Bernie Kaswell's apartment building was on the other side of the scale compared to that of Trish Edgwood's.
Whereas Trish's place had been in a spacious high-rise, the complex itself consisted of many other homes as well. While Bernie's was a modest brown brick building about three stories tall and, judging by the exterior, the inside wasn't very large.
After speaking with Batman, Red Robin had surveyed her place from the building across the street.
He'd already found out which apartment was Kaswell's; which window to look into tonight. And from what he'd seen, things were as quiet as they had been when he had looked at Trish's. But the small differences such as the car registered to her - a gift from Buddy, apparently - was not in it's assigned spot, and Bernie liked to leave the lights on in her apartment.
Still, he expected to find dishes soaking or drying in the sink, not cleared away and waiting for the next use. And he'd also expected the closet door shut, not wide open and half empty as though someone had cleared out days earlier.
Red Robin lowered his binocs and moved back down to his cycle and the duffel bag he'd brought. Surveilling a residential building almost always involved having to go undercover so Tim had prepared a couple changes of clothes and stashed them in the bag. He was already mentally cycling through his personas as he pulled out one article of clothing after another. And when he was done, Alvin Draper sauntered over to the building like he owned the place.
The landlady's apartment was just by the entrance to the building. In addition to his earlier research, Tim had found the landlady's place so it was a simple matter for Alvin Draper to knock on the door and dazzle the old woman with his most charming grin. He claimed to be an old friend of Bernie's, come to hang out and catch up with her but when he had knocked on her door, no one had answered.
"Oh. I haven't seen hide nor hair of her for a few days, Mr. Draper." the old woman admitted. "I assume she and that boyfriend of hers went on vacation"
"Boyfriend?" Alvin asked.
"Yes, that big, blond man. I think she called him Buddy."
The young man kept his disappointment to himself and gave her another bright smile. "Well, thanks anyway. Have a nice day."
He walked away, the old woman's door closing with a creak. He made his way back to the alley where his gear was stashed and quickly redonned Red Robin's cowl. Bernie Kaswell's apartment was a dead end. If there's a chance for him to catch either her or Buddy Pierce, he'll have to check into other locations they were known to be in, or locations where they might go to.
On the run from the cops, no job, no home, with a boyfriend who'll soon become the prime suspect in a murder case, and a lot of money coming from said boyfriend, where's a girl to go?
Red Robin landed on the rooftop of a condominium, pausing to mull over what he had just thought. Did Bernie know about Buddy's criminal habits? Did she even know about his being a meta?
If they were a honest couple, Buddy should have told her; that is, if they wanted a chance at 'forever.' Tim would know, it was one of the most difficult problems he'd had as a teenage superhero, right next to figuring out the best excuse to give his parents during emergencies. But he's a superhero, not a criminal. In his experience, criminals could go either way.
So, based on Buddy's previous relationships: was he the honest, bring-home-to-the-parents type or the rebellious, I've-got-a-secret-and-I'll-never-tell-you type? What else did Dick tell him about Buddy Pierce...?
His older brother.
The idea hit him with a flash. For someone like Buddy, his older brother would be his first priority; any girlfriends would simply be a close second. So no, he wouldn't have told Bernie about his being a meta and a criminal. In fact, with the heat on them and the brothers' need to protect themselves, Tim expected Buddy to break up with Bernie and run to ground, thereby leaving Bernie to face the cops alone. Which would then leave only a couple of places possible for a girl hiding from the law to go: the train or the bus station. Maybe even the airport.
Red Robin launched another jumpline and headed back to his bike. Without any alternative identification, Bernie would have to use her real name to register in any passenger list. After all, the police would be having a difficult time tracing her name with just her face to go on. Crime labs don't have equipment as efficient as the Crays. And he could easily hack into the stations' systems for passenger lists. If he couldn't, Oracle could.
In the end though, he didn't have to hack much. He found her at a bus stop to Metropolis. The bus was running late and she looked like she'd been waiting for it for a long time. This time of night didn't have a lot of travellers so Tim decided to confront her in his uniform.
She was as Dick described her: a pale brunette with a butterfly tattoo on her collarbone. Her tired, dark eyes stared in the direction where the bus would be coming from, her hands clutching an overnight bag on her lap. The bleak expression on her face simply stated that the world had suddenly turned on her and she had no other recourse but to give up. Tim couldn't blame her. He'd felt that way too, when Superman came into the Cave bearing a corpse that resembled Bruce's...and then Dick decided to keep the demon child as his Robin.
He didn't understand it. Why would his older brother pick the snotty prince over him? He'd been Robin for years and had already proven himself! And why wouldn't Dick or Alfred believe him when he said Bruce wasn't dead? Didn't they want to consider that there might be a chance Bruce could come back?
Tim clamped down on his runaway thoughts. He'd think about them later, when he'd finished this favor for Dick.
"Bernie Kaswell?"
Bernie looked up with the slow movements of an exhausted person. She must have felt resigned to her fate when she realized who it was facing her because she just sighed wearily and returned to staring into space. "Suppose I know why you're here."
"I'm looking for Buddy Pierce." Red Robin answered quietly.
Bernie snorted and waved a hand in dismissal. "Can't help you there. He took off after his brother and went G-d knows where."
"Did he give any hint as to where they might be going?"
She rolled her eyes and shot him a glare. "Look, hero, I already told you he went with his brother to hide in their cozy little hole; leaving me, his loving girlfriend, to face the cops alone right after I gave him what he wanted." She scoffed. "Men. Only looking to use gullible girls and snubbing them after."
Tim paused in his interrogation and tried another tactic. A direct approach doesn't work for someone at the end of their rope. "I'm sorry this happened to you-"
Bernie interrupted him with a look. "You got any clout with the cops?"
He blinked at the suddenness of the question. "I..."
"'Course you should. You're a hero." She muttered more to herself than to him. Her bus still hadn't arrived yet and Tim silently waited with her, deciding that if he couldn't get her to answer his questions, maybe she'll decide to just talk if she knew there was someone willing to lend an ear.
Finally, she sighed again and broke the silence. "Alright, hero, you win. I'm no good running from the law. Not when I'm dead broke and can't show my face to get my paycheck." She stood up and raised her shattered brown eyes to meet his. Even with only a couple of streetlights illuminating her face, Tim could see her tears brimming. "They won't toss me to the dogs, will they? I haven't killed anyone, really. It was all Buddy's idea."
Tim inwardly stilled. This was it. This was the evidence Dick was looking for to pin the murder charge on Buddy Pierce. If Bernie agreed to testify against her ex...
Tim schooled his expression not to reveal his eagerness. He couldn't afford to spook Bernie, not if he wanted her to testify. If he played this right, he might be able to convince her to do so in exchange for a lighter sentence. But he had to know that there were grounds for her to take the deal. He had to know more.
He took her hand and tugged her back to the bench she'd been sitting on, taking a seat himself beside her. "Tell me everything."