"Can I help you with anything," Jim Gordon asked the distinguished older gentleman standing at his desk?
"Are you James Gordon," the man asked in a very polished voice. Jim immediately pegged him for a lawyer or a politician.
At Jim's nod the man adjusted his bifocals before asking another, rather odd, question, "Did you know a William Gordon and Athena Krystal?"
"Of course I know them, wait you said did..."
"Ah, yes. You didn't get to be a detective without noticing every detail I'm sure." Looking around the precinct at allthe curious stares, both criminal and cop, he leaned slightly closer to ask quietly, "Is there somewhere where we can talk privately? This is a legal matter after all Det. Gordon."
Gordon continued to stare blankly at the man for a moment before nodding. Frowning thoughtfully he sat at his desk and wrote directions to a cheap diner on a scrap of paper that he handed the man. "What about," he paused to swallow the bile just thinking about what he was about to ask caused before trying again, "what about Kallie?"
"She is safe Detective. Scarred, terrified, and lonely maybe. She was the only survivor, after all, but she's safe, and physically fine."
"I'll meet you there in about an hour, Mr - you know, I never got your name?"
"Right, of course! Where are my manners? I am Walter Anderson, of Anderson, Hulmann, and Schultz. Sorry, this whole situation has me very rattled, I have to admit." he stated somberly as he held out his business card. As soon as Jim took the card Walter nodded and left throwing over his shoulder, "You seem like a good man Detective. I hope you really are."
An hour later James sat in a booth across from Walter and stared at the older man. "We're alone now. What happened to my brother? What about Kallie? Where's my niece?"
"Your brother and was murdered and his wife put in a coma by one of Miss Krystal's more unhinged fans. He was caught trying to cross the border to Mexico with Kalliope drugged up in his trunk."
James frowned and asked again in a deathly calm voice, as if barely maintaining his civility, "Where is my niece Mr. Anderson?"
Seeing the slightly panicked look on Walter's face he sighed and attempted to calm down. Running his hands roughly through his hair he smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry. Please, just tell me where she is, and what my wife and I have to do to get custody."
Those are both very simple questions Detective questions that can both be answered over dinner with my wife and I in our suite at The Bazaar tonight. I'll bring everything we will need to get things settled. You and your wife will just need to be ready to sign a mountain of paperwork."