*J* (the continuation)

Part Thirty-Five: Chapter 272: Good For Business

Jester sat in the Joker's office at his East end safehouse. His fingers absent-mindedly drum on the desks surface. He knew who took his brothers baby, and their reasons. It was all Jason's fault. For the first time, Jester was seeing Jason as something other than the victim. Because of his inexperience and impulsiveness, J and Harley's were paying the price. Jester was starting to see why J wanted him dead so badly. Admittedly, Jester was contemplating killing him himself, had J not already done it.

Ace watches the wheels turning in Jester's brain. "So boss, what are we doing?"

"Tell me more about the crime syndicate, specifically the Irish gang," Jester says as he continues to drum his fingertips on the desk.

"Well it's mostly the Sullivan family here in Gotham. They're the worker bees. Ewan O'Neary and his brother Schylus oversee things back in Ireland," Ace explains.

"So the Sullivan's answer to the O'Neary's?" Jester sighs. He stops drumming his fingertips and folds his hands on the desk. "Who is in charge of the Sullivan's here in Gotham?"

"Mickey Sullivan," Ace answers.

"And this Mickey Sullivan answers to J?" He then asks.

"Yes."

"Then I suppose this Mickey Sullivan is where we should start?" Jester looks up at Ace.

"It's where I'd start," Ace nods.

Jester nods back, "Have a couple of clowns go get him and bring him to one of the warehouses."

"Consider it done," Ace says and leaves the room.

Jester leans back in the chair and his eyes zone out on the desks surface. What if they killed the baby? How could he ever tell J and Harley something like that? He doesn't know how he can recover her tiny body for a proper burial if she was in fact dead. As a doctor he's delivered the news of death to families, but how could he ever do that with his own family?

No. No, the baby was still alive. How could anyone hurt her? Surely not even the Irish could be so cold. No. She was alive and she was somewhere out there. He just had to find her. And he would find her, because he won't allow himself to fail.

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An hour later Jester met up with Ace at the warehouse. Mickey Sullivan sat, bloody, gagged, and tied to a chair. Usually sights like this troubled Jester, but with this guy, he wishes Ace would have roughed him up even more. In Jester's eyes, someone who would steal a baby, his blood, wasn't worth a damn thing to him.

Jester casually walks over to the man and removes the gag. "Ya can be right sure that I don't take too kindly ta dis J," Mickey speaks.

"Aye, ta be sure it's duly noted," Jester says back in a flawless Irish accent, "but I'm not J."

"You're that other one? Tha soft as goose down one?" A smirk crosses the man's lips, "Ya must be outta your bleeding mind if ya tink I'm answering ta you."

Ace quickly steps forward and backhands him. "Mr. J left him in charge, therefore, you do answer to him. So I suggest you get respective real fucking quick."

Mickey Sullivan glares, "So what's your name? J Jr.? J2.2? Mr. Clown Freak the 2nd?" He then spits at Jester's feet. "Tha Sullivan's don't answer ta clowns anymore."

Ace backhands him again and grabs him by the hair and jerks his head back to look into his eyes. "I will NOT hesitate to break your fucking neck if you disrespect the boss like that again. Do I make myself clear? You DO answer to him, whether it pleases you or not. I promise you, the world will continue to spin without you. But if you want to keep spinning with it, you better show some fucking respect." He lets his head go.