Someone rapped on the door, and reluctantly, I lifted my head from my arms and opened my eyes. Even through my blurry vision, I knew Nash stood in the doorway.
"Are you waiting for Bullock to catch you sleeping on the job?" he asked, his tone light and teasing.
"I'm thinking," I said.
"Or you're practicing osmosis."
I glanced at the files my arms and head had been resting on. "I wasn't sleeping. I just close my eyes so I don't get distracted by faces like yours."
"It is quite handsome, isn't it?" Nash said.
"You're a narcissist."
He chuckled. "You got me." He checked the hallway in both directions. "You better start looking busy in case Bullock comes around."
"What do I care? I'm leaving in less than ten minutes."
Nash smiled and shook his head. "Just don't let him catch you. You've only been a detective for about a month. Don't give him an excuse to stick you back at the receptionist desk."
I waved my hand dismissively at him but sat up and picked up my pen, taking his advice seriously. I knew he was right; Bullock was out to get me, constantly on the watch for any excuse that he could use against me. Even though I had been working at the MCU for two months, I still hadn't gained an ounce of trust from him. I trusted him, but not sincerely. I trusted him to turn me in the first time I stepped out of line.
Despite Bullock, I enjoyed working at the MCU. The first three weeks had been painful, due to the fact that I was generally loaded down with paperwork that the officers were too lazy to type up or finish. Bullock took advantage of this, giving me every scrap of work he could give me once he had written his signature and then taking it back when I was finished to check if I had screwed with any of his notes. Jason defended me when Bullock started giving me notes to write-up his eyewitness account to certain crimes but only to a certain extent.
To my relief, Gordon was short on detectives, and because I had done exceptional work in the academy, he quickly promoted me to "junior" detective. I was allowed to be out in the field as long as I stuck by my "senior" partner. At first, I partnered with cops, working on the basic cases, like assault and battery, hit-and-run, and domestic disputes, but eventually, I moved up to working with a "senior" detective, being a second or third opinion on the super-criminals.
Someone shuffled inside the office, and I glanced up. "Murphy, aren't we late?"
My "senior" partner, Murphy shrugged as he placed his bag down by the desk. "Had a late night," he responded.
I instantly turned sympathetic. He worked late nights often, and even though we were partners, it was generally rare that we were actually working together. I sent sarcastic thanks in Bullock's direction for that since he refused to allow me to take the night shift so that I could work alongside Murphy. "How long were you here?"
"Until five this morning."
"Ouch. So you went home, slept, and then came back here."
"Pretty much." He pushed papers from the small couch in his office – it was his office, I worked with him, but as "junior" detective, I wasn't given an office. He headed toward the door and turned inside the frame. "I'm going to get coffee. Would you like some?"
"No thanks, I'm headed home in five," I told him. "And don't worry about the newspaper. I've got you one here." I lifted it from the side of the desk as proof. He nodded wearily and left.
I leaned back in the chair, setting the newspaper on my lap and spreading it out. I had changed during my time working with the cops. Originally, I wouldn't bother reading a newspaper or drinking coffee, but I acquired the taste for it since asking for hot chocolate would require a sacrifice on my behalf.
Jason offered to make it, but I learned that he counted "favors". If he made me hot chocolate, I owed him a favor, to which he would ask me out for lunch or dinner. It didn't even take me a split second to realize what he was trying to do – he wanted to win me back. After the first few times, I found that I simply wasn't interested, and luckily for me, I learned most of his tricks so as to avoid dragging my feet to his "favor-owed" dates.
Someone rapped on the door, catching my attention and causing me to look up. I heaved a silent sigh when I recognized Jason and then stood, packing my things away.
"Did I interrupt something?" he asked, flashing me a sheepish grin. "Maybe catching you in a criminal act."
"Be careful," I warned. "I'm the best ex-criminal you have on your force, so you might want to be nice or I might commit a crime against you."
"And what crime would that be?" he asked, curiously.
My eyes narrowed, but I smirked. "You'll see, if you keep this up."
He shrugged, grinning as he sat on the corner of Murphy's desk. Consciously, I leaned back, placing more of a distance between us. "I don't remember you working on night shift," he said, casually.
"I'm not working night shift, I'm headed home."
"Actually…you're staying here."
I flashed a glare at him. "You stopping me from going home? Don't you dare."
"It's not me," Jason said, holding up his hands defensively – as if they were going to protect him from my wrath. "I heard about Murphy having a hard time working with his partner when she's not allowed to work night shift with him."
"So you decided to step in and talk to Bullock on Murphy's behalf." I said it sarcastically, trying to get it across to him that I wouldn't appreciate it if he had managed to convince Bullock to change my hours.
"I did, and he agreed."
"Seriously?" I demanded, shocked and angry. "You're pulling my leg."
He shook his head. "He was reluctant, but I knocked some sense into him." He mimicked punching someone, grinning like a little boy, to be funny, but my expression didn't change. "Looks like you owe me another favor."
"Murphy owes you a favor," I snapped, angrily.
"You wanted the night shift. I did it for you." My eyes flashed with my otherwise invisible fury. Jason caught it and leaned over the desk, noticing the folder I left out. "Catwoman's folder?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Yes," I replied, curtly.
"Are those Murphy's notes?"
"And mine." He reached for it, and I quickly snatched it off the desk. "You, Lieu-tenant don't get to see the evidence until it's written into an official report."
"Jane, take a breath and calm down," Jason said, "I was only looking."
"Curiosity killed the cat."
He arched an eyebrow. "Is that a threat towards me or Catwoman?" I kept my mouth shut. Underneath my anger, my rational side knew very well that I was about to cross a line that could damage my reputation in the MCU. Two months of hard work would fly out the window, something I couldn't risk.
Jason heaved a sigh as he stood. "I'll just assume that your irritability is because you've worked all day, and you're tired."
"You think?" I replied, sarcastically. He gave me a look, silently telling me to watch what I said. He headed for the door. "When do I start working night shift?" I asked, fighting to keep the sarcasm in line.
He halted at the doorway and glanced over his shoulder. After checking to make sure I wasn't pulling attitude, he said, "You start today, right now." Then he left.
Murphy returned with coffee to find me with my face in my hands. He nudged me with a cup, startling me slightly. "Sorry," he said, placing it between my hands. "I figured you could use one."
I mumbled my thanks and sipped. "So, who told you?"
"No one. I overheard Bullock telling Nash."
Swallowing, I moved to set the cup aside, but Murphy stopped me. "Go sit on the couch. Rest for a bit."
"I've had my fur rubbed the wrong way; I'm not resting." He stared me down, and I reluctantly gave in, migrating to the couch with the newspaper. When I caught him eying me and the newspaper, I said, "I'm going to look for clues."
"You won't find them in a newspaper." I rolled my eyes and started flipping through. "Besides, there must be something in her files that will point to her."
"Keep dreaming, Murphy." I sensed him throwing me a look, but I kept my eyes down, scanning the black print before me and flipping a page. "And unlike you, I've read through her files so many times that I know them forwards and backwards."
"Do you read files before you go to bed every night?"
I shrugged, flipping another page.. "It's just a bit of light reading." He chuckled as he booted up his computer. "Go ahead and think I'm crazy, but I believe I've found something." When he looked up, I turned the newspaper around, revealing the article and black-and-white picture.
"What is it?" he asked after a moment.
"Patagonian Cat's Eye Opals," I said. "They're being featured at the Johnson's Jewelry Company for only today and tomorrow. The cat burglar will definitely want these."
"What makes you say that?" Murphy asked. "I can understand that Catwoman likes jewelry, but why?"
"The answer to your question is in her name. She's a woman. Women love jewelry, and Catwoman is not an exception. If these are up for a limited time, she's going to have to make her move soon, most likely tonight."
Murphy caught the look in my eyes, and despite his weariness, he smiled. "You have potential to become a great detective."
"I just happened upon it, and besides, don't compliment me until after we've caught every super-criminal," I scolded, but deep inside, I felt a rush of pride.
"What time is it?" he asked, suddenly.
"Ten past ten."
Murphy tapped away at his keyboard for a few moments and then swore. "Johnson's closed at ten." He snatched his jacket. "Get your coat and go tell Gordon."
"What about Bullock?" I asked.
"I'll deal with him."
Unfortunately, when I arrived at the Commissioner's office, Bullock was there too. He shot me a cold stare, which I returned before launching into an explanation to Gordon about what was going on. I finished without interruption, even though I caught Gordon motioning for Bullock to keep his mouth shut several times throughout. After I had finished, then the bombardment began.
"How do you know she'll be there?" Bullock demanded.
"Don't you dare suggest that I've spoken to her because I highly doubt that she would plan for me to get her caught."
"It's too much of a coincidence, Commissioner," Bullock said, turning toward him. He glanced at me, hardly making an effort to hide his distrust. From day one, I endured this, brushing my shoulder and ignoring it. Now, as it was my first big one, it irritated me to no end. To make matters worse, Murphy wasn't here to speak on my behalf; I had to defend myself against the person who distrusted me the most.
"Bullock, I'm very aware that you do not trust me, but honestly, have I ever let you or anyone down?"
He didn't give that a thought. "Other than getting the paperwork done, yes."
My hands clenched at my sides, but I forced my tone to remain calm. "What do you want done then? We have a chance to possibly catch-."
"We need guarantees, McKinley, not possibilities."
"Nothing the police does is guarantees, Bullock," I argued. "We work as hard as we can, and people send in tips. If we have a lead, whether guaranteed or not, we follow it until we either find the next lead or until we hit a deadend."
"She's got a point," Gordon said. "Do it, Bullock."
"Fine," he said, grudgingly. "However, she stays here."
"Ex-cuse me? Murphy and I share this case."
"So we'd only need him, not you." My mouth opened as I tried to protest, but he shook his head sharply. "I don't trust you."
"You can't trust me here either," I said, glaring at him. "What am I going to do? Warn Catwoman beforehand so I could be the one to catch her?" As soon as it came out of my mouth, I realized I had stepped on the button. Red flags went up for both Bullock and Gordon, even though the Commissioner had trust in me.
"McKinley," Gordon began, and from his weary tone, I knew what was coming. "I need you here." My heart sank. "Only Murphy needs to be there, and this is a possible face-to-face encounter with the infamous cat burglar." I wanted to argue, but he wasn't done. "Next time, Bullock will have you involved more, but this time around, you have done enough and we appreciate it."
If it had only been Bullock, I would have argued until I won, but as my own words had ruined my chances – that and it was Gordon – I stepped down from the fight. I enjoyed my job as a detective, and I didn't want to get fired. I would be either sent back to the asylum or placed in Blackgate, neither of which I wanted to go.
I sulked in Murphy's office, spinning the swivel chair from side-to-side. I heard the cops while they prepared to capture the car burglar – my cat burglar. In my head, I screamed at myself for saying what I did. Gordon probably would have argued for me to go along with had I kept my mouth shut. My temper had gotten the better of me.
Gordon finally arrived, after sending the cops on their way, lead by Bullock and Murphy, and he brought with him a present: a large heap of paperwork. "Here it is," he said, setting it down on the desk. "If you finish this, you can ask around for more." He straightened and remained there for longer than he had to.
Finally, I said, "Thank you," and grabbed a handful of paper, drawing it closer as I grabbed a pen.
"McKinley, I'm-."
"I don't want to talk about it, Commissioner. I'll get straight to work." I could tell he didn't want to leave, that he had something to say, but he decided against it, leaving me alone in the office. A few minutes later, someone lightly tapped on the door frame. I didn't bother to look up, or answer; I assumed the visitor would speak, which he did.
"That's unfair. You found the lead; you should be able to follow it."
"Life's unfair, Nash. Get used to it."
"But there are ways of cheating life."
"Not when it comes to paperwork." I paused and then looked up. "Unless you're suggesting that I burn it all, which would only get me into even more trouble with Gordon."
"No, you don't need to burn it. I've got someone who'd be willing to do it all for you, though." I arched an eyebrow, looking unconvinced. "I'm serious. Grab it and I'll show you." I hesitated, unsure if he was telling the truth or pulling my leg. If he was suggesting Jason as my replacement, there was no way I was going to do it.
"One question. Even if you could 'cheat' me out of my work, what were you hoping to accomplish?"
"I hoped to help a friend who deserves to be out there on the field for her case." He gave me hope.
I followed him, carrying the pile of paperwork, and he brought me to a lone police officer. Nash knocked on the officer's desk, and he looked up sharply from his own papers. "Hey, comrade, how about helping me out a bit?"
The cop, who looked fairly young, merely glanced at my heap of paperwork and held out his hands for it. I hesitated and then handed it over, watching him as he wordlessly placed it on his desk. He held out a hand toward Nash, and Nash shook it. I didn't miss the transferring of cash, but I didn't say anything.
"Do you want me to drop you off?" Nash asked me when we had returned to Murphy's office so I could grab my jacket.
"If you would like," I said, leaving the offer open for him to decide.
He dropped me off several streets away, and when I argued to be dropped off closer, he said, "It's better to sneak up from far away. Keep a lookout for Murphy and Bullock." I nodded, and he drove off.
On the route to Johnson's Jewelry Company, I kept an eye out for unmarked cars and undercover cops. I nearly walked straight into one, but managed to veer away before he noticed me. I located Bullock and Murphy easily enough – I knew my partner and knew too the man who was out to get me into trouble. After finding them, I found my chosen position and remained there, hidden in the back of the jewelry company.
All there was to do was wait. Patience wasn't my strong suit for this type of work, but unfortunately, I have had to do a lot of it. No action for over an hour. I restlessly paced in my area, eyes scanning every spot in my view and ducking into the shadows every time an undercover cop walked by.
Midnight crept closer and closer at an agonizingly slow pace. My restlessness turned into stillness. I remained standing, eyes closed against a throbbing headache that had emerged half an hour ago. My patience wore thin gradually, worn away by the passing time. With it, my senses had heightened, something I discovered while waiting. My sight impaired, my hearing had sharpened so I could heard every movement around me, every whisper the undercover cops made to one another, every breath taken.
It had nothing to do with an adrenaline rush – like normal people claimed – because I wasn't feeling any. If anything, I was feeling tired of the wait, and of course, tired from working all day and through night shift. It didn't surprise me that I wasn't given any time in between shifts. It was very like Bullock to test me, to stretch me until he caused me to snap. I had tomorrow off, but that didn't mean much, particularly right now when Bullock was taking my case.
My mouth twitched. Resentment toward the man who hated me. Having that feeling didn't surprise me either.
The scrap of heels and click of sharp metal on the roof broke me out of my thoughts. Opening my eyes and looking up, I caught sight of a slender black form leaping onto the jewelry store roof. The form remained on the edge, standing up before moving forward and out of my sight. This time, a slight smile curved over my lips; Catwoman was feeling right at home, something I could use to my advantage.
Faced with needing a way up to the roof to follow directly behind Catwoman, I looked and found I was supplied by only two walls from the jewelry store and the shop next door.
This is where my self-training and Skechers came in handy. Shoes with good traction, strong legs, and speed. Starting from one end of a wall, I broke into a run, sharply turning and jumping onto the first wall. I pushed off the moment I hit the first one, spinning to meet the second wall. Contacting for the second and pushing off again, catching myself in multiple wall-jumps, bouncing back and forth, climbing the walls.
But you lose momentum as you jump off one wall to the next. I pushed off the last time, leaping for the jewelry store's roof, but I had lost too much momentum. My hands gripped the edge, and my feet connected with the wall in a cat crouch. Before I lost my grip, I pushed off and up, throwing myself over the edge of the roof and landing neatly in a low crouch.
I couldn't help myself; I heaved a sigh of relief. Even though I felt like I had done that in the past, it simply amazed me that I managed it on the first try. And I didn't really think about what I was doing, just knew I could do it.
I shook my head, pushing my thoughts away, and pushed off, running for the skylight. As I located the missing glass piece, I wondered why most places like jewelry stores and museums had skylights. Didn't they realize that some good criminals would actually use them to break in? Must've never crossed their minds, until they find shattered glass and missing precious possessions.
The jewelry store was relatively large, with a setup like an atrium – two levels but a square hole in the second floor to see down to the bottom. And how smart of Johnson's Jewelry Company to put their new feature in the center of the first floor! Catwoman was busy looking at the Patagonian Cat's Eye Opals as I jumped down onto the second floor, crouching and peeking over the railing.
Murphy, followed by four cops, burst into the store, breaking through the front door. Catwoman jumped, alerted by the shattering of glass. Giving the glass case before her a good hit, she smashed the glass covering and snatched the Patagonian Cat's Eye Opals, shoving them in her bag.
"Freeze, Catwoman," Murphy ordered, joining the rank of cops training their guns on the criminal. Catwoman turned slowly, and I think she hissed as she lowered herself into a crouch, holding one hand out in front of her, baring curved claws.
I hid behind the railing, reaching into my pockets and pulling out the pair of leather gloves I had retrieved in the mystery box sent to my apartment two months ago. As I pulled them on, I heard the crack of a whip and cries of pain. I was missing the action, but I didn't look for fear of being seen.
I winced as I heard a gunshot, a loud grunt, and the clatter of said gun on the floor. I had to think of a way of getting down there without Murphy or the cops recognizing me. I should have thought of something before this, but now that I was faced with it, I realized I had no idea what to do. Only way of getting around this was to wait, unfortunately.
I waited, keeping an eye on my watch, watching the seconds tick by. Just listening to the grunts and cries of pain, I could imagine, in detail, what was going on down there. The crack of a whip, a last whimper, and then quiet.
"Poor little boys," Catwoman mocked, sympathetically. "Almost had a chance." I took the chance, peeking over the railing to see the current situation. Only a minute and she had all four cops down, groaning on the floor. Seemed unbelievable, something maybe Batman alone could pull off.
"You won't get away," Murphy grunted, trying to push himself off the ground.
Catwoman swiftly kicked him in the chest. "Well, too bad," she snapped, "None of your boys could handle me."
I stood and vaulted over the railing, landing heavily on the first floor. Hearing me, Catwoman turned her head. "You think you're too much for a man, Kitten," I said. "You sound so confident."
"Well, well, if it isn't Shadow, out of Arkham," Catwoman sneered. "Come to these boys' aid?"
"Just came here for you," I replied, smirking.
"Is that so? Working for them now?"
"What does it matter? You're not getting away with your loot."
Catwoman stared at me for a few moments before shrugging. "I didn't really want them anyway," she said. Then she threw her bag at me. My attention was momentarily distracted by the bag as I instinctively moved to catch it.
Catwoman ran toward me, jumping into the air and kicking me in the chest. The impact sent me flying into a jewelry case, knocking it over and breaking the glass, littering the floor with jewels. Wincing, I started to push myself off the floor. There was a crack, and something painful snapped against my right arm. I collapsed onto the ground, grasping my forearm, when Catwoman leaped on me, trapping me.
My head throbbed painfully, and I clenched my teeth, trying to focus beyond the pain. Curling my legs in between us, I heaved, kicking Catwoman off me and then kicked again, using my momentum to jump to my feet.
Catwoman recovered and stood glaring at me, cracking her whip off to the side. I raised my hands slightly, ready to defend if I had to. She snapped her whip a few times and then suddenly cracked it in my direction.
Without thinking, I lifted my right hand, my eyes on the whip as it arched through the air. Miraculously, I caught the end, much to Catwoman's surprise. Taking advantage, I yanked on the whip, catching her off guard. As she stumbled toward me, I jumped and thrust out a leg, catching her in the chest, just like she had gotten me the first time.
She lost her grip on her whip and fell to the ground. Instantly, I held her down and tied her whip around her wrists and her neck, not tight enough to choke her. Holding the handle in one hand, I finally took out my gun and held it at her forehead.
"You're under arrest, Catwoman," I said, "Or should I say" – gripped the bottom of her mask and pulled it off, revealing her true identity – "Selina Kyle."
"Selina Kyle?" I looked up to see that a few of the cops were still conscious, climbing to their feet slowly. They stared in disbelief. "The woman dating Bruce Wayne?"
Catwoman struggled underneath me, but I only tightened the whip around her neck a bit. "Okay, boys, stop gawking," I ordered. "Start moving." Two of them headed in my direction, but I shook my head. "Murphy and I can handle her."
Murphy approached as I pulled Catwoman to her feet, snapping handcuffs on her wrists and removing the whip from around her hands. "What are you doing here, McKinley?" Murphy demanded in a whisper. "You're not supposed to be here."
"I couldn't miss out on our case," I said.
"You better get out of here before Bull-."
"McKinley?" Murphy and I turned our heads in unison, spotting Bullock as he walked in with three more cops. After a moment, a smug smirk stretched across his face. My heart sank at the sight. "Well, well, well, aren't we in trouble now."
Lordlink13: And there is chapter nine for those of you who wanted more.
