The sun showed only half its face from behind the clouds, but for this city, that already counted as unusually good weather.
"Monday again..."
Li Jie brushed off his fresh dark blue uniform and trudged into the Eastern District Precinct, looking a little dejected. The lobby buzzed with voices and assorted noises, like a pot of water about to boil. Officers coming off the night shift had heavy bags under their eyes and rumpled uniforms, dragging their exhausted bodies through the handover.
"The report on last night's assault in the East End still needs a few finishing touches..."
"The suspect in holding keeps demanding a lawyer..."
"Damn it! The evidence list for that armed robbery over the weekend doesn't add up..."
"Stop writing it up. Just have those gangs hand someone over to take the fall..."
"Sergeant, you don't look so good. Is something wrong?"
"No, I've just come down with an incurable condition called Monday syndrome."
Li Jie rubbed his face and passed the coffee Anna handed him straight to Alan, who was walking past chewing a doughnut. "Otis, over here!"
Otis Flanagan jogged up to him, slightly hunched over. Li Jie gave him a pat on the chest. "Stand up straight. Your hearing's today, so look sharp. Don't embarrass yourself! Got all your paperwork?"
"Yes, all of it!"
Otis fumbled to pull various documents out of a large file envelope, but Li Jie stopped him and handed the whole thing to Alan.
"I'm counting on you to handle everything at the courthouse!" he said, lowering his voice. "The DA and the judge have been taken care of, and the lawyer's a real legal shark, so there shouldn't be any surprises. But if you need to spend money, don't hold back."
"No problem, sir!" Alan saluted. "We'll head out, then."
A strong, peculiar smell hung in the air-the burnt bitterness of cheap black coffee, the sting of disinfectant, and faint traces of sweat and anxiety. A short line had formed beside the copier, with someone tapping a foot impatiently. The fax machine squealed as it spat out a request for assistance from the state police.
"10-50, multiple-vehicle collision on southbound Route 95. Rescue and traffic control required."
The dispatcher listlessly broadcast the notice over the radio, not particularly caring whether anyone responded. Li Jie crossed the lobby and entered his little office.
Under normal circumstances, a sergeant was lucky to get a partitioned cubicle. Plenty were crammed into workstations in the lobby, since most of their work took place on the streets anyway. But when Bob decided to give him an office, practically not a single officer in the Eastern District Precinct objected. As everyone put it-
They hoped Sergeant Li would keep up the good work in a better working environment and bring in more donations for the department.
Oh-ho. Beautiful.
Li Jie thought everyone in the East End was talented and had such a way with words. When he pushed open his office door, one talented individual whose words weren't quite so pleasing was already sitting inside, waiting for him.
"Hi, Jay. What becomes more precious the less of it you have?"
"Fuck!" Li Jie's expression changed instantly. "You didn't break my family's heirloom tea jar, did you?"
He hurried over to the desk, opened a drawer to check, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank God. My late old man wasn't exactly responsible, but if I smashed his favorite tea jar, he'd dig himself out of his grave tonight just to beat me."
He looked at the resigned expression on Nygma's face and finally caught on.
"Uh... Ed, was that a riddle?"
"Yes, and the answer is you, my friend." Nygma sighed. "My transfer paperwork is all done. What do you need me to do now?"
"Uh... first, some bad news..." Li Jie scratched his head and said, a little sheepishly, "Right now, we still don't have forensic science or medical examiner's departments..."
A hint of disappointment crossed Nygma's face, but he promptly nodded. "I expected that. So... do you have any good news for me?"
"I do. Do you remember..." Li Jie pointed east. "The Fortune Star Trust and Investment Company building next to the station? Bob worked things out with city hall. We can buy it for just over a hundred thousand, though it also comes with about two hundred thousand in debt."
"So...?"
"Go make a list of everything and all the equipment you'll need. We don't have enough money to renovate the whole building yet, but we can set up the basement morgue and evidence room first. Then you can get to work."
Li Jie opened the door and called out:
"Anna!"
The young woman came scampering over, stood at attention, and saluted. "Here, sir!"
"Today, go with Ed to... uh..." Looking lost, he pointed at Nygma. "I don't know where either. He's in charge. Bring back a list of the equipment we need to buy, then hand it to logistics."
"All right, Jay." Nygma nodded a little sheepishly and stood up. "I'll try to keep the spending down..."
"Keep it down, my ass. It's not our money. If we run out, we'll find someone else to cry to."
After watching the two leave his office, he gritted his teeth and opened the mountain of case files on his desk, beginning to sort them into categories.
"Casino reported an attack by some weirdo... tsk, tsk... Young Master Wayne's back to his late-night parade floats instead of sleeping..."
"Dismembered body in the Commercial District... damn it, this should be right on the border between the East and West Districts..."
"Entire family murdered in Old Town... closer to Central Headquarters. Pass the buck..."
"Dismembered remains found at a sewer outfall..."
Damn it, why are so many people into mincing meat? Just open a steamed bun shop already.
Which sick bastard did this one? Gangs usually didn't dismember bodies. If they wanted to intimidate people, they had to leave the face intact to prove the victim's identity, then dump the body out in the open on the street. If they wanted to silence someone, tying a rock to them and tossing them into the river left no evidence. That was much easier.
He sighed, stacked all the dismemberment cases together, and turned to the next document. It was an internal notice.
"In light of the impact of the cult murder case, the Gotham Police Department is seeking psychological consultation and assistance from community organizations. The government will shortly appoint Dr. Hugo Strange, director of Arkham Asylum, as a special visiting professor to the Gotham Police Department; Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, assistant professor at Gotham University, as a special visiting professor to the East End Police Department; and Dr. Jonathan Crane, assistant professor at Gotham University, as a special visiting professor to the West District Police Department. These psychology experts will provide counseling every Friday for officers and members of the public in need. The mayor stated that citizens' health needs..."
Oh, psychological counseling. That sounds pretty good. So many doctors. Gotham might be a mess, but it sure has plenty of academic overachievers. Hugo... that name sounds familiar... Harleen...
Harleen Quinzel!!!
Li Jie shot to his feet, snatched back the notice he had just tossed aside, and read it over carefully.
Harleen Quinzel! Who brought this lunatic here? Sure, she hasn't met Clown yet, but what normal person would ever be interested in something like that?!!
Look at this Jonathan listed after her. He doesn't even sound famous. We'd be better off having an honest, trouble-free guy like him come to the East End!
He buried his face in his palms and scrubbed it furiously, then grabbed his insulated cup and took a huge gulp, only to spit it all over the floor.
Fuck, that's hot!
Nothing good ever happens on a Monday. He grabbed the notice, stomped up to the second floor, and started hammering on the door.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
The Chief's languid voice came from behind him. Li Jie stepped aside, and Bob squeezed past, took out his key, and opened the door.
"Work hasn't even started yet, has it?" Bob tossed his briefcase onto his desk. "Seeing you first thing in the morning-nothing good ever happens on a Monday!"
"All right, boss, take a look..." Li Jie handed over the notice. "Can our Eastern District Precinct get someone else?"
"Someone else?"
Bob spread the notice flat on his desk, rummaging in his pockets for cigarettes and a lighter. "This... Harleen..."
Click!
He lit his cigarette, eagerly took a drag, exhaled a thick stream of smoke, and let out a long sigh. "Dr. Harleen... Dr. Quizzle. What's wrong with her?"
"She..."
Li Jie was at a loss for words. He couldn't exactly say Dr. Quizzle would become a supervillain someday. After hesitating for a while, he stammered, "I think... she's... not very competent..."
"That's fucking bullshit!"
Bob crumpled the notice into a ball and threw it back at him. "You, a high school graduate, are saying someone with a doctorate isn't competent? Stop worrying about useless crap."
"We'll be signing the purchase agreement for the Fortune Star Building next door in the next couple of days. I've settled things with city hall, so we can start work first. This is..."
He took out a business card and tossed it over. "This is the renovation company's number."
"Tsk..." Li Jie caught the card and studied it, then asked uneasily, "Boss, I don't care if you're taking kickbacks, but their work had better be up to standard!"
"Relax. They wouldn't dare." Bob blew a smoke ring. "Whatever you need to buy, submit a list and let logistics and finance handle it. Heh heh... if those sons of bitches dare skim any money, we'll arrest them!"
Uh... do you even hear yourself...?
The corner of Li Jie's mouth twitched. He finally managed to resist the urge to respond, nodded, stood up, and left the Chief's office. But he had barely made it downstairs when the internal phone rang urgently.
"Get up here," Bob said, his voice filled with fear and unease. "Someone robbed Falcone's vault."
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