Dangers in the Dark

Scrutiny of the Board 16.4

Holly POV

G.C.P.D. Precinct

Taking a deep breath, I leaned up against the cool wall of the hallway as I tried to come to terms with what I had just witnessed. Jerome had seemed completely sane when we had first met him a few days ago but in reality, he had probably only just finished cleaning himself up after murdering his mother. That thought was incredibly terrifying to me, even after all the perps I had seen being brought into the precinct. How can someone so sane looking turn out to be the complete opposite?

I stayed leaned up against the wall for a few moments longer before the door to the interrogation room opened. Instantly, I knew who was going to come out of the room so I moved out of the corridor and towards the main room. However, I didn't make it very far before that damn laugh echoed down the corridor, making me glance back to see two cops escorting Jerome out of the room.

He seemed either oblivious as to where he was about to be sent, the place being the newly institutionalised Arkham Asylum, or he just didn't care. After what I had seen in the interrogation room, the latter was probably most likely.

"Come on, folks. It's funny," Jerome said to the cops before cackling away again. Neither of them said anything in response as they started to pass by me. "What do you think, baby? Just a little bit funny?"

"You're sick," I responded with a shake of my head. "You're sick and you need help."

Jerome's face fell into one of confusion for a moment before the smile started to spread across his face again.

"I'll see you on the other side, then," Jerome said.

"Don't hold your breath," I muttered as they turned a corner that led towards the transportation bay that would take Jerome to Arkham.

With his confession on tape and signed by hand, they were able to get him into Arkham pretty quickly. I didn't know whether they would even bother giving him a court hearing cause the only thing they would probably get out of him would be a laugh. And I suppose they would want him away from the public. I mean, he hadn't hurt any strangers, only a family member yet that didn't mean he wouldn't if he got the chance again.

So with the case cracked and Jerome off to the looneyville, I made my way back through to the main room to see if I could find Harvey anywhere. He would probably have a coffee with him and I was really, really, really craving a coffee after my lack of sleep. The adrenaline from the night was starting to wear off on me and I needed either a large coffee or even better, a comfy bed.

As I entered the main precinct hall, I couldn't immediately spot my hatted friend but instead, I saw someone that I wasn't expecting to see. No, I didn't see them, I couldn't see them. She wasn't even back in Gotham and if she were, she would have told me or dad beforehand.

Yet the glimmer of blonde hair was so familiar as it whipped around the door and out of the building. Surely that couldn't be Barbara. But I had to know the truth.

So I picked up the pace of my walk and practically ran straight towards the entrance where I had seen the blonde rush out of only moments before. I had to dodge, duck and swivel around many cops and civilians as I sped towards said door. If that really was Barbara, I didn't want to risk losing her, not again.

Pushing open the front door, I stepped out into the early morning sun, squinting as the light practically blinded my tired eyes. Even as I shielded my eyes with my hand, I couldn't spot the person that I could've sworn I had just seen. The streets were still fairly empty so if that had been her, then I would've easily spotted her.

Maybe I was just tired and my mind was playing tricks on me. Yes, that had to be it. There was no way that Barbara would suddenly just show up at the precinct after all this time and then run out without even saying hi to either of us. That's not the Barbara I remember. She would've spoken to us.