Chapter 140
Lying in bed in one of the rooms at Fish Mooney's, Oswald holds Trixie in his arms. She looked so tired last night. So tired and...sad. Why? She now sees him as some sort of villain, what made her think this way?
Someone must have convinced her otherwise. Someone out to get him. To take Trixie away from him. But who?
Oswald looks down at her. When she's asleep, in those brief, rare moments when her defenses are truly down...it becomes clear as day how much she loves him. Even now, a slight movement from Oswald causes her to roll toward him in her sleep. Her true desires only evident when she has no control. When there is no reason for doubt.
It could have been that Edward man that put these thoughts in her head, this mysterious rival suitor of which he's heard so much about. Or perhaps, it could be Detective Allen. According to Gabriel's reports, the two of them have become quite friendly as of late. Trixie could never deserve a man so low, no, neither man would suit her at all.
Oswald's eyebrows immediately turn down in worry as Trixie begins to wake. For a second, as her eyes peek open, she looks up at him and the hint of a smile appears on her face. This moment of joy ends all too soon as the smile fades, and she turns away from him.
"I need to get to work," she tells him, as she starts to climb out of bed.
On instinct, Oswald grabs her by the waist, "Of course...in a moment."
Her back presses against his bare chest. Unclothed as well, Trixie hides her body with the bedsheets. She becomes motionless, her head tilted down and her arms limp. Oswald tightens his grip on her, but this only seems to cause her body to become more lifeless.
He must save her from this delusional slump. He knows this in his heart. He must find the man responsible and humiliate him. Killing him would be the simplistic answer, and perhaps the day would come to where he would kill him. But before that, something far more important must happen. He must prove his superiority to Trixie by bringing this other man to his knees, physically or otherwise.
Trixie starts grabbing her clothes from off of the bed and putting them on. Oswald frowns, her defenses are back up, no more of the sweet Trixie he'd spent the night with.
She's fully dressed and almost out the door when she turns around to look back at him. While her frown doesn't let up, it softens, just a bit. She walks back over to Oswald and kisses him on the forehead.
"I'll see you after work, okay?" she tells him, scruffling up his hair with an affectionate hand.
Oswald can't help but blush as she walks out the door. There's hope for their love, more hope than he'd thought.
It's still early morning as I climb the fire escape leading to Barbara and Renee's hotel room with a camera. Peeking into the window, I spot that they're both still in bed, but I shy away as their conversation becomes loud and clear to me.
"We shouldn't have kicked Natalie out. Now she's vulnerable, who knows what Falcone and Penguin could do to her," Barbara mumbles, shaking her head.
"It was a right thing to do," Renee assures her, "she means well but her criminal connections make her dangerous-"
"Oh, and mine aren't? Like my parents weren't willing to...kill me...back when we confronted the Court," she counters.
Renee sits up and rolls over, revealing her black lace bra as she looks Barbara in the eye, "...you're different."
They kiss, and I take this as a perfect moment to snap a picture. As soon as the flash initiates, I make a run for it, as Renee runs to the window to look for someone. But she finds only an empty fire escape, as I hang on the floor below, my hands gripping the grates and my feet supported by notches on the brick wall.
"I thought I...saw something…" Renee speculates, staring out the window.
Barbara turns over in her direction, "Maybe it was a trick of the light."
Renee takes a few more moments before she pulls in the curtains, obscuring the room from my view. I remove my legs from the wall and sneak down the fire escape. When I reach the street below, I look up at Barbara and Renee's hotel room.
Don Falcone and the Court of Owls want Renee out of the way. I know Falcone had killing Renee in mind when he asked me to take care of her...but this way, I drive Renee and Barbara away from each other through public humiliation. And...hopefully...save Renee's life in the process. Either way...
"I'm so...so sorry."
I'm working at my desk when Renee arrives at work. Upon sight of her, most of the officers turn away, and start walking faster. I can't help but turn up my head, gazing upon her confused expression. Crispus rushes to her, and leads her away. I get out of my desk and follow them.
"Crispus, what's going on? Everyone's giving me strange looks…" she tells him.
He nods, and stops her once they reach a secluded part of the hallway.
"This morning...a picture of you was...dropped off at the GCPD," he explains, "...it's of...you and Barbara...together."
Renee clasps her hand to her mouth, concealing her expression. She takes a deep breath, as I come up to her.
"Renee, are you alright?" I ask, showing my concern.
Crispus takes my hand and leads me away, "Let's give her space."
Just then, two cops pass by, "Ha, so it's true. All Gotham women are dykes."
"Move along," Crispus counters, turning a sharp glance to them.
They both laugh, and the other one says, "Hey, better start packing your stuff now. After that nudey picture of you going around, no way Captain Essen can't fire you."
The first cop takes out a copy of the picture and waves it around, "Although, I have to say, you look pretty fine in those there pictures. Like a pin-up model. Listen, if you ever want to find out what you're missing-"
Renee stomps up and snags the picture from his hand, "Let me see that."
I walk over to stop her, "No, you don't have to see it-..."
I'm too late as she unfolds the paper, and reveals the picture taken of her in Barbara's hotel room, the two kissing in their lingerie while on top of the bed.
She grits her teeth as her hands start to crumple the paper, "Hell."
"Like I said. Like a pin-up mod-"
The officer is interrupted by Renee socking him in the jaw, sending him careening to the ground with a small splatter of blood. She raises her fist to the other officer, who raises his hands and runs off.
Renee wipes the blood from her gloved hands.
"How many of these things were passed out?" she asks, turning to Crispus and I.
"Just the one picture arrived this morning," I explain, "but then some of the officers went to the printing room to...print out copies. They've been circulating around the GCPD for about a half hour now."
Crispus shakes his head, "The pigs."
"What about Barbara? She's in the picture too," Renee gestures to the image, before crumpling it up and dumping it into the trash.
"There hasn't been any kind of release to the press that I know of...yet. But we better warn her now," I suggest.
She nods, "On it."
Renee starts marching toward the desk phones in the GCPD lobby, when one of the officers stops her.
"Detective Montoya, Captain Essen wants to see you," he tells her.
Her shoulders slump, as she turns in the other direction to start walking toward Captain Essen's office. Crispus puts a hand on my shoulder.
"I'll go call Barbara," he offers.
As he walks off, I slowly start following in Renee's direction. She pushes past several officers who stand in her way, refusing to move as they stare her down in angry silence. As I start to walk closer, someone comes up to my side.
"I can't believe it," Kristen Kringle shakes her head, "and I thought Detective Montoya was so nice...I guess you never know about people."
I do my best to not sneer at her, "Yeah...I guess you never know."