#2
JAN 06
JAN 06
“Happy Families” Part Two
It was 2:15 a.m. in the morning when I got the call from Oracle. There had been another murder at the Kane Street apartment building. A woman named Helen Connolly had been shot in the head and then horribly mutilated, just like the children earlier in the day. I didn't tell Oracle that I had been talking to Helen Connolly mere moments before she was murdered. That would only complicate things. "What a day, huh, Commish?" Commisioner Jim Gordon looked at Harvey Bullock and managed a weak smile. This was the second murder scene they had been too in the same night, and this one had gotten him out of bed. 2:30 in the damn morning. He'd managed about 45 minutes sleep before he got a call from Bullock. Now he knew he wasn't going to be getting any more sleep that night and it was pissing him off. He wouldn't be able to get the picture of this poor woman's corpse out of his head. It had happened to him before, he'd seen something so horrible that he wasn't able to sleep. This was definitely going to be another one of those times. "When was she killed?" Gordon jumped when he heard Batman's voice and it took a while for his heart rate to go back to normal. He turned around to face his friend, who was draped in shadows near the window. Bullock didn't look impressed. He never did. "She was killed at about 12:40, we think. That's the best estimate we can give at the moment." Batman came slowly out of the shadows and walked into the bedroom. Gordon watched him from the main room, and could definitely see that this was troubling his friend. For one, he hadn't waited until the police had left before showing himself. Recently he had taken more to doing that, but not this time. Batman emerged from the bedroom. "Does she have any connection to the children?" Gordon shook his head. "No family connection or anything like that. They were just neighbors. I think the kids came over and helped her out with stuff every now and again. That's what we can gather from the other neighbors." "Any theories, bats?" sneered Bullock. "Some." "Well, you gonna tell us or what, freak?" "Shut up, Bullock. I don't have to tell you anything." Gordon could see that Bullock was getting a rise out of Batman, which was very strange because Batman was usually, for lack of a better term, an iceman. Something was clearly troubling his friend and Gordon knew that Bullock would just keep going until Batman exploded, so he had to act. "Listen, Harvey, I want you to take a few other officers and start interviewing the neighbors again. Maybe we missed something." Bullock nodded his head and looked at Batman. "Sure thing, Commish. Have fun, bats." Gordon could see Batman's clenched fists as Bullock walked away. Gordon could see that they were now relatively alone, except for Helen Connolly's corpse and a few other officers who were out of earshot. Maybe he could see what was troubling Batman. "What's the matter? Something troubling you?" Batman looked at the floor and then off to the side. For some reason he couldn't look Gordon in the eye. What was wrong? This wasn't like him at all. "I…I was with Helen Connolly a few hours ago, Jim. Couldn't have been minutes before she was killed." Gordon looked bemused. "Surely that's happened before, though? Why is this troubling you so much? You've dealt with…worse than this." "It's just…I can't shake the feeling that the only reason she was killed was because she had been talking to me. I was going to talk to some of the other tenants but now I just…" "That's only part of it, isn't it? What else?" "I…I don't know if Harvey was involved in this and it am bothering me. I went to see him at Arkham and he said he had nothing to do with it but…I don't know if I believe him. Could he…could he be capable of doing that to children?" Gordon was taken aback. He had known that the evidence had indicated Two Face but he hadn't really thought about it too much. Could their old friend have done it? He didn't think that it would be Harvey's style but…maybe. "I honestly don't know, old friend. Harvey couldn't have done it from his cell, obviously, but could he have hired someone? I don't know if even Harvey would do that to children or this poor woman." To Gordon's surprise, Batman managed what sounded like an emotional laugh. "Do you realize we both still call him Harvey? Even after all he's done…" Gordon managed a wry smile and put his hand on Batman's shoulder. "I suppose we just have to keep his memory alive, that's all. Now…what's your next move?" Batman looked at Gordon and even through the black cowl Gordon could tell he was hurting inside. "I was going to put a call through to my sources, ask them to run a check on some of the names in this apartment building. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and the killer will be a neighbor." "Sounds good. And listen…don't let Harvey's connection get to you. Concentrate on the job and I'll try my best to find out something to help you. I don't think Bullock's going to find anything quicker than you so…go and do it." Batman nodded his head. "Thank you, Jim." Gordon nodded his head and turned around as he heard the swoosh of a cape blowing in the wind; he knew Batman was gone. Batman had just got into his driver's seat in the Batmobile when he got a call from Oracle. He pushed a button on the dash and a little screen popped up. The image of Barbara Gordon flickered onto the screen. She was getting quicker than him. "Yes, Barbara?" “I was doing some checking on the Kane apartment building and it's tenants, and I think I've found something worth looking into."
He didn't even have to ask. "What is it?"
It was 3:27 a.m. when Batman managed to get into Joe Roberts' apartment. He came in through the window, which took a bit of prying, but nothing was broken. Batman slipped into the dark apartment quietly and turned on his mini-flashlight. A tiny beam of light shone out. Batman could see that he was in the bathroom of the apartment. He shone the light around the room and through the little beam of light caught a glimpse of something red in the bathtub. Looked a lot like blood. He was about to take a closer look when something was brought down hard on the back of his head. He grunted and fell even as he instantly knew that the butt of a gun had been slammed into the back of his head. He slammed to the tiled bathroom floor. The floor was cold and a bit wet so when the lights in the room were switched on he wasn't surprised to see that his head had landed in a small puddle of blood. He felt the back of his head and was relieved to find no blood. He was sore, but would be ok. He turned over onto his back and looked up at the man he assumed to be Joe Roberts, who was standing over him, gun in hand. He had tidy, well-groomed hair and reasonably clean clothes and nice suede shoes. Not your typical public perception of a serial killer, which probably worked to his advantage. He just looked like any other guy you would meet on the street. Except this wasn't any ordinary guy. "Move an inch and I'll shoot you. How'd you find me?" Batman was trying to get his bearings when he looked over at the bathtub. He could see smears of blood on the outside rim and side, but couldn't see into the bath yet. He needed to stand up. "Get up, nice and slow. Keep your hands where I can see them." Batman obliged and got to his feet very slowly before looking into the bathtub. Lying in the rub in murky red water was a woman's body. She was face down in the water and was definitely dead. Batman swallowed hard. "Is that the children's mother?" This whole thing had happened so fast in a few hours that he was shocked that he hadn't thought to ask where the parents were. He was too busy asking other questions and putting aside the Two Face question. The severity and horror of the crime was so great that it had honestly slipped his mind. Sloppy. Very, very sloppy. "Yeah, so fucking what? She's as dead as her damn kids." Batman shook his head. His thoughts were all over the place. Is Harvey really involved in this or is it a frame up? Or is it coincidence? How the hell could he have forgotten the parents? Damnit…is Harvey involved in this? "Where's the father?" "It doesn't matter. He's dead too, ok? Now how the fuck did you find me?" "Contacts. I found out you used to work for Two Face." "Shit…I didn't think anyone would find me this quick." Batman could tell that who he was dealing with now was clearly no criminal mastermind. Having the body of the victim's parents just lying in your bathtub? Staying in the apartment below the crime scene while there were cops upstairs? Stupid. This was a crime of passion, not heavily thought out. "Why did you do it? Is Two Face involved in this with you?" In response to that question, Roberts spat on the floor. "No, you fuckwit. This is to get back at that bastard! After what he did…" Roberts began to sob. This was a man clearly on the edge. What had Harvey done? "What did Two Face do?" Roberts began to sob harder. His whole body began to shake. "My family…he…he…" "What? What did he do to your family?" "I found them…at the meeting place…blood everywhere…dead…gunshots…oh god…my kids! Why?" Batman's head was swimming. Dear Lord… "And your wife?" "He killed her too…cut her face…he said it was to teach me a lesson…said I'd never forget it…" Batman slowly began to reach for the gun when Roberts leaped backwards and pointed it at Batman. He eyes were red and tears streamed down his face. Spittle was running down his chin and his body was shaking violently. Dear God…Harvey ruined this man's life… "No! Don't you do that!!! Don't!" "Roberts, please, put the gun down and we'll talk." "I don't need to fucking talk! I need my life back!!! Can you bring my kids and my wife back?!!! Can you!! He took everything from me! Everything!!!" "Roberts, please…" Suddenly, Roberts shoved the gun inside his mouth and began sobbing even more violently than before. Batman's eyes went wide. "I…I can't go on…I got him…I'll get that bastard for what he did…no more…" Roberts' words were beginning to make less and less sense and that's when he pulled the trigger. BLAM! Blood spattered all over the back wall and some over Batman's face. The body stumbled a bit and then collapsed to the floor, gaping hole in the back of the head. Batman felt the blood on his face and looked at the body. He was shocked beyond all belief and when he finally regained his composure a few minutes later, he needed answers. And he knew just where to get them. "Two Face." Batman had entered Two Face's cell in Arkham Asylum while the criminal was asleep and had only now, a few minutes later, announced his presence. He was in turmoil inside and had to take a few minutes to compose himself before questioning the man. Two Face seemed to stir a bit and then he slowly opened his eyes. It took him a few moments to adjust to the darkness in the room and then he realized who his visitor was. His voice sounded a bit groggy at first but then went back to its normal harsh growl. "Bats…why'd you turn out the lights? I can't see a damn thing…" "I need to know something, Two Face. Something important. Do you remember a man named Joe Roberts?" "Can't say I do. Friend of yours?" "He used to work for you. Do you remember him now?" "Gimme a moment…" A light was switched on in Two Face's padded cell and Batman saw Two Face with his hand on the light switch. He grinned when he saw Batman standing tight into the corner of the room, cape draped over his body so that the only skin visible was his jawline. "That's better. I don't like being alone with you in the dark." Two Face smirked as he said this, obviously meaning it mockingly or sarcastically. Batman didn't care. This wasn't funny. "Do you remember Joe Roberts now?" Two Face looked at the roof of his padded cell and looked deep in thought. "Yeah, I think I know the guy now. Nice guy, if I remember correctly." "Two Face. You know what I'm going to ask you next." "Yup. You're going to ask if I ever had any bad history or anything with Roberts, right?" "Partly. Two Face, I found out who killed those children. It was Roberts. He then killed another woman in his apartment building and also the children's parents." "Damn, bats, that was a quick investigation. You were here, what, 6 or 7 hours ago?" "He told me why he did it. Then he took his own life." "Well, case closed, huh? Glad you solved it." "Stop avoiding the topic, Two Face. Roberts told me that you killed his family. His children and his wife. He said you killed them to teach him a lesson. Is this true?" Two Face paused for a moment. He looked at the wall, away from Batman. "You know, back when Roberts worked for me, he was always a good soldier. He always took his orders and didn't ask questions…" "Answer the question. Is it true?" "…until one time when his wife wanted him to get out. Out of my organization, I mean. You know, bats, that burned me. To lose a good guy like that, just because of a woman." "Tell me if it's true! Stop…" Suddenly, Two Face leaped up from his bed and stared hard at Batman. His scarred flesh had a strange glisten in the light and his bad eye seemed to be glowing. Batman kept his stance composed and assured. He could handle Two Face if it got physical, but that wasn't why he felt sick. He knew what Two Face was going to say. "You want to know the truth, bats? Really? Fine, I'll tell you. That rat bastard Roberts was being a disloyal soldier, and I just couldn't have that! So, yeah, I taught him a lesson. Serves the bastard right, anyway." "What did you do? How did you teach…?" "I shot his damn kids right in the forehead! I killed his pretty wife, too! She wasn't so pretty when I was through with her, I'll tell you that much. And you know what? It felt good! I slaughtered the bitch and those kids and I liked it! What do you think of that, pal?" Bile began to rise in Batman's throat and he began to sweat. He didn't want to believe that it was true but it was. He had always held out hope for Two Face, but now…Harvey Dent had to be gone. Harvey Dent would never do this and take delight in it. He would never… "How does it feel, bats? Huh? How does it feel to know I lied to you through my damn teeth, earlier?! Do you feel sick? Betrayed? Good! You want to know what I did to her, pal? I'll tell you." Batman could see veins throbbing in Two Face's head and his disfigured leer had taken on an almost satanic visage. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to get out. Batman quickly stepped out of the corner and took one last look at Two Face before reaching the door. He was smiling, a sick, demented smile that Batman had rarely seen. "First, I shot her in the knee, bats. Then I threw her against the wall. I told her that it was all Joe's fault, that rat bastard. I told her…" Batman clenched his teeth and knocked on the door for it to be opened. It was opened and as Batman was leaving he heard one last remark from Two Face. "Hey, bats, you know what? I just realized you don't call me Harvey anymore!! What happened, pal?" Batman exited the room and slammed the door behind him before striding powerfully down the corridor. He felt sick, angry and hurt. Two Face was right. He didn't call him Harvey anymore. Harvey Dent is long gone.
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