"He's not here."
The moment Barbara finished speaking, she started shutting the door.
A purple glove caught the edge.
"What a shame."
The bouquet tilted sideways.
A gun muzzle hidden beneath the white flowers came into view.
Barbara grabbed the security chain and threw herself backward.
Bang!
The bullet grazed through the gap and struck the opposite wall of the hallway. Before the debris hit the floor, Barbara had already pulled the security chain taut, trapping Joker's wrist in the door.
A Batarang slipped from her sleeve into her palm.
She stabbed at the purple glove.
Joker let go of the doorframe.
Barbara was about to shut the door when a pointed leather shoe slipped in at the bottom.
"It's very rude to shut out a guest."
Joker braced the door with his toe. A blade sprang out from among the flower stems and sliced through the security chain.
Barbara backed away.
The door slammed into the wall.
The flowers flew in first.
Barbara tilted her head to dodge the bouquet and kicked at Joker's gun wrist. The muzzle jerked upward, and the second bullet shattered the overhead light.
Half the room went dark on the spot.
Joker staggered into the shoe cabinet, laughing even more delightedly.
"Oh, the commissioner's little girl knows how to hit people."
Barbara said nothing.
She had already closed in on Joker, pinning down the gun barrel with her left hand as she drove her right elbow toward his throat.
Joker drew back.
The yellow flower on his chest suddenly sprayed a jet of green mist.
Barbara held her breath in time, but the fumes still stung her eyes. She grabbed Joker's coat and hurled him toward the living room.
Joker knocked over the coffee table.
The mug, documents, and a cardboard box on the