Batman/Detective Conan crossover 83-84

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The Detective Prince

Chapter 83

Lead Into The Ashes

Gaining further access to his file wasn't hard to accomplish after some extra searching.

"He's got a little nice history there," Tim commented. "No run ins with the law at all."

"That, or he's extremely careful about how he carries himself." Conan said.

"His billing history shows little to no activity within the past four months." Bruce said.

"There must be a good reason for that."

"He received a check for thirty thousand, only to deposit that same amount two days after," Bruce said. "That was three months ago."

"Which would explain why there hasn't been any recent activity in his account," Tim said. "He must be living off of that thirty two thousand for the time being."

"Which makes it difficult to track his whereabouts," Conan said. "That also means every transaction made within the last few months was done through cash, meaning we won't be able to check for any of his recent spendings."

"One thing we do know is that he was recently working in Michigan." Tim said.

"What part?" Bruce asked.

"Don't know," Tim replied. "But it sounded like he was out there on business."

"With the lack of information regarding his recent activities, there's no telling how many other cities he might have inhabited for a period of time." Conan added.

"He's now here in Gotham," Bruce said. "Which means it's time we tracked him down."

"And how do we do that," Conan asked. "We have nothing on him."

"The easy way." Tim said lowering him back to the ground.

"The easy way," Conan questioned. "I'm betting more complicated."

"Isn't that the fun part?"

"Didn't say I was complaining."

"Fair enough," Tim said before turning toward Bruce. "Looks like we have more on our hands than at first glance."

"Then we better get started."

"Which means it's time to hit the road," Tim said turning for the other side of the room. "I'll contact you with any information in regards to Hue, if I'm able to dig up anything additional."

"Wait up," Conan said following after him. "I'll walk you to the door."

The two of them exited out from there, heading straight for the front door.

"What's up," Tim questioned. "Is there something you wanted to ask?"

"It's about your friend."

"You mean Conner?"

"Yea, that'd be the one." Conan confirmed.

"Ok, what about him?"

"I found out about his secret," Conan said. "Well, sort of."

"That's more than good to hear," Tim said. "Because we had a little wager on how long it'd take you."

"He didn't really tell me anything," Conan stated. "We were in the mist of parting ways before he could, so I didn't get any real details."

"And he told you to ask me, right?"

"Pretty much."

"I'm in a bit of a rush myself," Tim said stopping after reaching the front door. "But here."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a mini device before turning and tossing it to him.

"What's this?"

"A web database if you will," Tim replied. "It has anything you may want or need to know."

"A database?"

"I spent months renewing it from the old one I had created, it has all the names of everyone in good status," Tim informed. "As well as profiles of the lower branched criminals all the way to the high level ends."

"So why are you giving it to me," Conan asked. "Don't you need it for yourself?"

"I've got it set up on my main computer," Tim replied. "Not to mention a couple of spares."

"So why give me a copy?"

"For a couple of reasons," Tim replied. "But none more important than for the task at hand."

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to go and search through each profile," Tim answered. "If we're lucky maybe he's already on our radar of fugitives."

"You mean the guy from the bus I encountered?"

"That'd be the one."

"So what happens in the case that I do pick him out," Conan asked. "Do you have a way of tracking him down?"

"That's the plan," Tim said. "I thought you might want a little something to do, beats sitting around with nothing to do?"

"Of course I don't mind," Conan answered. "Anything note worthy you need to let me know, perhaps with the navigation process?"

"It's all pretty self explanatory, nothing you shouldn't be able to figure out on your own."

"Sounds simple enough."

"If any questions may arise, be sure to give me a call," Tim said before opening the front door. "I'll do my best to answer anything that may come to mind."

He exited from there, only taking a couple steps out before turning around to face him for a final time.

"What's wrong?" Conan asked.

"Typing in his public name won't produce you any wanted results," Tim informed. "If you wish to know more about Conner, you'll have to type in his classified name."

"Classified name?"

"Kon El," Tim informed. "That being with a 'k'."

"Gotcha, I'll keep that in mind."

"Gotta get going, but I'll be stopping by soon enough," Tim said. "Good luck hunting down our guy, if you're unable to reach me you can always ask for assistance from any of the others."

He nodded in response, watching as he walked off from there. He closed the door in the seconds that followed, turning back for the house in the process.

"I don't know who we should be more worried about," Conan thought. "The hooded woman who seems to be in every direction we arrive, or the mystery man running rabid with no clear motive at this given point."

This remained on his mind as he made his way back in the direction of the study. There was no one to be seen upon his return, only the sight of the laptop computer which still sat in place was present in the room.

"That's strange... where," Conan thought. "I don't recall him leaving the room, and I'm more than certain I would have seen if he had gone by."

He looked from one end of the room to the other before laying his eyes back to the desk.

"Everyone seems to be in a hurry today," Conan said placing the device given to him into his pocket. "Everyone but me that is."

He gave the room a last look as he stepped out, closing the door behind him. The next hours were spent accounting for everything laid out, piecing it all together was the difficult part. He wrote down every detail that had been learned in the process, adding anything that came to mind in relation to each case. Before he knew it another hour had passed, hearing the subtle sound of the crooning clock in the next room.

"Nine O'clock," Conan said checking his watch. "Which makes it just past eleven in Tokyo."

He pulled up his phone which rested at his side, wasting no time in giving her the go ahead call. It rang for the first few moments, waiting it out till the sound of her voice spoke from the other end.

"Hello."

"Haibara, it's me."

"I was wondering when I'd hear from you again."

"It hasn't been that long since our last discussion," Conan stated. "Two days if I can recall."

"That sounds about right."

"Anyway, I called on behalf of your message received last night," Conan said. "Is everything ok?"

"A message," Ai questioned. "I never sent you a message."

"Are you sure," Conan asked. "The message I received was transmitted from your phone."

"What did this message say?"

"I remember it clearly, being how far field it was," Conan said. "A day to commence."

"A day to commence?"

"That's right," Conan confirmed. "That's what the message read."

"That's strange, I don't remember sending out any messages like that," Ai said. "Let alone anything to you."

"At any time did you lose sight of your phone," Conan asked. "While out of the house perhaps?"

"I don't recall, no."

A brief moment of silence ensued.

"It''s probably nothing," Conan finally said pushing the topic aside. "So, how's everyone else been doing?"

"They're doing fine," Ai replied. "They stopped by just yesterday in fact."

"What about Agasa," Conan asked. "Is he currently available, there's something I'd like to ask of him."

"He's not here now, but I could forward the message to him."

"That will work," Conan said. "Here's the thing, I'm going to need a little insurance."

The higher up he went, the more daring the nightly wind pressed. His destination was well within grasp, pulling his way up to the top of the large city building he climbed to see the grand mansion across the way. He stood there for minutes to come, not because there was a problem per say, but to observe the very layout of its perimeter. It didn't take long for him to pin point all security measures, knowing he'd have to carefully move in at the point of attack. It was within that moment that the common light shined bright from the far distance, signaling for his attention.

"Looks like I'm needed at the other end of town, don't have time to answer the call," Batman said looking back toward the mansion. "I have an important meet here to attend."

He relocated the few security cameras from where he stood, three to be exact. He took note of this as he planned what his next move would be.

"Two on the right, one on the left," Batman said completing his scour of the area. "I'm betting there's more around the front side of the house as well."

He looked on for a time to come, every seconds used to plot out how he'd get in undetected. It was the cameras in particular that had the luxury of his attention, watching their every movement as they pivoted from one side to another.

"There's about a twenty second gap in between the time where none of the camera's have the mid section of the yard accounted for," Batman said reaching to the side of his belt. "From this given spot I'm approximately 56.6 meters away from the mansion, which is about sixty two yards."

He held the line gun out in front of him, taking aim at the roof across the way.

"If I can get a decent initiation I should be able to zip over there in under fifteen seconds," Batman said. "Timing will be key."

Finding the right spot was the question, keeping his eyes set to the mid section of the roof.

"There, that's about as clear of a path I'm going to get."

He kept his eyes to each of the cameras as he took aim once more, knowing his timing had to be second to none. He waited for their routine rotation to pass once more, wanting to be sure about his earlier observations.

"Only have one shot to make this work."

He took aim once more, steadily holding it in place. He kept his poise up until the moment it was time to release.

"Now."

He launched forward with the spring of the hook line, precisely connecting with the chosen spot of the roof as he found himself soaring down to his destination. He touched down with little to no sound, pleased after looking back to see he had beaten the rotation of the security cameras.

"Now," Batman said standing from where he hunkered. "To get some answers."

The stream from nearby echoed past his ears, picking up its fresh scent throughout the air. He took note of something at the right side of the roof just as he was to walk. It was too dark to tell what it was from his position.

"What do we have here?"

He strolled over to come across something he was not expecting to find, kneeling down to give it a closer look.

"Just as I thought, a velux," Batman said turning to see another further up. "Now to see if it's unlocked."

He placed his hand onto the window, feeling his way around to become familiarized with its set up. He felt something standing in place as he outlined the right side of the window, uncertain of what it was.

"It feels like some kind of handle, maybe if I," Batman said giving it a tug to pull it aside. "It doesn't get any easier than that."

He looked down into the dark room below, unable to see anything from where he stood. He switched the cowl's lenses to night vision, coming to find what appeared to be a storage room of some kind. With that in mind he dropped down with a light thump, standing to his feet soon after.

"Now to have a word with Mr. Green."

Even with the lenses set to night vision it was still difficult to make out several of the items scattered throughout the room. Crates were stacked on each side, doing his best to carefully manuver around each with little to no sound. He finally reached the door at the opposite side of the room before turning back to notice something printed on one of the crates.

"What's this?"

He moved in to get a closer look, focusing in on the visible print.

"Ocean Sea Bound Labs," Batman read. "I don't believe I've heard of this company."

He then checked the other crates, confirming they as well had the same name stamped upon them. More than curious he stepped up to one of the crates, giving the top a slight tug to remove it. What he found inside was nothing short of the unexpected.

"Gnome yard decorations and several pounds of enclosed cocaine," Batman said before laying the top back into place. "Not exactly your common heavy artillery, I wonder if this is the case with the rest of the crates."

He turned back for the door, reaching out to grab the handle with a turn.

"Don't have time to check them all, but I'll make it a priority to ask Salomon about his pricey collection he's got concealed here."

He quietly closed the door after stepping out, finding himself standing atop a fleet of curving stairs that lead to the lower levels. He moved with care, as not to make any sound on his way down. Though he had not detected it upon entering, the further he descended the more he felt something was off. It was then that he picked up the faint scent, knowing something had happened.

"That odor... could it be?"

He reached the base of the stairs a short time later, stepping down to the next floor. He turned to the right, following the scent which continued down the long hall. His guard was now higher than ever, glancing up at a portrait on the left wall as he walked. The odor only became stronger, coming to a stop after reaching a door on the right side.

"This is it, it's coming from inside this room."

He turned the handle to find it unlocked, slowly cracking the door open to have a peak inside. The light generated from the moon gazed in from the left window, lighting a small portion of the room. It was then that he saw it, looking to the center of the room to see someone strapped down to a chair. He didn't have to move in any closer, already knowing it was too late.

"Not exactly the encounter I was hoping for."

He took a step in, caught by the surprise of a splash from under foot. He wasn't sure what it was, more concerned with the condition of the dead man tied to the chair. He reached the body with a couple steps taken, wasting no time in beginning his examination.

"No clothes, and strapped down with barb wire," Batman said leaning in for a clear look at his face. "This is Salomon Green alright, but what could have conspired that lead to this?"

He knelt down to a knee to give the rest of the body a look. And just when he thought things couldn't get any worse he took notice of the disturbance from below.

"His genitals are missing, that changes the outlook of of this whole occurrence."

The sound of something touching down to the ground grabbed his attention. It was then that he noticed a tube hanging out from his right rib, watching as what remained of his blood continued to drip down to the ground. Everything became clear at that point, knowing what he had stepped on upon entering the room.

"He's nearly been drained dry, with the floor being filled with his blood," Batman thought. "But who would do this, and why go to such extreme lengths."

The bitter smell continued to kick in with each second. He slightly leveled his head up to see something had been drawn out along the wall, wasting no time in recording a shot of it with the use of his cowl. As he stood back to his feet to go and give the drawings a closer look he took note of other shoe prints embedded in the blood soaked floor besides his own.

"There's at least three different sets of prints there other than my own," Batman said. "Which means there was more than one person involved in this little episode, now to try and determine the time of death."

He turned to face the body once again, laying his hand on the side of his neck to check the temperature of the body.

"Algor mortis has long kicked in," Batman said. "I'd say he's been dead for at least an hour and a half, maybe two."

Yet another odor came to his senses within the next moment, though not quite as potent in its scent as that of the blood.

"That stench... gasoline," Batman thought. "But where, where is it coming from?"

He then looked to the ground once again, reaching down to swap a portion of the blood into the palm of his hand. After giving it a smell it was clear where he had picked up the additional aroma.

"There's gasoline mixed in with his blood, this whole visit is becoming more complex by the second," Batman said. "The question is, why drain him of his blood?"

He then took notice of something stretched out across the ground toward the darker ends of the room., moving in closer to find what appeared to be two cords.

"I wonder where these lead to."

He followed the trail of the cords, glimpsing over at the drawing on the wall as he did. They eventually lead him to a closet in the far right corner. He reached out to pull it open, finding it to be rather stiff as he did. The path of the cords came to an end, coming to find that they were connected to two separate fairly large propane tanks.

"So I see, they're not cords after all," Batman said. "But rather thick wires connected to these tanks."

It was then that all fell into place, gaining a spark of realization within that very moment.

"A murder scene, gasoline mixed blood, and a batch of loaded tanks," Batman thought. "This can only mean..."

The sound of the door cracked open from behind, almost instantly spinning around to see someone standing in the doorway. His view of the figure was something of a blur, memorizing what details he could as he watched them raise a hand.

"Who are you?" Batman demanded.

He received nothing in return, only that of the figure switching on a lighter which they held in their left raised hand.

"The devil dances, till dawns beginning." A soft voices poke.

The mystery man then tossed the lighter into the air before falling out of sight back into the hall. He had no time to chase after him, darting straight for the window on the left side before the lighter could reach the ground. He lunged forward with a leap, shattering the glass on his narrow escape out. The mansion exploded on his descend down to the river below, holding his breath just before crashing into the water. He resufaced moments later to see the whole area had disbursed into flames from the explosion, knowing he had just let one go.

"Looks like I was more than late."

He continued to gaze up at the sight of destruction as he flowed down stream.

"Who was that man, and what was he doing there," Batman thought. "I may have failed tonight, but... this is far from over."

The night had come and gone. Only fragments and the ashes remained of the Green mansion come that next morning, small portions being carried away by the daily breeze come dawn.

It was an early start for him that next morning, navigating from page to page with an increased pace every minute that past. He leaned back in the chair after observing yet another page.

"Giving in so soon?" Damian asked from aside one of the many book shelves.

"I've looked through many of the profiles on this device for over an hour now, and haven't found anything," Conan said in response. "I think a break at this point is warranted."

"I would take over, but I have no idea what this guy looks like."

"I'm having a hard time remembering myself," Conan said. "Everything happened so fast."

"I still don't see how you didn't get a clear view of his face," Damian said. "Being that you were on the bus with him for a period of time."

"Like I said before, he had a ski cap over his eyes," Conan reminded. "That made it difficult to see his face."

"What about his arms, any distinct details," Damian asked. "Scars, tattoos perhaps?"

"Can't say for sure, he had on a jacket," Conan replied. "He was basically covered from head to toe."

"And going off of his choice of garbs isn't going to gain anything," Damian said. "That is unless he wore anything custom made."

"No depth there either," Conan said. "Nothing he wore from what I could tell had his name sewn on it."

"Not even initials?"

"No, but even then that would have been pushing it," Conan said. "For now we're stuck with a sketch, and this database of possible suspects."

"And to think, you couldn't even plant a tracker on this no named bloke," Damian remarked. "Can't get anymore incompetent than that."

"That didn't take long." Conan muttered.

He quickly brushed this off, attending back to the profiles just as the door to the room slid open.

"I thought I might find the both of you here in the book room," Alfred said stepping in. "What is it you're working on there?"

"I'm using this computer to navigate through a series of profiles within a database that Tim set up."

"May I ask why?"

"To see if anyone within this database resembles the man I saw the night before last."

"If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"Of course," Conan said. "Speaking of which, have you heard from Tim anytime today?"

"Oh yes, he's currently at Wayne Enterprises awaiting an important meet."

"What about my father," Damian asked. "I haven't seen him all morning."

"He never returned from last nights occasion, he only called," Alfred informed. "He said he had something important to look into."

"So he never returned, at all?" Conan questioned.

"If he did it would have been after I turned in for the night," Alfred replied. "Which would have been after two some time."

"Any idea what happened last night," Conan asked. "I mean, he must have a good reason for not returning."

"The man he had hoped to speak with was found dead in his home last night," Alfred informed. "Salomon Green."

"And there goes our link," Conan thought. "Right down the drain."

To Be Continued

The Detective Prince

Chapter 84

Unexpected Results

The door advanced to the side upon him reaching it. He stopped once inside, taking the time to survey the large room from top to bottom. He shook his head in approval. He then looked ahead to see the front desk where someone stood guard. He steadily walked over with the release of his hands from the sides of his pocket.

"How may I help you today?" The clerk asked.

"Where might I find the waiting area?"

"Right down that hall there," The clerk pointed. "If you follow the trail it will lead you straight to it."

"Thanks, I appreciate your time."

He listened to what was instructed, heading toward the left side of the room. He strolled down a long hall, hearing the sound of many voices echoing throughout the large facility. He reached the waiting area soon after, entering to see him sitting at one of the many chairs throughout. He wasted little time in walking over to join him.

"You're thirty five minutes early," Tim said looking up. "We weren't supposed to meet here until eleven."

"Is there a problem?"

"Not at all," Tim replied. "Why don't rest a pair and have a seat?"

"With pleasure," Heiji said taking him up on his offer with another look around the room. "So, this is Wayne Enterprises."

"What do you think?"

"Not bad from what I've seen."

"How did you get here so soon?"

"A cab of course," Heiji replied. "How else would I have gotten here?"

"I thought you might have had one of your friends from the station give you a lift," Tim replied. "Speaking of which, how did things go with your meet with Gordon yesterday?"

"Turns out he wasn't there when I arrived," Heiji informed. "I ended up being accompanied by a man known as Detective Gates."

"I've heard of him, he's been with the GCPD for a little over a year now," Tim said. "So what exactly did you meet with Gates about?"

"He was summoned to handle a case at a place known as Starlest," Heiji replied. "I came in as the extra set of eyes, if you want to put it that way."

"What kind of case?"

"Someone's been stealing valuable jewels from companies similar to that of Starlest," Heiji informed. "They just happened to be the next chosen target."

"The next target," Tim questioned. "Is this a pattern of robberies?"

"Wasn't hard to figure, being that the one pulling the strings sends a note to each facility they plan to steal from next."

"Our list of suspects narrows down with that known mo," Tim said. "Leaving clues behind to any planned heist doesn't happen all that often."

"Sounds like you might have an idea who we're dealing with."

"Maybe," Tim said. "But I'll need to know a little more before anything can be determined."

"I actually have the note left at Starlest with me if you'd like to give it a look yourself."

"Now is as good as anytime."

"Great, I was hoping I could get your input."

He reached down to his side, searching the contents of his pocket for the folded slip of paper. It didn't take long for him to retrieve it, holding the written riddle out for him to observe.

"Here it is, this is what was left for us to find."

He took the slip of paper into his hand, setting his sights to the first riddle.

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

He glanced down at it for a period to come. After gaining small ground he finally looked to the second riddle beneath it.

"superior to my the Deceiver, at the Affair shall I appear.."

Both left him in a state of thought. He looked on from his side, tapping him on the shoulder to regain his attention.

"So what do you think?" Heiji asked.

"Too early to tell," Tim replied. "But whatever this person has planned sounds big."

"My thoughts exact," Heiji agreed. "No matter how you read in between the lines, it seems to be pointing to something... something to a bigger stage than most."

"I was getting that same vibe, there next move could in deed be their true coming out party."

"That might be true."

"None of these incidents have yet to appear on the evening news," Tim said. "That may be due to what was taken, and where these events occurred."

"So you're thinking these incidents were overshadowed by the many others."

"To a certain degree, yes," Tim said in response. "Burglary has been a rising avocation, in these past couple weeks in particular."

"That might explain."

"Tell me, what happened at this Starlest?"

"That all depends," Heiji said. "Which case are we talking?"

"There was another case?"

"Turns out during our investigation of the riddles someone stole a pair of diamonds from right under us."

"Did you catch who did it?"

"Unfortunately not, they cleanly got away."

"How did that happen," Tim questioned. "Didn't they have surveillance rolling throughout?"

"They did," Heiji said. "But let's just say they were experiencing some.. technical difficulties."

"And these technical difficulties just happened to occur on the same day someone sought out a set of diamonds," Tim remarked. "Doubt it's coincidence."

"Maybe not," Heiji said. "But they had already been dealing with problems regarding their security system."

"Perhaps the one responsible knew this, taking advantage of the situation."

"Are you suggesting one of the employees?"

"Or anyone who had knowledge the security deficiencies."

"Not a large handful to say the least."

"What's your diagnoses of the situation," Tim asked. "After all you were there at the time of the crime."

"There wasn't much that called for my attention," Heiji said. "Other than this woman I crossed paths with."

"A woman huh, why don't you start from the beginning."

"The first thing I did after meeting with detective Gates was following him up to the security back room," Heiji began. "It was there where I was introduced to both Ed and Ellson the store manager."

"Did they know you'd be coming in to help?"

"Not me in particular, but they knew there'd be two of us," Heiji replied. "That's when they informed me of their plan to blend in amongst the other customers, acting as one of them."

"While checking for any suspicious activity, got it."

"Gates and I agreed to play along, it wasn't long after that I encountered the woman mentioned," Heiji continued. "We had a little run in if you know what I mean."

"All plans can't be perfect."

"The story I came up with for why I was there didn't quite hold up, thus resulting in her referring me to a few other stores I might try for better luck."

"So she gives you a list of of places, then what happened?"

"We parted ways."

"So what's the big deal," Tim asked. "I don't see what was so alarming."

"My name, she knew my name," Heiji said. "Right before returning to the second floor she addressed me by my name, without any pre knowledge of it."

"Was that all?"

"Of course not," Heiji replied. "It wasn't until after the fact that I recalled her little speech about the newly acquired synthetic diamonds Starlest had just imported in."

"And the diamonds stolen were synthetic, right?"

"Affirmative."

"Sounds like someone we should defiantly check up on, by any chance did you happen to catch her name?"

"I remember it clearly," Heiji replied. "Selina Kyle."

"I'd say we've hit the bullseye."

"I take it you know her?"

"You could say that."

"Think she was the one who stole the diamonds?"

"The fact she knew your name is an eye opener, she might have known you'd be there to investigate those riddles."

"Are you suggesting she knew about the riddles before hand," Heiji questioned. "You'd have to have inside information to know about that."

"She's a very resourceful woman."

"At first I believed both cases to be separate, but maybe..," Heiji said with a pause. "Maybe she wrote out those riddles in hopes of luring us there."

"You can put that idea to rest," Tim said. "Not her style, nor does she usually operate during that time of day."

"So now you're saying it's not her?"

"Never said she was, nor am I ready to draw any conclusions," Tim replied. "But from what I've heard from you, it alludes away from her mo how she operates."

"You're giving me a erratic mixture of possibility, forgive me if I don't follow."

"Didn't say she wasn't up to something, just not convinced she took the diamonds."

"I see."

"There's something I would like you to elaborate on," Tim asked taking a step back. "I'm still finding it hard to believe someone getting past security undetected with merchandise, shouldn't the alarms have gone off?"

"Their security linked system was experiencing a reboot at the time, in direct result of the store alarms going off," Heiji informed. "There was a man who walked out with a clothes tag clamped onto the side of his bag."

"Which I'm guessing erupted the whole scenario," Tim said. "Any idea how it got there?"

"No, and the camera's didn't pick it up how it got there either."

"Figures."

"It was about that time we presume the diamonds were taken from the glass case," Heiji said. "I was too busy examining the gentleman's baggage to really focus in on what was going on from behind."

"While you were investigating I'd assume someone was keeping guard from the security room, shouldn't they have seen something?"

"Ed was at the time, but he heard something that prompted him to depart from the room for a brief moment," Heiji replied. "Once out, he found some sound based device laying on the ground."

"Was it custom made?"

"Correct."

"Clever move by the thief if I must say."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're taking a delight to all of this."

"The road to untwine is always the fun part, not even you can deny that Heiji."

"So what now," Heiji questioned. "In the case that Selina wasn't the one who did it, who should we be looking for?"

"I've got an idea or two," Tim said. "Of course anyone else in that store could have pulled it off."

"So we're in agreement that the diamonds taken and the riddles left at the scene are unrelated."

"Agreed, I haven't heard anything that would point other wise," Tim said in response. "So what's your call, think you can tackle this one on your own or would you like my extended assistance?"

"I'm more than capable of handling this along with Gates, you have a lot on your agenda as is," Heiji replied. "But if you do happen to come across anything incriminating be sure to let me know."

"Gotcha."

"Mind telling me why you chose to invite me here," Heiji asked. "It's an interesting sight don't get me wrong."

"Wasn't my call, but he's here now." Tim said with the nod of his head.

"He?" Heiji question turning his head back into the direction he had come.

He looked just in time to see him enter the room, remaining seated as he approached.

"I see you both have already arrived, good," Bruce said finding a spot across from the two. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Not at all," Tim said. "We kept ourselves entertained for what it was."

"I had a feeling you would."

"You wanted to see me?" Heiji asked leaning forward.

"Yes," Bruce said looking his way. "You came into direct contact with Salomon Green the night you tracked down Mr. Eldelmon, correct?"

"Yea, that's right."

"Tell me, what did you make of him," Bruce asked. "What was he like?"

".. He seemed pretty casual, like an every day guy even."

"And his relationship with Eldelmon?"

"He was one of the few to show concern for Jefferson when he showed chest complications that night."

"I see."

"I thought we were investigating the death of Jefferson Eldelmon," Heiji said. "So why do you want to know about Salomon?"

"I went to pay him a visit last night," Bruce informed. "When I arrived he was dead, strapped to a chair in barb wire."

"These guys within this circle are dropping like flies," Tim said. "I saw his home went up in flames after watching the morning news, but I didn't know we'd be dealing with something quite as disturbing as this."

"Disturbing would be putting it lightly," Bruce stated. "His genitals were missing, and someone drained him of his blood with the use of some tube which I found hanging out of his side."

"I think it's safe to say he found himself caught up in something," Heiji commented. "Any idea where they took his blood?"

"Nowhere," Bruce replied. "They allowed it to drain onto the ground where his body rested."

"And his genitals?" Tim asked.

"Nowhere to be found." Bruce replied.

"So I take it you infiltrated his home before the explosion erupted," Tim said. "At about what time was that?"

"Around midnight."

"I didn't catch the story this morning," Heiji admitted. "But I must ask, were you there at the time when the house went up in smoke?"

"Yes, but fortunately I was able to have a look around before that occured." Bruce confirmed.

"Which leads into my next question, being the how," Heiji said. "What caused the explosion in the first place?"

"Believe it or not, the blood found on the ground was mixed in with a dose of gasoline."

"This just keeps getting stranger by the second."

"It wasn't until then that I noticed a pair of wires leading to a closet in the back corner," Bruce continued. "What I found on the other side was two tanks from where the wires were attached."

"So what happened then," Heiji asked. "Some kind of timer went off?"

"Not exactly, there was someone else there besides me," Bruce informed. "The gasoline soaked floor was ignited by a lighter tossed to the ground, which of course advanced toward the tanks."

"Got it," Heiji said. "So what about this mystery guy, did you get a look at his face?"

"Too dark, but it's nothing to worry about," Bruce assured. "I collected enough from the scene which could help lead to us finding him, and anyone else involved."

"Do you know why someone would want him dead?" Heiji asked.

"I have a few ideas, but some things just aren't adding up."

"So we have a dead victim, his missing genitals, and the floor marinated in his blood," Tim said. "Did I miss any other important details?"

"There's more, I happened to come across a hidden collection of his while in the attic," Bruce informed. "There were several crates stacked about, seeing this I decided to give one of them a peak."

"And what did you find?"

"Drugs, which can be expected when you find large shipment like that," Bruce said. "But what I was surprised to see was the gnome decoratives that filled the crate as well."

"Gnomes," Heiji questioned. "You mean like the ones people use to decorate their yards?"

"That'd be the ones."

"I see, you're thinking those drugs might have had something to do with his death?"

"At first, but if that were true," Bruce said. "Why not remove the crates from the home before the explosion, there could have been much profit to gain."

"Good point," Heiji agreed. "That almost kills that as motive."

"There was one final detail I came across while examining the body."

"Can't wait to hear this."

"There was something drawn out on the wall, some kind of emblem if I'm not mistaken."

"You think it's some kind of a message left behind?" Heiji asked.

"Not a message, but rather a marking to represent their presence."

"And what did this drawing look like?" Tim asked.

"Here, why don't you have a look for yourself," Bruce said tossing a small device toward him. "I managed to take a shot of what was printed on the wall before everything went south."

He caught the squared device in hand, taking the time to look it over.

"How do you turn this thing on?"

"The power button is located on the bottom left side, holding it down should turn it on.."

He did just that, watching as an image appeared on the screen.

"What is that?" Heiji questioned after getting a look himself.

"Looks like an eye with a triangular colon in the center, representing the pupil."

"That's what I made of it." Bruce said.

"Any idea what was used to draw this out," Heiji asked. "I'd say it's blood, but you can never be too sure."

"I managed to get a swap of what was on that wall during my escape, I didn't get much," Bruce admitted. "But it should be enough."

"What's that supposed to mean," Heiji asked. "You running some kind of scan?"

"As a matter a fact I am, on the computer back at the manor," Bruce informed. "I'll know when the results come in."

"So what now?"

"We wait," Bruce replied. "I'd like to go over everything from last night's incident once more before we decide on what to do next."

"Your call." Tim said.

"On another note, how did things go in the board room?"

"Pretty good considering the short notice, Mr. Barron handled himself fairly well being that it was his first live presentation."

"What did you think of him?"

"He's a genuine guy, a perfect fit for the chief communications officer."

"I got that vibe from when I first spoke with him."

He looked at the image for a last time, taking in each detail as a whole.

"Could you go over what you saw once more," Heiji asked tossing the device back to him. "I know it was dark, but you should have been able to make out something about that guy."

"I got a few shots of him with the cowl, those photos are being processed as we speak," Bruce informed. "As far as any distinguishing details, there was none I was able to make out."

"How about a size," Tim asked. "How would you profile his figure?"

"As someone who participates in a daily routine to keep in shape," Bruce answered. "He couldn't have been any taller than five eleven."

"That's a start."

"I'd say so."

"While we've got time, why don't you tell Bruce about what happened at Starlest." Tim said.

"Are you referring to that burglary?"

"You already knew?" Heiji asked.

"It was something that was brought to my attention late last night," Bruce confirmed. "But I had no idea you were there."

"Mr. Wayne."

He turned at the sound of his name called, coming to find someone heading straight toward him.

"I hope this isn't a bad time."

"Not at all," Bruce said standing to his feet. "We were just talking about you Mr. Barron, I heard you did well in the small conference."

"I tried anyway."

"What is it I can help you with?"

"There's actually someone here to see you," Antonio informed. "They sent me here to let you know."

"Someone here to see me," Bruce questioned. "I don't recall having anything scheduled for now."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Antonio said. "He's waiting at the front desk for you if you do decide to meet with him."

"Let him know I'll be right there."

"Alright," Antonio said with a nod. "I'll let him know you're coming."

He took off from there, strolling back into the direction he had come.

"So what happens now, we wait for your return?" Heiji asked standing to his feet as well

"That's up to you both, I'm heading back to the mansion once I'm finished here," Bruce said. "I haven't gotten the time to really sit down and give everything an in depth look."

"I'd come with you, but I have a lot of work to do with the Red Eyed MB," Tim said pushing up from where he sat. "It should be completed within the next month or so."

"Send me a copy once you've finished, I'd like to give it a test run myself." Bruce said before turning to walk.

"Sure thing." Tim said following.

"Should I even know what that is?" Heiji asked.

"It's something I've been working on," Tim replied. "I'd show it to you, but I'm sure you'd become disinterested fairly quick."

He took a few more steps, reaching for his phone as they made their way along.

"Who are you calling?" Tim asked from behind.

"Getting the next part of this investigation underway." Bruce replied.

Each page investigated produced the same results, breathing out with a light tap of the desk before moving on once again. The sound of the clock ringed from the other room, carrying its low tuned lullaby past his ears for yet another time.

"Another hour has passed.. time sure does fly sitting around in here."

He clicked down to the mouse once more, hearing the sound of the door slide open.

"I can't believe you're actually still in here, I thought you might have thrown the towel in on that by now."

"Never," Conan said. "This task isn't finished until we find this guy, the least I can do is go through this list of possible suspects."

"Have it your way."

"What brought you back anyway," Conan asked. "Were you hoping to find me?"

"Grayson's on his way now," Damian informed. "He said he has discovered how those visitors got past security at the hospital the other night."

"Good, at least we're making some kind of progress." Conan said as his phone rang from where it laid.

He reached over to grab it, looking down to see an incoming call from an unfamiliar number.

"Who could this be?"

After slight hesitation he decided to answer it.

"Hello."

"It's me."

"Bruce," Conan said recognizing the sound of his voice. "I was expecting I'd hear from you soon."

"I have a favor to ask."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Where are you now?"

"In the book room skimming through this database on the computer." Conan replied.

"Good, I want you to put that on hold on that for a bit," Bruce said. "I want you to run a search on an Ocean Sea Bound Labs."

"Ocean Sea Bound Labs?"

"It should be the name of a company."

"Loud and clear, I'll get on it right away." Conan said as an alert appeared to the screen followed by a beeping sound.

"What's that?"

"Whatever you had running has completed," Conan replied. "Looks like some kind of scan."

"Perfect," Bruce said from the other end. "Now open it and and tell me the results of the scan."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you run a scan on?"

"There was something drawn out on the wall at Green's home, I ran the test to see if his blood was used as a prop for that very cause."

"Gotcha, I'm on it." Conan said with a click.

He slightly leaned back in the chair, watching as a new window came to the screen. He took the next few moments to make an understanding of what was sitting before him.

"What are you seeing?"

"Looks like there were high traces of solvent in whatever you got your hands on."

"Which is one of the predominant elements in paint," Bruce said. "Looks like we've got the medium diagnosed."

"That's not it," Conan continued. "There's also traces of blood."

"That must mean he used a dose of Salomon's blood to complete his work."

"Not a chance," Conan informed. "The blood doesn't match his."

"If not his, then who?"

"Not who, but rather what," Conan corrected. "Because the blood found isn't human."

To Be Continued