In The Web Of Gotham

The Evidence Doesn't Line Up

"So Crane's drugs have reached all corners of Gotham state. What we've been trying to figure out for months though is where exactly Crane makes the shit, where he stockpiles it all, and who he hires to run those drugs across Gotham," Spider-Man explained to Ghost-Maker on a roof.

"Any ideas for potential locations?" Ghost-Maker asked, pulling up a holographic map of Gotham.

"An immediate thought for the stockpile is the Bowery. Lot of ports, lot is warehouses. Lot of people with basements or attics in their homes that can use a quick payday. Crane has a few people in the Bowery acting as drug runners. They have a way to not only distribute the drugs all across Gotham, but also across the harbors into Bludhaven," Spider-Man explained, zooming into the small island surrounded by water and connected by bridges to different islands of Gotham.

"So we're going to The Bowery?" Ghost-Maker asked.

"That's the closest lead we have. I say we investigate the warehouses closest inwards to the center of the Bowery. Then maybe the ports to stop a potential deal in progress," Spider-Man replied. Ghost-Maker obliged by leaping off the roof and grapnelling across the city, Spider-Man following behind by swinging around and over buildings. Free running across rooftops and leaping to keep pace. While they were traversing, they decided to make small talk.

"Batman told me you were a GCPD detective, what have you gathered about the enemy?" Ghost-Maker asked Spider-Man.

"Penguin has a front company that double as weapon caches. A refrigeration company with warehouses and work offices scattered around, the money being funneled back into the Iceberg Lounge and Casino to be laundered back through small hole in the wall supermarkets with air conditioning units from that front company," Spider-Man explained.

"I see. What else do you have?" Ghost-Maker pressed further.

"Two-Face deals in racquets but covers it up with his own collection of nightclubs. Sophia Falcone took over her father Carmine's empire, inheriting a large scale business of imports and exports from Italy. Pino Maroni officially took over the chain of restaurants and vineyards under the Maroni crime family, while Umberto Maroni maintains the under the table business in his brother's shadow. Or...is it Umberto who took over the restaurants and vineyards while Pino maintains the under the table business. I'm not sure, they're twins brothers," Spider-Man added further.

"Sophia? Pino and Umberto? I thought it was Carmine Falcone and Salvatore Maroni?" Ghost-Maker asked in confusion.

"They were apparently murdered during what Gotham called the Long Halloween. It's universally accepted that it was at the time District Attorney Harvey Dent that did the murders, having bouts of mental illness while he grappled with what is now the Two-Face identity. I...have some reservations about that theory," Spider-Man replied.

"Reservations? Such as?" Ghost-Maker asked in now curiosity. He remembers this case, Bruce had told him about this case.

"Harvey Dent had solid alibis for the first 3 murders. Which took place on Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. He was either with his wife Gilda, Commissioner Gordon trying to decipher details about the killings or with Batman trying to gather evidence to bring down the crime families. So it seemed weird that the evidence pointed to Harvey," Spider-Man explained.

"You've studied this case for some time it seems. You believe Batman made a mistake?" Ghost-Maker asked.

"No...no I don't think he made a mistake. I think something was leading them all the wrong way...or at least. Lead them the right way, but pointing to the wrong person," Spider-Man explained.

"Hm... elaborate," Ghost-Maker instructed.

"So the guns were all the same. A .22 pistol, with the serial number filed off, using a baby bottle nipple as a suppressor. There was never a magazine filled to capacity, there was always the amount of bullets equal to the amount of people dead. The first victim was Johnny Viti on Halloween. Falcone's own nephew who was going to testify against Falcone. Then Mickey Chen and his boys all get slaughtered on Thanksgiving," Spider-Man started explaining.

"Yes yes, I know the body count. Get to your point," Ghost-Maker expedited. Spider-Man and Ghost-Maker landed onto a rooftop by the Narrows

"The evidence pointed towards someone who knew the inner workings of the two biggest Gotham crime families. To know who to hit, where to catch them and when they'd be at their most vulnerable," Spider-Man summed up.

"Points towards Dent. He's been trying to bust Falcone and Marone for years. He would be digging into the operations and hierarchies of the families, and would know which deaths would hurt them most," Ghost-Maker explained.

"Too perfect. It lines up too perfectly. Then Harvey's alibis get thinner and thinner as he's out on the town more and more, or hospitalized from mob retaliation. He started having gaps in his memory, which is where the murders could be easily pinned," Spider-Man explained.

"I see. Who do you think it was then?" Ghost-Maker asked further.

"Not sure. Like you said, the evidence all pointed to Dent. Even Two-Face started believing he and Harvey actually were both the Holiday Killer. There's some smoking gun that I feel like I'm missing. Or that the team itself was missing to really lock down the real killer's identity," The spider vigilante explained further.

"You really have studied this case. Now put that analytical head to better use. Think of the now, focus on Crane," Ghost-Maker instructed as they arrived to their stake out point. A warehouse, labeled Ichabod Pharmaceuticals.

"Alright...why is the place named Ichabod?" Ghost-Maker asked.

"Dr. Crane has a weird mental tick about being compared to Ichabod Crane," Spider-Man explained as he began putting his new gadgets to use. Throwing red disks that sprouted mechanical legs to latch onto the walls as they landed.

"Like the character from the Legend Of Sleep Hollow?" Ghost-Maker asked with a chuckle to his voice.

"Yes the tall, thin gangly main character," Spider-Man asserted. When his array of trip mines were set, Spider-Man rejoined Ghost-Maker with a red metallic marble in each hand.

"What have you got planned?" Ghost-Maker asked.

"The spider catches some flies into a large web," Spider-Man said simply. They were waiting patiently now, for their targets.