"But, Master Bruce, perhaps the book offers clues in a metaphoric way? Perhaps you could consult an English professor about the Mad Tea Party and see if he or she has something to say about it?"
Alfred and Batman had been sitting in the cave for roughly an hour now trying to figure out the Mad Hatter's clues.
"I don't think that Tetch wants anyone to have to read into this, Alfred," replied Batman in his thinking voice. "It's pretty clear so far anyways. We know that he's followed the Mad Tea Party scene very closely and literally so far. The 'No room!' quote is the first thing that the Mad Hatter says at the party. It was also quite literal since he left the cell room when he wrote it. At the first murder, he cut the hair off the head of the girl. That was the Mad Hatter's first real quote to Alice at the Tea Party. 'You hair wants cutting.' He also took of her head…perhaps that's a reference to the Queen of Hearts."
"Off with her head. But I doubt it, sir."
"So do I. It just fits with the hair since cutting her hair wouldn't kill her like taking off her head would. The next death was in a school. It makes sense because the Mad Hatter's next line in the book is 'Why is a raven like a writing desk?' which was also carved into her body."
"But why did The Mad Hatter carve the message into her and not into the first victim?" asked Alfred. It almost seemed as if Alfred knew the answer but was goading Batman to see it.
Batman sat and thought for a moment. "Because he was treating her like the writing desk she was on," he said, the message finally dawning on him.
"That's what I took it to mean. But it still makes no sense."
"Of course it does, Alfred. The first girl. Her name was Alice Lockhart. Lockhart. Lock, meaning a lock of hair. It's literal!" Batman turned to his computer and pulled the information that he needed from it. "The second victim's name was Alice Cro. A play on words. Crow, like the bird. Almost a direct reference to the raven in the riddle."
"And so the raven was like the writing desk because you write on it," answered Alfred shuddering. Just thinking of what the girl could have possibly looked like was a horrible thought.
"And what's the next line that the Mad Hatter says in the book?"
"Erm…" Alfred opened the book to the place that was marked. "Not the same thing a bit! You might just as well say that 'I see what I eat' is the same thing as 'I eat what I see'," said Alfred quickly.
"Eating. He's striking at a restaurant next, Alfred."
"Well, yes, sir. But which restaurant? There must be a hundred restaurants in Gotham City. It could be any of them."
"You're right." Batman was at a loss. Sure, knowing the next place was a restaurant narrowed down the next crime scene considerably, but it was far from useful. There were just too many options to choose from. "We're missing something here, Alfred. But what is it?"
"I don't know, sir. I don't know."
Just then, the police radio monitor that batman had installed in the Bat-Cave buzzed to life. Listening, both Alfred and Batman's hearts sank. It seems they wouldn't need to pick the next crime scene after all. It was "Little Italy" on 17th Street. The next girl had already been murdered.