'You heard me before, and then again. Afterward I die, until you call me again.'


When Edward and Susan finally arrived at Gotham art gallery having bustled their way through swarms of crowds congesting the pavement they entered the lobby and headed over to where a long queue was stood in front of the entrance desk, Susan knew that the gallery was one of Gotham's main tourist attractions and that there was always a queue though she hadn't expected it to still be so long late in the day. Susan sighed and went to pull Edward to the back of the line but he didn't move with her so she turned around to see why and found him giving her a furtive look.

"In many hall ways you would stand, if not with me in hand." Edward said quickly and timing the response from her, this was a pretty easy riddle, he was being too kind. "What am I?"

"A key?" Susan said with feigned doubt and saw Edward grin holding up hid GCPD badge.

"No need to be standing around for no reason, being part of the GCPD has it little perks." Edward responded letting go of his badge and leading her round the side of the queue to the front as people tutted and complained at the gall of this couple.

As soon as they reached the front of the queue Edward released her hand approaching the female security guard that was giving him a suspicious look, "Back of the line guys." she said trying to shoo them off but Edward held his ground with Susan stood behind him looking round his side.

"Oh no no no." Edward laughed pushing his glasses up, the guard placed her hands on her hips expecting an argument from the obviously disgruntled tourist, "I don't think you quite understand, we need to get in, we don't have time to wait. So if you could just let us in that would be fabulous."

"Excuse me?" the security guard said reaching for her radio in case she needed to call for some sort of assistance, Gotham was full of weirdos and this guy looked just the type to kick up a fuss. "I don't think you understand me," she said bringing herself up to her full height but it still wasn't enough to bring herself anywhere near his, "No exceptions, you wait in turn just like everyone else."

"Ah, that's not going to be possible." Edward was toying with her, a short little power struggle game that he could end at any moment but they were short of time so he produced his badge, "We need access to exhibit room C, forensics, GCPD." Edward cocked his head and gave her a smug smile as she inspected the badge and slumped back with her hand releasing the radio at her side. "Many thanks."

"This way." the security guard said with a huff undoing a rope divider and gesturing for them to enter leaving behind the extensive queue now in a slight uproar.

Exhibit room C was still closed off to the public until further notice, most of the investigation and analysis had been completed but under protocol there had to be a certain length of time left before it would be open again for tourist enjoyment, just in case the police needed to carry out any further checks on the place. Of course Edward knew that being part of the team heading those checks there was nothing left at all, well, not that anyone other than himself would notice. Edward just wanted to make sure, even he could make mistakes, he was just beginning.

"This it?" Susan said approaching the centre of the room where a large grenade shaped sculpture was taped off, just like the exploded statue in the station, Edward nodded, her signal that it was okay to go and have a look. "Art huh?" Susan said stepping over the tape carefully and circling the thing, "Guess each to their own." she shrugged, Susan thought that it was ugly and garish, why on earth would anyone want to come and look at a sculpture of a bomb, morbid curiosity she imagined, people liked the macabre, it was intriguing and not something you were supposed to admit to liking.

"I didn't really find it agreeable either." Edward said and then realised his poor choice of words, idiot.

"Wish he'd blown this one up too?" Susan looked over to Edward smiling and climbing back over the tape, she'd seen enough of that thing. "I do."

'Oh ho ho.' Edward's dark psyche laughed, 'Ed, looks like we've got that start of a criminal on our hands here, maybe we should turn her in. Even better, let her join in with us.' it joked. Edward ignored his dark psyche's jibes, Susan was just interested in things she'd not experienced before, she was curious about everything especially crime, this might have stemmed from her father's side, he being a GCPD officer before his demise, Edward had done his background search on her, he knew everything there was to know about her life before she'd left for Kuala Lumpur. Yes, just a curious creature but he knew where curiosity led. "Yes well, this was only a distraction."

"Oh yeah," Susan said with realisation looking around, "What about the paintings?"

Now this was something Edward wanted to show her, his signature mark, he led her over to one of the far walls where they were greeted with more yellow tape and he pointed at the empty frame on the wall which now housed a single spray painted question mark. Susan made a 'hmph' noise which made him looking away from admiring his handiwork to see her stood with arms folded inspecting the mark.

"Question mark, that's not very Jim Gordon, its a bit...hmmm...I dunno how to put this," Susan couldn't decide on the right word, show off, flashy, pompous, "Pretentious?" she offered and Edward gave her a strained look. "No. Wrong word." Susan stopped herself placing a finger on her lips and swaying her hips a smile growing in the corners of her mouth, "Flamboyant. That's what I meant. Jim, although he used to be a nice guy was never flamboyant," she thought of the conversation with Harvey earlier about Jim's innocence, "Perhaps Bullock was right, maybe we do have the wrong person."

Alarm bells rand in Edward's head, maybe this had been a bad idea after all, Susan didn't think like the rest of the GCPD officers mainly because she wasn't one, she hadn't been ground down from years of seeing the same cases over and over, she was more open and willing to accept the impossible no matter how improbable that could be, 'Uh oh' Edward's dark psyche butted in again, 'I said we shouldn't have brought her, girl's got a quick mind.'

"Maybe he did want to show off finally," Edward said trying to sway the subject, his temper rising, "Maybe leave something behind that people would remember him by. The evidence was completely solid, I checked through it all myself."

"I'm not doubting you Edward." Susan said taking his hand at his irritated tone, "It's just this whole plan and ploy all seems too..." Susan paused watching Edward giving her a hard dark look, she'd clearly upset him by questioning his ability as a forensic scientist, "It just seems too clever for someone like Jim Gordon, too much effort, like Jim would be the sort of person to have just killed that officer and had done with it, not lead up to it with a big...a big...puzzle." Susan took his other hand, "It's so much planning and dedication...that's not Jim, that just screams someone else to me, someone extraordinary."

'Oh crud.' Edward thought, the blood draining from his face as she looked up into his eyes and held his gaze in silence. 'She knows, oh shit, she knows...'

Susan saw Edward's stunned look at her words, what was she saying, it was like she respected this criminal for his extravagant work, come to think of it, she did, she truly felt her instincts screaming at her that none of this was Jim, she believed Bullock. God knows what was running through Edward's mind right now, had she put him off her through her fascination, through her own want to figure this all out too, "That's not to say I'm condoning any of this!" she said quickly, horrified at her words and own high regard for this crime. "Oh god that sounded awful. What am I saying."

Edward could only stare at her in front of him looking so ashamed and biting her lip not looking at him, he knew that she didn't think it was him but still her words had filled him with delight and the ego of his dark side had swelled enormously, Susan had been drawn in by her curiosity and it had knocked her rational thinking, Susan had pretty much commended him for his brilliant efforts without even realising it, she was impressed by all of this. Flamboyant, clever, extraordinary, the words tumbled round and round in his mind, all said positively, like she were talking about a piece of art in the gallery, something to be admired.

"You find all this intriguing?" Edward said slowly.

Susan felt so ashamed she couldn't even look him in the eyes, she didn't just find it intriguing, she found it unbelievable that if its wasn't Gordon someone had pulled this off and gotten away with it not leaving a trace behind, every inch covered, she couldn't lie to Edward, he needed to know what she truly thought and then he could make up his mind about her, "If it wasn't Jim...its incredible. For someone to do this...frightening but amazing...Genius." she said closing her eyes and waiting for him to pull his hands from hers but they just grasped tighter.

"I thought I was the only one." she heard Edward say and she opened her eyes and looked up to see his face full of joy and the biggest smile she'd ever seen on his face.

"You...you don't think it was Gordon either?" Susan stammered watching him shake his head vigorously, her mouth trembled into a smile, "You think they're still out there somewhere?" and he nodded excitedly, "Shouldn't we do something? Shouldn't we try to get the case reopened?"

"No." Edward laughed, "They'd just say we're crazy,"

Susan knew he was right, the only person that would believe them would be Bullock and Susan didn't fancy the idea of going undercover and letting herself fall victim to the whims of a dangeous killer out there somewhere, if it wasn't Gordon after all then Gordon would make sure that he tracked down the real killed along with Bullock's help, they would be brought to justice eventually, Susan and Edward didn't have to do anything.

"Is this why you brought me here?" Susan asked and Edward's laughing ceased, "You wanted to see if I could figure this out? Whether I was intelligent enough to realise it too?"

Edward looked into Susan's large blue questioning eyes as he held tightly onto her warm hands, this woman before him that admired him though she didn't even know it, she was more beautiful to him now in this moment more than all the times he'd beheld her before. Edward felt calm, almost whole, no voice screaming in his head at him for once, she was like the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle that was him and then darkness flooded his mind, he could not let anything get between them now, he would have to get Gordon back in jail somehow, he would never be able to rest until he did.

"Edward?" Susan said trying to break him out of his daze, then there it was she saw it in his eyes like she had done before, a dark confidence that made her freeze on the spot as she saw that familiar teasing grin start to appear. Susan faltered under his gaze, her heart thumping, lips drying and an ache she'd felt this morning in the forensics lab; they were no longer two naughty kids ditching school but two adults remembering that raw tender feeling of new found lust for one another.

"I'm here." Edward said letting go of one of her hands and reaching it up to her face where he skimmed her cheek pushing aside her hair from her face and neck, he felt Susan quiver at the graze of her skin, he loved the way she did that. Edward knew from their conversation in that place, the scene of his brilliant crime, that he now held her mind, there was one thing left to make sure that she was his, he leant forward and whispered in her exposed ear, "I like to twirl my body but keep my head up high. After I go in, everything becomes tight." he felt Susan let out a tiny startled cry from his words and he smiled.

"I-I don't know this one." Susan couldn't think, after those words she found herself dazed and flustered, aching so badly it almost hurt, he was waiting for an answer but she didn't know, "I...don't..." was the only thing she could say before he pulled back with his face meeting hers.

"I'll tell you after I take you out to dinner tonight." Edward grinned.