Batman/Detective Conan crossover 79-80

Other chapters,

http://www.comicvine.com/forums/fan-fic/8/batmandc-chapters/617654/#1

The Detective Prince

Chapter 79

Starlest

Everything was done with persuasion and patience, making sure every detail matched what was said down to the last detail. After nearly twenty minutes of working every angle he turned around to show him the completed drawing.

"I did the best to make out what you described, so tell me," Bruce said handing him the sheet of paper. "Does this look like the man you crossed paths with on the bus?"

He took the next couple seconds to look over the finished drawing, giving him a nod in response.

"I'd say this is about as close as we're going to get without having an actual photo of him."

"And you're sure you didn't get a clearer look at his face?"

"Like I said before, he had on that ski cap which made it difficult to do so," Conan replied. "But do you recognize him at all?"

"I can't say for sure, there's several others who run around in this type of attire," Bruce replied. "I'd need a distinct look at his face to confirm anything."

"You also said we'd be constructing a time table," Conan reminded. "I was curious to know when we'd start from, you never did say."

"From the estimated time of death involving the nine men who were found," Bruce said in response. "Which is said to have been around thirty five after seven."

"I was still waiting for the 72 bus to appear around that time."

"How long did you wait before it finally arrived?"

"Roughly twenty minutes." Conan replied.

"And that man you saw, was he already seated when you entered?"

"No, he didn't board until after we made our first stop about four minutes later."

"At about what time would you say that was?"

"Can't recall, but I know it was some time after seven forty five," Conan replied. "I remember checking the time minutes before the bus had arrived."

"And you said this mystery man entered the bus after making your first stop," Bruce said giving it some thought. "Which was a good distance away from the sporting complex which is at least a twenty minute dive, pending any heavy traffic."

"So, I guess that eliminates him from our list of suspects."

"Not necessarily, there are several other ways to travel that don't require going through traffic," Bruce said. "But if he is indeed involved, that raises the question of why he would backtrack to the Kane building where you were located only to pass by where the crime originally took place."

"Good point," Conan said. "And we probably won't get the answer to that unless we find him."

"What about the handle you saw stashed away in his boot," Bruce asked. "Did it have a significant detail that could separate it from most common knives?"

"It was just a plain solid black," Conan replied. "Nothing we can use to try and track him."

"As expected," Bruce said. "So at about what time did you finally get off the bus?"

"Exactly five after nine," Conan replied. "I remember checking the time right after losing sight of him."

"That's when you proceeded to follow after the other two, correct?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Conan confirmed. "But I must ask.. from your knowledge of the streets here, do you think he could have made it all the way from the sporting complex to where he was in such a short amount of time?"

"Do you mean by bus or taxi?"

Conan nodded.

"Being that the murders occurred after five and before nine I'd say no," Bruce replied. "Traffic is at its height in between those times."

"But isn't there the chance more than one person was involved with these killings," Conan questioned. "I mean, taking out nine guys isn't exactly a piece of cake, especially given their background."

"From the evidence collected, it seems to be pointing to one culprit at this given time," Bruce said. "But that doesn't mean someone didn't set it up to appear that way."

"So what do we do now?"

"I may go back and recheck the crime scene, but in the mean time I'm going to dissect what we have even further," Bruce replied while making his way around the desk. "If you happen to remember anything you forgot to mention, just let me know."

"Of course."

He turned for the door, only taking a few steps before coming to a stop at the center of the room. He stood there for seconds to pass, looking back to see he was already jotting down notes about what they had just discussed.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked taking notice of this.

"About last night.. I'm sorry," Conan apologized. "I should have called and let you know what was going on."

"No need for an apology, it's your present state which called for concern," Bruce said. "The last thing I'd want is to call home and let them know of any unplanned incidents involving your wellbeing."

"Understandable."

"Whatever it may mean, you did a decent job for what it was," Bruce said. "With the way you pursued after those two men, but."

"There's always a but."

"You were on point with your main objective, but you missed one important detail."

"What do you mean?" Conan asked.

"As you came to find, the two men you were following after were part of a larger group."

"Were they also members of the Sprang Bridge Soldiers?"

"No, but they are linked with a smaller group."

"So what was it I failed to notice?"

"Stressing the importance of your surroundings while here should have been a top priority," Bruce said. "As you saw, an additional five men joined the fray."

"That's right," Conan said. "They crossed over from the other side of the road a distance ahead once she took a seat at that bench."

"What you failed to do was look back from where you trailed."

"You don't mean.."

"That's right," Bruce said. "There were four additional men coming from behind, if I hadn't shown when I did who knows what would have happened."

"Can't believe I didn't see or hear them coming." Conan said with the shake of his head.

"Don't pay it too much mind, the only thing that matters at the end of the day is the outcome."

"There's just one thing about last nights events that doesn't sit straight," Conan said. "Why did that woman stop at that bench when she did, it's not like it was a bus stop."

"Never question a woman's acute flexibility when it comes to her whereabouts, especially when walking alone at the time it was."

"Are you saying she knew?"

"Not from the start, but she must have caught on at some point," Bruce confirmed. "When she took a seat at that bench she knew what was to come, wanting no more than to lure them in."

"That makes little sense, why would she want that?"

"Naturally it wouldn't," Bruce agreed. "But she was equipped with a bottle of pepper spray and a taser."

"Pepper spray and a taser," Conan exclaimed. "Is that even permitted to have around here?"

"With a license, then yes," Bruce replied. "Whether she had one or not is unknown to me, but I commend anyone who's prepared and not too reliant on others when situations like that arise."

"Maybe I should start carrying a set of those around." Conan jokingly commented.

"Don't you think a slingshot would be more age appropriate?" Someone spoke from behind.

He didn't even have to look, already knowing who had joined the two of them.

"How long have you been standing there?" Conan asked turning to face him.

"Merely a second or two." Damian replied.

"Where have you been," Conan asked. "I didn't hear or see you on my way down a couple minutes ago."

"Out in the garage."

"What were you doing in there?"

"Here he goes with another one of his interrogations." Damian said finding his way around him.

"Did you look over that video footage like I asked?"

"All four angles," Damian confirmed. "There was nothing of high importance visually."

"I was afraid that'd be the case."

"What video footage?" Conan asked out of curiosity.

"We retrieved copies of four survaliance camera's that were near last nights crime scene," Bruce replied. "Apparently nothing was caught on tape."

"As I said before, not visually," Damian corrected. "I had a hard time with the ambiguous audio from each of them at first, but after diluting out the guttural like sounds I was able to pick up something said right before the shooting began."

"What did you hear?" Bruce asked putting a hold to things once again.

"It's him," Damian replied. "That's what one of the men spoke right before all hell broke lose, I have it saved as its own file if you'd like to hear it for yourself."

"Interesting," Bruce said. "That all but adds more weight to our claim of there being only one culprit."

"He's right," Conan thought. "If there had been more than one person who had engaged them, why say 'it's him' rather than them?"

"This should shorten our line of suspects as well," Damian added. "From what was said I think it's safe to assume at least one of them knew their attacker."

"The next step will be to come up with a list of any known acquaintances," Bruce said. "Which of course will include all members of the Sprang Bridge Soldiers."

"Wait a minute," Conan questioned. "Do you actually think it would be one of their own?"

"Not the most likely answer, but most certainly a probability." Bruce replied.

"I guess it's smart to keep all possible options open," Conan said. "On another note, where's Alfred?"

"I saw him leave earlier this morning," Damian answered. "And before you ask, no, I don't know where he strolled off to."

"He went to Crime Alley." Bruce informed.

"What's he doing there?" Damian asked looking his way.

"To meet with Heiji," Bruce replied. "He's taking him to a place near the station to meet with the commissioner for a second time."

"That quick huh, sounds like progress if you ask me," Conan said. "Any idea what they're meeting about this time?"

"It's just as you pointed," Bruce said in response. "They're making progress."

"Now that I've completed that whole video sequence, what would you like for me to do next?" Damian asked.

"I'll let you know as soon as I'm finished with this timeline."

"Call me if you need me sooner, I'll be down stairs." Damian said before heading for the door.

He moved aside as he passed, hearing the sound of the door close from behind on his way out. He stood there for the next minute or so, continuing to watch as he wrote down the remaining details of the case. He looked up once finished, stepping up from the chair before making his way around the desk.

"Before I head out, there's one thing I'd like to ask," Bruce stated. "You said you took your eyes off of the individual in question, exactly how long would you say that was for?"

"It happened right after getting off the bus, I turned to place a tracker onto one of the two men following the woman," Conan replied. "And once I turned back he was nowhere to be seen, couldn't have been more than five seconds."

"You may not have seen him, but tell me," Bruce asked. "What did you see?"

The sun was shinning brighter than it had been any of the past couple days, tempting him to slide down the window to gaze out. It was the perfect time of day, making it easy for them to switch lanes as they drove along the way.

"It's a beautiful day?"

"I'd say so myself, though I wouldn't get too used to it," Alfred said in repsonse. "Especially with the colder months just up ahead."

"All we can do is enjoy it while it lasts." Heiji said before leaning back in the seat.

He heard little of what was said over the radio, more focused to those who drove along as well. He knew they were getting close, glancing out as they passed by the Grant Park on the right side. He continued to look on, pleased to see the police headquarters come into view within the next few.

"We got here a lot sooner than I was expecting."

"It always seems to be that way after the first trip around," Alfred said. "So where exactly are you supposed to be meeting him?"

"Just up that way," Heiji pointed. "It should be two blocks away from our current position, I'll let you know when to stop."

He did just that, heading into that direction only to be met by a red light not too far ahead. They were stalled all but a but a minute or so. He kept his eyes pealed after they took a right at the next intersection, waving his hand after seeing the visual hierarchy of the of the sign clamped down onto the front of the small shop.

"There it is," Heiji pointed. "Starlest."

"And this is the place you were told the two of you would meet?"

"No doubt," Heiji said more than assured. "This is it alright."

He pulled over from there, finding himself an empty spot at the side of the road before looking over at him.

"I have no idea how long you will be, but do call once you've finished."

"That's the plan," Heiji said opening the door. "Again, thanks for the ride."

"Any time."

He unbuckled his belt before stepping out, closing the door in the process. He immediately headed for the entrance to the store, still wondering why they were meeting here rather than at the station like they had done the last time around.

"This is it."

He removed his hands from his pockets upon reaching the door, adjusting his hat before reaching forward to push the door off to the side. He found himself looking from one half of the room to the other. There were glass cases on all sides, filled with jewelary of different varieties in all corners. He then took notice of the fleet of stairs located near the back of the room.

"I wonder where those lead to."

He wasted no time in giving it a check, looking to the second floor to see a row of shoes and clothes lined up on separate sides. There weren't too many people in the store, making it easy for him to walk further into the room without incident.

"But why here," Heiji thought. "Why would the commissioner want to meet here of all places?"

It was just as he reached the stairs that he felt a hand fall down to the side of his shoulder, turning to see someone completely unfamiliar. The man standing before him was a few inches taller than himself, wearing a well broomed suit and tie, with a white under shirt to top it off.

"So I see you're good with time, he said you would be here within the minute."

"And you are?" Heiji asked.

"Detective Gates," He greeted holding out his hand. "But you can call me Rick."

"Then detective Rick it is," Heiji said shaking his hand in return. "I remember hearing your name from Gordon, he mentioned you as the detective working the case involving the recent heists?"

"That'd be me."

"So where is he now," Heiji asked searching the general area."Is the commissioner not here?"

"He had something come up, thus ejecting himself from the fronts for the time being," Rick replied. "But from what I've heard, you and I should be more than enough to tackle this on our own."

"That leaves me with one remaining question."

"Go ahead, I'm hear to answer anything that may cross your mind."

"Why are we meeting here instead of at the Gotham City Police Station?"

"A very good question indeed," Rick said while turning for the stairs. "Walk with me, all will be answered soon enough."

This caught him by a bit of a surprise, none the less doing as instructed. They made their way up to the second floor, continuing to follow him as he headed to the right side. They stepped around several clothes racks in their path, finally reaching a door located near the back corner.

"This is it," Rick said giving him the nod. "This should only take a second."

He took a step forward with three convincing knocks. The sound of voices followed up in return, which then turned into the sound of foot steps heading their way. The door slid open within moments as a man appeared before the two of them.

"Good to see you again detective Gates," The man spoke. "I'm hoping you have some good news for me."

"We're working on it," Rick said. "But rest assured we'll have this predicament settled in no time."

"Who's this with you?" He asked looking to the side of him.

"Heiji Hattori," Rick replied. "He'll be helping with this investigation."

"Well, it's a pleasure to have you aboard Mr. Hattori," He said with the shake of his hand. "The names Ellson."

"I'm glad to be taking a part in this," Heiji acknowledged. "But what exactly are we investigating?"

"The burglaries of course," Rick replied. "And from the note received, it all but confirms we here at Starlest are their next target."

"Hold on," Heiji said. "What note?"

"It seems you haven't been given the full details of the case at hand." Rick said.

"Gordon said he planned on letting someone else fill me in," Heiji informed. "And from theses circumstances, I'd say right now is as good as any other time for an update."

"But first, why don't the two of you step on in," Ellson suggested. "I'd rather we do this in private."

"Well noted." Rick said in agreement.

The two of them stepped into the small enclosed room, following Ellson who lead them to the left, stopping after reaching the center where another man sat in front of two computer screens.

"What is this place?" Heiji asked.

"The security back room," Ellson replied. "And this is Ed, the man who keeps a watchful eye for what goes on in and outside of the store."

"Welcome." Ed said looking his way with the nod of his head.

"So what's this note you mentioned?"

"The one who's been going around stealing from small companies such as ourselves has been been leaving small notes before hand, riddles if you will."

"This has occurred to five separate stores now," Rick added. "This would make the sixth if they are indeed successful with their next planned heist."

"What exactly do these riddles elude to," Heiji asked. "And if possible, do you think I could have a look at the most recent one written?"

"Each note left behind has ultimately pointed to the where and what," Ellson replied. "Meaning the location and item they plan to acquire."

"Here you go," Rick said reaching into his side pocket. "This was the note slipped in with yesterday nights imports to this very store."

He accepted the slip of paper, unfolding it to lay his eyes onto the message before him.

"i am soley for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)," Heiji read before dropping down to the second line. "superior to my the Deceiver, at the Affair shall I appear.."

He found himself reading over the message several times over, trying his best to make sense of what was written.

"That's some twisted stuff if you ask me," Rick said from his side. "I don't even know where to begin to make sense of that jitter."

"What do you think, detective Heiji?" Ellson asked.

"..I don't know, at least not yet," Heiji said finally looking up from the note. "In the mean time, are there any possible suspects that have come to mind?"

"My first initial thought was Nigma, but then I remembered he's currently locked away within that dammed aslyum."

"Nigma," Heiji questioned. "Who's that?"

"Don't worry about it kid," Rick said patting him on the shoulder. "We've already eliminated that route as a potential lead."

"Mind if I hold onto this?" Heiji asked.

"Be my guest," Rick replied. "We've already got a copy of that note stored away at the station."

He wasted no time in tucking it away.

"Now that we've got him all caught up, why don't I let you know why I really brought you two back here."

"The stage is yours." Rick said in response.

"Then if you would, please direct your sights to the screen."

"What should we be looking for?" Heiji asked.

"Nothing in particular," Ed replied. "This is all the views we have set around the premises with the use of our surveillance cameras."

"Just staying on top of things," Ellson added. "We have to be prepared, especially if this mystery person does in fact try to go through with their plan."

"So what would you like us to do from here?" Rick asked.

"That's quite simple," Ellson replied. "If it's not too much to ask, I'd like for the two of you to look out for any suspicious people or activity for the next hour or so."

"I see, you're anticipating the thief will come here to try and size up things for their heist," Rick said. "I'd be more than willing to give you some of our extra added time."

"You can count me in as well." Heiji said with a nod.

"Good," Ellson said pleased to hear. "I was hoping I'd get your involvement."

"So how do you want us to play this?" Rick asked.

"Simple," Ellson replied. "Just act if you are another one of the customers, no one will notice."

"Sounds easy enough," Rick said. "We'll report back to you if anything should be brought to our attention."

"And I'll be waiting."

"Come Hattori," Rick said turning back for the door. "Let us see if we can make anything out of this."

Ellson lead the way with the two of them following from behind, reopening the door before stepping off to the side.

"Report back to me if you find anything to be questioning or suspicious," Ellson stated. "Ed and I will be watching on from the cameras shown to you, just be sure to stay discreet as discussed."

"That's the plan." Rick said.

"Then I'll let the two of you run loose, good luck detectives." Ellson said before closing the door.

The two looked to one another in the seconds that followed.

"How would you like to press on from here?"

"I'll go and monitor things down on the first floor," Rick replied. "I'll leave everything up here to you."

"Fair enough."

"Keep your eyes peeled kid, the easiest way to put an end to this is to catch this guy in his tracks," Rick said. "I'll touch base with you in the next half hour or so."

"I'll see you then."

"If you see or find anything before hand, come and let me know," Rick said while turning for the other side of the room. "I'll see you soon."

Rick left from there, leaving him to stand alone. He didn't move for the first couple moments, simply pulling out the note to give it a second look. He read over it once again, finding it in himself to try and disect every part of the message down piece by piece. Coming to a conclusion wasn't going to be easy, feeling there were questions that needed to be answered before he could unravel the true meaning.

"According to detective Gates there were five other riddle based notes left behind at the other locations before the thief struck," Heiji thought. "Maybe I'd have a better understanding of what they're planning if I had a look at the other notes, along with what was stolen of course."

He raised the slip of paper to his eyes, soley focusing in on the first part of the message.

"i am soley for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)."

He allowed nothing else to enter the mind, keeping his concentration to what was in front of him.

"Affiliated kins... this could prove to be an important detail," Heiji thought. "I'm almost certain it doesn't symbolizes the connection of siblings, but rather different items of interest or perhaps separate locations.. something we aren't expected to take note of."

Wasting no time he looked to the last part of the riddle.

"The 'H' on hear and the 'R' on red are capitalized, giving them an imposing presence amongst the other figures," Heiji thought continuing his examination. "Then there's the single interval, defiantly the most unclear element featured in the note."

He took no time to look at the riddle written on the second line, sticking the slip of paper back into his pocket.

"No use in trying to solve the other riddle, I'm betting the two are linked together in some way," Heiji said. "Which means in all likelihood I'll have to solve the first to understand the second."

He laid his hands to his pocket before finally deciding to walk. There were very few present on the second floor besides him, beginning to study the layout of the room as he stepped around a rack of socks. Everything that came to his sight he tried relating back to the riddle, feeling there was something to find. He stopped once reaching the center of the room next to a small shelf of cosmetics.

"One thing's for certain.. detective Gates and Mr. Ellson are wrong, no way after leaving that note would the culprit take the risk of coming back," Heiji thought. "If anything, they might be visiting the location of the next place they plan to breach if successful here... but where?"

To Be Continued

The Detective Prince

Chapter 80

Two Within One

With the sun shinning bright, the view of the moving stream from far below could clearly be seen as it pushed its way through the hanging valley. He had been standing there for a period of time. The thought of how everything would play out circulated through his mind. He took a step away from the balcony railing, turning to head back inside. The room was dark upon entering, closing the screen door before making his way over to a desk at the right side. He took a seat, sitting there for a period of time.

"No use in camouflaging yourself," He softly spoke with the raise of his head. "I know you're here."

A figure faintly appeared from a dark corner of the room, moving only a few feet before stopping.

"Something has occurred, I thought I'd bring it to your attention."

"I suspect this has something to do with the boy?"

"He's already found his way to the grounds you had hoped to bring him," A shallow voice spoke in return. "Sheltered by none other than the detective."

"I see."

No words were exchanged. between the two for seconds to come. He found himself looking back toward the balcony side, a whole new set of scenarios beginning to run through his mind at that given moment.

"What about the false S.O.S sent, it's only a matter of time before we get a response from the two of them."

"It's too late to back out now, everything has already spiraled into motion... besides, this may prove to be better."

"How so?"

"These turn of events may make for a more complete evaluation."

"But aren't you in the least bit concerned that the others will some how get inserted into the fray?"

"That's to be expected, their involvement will be calculated accordingly."

"Would you like for unit B to carry out with luring the two to the location discussed?"

"Put it on hold for a day or so, and let them know to loosen up on security until I say otherwise."

"Loud and clear."

"Now leave me to be alone, I'd like to take this time to reiterate the situation."

No words needed to be spoken, taking all but a couple of seconds for the dark figure to fall out of sight once again. He closed his eyes, sitting there for minutes to come. Things were becoming more and more complex by the day, but regardless of this he was one step closer to setting things in place. Through the darkness of the room he reached acrossthe desk, hauling in a small image. He stared down at it, looking into the eyes of the young man he knew so much about.. yet so little.

"You've failed to disappoint me as of yet, but your true test has yet to undertake.. may the next weeks show your true worthiness to me, boy of Japan."

It had been a good amount of time since either had spoken a word. The phone from atop the desk was what finally broke the silence. He wasted no time in answering the call, the conversation lasting no longer than a minute. He placed the phone back onto the hook once finished.

"You sounded more attentive than usual," Conan commented from his position aside the wall. "Who was that you spoke with?"

"Dick, and he's on his way now." Bruce informed.

"That was unexpected," Conan said. "I would have thought he'd be busy around this time of day."

"Something important has come up," Bruce stated. "Apparently Eldelmon was found unresponsive in his hospital bed earlier today."

"Eldelmon?"

"Jefferson Eldelmon."

"Oh yea, that's the politician you've been keeping tabs on," Conan said. "What was he doing in the hospital to begin with?"

"He had a heart attack some time yesterday."

"So I'm guessing that played a hand in his death."

"That's what's been reported," Bruce confirmed. "They're probably covering it on the news as we speak."

"Which means we should probably have a look in, at least until Dick arrives."

"My thoughts exact." Bruce said leading the way as the two headed out of the room.

"Maybe we'll gain some insight to what took place." Conan thought following from behind.

Nearly every square inch of the top floor had been looked over, and yet he was still no further along then he had been from the moment he had laid his eyes to the two written riddles. He came to a stop once reaching a set of shoes from his right side, pulling out the sheet of paper to give it yet another read.

"i am soley for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)."

He found himself sinking further in each with each read, there was that subtle piece stashed within it all that he couldn't quite wrap his finger around. Thinking quickly he tucked the note away as a customer passed, trying to remain unsuspicious like they had discussed.

"Beyond all, I don't quite understand our thief's motive," Heiji said. "Why leave behind clues to their planned agenda, perhaps if we knew that we'd have a better understanding of what they plan to take next."

He didn't stand in place for long, continuing his second trip around the top area of the store. It was in that moment that everything became clouded from within. He stepped after passing another clothes rack. Not realizing someone was heading into the opposite direction, contact was made between him and another. He immediately looked forward to see a woman in a casual red dress and a matching cloche hat atop her head standing directly across.

"My apologies, I didn't see you there." Heiji apologized before dropping to a knee to pick up the items he'd caused to drop.

He reached for the laying purse before grabbing the two pieces of clothing wear beside it. Unintentionally he found his sights fixated to her figure as he positioned back to his feet, doing more than enough not to show any unwanted signals. But most alluring of all were her eyes, doing no less than captivating him without warning.

The news continued to pour in with any new information gained. The two of them remained watchful throughout, waiting to hear a confirmation on his death being that of a heart attack. The door bell rang within the next couple seconds, alerting them he had arrived. He pressed the power button on the remote, shutting down the TV before placing it onto the shelf next to where he stood.

"He's here." Bruce said turning for the other side of the room.

"And much sooner than I thought he'd be," Conan said. "He must have already been on the way here when he called."

The two of them headed out from there, walking past the dinning room toward the door on the opposite side. They entered back into the main room to see he had already entered in through the front door.

"Hope I didn't keep you guys waiting too long."

"I'm assuming you used a key to let yourself in, being that the door was locked last I checked," Conan said. "If that's the case, then why ring the door bell?"

"Just letting the both of you know I'm here," Dick replied before taking a slight look to the other side. "Where Damian?"

"He's around somewhere."

"Have the two of you been following the broadcast of what's been reported?"

"We've been watching it from the time you called, nothing additional was learned on the matter aside from what you had already told me over the phone." Bruce replied.

"So is it true his death was the result of a heart attack?"

"We won't know for certain until the test results come back," Dick replied. "But there is some raise for concern, being that his time of death was shortly after he received a visit."

"A visit?" Conan questioned.

"Between the times of nine fifty two and six after ten last night, Eldelmon had three guests come in and see him."

"Did they all enter the room at the same time?" Bruce asked.

"Only the first two visitors," Dick replied. "The third didn't arrive until after the first two had left."

"And what is the estimated time of death?" Bruce asked.

"Ten seventeen is what has been reported," Dick answered. "Four minutes after the lone visitor had left the room."

"None of this was reported on the news, so how did you gain all of this insight?" Conan asked out of curiosity.

"Simple," Dick replied. "When Tim heard that Mr. Eldelmon had been hospitalized he took the liberty of installing a small surveillance device in his room to keep a watch out."

"So where's this surveillance footage now?" Conan asked.

"Tim's already on his way," Dick replied. "We'll all be able to have a look at the video feed for ourselves when he arrives."

"I'll go and get the computer started up." Bruce said turning for the study.

"Right behind you," Dick said before looking down at Conan. "You coming?"

"Right after you." Conan said in response.

The length of time he stood there became lost to him. It wasn't until the sight of a hand waving back and forth across his face that he snapped back into the moment.

"Oh, sorry about that," Heiji said finally handing her the purse and two folded shirts. "You'll have to excuse me, it's been one of those starts."

"I think we're all entitled to a dawdling start every so often," She said in response. "I've seen you looking around for the past minute or so, is there something in particular you were looking for?"

He took a step back, finding a casual smile come to his face.

"Well you see, I'm actually looking for something for a friend," Heiji quickly improvised. "Though I haven't quite found what she described to me this morning."

"And what is it you're looking for," The woman asked. "Perhaps I could at least point you in the right direction."

"A jacket made of leather with a pair of gloves," Heiji replied. "All three branded by one of the more well known sports brands, the exact name leaves me at the moment."

"Sports merchandise at Starlest," The woman said with an awkward look. "You're not around from here, are you?"

"I guess that gave it away."

"You won't find any of that here, but I could refer you to another place or two where you might have better luck," The woman said unzipping her purse to grab a pen. "Would you happen to have a spare piece of paper?"

"One second." Heiji said before reaching into his pocket to have a look.

All he could feel was the slip of paper with the riddle written on it, shaking his head in response.

"Afraid not."

"No worries, we can always check with the clerk on the first floor," She said turning for the stairs. "Come, this shouldn't take up much time."

With little hesitation he to followed her to the other side of the room.

"And this is what I didn't want."

They made their way down the stairs, sticking to the right side as someone headed up from the left. Upon reaching the first floor he looked from one part of the room to the other, trying to locate where Rick was.

"I wonder what's going on over there." Heiji pointed out.

She looked as well, seeing a group of people gathered around one of the glass cases in particular.

"No surprise there, they're all checking out the newly imported Synthetic Diamonds."

"And by newly imported, you mean as in today?"

"They were actually brought in yesterday," She informed. "But they weren't put on display for purchase until this morning."

"From that, I'd say she comes here frequently."

They reached the register within the next few seconds of walking.

"Hold on," She said looking over to see the clerk who was working with another customer across the way. "It shouldn't take long for him to finish."

"No problem here, I'm in no rush." Heiji said casually resting his hands into his jacket.

He continued to scour the small area of the room, finally sighting Rick who stood directly across next to another glass case. It didn't take long for him to notice him as well, slowly heading his way. It was at that moment that the clerk finished helping with the other customer to see the two of them standing at the register.

"You see, I told you he wouldn't be long," She said. "Just sit back, I'll do the talking."

"Your call."

The clerk wasted no time in coming to their assist, politely smiling after reaching the two.

"And how may I help you today?"

Heiji turned to the other side of the room, looking just in time to see Rick come to a stop at the left of him.

"What are you doing down here," Rick whispered with no given eye contact as not to show association. "I thought we agreed you'd monitor the upper floor."

"There's been a little tweak," Heiji whispered back. "Mind swapping positions for a bit?"

"No problem," Rick replied with a nod. "Remember, contact me if anything is brought to your attention."

"Gotcha."

He left him to take over from there, making his way to the stairs leading to the next floor. Just as he was to turn around he felt a tap at his right shoulder.

"Here you are," The woman said handing him a folded paper. "I listed three places you might have luck finding what you're looking for."

"Thanks," Heiji said placing the paper into his pocket. "I really appreciate the help."

"It was nothing, besides" She said turning back for the stairs. "I have plenty of time to spare."

"Wait," Heiji said removing his hands from his pocket. "I didn't catch your name."

She stopped after taking another steps, looking back at him with that same concealed look in her eyes.

"Call me Selina," She replied. "Selina Kyle."

"Of course," Heiji said. "It was nice to meet you, Selina."

"Maybe I'll see you around some time."

"Most certainly.. I mean, that would be nice."

"Until next time," Selina said heading back for the stairs. "Heiji, Hattori."

He stood there for seconds to pass, watching as she trotted her way back to the second floor.

"Did she... did she just say my name?"

There was little to no time to comprehend on the matter, hearing the sound of the store alarm go off in the following seconds. He immediately turned to the entryway to see a man come to a stop, finding a confused look on his face. Two security quickly closed in on him, taking no time in beginning to question him. Seeing this, Heiji headed over to investigate himself. As he neared he could see them running a search of the man's belongings.

"What seems to be the problem?" Heiji asked.

"He ringed up when he was just about to exit," One of the security guards informed. "Which requires us to orchestrate a search."

"But I paid for everything I have, look here," The man said holding out his hand. "You can check my receipt."

"Mind if I have a look?" Heiji asked.

"I don't see the harm in it." The other security guard said giving him the nod.

He took the receipt from there, reading over the list of items bought before looking over to the clerk.

"Can you confirm the listed items were all purchased?" Heiji asked holding out the receipt for him to see.

He nodded his head after seeing it for himself.

"That is correct."

Heiji then tuned back to see the security guards were still at work with their search. Minutes passed as this continued on.

"What's going on down here?" A voice spoke from behind.

He turned to see Mr. Ellson heading down from the upper floor with Rick trailing from close behind.

"This man here happened to trip off the alarm on his way out," One of the guards informed. "We haven't quite gotten to the source of the problem."

"Mr. Ellson if it's alright with you, do you think I could run a search of my own?" Heiji asked.

"Granted."

"But sir." One of the guards said standing to his feet.

"I've made my decision, now step aside," Ellson instructed. "You've had plenty of time, It's time we gave the young detective a go at this."

"Understood."

The two of them pushed off to the side from there, giving him a clear path to begin.

"Alright kid," Ellson said looking to him. "Take her away."

The roads had slightly slickened after reaching the hillside, something that caught him by a bit of a surprise. He drove steadily from there on up, not exactly sure what had caused the wetness throughout the way. The destination to which he seeked came into view not long after, driving up to the gate to find it was already set off to the side. He pulled in closer to the house before coming to a full stop, removing the helmet from his head before side stepping to the ground.

"Looks like he beat me here." Tim said taking notice of his car a few yards away.

He wasted no time in making his way to the front door, not surprised to find it unlocked. He walked in to see him sitting at the bottom of the stairs, closing the door before advancing toward him.

"They're waiting for you in the study." Damian informed.

"And what of you," Tim asked. "Why are you sitting out here alone?"

"Whatever information you may have acquired may prove useful, I'd like to have a look at it myself once you've finished," Damian said. "But I'd rather not stand in that already cluttered room."

"Your call," Tim said turning for the left. "I'll leave a copy of the footage recorded into the video folder, then you can view it whenever you so please."

He headed toward the study from there, removing the bag from his shoulder upon reaching the door. The three looked his way as he entered.

"That didn't take long," Dick said. "Not long at all."

"I was actually on the road when you called, and just happened to be heading into this direction," Tim said. "Which brings up a question."

"Did something happen?"

"It actually has more to do with the condition of the streets than anything."

"Yea, I felt it too," Dick said. "Almost as if it had recently been raining."

"Any idea of what it could have caused it?"

"Not a clue, but why don't we save that for a later time to discuss," Dick suggested. "We're all anxious to see what you uncovered from the surveillance camera."

"Oh yea," Tim said unzipping the top pocket. "I guess I got a little side tracked."

He stepped up to the desk, handing a small device to Bruce who plugged it into one of the open ports.

"I'll have this ready in no time." Bruce said.

"Before we begin, I do have one quick question," Conan said pushing away from where he leaned. "How did you get into Eldelmon's room without him noticing, or past security for that matter?"

"I actually planted the cam before hand, being that I had inside information which room they'd be placing him in," Tim replied. "As far as getting past security, using the typical disguise to blend in for a short period of time did more than the trick."

"I assumed it was something to that affect," Conan said before looking back to the desk. "Have you started uploading the video feed?"

"Almost finished bypassing the barrier," Bruce replied. "This device is encrypted."

"You could have just asked for the password you know," Tim stated. "BlackEye90Tw0."

He completed the process within the next couple seconds as the three of them gathered around the chair. Bruce sat back, watching as all contents saved to the device began to appear on screen.

"And which folder contains the recent recordings?" Bruce asked looking over his shoulder.

"The one titled RE-Hos(2) and 4," Tim replied. "Those are the two which hold the most relevance to finding out what Mr. Eldelmon had himself caught up in."

"Well what are we waiting for," Dick said laying a hand onto the desk. "Let's get this thing rolling."

"Approximately fifty seconds until the upload is complete," Bruce said after clicking the video link. "We don't have long to wait."

The room had fallen silent from the time he had begun his search of the bag. Every pocket was checked, starting with the two located on the sides which turned up nothing. He then zipped the top open, reaching into the depths of the bag to grab hold of something.

"Have you found something?" Ellson asked stepping up to his side.

"Nothing that could have caused the alarm to go off," Heiji replied. "It's just a folder of files and a container of graphite."

He searched the rest of the bag, coming to find there was nothing else. He reached for the folder and container once finished, neatly placing both back into place.

"There was nothing found unpaid for in in his pockets, nor in his bag," Heiji thought. "So what could have caused the security alarm to go off like it did?"

This ran through his mind for seconds to come. Just as he was to standing back to his feet he caught sight of something he had failed to notice at first glance.

"What's that?"

He took hold of the bag for a second time, focusing his attention to the right handle.

"Is something wrong?" Ellson asked.

"Is this what I think it is," Heiji asked pointing out something attached to the handle. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is a security tag for clothes."

"Let me have a look at it," Ellson said grabbing hold of the bag to have a look himself. "You're right, this is a security clothes tag."

"Is it one of yours?" Heiji asked.

He gave him a nod in confirmation.

"I came in with that bag," The customer in question stated. "I've had it for a little over a year now."

"Are there any bags sold in here?" Rick asked jumping into the fray.

"We have a small selection in the back corner of the second floor." Ellson replied.

"Any of this type?" Heiji asked holding out the duffel bag.

"No, we don't," Ellson replied. "Most of what we carry here at Starlest are baguette based."

"Can you confirm that he walked in with this bag?" Heiji asked looking toward the clerk who watched on from behind the desk.

"He sure did, that was the first thing I noticed when he walked in."

"So does that mean I'm free to go?"

A long pause ensued with Ellson looking to him, giving him the nod after giving it some thought.

"Yes, but why don't you go over and get that security tag removed first."

"Right away." He said before reaching down to retrieve his bag.

The three of them stepped aside as he made his way toward the register. It was in that moment when he finally realized why the room had become so quiet, glimpsing over his shoulder to see most everyone present in the room had been observing what had taken place. He headed back their way after getting the security tag removed.

"I'm deeply sorry about this misconvenience," Ellson apologized. "I hope this won't damage your outlook of us here at Starlest."

"Not at all."

"That's great to hear, because we'd love to be of service to you at some point in the near future."

"And I look forward to coming back soon."

"Excellent."

With that he turned for the door, gripping both handles to the bag before making his way out with no incident. Those who stood around slowly began going back to what they had previously been doing before the minor disturbance.

"What a start this has been," Rick commented. "Any idea how that security tag might have gotten onto his bag, not exactly something that just happens."

"I can't say for sure," Ellson replied. "But we can always check the security cameras, that might explain this whole fiasco."

"I was thinking the same thing."

"I'm going to go and see if Ed has a recording of what happened," Ellson said. "You're free to come along if you'd like."

"I'd have it no other way," Rick replied before turning to his side. "Hey Hattori, you coming as well?"

"Of course," Heiji replied. "I'll be right behind you."

Ellson took the lead as the three of them made their way back to the stairs. Most everyone throughout the room watched as they made their way past.

"I don't know what the motive is, but one thing's for certain.. Ellson was wrong," Heiji thought to himself. "This was no misconvenience, someone intentionally clamped that security tag to his bag... but why?"

It was just as he had said, the video taking no longer than a minute to appear on the screen. Getting a clear view of things from where he stood was difficult. He tried switching positions, still having no luck.

"You ok down there," Tim asked looking his way. "You seem rather rambunctious."

"I'm having a hard time seeing the screen from here."

"All you had to do was ask for a lift," Tim said. "Unless of course it makes you feel uncomfortable."

"Why would I feel uncomfortable?"

"Never mind." Tim said reaching down to grab him.

"Well appreciated." Conan thanked.

"Don't mention it," Tim said lifting him upward. "Look on the bright side, the winter's just around the corner."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That's when many children hit their growth spurt," Tim replied. "Which is right before spring hits."

"Are you implying something?" Conan asked looking up at him with the narrow of his eyes.

"Time to get focused you two," Dick stated. "The video has started."

It started with something expected, footage of him laying in the room of silence. This lasted for a little over a minute before two men appeared onto the screen, entering through the door.

"And this was around nine fifty two, correct?" Dick asked.

"That's right," Tim confirmed. "It's not recorded here, but the time is present on the original copy."

It didn't take long for the two men on screen to engage in conversation with Eldelmon who made little to no movement. This encounter lasted for a little over three minutes before the two men stood up from where they sat, wasting no time in exiting the room.

"Where's the audio on this thing," Dick asked. "We can't hear a word of what was said."

"I cut it out, it's saved as a separate file," Tim informed. "But there was nothing said between the three of importance, more on the lines of the two expressing their concerns."

"What about the third visitor," Conan asked. "How long after until they showed up?"

"Three minutes later, which put the time at nine fifty eight," Tim replied. "And they didn't leave until six after ten."

"And which file name would that be under?" Bruce asked.

"RE-Hos(4)."

He clicked down to it, triggering yet another video file to take over. They watched on, seeing a difference in his body posture from the previous video.

"He's asleep," Dick said. "That's usually not the case so soon after having visitors."

"I had the same thought, but I have another question," Conan said. "What were they doing there so late, aren't visiting hours usually over before then?"

"Eight thirty sharp." Bruce answered.

"Any idea how they got in past security?" Dick asked.

"Only had his room accounted for," Tim replied. "But that doesn't mean I can't go back and check the hospitals surveillance."

"We'll worry about that soon enough, but right now we need to focus in on the video." Bruce said reestablishing their attention back to the screen.

They watched as the door opened once again, looking as the third guest made their way into the room. It took all but a second for everything to finally fall into place, recognizing the dark obsolete sweater worn by the third and final guest.

"Isn't that her," Dick questioned. "The same woman hidden behind that hood we've been trying to track?"

"It most certainly is," Bruce said not surprised in the least. "Her appearance and apparel matches that of what we've already got recorded."

"No matter how many steps we take, everything seems to lead straight back to her," Conan said. "Question is, what was she meeting him about?"

"Look no further than the tape," Tim replied. "You're about to find out."

To Be Continued

Just finished chap 79 on fan fic. net, great as always

@BlackArmor said:

Just finished chap 79 on fan fic. net, great as always

Thanks