(*I personally picture Jessica Lucas as Gia--imagine of whoever you want.)
PROLOGUE
Jim Gordon swipes the sweat from his brows, cursing the broken air conditioning unit in his office, his wall scattered with news clippings, yarn pinned to various different case subjects, expired calenders, and framed certifications, the corners of his papers on his desk picking up slightly in the line of the box fan blowing on him in the corner as he picks through the stack of mail marked "PRIORITY."
Most of it is in relation to cases, sent off lab results and identity verifications…
"Jim, we've got another body," an officer says as she opens the door of his office.
"Another one?" He stands up quickly, grabbing his key and his coat, and she nods.
"Downtown, Motel 012," she says next. "Witness is zoned out and isnt speaking--suspected from trauma." She adds, and Jim exhales.
Upon arrival to the crime scene, guests if the motel are out looking at the group of law enforcement investigating one room on the second story of the building.
"Caucasian male, around 40 to 50 years of age, a regular according to receptionist," Renee Montoya says to Jim as he steps through caution tape and glances around the motel room scattered with blood…
"Weapon?"
"Nothing, no bullet hole, no stab wounds, no evidence of blunt force," she states.
"Then why so much blood?"
Jim looks over the naked body, swollen and bloated, skin blotchy, a nearly solid black and blue ring around his waist, the skin around his heart dotted with bright red, blood pasted to his chin and lips that are pulled into a wide, luring smile, eyes wide...the reek of shit soiling the room…
"Joker," Jim suggests, but he's quickly changing his mind when he pushes the man's head to the side to see bloated and necrotic flesh around bite marks in his neck, leaking with fluid.
"I ain't never seen the Joker leave a bite on another man," Renee mumbles.
"We got vampires in Gotham, now?" An officer asks, smartly.
"We'll get the lab to run it once we get the autopsy started." Jim forces himself not to jump to conclusions being this is the fourth body in a row with the same bite mark. "Where's the witness?"
"On her way to the E.R. to get a rape kit." Renee informs him.
"Self-defense, possibly?" Jim asks and she shrugs.
"I don't think she did this. She didn't look like she'd done anything. She looked like she'd seen something." She explains.
"Alright, head down there, see if you can get a statement. Then ask around for any more witnesses that might have seen or heard anything. I'm gonna make sure someone checks to see if the Joker is still in Arkham--and find out where the hell Harley is. I wanna know who the hell got ahold of Joker venom if not one of them." He says, standing back up and looking around the room, breathing out under his breath, his heart pounding in his chest, "Baby sister, what have you done, now?"