Love is Merely Madness ~ Book 1 ~ Batman Begins

Chapter 18: Vulnerable

Chapter 18: Vulnerable

As if the day couldn't get any worse, Kathryn returned home to face staring tenants, investigating officers, and an angry property manager. It seemed that Elise's car wasn't the only thing that received a paint job. Someone sprayed yellow arrows on the front door and hallways, circles around the elevator button to her floor number, leading up to Kathryn and Elise's door with the words: WELCOME TO FALCONE'S CATHOUSE. It didn't stop there. The perpetrator broke in and tore the place apart. Kathryn was distraught to see the soda cans splattered all over the floor and the television screen cracked to the point it became unwatchable.

"I left a message for Miss Berg already," the manager informed her. "She should be here any minute."

Kathryn doubted. Her friend was stuck in the auto shop, dealing with mechanics who insisted on additional unnecessary services for a jacked-up fee.

Detective Gordon returned without his sleazy partner in time to receive an earful from the manager.

"You said the creep won't come back!" he jabbed a finger in the detective's direction. "You said that he won't try shit here!"

"I know," Gordon attempted to console him, but the man didn't want to hear it. Nobody else could blame him.

"No! No, you don't know! 'Cause if you did, you people would've stopped him from doing this!" the manager angrily gestured to the mess around him. "I mean, look at this! If you cops did your job right, then none of this wouldn't have happened!" His eyes snapped at Kathryn's teary face sitting on the couch, who still couldn't grasp what was happening. "You! Are you and Miss Berg running a harem for the falcon bird?!"

"What?" Kathryn breathed, shaking her head in denial. Didn't this man know what she does for a living? Was he aware of Elise's side gig? What did Falcone have to do with all this?

"Well, somebody is! Did you read the sign?! I have received a dozen phone calls from the tenants in this building all day today! It never stops! Parents with small children, perverts - all of them demand to know if I've authorized your explicit business here!"

"I'm not running any business here, sir!" Kathryn insisted. "I promise. Elise wouldn't - I would never-"

"Mr. Laghari, I understand your frustration," Gordon began calmly, hoping it would soften the manager's demeanor. "I - we -" he ensured to include Kathryn, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "we can't imagine the difficulty and stress you're in-"

"You don't know the half of it, detective!" The property manager's phone buzzed in his hand again, igniting a rageful scream. "It never stops! It never fucking stops!"

"I'm so sorry, Mister..." Kathryn felt guilty that she couldn't remember the manager's name, pulling out her phone to quickly take control of her situation and prevent herself from offending the man even more. "We have renters insurance. I'll file a claim to them right now - that should help pay for the repairs."

The manager furrowed his brows, softening his anger slightly into confusion, "Rent? No, woman, your boss didn't rent this place. Did you forget?" Now it was Kathryn and Gordon's turn to be confused.

"Boss?" the detective asked.

"Yes," the manager enlightened them slowly like a teacher addressing a preschooler, "the boss of this one-" he pointed at the psychologist, "and the blonde owns this space - bought and paid for. Although, this does not mean he is exempt from property damages."

"Boss?" Kathryn repeated after Gordon. "Who the hell do you think I work for?"

"Either you got a short memory, or you're just a retard." Kathryn jerked back and blinked, taken aback by that curt remark. "Again, read the sign," Laghari pointed at the painted door. "Read it. Fal-con-e's Cat-house. Falcone! English may not be my first language, but it's in my toolbox! I can now read and speak it fluently like every other American!"