Love & Malice: A Lead (2/2)
Title: Love & Malice (formerly Twists of Fate) - 6 - A Lead (2/2)
Author: charlie_bz
Pairing/Characters: Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle, Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon, John Blake
Rating: For mature readers - Later chapters will turn quite dark.
Warnings: see above
Spoilers: Dark Knight Rises
Disclaimer: Dark Knight Rises does not belong to me.
Description: With Selina Kyle by his side, Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham to fulfill his family's legacy. After a brutal crime, he learns that Selina's ghosts can no longer be ignored and he must investigate her mysterious past.
Part 1
Russia - Three Years Earlier
Spring arrived and with it the annual shindig that had the town aflutter. The festival was a spring bash for the locals to celebrate the end of winter and the time before tourists descended on the city for the summer. It was a huge deal and even though they weren't locals, Bruce and Selina weren't tourists either so their attendance was desired. The ladies of the apartment house devoted the last few days persuading them to come along. Even Balashov promised they would have a great time and had intended to accompany them but cried off at the last minute feeling ill yet insisting that they go.
"I've used the word 'cute' more in the last hour than in all my life," Bruce commented as they walked toward the town center.
"It is alarming." Selina agreed, glancing at the baby in Bruce's arms. She wanted to hold her but it was Bruce's turn and he would not relinquish his precious charge for anything other than a feeding. If they had arguments nowadays, it was mostly over whose turn it was to hold Helena. "I just can't believe how ridiculously happy I am with her outfit. The hat Petrova knitted matches perfectly with the little sweater from Zetseva. And I don't even think they planned that."
"It's all pink, Selina," Bruce said, smiling down at Helena who at two months was showing more awareness of her surroundings.
Selina exaggeratedly rolled her eyes. "Different shades and patterns and textures, Bruce. Don't you know anything?"
The sounds of Russian folk music indicated they were nearing the city center. Selina looked forward to the evening out, happy to have an occasion to dress up a little. She and Helena had their first mother-daughter shopping excursion while Bruce was out for a run. She'd forgotten how good it felt to get dolled up for the evening. Dressed in a fashionable black short skirt and a tight black cardigan with red four inch pumps, Selina wound her arm through Bruce's feeling uncharacteristically carefree.
They circulated through the crowd knowing more people than expected. The ones they didn't and who had heard of the American couple with the baby introduced themselves eager to visit with the foreigners who had inexplicably ended up in their town. Bruce showed off Helena and managed to not pull her away every time someone reached out to touch her. Which was often. These people didn't seem to understand boundaries very well. Maybe that's why Selina liked them.
Bruce did most of the talking for his Russian was far better than hers. He had taken the time to learn grammar and proper syntax whereas Selina was content to pick up a smattering of the language by watching Russian game shows and soaps and talking with their neighbors.
Finally, Helena got hungry and Selina smiled at her as she took the baby from Bruce. Finding a seat by a group of women from the apartment house, she settled Helena, draping a blanket over the baby as she nursed. Bruce went off to find food.
One of the younger tenants, Zetseva who was a spry seventy-five, scooted closer to talk to Selina. They chatted amiably for a few minutes until Selina suspected the woman had ulterior motives.
"We don't have many men," Zetseva explained. "Especially attractive ones. It would make us all so happy if you could persuade your husband to dance with us."
"Us?" Selina asked.
"You will not be jealous?"
"I'll try to live with it," Selina replied in English then shook her head to indicate to Zetseva that she didn't mind.
The woman clapped her hands in delight. "He can start with Vera," Zetseva said. "She is too shy but she wants your husband to ask her to dance."
At first Selina didn't think she translated the words correctly but when she looked past Zetseva, she saw an attractively aged woman dressed in Russian folk clothes looking apprehensively at Selina.
"I'll see what I can do," Selina replied, her eyes on the lonely woman.
"Thank you!" she said quickly then moved away when Bruce arrived with their food.
"You know those women that keep bringing us food and clothes for Helena?" Selina asked as Bruce handed her a blini.
"Yes," Bruce replied, sitting next to her.
"They are all very good to us."
"They are," Bruce agreed before taking a bite of his food.
"They bring us food…"
As he chewed his food, he nodded in agreement.
"They give Helena stuff..."
He continued nodding waiting for her to elaborate on what she'd gotten him into.
"And they don't ask for anything."
At that, he gave her a look reminding her of the many, many knocks on their door with the flimsy excuses to ogle the baby.
"Ok, so they're kind of a nuisance but they've outlived all the men around here and just want to dance with a handsome guy."
He stared at her blankly.
"That would be you," she said, smiling at him. "Aren't you glad you shaved for this?"
"May I eat first?"
"Yes," she replied, fixing her cardigan then putting Helena on her shoulder, softly tapping her back. "And, could you ask her friend to dance before the others?"
"Who?"
"The woman standing by Zetseva. Don't look," she said but he looked anyway. "Now you're committed. She saw you looking at her and she'll be hurt if you don't ask."
"Fine," he said, finishing off his dinner.
The look on the woman's face was priceless when Bruce asked her to dance. Selina whispered to Helena that for a crime fighter her daddy wasn't so bad.
The other women crowded around her, talking excitedly. Selina struggled to follow what they were saying but gave up and watched Bruce charm woman after woman. After each dance, another of their neighbors appeared and Bruce never let on that he wanted to do anything but dance with them.
Selina wondered how she ended up with someone who had such perfect manners. He really had been brought up right. At least until…
Deciding to rescue him, she passed Helena to Anna and made her way to the dance floor.
She tapped the shoulder of Marta, smiling at her as her eyes met Bruce's.
"I was getting jealous," she said as he took her hand then slid his other behind her back.
He looked over her shoulder to see who was holding Helena.
"She's fine," Selina said. "We know those people."
"Yeah but…" He trailed off not wanting to give voice to all the bad scenarios his brain could imagine.
"I'm starting to feel like a bad mother trusting those women."
"No, it's fine," Bruce said looking back at her, smiling a little apologetically. "It's just…anything could happen."
"Yeah. Like a meteor could fall from the sky and kill us all. Why worry about stuff like that?"
"It's not meteors I'm worried about."
Selina shook her head. "God help the person that lays a finger on that kid."
Her calm was momentarily intruded by a quick thought of what she would do if anyone dared harmed Helena. She pushed it away, not willing entertain the paranoid thoughts Bruce had trouble getting past.
"I can't believe I'm the trusting one in this relationship," she murmured.
"Who's that?" He nodded toward the younger woman who now held Helena.
Selina didn't need to turn around to see who he was talking about. "That's Anna's daughter, Galina. I interrogated her for a solid five minutes so she's okay. Should I have gotten her prints first?"
"A DNA sample would be preferable," he commented. "You never know how accurate prints can be…"
They danced in silence, gazing at each other remembering the last time they had danced. It felt like a different life with different people. The fears and worries that plagued her then seemed alien now. All thanks to the man in her arms.
Her hand slid from his shoulder, lightly brushing his neck as it travelled to his other shoulder. She curled her arm behind his neck as she shifted closer to him. Her high heels allowed them to stand face to face. His eyes went to her mouth but he didn't kiss her, aware of the crowd of people and also aware that he wanted more than a quick peck. She leaned closer to him, her face at his neck. Her eyes closed and she breathed in his scent. She felt his lips hovering just above her nape, his breath warm against her skin.
"Do you think she's out for awhile?" He whispered in her ear.
"I think we have a couple of hours," she replied huskily, lifting her head to meet his eyes. What she saw in his heated gaze caused a stab of lust to go through her.
"You get Helena," he said, not wanting to be entangled with their neighbors again. "I'll wait over there."
She nodded then walked quickly to the group of women.
"I'm sorry but we have to go," Selina said as she collected Helena.
"If he were mine, I would want to go home as well," Galina said in English, handing Selina her oversized purse that doubled as a diaper bag.
Selina shared a grin with the young woman then went off to where Bruce waited. He reached for Helena, holding her with one arm, then took Selina's hand and led her away from the crowd. They grinned at each other then quickly made their way to their apartment.
Bruce tucked Helena in the Moses basket then turned and kissed Selina. Her arms went around his neck as she held him tightly against her. Their tongues met and the passion between them rose. They made their way to the bed, shedding their clothes on the way.
Bruce lay down, pulling her on top of him as he hands slid over her body. He touched her in all the right places, eliciting soft sighs. Unsure of how much time they had before Helena woke, they were quick and quiet.
"I have to start running again," Selina said, after, sounding out of breath. She slid off him to lay on her back then turned on her side to look at him. When she faced him, he was already looking at her and in his face and eyes she saw everything she never knew she needed.
She looked away, irritated at herself for thinking such a thought. The baby stirred and Selina was grateful for the excuse to hop out of bed. Shrugging on a short silk robe, she padded over to where Helena still slept. A loving smile appeared on her face as she gazed at her daughter. The kid was undoubtedly the best thing that ever happened to her by far.
But what about the man she'd just left alone after a passionate bout of extremely satisfying lovemaking? The little voice inside her asked. Selina pushed that thought aside. Too dangerous. The baby was one thing. The man was another.
Yet it was difficult to guard her heart when it was so open. Helena had broken through the last of her defenses. If Selina wanted to be honest, she would acknowledge that those defenses had already been breached by Bruce Wayne. But Selina was an expert at lying and deceit. Even if she was only fooling herself.
Gotham - The Present
Bruce watched Detective Massey drive off then called Alfred asking him to look into the warehouse. He gazed out at the vacant lot enclosed by the double layer of chain length fence. The fence seemed relatively new, certainly nothing like the fencing surrounding the other abandoned buildings along the street. Most of those were old and sagging with holes vagrants used to slide through seeking the relative warmth of empty buildings. He told Alfred to check on all expenses relating to this property.
Helena got on the phone, chattering about the duckies at the park, asking if she could have one. He smiled, telling her the standard "We'll see." She asked if he was bringing mommy home. Feeling guilty at leaving her confused about her mother's continued absence, he offered her the same lie. After assuring her he would be home before dinner, he ended the call.
He turned to assess the roof, keeping his gaze away from the bloodstained spot where Selina had been found. Bruce could see what Detective Massey could not: how Selina had arrived at the warehouse. She had crossed over from the building next door.
The gravel near the ledge indicated someone had put down there. Without a second thought, he jumped the five feet to the next building. His knee protested at the landing and he felt a swell of anger as he imagined Selina making the dangerous jump. He continued over four more buildings until he reached a building adjacent to a small abandoned parking lot. Across the lot, he noticed a slight indentation on the weary barbed wire that traversed the length of the chain link fence. On the ground, was a folded piece of cardboard, probably used to cover the barbed wire to get across.
Climbing down the same way Selina had climbed up, Bruce felt his anger rise again. Selina had gone to enormous trouble to shield her arrival at the warehouse making him believe she knew she was up against dangerous foes.
On the other side of the fence, sitting on the ground waiting to be reclaimed were two Yummy Donut coffee cups. Using the discarded cardboard, Bruce climbed over the fence. As he jumped to the ground, he scanned the area not seeing another soul or an abandoned car. On the ground, near the cups, were a few cigarette butts. He picked up one of the paper coffee cups, recognizing Selina's shade of lipstick.
Across the street, there was a scrap metal dealer with way too many security cameras. Bruce almost grinned at that piece of luck. One of the cameras was pointed in the direction of the parking lot.
A bored receptionist, who perked up when he entered, greeted him with a happy smile.
Bruce flirted a little, feeling bad at flattering the woman who looked like she didn't get many compliments. After a few minutes of polite chit chat, he persuaded her to check the security feed, sliding her a hundred dollar bill. She looked at the bill then back up at him, worried about what he wanted. He told her he was a private investigator looking into a cheating husband. She nodded, approving of the bastard getting caught and led him to the back room.
She hovered at his shoulder as he found the file with the correct camera's feed. As he searched, he kept up the flirty banter all the while calculating the time he needed to access. He had the timeline in his head. Selina parked her SUV at 8:50 a.m. at the mall parking garage. Depending on morning rush hour traffic, the warehouse was between forty and fifty minutes away. He started searching at 9:30, finally finding her at 11:17.
For the first time, he could see the John Doe. Not a clear enough picture to see his face but there he was, walking along with Selina only a few short hours before he would be dead. He was talking, telling her a story if his gestures were any indication. They arrived at the fence, the John Doe spotting the cardboard then laying it over the barbed wire. Selina set down her coffee, talked earnestly to him, handed him a phone, and then stepped into the JD's threaded hands as he hoisted her over the fence. The way they moved together made Bruce think that wasn't the first time they'd performed such a maneuver. Selina disappeared out of sight.
Bruce fast-forwarded the video, watching as the JD smoked cigarette after cigarette. He drank his coffee, checked the phone, drank Selina's coffee, and smoked more cigarettes. Bruce could identify when the guy started to worry. He paced, running a hand through his jet-black hair, looking around anxiously. Finally, at 11:50, he climbed the fence and disappeared.
The first text Bruce received that day was at 12:16 and he could only assume that the sender was the John Doe. Bruce continued fast-forwarding through the security feed, seeing nothing of interest until a patrol car sped past, its lights flashing.
"So, that's it?" The receptionist asked, sounding disappointed there wasn't anything juicy on the feed.
"Afraid so," Bruce replied, standing up. He smiled at her, infusing his most disarming grin. "The guy's a real jerk. Trying to get custody of the kids. So if anyone asks if anybody was looking into this, could you…?" He handed another five hundred dollars to her.
"I won't tell a soul. Hope that guy gets what he deserves."
On his way out, he asked where the closest Yummy Donuts was.
"Real close. Just over on Wilshire."
"Is it walkable?"
"Sure, if you're into that kind of thing."
He nodded his thanks.
Wilshire was a ten minute walk away and Yummy Donuts another five. When he asked the cashier if she remembered a woman with long dark hair from three days ago, she gave him an impatient you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look. He bought a coffee, leaving her a big tip.
Standing on the street, outside the bakery, he scanned the area, taking note of the high traffic, both cars and people. It was a busy neighborhood, working class with lots of hustle and bustle. A great place to blend in. Across the busy street, he noticed a beat up car with several days' worth of parking tickets. As he walked closer, he noticed that the old Camaro wasn't nearly as beat up as it seemed from across the street. The paint job was faded, the car had once been black but it was now a faded dark grey. The car also looked like it hadn't been washed in years.
On a hunch he took out Selina's keys and wasn't surprised to find one slide into the lock. The door opened with the creak of older cars. He sat down and looked around. The car may appear beat up on the outside but, inside, it was kept up beautifully. The upholstery looked to be updated but kept with the original style. Red.
This was her. Selina. For the first time in a long time, he was feeling the Selina he'd first met years before.
He noticed a picture lying on the passenger seat. The photo was of a sad faced young woman who would have been quite pretty if she hadn't looked so petrified. Messy blonde hair with clear blue eyes that were filled with despair, fear, pain…who was she?
In the backseat, he found Selina's old satchel that had been their constant companion for four years. Looking through it, he found the clothes she'd been wearing when she left the penthouse that morning. He also found a piece of paper with the address of the warehouse scrawled in unfamiliar writing. Other than that, there was nothing. Again, she'd taken precautions ensuring that whatever she was doing would not lead back to them.
He opened the glove box and found a loaded pistol. Frowning, he emptied the chamber, tossing the bullets in the glove compartment and stuffing the pistol under the seat. As he did, he found another gun.
"Jesus, Selina, what's the use having these things if you're not taking them when you need them?" He asked aloud.
After unloading the second weapon, he rifled through the glove compartment finding the car's registration. The 1969 Camaro was registered to 'S. Gallagher, 1414 Canton Street, Gotham'. The registration did not match the license plate. After running the plate, he found that the plate had been lifted from an airport rental car.
He then performed a thorough search of the car, finding another pistol duct-taped under the trunk.
Removing the parking tickets off the windshield, he started the Camaro. The engine noisily roared to life. The well maintained engine was powerful, emitting that low, loud rumbling found in American muscle cars.
As he listened to the engine idle, he called Blake.
"Can you pick up my car for me?" He asked, revving the engine.
"Are you serious?" John asked, not sounding offended.
"I am."
"Is it the Lambo?"
"No."
"Are you ever going to drive that and leave it somewhere?"
"Selina's Range Rover is parked in front of the warehouse. Alfred will leave a key with the doorman. Any luck with Jen?"
"No, she left that apartment years ago but I think I'm close to finding her."
"And the Congressman?"
"In Europe with the wife since March. Their usual ski trip. Gordon's asking around about him, seeing if he has a less than savory reputation. Well, worse than it already is."
Bruce had suspected as much.
"Keep on Jen. Let me know as soon as you find her."
He ended the call then picked up the photo of the young woman. This is it, he thought. Here's what why Selina was doing what she was doing.
Author: charlie_bz
Pairing/Characters: Bruce Wayne/Selina Kyle, Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon, John Blake
Rating: For mature readers - Later chapters will turn quite dark.
Warnings: see above
Spoilers: Dark Knight Rises
Disclaimer: Dark Knight Rises does not belong to me.
Description: With Selina Kyle by his side, Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham to fulfill his family's legacy. After a brutal crime, he learns that Selina's ghosts can no longer be ignored and he must investigate her mysterious past.
Part 1
Russia - Three Years Earlier
Spring arrived and with it the annual shindig that had the town aflutter. The festival was a spring bash for the locals to celebrate the end of winter and the time before tourists descended on the city for the summer. It was a huge deal and even though they weren't locals, Bruce and Selina weren't tourists either so their attendance was desired. The ladies of the apartment house devoted the last few days persuading them to come along. Even Balashov promised they would have a great time and had intended to accompany them but cried off at the last minute feeling ill yet insisting that they go.
"I've used the word 'cute' more in the last hour than in all my life," Bruce commented as they walked toward the town center.
"It is alarming." Selina agreed, glancing at the baby in Bruce's arms. She wanted to hold her but it was Bruce's turn and he would not relinquish his precious charge for anything other than a feeding. If they had arguments nowadays, it was mostly over whose turn it was to hold Helena. "I just can't believe how ridiculously happy I am with her outfit. The hat Petrova knitted matches perfectly with the little sweater from Zetseva. And I don't even think they planned that."
"It's all pink, Selina," Bruce said, smiling down at Helena who at two months was showing more awareness of her surroundings.
Selina exaggeratedly rolled her eyes. "Different shades and patterns and textures, Bruce. Don't you know anything?"
The sounds of Russian folk music indicated they were nearing the city center. Selina looked forward to the evening out, happy to have an occasion to dress up a little. She and Helena had their first mother-daughter shopping excursion while Bruce was out for a run. She'd forgotten how good it felt to get dolled up for the evening. Dressed in a fashionable black short skirt and a tight black cardigan with red four inch pumps, Selina wound her arm through Bruce's feeling uncharacteristically carefree.
They circulated through the crowd knowing more people than expected. The ones they didn't and who had heard of the American couple with the baby introduced themselves eager to visit with the foreigners who had inexplicably ended up in their town. Bruce showed off Helena and managed to not pull her away every time someone reached out to touch her. Which was often. These people didn't seem to understand boundaries very well. Maybe that's why Selina liked them.
Bruce did most of the talking for his Russian was far better than hers. He had taken the time to learn grammar and proper syntax whereas Selina was content to pick up a smattering of the language by watching Russian game shows and soaps and talking with their neighbors.
Finally, Helena got hungry and Selina smiled at her as she took the baby from Bruce. Finding a seat by a group of women from the apartment house, she settled Helena, draping a blanket over the baby as she nursed. Bruce went off to find food.
One of the younger tenants, Zetseva who was a spry seventy-five, scooted closer to talk to Selina. They chatted amiably for a few minutes until Selina suspected the woman had ulterior motives.
"We don't have many men," Zetseva explained. "Especially attractive ones. It would make us all so happy if you could persuade your husband to dance with us."
"Us?" Selina asked.
"You will not be jealous?"
"I'll try to live with it," Selina replied in English then shook her head to indicate to Zetseva that she didn't mind.
The woman clapped her hands in delight. "He can start with Vera," Zetseva said. "She is too shy but she wants your husband to ask her to dance."
At first Selina didn't think she translated the words correctly but when she looked past Zetseva, she saw an attractively aged woman dressed in Russian folk clothes looking apprehensively at Selina.
"I'll see what I can do," Selina replied, her eyes on the lonely woman.
"Thank you!" she said quickly then moved away when Bruce arrived with their food.
"You know those women that keep bringing us food and clothes for Helena?" Selina asked as Bruce handed her a blini.
"Yes," Bruce replied, sitting next to her.
"They are all very good to us."
"They are," Bruce agreed before taking a bite of his food.
"They bring us food…"
As he chewed his food, he nodded in agreement.
"They give Helena stuff..."
He continued nodding waiting for her to elaborate on what she'd gotten him into.
"And they don't ask for anything."
At that, he gave her a look reminding her of the many, many knocks on their door with the flimsy excuses to ogle the baby.
"Ok, so they're kind of a nuisance but they've outlived all the men around here and just want to dance with a handsome guy."
He stared at her blankly.
"That would be you," she said, smiling at him. "Aren't you glad you shaved for this?"
"May I eat first?"
"Yes," she replied, fixing her cardigan then putting Helena on her shoulder, softly tapping her back. "And, could you ask her friend to dance before the others?"
"Who?"
"The woman standing by Zetseva. Don't look," she said but he looked anyway. "Now you're committed. She saw you looking at her and she'll be hurt if you don't ask."
"Fine," he said, finishing off his dinner.
The look on the woman's face was priceless when Bruce asked her to dance. Selina whispered to Helena that for a crime fighter her daddy wasn't so bad.
The other women crowded around her, talking excitedly. Selina struggled to follow what they were saying but gave up and watched Bruce charm woman after woman. After each dance, another of their neighbors appeared and Bruce never let on that he wanted to do anything but dance with them.
Selina wondered how she ended up with someone who had such perfect manners. He really had been brought up right. At least until…
Deciding to rescue him, she passed Helena to Anna and made her way to the dance floor.
She tapped the shoulder of Marta, smiling at her as her eyes met Bruce's.
"I was getting jealous," she said as he took her hand then slid his other behind her back.
He looked over her shoulder to see who was holding Helena.
"She's fine," Selina said. "We know those people."
"Yeah but…" He trailed off not wanting to give voice to all the bad scenarios his brain could imagine.
"I'm starting to feel like a bad mother trusting those women."
"No, it's fine," Bruce said looking back at her, smiling a little apologetically. "It's just…anything could happen."
"Yeah. Like a meteor could fall from the sky and kill us all. Why worry about stuff like that?"
"It's not meteors I'm worried about."
Selina shook her head. "God help the person that lays a finger on that kid."
Her calm was momentarily intruded by a quick thought of what she would do if anyone dared harmed Helena. She pushed it away, not willing entertain the paranoid thoughts Bruce had trouble getting past.
"I can't believe I'm the trusting one in this relationship," she murmured.
"Who's that?" He nodded toward the younger woman who now held Helena.
Selina didn't need to turn around to see who he was talking about. "That's Anna's daughter, Galina. I interrogated her for a solid five minutes so she's okay. Should I have gotten her prints first?"
"A DNA sample would be preferable," he commented. "You never know how accurate prints can be…"
They danced in silence, gazing at each other remembering the last time they had danced. It felt like a different life with different people. The fears and worries that plagued her then seemed alien now. All thanks to the man in her arms.
Her hand slid from his shoulder, lightly brushing his neck as it travelled to his other shoulder. She curled her arm behind his neck as she shifted closer to him. Her high heels allowed them to stand face to face. His eyes went to her mouth but he didn't kiss her, aware of the crowd of people and also aware that he wanted more than a quick peck. She leaned closer to him, her face at his neck. Her eyes closed and she breathed in his scent. She felt his lips hovering just above her nape, his breath warm against her skin.
"Do you think she's out for awhile?" He whispered in her ear.
"I think we have a couple of hours," she replied huskily, lifting her head to meet his eyes. What she saw in his heated gaze caused a stab of lust to go through her.
"You get Helena," he said, not wanting to be entangled with their neighbors again. "I'll wait over there."
She nodded then walked quickly to the group of women.
"I'm sorry but we have to go," Selina said as she collected Helena.
"If he were mine, I would want to go home as well," Galina said in English, handing Selina her oversized purse that doubled as a diaper bag.
Selina shared a grin with the young woman then went off to where Bruce waited. He reached for Helena, holding her with one arm, then took Selina's hand and led her away from the crowd. They grinned at each other then quickly made their way to their apartment.
Bruce tucked Helena in the Moses basket then turned and kissed Selina. Her arms went around his neck as she held him tightly against her. Their tongues met and the passion between them rose. They made their way to the bed, shedding their clothes on the way.
Bruce lay down, pulling her on top of him as he hands slid over her body. He touched her in all the right places, eliciting soft sighs. Unsure of how much time they had before Helena woke, they were quick and quiet.
"I have to start running again," Selina said, after, sounding out of breath. She slid off him to lay on her back then turned on her side to look at him. When she faced him, he was already looking at her and in his face and eyes she saw everything she never knew she needed.
She looked away, irritated at herself for thinking such a thought. The baby stirred and Selina was grateful for the excuse to hop out of bed. Shrugging on a short silk robe, she padded over to where Helena still slept. A loving smile appeared on her face as she gazed at her daughter. The kid was undoubtedly the best thing that ever happened to her by far.
But what about the man she'd just left alone after a passionate bout of extremely satisfying lovemaking? The little voice inside her asked. Selina pushed that thought aside. Too dangerous. The baby was one thing. The man was another.
Yet it was difficult to guard her heart when it was so open. Helena had broken through the last of her defenses. If Selina wanted to be honest, she would acknowledge that those defenses had already been breached by Bruce Wayne. But Selina was an expert at lying and deceit. Even if she was only fooling herself.
Gotham - The Present
Bruce watched Detective Massey drive off then called Alfred asking him to look into the warehouse. He gazed out at the vacant lot enclosed by the double layer of chain length fence. The fence seemed relatively new, certainly nothing like the fencing surrounding the other abandoned buildings along the street. Most of those were old and sagging with holes vagrants used to slide through seeking the relative warmth of empty buildings. He told Alfred to check on all expenses relating to this property.
Helena got on the phone, chattering about the duckies at the park, asking if she could have one. He smiled, telling her the standard "We'll see." She asked if he was bringing mommy home. Feeling guilty at leaving her confused about her mother's continued absence, he offered her the same lie. After assuring her he would be home before dinner, he ended the call.
He turned to assess the roof, keeping his gaze away from the bloodstained spot where Selina had been found. Bruce could see what Detective Massey could not: how Selina had arrived at the warehouse. She had crossed over from the building next door.
The gravel near the ledge indicated someone had put down there. Without a second thought, he jumped the five feet to the next building. His knee protested at the landing and he felt a swell of anger as he imagined Selina making the dangerous jump. He continued over four more buildings until he reached a building adjacent to a small abandoned parking lot. Across the lot, he noticed a slight indentation on the weary barbed wire that traversed the length of the chain link fence. On the ground, was a folded piece of cardboard, probably used to cover the barbed wire to get across.
Climbing down the same way Selina had climbed up, Bruce felt his anger rise again. Selina had gone to enormous trouble to shield her arrival at the warehouse making him believe she knew she was up against dangerous foes.
On the other side of the fence, sitting on the ground waiting to be reclaimed were two Yummy Donut coffee cups. Using the discarded cardboard, Bruce climbed over the fence. As he jumped to the ground, he scanned the area not seeing another soul or an abandoned car. On the ground, near the cups, were a few cigarette butts. He picked up one of the paper coffee cups, recognizing Selina's shade of lipstick.
Across the street, there was a scrap metal dealer with way too many security cameras. Bruce almost grinned at that piece of luck. One of the cameras was pointed in the direction of the parking lot.
A bored receptionist, who perked up when he entered, greeted him with a happy smile.
Bruce flirted a little, feeling bad at flattering the woman who looked like she didn't get many compliments. After a few minutes of polite chit chat, he persuaded her to check the security feed, sliding her a hundred dollar bill. She looked at the bill then back up at him, worried about what he wanted. He told her he was a private investigator looking into a cheating husband. She nodded, approving of the bastard getting caught and led him to the back room.
She hovered at his shoulder as he found the file with the correct camera's feed. As he searched, he kept up the flirty banter all the while calculating the time he needed to access. He had the timeline in his head. Selina parked her SUV at 8:50 a.m. at the mall parking garage. Depending on morning rush hour traffic, the warehouse was between forty and fifty minutes away. He started searching at 9:30, finally finding her at 11:17.
For the first time, he could see the John Doe. Not a clear enough picture to see his face but there he was, walking along with Selina only a few short hours before he would be dead. He was talking, telling her a story if his gestures were any indication. They arrived at the fence, the John Doe spotting the cardboard then laying it over the barbed wire. Selina set down her coffee, talked earnestly to him, handed him a phone, and then stepped into the JD's threaded hands as he hoisted her over the fence. The way they moved together made Bruce think that wasn't the first time they'd performed such a maneuver. Selina disappeared out of sight.
Bruce fast-forwarded the video, watching as the JD smoked cigarette after cigarette. He drank his coffee, checked the phone, drank Selina's coffee, and smoked more cigarettes. Bruce could identify when the guy started to worry. He paced, running a hand through his jet-black hair, looking around anxiously. Finally, at 11:50, he climbed the fence and disappeared.
The first text Bruce received that day was at 12:16 and he could only assume that the sender was the John Doe. Bruce continued fast-forwarding through the security feed, seeing nothing of interest until a patrol car sped past, its lights flashing.
"So, that's it?" The receptionist asked, sounding disappointed there wasn't anything juicy on the feed.
"Afraid so," Bruce replied, standing up. He smiled at her, infusing his most disarming grin. "The guy's a real jerk. Trying to get custody of the kids. So if anyone asks if anybody was looking into this, could you…?" He handed another five hundred dollars to her.
"I won't tell a soul. Hope that guy gets what he deserves."
On his way out, he asked where the closest Yummy Donuts was.
"Real close. Just over on Wilshire."
"Is it walkable?"
"Sure, if you're into that kind of thing."
He nodded his thanks.
Wilshire was a ten minute walk away and Yummy Donuts another five. When he asked the cashier if she remembered a woman with long dark hair from three days ago, she gave him an impatient you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look. He bought a coffee, leaving her a big tip.
Standing on the street, outside the bakery, he scanned the area, taking note of the high traffic, both cars and people. It was a busy neighborhood, working class with lots of hustle and bustle. A great place to blend in. Across the busy street, he noticed a beat up car with several days' worth of parking tickets. As he walked closer, he noticed that the old Camaro wasn't nearly as beat up as it seemed from across the street. The paint job was faded, the car had once been black but it was now a faded dark grey. The car also looked like it hadn't been washed in years.
On a hunch he took out Selina's keys and wasn't surprised to find one slide into the lock. The door opened with the creak of older cars. He sat down and looked around. The car may appear beat up on the outside but, inside, it was kept up beautifully. The upholstery looked to be updated but kept with the original style. Red.
This was her. Selina. For the first time in a long time, he was feeling the Selina he'd first met years before.
He noticed a picture lying on the passenger seat. The photo was of a sad faced young woman who would have been quite pretty if she hadn't looked so petrified. Messy blonde hair with clear blue eyes that were filled with despair, fear, pain…who was she?
In the backseat, he found Selina's old satchel that had been their constant companion for four years. Looking through it, he found the clothes she'd been wearing when she left the penthouse that morning. He also found a piece of paper with the address of the warehouse scrawled in unfamiliar writing. Other than that, there was nothing. Again, she'd taken precautions ensuring that whatever she was doing would not lead back to them.
He opened the glove box and found a loaded pistol. Frowning, he emptied the chamber, tossing the bullets in the glove compartment and stuffing the pistol under the seat. As he did, he found another gun.
"Jesus, Selina, what's the use having these things if you're not taking them when you need them?" He asked aloud.
After unloading the second weapon, he rifled through the glove compartment finding the car's registration. The 1969 Camaro was registered to 'S. Gallagher, 1414 Canton Street, Gotham'. The registration did not match the license plate. After running the plate, he found that the plate had been lifted from an airport rental car.
He then performed a thorough search of the car, finding another pistol duct-taped under the trunk.
Removing the parking tickets off the windshield, he started the Camaro. The engine noisily roared to life. The well maintained engine was powerful, emitting that low, loud rumbling found in American muscle cars.
As he listened to the engine idle, he called Blake.
"Can you pick up my car for me?" He asked, revving the engine.
"Are you serious?" John asked, not sounding offended.
"I am."
"Is it the Lambo?"
"No."
"Are you ever going to drive that and leave it somewhere?"
"Selina's Range Rover is parked in front of the warehouse. Alfred will leave a key with the doorman. Any luck with Jen?"
"No, she left that apartment years ago but I think I'm close to finding her."
"And the Congressman?"
"In Europe with the wife since March. Their usual ski trip. Gordon's asking around about him, seeing if he has a less than savory reputation. Well, worse than it already is."
Bruce had suspected as much.
"Keep on Jen. Let me know as soon as you find her."
He ended the call then picked up the photo of the young woman. This is it, he thought. Here's what why Selina was doing what she was doing.