Doctors flew around Arkham looking as though they were the ones that needed to be committed. Police cars littered the parking lot in haphazard clusters and news reporters were already starting to line up outside the door. Dr. Arkham was fending them off with three guards and one of the more intimidating officers. Harleen stood still in the center of the lobby and watched a secretary talk animatedly to someone on the phone, verging hysterics.
"Are they letting you leave?" Annabelle, a co-worker of Harleen's asked her.
She turned to face the woman who was about ten years her senior with short red hair and a mouth full of much too dark brown lipstick. She was someone Harleen had lunch with in the cafeteria almost every day and was quite fond of her. Now the two women were standing side by side, baffled by the chaos going on around them.
"They didn't question me long. Said I need to go somewhere safe but suggested not to go home. As though the Joker would even bother finding me there. They want me to leave here now, though."
"He doesn't know where you live, right?" Annabelle asked.
"No. How could he?"
"Easily." She replied.
Harleen shook her head. "Like I told everyone else, he's not interested in finding me. He's out on a demented trip somewhere, robbing, killing and stealing. Probably involved with the mob again. Batman will find him in a few days, like always, and he'll be back in my office irritating me- like always- by next Monday."
"He's never stayed with a therapist as long as you, Harleen. The police...everyone...think that's significant." The woman placed a concerned had on her shoulder, "We're all worried. Why don't you go to your boyfriend's house for a while?"
Harleen shrugged and turned away. She didn't have a boyfriend anymore. The night of the 'incident' made her so guilty she called Chad strait away and ended things. She felt horrible for basically cheating and was also scared for his life. It was the best thing to do and had to ignore how heart broken he was. But, again, what other choice was there?
"I'm going home. It'll be fine. All this is silly." Harleen said and gave Annabelle a quick hug before weaving through the maze of onlookers and to her car.
It was a short drive from the institution to her apartment and that was one of the things that appealed for Harley when taking the job. Convenience. Now she was certainly grateful for it. Her mind was so jumbled with everything that happened within the past twenty four hours and it made it difficult to concentrate on the road.
Once arriving at her complex Harley shut off the engine and took a breath. If things didn't calm down soon she was sure she'd have a heart attack. It was hard to believe so much drama had happened since taking up this case and she was now positive she'd made a dire mistake. Harleen glanced into the back seat for the second time since getting into the car but the Joker wasn't there. The paranoia was unending.
She opened the driver's side door and stepped out, straitening her dress. She'd chosen the most demure outfit available from her closet that morning, still feeling dirty. It didn't hide or change anything, that much was true, but it helped her feel less obvious.
Harleen shut the door and looked around at the vehicles in the lot. There weren't many with it being a work day and the ones she saw didn't appear dangerous or have a big sign reading 'The Joker's Escape Car'. Deeming it safe to go, she walked up to the complex and through the swinging glass doors. She said hello to the doorman and took comfort knowing he was always there.
She made her way to the elevator at the end of the marble hallway and listened to the click of her shoes. It was so quiet and she was rarely home during the week, the building seemed almost spooky.
Once inside the elevator, Harleen pressed the number four and watched the dial above her head light up with each ascent. Her mind wanted to run away with every thought or theory it had but she was strict. No guessing where he could be, no wondering if he was still alive and no, no, no...assuming he was inside her apartment, waiting. That was the most poisonous of all her thoughts, leaving room to remember the day before. Feeling torn between the wrong and right of life when all Harleen wanted to do was have a decent career.
The double doors slid open when a bell chimed at her level. She stepped out and walked slowly to her door as though walking to a death sentence. Harleen scolded herself for the seventh time that week for being overly dramatic. But still, she took a look up and down the hallway before placing her key into the lock. What did she expect to see? His troupe of masked men running around, swinging guns in the air. That was dumb.
Harleen closed the door behind her quickly and locked all three locks. She stopped herself from drawing the blinds and shutting the curtains to hide. Tossing her purse onto the overstuffed sectional, she perched on the arm. She debated turning on the news for a long moment before finally deciding against it. No need to fuel more fear. Someone would call her once he was captured and everyone could go back to normal life. Maybe when he was back in Arkham she would remove herself from his case and reconsile with Chad. She missed him and loved him and, although he didn't provide the same excitement as flirting with a lunactic, he was real. He was true and he loved her back.
She got up and wandered into the kitchen to eat what was left of the two week old Rocky Road icecream left in the freezer, when she heard a sound.
"Oh, c'mon." Harleen mumbled to herself.
It sounded like something falling. Or someone tapping loudly. She couldn't tell. Harleen reminded herself that there were neighbors in her unit and the walls were thin. Be logical.
She forced herself to open the freezer when she heard it again.
"Ok. If there's a crazy person here about to kill me, come out now. Stop fucking around!" She yelled out, and waited.
Nothing.
She closed the freezer door and walked into the bathroom, turning on the light.
Noone.
She slammed that door in frustration with herself, and walked into her bedroom. The bed was still made with the pretty vintage sheets she'd just bought at a flee market. Pictures still hung on the wall and everything was in place. Nothing was moved or tampered with. And she was about to laugh at herself when the sound came again, this time right behind her.
Harleen turned so fast it almost made her dizzy. Her blond hair wipped in her face and she saw him.
He was in clothes she recognized from news reports. The suit, the gloves, the vest, the shoes. She remembered it all.
"You're supposed to be in Arkham." She pointed at him, it was the first thing that came out of her mouth and it sounded incredibly stupid. As though she were about to punish a child for skipping school. But it was better than screaming.
"I wanted to talk to you and I couldn't wait for our next session." He said.
"I'm calling the police." Harleen made a step for the living room but he pushed her back.
"No, I'M calling the police!" He said and grabbed the phone before she could get to it. He clicked it on and put it to his ear, "Or, maybe I'll just call Chad instead. I feel like we should clear the air."
She grabbed the phone and clicked it off "I already did that, not that it matters."
"So you told him you had sexual intercourse with a patient?" He smiled.
"No because that would be false." Harleen's heart raced, "It was nothing like that." She shouldn't be taking part in this conversation. She should just be dialing 911. "You're manipulative and you seduced me. I couldn't think strait." Harleen almost pleaded.
"I seduced you?!" The Joker placed a hand over his heart as if stunned, "How was I to know that one of these little sit downs would turn into you playing doctor with me? I mean, Harley..." He stepped towards her, "I'm only a man..." He growled, "and it's pretty hard to pay attention with these little outfits..." He said and placed a hand on her hip.
She shoved him back.
"Don't touch me!" Harleen ran to the door now and rushed to unlock it, but before she even had the top one undone, he grabbed her hair and pushed her cheek against the door frame. His other hand pinned her right arm down, behind her back.
"I never get to finish a sentence before someone's trying to run away." He said. "Maybe that's why I'm so misunderstood."
He let go of her hair and brought her left hand up with the right one. He grabbed her wrists and leaned against her body. She felt him search for something and fought back tears when she saw the blade.
"Please don't kill me, please, please." Harleen whispered.
"Well, since you said please. "The Joker laughed. "Harley, I don't want to kill you and you're smart enough to see that by now." He pressed the blade into her neck but not hard enough to break skin.
"What do you want?" Harleen managed between a sob.
"For starters I need you to stop panicking..."