"...For the reasons stated above, the prosecution's motion to dismiss the charges is granted."
"It is hereby ordered:
1. The murder conviction of the defendant, Otis Flanagan, is vacated.
2. All charges against the defendant, Otis Flanagan, are dismissed with prejudice.
3. Blackgate Penitentiary shall immediately release the defendant, Otis Flanagan. His detention shall be unlawful as of the date this order is signed.
4. This order is final."
A copy of the ruling passed from hand to hand before finally returning to Otis, who had dark circles under his eyes.
"I heard you cried yourself hoarse in court yesterday afternoon and nearly got locked up again for contempt?"
Li Jie tapped the newspaper that had just arrived that morning. On its front page, Bob stood before reporters, speaking confidently with a righteous expression.
"Look at that. The boss stole your thunder. 'Saving every soul in distress.' I never knew he could say something that classy."
"I... I was just so excited." Otis smiled sheepishly, gently and carefully folded the ruling, and tucked it into his inside pocket.
"Thank you, officer. Thank you, everyone."
He suddenly bent at the waist and bowed to Li Jie, then bowed to Alan and the others one by one, until Wilson grabbed him.
"Bowing isn't enough. You've got to treat us to a proper night of drinking!"
"N-no problem." Otis suddenly looked embarrassed. "Could you wait until my allowance comes next month?"
"You expect a man without a salary to buy you drinks? Besides, you're the only one who didn't help." Li Jie chuckled. "You make the arrangements, and I'll cover the bill. But it'll have to wait. We've got enough trouble on our hands right now. Alan!"
He patted the ace clerk on the shoulder. "You stay at the precinct." Then he gestured to Nygma. "Keep an eye on him. Don't let him work himself to death."
He pointed at Wilson next. "Since you're so eager to come in to work, go next door and watch the construction crew. Don't let them slack off. We need to get the forensics and medical examiner's departments up and running as soon as possible. Tell them I'll give each worker an extra two hundred dollars for every day they finish ahead of schedule."
"And another thing..."
"Sheriff, someone's here to see you!"
Li Jie looked toward the voice and saw a limping figure enter the precinct.
"Cobblepot!"
Though he had expected this, he hadn't thought the man would come to the precinct on his own initiative.
"Hello, everyone."
Cobblepot raised a hand in a slightly bashful greeting. "Jay, Mr. Falcone hopes we can work together to bring the criminals disrupting Gotham's order to justice as soon as possible."
"Yes, quite right." Li Jie chuckled softly. As he walked out of the office, he asked Cobblepot in a low voice, "I'm guessing Falcone doesn't trust you all that much. How did you get him to agree to put you in charge of this?"
"Why don't you take another guess?" Cobblepot limped after him, answering with a quiet chuckle.
"I'd guess you took a step back to get ahead and recommended someone else. Victor Zsasz, perhaps. He probably thought you were using the opportunity to plot something against him, maybe even cut his head off, so he simply sent you out to get you out of the way."
The smile slowly froze on Cobblepot's face. He followed Li Jie out of the precinct without a word. Only when they reached the parking lot did he sigh and say, "Jay, you really shouldn't be this clever!"
"Huh?"
Li Jie was genuinely baffled. Since when did 'clever' have anything to do with me? If I were clever, would I have failed to even get into college in Gotham, where practically everyone starts with a doctorate?
"You're absolutely right." Cobblepot's expression was somewhat gloomy. "I suggested that the courageous Mr. Zsasz lead the response to this crisis, but Mr. Falcone rejected the proposal. He said he'd reached an agreement with you not to launch a large-scale purge for the time being, so I was to assist... or rather, monitor the police operation. Ah! Thank you!"
He slipped through the door Li Jie had opened and into the Crown Victoria's passenger seat. "Why aren't we taking that car of yours..."
He spread his arms to indicate its size. Li Jie closed the door and fastened his seat belt. "I'm afraid some people might feel inadequate if they saw it. Oz, you must have James Gordon's number."
"Of course. Jim is my friend too. He saved my life once, and I'll never forget it." Cobblepot chuckled. "Would you like me to call him for you?"
"Yes. Tell him we're coming to see him. The East End can't take the fall... can't handle this case on its own. We'll meet him in the Central Headquarters parking garage."
Fluorescent tubes buzzed overhead, flickering intermittently and casting wavering shadows from the rows of parked police cars and concrete pillars. The Crown Victoria rolled over a small puddle of motor oil that had yet to dry and pulled smoothly into an empty space.
Li Jie switched off the engine. Silence instantly settled inside the car, broken only by Cobblepot's slightly embarrassed, angry breathing. He had called his friend, his Jim, and although Gordon had agreed to meet, he had treated him like a criminal throughout the conversation.
"Jay, he... I consider him a friend. He shouldn't..."
"Of course. I completely agree with you on that. The man's hopelessly stubborn." Li Jie rolled down the window and waved at a figure approaching through the gaps between the cars. "Hey, Detective Gordon! Over here."
"Yes, if only Gotham had more reasonable police officers like you. They wouldn't misunderstand law-abiding businessmen like us."
"Cut the crap, Cobblepot. You have nothing whatsoever to do with being law-abiding. It's just that, to me, the law is a tool, not an ideal. Hey!"
He opened the door and hopped out, offering his hand as Gordon approached. "Good morning, Detective Gordon. I'm Sheriff Li Jie of the Eastern District Precinct."
The boast in that introduction was blatant enough to make even Cobblepot look exasperated, but Gordon merely smiled, adjusted his trench coat, and shook Li Jie's hand.
"James Gordon. I'm now in charge of the Gotham Police Department's Major Crimes Unit."
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
You're heading Major Crimes? How the hell am I supposed to show off now?
Li Jie frowned in thought, then asked in confusion, "What happened to the previous commander, Peter Grogan?"
"He said his health hadn't been good lately and transferred to Homicide." Gordon knew that taking over in the middle of this crisis meant being left to take the blame. Looking resigned, he said, "Never mind that. Getting mixed up with him..."
He pointed at Cobblepot, who had just climbed out of the car. "One day, it'll land you in trouble you can't come back from."
"It's fine. Mr. Cobblepot is a reasonable partner. His boss suffered a loss, so naturally he wants to take a look." Li Jie patted Cobblepot's shoulder. "Let's get down to business. Falcone called you to his estate too, didn't he?"
"Yes." Gordon nodded. "I told him the police would catch the perpetrators, and warned him not to act rashly. It wouldn't do him any good."
Yikes!
Li Jie could feel his blood pressure rising. Seriously, man? Can you turn friends into enemies in every situation that calls for communication?
He took a steadying breath and beckoned to the two men. "Let's talk in the car. We need to put our leads together."
"A disciplined group of masked gunmen. Their leader has violent tendencies, and they've now got seven million in used, nonsequential bills." Li Jie looked at Gordon in the back seat through the rearview mirror. "What else?"
"That's all I've seen so far too. 'Get out of this city.' Clearly, they want to replace The Roman." Gordon thought for a moment. "That's a major undertaking. Where did their men and guns come from? Who's Gotham's biggest arms smuggler?"
Both men immediately turned their eyes to Cobblepot in the passenger seat. He promptly raised both hands.
"It really wasn't me. I've watched the footage too. Half the guns they used were standard-issue weapons from Eastern Europe. Normally, the most likely explanation would be that they came through me... though, of course, I merely manage the business for Mr. Falcone. But yesterday I checked every customer who bought Eastern European weapons over the past year. Their purchases were small, and they still have all their merchandise. As you know, Gotham hasn't had any wars in the past year."
He shrugged. "Perhaps they brought their weapons into Gotham themselves?"
"War..."
Li Jie repeated the word, then suddenly asked Cobblepot, "Oz, if you wanted to kill Falcone and take over, how would you do it?"
"Heh... Why would I? I would never..."
"Enough. Hurry up and think. I said hypothetically." Li Jie cut him off with an impatient growl. "Keep bullshitting me and I'll tell Falcone it's real."
"Oh, oh... I... I'd... first stir up conflict between him and the other gangs, then win over his other subordinates." Cobblepot startled and blurted out his answer instinctively.
"The conflict's already there," Li Jie mused. "So the next step..."
"He wants to replace The Roman, which means he wants to rule, not slaughter," Gordon suddenly interjected from the back seat. "His next move should be to bring those subjects into his fold."
"Recruitment and attacks might happen at the same time, but..."
Once again, both men turned their eyes to Cobblepot. "Oz, he'll come to you."
"Me?"
Cobblepot's eyes shifted. "You two want me to... gather intelligence for you? Although we're friends, that sort of thing is simply too dangerous for a businessman like me."
"It's not that simple. Don't start thinking about your terms yet." Li Jie shook his head. "You're famously shrewd. He won't trust you. He'll only have you supply weapons and ammunition, not bring you into his team. If you refuse, he'll find a way to massacre everyone in your club too."
"My... club... Ahem." Cobblepot smiled. "Then again, if he needs my services..."
"Not services. Submission."
Li Jie sneered. "Think about those three guards. This isn't a man who'll let you surrender and cut your losses. If you make a mistake, Falcone might give you another chance. This man will just use a lead pipe to break your other two legs and every bone in your body, then take your inventory and supply channels."
"Forget about playing both sides. You'd better be careful not to pick the wrong one."
Before you continue