The Kiss of Death

On the bridge over the Gotham River

"Tell me his name." Sofia Falcone gripped an Asian man by the throat with one hand and lifted him off the ground.

"It was the Gunsmith. He said he makes a custom .22 pistol every month."

"Give me the address, and I'll put you down," Sofia said coldly, tightening her grip.

"Chinatown... Zhou Family... Teahouse..." Struggling to breathe, the man pleaded, "Please... put me down..."

Sofia let go. The man fell from the bridge into the river.

Chinatown

Zhou Family Teahouse

"You're back, I see..." In a secret room, the Gunsmith was cutting rifling with a rotary broach. "You go through guns fast. I can't keep up making just one a month."

"You must have a few in stock."

"Not many. Just a handful." The Gunsmith smiled. "I meant to keep them, but if you need one..."

"They're no different from the ones you sold me before, right?"

"Of course not. I don't pass off inferior goods." The Gunsmith stopped the machine and took a pistol from a Sandalwood Box beside him. "Take a look. I guarantee it's the same as the ones you bought before."

"Let me see... It's a fine gun, all right. Can I try it?"

"There's a target over there. Come with me... You can test it here, but I should warn you: that Silencer of yours works, though it may affect your accuracy..."

Some time later, Gotham City police received a report of a shooting in Chinatown. The victim was an Asian man who had been shot in the head with a .22 pistol.

At the scene, police found a pistol with its serial number filed off and a damaged Baby Pacifier.

Sofia Falcone arrived just as the police did. They treated her as a suspect, but soon