-Well played Master Bruce. - said Alfred.
Bruce Wayne was in his laboratory fully equipped in a bat suit looking at The White Shadow set behind the glass.
-Yeh, right. So now, while Bruce Wayne is officially out of sight because of his injuries after the restroom fall Batman can use all the time he needs to find Evan. I feel it Alfred, I feel something is about to happen.
-I do too, Master Bruce. I do too. I wish you luck.
-Please look for the program update and as soon as it connects any dates let me know.
-I will, Sir. Can I expect you by morning, Sir?
-I don't know, Alfred. No promises.
He left on his batmobile flying on the streets of Gotham straight to the Zone Three. He needs to see her and get her ready.
A signal came up the screen as soon as he crossed the bridge to the zone. Batman placed a small tracing device almost on all the clothes Justice had while she wasn't home many weeks ago. He figured out that she was not always wearing pretty uncomfortable white cape and sometimes was going full black to search around the zone. Tracing devices was almost invisible on a surface of clothes imitating the fabrics. She could wash the clothes and Batman still found her.
Today was the day when she was wearing all black but he saw her with a night vision lenses. She was up on a roof of an abandoned building and he knew she saw him coming. She went down fast almost as a cat or a snake and hopped in a batmobile.
-We have to talk. - said Batman.
-Oh, yes! We definitely have to! There is a murder, I don't know what to do but I know who is a victim.
It didn't go as he planned…
-Show me the way.
-We are not far. 335 Worther street. A man's name is Patrick Wilson. Do you know who he was?
-No.
-He was a guy who opened gates for people stealing chemicals.
Batman didn't say a word. He had questions to Justice but not before he would examine the scene.
The house was two minutes away from the point Batman picked up Justice. He remembered that, he made a note to check that place just in case if she hid anything there. Was he suspecting her? Of course she was a prime suspect at this point.
The street was completely dark no street lights or lights in neighborhoods houses.
-This is the house. The door is locked but I saw him through a window. - said Justice walking on a side of a house. - Look you can see him laying on the floor through the blinds.
Batman glanced through the window and saw a man laying on his stomach in a pool of blood. The house was messy as somebody thrown everything around it seemed like a fight was happening inside.
Batman looked Justice straight in her eyes.
-What were you doing here? - he asked in a stone cold voice.
-I was looking for this man. It has been three days since I found out that he was a night gate operator at the plant. I was following him every night since then and every morning at six. I was here today to see him leaving to work but he never left. I thought he may have a day off so I decided to come later and see what he is doing on his nights off. But the house was still dark except this window.
-Did you see him today in the morning coming from work?
-Yes. I did. I followed him home as he left the plant at 6.05 am and he came straight home at 6.20 am walked in his house and after that l left because I had to go to work at the library.
-Then you came in the evening and thought he had a day off. So why would you leave then?
-He goes to work at eight so I was here by seven just in case. The sun was going down but it was still not dark so I waited till nine thirty I saw the light in the room. Now I think it was there all the time but it's so dull I couldn't see it at the day light. So I was sure he stayed home and I decided to come after midnight it was almost one thirty when I got here and the light was still the same. I went to the window and I saw it. - she pointed inside. - I can't contact you so I left not knowing what to do. How did you find me on the roof? Did you trace me?
-Yes.
-So you can see what and when I was doing all day! Why ask!
Batman didn't answer and looked inside.
-What if somebody saw you? Or what if his front door has a camera?
-I didn't see any cameras on his house. Not so many people can afford cameras in the zone. And as you see I wear black so nobody saw me and this street mostly filled with old people. Zone's reality. Will you go in or we should call the police.
Batman didn't answer on this one.
He looked through the window one more time. The room was out of order a small table nocked off some books thrown everywhere the dull light was coming of a small light source somewhere around the corner probably from a kitchen. A man was laying still and his blood was definitely getting dry and crusty. For a second Batman though he saw something else in there.
-Foot prints. - he said to Justice.
-Where? Shit! You goddamn right! They are going to the kitchen.
Batman walked to a back door. Tried to open it with no result. It took him split second to open it with some small device.
-Do not enter. Stay. Wait. - he said to Justice. -Don't touch a thing.
She just nodded her head as an answer.
Batman walked in a small corridor with a washing machine and a dryer, some boxes were stocked one on another in a corner. He walked in a door to the living room. The light was indeed coming from a kitchen and the body was laying behind a couch.
-Record. Patrick Wilson deceased. - Batman walked the room slowly looking at some pictures, he saw some diploma and scanned it. - Find everything on Patrick Wilson. - he said to his system.
-This is the information I found on Patrick Wilson born in 1987, thirty six years old, born in Romania, name on a birth certificate Emil Wakovich, name was changed by his parents at Gotham Central Municipal Center, social security number … - Batman was listening and examining the body taking video of the scene with his lenses. - … Start working on Chemical plant number 3 as a night gate operator in 2018.
-Stop. Safe the information and the video.
-Yes, Sir. - the system replied.
Batman walked towards kitchen following bloody steps. It wasn't small steps they definitely belong to a man or a very big woman. But the print showed a company name what was printed on the sole it was one of the work boots companies. Batman didn't stop his video. It recorded as bloody steps went to a small hall before the front door. It was a bloody print on the handle it was definitely locked before a killer left the house. A killer left the same way as he came in. Batman turned around picturing everything what was happening in this house.
The deceased was going to work this night because he was wearing a work uniform with his name on it. His lunch bag was ready to go. Somebody knocked at the door and Patrick opened it. Why? A killer definitely attracted his attention with some question or a statement. Patrick opened the door and immediately got knocked down with a good punch. The evidence of it is pictures on the wall in a hall all smashed and misplaced. Patrick hit the wall with those pictures and a killer dragged him to a living room. How long he was keeping Patrick alive maybe thirty minutes maybe two hours no more. The hits were damaging and Patrick died from the blood loss. Then a killer left from the front door and locked it from the inside before he left.
Batman exited the house the same way he came in meeting Justice still standing next to a back door.
-Where are you going? - she followed Batman.
Batman went on a street and was scanning the surface of asphalt.
-Nothing. No car tires but Wilson's. - he said.
-He walked away? - asked Justice
-No his bloody steps went only on the path from the house. Nothing on a grass ether.
-Bike? Could he bike here? - asked Justice.
-He could. Scan for bike tires. - split second and the system showed some marks. - There are bike tires on the road.
-We should follow! - said Justice.
Batman's car turned around on its own and they both got in.
-Follow bike marks. - Batman said to a computer and it did listen to him. A car slowly moved then raised the speed.
-What do you think? - asked Justice.
He didn't answer to her.
-Oh well I guess you still think it was me. - she looked out of the window they were next to the river. It was a quick ride.
Batman exited and walked to the water.
-It's where he changed his clothes, seems like he tossed it away from a board walk as well as his bike. - said Batman and he called the police.
Justice was standing next to the water looking at the other side of the river to the Main Land. It was getting chilly and the sun was about to burst from the horizon.
-I will let the police take out the bike from the river. So tell me how do you know that Patrick Wilson was the one who opened gates?
-Logan Hunter told me. His brother Hussein Amari was stealing chemicals with a group of people. Once the buyer told them it was the last purchase after that they shot them. It happened in that old school we found. So Hussein got shot but run away and met Logan. This name was the last thing he told Logan. Logan has a sister Ilham her and Hussein are blood brother and sister and Logan he is… His father married their mother and took them as his own kids. So they are a family.
-Do you think it could be him? - Batman asked
-Why? He wants to investigate he wants those people those who was buying chemicals. I'm sure he wants them to be caught and prosecuted. It's just my opinion.
-I see. - said Batman. - This night didn't go as I planned.
Suddenly Batman received a message from Alfred: "Sir, you asked me to monitor the program so it finally got an answer and I think you should see it for yourself."
-I got to go.
-Oh, I'm sure you are. Bye. - she turned to Batman but he was gone.
The police sirens were coming down from the bridge it was time to go home.
