Velrun Tower was in the very South End of Gotham, it was known for its involvement with natural resources and wildlife. Even though it was only twenty-five stories high, similar to an apartment – it was called a tower because it was the largest and tallest building in the South.
The two detectives made it there around mid-noon. Bullock pushed open the rippling double glass door and they walked up to the front desk. Behind was a young black woman in her twenties, she looked up at the two approached.
"I'm Detective Gordon, this is my partner Detective Bullock."
The young secretary nodded. "I'm Ms. Terric your captain had called ahead. Told me the reason why you're here, what an amazing way to go."
James and Harvey side glanced each other unsure of how to respond.
"Don't get me wrong detectives it was tragic," Ms. Terric immediately blurted when she realized what she had said. "But…to use a Japanese Giant Hornet poison – wow…."
"Can we speak to the CEO Ms. Terric?" James asked.
"I'm sorry but Mr. Yunins is away on business, but I'll be able to assist you."
She motioned the two to follow her. Taking them down the hallway Ms. Terric spoke.
"We have two full-time employees in the Bug Lab, Riley Sylos and Michael Debbins. Mr. Debbins has been away at a conference meeting in Chicago for two days now and won't be back until this Friday, I'll give you the invitation."
"Thank you."
"What about the other employees?" Harvey inquired.
"Some are part-time employees, and some are interns."
"We will need the employee list."
"Of course."
"What can you tell us about Mr. Sylos?" James asked.
"Great worker, private man but is outgoing in what he does. When we told him he would be working the Lab mostly by himself he practically exploded with excitement."
"If we left Nygma running the forensics lab for a week, we wouldn't even be able to find the damn entrance."
James gave a nod in agreement.
Ms. Terric led them down a long hallway, plastered on the walls were different bugs and their anatomy. James looked over and saw a large scaled hornet, its measurements showed a whooping three inches long in length with sharp looking pincers and prods.
"That's what the Japanese Giant Hornet looks like," Ms. Terric said following the detective's gaze. "When threatened it immediately shoots acid into the eyes, melting them completely out of the skull."
"I'll stick to mosquitos' thanks," Harvey called from the sidelines.
"We know about the Japanese Giant Hornet thanks, what I'm more interested in is if it could survive in Gotham's environment?"
Ms. Terric motioned them again and led them to the end of the hallway and into a dark room.
Dark lights lit most of the way, glass boxes with insects lined the walls and podiums in various spots of the room. They heard movement in the back and walked over.
Standing in front of a large desk was a young man he was bent over dissection equipment.
"Mr. Sylos?"
The man turned quickly slightly startled by his visitors but he took cleared his throat and nodded to Ms. Terric.
"Thank you I can take it from here," the entomologist said.
Ms. Terric took her leave and Riley set his work glasses on the table. The man smoothed down his wild sandy hair the best he could, his deep blue eyes darted from one detective to the other and the small pale scar on his nose twitched.
"You guys have really being making headlines, what with the Electrocutioner, Mr. Crane and his son…."
"Detective Gordon," the young man said holding out his hand. Riley just looked at it uncomfortably as if to expect James to slap upside the head. James caught onto his hesitation and lowered his arm. "This is my partner, Detective Bullock."
"We want to ask you a few questions."
"Pertaining to the victim that was found this morning in the subway."
"You know about that?"
"I was one of the many forced to take the long way to work."
"The man was killed with Japanese Giant Hornet poison," Bullock said. "What do you know about it?"
"Incredibly toxic, no survivors have been recorded because no one has ever survived."
James took some pictures out of his pocket and handed them to Riley who looked. After a few seconds he nodded and then passed them back.
"I don't want to sound like a broken record detectives' since you already know what I'm going to say."
"How long have you worked as an entomologist?"
"Five years now Detective."
"Do you work with foreign insects?"
"We do detective along with invasive species and what not. Your next question is if we have Japanese Giant Hornet poison yes? Well we do, however we have a very limited supply for research only of course."
Riley walked over to a small fridge and opened the door. Inside was basically empty except for a couple Styrofoam vial cases in the door and in the bottom. The entomologist took out the bottom one and opened the lid showing off all three vials. He took a clipboard and showed the recordings.
"As you can see we limit ourselves on how much foreign poisons we deal with," Riley explained, "for safety purposes as well as domestic. We buy only what we need and when we need it. So for the past two months we've only stored three vials of the venom."
The two detectives saw the truth and James gave an inward sigh.
"Is there anything else I can help you with detectives?"
"No, that will be all."
Riley nodded. "If you need anything I'll be here."
Outside the Lab, Harvey turned to his partner. The expression on his face was clearly suspicion and doubt.
"Guy seems oddly willing to give up information."
"Maybe he isn't like the florist," James said.
"Either way that guy's still giving off a bad vibe."
XXXXXX
James and Harvey walked into the precinct both still slightly reeling from the information that Riley had given them. An officer stepped forward stopping the two other them.
"Ed Nygma wants to see you guys when you're ready," she said.
"About what?"
The officer shrugged and continued on her work. The two headed to the forensics room, Ed was writing in his pocketbook when they entered.
"Oh just in time," he said slapping his notebook shut. Ed crossed the room and took a crisp new file off the growing pile to the side. "The victim didn't have his wallet, or any identification, so we had to use his dental records. The man's name is Olivier Spena, thirty-seven, works at the Post Office and lives on his own."
"Criminal record?"
"Nope."
James scanned through the file before passing it onto Harvey. He tried to make something out, he wanted there to be a connection but there was a huge lack of evidence. The guy was a simple worker who lives a simple life.
"Another thing you might be interested in detective," Ed took out some pictures. They were of the man's gnarled fingers, another photo was of burrows around the injection area.
"The symptoms that Mr. Spena displayed, is actually not accurate of a Japanese Giant Hornet sting, this shows that he had a severe allergic reaction."
"Meaning what?" Bullock demanded
"That the poison wasn't pure, there was something else in the solution that caused the reaction."
"But if it's bee poison…," James started, than he paused. "Could it have been…manufactured?"
Ed nodded. "That is a great possibility Detective Gordon."
"What kind of possibility?"
"One would have to have highly developmental technology to do something like this from scratch. However early reports do support that there are actual Japanese hornet poison."
"Alright, thanks a lot Ed."
The forensics investigator just smiled as the pair left.
Outside the room James turned to his partner.
"I'm going to check into this guy's background, friends, family…there has to be something. Can you check into Riley Sylos?"
Harvey nodded. "That means I get the bugged out loner."
XXXXXX
The next day Harvey found his partner already up and ready for the day. This was one thing that he never understood about James.
"Morning," Harvey said slapping the paper on his desk.
"Morning," James nodded reading through some files.
The chair creaked as Harvey sat down and sipped his coffee. He was about to open the paper when Lee Thompkins walked by, she gave him a small smile that grew as her eyes drifted over to her lover. Harvey watched with peaked interest as James gave her a returned tight smile.
"So, get any work done? Mean between you two frisky kids having the whole night to yourself….no parents…."
James clicked his tongue as he passed over a file.
"One speeding ticket….but for going 30 in a 50 zone."
"Guy gets a ticket for driving like a grandmother?"
"Yeah…."
Harvey raised his eyebrows. "Damn you guys must've had a lot of time left over."
"Harvey….," James warned.
His partner raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright that was the last one boy scout."
"I also had Ed look into Ms. Terric, her real name is Carol Eveline Terric, twenty-eight and has been with Velrun Tower for the past five years."
"That's the same time as when Riley Sylos joined up."
James nodded. "What did you find on Riley?"
"Interesting lad," Harvey responded passing over a much thicker file. James's eyes widened. "Lost his mom at the age of two, home invasion. Went to live with his father and step-mother, from then became an entomologist."
"Did they find out who did it?" James asked flipping through the reports.
"Went cold twenty-five years ago."
James was quiet for a while. From what he could find, the hitman was half-descent enough to wear gloves but stupid enough to do the actual job with a knife. There was a silence P-9 mm found but it was a paring knife, one usually found in kitchens that did the work by stabbing the aorta around the collarbone. Pictures showed blood splatter in every direction, the hallway where it happened was a complete mess with flower vase pieces scattered on the ground and glass from picture frames in splinters.
Harvey saw a familiar look in his partner's eyes and he leaned back holding his hands out like a traffic cop.
"Whoa…whoa hold on guy, one case at a time!"
"I wasn't-."
"Ah, ah, ah – I know that 'I'm a hero' look. It ain't happening."
"Twenty-five years is a long time," James said his eyes ran down the paper. "It would be a good motive."
Harvey nodded exaggeratedly. "But Olivier has no record except for driving too god damn slow, that he wouldn't kill a squirrel even if it waited for him."
"It said that Riley's father Nathan sent him to therapy for a couple months," James continued reading, "documents are of course locked no doubt. Showed no aggression and no sign of psychotic breakage…."
"But there was plenty of depression and anxiety to go around."
There was a tap on James's shoulder and he half expected it to be Nygma. Instead it was a Sergeant
"We got another one fellas."
"Where?"
"Parker and Bellvue."
XXXXXX
James and Harvey both walked onto the scene knowing that there was no rush between where they are and the dead. The tape was lifted and they watched Ed make marking in his notebook as he examined the body; it was female.
"What'cha you got there Ed?" Harvey asked.
The coroner stood and smiled, "a spider."
James could almost see his partner shiver.
"Damn freaks."
Ed knelt and the two followed. He rolled the victim's wrist between his gloved hands and showed off the perfect puncture wound.
It had a perfect circular red mark around it, about the size of a nickel. A small trickle of blood had seeped from one of the holes it had dried and caked to the skin.
The woman's body was spectacularly different from their first victim. She had no anomalies and strange bumps, rather pale skin and a bit of dried bile coming out of the corner of her mouth. Her legs were twined underneath her as if she had tried to walk seconds before she died.
"Do we have an I.D?" Harvey asked.
Ed flipped a card between his fingers then handed it to him.
"Jaime Niron, age thirty-nine."
"This is her business card," Ed handed over.
James took it and looked.
"She worked a grooming shop not too far from here."
"I'll go check it out," Harvey said, "meantime you can go check up on employee list from Velrun."
James nodded.
XXXXXX
At the precinct James went over the footage from the subway. He watched intently making sure he didn't miss anything. Whoever did it knew what they were doing, they knew where the cameras were and they knew what would happen. It was almost as if they wished Olivier to die a horrible death as he did.
"Anything?"
James turned to see Captain Essen behind him, her hands were crossed across her breast and she looked slightly exhausted.
"Whoever this guy is… he's good."
"He knew the cameras, he knew how to hide. So maybe he lived in Gotham, or well enough to know Olivier's travel path."
"It was well planned and well executed." James turned to his captain. "I'm still having a hard time thinking that it was just a normal citizen. There are hitmen out there with calling cards, special ways of killing people. Serial killers as well."
"If that is so, his psychotic levels have already reached a divine state."
Captain Essen gave a small sigh. "I've seen the file on Riley Sylos, and the one on Carol Terric."
"And?"
"Both started to work for Velrun around the same time, Riley is a five year entomologist and Carol has a business degree. Neither have any convictions."
She picked up Riley's folder and scanned through it, frowning she skimmed over a page.
"What do we know about Marshal Irtwin?"
"Step-brother to Riley, he works at an auto shop. His father – biological – is in a home, he is permanently disabled from a car crash.
Captain Essen was about respond when she saw Ed coming up the stairs. James swiveled around just in time as the forensic investigator set some pictures on his desk.
"The venom is from the Brown Recluse Spider, there is an antidote and it is over the counter. During the autopsy Dr. Thompson found hair filaments around the puncture wounds, after testing them they proved to be from the spider itself."
"So what it just dropped from the sky?"
"How it got onto her is still unknown, however I think that someone might've put it on her. These spiders are agile and it would be able to bite her before Ms. Niron would even have the slightest hint it was there."
"Criminal convictions?" Captain Essen asked.
"None," James answered. "Just like our first victim."
"Then we have a major problem."
She turned on her heels and marched back to her office. Once the door was closed Ed turned to the detective who rubbed the crusted grit from his eyes.
"Are you alright Detective?"
James looked at the pile of papers in front of him, the paused video of Olivier convulsing on the ground, and the looming sense of sleepless nights and endless cups of coffee.
"At the moment Ed…that's a big question."
XXXXXX
The Wayne Mansion was quiet. Actually it had being quiet for the past two days, Alfred had watched Master Bruce carefully. The boy, Tommy Elliot, had managed to destroy whatever reputation Bruce had at the school. Alfred had prepared himself a bit for whatever backlash Bruce would bring home, but to his surprise there was none.
It had being two weeks since Thomas and Martha Wayne's death. Even though the city was done mourning, Alfred knew it was breaking apart. Everything that has happened after their deaths with the gangs was no coincidence and anyone who said otherwise was a simpleton in Alfred's mind.
Bruce was far from a simpleton, rather seeing the gangs clash ignoring it. He goes in the opposite direction and has a whole conspiracy board about it – especially when some content involves Wayne Enterprise.
Alfred walked into Thomas Wayne's room with a tray. He would much rather have the youth eat in the kitchen, but at the moment he decided to let it go. Bruce was sitting at his father's desk doing homework, or at least that was what the butler hoped he was doing.
"It's time for dinner Master Bruce," Alfred said setting down the tray.
Bruce didn't respond right away. After a few seconds he looked up and nodded.
"Thanks Alfred, can you put it over there?"
Giving a disproved sigh, Alfred laid it on the desk next to Bruce's arm.
"Now."
Bruce set down his pen down and started to eat. That was when Alfred took his chance and caught a glimpse at some of the drawings at the top of Bruce's page. Images of heavily inked buildings and monsters amongst what looked like heavy clouds.
"Didn't know you had a knack for drawings Master Bruce."
He didn't respond right away.
"Did you do any homework?"
Bruce felt the tips of his ears go hot. Alfred didn't miss the blushed expression.
"This is the third time this week," Alfred reminded. When the youth didn't respond, he continued on. "You're teachers called to tell me that you're getting behind in class."
"I've…being busy lately," Bruce answered.
Alfred looked at the conspiracy wall there was more on it from yesterday.
"…I see however there are important things that need to be attended to."
Alfred could sense something in the atmosphere that wasn't there before. It had mostly being consumed by mourn and determination. But what had swirled into the mix was something between anger – and guilt.
Bruce seemed to notice the butler's concerned expression.
"I'm fine Alfred."
"…I'm jus-."
"I said I was fine!"
The outburst took Alfred by surprise but took Bruce by more. He bowed his head but couldn't unclench his fists no matter how hard he tried.
"Excuse me."
Alfred nodded as Bruce rose to his feet and left. He stood there for a few moments, knowing and partially dreading what was happening. It was an ugly thing what had just happened and if it progresses it might get uglier.
