Case: Fight for your life!

[cass_batgirl]

The little, balding make in his green scrubs is bending over the body on the autopsy table.  A gloved hand reaches up to switch on the recorder.  "John Doe.  5'11" and 170lbs.  A pair of street kids found him naked while dumper diving in the upper west side.  This guy is a mess

Comments

[gctopcop]

Jim's been working late. He usually does, these days. It's not like there's anybody waiting at home for him. And tonight, it doesn't appear that there's anyone waiting roofside either. He's restless. Probably too much of that brown sludge that bears some faint resemblance to coffee. His doctor has told him to switch to decaf, but he's resisting. He gave up smoking. Caffeine? Is a hell of a lot more to ask.

He decided to head down to the morgue. Maybe Clarence has found something that would warrant putting up the signal.

He pushed open the heavy double doors. "Turn up anyth--?"

The question dies on his lips. An instant later, he's reaching for his gun. "Who the hell are you?"

[cass_batgirl]

Cass looks up over her mask. "Kestrel." She indicates the body on the table. "Third one. Pattern." She motions the commissioner over. "Behind ear," she instructs, still careful not to touch the body, lest she compromise evidence.

[gctopcop]

Jim's eyes narrow. The costume isn't familiar, but there's something about the woman... He shrugs off the thought. The answer may come to him or it may not, but if they're on the same side, he'll let the matter slip for now.

"A... pattern," he repeats. He looks at the coroner. "Clarence? Have you--?"

Clarence shakes his head. "First one I've seen, sir."

Jim nods and turns to... Kestrel, was it? "Explain yourself."

[cass_batgirl]

"Third body. No name. Cut here." She again indicates behind the ear. If the man looks he'll see the three little marks. Two were healed into thin scars, but one had only just scabbed over.

She looks at the commissioner. "Died." Her hand hovers of the area of his spleen. "Will be more." If she doesn't figure out what's going on and how to stop it. Who to stop.

[gctopcop]

Gordon examines the cuts. "Hmmm... well, unless the blade that made those was coated in a slow-acting poison, I don't think we're looking at cause of death, or they wouldn't have had a chance to heal. So... torture? Or some sort of initiation?"

He glances at Clarence.

Clarence shakes his head. "She'd only just alerted me to them when you came in, sir." He picks up a scalpel. "It's going to be one of those nights."

"Mmmm," Jim nods. "Well, tell me when you find something." He glances at Kestrel. "Unless there's more you're able to divulge right now?"

[cass_batgirl]

"Kills," she clarifies. Or at leas that's what they might be. Maybe "wins"? After all, kills would imply there are more bodies to be found. Perhaps there are and they just haven't turned up yet. Such things are not unknown in Gotham.

"Others have. This one have most." Where ARE the other two bodies?

[gctopcop]

"Others have... what? Those slashes?" They don't look fatal in and of themselves.

[cass_batgirl]

She nods and holds up two fingers. "No names. Like him." Cass wishes she could make her mouth work right. She HAS the words, but getting them out is almost a literally painful process.

Maybe she should have had the computer print out the reports on the other two John Does. That computer has made her life a lot easier. It will read he files to her, which means that she doesn't have to spend hours trying to decipher one sentence.

Maybe she should take Alfred up on those reading lessons. Again. Maybe the third time IS the lucky charm.

[gctopcop]

Jim's frown deepens. Her English is accentless, but her fluency? "Would you be more comfortable if we called in an interpreter?" he asks, hoping that she won't take offense. "It might help to speed things along, if we find someone who can translate from your native language."

[cass_batgirl]

Cass huffs and rolls her eyes. Then, in an uncanny imitation of Dick.... "Good luck."

The only people that might be able to are all her immediate "family" and they have their own issues to deal with.

[gctopcop]

"Well, perhaps we can try. You'd be surprised how many languages we're able to find interpreters for in this city." He stops, realizing that she's practically bristling. "Look," he says in a softer voice, "I'm sorry if I'm offending you. I'm trying to get a handle on what's going on, here, and we seem to be hitting a bit of a language barrier. I'd hate to think that we'd miss out on some vital bit of information because you either don't have the words for me, or I used a term you weren't sure of."

[cass_batgirl]

"Hear fine," she all but growls. Quietly. Making an enemy of Gordon is not what she wants to do. But she is getting frustrated. She knows that communication is an issue and she IS trying but its...slow to come. Despite her efforts. And that is starting to impact the Mission. Which is unacceptable.

She's seriously considering going and getting a print out form her computer but that would take too long. Maybe not as long as trying to talk? No, there has to be...

There is a better way. Kestrel wants to smack herself. Hard. But she doesn't. Instead she digs in her belt for the spare ear piece that Barbara insisted she take along. At the time she couldn't understand why when she already has a comm that was far less bulky and inconspicuous. Still, she hadn't questioned it. Now she understands.

She will have to give the woman a hug next time she sees her.

Handing over what looks like a basic blue tooth earpiece to the commissioner, she motions him to put it on.

[gctopcop]

Gordon accepts the headset with a raised eyebrow.

One thing you learn quickly in Gotham City is to keep your guard up. Headgear can have mind-control chips, houseplants can have pheromones, handshakes hide lethal joy buzzers, and never volunteer for any type of psychology experiment with the word 'fear' in the title

[gctopcop]

...Hello? Can you hear me?