Who's next, hm?|| English version

Chapter 6

That day, Iza woke up really early. The clock standing on her night table showed six. Iza was fidgeting for awhile, wanting to fall asleep again, however, after an inneffectual try, she desisted. After having a quick shower, she went downstairs to the kitchen. As she thought, she found Amy there, who was putting her pants on, jumping in place. Seeing Iza, Amy was surprised.

"Oh, Iza, so early? Caroline never wakes up before eight."

"I couldn't sleep. So if I already got up, maybe I'll go to this store at the end of the street to buy something? Bread, rolls?"

"You're sweetie. I, myself, wanted to buy breadstuff but now I can't make it cause I've overslept!" Amy clasped her sandals in a hurry. "I'm going to work, be back about two. Bye!" She caught her bag and half ran out of the house.

Iza also put her snickers on and went to the store. Entering, her attention was caught by a TV hanging on the wall which broadcast local news. She saw a headline,"THE BRUTAL WOUND LAST NIGHT IN KENDELL STREET CAUSE OF DEATH". A young anchorwoman has been rehearsing the event.

"...Will C. was thirty. The body was found this morning by the police patrolling streets. In the middle of the night, he was probably assaulted and someone cut his mouth using a knife. However, nobody took any valuable things and next to the victim the police found a Joker card. Will C. died by choking on his own blood. Thereupon the police and Secret Service instigated the investigation..."

Iza shivered. She did her shopping quickly, and alarmed, went back home. A psychopath in Gotham? So where was Batman, then?

She put her bag on the table and turned on TV swiftly. For a bit, she was searching for right channel and finally, she got it. Local breaking news. That time, a headline's title was like, "NEWSFLASH - THE PERPETRATOR OF THE CRIME CAUGHT!". Surprised, she sat on the backrest and started to listen to the announcer. He's been standing in the street, many police cars behind him.

"The man with unknown identity was captured by FBI, while he was trying to mutilate a young woman. He admitted that he had caused death of Will C. last night in Kendell Street. We know nothing about his name and he calls himself The Joker. He will be crated to Arkham Asylum where, isolated, will have all examinations. About ten sharp tools, Joker cards and a gun were found in his coat."

After these words, the camera was pointed at the man, handcuffed, steering by a group of policemen. Iza stared at him carefully. He looked like a clown or humorist. His hair was green, about shoulder-length, he also wore stage make-up: black eyes, white forehead, nose, chin and his red lips (with a part of his scarred cheeks) came across as a terryfing smile. He wore a dark purple coat, trousers, blue (or maybe rather grey?) shirt, green waistcoast and patterned tie. What was the scariest thing, he was chuckling all the time, looking straight into the camera. At this sound, Iza shuddered. She turned off TV.

She decided to go to her room. Listening to music quietly, she took John Lennon's biography, sat on the bed and started to read. After one hour, she heard Caroline entering the bathroom and taking a shower. Iza went to the kitchen, waiting for Caro. She came there, wearing a robe and towel turban.

"Hey. You're up?"

"Well, I couldn't sleep today. But I went to the store - we have rolls."

"Thanks, I've just thought about it." Caroline cut a roll and spreaded some jam onto it.

"You don't believe what happened today. Last night in Kendell Street some kind of psychopath has mutilated a man very bad. He just cut his mouth by a knife. The victim choked on his blood and the body was found this morning. The prepetrator fell into the hands of FBI about an hour ago, while he was trying to do the same (before people's eyes) to any woman. Seemingly, he admitted his guilt straightaway and was so proud of it. Pretty good freak, dressed like a clown, calls himself The Joker. He has scars on his face, which make you think he's smiling. Well, now they're taking him to Arkham. It's a large psychiatric hospital, isn't it?"

Caroline googled. For awhile, she couldn't say a word.

"Yeah, for all kind of the most dangerous and disturbed murderers... Christ, I don't know what to say. That's good they caught him... He won't escape from Arkham for sure; it's the best guarded building in the state. But it makes me wonder why Batman didn't stopped him if that event took place at night..." Saying this, Caro turned on TV where the last incidents were presenting in short.

"You know, I hope it's the first and the last lack of Batman's intervention."

"So do I."

***
New chapter! :D Comment, please. :> PS The picture below is perfect! :3 It's exactly what I was thinking about during writing this chapter!