A Killing Joke
Chapter Two
I couldn't help but enjoy myself while eating dinner with Eddy and his seemly alright friend Oswald. I guess with my line of work it was just so natural to think anyone different was bad news. Oswald was telling me stories about how he had met my brother one time at the police station; about how Commissioner Gordon had at one point pretended to kill him.
Which seem fabricated at first listen until Edward corroborated every single one of these stories. "And there's a masked man running around dressed like a giant bat?" I asked as they had continued with the stories.
"Yes, indeed Miss Amelia. There are quite the amount of costumed bandits in this City." Oswald explained to me, I couldn't help but notice how unhealthy and white his skin seemed to look but I chalked it up to him being from some other country or maybe some sort of disorder.
"Just like Superman over in Metropolis and the Flash over in Central City. It is really crazy to me that we're locking up people like Doctor Crane and Doctor Isley but they let these other people just roam free under the impression they're the good guys." I half snorted out, I hated to admit it however the Flash on many occasions came to my rescue.
"What about you Miss Amelia? Why the move from Central City, surely the Flash wasn't nearly as pesky or annoying as the Batman is." Oswald commented the annoyance dripping in his voice.
"The job, Edward here and well my boyfriend Barry and I broke up… it sucked but it had to happen we just both wanted very different things." I commented.
Zsasz wasn't wrong as special and great as Barry was I just really wasn't ready for the kinds of commitments he was wanting from me. That and competing with Iris all the time for his attention was one of the more awful experiences I'd had with the whole thing. Iris texts or calls, post a picture or video; Barry had to support it, like it, comment or answer… but with me. He was overly selective, yet he wanted to go further. Probably was unaware of what those actions really said to me.
"Barry? I - I was unaware you were seeing someone." Edward had said his voice hinting and pining at how hurt he was from being kept out of that, was best to avoid telling him how long the relationship was kept a secret.
"Barry Allen, he worked at the Police Station. We had met over one of my patients being a suspect in a crime… it wasn't a very long relationship Edward didn't seem notable to even mention to you. You know how I only like telling you about important things." I told him watching as he sat up happily, he liked knowing that anything I did tell him was only something of value if he was being informed.
Sadly, Barry was very important to me. I knew how Edward would have reacted had they ever met. They have basically the same job it would have been a competition always. I couldn't have that, why was I even still hooked on Barry that ended nearly five months ago.
"Well I best be closing up shop, it was the utmost pleasure meeting you Miss Amelia. Edward I will see you tomorrow I presume?" He asked Eddy as my brother just smiled nodding. I had to admit; Edward kept his riddles to a bare minimum over dinner, that was highly unlike him.
"I'll drive you home, it would be the best you invest in a car sooner rather than later. I would prefer it if you didn't take the train to work." Edward told me sternly as we reentered his car so that he could begin to drive me home from the restaurant.
"I will Eddy, just wanted to get home settled first. I'm off tomorrow relatively early, only have three appointments tomorrow which means car shopping right after."
"You must bring it by so I can make sure you got the safest model." He told me as I grinned, "Oh course Edward." I told him happily.
I sat there in my office the next day after having ordered the room to be painted a soft off cream color. Seemed more calming than prison cell grey, I had carpet placed in the room and asked for more comfortable seating at the table and the couches. They all knew they would never leave this place there was absolutely no reason as to why they shouldn't be comfortable for the hour or so they got to be out of their cells.
Probably why I had them install a small snack bar which was to be restocked throughout the day with fresh sandwiches and other easily made snacks. I knew the kitchen here had the ability to make decent food so why not put them to work.
I was sitting at my desk looking through the files I had begun sorting through the three that I was supposed to be seeing today, Floyd Lawton, Victor Zsasz and Harvey Dent were all scheduled for visits today. Hugo Strange was released from my custody along with Doctor Tetch and Doctor Isley who all got assigned to the new Psych who arrived this morning. Apparently I had too much on my plate with the ones they were leaving with me.
I lifted up the phone to speak to the holdings guard. "Can you have someone bring Floyd Lawton up into my office? He has an appointment with me today in about twenty minutes." I requested hearing the same response I was going to get everyday for the rest of my term here before we both hung up our phones.
I knew Floyd had a daughter and that she was a touchy subject for him, I knew he was allowed a single hour long visit with her after every mission he completed successfully and only if completed without incidents. Which from what I heard with Harleen around and the Joker on the loose was a rare thing for him. I would have to be sure to try and schedule her to have a visit while or after his visits with me were done.
The knock came on my door not to long after; the guards leading him in with cuffs on his hands but not his legs. "Wait outside the door please." I requested to the men as Floyd walked further into my office taking a seat on the couch after I had motioned for him to sit there from my desk.
"Mr. Lawton." I greeted him once I had finally sat across from him with a small notebook now placed on my lap and his file on the other side of me. "My name is Doctor Nygma, I do hope eventually those won't be necessary during your visits here with me." I said motioning towards his cuffs.
"That would be most ideal Miss Nygma. Your office is a lot nicer than the other doctors up in here." He commented.
"Well I figured you all have to stay down in those awful looking cells all day for as long as you're stuck here. Why not give you somewhere to look forward to seeing if even just for an hour. Are you hungry, thirsty?" I questioned as he smirked and nodded.
"Turkey or Roast beef, and your choice of drink." I commented.
"Roast beef, please and water is fine… you'll feed us too?" He nearly coughed out.
"Like I said, comfort." I told him as I brought him over the sandwich and bottled water. "I do want to talk to you about some things, I know they will be rather touchy so if you wish to avoid them until you are ready tell me." I told him as he nodded taking a long chug of water.
"My little girl." He commented.
"I want to help you as best as I can with watching her grow up and seeing her. A young girl should never be forced to grow up without a father who would do anything for her...if you're willing to talk to me and try to sort through what it is that has brought you to a life a crime or even just waste the hour a week you have with me… I can arrange to have her here for when our talks are done. You can spend an hour with her even two while I work through my files before my next meeting."
"Why would you do that for me?" He asked me his voice filled with skepticism.
"Because Mr. Lawton, I read your file and you aren't a bad man, nor are you a bad father. I grew up around badmen and had a bad father… I don't believe just because you're a criminal you shouldn't be denied the right to be treated like a human."
"Floyd." He told me with an assertive smile, "My friends, they call me Floyd." He told me as I smiled back.
"Amelia." I smiled back to him.
Throughout my meeting with Floyd, I got to know a side to him I wasn't sure anyone beyond his group of friends really got to see. He was a fairly caring man regardless of what his life choices said about him, he was smart and charming. Loved his daughter more than anything by the sounds of it. Which was when I told him if he had a particularly hard or trying mission he was allowed to request a meeting and I would to my best to get Zoe out here for him to see. I think he would be the only patient I was going to make any progress with. Which really did make me sad.
Dent had apparently tried to kill a guard over night which meant he was locked in solitary confinement for a few weeks, Zsasz had requested to change his appointment to later in the week. Apparently he wasn't ready to speak to me. Which really meant I had come in to make Floyd's day and leave… which really wasn't a terrible sounding day.
I had started to pack my bags to head back into Gotham to go take a look at some cars, when the door to my office was opened. "George requested a meeting with you last minute he didn't know you were in the office." the guard told me as I just nodded motioning for them to bring him into the office while I went and got his file and a new notebook for him.
I looked over at him as he seemed to be making himself extremely comfortable on the couch as I just shook my head sitting down across from him. "Digger, you requested a meeting?" I questioned him, watching as his eyes seemed to almost soak up every single inch of my body.
"Aye yea, I did." He winked. "I like what ye' did to the place." He remarked.
Why did he feel the need, the be so difficult with me? "Digger?" I questioned him. "What did you want to talk about."
"Us, our undeniably chemistry we have goin' on 'ere, love." He told me.
"You cannot be serious." I said shutting my note pad. "Digger you can't request a meeting with me if you are just going to sit there and hit on me. It's not appropriate."
"I think ya' skirt being above the knees is a bit inappropriate for the job 'nah?"
"It's below my knees George, it's the way I'm sitting."
"I got to say love, 'ya sendin' me all kinds of mixed messages."
I rolled my eyes, "I got an' idea. 'Ow' abouts we make a deal, yea?" He stated as I crossed my arms over my chest visibly unimpressed by him.
"I will answer any an' all of your questions, but you 'ave to make an effort to open up to me ya?"
His accent was so thick, I felt like an interpreter may help me. However, he never said I had to be honest with him. How would he know anything I was saying to him was a straight out lie? "Fine, but it stays appropriate Digger."
"Aw, common love, you sayin' had we met anywhere but here you would't be the slightest bit interested...in this." I had to stifle a laugh.
"Maybe if you showered, shaved and took better care of yourself. Digger, I would never date you."
"Why not eh?"
"I don't date patients and I don't date criminals."
"Ah, me bein' a criminal shouldn't bother you love, I'm much more than meets the eye, yea?"
"You're a transformer and turn from a man into a robot?" I questioned.
"Think 'yea funny?" He laughed. "Nah, I like a lot of things that shrinks think ar' out of character for me."
"Like what?"
"Well 'for starters I like ponies. I had one but I lost it, pinky. I also like the color pink, and energy drinks, beer leaves a sour taste in me mouth."
"Really? A bronie… you're trying to tell me you like my little pony?" I asked him.
"No, lord no love. Ponies, the small horses. Pinky was pink because she was the only thing me mum gave me." That wasn't something I was prepared to hear him say.
"Where did you lose her?"
"On my first mission, with the squad yea? Stupid thing got burnt up in a fire." He told me, I thought about it.
"It you start taking care of yourself, better… I can try and find you a new one, if you miss her."
He laughed, "Love, if smelling like flowers and trimmin' me' beard gets me more time with you, I'll do it."
I just shook my head before I had him removed from my office to go home. On my way out I left a note with one of the guards to bring George to the showers twice a day and supply him with toothpaste, and to trim his beard. He was my patient and as annoying as he was proving to be it was my job to take care of him.
I felt like I had been staring at the same five cars in this lot; why couldn't they just have something simple, useful and safe to please Edward. I just continued browsing the lots when I noticed a tall man in a suit with slicked back hair talking to the dealer while standing next to an Aston Martin Vanquish.
If only.
I walked towards the dealer that was just bit further away from the two men to tell him I had made up my mind, "I think I picked a car." I told him.
"Excellent Miss Nygma, which did you decide on today?" He asked me as I felt the eyes of the man and the other dealer burn into the back of my head.
"The deep red Altima, 2016 model preferably." I told him as he told me he was going to go grab the keys and set up the paperwork for me, which really only meant me signing on a dotted line. I filled out everything else before I even started to look.
"Safe car." I heard the man say from behind me.
"Couldn't afford the Tesla Roadster over there, I think I settled." I commented making a joke, or well more likely a stab at his clear ability to buy whatever he wanted.
"That is a beautiful car too; however on these streets it would be stolen in under ten minutes being left unattended." He informed me, "You made a great choice Miss Nygma."
I couldn't help but smile; "Amelia." I told him as he made his way over to me. "Bruce."
"What brings you here today Bruce?" I asked, "Obviously not to buy a new car." I teased.
"I often enough get bored, so I like to test out the latest models. When you're done signing all your paperwork maybe you'll join me?" He offered.
Something told me this guy probably wouldn't even take no as an answer had it been given. "As intriguing as that sounds, I have to go meet with my brother for dinner. Rain check?" I offered. He just smiled at me nodding to me as he handed me a card.
"I look forward to hearing from you, Amelia." He said as he made his way back to the other dealer.
Bruce Wayne. No way was that the luck I was having right now.
"Alright Miss Nygma if you wouldn't mind following me inside everything is set up and ready for you to sign while they bring you a car around!" The man said excitedly pulling me from my trance as I pushed the card Bruce handed me into my wallet. "Amazing." I told him as I followed him towards his office.
"This is a good car. The safety ratings are very high I think you made a perfect choice." Eddy told me with one of his signature grins.
"Yea almost walked out of there with a date too." I told him as I slowly looked over to him as we left my car to head into the restaurant for dinner.
"Oh really, did you…" He started to say before pausing. "I am something quiet. I can be happiness, sadness or fear. I can show or just be gone, but I'll come back not before too long…" He riddled me as I laughed softly.
"Feelings. No, I just met him Eddy and I am not ready for feelings or having them or men." I sighed as we sat down at a table.
"No, not yet but they always happen." He sighed.
"What about dinner what would you like?" I asked him as he smirked, "Who was this fellow?" He asked me ignoring my comment regarding dinner.
"It's not important Edward." I told him.
"What is yours but used more by everyone else?" Edward asked me rather annoyed.
"His name was Bruce Wayne." I told him, "Bruce Wayne? The Wayne family used to own this City." He told me.
"Yea well that's nice for him. Can we eat?"
"Are you going to go see him?" He asked me. "No probably not Eddy." I sighed.
"Alright." He shrugged off with a smile before raising his hand to get the attention of the waitress. "He is a player anyway it's best you left him alone." He told me his voice growing cold.
"That was always the plan Edward." I nearly snapped back.
"I was just protecting you…"