I sat in my office reviewing my notes before I met my new client. I wasn't entirely sure why I was given his case so abruptly, his previous lawyer had rang me up in a panic and told me she was sending me his file by courier and it should be there within the hour. I inquired into why she was so keen to get rid of him, but she just sighed deeply and dismissed me. She said I'd find out eventually. But I wasn't scared, he was just another client. Someone else to pay me money. I hung up the phone and sat back in my chair, rubbing my eyes under my glasses. I twisted my silver diamond band around my finger, then I clicked my black heels together under the desk and closed the file. Just as I put it into a box surrounded by other files, a knock came on my door.

"Come in" I said sitting up and straightening my pencil skirt.

Two burley officers, both bald and both growing three day old stubble walked in.

"Miss Quinn?"

"It's Sutton actually, are you the two officers from Arkham, here with…" I glanced down at the name scribbled on the spare paper which I left out of the file. "Mr. J is it?"

The both nodded and one talked gruffly. "Yea…it is, Joker"

One stepped to the side as the other wobbled out to get the Joker.

I took my seat again and opened my refill pad on a fresh page. I looked up again and in walked the Joker, bold as brass, in his token purple suit and hexagon patterned shirt, with his face painted like I'd seen in so many reports, with a massive grin plastered on his face. But up close there was something different about it, about him.

"Well hello beautiful, may I say you are a lot more attractive than my last one. Ugly as a pig in a blender she was" he grinned looking at me with hungry eyes.

I ignored what he said.

"Hello Mister Joker. I am Sorcha Sutton" I said standing up and putting out my hand.

He grasped my hand with his coarse one. He rubbed his fingers over my hand and kept my stare. I pulled my hand away and cleared my throat.

"I requested that I dress my best for you. I didn't think my Arkham tracksuit was appropriate for such a classy lady like yourself. " he smiled fixing his coat.

I went slightly red but ignored it.

"Ok that's fine you can go" I gestured to the guards to leave.

They turned to walk but I called them back. "There's no need for the cuffs."

They both exchanged worried glances.

"I want my clients to feel comfortable in my office, in my experience I've found a client in cuffs is less likely to give little details."

One came back and took his cuffs off him, the Joker grinning widely as he took them off his bony chalk white wrists. They both walked out of the room and the door shut.

"Ok, Mister Joker we can get started now, if you want to take a seat." I said gesturing to his seat before taking my own. He sat down and folded his arms.

"Ok, Mister Joker…"

"Uh, J will do fine." he said leaning his head forward.

I shot him a look from over my glasses, he sat there grinning widely at me. I went back to the refill pad, scribbling down what he requested I call him.

"Ok, now since your last attorney requested a transfer to me…"

He suddenly hooted with laughter. "Yea I gave her a run for her money! She was as boring at hell anyway. Dressed very boring too, wore long trousers and boxy shirts. She looked like a dude!" he giggled. The latter part was true, I knew her and she was very masculine, even in court some of the judges were scared of her.

"Not like you though…" he said running his eyes under my desk. "Nice, tight pencil skirt and tight blouse, nice rack…" he stretched his scars more.

"Mister Joker! That is quite enough! That can be considered sexual harassment"

"Ah come on! I'm only having a laugh. Loosen up!"

I gave him a cold fleeting look and went back to scribbling some notes.

"Or at least let me loosen you up" he giggled.

"Mister Joker! Are we here to talk about your case or are you here to make sexual innuendo's!" I said sternly.

He held up his hands and squeaked "Ok sorry don't shoot!" then let out another giggle.

"Right, now I've been reading over your case and I think we can get the judge to hear your plea of insanity, it seems the most plausible action to take since we have very little time. You have no other option as far as I can see. Because the prosecution will have damning evidence against you, we're talking witnesses, police statements, video evidence." he nodded his head smiling widely, thinking I was appreciating his work. "So if we don't deny anything you done, then the wind is taking out of their argument, because lets be honest, you cant deny what you did. But we'll argue you weren't of sound mind, the judge might go easy on you and let you go back to Arkham for a few years. That's the best outcome for you I feel."

He seemed to ponder what I just told him, staring into space.

"Well ok, you're the law talking chick."

"So you're ok with that? Because any queries you have, if you're not happy with that, please ask me, because that's why I'm here. I want to make sure you're happy with this."

"Yea that's fine." he grinned.

"Ok" I said kind of shocked and worried that he had no questions at all for me.

I wrote down what my plan was quickly and confirmed he had no further questions.

"So now that we're finished with the business, how about you give me some pleasure" he grinned running his fingers through his greasy hair.

"Yea Mister Joker, I don't think so" I laughed slightly still writing.

"Come on, all work and no play makes Sorcha a very bold girl!"

"I thought it was boring?"

"Well I prefer bold girls" he hissed.

I sat there, my eyes widening.

"I don't think so" I said sorting papers and stuffing them in folders, feeling sort of uncomfortable, but then in the pit of my stomach I felt something else. I don't know why but as I sat there looking at The Joker, I felt my engagement ring go cold around my finger. I looked to the picture of me and Gerry sitting in his apartment at Christmas… He had just asked me to marry him and I jumped up and screamed yes at the top of my voice. He took out his camera and said "I want to remember this moment for the rest of my life." He snapped a picture of us and then he kissed me and took another picture… My heart ached in my chest as I looked at the picture. I felt my tear ducts about to burst.

"Ok, Mister J I have to go and retrieve something. I will be back in a few moments, so just wait here."

I quickly got up out of my seat and walked outside. I looked for the guards but they must be in the van outside. I ran to the bathroom and dabbed my wet eyes, careful not to smudge my make up. I knew I couldn't leave the Joker too long so I raced back to the office, but to a scene unlike what I thought. He was just standing behind my desk studying the photo of me and Gerry. I closed the door and walked up to him, snatching the photo from his grease paint covered hands.

"Don't touch that!" I shrieked.

"Wow relax will you! Its just a picture… and I thought you said your name was Sutton?" he said licking his scars.

"It is." I said wiping and replacing the picture.

"Then how come it says Quinn on your name thingy on your table?" his finger wagging towards my gold plated name plaque.

I rolled my eyes not wanting to get into this, the wound was still too fresh. I sighed and looked at him, and I suppose if I told him it would shut him up.

"Look, that guy in the picture is my fiancé."

"And, you forgot to change your name tag?" he questioned innocently.

"No…we'll never get to get married…he died of cancer two years ago…but I feel I was always his wife even if he's not around…so I took his name…"

The Joker didn't say anything, which surprised me. I would have expected a harsh comment or an innuendo but nothing, he looked straight at me as if I had just told him he was going to death row.

"That's horrible" he said in a different tone to his normal comic book voice, which surprised me also.

"Yea…I know…" I didn't say anything for a few seconds but then shook my head. "Ok Mister J, that's all so I will see you tomorrow."

"O am I coming back here again?" he said slightly more upbeat.

"Yea right, there not letting you out just after you were out today!" I laughed. "No I'll be coming to Arkham. I'm busy all morning so it will probably be the afternoon, but don't worry they'll inform you."

"Ok thank you Miss Qui…Sutton" he corrected himself, then smiled slightly.

I pressed the button for downstairs and soon the burly guards were back to get the Joker. I watched as they replaced the cuffs around his bony, white wrists. They placed their hands on his shoulders, and walked out. He turned back towards me and winked. I froze on the spot as they dragged him away.

O god! I thought, turning back to my desk after he was gone. What would Gerry say?