Dangers in the Dark

Poor Taxi Service 21.3

Holly POV

For the entirety of the car journey back to Wayne Manor I kept on thinking about what would happen if Alfred was here and how he would be prying for information, information that I was yet to know the full extent of. Yet I would be lying if what I did know hadn't made me feel slightly uneasy.

Why would Reggie have told the Board that I was involved? I mean, sure I could ask my dad for information but let's all be honest here ... we knew a hell of a lot more about this all than he does. But maybe that was the issue. What if they were more worried about me giving the police – hence, the people with the power and authority to take them down – information about what we knew.

"What else did he say to you, Bruce?" I asked quietly, as our taxi driver continued on his drive in complete and utter silence.

"He kept on speaking about this cookie that he was trying to give to me," Bruce began, making me look over at him in confusion. "Yeah, I know. And then he told me that he had known from the night he met us that Selina had borrowed his key. At least he didn't know her name." Bruce took a deep breath before continuing. "I asked him about Reggie and he said that he only hired him to get information, not to hurt Alfred."

"Do you believe him?" I asked.

"He didn't look like he was lying but I guess all good liars look that way, don't they?" Bruce responded.

"I guess so," I agreed.

"And then he went on and on about how I was a special case and needed the talk earlier than my family," Bruce continued. "He admitted to knowing about the serious crimes that my company has been committing. Apparently my father had done the same until he ... until he changed his mind. He accepted the crimes and ignored them."

"But you heard what Lucius Fox said, didn't you?" I reminded him. "My bet is that Bunderslaw was just trying to get to you, to see his way of thinking. It may just be my trying to see the best in a man I never had the privilege of meeting, but I'm going to stick with what Lucius said. I think you should too, Bruce. Don't let a man like Bunderslaw taint your memories of your father."

"But what if he is right?" Bruce countered. "What if my father really was involved?"

"If he was involved, then he was involved. There's no other way of putting it. But we don't know that. It's one person's word against the others. The only thing that matters now, Bruce, is the voice you choose to listen to," I said.

Bruce seemed to consider it for a moment before he turned away and leaned against the cool window, watching as the city flew by and soon turned into the countryside that Bruce called home.

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Third Person POV
G.C.P.D. Precinct

Mask on and yellow gloves strapped up to his elbows, Ed began to work as quickly as he could before anyone could come in. It had been a close call earlier when Little Gordon had come in when the body parts of Officer Tom Dougherty had been right in front of her. At least when she had left, Ed managed to get Miss Kringle out of the room before their conversation had even begun.

But this time he wouldn't be so lucky.

Just as Ed had got all of the body parts outside of the box and into the large metal sink, a knock sounded on the door.

"Mr Nygma?" a worryingly familiar voice called through the door.

"Miss Kri—" Ed began but cut himself off when he realised he still had his mask on. "Miss Kringle?"

"Would you open the door please?" Miss Kringle requested.

"Um, I'm ..." Ed glanced down at the remains of Miss Kringle's former lover. "One sec!"