amaotonovel Chapter 3855 The Nameless Bat (25)
Chapter 3855 The Nameless Bat (25)
Chapter 3855 The Nameless Bat (Twenty-Five)
“I’m sorry, Professor Schiller. It’s raining so hard, and you’ve come all this way.” Gordon said, standing in front of his desk. “And Miss Nimosini. You should be sleeping right now. But considering you might become Batman’s sidekick, it’s necessary for you to get used to this kind of sleep-deprived, early-morning routine.”
Nemosini seemed not to hear him at all, standing by the window counting raindrops on the glass. One finger twisted the hem of her pinafore dress, while the other hand tugged at her hair. The muscles in her mouth were constantly moving, but she wasn't speaking or chewing; it looked more like she was ruminating.
Gordon didn't care that Nimosini ignored him; he simply looked at Schiller and said, "We just apprehended someone in the forensics department. Unfortunately, it turns out he is indeed a detective from the police department. But the problem is that he's the Penguin's agent. With Batman not around, we can't easily take action against him, and even interrogation will be difficult, so we have no choice but to ask you to handle this."
"You also caught the female murderer?"
"Yes. However, her health is very poor. When we caught her, she was already showing symptoms of fentanyl poisoning. She is currently in the hospital receiving emergency treatment and cannot be interrogated at the moment."
"What about copycats?"
"No clue whatsoever."
Upon hearing "copycat," Nimosini finally turned around and stared silently at Gordon. She said, "You're hiding something."
"Alright, miss. Trust me, if this is helpful to solving the case, I will never hide it from you."
Will you tell Batman?
Gordon paused, then said, "You shouldn't compare yourself to Batman. You may be similar in intelligence, but you obviously can't protect yourself like he does."
“Fine. Then don’t count on my wisdom,” Nimosini said coldly.
“Don’t do that,” Schiller said with a soft sigh. “Chief Gordon has his difficulties. Let’s go see the person who broke into the Evidence Division to steal the cameras first.”
Gordon led the two men to the interrogation room. Schiller looked through the observation window and saw a rather menacing-looking, burly man sitting inside. Just as Gordon was about to open the door for him, Schiller shook his head and said, "It's not him. Where are the cameras now?"
“It’s being kept by Officer Ross,” Gordon said. “He’s the head of the forensics department.”
“I’m afraid that’s no longer the case,” Schiller said, shaking his head. “Now, give him a call and ask if anyone is threatening his family’s safety. If he’s willing to reveal who he gave the cameras to, maybe we can save his family’s lives.”
Gordon was completely stunned. Although he had witnessed Schiller's prowess before, this conclusion was too abrupt and seemed utterly illogical. Nimosini clearly didn't know how Schiller had made his judgment either, because she wasn't tall enough to see the observation window.
Urged by Schiller, Gordon picked up his phone and called Ross. The moment the call connected, Ross's suppressed sobs came through the line.
“I’m so sorry, Chief Gordon. But my daughter is only four years old. You know, she might be our only child. We absolutely cannot abandon her.”
Gordon's heart sank. He said, "Why? Why didn't you tell me? Maybe I could have helped you."
“No, Gordon. If Batman were still alive, I might choose to tell you. But if it's just you, even if you know the truth, you might not be able to save my daughter in one night. I have to do this.”
Gordon glanced at the observation window while holding the phone and said, "So the big guy is innocent?"
“He’s not innocent. He’s the Penguin’s henchman, isn’t he? He stole evidence that was detrimental to the Penguin and threatened me to my face. This is a good opportunity to get rid of him, Gordon. Consider this my last gift to you.”
Before Gordon could say anything more, Schiller took the phone and said, "Who told you to say that?"
"what?"
"You have a script in front of you, right? Someone told you to tell Gordon that everything would be different if Batman were here. Who told you to do that?"
"I don't understand what you're saying." Even Gordon could sense the panic in the other person's voice.
“I can only give you one last piece of advice,” Schiller said. “Stay home and let the police arrest you. That’s your only chance to live.”
He hung up the phone and looked at Gordon, saying, "Judging from your attitude, he's mostly competent. Although I don't think he'll listen to me, you can still send someone to try. If you can't find him at his house, don't bother looking anymore; he won't survive."
“No,” Nimosini said. “We can use the Penguin. He must be furious that his men were framed. If we give him Ross’s name, he’ll definitely send people to cause trouble for Ross, and they might even run into the people sent by the mastermind to silence him. Even a powerful dragon can’t suppress a local snake.”
Schiller stared silently at Nimosini as if she were another Batman, then said to Gordon, "We can try, no matter what. If the Penguin wins and takes him away, we'll exchange hostages. At least we can save his life."
Clearly, Ross had given Gordon a lot of help. He immediately got someone to make arrangements, and perhaps the outcome would be known before dawn.
"Boss!" another officer ran up to Gordon and said, "There's been a murder at 12 Derry Avenue. Another client and prostitute!"
Nimosini's eyes lit up immediately. He grabbed Gordon's sleeve and said, "The male killer is dead, and the female killer has been caught. Now the only suspect can be a copycat. Take me there, and I'm sure I can tell who he is."
But Gordon's expression turned grim. He shook his head slightly and said, "No, we can't go over there now."
"why?"
Do you know where number 12 Delhi Street is?
"Isn't this a red-light district?"
Gordon shook his head slightly and said, "That's the current mayor's house."
"The mayor is dead?!"
Gordon sighed and said, "I knew he had a habit of soliciting prostitutes, but I didn't expect him to be so audacious as to do it while the Eden Killer was rampaging. We can't go there in a big way, or those reporters will be like hyenas smelling blood. Without Batman, no one can control Gotham's celebrities. Things will get chaotic."
Surprisingly, Nimosini didn't cause any more trouble. It was as if she had gleaned from those few words the complex yet delicately balanced situation within Gotham's high society, and also foreseen the potential collapse that this news of death might bring.
Nimosini and Schiller returned to 125, and then her peace came to an end. She began to become extremely agitated, running wildly around the living room, brandishing a letter opener as if fighting a monster in her hallucinations.
Schiller didn't go to sleep, nor did he do what doctors are supposed to do. He just sat on the sofa reading the newspaper, completely ignoring the noise Nimosini was making, until the little girl was so tired that she had to sit down opposite him.
"James is right. Until you have Batman's stamina and willpower, you'd better conserve your intelligence to avoid exhausting your fragile body."
Nemosini gasped for breath, unable to speak, then stared into Schiller's eyes and said, "You knew all along, didn't you? You knew I couldn't cause much of a commotion, so there was no need to use calming agents on me. I'll stop when I'm tired of going crazy."
“That’s not the reason. It’s just that even if I sedate your body, your brain won’t stop. You’ll feel like a soul trapped in a statue, and that’s a terrible feeling.”
"So you'd rather I ruin your flooring worth hundreds of thousands?"
“It’s Batman’s floorboards worth hundreds of thousands. Believe me, this will be the smallest expense in the process of him educating you,” Schiller said, shaking the newspaper.
“I really want to know about copycats.” Nemosini recovered quickly. She gathered her loose hair behind her ear, tied it into a ponytail, and said, “Every cell in my body is telling me that I should go to the scene, just one look…”
"I guess the killer knew Batman wasn't in Gotham, which is why he dared to act so recklessly. But he didn't expect there was a little Batman here."
"You said Batman has assistants. Do you think they're better than me?"
Schiller shook his head slightly and said, "Now his assistant is also a genius detective. Unfortunately, because Batman is not here, Robin has to keep Wayne Enterprises running as much as possible and simply can't spare the time."
"If I become Batman's sidekick, can I go to crime scenes?"
"Perhaps. Gotham's high society always has to give him face."
"Because he's Bruce Wayne?"
Schiller glanced up at him from above the newspaper. Nemosini understood. She curled up on the sofa and said, “It’s no secret. I knew the moment I saw him in the paper. I also know Superman is a reporter, the Flash works for the police, and Green Arrow is a rich guy…”
“Don’t tell anyone,” Schiller said. “If you promise me, I can write a letter to Batman and ask him if he can give you a temporary Robin identity. If he persuades you, Gordon might not be so strict with you anymore.”
Nemosini immediately jumped up from the sofa. He said, “I swear to you! I swear to God! I will never reveal their identities! Go write a letter, Professor!!!”
Schiller shook his head slightly, a hint of helplessness in his expression. He returned to his study, and only after spreading out the letter did a smile appear on his face. He then wrote on the paper:
"Thank you so much for your trust, Batman. But I didn't know that the child you mentioned with typical spectrum disorder symptoms was actually a behavioral analysis genius just like you. I dare say her talent is on par with Tim's, and like Mr. Drake, she has a very strong interest in you."
She deduced your identity, and almost all the superheroes in the Justice League, all on her own. I'm a little worried she might blurt it out in her excitement, so I think we should give her something to do. Coincidentally, the mayor of Gotham City has met with misfortune, and she's very interested in the crime scene, but she can't investigate without police authorization. Perhaps you could give her a chance…”
In the main universe, far away in another sector, Batman received the letter from the Flash. After reading it, he shook his head helplessly, closed the letter, and said, "The Doctor is still so good at passing the trouble I give him back to me. I guess he's enjoying it."
"The mayor of Gotham City is dead again?" The Flash scratched his head and said, "Central City hasn't had a mayor for twelve years."
Batman calmly put down the letter and said, "His life was already on a countdown the moment he was elected. The mayor of Gotham has always been a high-risk job, and they know that all too well."
"What are you planning to do?" the Flash asked. "I could make a trip and send you back, and then come back after you've dealt with this..."
“No need,” Batman said. “Go to the Batcave and get me a Robin’s communicator for the Doctor. Then tell Commissioner Gordon to send my new assistant to the scene of the mayor’s death.”
After the Flash left, Batman stood up, knocked on the door of Green Lantern's office, and said, "Ready? Hal. It's time to close the net."