Apparently, the bald man had done his job properly. The attack on the Canzuncella was all over the news: Seven people, including one policeman, were killed by an anonymous gunman and the place shut down temporarily.

Sophie stared at the TV screen and fed her bad conscience with chocolate. These people were dead because she had not called the police. She had failed to provide assistance, hadn't she? She wondered if this made her a criminal already?

Gina wasn't answering her phone which left Sophie anxiously worrying that her aunt might have gotten hurt. The blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders did not stop her from trembling.

What had prevented her from snitching though? Was it fear? Misattributed loyalty? Did she stop caring about people dying? The last thought made her flinch. I do care.

She laid down on the carpet and stared at the ceiling with one question occupying her mind:

What is wrong with me?

At some point, her inner pragmatist had taken over and she had started to function again. It wasn't long until she had made herself presentable for another round of job interviews and left the house. She was tired of waiting tables and craved an occupation that was more…quiet.

The middle-aged librarian's handshake was as warm as his smile and when Sophie left, she felt a genuine smile spread on her face. He had said that he would call her by the end of the week to inform her if she got the job. Sophie felt like she had made a good impression and dwelled on the idea of being surrounded by books all day. She would like that.

Her optimism lasted until she made a right turn and saw the man who anonymously dominated the news. She looked around. It was broad daylight, there were a lot of people, and she had enough anger bottled up to fuel her courage.

Full of determination, she walked up to the figure who was leaning against the wall and apparently observing his surroundings intently, a slight frown on his face. He did not look at her, but Sophie was sure that he had seen her from the moment she left the library. Or maybe even before that. What if he's stalking me? She decided to better not think about that.

"No offence, but, are you planning to ruin another occupational opportunity for me?", she greeted him and watched his lips twitch into a half-grin. Instead of answering, he looked at her face thoughtfully before he reached into his jacket. Sophie felt her heart skip a beat. If he is ruthless enough to kill people in restaurants, why would he hesitate to shoot me on the street? But instead of a gun, he produced a pen and a small note pad on which he wrote something.

"In fact, I've got another occupational opportunity for you", he said and held out the note to her. Sophie stared at him with wide eyes. "In your…um, metier?", she asked astonished. He raised his hairless eyebrows. "In a club.", he said dryly and put the note into her hands. With the motion, his pale hand brushed against hers and she immediately flinched away. While cursing her poor impulse control, Sophie at least managed to supress the urge of rubbing the skin that he had touched. His skin had felt dry, yet somewhat smooth. Like the hand of a normal person, she thought. She had somehow assumed that a murderer's hands would feel cold, rough, and violent.

Her reaction seemed to amuse him. With a smirk on his face, he continued to speak. "He pays good money."

"Who?", Sophie asked. Maybe this was her choice to find out who sent this man to cause so much death and destruction. He gallantly ignored her question, his attention caught by something or someone he could watch by peering over her shoulder. "Don't turn around", he ordered in an unexcited tone. "If you want the job, just go to the address and talk to the boss. Gotta go." And with this, he vanished into a side alley.

Sophie looked at the piece of paper he had handed her. The place was called Oswald's and most definitely not on the list of clubs that her friends had dragged her to.

Author's Note: So, I recently realized that this story has actually attracted some followers- and that two people even took the time to leave me a comment. At the risk of sounding cheesy or shallow, I just wanted to say the following: Thank you so, so much! This really means a lot to me! I wasn't really expecting anyone to like it, especially since I am not too confident when it comes to writing in English.

SoraMalfoySlytherin: Thank you for your comments! :) You seem too fully know your way around in the DC universe. To be honest, I only know Nolan's Batman movies and Gotham, so I wouldn't dare to upset any other sections than the latter with my story. :D

mancer: Oh wow. You made me grin like an idiot for a whole day! The people around me were almost getting irritated with my good mood, seriously. Thank you so much, I am glad you enjoy reading this story. :)