"Good evening, Edward," Matthiessen said as he reentered the room after
fetching Nigma's file.
Edward sat with his arms folded across his chest, slouched low in the chair,
and his eyes focused forward as he stared through his doctor. A moment of
silence, and then a smile broke out over the Riddler's stern expression.
A chuckle escaped before he could catch it.
"Care to share your amusing thought?"
Looking up at the other man, he grinned from ear to ear. "A pair of shoes,
for you, my friend. They gyp some, but not you!"
Matthiessen said nothing, even after he understood the cryptic sentence.
After a long silence, the doctor asked, "Anything you want to talk about,
Edward?"
"The fog hides much, but one thing is clear, she's nearer," he said.
"She?"
"Seagulls."
"Seagulls?" the doctor asked, curiously. "What about seagulls?"
"Screaming..."
"The seagulls? What are they screaming?"
Nigma looked up at Matthiessen and smiled, humming quietly.
Dr. Matthiessen raised an eyebrow. It was the same tune Dee had been humming.
"So you've got another one, hm, Edward? I'm wondering when you will realize
that they're all the same. All after the same things from you."
Edward stopped his humming and his body became more rigid as he sat a little
straighter. Now what was this man up to? What did he know? Edward knew Dee
was still in the asylum. Knew exactly what was happening to her and how she
was being treated. Edward Nigma was not a happy man! Every meal he
pocketed his bread and took it to the rec room in case she was there. With
her metabolism and the scanty meals, as well as being gypped on her snacks,
he was certain she must have a gnawing pain in her belly. Certainly he could've
slipped out to see her, but he had a reputation to keep up! He couldn't
appear too worried about her. Besides, he didn't know if she wanted
to see him or not.
"Money, Edward. She's after your money," he said as if speaking to a child.
"You're just a walking bank to her. And you're well known. Just being around
you for the short time has gotten her in print. Everyone has read about
her. Think she's really going to stick around you when she can write her
own ticket?"
Though he tried to keep the emotion off his face, a look and feeling of
sadness washed over him, betraying his feelings.
A chuckle came from the doctor. "You're so gullible when it comes to women,
Edward! How could you possibly believe someone who looks like she does would
really want anything to do with you? If you think about it, why would any
woman want to be with someone who gets locked up for being obsessed with
puzzles? Face it, Edward. Women look at you and see a dollar sign, a way
to fame, and a fool who will fall for their charms, giving them anything
they want. If you weren't the Riddler, no woman would give you a second
look."
But... The carnival, he thought. I wasn't the Riddler then. She
was interested, wasn't she?
"Has she even asked about me?" Shit! He hadn't meant for that to come out!
Matthiessen did not need any more fodder to harass him with!
Matthiessen's grin grew to rival the Joker's.
That's all he is. The Joker in doctor's clothing. I wonder what Jack
would say to that if I told him.
"My dear boy, the girl has said nothing about you other than your poor treatment
of her. What does it matter? You got a few good nights in the sack with
her. That's got to be more than you bargained for. How did she put it? 'Worst
nights of my life,' I believe."
He's lying his ass off! He's got to be! But he doesn't know that we haven't
slept together.
If he thought about it, he was nervous about that, if he still had a chance
with her. Had she really complained about how he treated her? There wasn't
anything wrong with how he acted! Ok, so maybe he had surprised both of
them a couple of times with his aggressiveness. But there was something about
her that made him feel comfortable enough to act on his impulse. Hell, he
was certain that if he hadn't worked up the courage to kiss her that first
night, to make the first move, he still would only be wondering what her
lips felt and tasted like. It wasn't like him to be so bold at times, but
he felt a connection to Dee in some ways. They had enjoyed many long talks
since she had joined him. Topics went from current events to their childhoods.
It was talk of the latter, he thought, which had brought them a little closer.
"You're lying."
"Am I? Or are you finding the truth to be a painful mistress? You're an
obsessed maniac, Edward. A violent man who has committed murder for money.
I'd say that, right there, is a good enough reason for her not to want you.
You have nothing to offer a woman at any rate."
The Riddler's expression turned petulant. Nothing to offer? He had plenty
to offer! Sure he did! He was smart, he was friendly when he wanted to be,
she thought he was funny, he um... Wasn't much to look at, was he? Girls
liked men who had more muscle than he did. He was in good shape. He had
to be in his line of work. But there were others who were obviously stronger
than him. No, all he really was, after everything boiled down, was a brain.
She's inches close, but out of reach. His mind grumbled at the irony.
"Edward? Edward, are you listening to me? I asked you how long you thought
she would stay with you. You seem more active when you have a woman working
for you. They cost you more, don't they? The costumes, the special weapons,
the jewelry, all the undergarments..."
It was true. Whenever he employed women, he had to pull more jobs. While
they got their share of the money, they cost him more. They always insisted
on him buying them baubles. Should he ever refuse, they found ways of either
seducing him, or forcing it out of him. He lost count of how many times
he had paid up to keep the women from ratting him out, or physically harming
him. If it wasn't sex, it was violence. Dee was a self confessed murderer.
What would she do to him if he refused her more than her share?
Dr. Matthiessen waved his hand in front of his patient's face. There was
no reaction. He sighed. Why was it so easy to make them shut up when you
wanted them to talk? It was maddening, is what it was! Still, he had successfully
hit that nerve of self-doubt. In Matthiessen's opinion, he felt that if
he could prove to the patient that most of the benefits they had now came
from the money and status of being a criminal, he could make some progress.
His opinion was that deep down most of the inmates at Arkham wanted nothing
more than to be recognized for themselves. The costumes and gimmicks were
just the platform they used to get the spotlight they craved.
~ ~ ~
He remained in a daze as he was escorted back to his cell. Edward's mind
was now focused on all that he wasn't. The more he thought about it, the
more he was certain that he really wasn't worth much to anyone. Dr. Matthiessen
was right. He had nothing to offer. There was no doubt that he was a fool
when it came to the opposite sex. One wink left him feeling embarrassed
and as uncertain as a schoolboy. He always found himself tongue-tied and
clumsy.
But not with Dee. Certainly he found her beautiful, even if she didn't believe
him, or think she herself was. Perhaps it was because he found her so easy
to talk to that he felt comfortable around her? He shuddered in longing
at the ghostly feeling of her near him. Unlike the other women, he realized
that part of his attraction to her was her plain manner. She didn't get dressed
up unless they went out. The only jewelry she constantly wore was her ring
and a jade coin on a red string. She used make up sparingly, if she used
it at all. Wash and wear. That was Dee Lemma.
"So why couldn't I have her?" he mumbled. Blinking, he became aware that
he was back in his cell and lying on his bed. Grunting in disapproval at
himself, he sat up.
Matthiessen liked to plant seeds of doubt in his patients. Knowing this,
Edward frowned beginning to wonder just what Matthiessen had told Dee. Knowing
his methods, Eddie was positive whatever had been said was not helping his
case.
A guard came by and announced dinner before shoving the tray through the
meal slot. Absently he picked the tray up. He sliced up part of his meat
and sandwiched it in his dinner roll. Setting that aside, he slowly ate
the rest of his meal before replacing the tray for collection. The rec room
was out of the question for the rest of the night. He took his shirt and
pants off, leaving himself in boxers and an undershirt. For now he would
rest and read his book. Once it was safe, he would go see Dee.
~ ~ ~
The pathetic little sandwich was safely tucked in his shirt pocket as the
Riddler snuck down the hall toward Dee's cell. For the sake of answering
the riddle of if she still wanted him around, he had decided to forget his
reputation for now. After all, most everyone else forgot it, if they knew
of it at all.
Her cell wasn't hard to find. She was in the same wing as he was, but at
the opposite end of the T-junction hallway. Tapping on the glass, he tried
to wake her before entering and startling her. There was no response from
the balled up form in the bed. With care, he picked the lock on her door
and slipped in. He was quite aware of the security camera in the cell, but
he knew the lax attitude of those on observation duty, especially at night.
"Q?" he whispered, nudging her.
Still no response. He gave her shoulder a shake. Nothing. Curious now, he
turned her onto her back. Drugged! Dee hardly seemed to be breathing. He
gently laid his head to her chest to make certain her heart was still beating.
In the dim light he could see a faint trail of drool streaking across her
cheek. He sighed and wiped her face clean with the corner of her sheet.
Before he made his next move, he looked around, despite the insufficient
lighting. Tucking her blankets snuggly around her, he lightly stroked her
hair and kissed her forehead. Her eyes stared up at nothing. Shaking his
head, he slipped out and headed back to his cell.
Damn doctors. Wonder what happened that they would have sedated her like
that.
"Nice night for a stroll, huh, Riddler?"
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