The Wayne Legacy: Knightmare
By BetterInTexas
Chapter 29:
Wayne Tower
Angela Wright walked into the Solar Fusion department with a serious dilemma on her mind. She was a secretary in the legal department and had been given a week’s promotion. Her job for that week was simple. She was to screen the calls coming into Wayne Tower for the three heads of the company. Sam Arias’s new assistant Vanessa was there and, while a fine young woman with a great deal of potential, it was obvious she would have a lot to learn about their line of work.
Cathy had left her with a list of names that should be put through to her if they attempted to contact Diana or Kara. The list was final. Anyone else calling would be told to call back when Diana or Kara returned to the office. Vanessa was handling the calls for Sam with the same instructions. It wasn’t public knowledge that the Wayne sisters and their closest friends and staff were on a vacation, but it also wasn’t a secret. The public at large wouldn’t be aware, but those in the know were.
That was why one caller had been driving her crazy. He had apparently gotten the number to the Diana’s office from a business associate of hers. He insisted on speaking to Diana Wayne immediately. When she had told him to call back in a week, he had insisted he speak to her immediately. He refused to say what it was about and would only discuss it with her and not at Wayne Tower.
He had called for the fourth time this afternoon, asking if she had done as he demanded and contacted Diana Wayne immediately.
Angela wasn’t sure what to do with him. One thing she did know was not to bother Cathy Perkins with anyone not on the approved caller list. So far this week, not one person on the list had called, meaning Angela’s job consisted of telling people that Diana and Kara were abroad and to call back next week.
She hung up on the man and decided to take the problem to the one woman who could possibly shed some light on it.
She found her in the solar fusion lab, going over some specs on a board for an octagonal shape. She didn’t know what it was or what it could be used for and frankly didn’t care.
“Dr. Parlow? My name is Angela. May I have a word?” she asked the blonde.
“Yes, how can I help you?” the woman asked in a kind tone.
“I’ve been handling the Waynes’ calls this week and I have a problem. There is a list of people who can be forwarded to Miss Wayne… either of them, on their vacation. I’m not to bother them with any other callers. One man has been calling multiple times a day since Monday morning. He isn’t on the list and has been demanding over and over to speak only to Diana Wayne. I have explained she is abroad, but he doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of the word ‘no’.”
“That does sound like a problem.” Emily told her placatingly with a soft smile. “How can a physicist like me help you?”
“His name is Edward Parlow. I remembered your last name and wondered if you might know him?”
Emily’s smile was stayed in place, while she fought to keep her teeth from grinding.
“He is my father.” Emily replied, getting her anger under control as she drew out a long sigh. “Oh dear. Angela…”
“Yes?”
“My father isn’t well. He was once an affluent businessman who has fallen on hard times and believes he is still somewhat influential. I’m afraid in his advanced age he is not always coherent and gets crazy ideas in his head. Some would say he suffers from paranoia. If it would be okay with you, I would like the chance to calm him. I had no idea he had been calling.”
“It’s really no problem.” Angela assured her, relieved that someone could take care of the problem.
“Angela, could you do me one favor?”
“Of course.”
“It would be a bit embarrassing if Diana or Kara, or anyone really, were to know my father had been calling here. Do you think we could keep this to ourselves? I would rather no one else know about this.”
Angela nodded her head and whispered to her. “I have a grandmother who has the same problems occasionally. I understand. It’s our secret, Dr. Parlow.”
Later that night, Edward Parlow paced the living room of his home. It was just after dinner when he made his last attempt to call Wayne Tower. If he could get past that idiot secretary and reach Diana Wayne, he would be safe.
He had given this much thought. He couldn’t wait for Emily to act. He knew she would and even if she succeeded in killing or even harming Diana Wayne, she would be caught, meaning the authorities would look closer into her life leading into his life.
He could tell at the restaurant by her expression. Being so close to her daughter after all these years only made her more determined. At the restaurant, he saw the same vacant, psychopathic eyes of his daughter as when she stood over a girl’s body in an alleyway, covered in her victim’s blood and told her father to take care of it as if asking him to give her a ride to school.
Emily never had friends. She never had close relationships. He wasn’t even sure what happened to his granddaughter’s father and didn’t want to know. When he had asked after first learning of the pregnancy, Emily told him he wasn’t needed, and it had been taken care of.
Edith called him into the kitchen. She sounded strange, frightened and he would have been concerned if not for his comprehensive security system.
When he entered the dimmed kitchen, all thoughts of his security system’s strength were banished from his mind. He should have known nothing could stop someone as smart as Emily, especially something as simple as an alarm system.
Edith was duct taped to a chair. She shook her head and then nodded behind him, her eyes wide with fear.
Before he could turn, he felt a prick in his neck.
He turned and grabbed onto his daughter, taking her in. She wore dark jogging pants and a black, hooded sweatshirt. The hood was down, and she smiled, her eyes squinting in giddiness.
He thought of fighting her, but Emily had always been strong. He knew she had drugged him as his limbs were already beginning to weigh him down.
His legs gave out, but Emily had him by the shoulders and twirled him into a kitchen chair where she proceeded to wrap him up in duct tape as well.
Once he was at the table, she had a seat at the head.
“Don’t worry, I just gave you a paralytic. You won’t lose consciousness or feeling. You’ll just have some problems using your muscles. I would say it would wear off by midnight, but you won’t last that long.
“If you scream, I will cut out your tongues. You are both dying tonight so try to show a little dignity.”
Emily looked at her father and shook her head. “So… you decided to throw yourself on Diana’s mercy and hope she could protect you from me. It was a bad call but not surprising. You were too much of a coward to fight your own battles. You have always been a coward. The only bigger coward I have ever known is you, Edith.”
Emily stood and went to the cabinets. “Relax you two. You have a few hours to live, a few hours for me to do to you so much of what I have always wanted to do.
“I think we should start out with a family dinner. We can talk about how much fun they would have been if Kara had grown up in this home with me where she belonged.
“Now who wants macaroni?”
Gotham City, the next morning
Edward and Edith Parlow’s Residence
Montoya took in the brutality of the scene as she walked around the crime scene and shook her head. This was the third brutal murder she had seen in the last few weeks and, though the first two were cleared up, this was obviously a different kind of brutality.
A friend of Edith Parlow had a scheduled a meeting this morning for tea and gossip. When she hadn’t answered the door and her calls went unanswered, the friend walked around the house and peered into the first window she had come across, the kitchen window, then fainted. Once she woke, she screamed, and called authorities.
The bodies of Edward and Edith Parlow were duct taped to chairs and their hands bound with zip ties. Their heads had been crushed in, making them unrecognizable.
The medical examiner was examining the bodies now.
“Montoya, come see this.” Bullock called out from the kitchen.
“What’s up?” she asked, seeing the examiner had removed the duct tape from Edward and raised his shirt.
“See these hematomas?” the medical examiner asked.
“She means bruises.” Bullock clarified. “I had to ask too.”
“I know what a hematoma is, Bullock. What the hell happened to this man?” she asked, seeing strikes all over and some deformities as well.
“These strikes were made before death. His kneecaps are broken, his shins and almost all his ribs. The weapon was a strong, long object, like a baseball bat or a crowbar. The shot that crushed his skull was the killing blow, but this guy was already dying from internal bleeding.”
“So, the perp didn’t just tie him to a chair and bash his skull in, he played with Mr. Parlow.” Bullock deduced.
“I’ll need to open him up to know more of course but yeah, this wasn’t just a murder, this was a prolonged torture. I haven’t checked the woman, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find the same.” The medical examiner told them.
“Any idea how long the torture went on?” Montoya asked the woman.
“No idea when it started yet, but the killing blow was dealt between ten and two. I’ll have a narrower time frame as soon as the autopsy is done. Considering the victims had to be tied up, gagged and the severity and number of strikes, I would say the attack began around eight or nine.” The examiner said.
“I’m looking at a crime that could have started as early as eight and ended as late as two.” Montoya calculated. “That’s a long time to spend with victims. How many strikes would you say there were?”
The medical examiner shrugged. “Considering the leg bones that are broken, the shattered ribs on both sides… possible cracked sternum, soft tissue and organ injuries… let’s just say someone went to town on this guy.”
“Thanks.” Montoya told her and walked out of the kitchen, taking in the rest of the house.
“Detective Montoya.” One of the forensic techs walked up to her. “The alarm was cut at eight thirty-two last night.”
“Were the wires cut?”
The young man shook his head. “Nope, it was hacked. It’s an old system and doesn’t take a genius to figure how to break in. You could probably develop an app for your phone to control it.”
“And I am guessing the camera at the front and back of the house showed nothing.” Montoya said, not surprised when the man shook his head.
It would be nice if a criminal would look into the camera and say hello or at least park his or her car in a way that a license plate could be clearly seen. Sadly, even the dumbest criminals had seen enough CSI television shows to avoid those mistakes.
“Keep digging. Maybe we can trace the hack back to the user or something else you geniuses do.” She told the tech who nodded and walked off.
Bullock walked up beside her.
“I have twice the experience you do.” He complained. “Why does everyone want to talk to you?”
“Either I’m that good or you are that bad. It could even be body odor or looks. It’s probably looks.” She quipped.
To both their surprises, Gordon walked into the room.
“Commish, what are you doing here?” Bullock asked suspiciously.
Gordon glared at him briefly. “I am the damn commissioner… I go where I want. Detective Montoya, I need to talk to you alone.”
She followed the man, leaving an irritated Bullock behind.
“You can fill him in later. I don’t have the patience to listen to his dumb questions. We need to solve this case quickly. There is the possibility of the feds stepping in.”
“Again? What the hell do the stiffs have to do with Kara Wayne?” she asked heatedly.
“Nothing directly.” Gordon told her quietly. “They have a daughter, Emily. She is their only living relative and you two are going to inform her after you leave here. I’ve seen her around. She’s dating Harvey Dent.”
Montoya groaned, seeing where this was going. “And if you are afraid of the feds, I’m gonna take a guess and say she works at Wayne Enterprises, directly for Kara Wayne.”
Gordon nodded. “Good detecting, detective. I’m going to inform Harvey while you inform Parlow. I can convince Diana to let us have this. If Zsasz weren’t a direct threat to Kara, she probably would have let us have that one.”
Montoya raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to forget you just admitted that she decides which cases go to the feds and which ones stay with us.”
Gordon looked disappointed. “I’m trying to treat you like a grown up here, Montoya, so I’m being honest. I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know. You want to go back to the days when Falconè told the police not to investigate crimes at all?”
“Point taken, Commissioner. I get it.” Montoya said, dropping it. “Does Diana Wayne know?”
“She is on vacation. I’m going to talk to her after I leave here. But it may not have anything to do with the daughter’s connection to Wayne Enterprises. It could be a message to Harvey, but I doubt that as well.”
Montoya was glad he said it and she didn’t have to point it out. If you gathered fifteen random people off the street, it was a guarantee at least one would work for Wayne Enterprises.
“You know something?” Renee asked.
“Edward Parlow was a big deal back when Falconè ruled the underworld. He ran an investment firm, a very successful one. Word is, around twenty-five years ago, he started working for Falconè, using his business to launder mob money.”
Montoya was surprised. “The mob? Was he charged when you, Garcia and Dent swept up the criminals from their ivory towers?”
Gordon shook his head. “We tried to get the bastard, but he hid his involvement well. He was no fool. He slipped away but fell into financial ruin, so we let it go.
“It was a war at the time. Diana was funneling funds and equipment into the GCPD, but we were still getting rid of dirty cops, fighting thugs who were suddenly out of work, beating back mob bosses who were determined to take over an area as soon as we took another down.
“Today, I would have a few detectives going after him. Back then, we just didn’t have the time or manpower. Cops not bought by the mob were hard to come by.”
Montoya understood. As much as it grated on her at times how Diana Wayne ran Gotham, it was good that she was out for justice. She had put three good men in charge, given them the funds to do whatever it took to get Gotham clean of organized crime and mostly allowed them to do their jobs. Montoya had been a rookie when Maroni and Gambol had been arrested in public, the broadcast all over Gotham. It was an exciting time to be a Gotham cop.
“So, we have three possible motives. One, someone was sending a message to the daughter who works with Kara Wayne. Two, someone was sending a message through the daughter to Harvey Dent and three, it was an old mob score to settle. If he never turned state’s evidence or talked, it is unlikely it’s the mob. And sending a message to Kara Wayne or Harvey Dent through the parents of someone they both know is thin.” Montoya speculated, working through what they knew, with nothing making sense to her.
“So, what is your first thought?” Gordon asked.
Montoya was quiet for a moment. “He made a new enemy, or someone killed him for a motive that has nothing to do with his past. I guess it’s time to talk to the daughter.”
Gordon nodded. “I’ll call Diana on my way to speak to Dent. Let me know when you get to the Tower. I don’t want Dent calling Parlow before you tell her. She shouldn’t have to find out from him.”
Montoya began to move away then stopped. “Hey, Commissioner, you think if I solve this quick, I could go on the superyacht to the private island next time instead of Blake and Cash?”
Gordon laughed and winked at her. “Get to work, Montoya. This is priority. Do me proud.”
Wayne Tower, Noon
The morning had already been long, and the day was promising to be longer. Montoya had called Gordon and let him know that they had arrived but actually seeing Parlow was another issue.
Apparently, the lab was on a floor that was a restricted zone. None of the floor was accessible by the public while only parts were available to the lab techs who worked there. The area where Parlow worked was only available to certain people, namely Diana and Kara Wayne.
Montoya bet Barbara Gordon was allowed and if the girl was not on a vacation with the rich and famous, the red head probably could have gotten them up faster.
Instead, it had been thirty minutes of waiting in the lobby of Wayne Tower. Their IDs had to be scanned, verified by the GCPD, facial recognition done, all before they were allowed to carry their guns into the building. Then they were told to find a bench and wait.
“Pretty paintings.” Bullock mentioned.
Montoya raised an eyebrow. “You like art?”
“I like that statue of the half-naked lady in front of that big deer holding a bow and arrow. That’s hot. The rest, I just like the pretty colors. I bet they cost millions and look like something a first grader could do with a crayon.”
Montoya shook her head and considered going to the north end of the expansive lobby to buy a coffee when a security guard approached them.
“I apologize for the wait, detectives.” He told them. “If you follow me to the elevator, we will go to the fourth floor. Dr. Parlow is waiting for you.”
Bullock raised an eyebrow. “Her supersecret lab is on the fourth floor?”
“No.” the security guard said with no further information.
When the elevator doors opened, rather than a high-tech lab of the future, they found a large office space filled with dozens of cubicles and many voices murmuring.
“Local and state real estate deals and the home appliance sales teams are both based here.” The guard explained.
“Home appliances?” Montoya asked.
“Yes, our new line of Washer/Dryer combos are being shipped to home appliance stores across the nation and overseas. Wayne Enterprises has many business units, and while not all of them are glamorous, they are necessary.” The surprisingly knowledgeable guard explained, then pointed. “Dr. Parlow is waiting in the conference room at the end of the hall to the right.”
Montoya and Bullock made their way to the room the guard directed them.
“I thought we would at least see some kinda view.” Bullock groused.
“We are here for work, not sightseeing.” Montoya reminded him.
Bullock shrugged. “I should’ve gone into computers. You know, Gordon’s daughter works on the ninety-ninth floor, makes millions of dollars a year and never stepped foot in a college classroom. I never went to college. You think Miss Wayne would hire me?”
“No.” Montoya answered. “Let me do the talking, please.”
The two walked in and found Dr. Emily Parlow standing by the window, looking at the streets below. She turned when they entered.
“Not much of a view down here.” She said then reached out her hand. “I’m Emily Parlow. I am sorry for your wait, but I was in the middle of an experiment I simply could not stop midway through. Have a seat.”
Montoya shook her hand and sat with Bullock beside her. Emily took a seat across from them.
“How can I help the GCPD today?”
Montoya cleared her throat. “Miss… Dr. Parlow, I am afraid we come with some tragic news. Sometime last night, your parents were murdered in their home.”
Montoya watched her closely, waiting for her reaction.
Emily raised her eyebrows and then shook her head. “It finally caught up with him.”
Whatever Montoya had been expecting, it wasn’t that. Emily showed no sadness, not much surprise, just acceptance.
“What finally caught up with him?” Bullock asked.
“What my partner means is do you need some time to process this? I’m sure it is a shock.”
Emily shook her head. “Detective Montoya, I haven’t spoken to my parents since I left home at eighteen. We did not have a relationship. Honestly, I hate them both.”
Bullock and Montoya’s eyes grew wide at the admission.
“I see…” Montoya said quietly.
“I don’t.” Bullock butted in. “What caught up with him?”
Emily took a deep breath and sighed, her shoulders slumping.
“I suspected my father early on of working with Carmine Falconè. The man came to our house many nights. When I was sixteen, I overheard a conversation about moving money through overseas accounts. I asked my father about it the next day.”
“Did he confirm that he was moving money?” Montoya asked.
Emily shook her head slightly. “He struck me. My father was a violent man. To be quite honest, he frightened me. Once I graduated high school, I left home, went to college on scholarships and grants and never looked back. I put that part of my past behind me. I have gone onto bigger and better things and the past is just the past.”
“So, you know for certain, he was laundering money for Falconè?” Bullock asked.
“Judging by his reaction when I asked him, I would say yes.”
Montoya looked at her partner briefly then focused back on Parlow.
“Could you tell us what you do here at Wayne Enterprises?” she asked.
“No, I can’t.” Parlow answered, not defensively though. She was still relatively calm for someone who just found out her parents were murdered.
“Can you say if you are involved in military work?” Montoya pushed.
Emily smiled and laughed quietly. “I wish it were something that exciting. I can say I am not involved in defense projects.”
“Where were you last night between the hours of eight p.m. and two a.m.?” Bullock asked.
Emily smiled at the man, the smile of a woman who was relaxed and had nothing to hide.
“I was at home. I live across the street in the Executive Suites. I arrived in the lobby around six and stayed there the rest of the night.”
“Did anyone see you?” Bullock pressed. Montoya groaned, knowing that was a stupid question.
“The building is as secure as Wayne Tower. No one enters that building without being recorded. There are cameras everywhere except in the residences. I have no problem with you looking at the video, but Wayne Security may require a warrant. I’m honestly not sure how this works. My legal experience is watching ‘Law and Order’ when I have the time.”
Montoya nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Parlow…”
“Please, call me Emily.”
“Thank you, Emily. I need you to do something difficult. Could you come to the city morgue and identify your parents’ bodies? What was done wasn’t pretty…”
“No.” Emily said.
Montoya’s face showed her surprise.
“I’m sorry, but as I told you, I put my past behind me. I haven’t seen them in the last twenty years and have no desire to now. Surely there are neighbors or friends that can. I won’t be handling the services for them either.”
“Do you know who will?” Montoya asked.
“No, and I don’t care.” Emily replied evenly. “Whatever my father was involved in, I have no doubt was illicit and probably got him killed. I once hated my parents but over the years, I came to simply not care. I am certainly not going to start caring now that they are dead.
“You may think me cold, Detective, but you must understand, my father was an abusive criminal and my mother enabled him. I have no desire to act as the dutiful daughter now.”
Montoya nodded and stood, shaking the woman’s hand and she and Bullock left the room. Their security escort was waiting and neither said anything until they were in their car.
“So, what do you think?” Bullock asked. “I think he was trying to rebuild some of that fortune he lost when Falconè went down and screwed somebody over. That somebody beat him to death for it.”
Renee listened to his theory, but like with Gordon earlier, the mob angle just didn’t fit. “Who though? The only organized crime we have come across is the Russian slave traders and that white-haired, international criminal the golden boy took down. Those guys used Gotham Docks, but they weren’t local enough to set up a money laundering operation.”
“Loan shark?” Bullock guessed.
Renee shot that idea down, going with her instincts. “That was a rage killing, Bullock. That was torture. Even if a loan shark beat someone to death, he wouldn’t go after the wife.”
“So that leaves the coldest woman I’ve ever met in my life.” Bullock said, obviously understanding her reasoning.
“I saw an angry Diana Wayne in Gordon’s office once. The look on her face would make you rethink your definition of cold.” Montoya remarked. “We have to tread carefully. I have no doubt the video from that fancy tower over there is going to show her entering and not leaving. We will grab a warrant but… damn it, this is tricky. Asking for a warrant to look at security cameras from the building Diana Wayne’s best and brightest live is not going to be easy.”
“Yeah, it is.” Bullock replied, holding up his phone. “I just texted Gordon who texted his daughter. She asked Diana and Diana said that she would contact the Suites and tell them to give us what we need.”
Montoya’s mouth fell open in shock. “Wow… that was unexpected.”
Bullock nodded. “Kind of strange too. This lady works with Kara Wayne on something top secret, meaning she must have been vetted by Wayne security and every alphabet agency in the world.”
“No shit.” Montoya agreed.
“Then how come Diana Wayne agreed so fast to let us get video of her?” Bullock asked.
Renee nodded, seeing his point. “Maybe she is a favorite of Kara but not the boss. This is still going to be tricky. If we want to solve this case, it’s going to have to be quick. You know those weren’t Homeland Security agents that cleaned up the Victor Zsasz problem. I’m betting we don’t know those initials. To make it even better, Parlow is the girlfriend of our esteemed District Attorney.”
“And she has an alibi.” Bullock added. “She wouldn’t have told us about those cameras unless she was sure she was on them.”
Renee thought for a moment, then decided nothing was going to be solved in their car in front of Wayne Tower. The two made their way to the station where the forensic report and witness statements were waiting for them to start pouring through.
“Nothing here. No witnesses saw anyone enter the house. No witness heard anything.” Montoya said, sighing.
“They were gagged.” Bullock remined her. “Towels stuffed in their mouths.”
“Street cams got nothing. A hundred cabs working that night within walking distance.” Montoya noted. “It isn’t a deserted part of town. The perp could have been using an Uber then a taxi, or vice versa. It could take us months to interview the drivers and I’m guessing the perp wasn’t dressed to be noticed.”
Renee was beginning to get frustrated. This was turning out to be anything but a quick case. There was the angle that Edward Parlow could have been back into illicit activities and angered the wrong man no matter how slim the possibility felt.
“Locks were picked. Our IT nerds got any idea what happened to the alarm system?” Bullock asked.
Montoya shuffled through the papers but found the report hadn’t been done yet. “It had to be hacked. The kid said it was an old system and easy.”
“Easy for him. Not so easy for a guy like me. Could you do it?” Bullock asked.
Montoya shook her head and laughed. “Of course not.”
Bullock sat down and began perusing the reports while Montoya went through the useless witness statements, hoping to find something.
Bullock dropped the files and came back with two coffees.
After fifteen minutes of silence, Bullock finally spoke. “Did you know Gordon and I were partners for a time?”
Montoya nodded. “It’s why he hates you so much.”
“Yeah, but you stay on the streets with someone long enough, you learn things about them. Gordon was, still is, a proud parent, constantly talked about Barbara. He said when she was an itty-bitty kid, she could do things with technology that blew his mind. Babs and Kara Wayne used to play around with each other over computers. They could even build their own.”
“Yeah, Barbara is good at computers. Good job, detective. The software we are using was written by her. What’s your point?” Montoya asked.
“My point is Kara Wayne played with her growing up. I know Kara ain’t known for software like Babs, but I bet she can do some pretty cool things with tech. Wouldn’t it stand to reason that if Kara can do it, don’t you think someone she considers smart enough to work with her on a super-secret project can do it as well?”
Renee stilled for a moment, a chill going through her. It was possible. They really didn’t know what Parlow was capable of. They didn’t know her skills or her projects.
“Bullock, have you been drinking green tea or something?” Renee asked with a smirk. “Because that is a smart observation.”
Renee did a background search on the woman. She found numerous scholarly articles relating to solar flares and fusions, nuclear reactions and that she had worked at S.T.A.R. Labs in Metropolis until moving back to Gotham. It was puzzling to her that for a woman who had told them she wanted to forget her past, she moved and lived in a city less than an hour’s drive on the interstate from Gotham City.
However, a further, in-depth look into her bills showed she must have commuted from Gotham to Metropolis every day. In fact, she had lived in an apartment not far from Wayne Tower while she worked at S.T.A.R. Labs.
“This woman is starting to stink, more and more.” Bullock said.
Montoya agreed. Going after this woman without solid proof was career suicide. She was the District Attorney’s girlfriend, the victims’ daughter, and she was close to Kara Wayne.
Yet Diana Wayne had given them permission to check the security cameras at Wayne Executive Suites without hesitation. What did Diana know or suspect? She was notorious for protecting her people, so her immediate cooperation with no questions raised another red flag.
“We need to go to the Executive Suites and check that footage now.” Montoya decided. “We also need Barbara on the line. Call Gordon and ask him nicely to meet us there.”
Dolphin Cay that morning
Diana had been lounging in the pool with Steve that morning, watching Kara and John Blake splash in the water with Aaron Cash and Cathy Perkins, playing a game of chicken. Most everyone else was sunning themselves except for Alfred who was standing over the chef’s shoulder and making suggestions. This was their last day in paradise before leaving in the morning on the yacht. The trip had been everything Diana wanted it to be.
“I love this place. I can’t believe you have never brought me here before.” Silver complained, floating up to Diana.
“This has always been Kara’s place. I… it was always somewhere that just the two of us…”
“You brought Steve.” Silver pointed out.
“Weren’t you the one who told me not to go anywhere without a toy?” Diana countered with a big grin.
Steve, who was lying on a float in the middle of the pool and holding Diana’s hand, snorted. “I should take offense to that, but I can’t.”
Babs, who had been inside on the phone, hopped into the pool and handed Diana her cellphone. “It’s Dad. You should talk to him.”
The more Diana listened the less relaxed she felt. She slid off the float and walked inside as Gordon told her the details.
“There won’t be a warrant needed, Jim. You have the owner’s permission to access the video feed. Best to keep this quiet from Harvey for now. He shouldn’t need to know your detectives are verifying an alibi for his girlfriend.”
Diana normally wouldn’t have given permission so easily, but she told herself it was best to clear Emily’s name. She had no doubt the video would be there if Emily said it was.
But there was that suspicious part that nagged at Diana’s mind every time she saw or heard something about Emily Parlow.
She had told herself it was maybe jealously. While Kara was close to friends her own age, the only older woman in her life was Diana. Given the nature of their life bond, it would always remain that way.
It wasn’t that Diana begrudged Kara interactions and relationships with other strong women. Sam was a good example of someone she actively encouraged Kara to spend time with, Hippolyta was surprisingly becoming another.
But there was something about Parlow that seemed off. She thought perhaps Parlow had the idea that she meant more to Kara than she actually did.
There was also that feeling Diana got whenever Parlow was around, the flash of annoyance or anger she at first worried might have been from Kara but realized it wasn’t. Though Diana had never been anything but kind to her, she suspected Emily Parlow did not like her.
It was in the afternoon that she spied Babs talking on her phone again. The red head looked at Diana, motioning toward the dock with her head where the yacht was moored. Diana understood, assured everyone she would be back and followed Babs.
By the time the two reached the yacht, Babs had already informed her of what was going on.
“Is that even possible? Athena can’t be hacked.” Diana said.
“That’s what I find strange. Why are they asking in the first place? First Dad wanted to know if Emily Parlow was smart enough to do something like that. I have no idea. I don’t know much about her except Kara saying she is brilliant.”
The two sat down in the situation room of the yacht that also doubled as a weather monitoring station and small office. The screen came to life and Babs put her father on speakerphone.
The two women watched a video of Emily Parlow enter the building, ride the elevator to her floor and step out. The elevators were key carded, meaning they only opened into a suite if the resident had the card or wished for someone to come up.
“It seems normal.” Diana noted, a bit relieved. She had no desire to tell Kara that her favorite scientist was a double murderer.
“It’s not.” Babs said intently.
Diana looked at the redhead who was peering at the screen as if she were going to fall inside.
“Babs?”
“We weren’t hacked.” Barbara told her. “Athena, are you there?”
“Of course.” Athena answered, easily coming through the interface Babs had setup on the yacht.
“Do you detect any anomalies in the video surveillance last night?”
Athena was quiet for a moment. “There was a camera glitch that lasted two seconds.”
“Camera?” Diana asked.
Babs nodded. “Athena can’t be hacked but the cameras can be screwed with manually if data is entered directly into the mainframe. The control room is secure though. Athena find discrepancies in the elevator operations log last night compared to video.”
Babs leaned back and waited. Diana could tell by the look on her face that something was very wrong.
Video showed up for a split-second frame… from Parlow’s floor. If it hadn’t been slowed down by Athena, the discrepancy never would have been noticed. The image showed a black figure stepping into the elevator and then it was gone.
“What was that?” Diana asked.
“That was a hardware override placed directly into the control boards for the camera.” Babs explained. “How the hell did she get that room open? Athena?”
“There was an energy surge for .324 seconds near the control room.”
“Athena, do we have cameras on it?” Diana asked.
“The cameras show nothing unusual but Kara’s ‘Key to the City’ devices emit a similar surge when breaking into electronic locks.”
“Someone used one of Kara’s devices?” Diana asked, wondering when Parlow had the time and opportunity. Those weren’t left just lying around.
“No. The surge was similar but different. Another device was used.” Athena informed them.
Babs shook her head and slammed her fist down on the desk. “That bitch made her own sonic screwdriver! I don’t even know how Kara made it!”
“Jim, I believe it is obvious that she tampered with our software to falsify an alibi.” Diana told him, not wanting to believe it but not denying what she was seeing and hearing.
“Yes, she did.” Jim agreed. “This is gonna be tough on Harvey. We are going to need a warrant to search her place, her office and Babs, honey, I need you to send me a report on everything you just found.”
“Will it be a problem searching her office?” a new voice entered the conversation,
“Who is this?” Diana asked.
“Detective Renee Montoya.”
Diana sighed. “I believe you have enough to arrest her when Barbara emails you a report on the security system tampering. What Parlow was working on was very classified. If you need information on her private communications, Barbara will provide it on a need-to-know basis as it pertains to the case.”
“And who decides what pertains to the case?” the woman asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“I do.” Diana answered succinctly.
Montoya said nothing and Diana imagined she wasn’t pleased but didn’t care. Kara took the Helios project and its secrecy very seriously.
“Jim, she should be at work. I will have Wayne Security escort your officers to the floor her lab is on. If she is in a restricted area, they will bring her out. Please do this as discreetly as possible.”
“I understand. I’ll let you know as soon as we have her, Diana.” Jim said, ending the call.
Diana looked at Babs and no words need to be said. “I won’t say a word to her, Diana.”
“Thank you. I will tell her when the vacation is over, and we are back in Gotham.”
Gotham City
Gordon grabbed a couple patrolmen as he and the two detectives left the Executive Suites.
“Grab some other officers and go to every business around this area. I want all security feeds from last night watching this building and the street. Wayne Tower also has video of the front of this place, I’m sure. Parlow may have tampered with the Suite’s video, but she can’t have tampered with every business.” He instructed the patrolmen who hurried off. Turning to the detectives, he said, “Let’s head across the street and pick her up. For now, we ask her to come with us for questioning.”
Montoya nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“You two did good.” Gordon told her and Bullock. Bullock snorted and Montoya smiled brightly.
In the plaza in front of Wayne Tower, Emily Parlow stood behind a tree, fuming.
This turn of events wasn’t supposed to happen. Everything had gone perfectly. She put the device she had made long ago to break electronic locks to good use, avoided the security guards and replaced the video feed of her activity into the Executive Suites mainframe.
Rather than faking emotions, something Emily was never good at, she had stuck to being mostly honest when speaking with the detectives. She had given them the perfect lead.
Instead of following it, they almost immediately came back to her. She had a perfect alibi, there were no witnesses, and those idiot cops could not have discovered her hacking this quickly.
What mistake did she make? She thought being honest, calling her father abusive and admitting fear would have been enough to make them think she was telling the truth. Perhaps she should have feigned distress over her mother while calling her father abusive.
Emily knew she should have taken them and hidden the bodies. But it was so tempting, so easy and so poetic to torture them in the home they tortured her in.
It was everything she thought it would be. They both pleaded for their lives at the beginning. The drugs wore off, but they were too bound and too broken to escape. They eventually pleaded with her to kill them both. She had sat a framed photo of a young Kara on the table between them so whoever was being beaten at the time could stare at her.
She had changed out of her bloody clothes into another outfit and stayed up all night. During the shift change of the guards in the morning, she had slipped in. Her video ended at 7:45 am. At that point, if anyone dug too deeply, they would notice employees not going to work or wearing different outfits if they looked hard enough. So long as Barbara Gordon wasn’t involved, it shouldn’t be a problem. She had erased Edward’s phone records last night and it was doubtful the secretary would mention anything to Diana about her poor father’s ranting calls. The woman had an ill grandmother after all and understood.
Now patrolmen were spreading out to businesses across the street and Gordon and the two detectives were walking across the street, heading for Wayne Tower and, most likely, her lab.
If they were moving with such confidence, she knew Diana Wayne had given them full access to take her in.
Emily watched them pass and walked quickly to the road, hailing a taxi and driving around Gotham, not sure what to do.
She wasn’t ready!
They would search her place and find the book she had kept of Kara growing up. She and Kara were becoming closer by the day. Kara wouldn’t understand why she had to kill her parents. She wasn’t ready to hear Emily’s story. She would learn the truth without Emily being able to explain.
Or would Diana even tell her? She could imagine Diana Wayne realizing the truth and sending a hit squad after her before this ever went to trial.
She had no choice… she had to run.
Harvey would be at the office trying to figure out what was going on, probably attempting to defend her. She had turned off her phone and thrown it in the trash because, even from some tropical island, she was aware Barbara Gordon could track her.
The only money she had available was at Harvey’s. She also had clothes there and he had a gun he kept for home protection. If Diana wanted to send some hit squad after her, Emily knew how to handle herself. Perhaps one day soon, she may get to take a shot at Diana with Harvey Dent’s gun.
The doorman at the building knew her well and she barely caught his notice as she walked in.
Ten minutes later, she was in Harvey’s apartment. The place was nearly packed. All his belongings were in boxes. He was so excited about moving in with her.
As she grabbed a bag, she ran through the possible evidence in her mind. All they had on her was tampering with some cameras to give herself an alibi. Damning but it doesn’t place her at the scene of the murders. The bat she used was buried at the bottom of a trash heap in a dumpster, her least favorite activity of the night. She had left no fingerprints, kept her hair under a hood and ensured there were no loose strands. They could not prove that it was her that killed Edward and Edith.
Harvey was a sweet guy; he would know that. He would help her. A situation like this was one of the reasons she started sleeping with him in the first place.
She had packed a bag with clothes from his closet that she had left there and then reached his desk, one of the last things he had left to pack. The gun was in the second drawer down, a .45 semiautomatic handgun, built by Wayne Enterprises. He also had two loaded clips. She had picked on him once for keeping so much ammunition on hand. Now she was grateful.
The door opened and she didn’t turn around, instead placing the gun and extra clips in her bag.
When she turned and saw his face, she knew he would not help her.
“Tell me it’s not true, Emily.” He asked in a broken voice.
“Are the police here?” She asked, looking over his shoulder.
Harvey shook his head. “Tell me it’s not true.”
Emily smirked. “Why, Harvey? You know it is. Just like when you found out Kara was my daughter, you said you didn’t want to know. How can you be so strong in court and hide your head in the sand outside of it?
“I did what had to be done. Edward had been calling Diana Wayne. He was going to expose us. I warned him not to talk to her and he tried to. If she had found out, she would have destroyed you, Harvey.”
“She wouldn’t have destroyed us! She isn’t like that!” Harvey insisted.
“Yes, she is.” Emily told him calmly. “I know you have this fascination with her, you practically worship the ground she walks on, but she doesn’t feel the same about you. I do though. I love you and I did what I had to do to protect us.”
Harvey shook his head then met her eyes. “You broke every bone in their bodies and crushed their faces. The medical examiner told Gordon an hour ago the murder weapon was likely a baseball bat.”
Emily laughed now. “Just because I had to kill them, doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun doing it.”
Emily smiled, her eyes wild and Harvey’s face paled. “You’re psychotic. Why did I not… you need help.”
“I need your help. They don’t have anything to tie me to the murders physically, do they? They just found out my alibi was a lie.” Emily told him. “That isn’t proof of murder, you know that. Don’t give them a warrant until they bring you physical evidence connecting me to the scene. I promise you they won’t find any.”
Harvey shook his head. “Everybody always leaves something. Emily, why didn’t you talk to me first? We could have worked this out without… I don’t understand how you could do this! Do you think this is what Kara would have wanted!?”
“Kara will understand one day. I will make her understand.” Emily promised him.
Harvey realized something in that moment. “It was never going to be enough, was it? You watched her from afar her whole life and said that was enough. Then you took a job with her and said that was enough. It was never going to be enough though, was it?”
“Not until I get my daughter back and out of the grip of that monster you love so much!” Emily exclaimed, anger showing on her face now.
Harvey sighed. “I’m calling this in. Don’t try to run, Emily.”
Harvey lifted his phone but stopped when Emily aimed his gun at him.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that, Harvey. I’m a genius. I know how to start a new life and Kara will eventually come to me. The two of us, our minds together, will change the world. I’m going to tell her stories at night before she goes to bed and I’m going to hold her in my arms as she goes to sleep…”
“Emily… Kara isn’t a baby!” Harvey replied, horrified at what he was hearing.
“Shut up!” Emily yelled. “She is my baby! And I am going to get back everything I should have had. Everything! You aren’t going to stop me, Harv. If you won’t help, at least crush that phone and get out of my way.”
Harvey shook his head.
“I can’t do that, Emily.” He told her, walking towards her. “You won’t shoot me. I know despite what is going on in your head, that you love me. What we have is real. Now give me the gun…”
Harvey heard an explosion and felt the wind knocked out of him. Then he noticed his chest was burning.
He never took his eyes off the woman he loved. She stood in front of him, gun raised, barrel smoking and understood he had been shot.
It must have been an accident.
“Emily, help…” Harvey croaked, falling to his knees in pain.
“I’m sorry this had to happen, Harvey. I do like you, but at the end of the day, you were just a means to an end… nothing more. I needed an ‘in’ for time with Kara outside the lab and you provided it. So, thank you for that.” Emily said as she looked down at her lover, shaking her head. “Your biggest issue is you love Diana too much to ever betray her and I was never going to take that risk. It was always going to end this way.”
Harvey never heard the shot that struck his head and ended his life.
The woman grabbed her bags and ran, taking the stairs and leaving through the fire exit in the back.
Neighbors had called the police about the gunshot. The door to the apartment was open and after a few minutes someone became brave enough to look in the apartment and found Harvey dead.
Gordon, Montoya, and Bullock along with dozens of patrolmen and forensic techs stood in the apartment, looking down at Harvey Dent’s body.
“Wayne isn’t going to be happy about this.” Bullock stated. “One of her top scientists kills three people in twenty-four hours, including her handpicked District Attorney.”
Gordon shook his head.
“Go home, Bullock.” He told the man and walked away.
“Show some respect, idiot. Dent was his friend. You should be worried about us. Yeah, she is gonna be upset. Probably pissed off that we didn’t have any officers covering Dent’s place if Parlow showed up. That could come down on us.” Montoya reminded him.
It was three hours later that Gordon and Montoya stood in Emily Parlow’s suite. Her clothes, jewelry and other personal items were still here. She must have seen them in the lobby and left before they could find her at Wayne Tower.
“Hey, Commissioner, you might want to see this.” Montoya called out after several minutes of the officers combing through the suite.
Gordon walked over to Montoya and saw she was holding a large scrapbook. She set it on a coffee table and continued perusing it.
Gordon felt sick at what he was seeing.
“Something tells me that’s not Parlow’s ponytail holder and hair.” Montoya whispered.
“We have enough evidence. This isn’t relative to the case. Bag it and put it in my office. I’ll speak to Diana about it privately. Not a word to anyone about this, ever.”
Montoya looked doubtful. “This could be tied into a motive. You don’t think we should identify this DNA and compare it to Parlow?”
Gordon shook his head and began speaking very quietly. “First of all, if you run this DNA, it will probably raise all kinds of red flags, the kind that get you put in a hole in the ground overseas never to be heard from again. Second, her motive was her parents were abusive and Harvey tried to stop her. She shot him to escape. That’s enough of a motive.”
Montoya shook her head. “That isn’t right, Commissioner. I get that Diana does a lot for the department…”
Gordon immediately interrupted her. “You did good today. You and Bullock. You found the killer in the first twenty-four hours, saw past some tricks that would have thrown off most cops. You’ve got a gift and a bright future. We aren’t breaking the law for Diana. We are not covering up a crime. We are just not going to advertise information that isn’t noteworthy to the case and could cause serious, serious repercussions.
“Now, do you want to be the hero detective or the one that never gets put through for promotion because Diana Wayne won’t give new vests to our officers if you are?”
Montoya thought about it for a moment and realized that while it sucked, he was right. They weren’t covering up a crime or failing to prosecute someone like back in Falconè’s day. Somebody paid the bill for the police department, and you didn’t bite the hand that fed you, especially when it was attached to someone as powerful as Diana Wayne.
“You know when we catch her, she is going to spill.”
Gordon shrugged. “Can’t do much about it then but I want Diana warned and no reporters to find out. No one period. Anyone else seen this book?”
Montoya shook her head. “Nope, I just found it when I called you over.”
“Bag it and take it out discreetly then leave it in my office. Lock the door behind you, then go home and get some rest. The manhunt has begun. You can join in the morning.”
Dolphin Cay
It took all of Diana’s willpower not to break her phone as she listened to Jim relay the events of the day, leading up to Harvey’s death.
It was hard to believe. Harvey couldn’t be dead. Harvey was bigger than the world. In a courtroom, he was unstoppable and outside of the courtroom his confidence and charm radiated off him.
Then she listened to Gordon detail the book he had found.
“How long as she been collecting articles and pictures of Kara?” Diana asked, straining to remain calm.
“Her entire life.” Jim replied heavily.
Diana closed her eyes and wanted to scream in rage and grief.
She wished to scream in rage over the idea that the woman who gave birth to her little sister had been watching Kara her entire life and no one noticed.
She wanted to scream in pain for Harvey.
She wanted to scream in anger at herself for letting a monster so close to her sister. How could she not have noticed?
Diana pulled up a photo of Emily on the screen and truly looked at it.
Their cheekbones were the same. The shape of their eyes was similar. Their hair color wasn’t quite the same shade of blonde but close enough that she should have known. Had she known and just didn’t want to admit it?
No, Diana never lied to herself. If she had real suspicions about the woman, she never would’ve let her near Kara.
She told Jim to hold on and put her phone down. She ran to the bathroom, vomiting in the toilet when she realized she had allowed that woman in the manor, alone with Kara, where she could have done anything to her.
“Diana? What’s going on? What’s wrong?” Steve asked, having run into the bathroom when he heard her vomiting from the hall.
“Everything.” Diana rasped.
She picked up the phone once again. “We will be in Gotham tomorrow morning, Jim. I’m calling the jet and it should land about nine in the morning. That will put us there at eleven-thirty.”
“You can stay if you want, Diana. The police and Federal Marshalls won’t rest until she is caught.”
“Jim, one of Wayne Enterprises top scientists just murdered her parents and her boyfriend, the District Attorney and my friend. Most of my guests will return by yacht as planned but some of us need to be there. I want that book when I get there. Do not tag it as evidence. Wrap it like a Christmas present if you want.”
“I understand.” Jim promised.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Diana ended the call and told Steve of the events. She asked him to let the party know that Harvey Dent had been killed and provide no other details yet. Myndi Meyers, Diana, Kara, and Dig would return to Gotham by jet and the others would return as scheduled by yacht.
Once she was alone, Diana made the call.
“If it isn’t my favorite one percenter, ruling the world from high atop her throne in Gotham City. I was beginning to think you forgot me.”
“I have need of your services, Victor Sage. Her name is Emily Parlow. She is currently being hunted by the Gotham City police along with State and Federal agencies for three murders… her parents and the Gotham City District Attorney who was her lover.”
“Psycho chick. I’m guessing if you are calling me, it isn’t because you think the police need assistance.”
“Find that bitch before the police and bring her to me… alive. When you have her, I’ll give you a location for us to meet and I will deal with her personally.”
“Understood. I’ll keep in touch.”
Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction 
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