alive || jerome valeska

you're arrested

Lili handed over Uncle Zac to another cop, trusting her to put him behind bars by the morning, than she made her way to the questioning room, Jerome right behind her the whole time. When they got to the door, a cop was guarding it from the outside.

"Detective Grimes." he nodded towards her "Detective Gordon's waiting for you."

"Thank you, officer." she nodded back, walking past him, ready to enter the door, when she heard the cop speak again.

"Not you." he spoke, standing in front of Jerome "He'll call you in in a minute."

The redhead looked at the detective, he seemed nervous again, lost, the sudden mood swing surprised her, he seemed so much better in the car. She figured it was probably stressful to be around so many cops when you aren't used to it.

"I'll see you in a minute than." she smiled at him, she wasn't sure why, she just felt like he needed it.

She walked into the room confidently, meeting the worried gaze of Jim Gordon, and the back of the circus' psychic.

"Good evening, detective Grimes." he said.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked, but before the man could answer Jim spoke up.

"He smells your perfume. Are you okay?" he placed a hand on her shoulder as she sat down on the chair next to him.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she raised an eyebrow, but the man ignored her question turning back to the psychic.

"We solved the message Lila sent you." he spoke, now his voice much more harsh.

"Oh?"

"Took us to Arkham Bridge Park. Found a hatchet there, with a satanist symbol scratched into it."

"Dear lord." he sighed, taking of his glasses.

"You know what that hatchet means Mr.Cicero?"

"Tell me."

"It means you're an accessory to murder." Lili answered, figuring this much out herself.

"Such drama, I merely passed along a message."

"A message from the dead? Didn't happen. Which means you invented the message. Which means you had someone plant the hatchet for us to find." Gordon spoke "You wanted us to think satanists were responsible for Lila's death. You're protecting somebody."

"Lila spoke to me, that's all."

"Will you stop with that bullshit." Lili said harshly "I'm getting sick of it."

"The hatchet is a clumsy ploy. You wouldn't try it unless you were desperate." James continued.

"You're protecting someone close." Lili stated the obvious "Someone you love."

Jim nodded towards the cop standing in the door, he stepped outside.

"This fantasia was conjured in your blinkered mind. If you could only see what I see..."

Lili let out a sarcastic laugh "Sorry, that's a bit funny coming from a blind man."

Jim gave her a look, but his silent little tell off was interrupted by the door opening again.

"Hi, Jerome. Please, take a seat." he spoke.

"You know Mr.Cicero from the show."

"Yes, sir." he said, his voice so different than it was not more than twenty minutes ago "Hello, Mr.Cicero."

"Good evening, Jerome."

"Do you know why you're here?" Jim asked seriously.

"Did you find out who killed my mother?" he asked, voice shaking.