Because of You

Chapter 10- A LIE for Details

Tim sat frozen in his seat, he refreshed the search five times to verify the results.
It was a perfect match, from the embroidery to the type of di-coloured thread used.

He heard footsteps behind and gulped, praying that it wasn't Damian.

To his relief, Bruce walked up to him, "So, you're already up on the case, huh?" He asked Tim.

"Uh ya," he answered vaguely, still incredibly pale.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked, immediately taking note of his tone, "Did you get a solid lead?"

"Yes, I did, but I'm not sure how you'll take it," Tim hesitated, then displayed the cross-search on the screen.

"Is that?" Bruce trailed off, taken off guard.

"It is," he finalised, "I rechecked several times over."

"But then, how is it possible? I mean, she doesn't seem to have any motive and she appeared perfectly sane," Bruce justified.

"But, don't all the villains look sane in normal life. And you asked why her? Well, why not? She can sparr, she is creative and she is definitely capable of committing a perfect murder without leaving any sign of DNA," Tim concluded, accepting the lead.

Bruce seemed to think for a moment, "Bring Jason in. No one else, only him," he instructed.

And within a few minutes, Jason came down to the Cave.

"We have a lead," Tim didn't waste any time, displaying the image on the big screen.

"The killer could be Marinette," he stated, coming to terms with it.

Jason shook his head in strong denial.
"I don't think she is, Replacement, " Jason stated in full confidence.

"Then explain this," Tim pointed, ready to get into an argument.

"Maybe it's a mistake," Jason justified.

"No its not," Tim was firm, "Marinette has a habit of using different styles to sign different lines. That style in specific was used for her recent scarf and accessories fashion."

"But then," Jason argued, "We saw the killer conjure the scarf out of thin air, while she painstakingly embroiders her signature. How can it be the same?"

Tim seemed thoughtful for a moment. That was a solid argument.

Bruce stepped in, "I was thinking of using your Lie Detector to confirm our claim. Just lure her in under the pretense of testing it out. If she is lying we'll know, right?"

Jason nodded.
"And don't let Damian know, he'll be devastated," Bruce continued.

They were all in agreement.

_________________________________________

The next day, Jason was all set for his mission. To prove Marinette innocent. He genuinely liked the young woman, who had potential to bring out the best in his younger brother.

Waiting for the perfect moment, when she was alone, Jason stepped into her workspace.

"Hey Pixie," Jason called out, "I need a favour. You see I had a machine invented, but wanted to check its credibility."

She smiled brightly and replied in affirmative.

He dragged her to the Interview room and turned on the camera, letting her sit on the LD.