Author's Notes

I'm back...Welcome back loyal readers and people checking out this series for the first time. Now that the core characters are all here, it's back to the adventures of Edward Nigma, PI. This story is going to be a bit of a change from the previous ones. It will be told as a series of casefiles that Edward has over the course of about a year or so story time. So it will be a bit episodic in nature, but still tell a full story, if that makes sense. As always, feel free to let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Case File 0193: The Unlikely Partnership

September 24th, 2006.

A missing persons case I was investigating happened to coincide with a murder investigation being conducted by the GCPD. What followed was something that no one could have anticipated, yet looking back, I wouldn't change a thing.

-E. Nigma, Private Investigator

Early on a fall morning, half the GCPD were dispatched to an address in the Forest Hills neighborhood on the outskirts of Gotham City. Half a dozen police cars were parked outside a sprawling ranch house as the neighborhood's well to do residents watched from their windows. Commissioner Gordon shut the door of the police cruiser behind him as he walked up the driveway toward the house. He suppressed a sigh. Visiting a murder scene was never a pleasant prospect, but when the victim was William Barnes, one of the wealthiest and most politically connected men in the whole city...Gordon would have his hands full keeping the media and certain other parties from getting involved. Especially since Batman was out of Gotham and would be unable to lend assistance. Gordon shook his head. GCPD could handle this.

He walked through the open door and into the foyer of the home. A uniformed officer on the scene respectfully acknowledged him. "Commissioner."

Gordon nodded at him. "Is Detective Bullock here?"

The officer nodded. "He's in the kitchen with the body sir. The medical examiner just got here too."

"Alright." Gordon gestured back towards the front door. "Make sure the neighbors don't enter the crime scene. Let me know if the media shows up. Last thing we need is a circus."

The officer nodded and walked back towards the front door to stand guard. Gordon entered the kitchen and was met with a gruesome sight. The body of William Barnes was lying sprawled on the kitchen floor in a large pool of blood. A large kitchen knife was still stuck in his chest and his eyes were still wide open, staring unseeing straight up at him. A trail of bloody footprints led out of the kitchen towards the back of the house and, Gordon presumed, the back exit. Gordon was long used to seeing scenes like this in Gotham. Too used to it. The medical examiner was kneeling down by the body, completing his initial examination. Bullock stood off to the side, leaning against the kitchen counter. Bullock looked at Gordon. "Mornin' Jim."

"What have we got Harv?"

Bullock wiped his nose with his sleeve and pulled out his notebook. "Guess I don't have to tell you who the stiff is. Housekeeper found him like this when she came in at 7:00 this mornin'. Her screamin' woke up half the neighborhood."

"How did she get in?"

"She's got her own key, but she said the door was unlocked when she got here. No sign of any struggle anywhere else in the house. Nothing missin' either."

So this wasn't a random break-in. Good to know. Gordon crouched down to get a better look at the body, being careful not to step in the blood. He was no medical expert, but the gashes on Barnes' hands and forearms told him that he'd fought hard at the end. Poor bastard. "How long's he been dead?"

"From the body, I'd say he died around midnight," the middle aged examiner said. "I won't know the full extent of the damage done until I get him back to the GCPD morgue, but a preliminary examination shows that he was stabbed about a dozen times, all in the chest."

Gordon was taken aback. A dozen? He'd met Barnes a few times at fundraisers and events he'd put on for Mayor Hill. He'd been an over-bearing, self-important man in life, but to have been attacked in such a violent manner...

"Sounds like overkill to me," Bullock said beside him, putting voice to his thoughts. "Who'd want him dead that much?"

"Most of the initial wounds were fairly superficial," the medical examiner explained, getting up off the floor. "I think we should get the body out so I can do a more thorough examination."

Gordon was about to call in the examiner's assistant to help move the body when a loud voice from near the front door reached their ears: "Don't move! Hands where I can see them!"

Gordon immediately pulled out his side arm. He turned to see Bullock had done the same. He gestured for the detective to follow him back towards the entrance of the house. As Gordon and Bullock made their way down the hallway, another, painfully familiar voice reached Gordon's ears. "Really officer, it's too early for this. I usually like to have my morning coffee before I'm about to be the victim of police brutality."

Behind him, Bullock swore. Gordon sighed and looked up heavenwards for a brief moment. Not him. Not here.

At the ornate front door, the uniformed officer Gordon had spoken to earlier was standing with his piece pulled on a green clad figure standing with their arms folded in the door way. Sure enough, there was Edward Nigma staring at the obviously frightened officer with a look that was half amusement and half contempt. He looked past the officer to meet Gordon's gaze. "Good morning Commissioner," he addressed him in that smooth, condescending way of his. When he saw Bullock, his eyes narrowed slightly, but he tipped his hat and smirked. "Detective Bullock. Is there a special reason I'm being held at gunpoint, or is that your standard procedure when you see me nowadays?"

Gordon put his gun back in his holster. "At ease," he told the officer. His day would be chaotic enough without Nigma going to complain about any mistreatment he received to the press. The officer slowly lowered his gun and backed away, letting Gordon step forward to deal with the former rogue. Once the gun was off of him, Nigma relaxed slightly and placed his hands on the top of his cane.

"That's better. Now, what brings the whole of GCPD out to this address on this lovely morning?"

Gordon narrowed his eyes. Was Nigma playing some kind of game with them, or did he legitimately not know? And if he didn't know, what was he doing out here? "That's a matter of official police business Nigma," he answered. "What are you doing here?"

Nigma chuckled. "That's a matter of official private investigator business Commissioner."

Gordon fought the urge to grind his teeth. "Not the time for your games Nigma. What are you doing out here?"

"Spoilsport. As it happens, I have business with Mr. Barnes..." Nigma's voice trailed off as he caught sight of the medical examiner coming out from behind Bullock. "...What's going on here?"

"What do you think 'genius'?" Bullock asked sarcastically. "Barnes is dead. You know anything about that?"

The smug look on Nigma's face was replaced with a look of surprise. So he really didn't know. "What? Dead?"

"Yes," Gordon answered. "Now, what was your business with Barnes? Was he a client of yours?"

Nigma rubbed his chin in thought. "No," he said. He then resumed his musings. "This does change my theory a bit," he murmured in such a low tone Gordon almost missed it.

"Was Barnes a person of interest in a case of yours?"

Nigma abruptly looked up at Gordon then, his green eyes narrowed. "He was tangential. And it isn't a matter which merited murder."

"How do you know it's murder Nigma?" Bullock demanded.

Nigma rolled his eyes. "Because even a child would know that the police commissioner wouldn't be called to the scene if he had a heart attack on the commode, Detective. Give me some credit."

"I think you know more than you're letting on, freak," Bullock hissed. He took a step towards Nigma. "What are you really doing here?" Nigma didn't move, but his grip on his cane tightened.

Gordon held his arm out in front of Bullock. "That's enough Harvey! You need to go Nigma."

Nigma looked like he wanted to say something, but shut his mouth. "Commissioner," he said tersely, then stalked off back to where he parked his car. Gordon was happy to see him leave, but he knew that Bullock was right. Nigma knew something. Gordon wanted to know exactly what it was.

As a general rule, Penelope Young wasn't called into GCPD until the police had a suspect, or if the case required her particular expertise. Or if, as it turned out to be today, the case was significantly high profile. The murder of Mayor Hill's biggest donor certainly qualified a such, despite her misgivings. She stood near the front of the crowd of officers and detectives in the GCPD bullpen, paying careful attention as Commissioner Gordon addressed them. Bullock stood to his side, looking even more aggrieved than he usually did.

"I don't think I need to tell you how interested the mayor is in this case," he said. "Barnes alone nearly bankrolled his last re-election campaign. That being said, remember, you take your orders from me, not from City Hall. Investigate this case as you would any other murder, and don't neglect your other assignments. Dismissed."

The crowd behind Penelope began to disperse. Commissioner Gordon's voice called out to her. "Dr. Young? May I see you in my office?"

"Yes," she answered. It was fairly standard. Gordon would give her the case details so she could form a psychological profile of the suspect. What wasn't standard though, was Bullock and Detective Montoya following her into the Commissioner's office. Penelope bit the inside of her lip. This case was about to take a turn for the bizarre. She could already sense it. Penelope waited until the Commissioner was seated at his desk, took her seat in front of the Commissioner's desk when he offered it.

"Do you have the report from the crime scene Commissioner?" she asked him. "I can began to form a profile of the suspect."

Gordon chuckled a bit. "Matter of fact as always," he said, sliding the file to her. "I've got the photos and the preliminary autopsy report there for you."

Penelope opened the folder and began reading through the notes. 12 stab wounds, no forced entry...a personal attack. A frenzied one, based on the pictures of the body. Interesting...

"There's another reason I asked to see you," Gordon said, warily.

Penelope put down the folder and looked up at him. "I thought as much, considering Detective Bullock and Detective Montoya's presence. Do you already have a suspect?"

Gordon rubbed the back of his neck. "Not exactly," he answered. "An old friend of ours paid a visit to the crime scene this morning."

Judging by his demeanor and the annoyed huff Bullock let out, there could only be one person Gordon was referring to. "Edward Nigma?"

"The one and only."

Penelope folded her hands in front of her face. She hadn't so much as heard from the man since the incident with Tetch almost two months ago. And yet, she'd known it was only a matter of time until their paths crossed again. He'd told her as much when he returned her journal. "I can't say I'm too surprised," she said. "A high profile case like this is like catnip to him."

"That's the funny thing: Nigma was coming to speak with Barnes about a case of his. He didn't know Barnes was dead until he saw the medical examiner."

This actually did surprise Penelope. "Did he say what his case was about?"

Gordon shook his head. "Only that it was something minor and that Barnes was tangential. It could be nothing, but-"

"It probably isn't," Penelope interrupted. Certainly Edward himself wouldn't see it that way. "Nigma's going to insert himself in this murder case regardless."

"I say we haul his ass in here and make him spill what he knows," Bullock growled. He clenched his right hand into a fist to emphasize his point, something that deeply irritated Penelope.

"That would be a mistake," Penelope said. "Treating him as if he's a suspect is only going to put him on the defensive and make him even less cooperative than he might be otherwise. And getting into a battle of egos with Edward Nigma is a fight you'll never win. You'll just be wasting time."

Bullock sneered at her. "What do you suggest then Doc? Invite him into GCPD and ask him to work for us?"

Penelope was about to retort, but then stopped to fully consider what Bullock said. "That...actually may be the best thing we can do."

The silence in the room was immediate. Bullock stared wide eyed at her. "Are-are you serious?" Montoya asked her.

Gordon leaned forward slightly in his chair. Had this thought already occurred to him? "Go on, Dr. Young."

Penelope took a breath, than addressed the three other people in the room. "What does Edward Nigma want, more than anything? What motivates him?"

Montoya shrugged. "His ego. He wants everyone to know that he's the smartest man in Gotham."

"Exactly. He wants the validation. The GCPD asking him to collaborate on a case with them? That's the ultimate validation for him. He won't be able to resist that. And if he sees the GCPD as a potential ally instead of an obstacle or as an enemy, that could be mutually beneficial in the future." It sounded like a half baked idea, but the more Penelope thought about it, the more it made sense. This could actually work.

Gordon considered this, stroking his chin. "Nigma's pretty used to flying solo. He's not going to want to take orders or share credit."

"No," Penelope conceded. "But if you invite him in and set the terms of the arrangement, that will give you more control of the situation than if he acts as a free agent. We'd be able to avoid the chaos of the Arkham Memorial."

"Again with the Arkham Memorial," Bullock spat out. He leaned over her seat, glowering at her. "So Nigma catches one guy and saves your life Doc. Is that supposed to make us forget all the times cops got maimed because of those stupid puzzles of his?"

Penelope fixed a steely glare back up at Bullock. "I treated him at Arkham, Detective. I know full well what he's done and what he was capable of." What the Riddler was capable of. Penelope was beginning to think that they'd only skimmed the surface of what Edward Nigma might be capable of in this new context. "And anything that might have passed between myself and Nigma at the memorial has nothing to do with my judgement here. I resent the implication."

Bullock sheepishly backed up a bit. "That all being said," Gordon cut in, "I'm not about to give the man free reign in the GCPD. Someone will need to work with Nigma and supervise him."

Another silence settled on the room. "There's not an officer in this building who will agree to work with Nigma," Montoya said finally. "Too much bad blood."

Penelope knew that Montoya was right. She also realized that there may be only one person in the building who could work with Edward and have any chance at being able to interact with him in a civilized way. "I'll do it," she said. "I'll work with him."

Gordon himself was caught off guard. "Dr. Young, are you sure? I can assign an officer-"

"No," Penelope said holding her hand up. "It was my idea. I'll take full ownership of it."

Gordon sighed. "Alright. But I'm still assigning an officer to look after you. If Nigma even agrees to do this."

Penelope turned to look at the detectives. Montoya's expression was guarded, but Bullock's dark expression more than made up for it. "I just want to go on the record as saying this is a bad idea." He pointed his finger at Penelope. "And if Nigma steps out of line even once Doc, I'm holdin' you responsible for it!"

Penelope narrowed her eyes. "That's fine Bullock. If that makes you happy."

The detective gave her one last glare and then stomped out of the office, slamming the door behind him so hard it shook the frame. Montoya followed him out, not giving Penelope a glance. Gordon sighed. "I think most of Bullock's fellow officers will agree with him about this. You might get a bit of backlash for this."

"It's the best way Commissioner," Penelope stated. Let them hate her for this. She was used to that by now. "No matter what, Nigma's going to be investigating the Barnes murder. This is our best chance to figure out what he knows." And her best chance to get inside his head. He'd said he wanted to trust her. She'd never gotten that far with him in Arkham. If he felt he could confide in her, she could find out what was truly going between him and Hugo Strange.

Across the desk from her, Gordon leaned back in his chair. "I know," he said. "To tell you the truth, I've thought about this a lot since he's reformed. I guess it was only a matter of time until this happened." He got out of his chair and pulled on his jacket. "Well, I'm off to his office. Here's hoping he's willing to listen. Got any tips for how to approach him?"

Penelope cocked her head a bit as she thought. "I think it's best to be completely honest with him. He'll see through any attempt at manipulating him." If there was anything she learned from the Tetch incident, it was that manipulating him was about the last thing anyone should do to Nigma.

"Alright. Anything else I should know about?"

Penelope hesistated. She'd never told Gordon just how involved she'd been in Edward's rescue from Tetch. Or what she'd heard during his exchange with him and with Selina Kyle. She'd never told anyone that she had seen the Riddler emotionally vulnerable. Grieving. Just who really was Edward Nigma? Gordon was looking expectantly at her, waiting for an answer. "No," she said. "Nothing I can think of."

If Gordon didn't fully believe her, he didn't show it. "Well," he said. "I'm off. Go ahead and start looking through that case file. If all goes well, I'll be back with Nigma in about an hour." He left his office then, closing the door behind him. Penelope stared back at the case file, but her mind was elsewhere.

"I'm going to figure you out, Edward Nigma," she murmured. "It's only a matter of time."