What A Conundrum Chapter Two

Joanne Derrin certainly wasn't worried about stalkers over the internet. Half an hour and the Riddler had learned her full name, her home town and her date of birth. As well as various trivia and little details. He'd seen numerous pictures. She was a pretty little thing. Dark red hair brown eyes. Very petite. Wore a lot of green.

She looked VERY good in green.

But her police staff file showed a rather different side of the young woman. She was the only cryptographer hired by Gordan. Solving the riddles he sent single-handedly. Eddie was impressed. It was a rare mind that could solve his puzzles without 'd graduated college with glowing commendations from her professors. Scholarship of course. She'd won numerous crossword competitions. Not as many as him of course, but a fair amount. Her psych file showed that she was aware of her intelligence. But showed concern over her growing admiration for one Edward Nigma. Him.

The Riddler grinned smugly. Apparently some of her fellow employees had raised concern over her frequently hightlighting his genius and stating his superiority. Apparently she regularly called him 'a genius' and said that' he's got more brains than half of Gotham'. Finally someone who appreciated his intelligence. It took a rare mind to appreciate him. And such a pretty thing too.

He wondered how she'd look standing next to him dressed in question marks.

Well why not. She was solving his riddles. If you can't beat them join them. And by join them he meant she would join him.

It would be perfect. She was obviously far superior to the neanderthals she was working for. She would be his accomplice. His partner. His lover.

After all he was the Riddler. He always got what he wanted.

Jo was out of coffee.

This might not seem like a huge problem in most circumstances. But it was MONDAY MORNING. And she'd been up till gone four doing crossword puzzles. And she had a ton of work to do in the office.

There was nothing for it, she needed coffee.

There was a little coffee place a block from where she lived. 'Hot Stuff' cheesy tacky cheap place. But they made damn good expresso, and right now that was all Jo cared about.

She was doing well for time today so she decided to walk to work. She'd stop off on her way there and get that coffee.

Ten minutes and a large expresso later Jo was feeling considerably more human. She punched in without a fuss. Nodding to a few of her collegues. She went to her cubicle and punched in her password. 13853211, the fibbonachi sequence backwards. She checked her inbox. Gordan had had it fixed so that any riddles or puzzles related to a crime scene were emailed to her. If she wanted to she could look at the original but she seldom did. She only came in so that she could check the GCPD's extensive criminal distances if she needed to.

There was nothing. No riddle or puzzle related crimes. A slow day then. Oh well. Jo tapped her keyboard idly. What to do? She had an idea. She could access criminal records. Why not check out a certain E. Nigma. She clicked on the appropriate file and began to read.

Nigma, Edward, alias: 'The Riddler'

costumed criminal suffers from OCD and narcissism. Highly intelligent has compulsion to leave clues in the form of riddles. Egotistical suffers from serious superiority complex. Possibly attributed to harsh upbringing and/or bullying. Nigma specialises in...

Jo stopped reading. She knew most of this stuff. The tabloids had latched onto this new rouge that WASN'T likely to fear-gas or blow them up for badmouthing him. The Riddlers past had been published in almost excrutiating detail. Not that she hadn't read them. Information was information after all. Though some of the more ridiculous stories such as the rumour that he was really a woman she'd taken with a pinch of salt.

Now with nothing to occupy her Jo reached into her bag for her sketch pad and pencils. She didn't usually draw at work but honestly, it wasn't like she had anything better to do. Well, there was some paperwork but it was only so that the police would have a record of the Riddler crimes they stopped. Nothing urgent

She began lightly sketching the police headquarters. To Jo her sketch pad was much like a diary. She drew what was on her mind. She wasn't bad. She could draw people quite well but drawing landscapes wasn't something she had a great deal of practice doing. As the lopsided building appearing in her sketchpad could testify to. She sighed and scribbled out the image. Maybe not today then. She put the sketch pad back in her handbag and turned to the pile of paperwork. Well it had to be done sooner or later.

Lunch break. Jo put down the form she'd been filling in and stood. She was starving. She'd grab a quick bite then get back to work. There was a little deli a few doors down. She'd get a sandwhich and head back. On the way there she saw a cop she knew. Darren Vemmer. He looked exhausted.

"Jesus Darren what were you doing last night you look like hell?" she asked.

Darren groaned. "I don't even know. It's all a blur. Probably had one beer to many." he smiled weakly at Jo "Robyn wasn't half worried when I came in. Said I'd been out for hours, had to put my dinner on a hot plate."

Jo smiled and nodded before saying her goodbyes and heading to the deli. Robyn was Darren's nineteen year old daughter, and Darren was old fashioned to say the least in his attitude towards his daughter and women in general. He was a good cop though. As long as he didn't have a female partner. Then he got stroppy.

Jo put all thoughts of Darren out of her mind as she reached the deli. She ordered a tuna melt panini to go. She waited in line and wondered how Robyn reacted to her fathers treatment. Something told her that she wasn't quite the docile well behaved little girl her father made her out to be. But that was irrelevent right now. She paid for her sandwhich and left. She'd eat in her cubicle.

The Riddler watched from across the street as Jo re-entered the police headquarters. Well she was certainly an enthusiastic worker. She'd spent scarcely ten minutes away from the building and already she was hurrying back. She was wearing black work trousers and a white blouse today. He got up from te bench where he'd been sitting. He had things to do.

Jo arrived home a few hours later. Exhausted and very pleased with herself. Sh'd finished all the paperwork. Finally. Right now she planned on having a quick meal and then relax in the bath. She walked into her living room and then stopped. There was something on the table. I was a green envelope, and a package. She'd open the package first. It was, a book of crosswords. How thoughtful. She'd been meaning to get one. But who was it from? One way to find out. She picked up the green envelope and opened it.

It was a riddle.

A fairly simple riddle. The answer was love.

The Riddler had just sent her a love note.

Aw hell.

Then Jo did what any rational woman would have done faced with such stress as having a rouge's attention.

She fainted.