Batman and Catwoman: Family Mystery

Part 9: Red

(Present)

A few nights later across town at the 13th precinct, Det. Blake was trying hard to keep his own secrets.

"Damage control, Blake!" Shouted chief Rojas.

"This is Gotham City for hell's sake. We've got enough freaks and vigilantes as it is. We can do without new ones."

"You can't blame Catwoman without hard proof," John professionally argued.

"No hard proof? Spilled milk, cat puns, and whip marks. Who else could it be?"

"But look at all her cases before. She leaves the crime scenes so clean you couldn't tell if a ghost had been there. And additionally, we have Cheetah, and Tygris. And even Catman damn it. This isn't Catwoman's m.o. She hits public facilities, not homes."

"Maybe she got bored, Blake. I don't know. What've we got on the missing foot?" Rojas moved on.

"Nothin yet. Put out a word on the street, got computer guys searchin through black market websites. Nothin on the foot yet, but we ran her financials. Last thing she bought was an anklet, from the Trieste jewelers."

"Now why does that name ring a bell, Det. Blake?" Rojas turned to Blake, expecting the answer everyone knew.

John resignedly sighed. "It was robbed by Catwoman last night."

"It was robbed by Catwoman last night." Rojas reiterated to prove his point. "And this morning, a customer of that same store is killed by cat puns. That my detective, is hard proof, and probable cause. Get a warrant, Blake."

"But there's no prior connection between the victim and Catwoman."

"Are you defending the culprit, Detective?" Rojas stressed on his title, meant to bring justice to victims.

"No, I'm saying let's not jump to conclusions. What if this is a set up? What if it's a copycat?"

"If she's innocent, she shouldn't resist arrest."

"Batman couldn't arrest her."

Rojas burned.

"BATMAN is not a cop! He's a vigilante with no jurisdiction to arrest. That's yours. I gave you an order, Blake. Go do it!"

"I object your order. You're only tagging Catwoman as an easy way out. My job isn't to arrest, my job is to find out who did what and why. And then make a justified arrest."

"Is this a case of interest for you, Blake? Are you protecting Catwoman?"

"No, I'm protecting myself from making a false arrest."

"Either you arrest her, or I'll have someone else do it. But if you're not on this case Blake, you're off this team."

Blake smiled and took his badge off his belt, tossing it on the long conference table.

"It's been a crime working with you," John spoke over his shoulder as he left the room.

Outside, he got the same respectful nods and fistbumps as yesterday, and nobody asked when he picked up the two things out of his locker and sped off on his bike. Logically, not many places in Gotham were open at this late hour, but there was always a Big Belly burger around a corner.

It wasn't the healthiest, but it was comfort food, something he needed much of at the moment. The parking lot was sparse, and John conveniently parked the bike in front of the entrance. The sleeping patrons didn't wake when the doorbell announced his entry, and those awake wasted only a second to register if he was friend or foe.