The Joker And The Fool

5.(3) The joke is on you

5.3 The trial of a John Doe

Thomas tried his best to understand Diana's situation and to support her. He knew that in the past he had been lacking as a father, he knew that he could have been there more often for her. He also knew that Jane abused her terribly sometimes. Thinking back on Diana's adolescence he could clearly remember that jane had once even locked Diana away in the pantry. She had been in there for several hours before Thomas came home. In the years after both of his children had left the house, he did not experience their marriage to better in many ways. He looked to Jane as a monstrous woman. He felt that she was to blame for the fact that Diana decided to leave them. Diana, Diana was enchanting. She was his most proud possession and creation. Sometimes he might even admit that he found Diana beautiful in other ways than just as hr father. But Thomas was always a proper man. It was a mere secret, a mere shame.

He would do anything for his daughter. There did not pass one day on that earth in which he regretted that he had not divorced from his wife. He thought that if he had done so in his younger years, he would have had Diana. He would not have had Tommy, but he would have had her. They could have spent the rest of their lives together. But instead, any time Thomas tried to look her in the eyes, she looked away. His love for her was unanswered.

Days after it was known that the Joker had been arrested and was housed in Arkham Asylum, Thomas had decided that he wanted to confront him for what he had done to Diana. But in truth, his call for Joker's attention was based on the fact that he wanted to know what had happened to her. She had told him nothing, nothing which she had not told the police. But with a sense of déjà vu, Thomas felt as if Diana had not been upright with him. Perhaps the only person who would be honest about what had happened, was the person who had done it.

Thomas had been an acquaintance to Doctor Raymond. From whom he received permission to speak to the Joker on the phone. It had been at a late hour during the day. Doctor Swan would not have been present when the Joker would have been taken out of his cell for the sake of this phone call. Thomas sat on the side of his bed in the hotel room in which they stayed. Jane had gone downstairs to the bar after they had dinner. It was normal for her to do such a thing. She always sat at the bar when they were on holiday. Thomas would be working or in his room. But she would sit at the bar, hungry for another man's attention. Thomas was not sure if she had met many men in that way. But he had decided not to care about it a long time ago.

His knees were shaking in a rhythmic phase as he held the phone to his ear. When he realised that his knees were shaking, he suddenly stopped. He almost had the feeling that the Joker could see him. And for a moment he had heard a click on the phone, after what he was sure that the Joker was at the other end, listening. For a long while there was only silence. To what the Joker only merely assumed that the person on the other end of the phone was Diana.

They did not have much contact, but occasionally he called. If he was allowed a phone call. Diana had never called him until that moment, or so he thought.

"Diana?" he asked through the phone.

Thomas felt chills when he heard him speak his daughters name. A strange feel of jealousy and anger overthrew him when he heard him say it. He breathed more harshly than before. This revealed to the Joker that it was not Diana who was calling him. Which was a disappointment to say the least.

"Who is this?" Joker asked.

Thomas sighed before he was to speak. He had thought of many things to tell the Joker. But for the moment he truly could not think of anything.

"No," he said, then rasped his voice, "This is Thomas, Thomas Watson."

For a moment there was a strange silence. The Joker had never expected to speak with Diana's father. He could not even imagine the event taking place. But one thing was for sure: Thomas hated him, surely. He did not know of any truth and if he did, he would hate him all the same.