Paul Dano imagines

Libary~ (riddler/angst)

(For the people who don't know riddlers real name is Edward Nashton)

Gotham Public Library is a quiet place, mainly because no one ever came in. If we ever did receive patrons, it wasn't for books, it was because they were trying to escape the near-constant rain. Today was one of those days. Thunder clashed around the city. Sometimes it was loud enough to shake the giant glass chandelier in the entryway, just above the help desk. I was upstairs, reshelving the recently returned non-fiction books when someone came rushing around the corner, knocking into me. Losing my balance, as I was standing on my tip-toes to reach the top shelf, I fell to the ground, a book crashing down next to me. "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. I really didn't see you right there." A soft, worried voice apologized above me. "No, no, it's alright. No bones or books are broken so everything is fine," I laughed out, placing my hands on the floor to start pushing myself up. I was stopped by a hand reaching out. "Here, let me help you," The voice said. I placed my hand in the outstretched one and then I finally looked up at who had crashed into me. He had a shaggy mop of light brown hair covering his eyes making it to where I couldn't see them. Although, I could tell he was wearing clear framed glasses. His dark green rain jacket was dripping water all over the floor and his free hand was holding a soggy piece of paper. "Thank you," I said once I was sturdily back on two feet. He moved the hair from his face and I was now able to see green eyes staring back at me from behind his lenses. "Uh, you're welcome." His voice sounded a little nervous now and his face was beginning to deepen into a red color. "Did you have anything specific you were looking for? If so, I would love to help you find it." I looked up at him, watching him struggle for words. He stayed quiet for a while, staring at me before I raised my eyebrows in question, trying to urge the words out of him. "Oh, um, here." He quickly handed me the wet paper that was in his hand and I turned it over to read what was written there. The pen markings were bleeding over the paper but I could make out what his scribblings said. "Ah, the Zodiac Killer, I know where those books are, follow me." I started walking slowly through the stacks, looking for the aisle where the true crime books were kept. "So, why are you interested in the Zodiac Killer, if you don't mind my asking?" "I, uh, it's just some research." His voice went up in pitch, almost like he was unsure and asking a question. "That's interesting. This is one of my favorite true crime cases of all time. I think it was cool how he used all those ciphers." We turned into an aisle and I gestured to a bookshelf in front of me, "Here we are, the 364s, Zodiac Killer books." I turned around to face him, "Do you need anything else?" "No, I don't think so. Thank you." He awkwardly fiddled with his hands. I smiled, his nervousness made him seem really cute, it also helped that he wasn't bad-looking. "Well, if you need anything, I'll be over that way," I said, pointing in the direction we had come from. "Don't hesitate to come and find me." I turned and started to walk back down the aisle when his voice called after me. "Actually, which of these would you recommend?" "Well," I made my way back to him, stopping right next to him, almost touching. "It depends on what you want, but since you are doing research, I would say that Hunter Among the Stars by John Robert Jordan would be a great one to start with. It's lesser-known but it is really in-depth, I actually gave it a five-star review." I pulled out the red-covered book and handed it over to the man. "Oh, there is also this one," I pulled another book out, "This is the Zodiac Speaking by Kelleher and Nuysd. It's also a good one that delves into the mind of the Zodiac." "Wow, thank you. You seem to know a lot about this." "Yeah, I do. It's my thing, I love pouring over unsolved true crime, especially when there are riddles and things like that involved. I mean, if you are going to kill someone and never get caught, at least make it fun for the ones trying to solve it years down the road." I laughed. He laughed at my comment as well, it was a sweet sound, something I would like to hear again. "That was funny, I never thought of it like that before." He paused for a second. "Um, so, you like riddles?" "Oh, I love riddles." He turned to me, wide-eyed. "I love riddles too." "Oh well, in that case, hit me with one." I challenged. "What disappears as soon as you say its name?" He asked and I pondered for a second before spitting out the answer. "Silence. Come one," I paused, realizing I had never gotten his name. "Edward" "Edward, I like it, it fits you. Now, Edward, I think you can give me a harder one than that." "Okay then, what is there one of in every corner and two of in every room?" He smiled widely. I mumbled the riddle over twice before I figured it out, realizing it wasn't something physical but in the words themselves. "The letter O," I said confidently. "Yeah, that's right. You're good at these, I'll have to think of some harder ones next time." "Next time?" I asked. His eyes widened and his face deepened in color, embarked at his own insinuation that there would be a next time. "I should go now. Um, thank you for your help." The words jumbled together on their way out as he speedily turned about and started down the aisle, leaving me alone in the stacks. The next time I saw Edward was four days later on Saturday evening. I was working the later shift, being one of only two people working at six this night. We still had an hour until we closed down for the night and I was busy sweeping around the front desk. I heard the large front doors open and close but no one came into my eye line. I walked away from the desk and peeked around the wall that led into the front foyer. There he was, looking much the same as he did on Tuesday, just less wet. "Edward!" I called out. "You're back so soon." I watched as he spun around on his heels to meet my gaze, he looked startled to see me. "Oh, I, uh, I came to return these." He said, holding up the two books he checked out. "Well, I can check them in real quick. Come on, bring them in here." I walked back to the desk and around to the computer. Edward followed shortly after, sliding the two books onto the counter. "So, how did you like them?" Enthusiasms seeped through my words. "They were good, lots of information I can use for my research." "That's wonderful. Are you looking for anything similar today or were you just returning?" I asked, hoping he would need help finding something again. I liked being around him, even though we had only met one time before, he felt safe and familiar. "I came to find some new ones but I also wanted to ask you something." He fiddled with his fingers as he talked, never looking me directly in the eye. "Okay, what is it you wanted to ask me?" My stomach flipped at the thought of what he might ask. "I never got your name Tuesday." "Oh." My excitement visibly deflated when I realized the cute man in front of me wasn't going to ask me on a date where I would, clichely, be swiped off my feet. Shaking the romance book plot from my head, I told him my name. He smiled, green eyes shining as he repeated my name. "Do you have any more books like those last two? They don't have to be zodiac related." "Yeah, we have plenty back upstairs where I took you last time. Do you want me to show you again?" "Yes, please." "Hold on one sec, I have to tell Susan I am leaving the front." I scurried over to the office door and knocked, startling the older, gray-haired woman at the computer. "Hey Sue, I'm headed up to non-fiction with a patron, do you mind watching the front?' She gave me a nod. I turned, not waiting for her to stand from her chair, and walked back to where Edward was. HE followed me up the stairs quietly and back into the Non-fiction stacks. I perused the selection of books we had and picked out a couple I thought he might enjoy. Still hung up on the fact that he didn't ask me out I cleared my throat and decided to ask for myself. "Hey, I'm usually never this straightforward, but I just want to know if you might want to go out sometime?" He raised his right hand to rub the back of his neck. Looking down at his feet, he nodded. "I'd like that." His voice was soft and sweet. "Great!" I almost squealed in excitement as I handed him the books I had picked out. "I'm free Monday if you want to go then," I suggested as we started making our way back downstairs. Once we were back at the front desk, I sent Sue back into the office and scanned out Edward's books. I also grabbed a post-it note and wrote down my phone number and address, sticking it on top of the small stack of books as I pushed them across the counter into his waiting hands. "I'll see you Monday, pick me up at seven at that address," I pointed to the note. "Bye Eddie." "Bye." His voice was barely above a whisper as he walked away. I brought my hand up to wave after him as he disappeared around the corner. We had texted a lot the Sunday following, but when Monday came I waited and waited but Edward never showed. I texted him five minutes before the clock hit seven and five minutes after. Then five minutes became ten and ten became an hour. I texted him a few more times asking if he was okay, but nothing, radio silence. Instead of dwelling on the events that had come to pass, I decided to throw off my date clothes and put on my oversized pajamas, bundle up on my couch, and watch a few streams online. I browsed through some of the streams, not quite finding anything I wanted to listen to or watch until I came across a specific link that just said 'RIDDLER'. Being the person that I am, I clicked it and was transferred to a new page. There, sat in a dimly lit room, was a man. He was dressed in an olive green jacket and his face was hidden by some type of green mask. I had seemingly joined the stream closer to the end as the man was saying his thanks to all the viewers that had joined and that he would be streaming again on Wednesday. His voice has a short of gravel to it, it was familiar, but I was sure I had never heard his voice before. As I sat there struggling to figure out where I might possibly have known this voice from, he said something that echoed in the back of my mind. "I'll leave you all with a quote from someone I met the other day. I quite like and think it suits our cause perfectly. If you're going to kill someone and not get caught, at least make it fun for the ones trying to salve it. Good night everyone." He waved to the camera and the screen suddenly went black. My eyes were wide, it was Eddie, I knew it was. I had said that exact same thing to him the other day. What cause was he talking about? What was he planning? I had so many questions. Did it have anything to do with the research he was doing on these cold cases I recommended books for? I was only mildly worried, who knew what it could be, there was no point in thinking of the worst. When I closed my laptop, my phone buzzed beside me. A text flashed across the screen.

Hey, I'm sorry I missed our date. I meant to call and tell you that I had a meeting come up that would cause me to stay at work later than I would usually be here.

That's okay Eddie, I understand.

Maybe we could go out tomorrow? I can pick you up from work.

Sure, I can pull some strings and get off earlier. Good night Eddie

Good night

I don't know what it was that possessed me to agree to meet him again after so clearly being stood up for something that obviously wasn't work relates if, in fact, that was Edward behind the mask. Maybe tomorrow I'll ask him what the Riddler business is about. Maybe it's something I would be interested in too, just maybe.