Chapter 3: The Slab

No, you guys don't understand how much your amazing reviews are for me right now. I'm pretty sure I'm fired from my job, so they are a great source of joy to me through this uncertain time (it's a crappy job, I don't even make minimum wage most of the time, but still I need a job). Seriously, you guys are beyond amazing!

Bagheera stood in front of the forensic science morgue with her partner beside her. She was out of the dress and back into her boring clothes that she had always worn while on the job. She watched him out of the side of her eye with silent interest as he looked at the informational posters on the cream colored walls as if he were really interested in what they had to say.

"Have you ever worked with a copycat," Mark asked as he turned to his seasoned partner.

She shook her head and replied, "No. There a lot rarer than you think, well," she shrugged her shoulders casually, "I mean as rare as you can get for a city like Gotham."

"Excuse me," an intern announced as she pulled a dead body towards the heart of the morgue.

"What happened to him," Mark asked in morbid curiosity as he looked over the pale, naked body, "He looks like he had too much fun."

"Cancer," the intern explained in a matter of fact tone as she carefully pulled the deceased male into the morgue.

"Well that was interesting," Mark said simply and offered his partner a small smile.

"You always that charming," Bagheera asked as she returned his smile.

"Well I can't be as charming and funny as the Joker," Mark informed her in a light tone, "but I work with what I got and it usually works."

Bagheera offered him a wicked smile as she replied in the sarcastic tone that she had given to the Joker countless times, "I'm sure you know how to sweep up the floor with all that," she rolled her eyes, "charm that has been lost to young girls."

"Speaking of the Joker," Mark asked carefully, "How was the-"

"It was fine," she answered before he could finish his question, "I didn't really have time to interview his psychiatrist. I'm going to ask Gordon to request that she come to the precinct for a formal interview."

"Sounds like a plan," Mark answered, "So are you going into the interview with Barba?"

"Not with Pam," she said casually as the tall forensic doctor came out of the door, "but for one of the lackeys."

"You two can come back now," the woman informed them.

"Thanks Kami," Mark said as he gave Bagheera a quick wink before the woman could see.

"Sorry I'm late," the tired voice of Ashley Davies announced as she entered the morgue, "My superior said-"

"Only detectives can be-"

"No, it's okay," Bagheera interrupted with a kind smile and a quickly calculated lie, "She's interning with us for right now while working with GPD."

"Well alright," Kami Wilson asked as she allowed the three to follow her into the deep folds of the morgue, "but don't let her contaminate anything."

"I'm sure she's not that stupid, Dr. Wilson," Bagheera announced in an almost harsh tone that was fueled by annoyance. Bagheera turned to Ashley and gave her a small nod to reassure her that she was cool under their protection and that she would not be seen as an ignorant, donut eating cop that most of the law enforcement with higher notches on the totem pole thought of the police officers.

"She's in here," Kami informed them as she escorted them into a small room. The girl's mutilated body lay on the cold metal slab. The corpse had been drained of blood and was ready for cremation or burial, whichever the family had decided.

"Do we have an ID on her," Mark asked as he looked at the unnaturally paleness of the mutilated woman.

"Lana Crowder, age 23, she was a college student at Gotham Community College. She was in the system," Kami informed him as she removed the blue sheet medical sheet off the body. Bagheera looked at the body with professional interest as she took in the grotesque wounds that the woman had been given by the monster that had yet to be identified.

"What was she in the system for," Bagheera asked.

A soft groan escaped Ashley and Bagheera turned to her and whispered so no one else could hear their conversation, "If you can't look at this, then you won't be able to make it in Gotham City. So buck up or get out."

Ashley nodded at Bagheera's words that were harsh but held the honest truth. She needed to learn how to look upon a victim without reacting, no matter how horrible the body looked.

"Crowder was in the system for soliciting sex when she was 19," Kami informed them, "she also had a pending theft charge against her for stealing a diamond ring from a pawn shop."

"Was there any sign of sexual assault," Mark asked.

"There were no signs of forced entry and there was no semen or other bodily fluids found on her body," Kami informed them.

"So this was just some sick bastard," Ashley asked as she forced herself to look upon the mutilated body of Lana Crowder.

Bagheera leaned over the body and examined the wounds closely. Her blue eyes took in the smallest of details on the woman. She could see small bruises on her neck, but they weren't in the shape of fingers, so she quickly dismissed them as love bites.

"Were fingerprints," Bagheera stopped as a sudden sickness overcame her, she leaned over against the metal slab and looked down on the dead woman, and she quickly closed her eyes as the sudden dizziness came over her, "Oh God."

"Bag, are you okay," Mark asked as he quickly made his way to her to offer a helping hand.

"No, no," she said as she took another deep breath as the sickly dizzy spell faded just as quickly as it had come upon her, "I'm fine. Maybe it was just from bending over so fast."

"Are you sure you're okay," Kami asked, "You look really pale."

"I'm fine," Bagheera answered as she ran her hand through her hair, "I just haven't had a lot of sleep after all of this."

"Officer Davies," Mark announced, "Can you take Detective Lewis to get a cup of water?"

"Sure," Ashley said as she looked to her mentor with concern in her eyes.

"No I'm fine Mark," Bagheera answered with a harsh tone and pulled away from Ashley, she looked back to the forensic doctor and asked the question that she had originally planned on asking before the spell had come over her, "Were there any finger prints on her body?"

"None," Kami answered, "You're working with a professional. There is nothing here to use as evidence. Even the cuts have been manipulated to the point that I can't even tell you what was used on her. The only thing that I can tell you is that these wounds were post mortem. A stab wound in her lower abdomen was what killed her."

"You think this was a hit," Bagheera asked. She ignored the fact that the dead woman on the slab had been killed by the very same wound that the Joker had given to her. She didn't want to think about the manifesto that the unknown copycat had left for her to find. She wasn't going to be afraid.

'Why worry about a copycat? He's a coward. He can't even come up with his own murders.'

"He's copying the Joker," Mark offered, "It could be the Joker working through a man on the outside."

Bagheera shook her head as she quickly, against her better judgment, defended the Joker, "No. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want people to steal his act. You know how those dramatic people are," she shrugged her shoulders, "But you can bet your ass that he knows something."

"So are you going to question him," Ashley asked as she watched Bagheera look at the pair.

"Not yet," she answered, "but I will," Bagheera looked up to the clock that sat alone on the plain walls, "Right now I need you two to find Lana's lover."

"Lover," Mark asked as he looked at his partner, he watched as her eyes moved to the neck of the woman.

"She had hickies," Bagheera informed them, "Find the boyfriend and connect some dots. I have someone that I need to find."

"Don't forget the thing with Barba," Mark called after her as he watched her pull out her cell phone and call Gordon to tell him about her plan.

Bagheera walked out of the morgue and the sickness feeling came to her once again, but she fought it. She looked down at her cell phone and opened the file that contained the manifesto that had been left at the murder scene. The file took a moment to loud up and she quickly scanned through it with her bright blue eyes.

As you can see my work has only began. I have followed every serial killer that had plagued the United State in the last century and I think that I have taken particularly great notes from these men. The best of which has been the Joker.

Bagheera rolled her eyes at the criminal's opinion. She knew that the Joker was not one of the best killers in the world. He was just one of the wild cards as his name suggested. He was cold and calculating, but he had lacked something that men like Ted Bundy and the BTK Killer possessed. The Joker just simply wasn't that great in her mind.

Find my Easter eggs in my paintings. The Joker is my idol. I will kill a random person every week until I finish what the Joker started. Keep the Batman out. This battle is between Detective Lewis and the Joker…and since the Joker is indisposed at the time, I shall be the suitable replacement. I won't stop until the tramp that shot this town's greatest celebrity in the heart is lying with a bullet through her eye.

Bagheera took a deep breath. The man believed, like she had led the Gotham citizens to believe, that the Joker would kill her. She knew he had no problem in harming her mentally or causing her physical pain, but she had the grown to understand that he had been honest when he had told her that she was his last pale light and that he would never kill her. It was a horrible realization that she had found in her therapy session, it was something that she had kept to herself.

...

The Joker leaned against the wall of his cell and whistled a small tune to himself. He could barely contain the joy that he felt inside of him. His favorite little psychiatrist had just left him with a pep in her step. He had given her the right, yet completely bullshit, information that he knew that she had wanted to hear. Little Harleen Quinzel wanted to get famous from his story, and a break in his case would give it to her. The amusement of her future success being laughed at sparkled in his dark eyes at the thought of her being laughed at when she was informed that the story of his father had just been a lie.

She was an easy egg to crack. He preferred his eggs to be more of a challenge. Bagheera had thrown his explanation back in his face. She had known that it was all a lie. She had been the first woman that had actually not fallen for his tricks, she hadn't tried to sacrifice herself to save the city, but she had actually went through with shooting him to save the other officers. No his little panther was a hell cat that had earned her right to carry a weapon.

"We found this Boss," the familiar sound of Bob announced as he showed the Joker a rejection letter with Bagheera's name on it, "Looks like another one. It says the same thing, that's she's too much of a risk."

"That's too bad," the Joker said in a sing song voice as he looked over to his loyal henchman, "What do you think about it all?"

Bob looked around and shrugged his shoulders as he pocketed the rumpled and slightly torn letter, "I think she deserves the chance to get out of Gotham."

The Joker chuckled and replied, "So do I, but then," his voice turned to a tone that resembled that of a disappointed child on Christmas morning, "I wouldn't have my little kitten anymore."

"You want I should bring her to the hideout," Bob asked. He knew it was better to ask the Joker what he should do instead of taking it on himself to do something that the Joker may want done. He knew that his crazy boss was not a fan of improvisation, even if the Joker liked to brag about being a man without plans.

A large smile grew upon his painted, scarred features as he pondered the question. Small giggles escaped him as he thought of Bagheera wrapped in rope while squirming against the chair. He slapped his knee and turned to the henchman.

"Well Bob-O," the Joker announced happily, "I've always said let them come to you!"

"And what about the boyfriend," Bob asked as he watched his crazed boss carefully move away from his lean against the wall.

"Leave him," Joker announced with a chuckle, "She'd know it was usss," he licked at his lips, "Let someone else take care of him," a large smile came across his face as he sucked on the scars inside of his lips, "I'm sure the mob," he popped the b in his mouth, "has a couple of bones to pick with the district attorney."

...

Bagheera walked up the white concrete steps of the old court house. The American flag danced in the freezing November wind above the white marble of the historical Gotham site. She pulled her coat close to her body and quickly scanned her surroundings, taking in each person that gave her a passing glance as the manifesto tap danced upon her brain.

She hurried into the court house and the last shiver bolted through her as she entered the warmth of the historic Gotham building. She could hear the sounds of trials going on in different court rooms as she made her way to the interviewing chambers in the very back hallway of the first floor. As she walked through the bright hallway, the sick, dizzy feeling came back over her as if it were a sense of foreboding telling her to turn back around and run until she couldn't move her legs anymore, until she fell to the floor from lack of strength and oxygen.

Bagheera opened the door and smiled as she looked at her longtime boyfriend standing in front of a round table. She gave him a soft smile as she walked to him as he peered over the files. William Barba stood tall and regal in his dark brown suit that almost appeared black and his light pink tie that set the dark colors apart. Her blues eyes caught his as the studious, all business look in his eyes faded to a soft, loving look in his beautiful hazel eyes as he took in her pale features. The soft, loving look was replaced by worry and he placed a protective hold on her shoulders and eyed her closely looking for any sign of stress.

"Hey," he asked softly, "You feeling okay?"

She nodded and took a deep breath as she softly admitted, "I don't know what's going on with me today. I've just been having random sick spells all morning."

"Are you," he asked as he stole a glance down to her stomach, a small light of hope flickered in his hazel orbs.

"No," she said with a shake of her, "I don't think so, at least," she gave him a soft smile as she took in his concern, "I just think it's because I haven't slept, you know with the things with the Joker and this threat against me."

"Ah," Barba said, "Speaking of that, I want you to make serious thoughts about taking a break from all of this."

She shook her head at his suggestion that was made with caring intentions, "You know I can't do that, Will. There are people counting on me, that need me."

"I know you love your job, I love putting bad guys behind bars," Barba answered with a small smile, "But I love you more and all I want is for you to be safe."

"I am," she answered as she placed her hand upon his cheek and caressed his light stubble lightly with her fingertips, she giggled softly and added before leaning in to place a soft kiss upon his lips, "You need to shave," her fingers fell to his neck and she took in the large red whelps that emerged on his throat as if he had been strangled from behind, she giggled as she touched them and asked, "You've been having fun with the belt again?"

He scoffed at her observation and gave her the most boyish of his smiles, "You caught me," he pulled her hands into his and squeezed lightly, "I got him! He almost got off the rape charges by trying to say that she wanted it rough. I asked him how he treated her once the belt was on her neck," he watched as Bagheera took in the whelps that he had received from so many other tactics that resembled this one, "He just gave me a few marks. You should have seen her."

"At least you got the bastard off the street," she answered with the knowledge of who he had been talking about. It had been a major case for Barba and had been hard to prove with such a high profile mobster and a woman that had been a re-known bed jumper to the gangsters that roamed the Gotham streets.

"I did, didn't I," he asked as Bagheera wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers played with the small cow lick that liked to pop up no matter how much gel he used in an attempt to keep it down. He backed into the edge of the table and allowed her to stand between his legs.

"You did, Mr. Barba," Bagheera said with a wickedly seductive tone in her voice as she felt his arms fall to her waist.

He leaned forward slightly and gave her a soft kiss as she lightly smiled into his kiss as she thought of the happy and hopeful glint in his eyes when he had thought she had been carrying his child.

'I'm proud of you, you found someone that loves you until the stars fall from the sky,' the voice said in her head. The voice was kind to her once again; it was a voice that she had missed in the last few days since she had been thrust into the Joker's strange, still unknown, schemes.

She pulled away reluctantly from him and gave him a soft smile, "What do you think about starting a family? Let's skip the pet dog."

The question surprised her and she quickly tried to clear up the mess that she thought she had placed herself in.

"I'm sorry," she said in embarrassment, her face was flushed, "I didn't mean to spring it out on you like that."

Barba smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders, "It's okay, Bagheera. I'm glad you asked. I've wanted to talk with you about-"

"Get your god damned hands off of me," a loud voice screamed in anger as the door burst open with uniformed officers pulling in a man in a blue jumpsuit.

Bagheera and Barba watched carefully as the officers shoved the man down at the round meeting table. Entertained smiles graced their faces as they watched the man glare in anger at the officers.

"Barba," a green eyed brunette, that looked to have just graduated from law school, announced her presence to them, "I hope that you are aware that it is highly unethical for you to be prosecuting someone that your girlfriend put behind bars, but," the woman looked from Bagheera to Barba with slight contempt, "since there was no one else that was available, I'll let this one slide."

"Thank you Sally," Barba answered with a sarcastic tone and a large smile, "You look as ready as can be for the defense attorney of a cowardly man that planned to blow the prosecuting attorney to bits."

"He would have gotten away with it to," Sally Hemmingsworth stated with a quick tone, "if it wasn't for your little panther there. They didn't even really need a man on the inside; all they'd have to do is follow the scent of cheap whiskey."

Bagheera's brows furrowed at the term that the woman had decided to use for her. Her mind rushed to the Joker and she quickly wondered if the young woman had been gotten to by the Joker or his henchmen.

"That's pretty close," Barba replied with a smug smile, "but it was always top shelf. Nice to see that you've grown up in the world though. Mommy finally let you stay up late to watch Scooby-Doo re-runs?"

Bagheera felt the dizzy feeling come back over to her and she pushed herself away from Barba. She sat down at the table and looked over to the man that had been caught in the raid on Poison Ivy.

"We goin' to talk about my bail or we just going to hit on each other," the ginger haired man asked. Bagheera eyed him and wondered if he had some familial connection to Pamela. They had never checked him to see if there were. They could be cousins. No one ever suspected that she and the Scarecrow were cousins, so it could be the same case for these two.

"Yes," Barba announced with a smile as he signaled for Sally to walk ahead of him to sit beside her angry client.

The little interview went swimmingly for the first ten minutes as the man told his side of the story about how Pamela recruited him after she had murdered his best friend that had tried to assault her in the park. Bagheera sat in silence until the man glared at her with anger in his eyes.

"She offered us boatloads of money to take you out," he informed Barba, "I could have had the money to get out of here and start a new life."

"You really think a Gotham hillbilly heroin pusher can make a new life somewhere else," Bagheera asked in slight anger at the man's words.

"Don't answer that," Sally warned as she glared at the detective.

"Fuck yea," the man said in anger as he glared into Bagheera's eyes, "If it wasn't for the Joker's gun totin' piece of fucking pussy," he winked at Barba at the insinuation that Bagheera had been unfaithful, "I wouldn't be in this fuckin' mess. Poison would have what she wanted. In fact, she told us to make sure we didn't kill you, must be orders from the Joker or something, ya know," he smiled as his words echoed around the small room, "You know, my brother always wondered if you let him fuck you that first night and the stab was just some sick fantasy you whores like. You that good of a lay? You don't look like it with a smug bastard like this piece of shit right here," he shrugged as he watched the detective look at him with a blank, emotionless expression upon her face as his words moved over her, "and when you are killed by that fucking psycho, no-"

"Counselor," Barba interrupted in a harsh, yet protective tone as anger rushed through his veins at the vulgar words that he had been forced to listen to about his bride to be, "you should advice your client to shut his mouth."

Bagheera turned to Barba with a look of surprise on her face. She had never seen him lose his cool for such a simple thing that she had received from many, many criminals. The treatment that she had been given had been given to her by criminals since before she had made her way to Gotham City. A sense of pride came over her as the realization came over her that he had done it to protect her from the man's harsh words.

"Shut up," Sally hissed to her client. She turned to Barba and said calmly, "He gets five years off his sentence with his testimony to put Pamela Isley behind bars."

"What's his name," Bagheera asked.

The man looked at her in confusion, "What?"

"What's the psycho's name," she asked, "the one that wants to kill me? What's his name?"

"I don't know nothin'," he spat.

"No deal," Barba informed the counselor.

"You can't do-"

"I can," Barba informed her quickly, "he's withholding evidence that can stop a man from killing innocent civilians. If he would have kept his mouth shut, he would have gotten the deal. I have every right to refuse or request anything from him now."

"Man," he grimaced and pouted as if he were an angered teenage boy that couldn't use his father's vehicle to go to some concert with his friends, "that shit ain't right."

"The name, Meat Head," Bagheera demanded in growing impatience.

"Look," he admitted, "I don't know who he is," he shook his head in defeat, "I just wanted to rattle your chains a bit. In fact, it was that TV cat that asked me to bring up the Joker with you. He paid me two hundred bucks to do it."

"Who," Barba asked with furrowed brows.

"Jack Ryder," Bagheera answered as she pulled herself away from the table and exited the small meeting room. She stood in the hallway and pulled the phone from her pocket and dialed Mark's number.

"Hamill," Mark answered on the other end of the line.

"I need you to check out Jack Ryder," Bagheera informed him, "He is connected somehow."

"Bag," Mark replied, "He was Lana's lover."

"What," Bagheera asked as she connected the dots in her head, "He's involved with all of this. Where are you?"

"I'm coming to pick you up," he informed her, "There was another body found."

"Already?"

"A man was thrown into a vat of chemicals at ABC Chemicals," he informed her.

"I'll call Ashley and her partner," she informed her partner, "They can pick Ryder up and set him up for us in an interrogation room. He's involved somehow, I know it."

So I realize as of right now Ashley Davies is rather one dimensional at the moment, but I'm planning on making her a major character as this series progresses. She'll be a very important character hopefully by the end of this story.

What do you think about Jack Ryder? Is he involved? Is he a red herring? (ahh evil writer is evil!)

Are the happy couple ready to start a family? Is a baby really what they need at the moment?

Reviews are seriously the best! :)