quotes.
“Even heroes should go to jail for murder.”
Chloe was prepared to rebut about the legitimacy of the accusation, but a keening wail was heard from the back of the crowd. Again her reporter instincts flared to life. Chloe spun around and elbowed her way through people on their cell phones to the back of the crowd. There she witnessed a young woman stagger bare-footed out onto the street. Her skirt was ripped and her shirt hung loosely down over one shoulder. The crowd began to drift back from the girl, which made it harder for Chloe to reach her. A quick glance back at the stage showed that the three men were still there, but trying to figure out what was going on.
When she finally escaped the crowd, Chloe looked at the girl’s face and gasped. It was the young girl from the office, the one with the attitude problem. Apparently, others agreed, because her cheeks bore the same slashes Chloe had seen on the Metropolis murder victims. She now had no choice but to smile grotesquely. The girl was shaking, and so Chloe reached out to support her.
Immediately upon contact, the girl collapsed into Chloe’s arms, her breathing shallow.
“Help! Somebody call an ambulance!” she called.
It took all the strength she had to gingerly lower the girl to the ground. Her face was twisted in pain. Chloe looked around to see if she would receive help, but people stayed away. She briefly made eye contact with Bruce Wayne, who had a stiff look on his face, as if he were restraining himself. She furrowed an eyebrow, but she didn’t have time to question what she’d seen.
She looked back down at the girl and prayed that someone had heeded her call. Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered to the girl that it would be alright.
As the girl’s breathing became shallower, and her eyes closed, Chloe knew she was lying.
When the ambulance arrived, the girl had already passed on, but Chloe continued to hold her. The penance she paid for being unable to save her.
The paramedics relieved Chloe and attended to the body. She was escorted to another ambulance where she was offered a seat and they checked her vitals. When they were satisfied she had not gone into shock, they left her alone.
What a lovely way to spend the morning, she thought. Once again, she was powerless to save the people around her.
Chloe clung to the blanket that had been draped around her, and let her feet dangle from the back of the ambulance. She watched the crowds of people who observed the scene. It was quite a spectacle. Gotham police cars blocked off the perimeter of the conference while the officers gathered statements from the crowd, Chloe had already given hers, and marked the crime scene.
“Are you alright, young lady?”
Chloe looked over at Commissioner Gordon.
“You mean after having someone die in my arms? I’m peachy.”
Chloe looked back over at the crowds, and felt Gordon sit down beside her on the ledge.
“Shouldn’t you be over there, organizing the troops?” Chloe remarked.
“I have an experienced group of officers on this case, Ms. Payne. We’ll catch the culprit, and they’ll be prosecuted to the full extend of the law. No vigilante justice needed.”
“Has Batman got the memo?”
Gordon laughed. “Well, if he has, he’s chosen to ignore it, unfortunately.”
“Why not let him help? If the gossip is to be believed, half your police force is bought and paid for. Justice needs some muscle on its side.”
“Batman doesn’t help, Ms. Payne. He takes over, and prefers to work alone. Not exactly conducive to team work.”
“Really? Because I heard you and he made quite the team before you were named Commissioner. Together you caught the Joker the first time,” Chloe said, thinking back on the research she’d done the night before.
“And then we let him escape. After that Batman refused to see me or to work with the police. The man kidnapped my family. Threatened to kill my son. Would have if Harvey Dent hadn’t been there to stop him. It cost him his life.”
Gordon was lying, of that Chloe was sure. The tightness around his mouth, the way he glanced at the ground as he told his story and his furrowed brow gave it away. Unfortunately, Chloe could not as easily discover what truth he was hiding.
“Bruce Wayne was right earlier. The reason we can’t allow Batman to roam free is because no one should get away with murder. It needs to be made clear that no one is above the law, even the people who uphold it.”
“Yes, but Batman had to have actually murdered somebody for that to be true,” Chloe observed.
“I was there. You can read the report.”
“Would that be the report that claims that Harvey Dent, last seen at Gotham General Hospital before it was blown up, miraculously shows up at a deserted warehouse to save your son from Batman? Not to mention a lack of plausible motive for any of Batman’s supposed actions.”
“Forgive me Ms. Payne, but I believe your time would be better spent investigating the murder of your friend, rather than lobby for Batman’s cause. I doubt he’d appreciate the help, anyway.”
With that, Gordon stood up from the ledge. He reached into his pocket and fished out a business card that he handed over to Chloe. She was amassing quite a collection.
“If you need some quotes, or information on any cases, give me a call.”
“Thanks,” she said as she accepted the card. “But trust me, you’re going to be sorry you gave me this.”
The comment was said with a smile, which Gordon returned, before walking away and once again leaving Chloe alone. She sighed, and shrugged off the blanket on her shoulders. She folded it carefully and set it down on the ledge beside her.
Chloe would have to get a move on if she was going to make Hawk’s 5 o’clock deadline. And with everything she’d witnessed today, he could expect one hell of a story.
* * *
Once her editor read the piece she submitted, he was more than happy to approve Chloe’s request for a day off. She’d claimed that she needed the day to recover emotionally, but the truth was that Chloe was hoping to gain some ground in her investigation. She’d checked out the murders that were mentioned at the press conference. Like the Metropolis murders, all the victims had a smile carved onto their faces and the bat blades, which were identified as the source of the slashes, were left at the murder scenes.
The Gotham Police believed, foolishly in Chloe’s opinion, that Batman was responsible as he was already believed a murderer. The people of Gotham suspected that the murders were mob motivated, like most of the crime in Gotham, but some believed there was no rhyme or reason to the murders. They were simply a hazard of living in the Narrows that ensured only the strong survived. Modern day natural selection.
Obviously whoever was responsible wanted to send a clear message yesterday, that no amount of fancy equipment and well trained officers would keep them from terrorizing the city.
Chloe believed that the murders were the result of the logic of a madman, which is the only reason Chloe would venture into the dilapidated wreck that the people of Gotham had the nerve to call a mental hospital.
Arkham Asylum loomed over Gotham, casting the Narrows in its shadows. Although gated off from the city, the empty storefronts and boarded up houses that surrounded the facility demonstrated that the evil housed within had managed to seep out and infect the community.
Asylums had always disturbed Chloe. After learning of her mother’s fate and the very real possibility that Chloe would one day be locked within one, she had skillfully avoided them. Well, not today. She didn’t have a choice, she needed to check in on the Joker. He was her biggest lead and Andrea was counting on her. Chloe steeled herself. She’d done worse things. She’d died for heaven’s sake. Besides, she had her tazer in her purse, and Ollie had insisted on some basic hand to hand training when she’d joined the league.
The inside of the asylum was just as revolting as the outside. Paint was peeling from the walls and the cheap linoleum floor was covered in skid marks. Probably from the people who didn’t want to be locked up in this place, not with homicidal sociopaths like the Joker.
Chloe approached the front desk. Her press pass was tucked away in her purse. Chloe found that she often was able to glean more information from people when they were unaware she worked for the media.
“Hi there,” Chloe greeted, hoping to secure the attention of the nurse at the desk. She was currently faced away from the entrance, bent over a filing cabinet.
The woman shut the filing cabinet and turned around. Chloe’s eyes widened in horror at what she saw.
She was young, probably just a little older than Chloe. She had dark chestnut hair that fell in perfect waves over her shoulders, and bright piercing green eyes. She would have been one of the most gorgeous women Chloe had ever seen, if not for the angry scars at the corners of her mouth she was trying futilely to cover with makeup.
“So you noticed the scars, did you?” the girl laughed at Chloe’s expression. “I’ve tried my hardest to cover them up, but nothing’s worked. Now, what can I do for you?”
This girl was way too happy to be working here, especially with what had happened to her. This must be the girl from the video Vicki gave her, the one the Joker attacked.
“I’m actually here to inquire about a patient, but before I get to that, I hope you don’t mind me asking what happened?”
“The Joker happened, that’s what. We were doing a routine entrance assessment, doc was asking the questions and I was working the camera. We film the assessments so that we can watch it back later and look for nervous twitches, fidgeting, stuff like that. I’m just doing my job, and suddenly the wacko attacks me. They call him the Joker, but I don’t think he’s all that funny.”
“I’d have to agree,” Chloe commented. “I’m Penelope, by the way.”
“Harleen,” the girl introduced herself as she gestured at her name tag. She had an accent Chloe couldn’t place. She seemed very talkative, and Chloe decided to use it to her advantage.
“Harleen, I don’t mean to be rude, but after being attacked by a patient, why would you want to return to a place like this?”
“I’ve gotten that question a lot actually. My ma is especially upset I won’t leave, but the truth is the Joker did this because he cares about me. He saw I was unhappy, and wanted me to smile more. The patients here, they still experience all the same emotions as you or me, they just have a hard time expressing them in a way you normal people understand. I want to help them, which is why I came back.”
Chloe fought the urge to interject that sociopaths like the Joker actually did not experience the same emotions, which is why they were sociopaths.
“You have so much passion for your work,” Chloe said instead.
“Oh yeah,” Harleen agreed. “I really do prefer being with the patients, rather than working reception. I make a connection with them, you know? I understand them and they appreciate it, in their own way. They banished me out here after this happened,” she gestured to her face. “But I get to go back there every so often. That patient, the Joker, he asks for me specifically sometimes. Won’t do anything unless I’m there, threatens the guards, says he‘ll hurt himself. I calm him down. I’ve been told I have that effect on people.”
Chloe couldn’t imagine why, with a voice like that, but again she kept her thoughts to herself. “You must really know the Joker well, if he’s come to rely on you so much.”
She laid it on thick to keep the nurse talking.
“You know? I really have. He’s a good guy under all that make up. He lived a really hard life. Told me he got his scars when his mom couldn’t repay a loan. Thugs attacked him, and he was just a little boy. I mean, that’s gotta screw you up, right?”
A different story than was present in the witness report when the Joker crashed the Wayne party. Interesting.
“It must be really exciting talking to him, figuring out why he does the things he does.”
“Not that interesting actually, he’ll talk anyone’s ear off about it. You see, he told me his goal was to prove to Gotham that every one is just as crazy as he is, one way or another. People have been calling him a maniac all his life, so he just wants to show people he’s not that different from you or me. It’s sad. All he wants is to be accepted.”
The murders certainly sounded like something the Joker would do. If his goal was to drive the people of Gotham crazy, the best way to do it was to eat away at their security and destroy what they love. But the fact remained that the Joker had been locked up for the past few months, and under constant surveillance. He couldn’t have personally committed the murders, and why spread his reach into Metropolis?
“Does he get many visitors?” Chloe asked. She made sure to seem just slightly curious, as if she didn’t really care about the answer.
The nurse laughed, “You obviously haven’t met the guy. Not the most social, I mean, look at my face.”
Then the nurse narrowed her eyes, “You ask an awful lot of questions. You aren’t a reporter or something are you? Because I told the last one to stop coming by. She wasn’t the kind of person he should really be associating with, anyway. But he was just obsessed with the photos she took. He kept copies from the paper in his room, plastered all over the walls. It wasn’t healthy. I made a call to the paper, to make sure she didn’t come back.”
Could she be talking about Vicki? Chloe would have to call the woman later and find out the nature of her relationship with the Joker.
“No, not a reporter. I’m a student from Metropolis University. I’m taking a graduate course on psychopathologies, and I found the Joker fascinating. I’m certainly glad I’ve gotten to talk to an expert like yourself.”
Chloe was glad she’d left her press pass tucked away.
Harleen blushed in pleasure. “You know, I always thought about going to grad school. Maybe I could be a doctor, instead of a nurse. Tell you what Penelope, how would you feel if I could arrange a meeting between you and the Joker?”
“I’d say you’d take my thesis to the next level.”
“Come back tomorrow at lunch and I’ll get you a face to face. I’m not working the desk, so ask for me by name.”
“Thanks so much, Harleen,” Chloe said.
“Call me Harley, all my friends do.”
“See you tomorrow, Harley.”
Chloe gave a little wave, and exited the building. Harleen Quinzel was an interesting character. It had certainly played in Chloe’s favour, and now she had a one to one planned with the Joker. She was excited and scared at the same time.
This could be a break in the case if she managed to get something out of him. It could also paint a very big target on her back, that would have Gotham’s most notorious psychopath aiming for it. Then again, when didn’t Chloe have a target on her back?
The gravel crunched underneath her boots as she approached the parking lot. She glanced around her discreetly, ensuring she was alone, and pulled her cell phone from her purse. She hit a button on the pad to dial Vicki’s number, which she’d programmed in earlier.
“Vale,” was the answer.
“Vicki, it’s Chloe.”
“Sullivan, I heard about yesterday. I hope you’re feeling better.”
“I just needed the day to clear my head and remind myself why I’m here. I checked in on a lead, and I had some questions to ask you.”
“Just a minute,” was Vicki’s reply. Chloe heard some shuffling on the other end, and the click of a door locking. Presumably, Vicki was making sure she would not be disturbed.
“I’m all ears.”
“I’ve heard you’ve made some visits to the Joker at Arkham?”
“Yes, I did.”
“The nature of these visits?” Chloe persisted.
“A story. Editor wanted to do a profile of the Joker, get an explanation of his actions from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. After suffering through three agonizing hour-long visits with the psychopath, he decides to scrap the piece.”
“Why wasn’t it included in the packet you gave me?”
“Not that I owe you an explanation, Sullivan, but my editor confiscated everything. Said it was Gazette property, and watched as I erased the pictures off my camera. Wouldn’t tell me why either.”
“When did all this happen?”
“A couple weeks ago, right before my editor put me on those murders happening in the Narrows. Pulled me off that too, when I refused to report that Batman was the culprit.”
“You don’t think he’s responsible?”
“Why spend so much time trying to save a city, just to turn around and start tearing it down? It doesn’t make sense.”
So Vicki agreed with her. That further strengthened Chloe’s resolve that the Batman was being framed. She’d reached her car, and so she fumbled with the keys, and got inside as she continued.
“When you were meeting with the Joker did he mention anyone he’d seen recently? Maybe someone else who was visiting him?”
“I don’t know about any visitors, but each time I went in there was this nurse who hovered around. She’d be in right when the hour was up, too, and usher me out. She seemed to be spending a lot of time with the guy. In fact, he’d talk about her during our sessions. Completely ignore what I’d asked him and say, ‘Harleen Quinzel. What a funny name’.”
“Did you see the scars on her face? She told me the Joker gave them to her because he cares about her.”
“Well, between you and me, I don’t know how anyone could work at Arkham and not be a little crazy themselves. I take it your lead took you there today, and that‘s why you have all these questions for me?”
“Yeah,” Chloe admitted. “Just leaving, actually.”
“If you don’t mind sticking around in the Narrows, I can set you up to meet with a guy who has inside information about the Joker. Was one of his men at the pier that the Batman took down, but managed to escape hard time. He was willing to talk to me before the story got scrapped.”
“That sounds perfect, Vicki. Thanks so much.”
“Don’t worry about it, kid. His address is 250 industrial avenue. I’ll give him a call so that he knows you’re on your way.”
“Okay. Thanks again.”
“No problem and good luck.”
The line went dead. Chloe pressed the end call button on her phone, and dropped it onto the passenger seat. She then picked up her purse and began rifling through it for her GPS. When she found it, she searched the address Vicki had provided and found that the house wasn’t far, only a ten minute drive or so.
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