Tiger Stripes and Lightening Strikes

2: Interveiws

There was always something in the air around certain people that told Joe every word from their mouth was going to be a lie. Diddy J was one such character.

Joe had visited the man's penthouse, and was promptly pulled into a large office room. Gaping windows stared out across Central City skyline, S.T.A.R. Labs a tiny spec in the distance. The room was neatly decorated. High, angled furniture and a cabinet of alcohol took up the entire wall behind Diddy's desk.

The man himself was seated in a tall, black chair that already dwarfed his small height. His suit was crisp and freshly ironed. His dark eyes were pinned on Joe. "It's a pleasure to have you, Detective West," he drawled, his fingers tracing the leather of his armchair. "What can I help you with?"

"One of the Dennit warehouses was attacked last night," Joe explained.

"I'm more than aware of this," he answered with slight edge to his tone. His shoulders stiffened slightly.

"My apologies. I'm sorry for what you've lost," Joe sighed. "I'm here about it's attacker." A muscle in Diddy's jaw twitched. "It ripped apart security and staff alike. Nobody within lived to give any information." Diddy's eyes drifted out the window. "You'll understand why we are in a rush to find such a creature."

Diddy sucked on his teeth. "The beast sounds like quite a nightmare," he sighed. His stare flicked back to Joe. "I can't say I know anything about it."

"Do you know of anybody who'd want to harm your company?" Joe prompted him.

Diddy stroked his face and shook his head. "That list is endless," he hummed. "You see, people often envy success and will do anything to tear down others who have achieved it."

"Right," Joe crossed his arms over. "And is there anybody who stands out in particular?" Diddy's eyes glazed for a second.

"No, not at all," he stated. Blowing out a long sigh, he clasped his hands and leaned back into his chair. "I don't know who has attacked my warehouses, but I can assure you I am taking all options available to me to ensure the safety of Metriol and all the Dennit products." Joe pressed his lips into a thin line. "An event like this will not occur again." The certainty in his voice made Joe's skin prickle. It seemed that was the only truth he'd told this entire interview.

*

When Iris found herself cornered by Cisco and Caitlin in the medical wing, she immediately knew something was off. Their eyes were staring around warily, occasionally peeking back into the cortex. Iris was seated on the bed, uneasily crossing her legs. "Is everything alright?" Iris asked them, her brows pulling in together.

"We had a run in with an... interesting person earlier today," Caitlin began, sitting back into the swivel chair by her desk.

"How did we not know Barry has a brother?" Cisco paced the length of the room.

Iris's face paled. "Sebastian is in Central City?" her voice hitched.

"He's working at Jitters," Caitlin answered. Iris nibbled a nail, giving them a wary stare.

"That's... not good," she breathed. Her stomach began tying itself into knots. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

"We noticed," Cisco snorted.

"Did he speak to Barry?" she asked. Iris barely waited for them to nod before rising to her feet. "I need to go and make sure Barry is okay." She slung her jacket over her shoulders, the buzz of unease rising further within her. "The last time they met, Barry ended up trying to throttle him."

"I can tell he certainly wanted to," Caitlin followed her out into the main cortex.

"I wanted to as well," Cisco snorted.