Chapter 50 The Riddler (Part 1)
Squeak!
The female police officer next to Gordon inserted the USB drive into the computer.
"It's already being read... it will be ready in a moment. We slowed it down... watch it frame by frame."
"Here it comes."
Gordon sat on the lift seat of the Gotham Police Department and adjusted his glasses.
"This happened a few hours ago. That's John Peterson, the victim of this murder. Over there."
The screen gradually lit up. The black and white, blurry picture with occasional signal interference had a pantomime-like absurdity and horror.
"Our victim usually takes the subway back, but that day he decided to take a taxi."
"Now look to the left."
Jim Gordon narrowed his eyes.
"That's the Riddler. When the surveillance camera caught him, he had already pulled out his gun. Did you see it? On his left hand. I remember that the Riddler is not left-handed."
"In fact, it happened in a flash. There was no hesitation... or any other movements."
The female police officer's voice was ringing: "It's not clear whether he spoke or not - we looked carefully, and his lips didn't seem to move, so based on what we know now, we infer that he should not have spoken."
Gordon had guessed what would happen next, but he was a little bit unconvinced.
"This is the moment of firing."
Chief Gordon pursed his lips.
He saw the Riddler in the picture raising his pistol to the back of the innocent victim's head.
Bang!
The gunshot seemed to explode in Jim Gordon's ears, although there was no sound in the surveillance camera in the picture, as silent as a tombstone.
"One shot to the head, killed instantly. The crowd began to panic and fled from the place where the noise was made." The female police officer said: "The Riddler dropped his gun and did not aim or attack anyone else."
"The crowd was still fleeing in panic. He threw the gun next to the victim's body and did not touch it again until we arrived at the scene."
"Very calm, no screaming or other similar actions, very professional, up to this point... he had not said a word."
"This is the first patrol car that rushed over. We happened to have a police officer named Sean half a block away. He got out of the car... and was yelling at the Riddler."
"He heard it." Gordon said: "No doubt."
"This is all the information about the Riddler shooting John Peterson in the street."
Commissioner Gordon saw the Riddler in the picture turn around and look at the camera, and took out a card with the Batman logo from his arms. He smiled gently, and then said-"
"Where is he? "
Interrogation room.
The desk lamp was turned on, and the Riddler turned his head slightly to avoid the glare.
Commissioner Gordon sat down opposite the Riddler.
"He won't come. Edward is not worth wasting his time."
"Do you know what the oldest riddle is? In ancient Sumer about 4,000 years ago."
He raised the shackles on his hands slightly:
"I am everywhere, but I can't see it. I can often get away with it, but I never escape. I will find you at the intersection, even chase you to the next street corner. What am I?"
"Death."
"I can be broken, said, made, and played with. What am I?"
"I don't have time to play riddles with you."
Commissioner Gordon interrupted him: "Nygma. You shot poor John Peterson in the head in broad daylight and waited for the police to arrive."
"Is there a reason for you to do this? He owed you money? You owed him some money? Did you lose him a poker game or something? Maybe he slept with your girlfriend--"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"The answer is a joke."
"So...about a girlfriend, is this a negative?"
"Don't you like jokes?" said the Riddler.
He smiled gently, shyly like a student answering a teacher's question in school, and even his eyes seemed to be filled with clear stupidity.
"Then how about another guess?"
"How did the Joker know that Xiaoba was at home that day? How did he know where you lived? How did he get through your security system? We both know him. He's a strange guy-crazy and complicated, but not good at making plans."
"..."
The Riddler made a phone gesture and imitated the conversation between the Joker and him:
"HeyDear EdHow's the plan? I want to have a 'bad day', but I don't know where to start."
"Well, this, Jack-how about starting with the sheriff and his daughter? I've planned everything, but it's too simple, I'm bored, sing me a song and I'll give it to you. "
"Wow, that's perfect, Ed. Listen, I'll give you another free dance."
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
The Riddler said lightly, and the fate of a girl was smeared maliciously, like a dark stain on the wall.
Gordon slowly clenched his fist.
He repeatedly reminded himself that the Riddler just wanted to irritate him.
He couldn't let his emotions be so easily mobilized by the other party, which meant a complete loss of initiative and a complete shake of mind. When facing the Riddler, this is an extremely dangerous state..."
"You son of a bitch - how dare you?" Gordon jumped up from his seat and grabbed the Riddler's neck: "How dare you say that in front of me!"
But the next second Gordon forced himself to control himself and did not continue to vent his anger.
"Cough cough cough cough!" The Riddler coughed bitterly behind him: "Are you okay, Godot? You don't look happy."
"Oh no... Did everyone find out about Sergeant Sarah? How did you... you know, fuck her and force her to transfer?"
"So you can hide your love affair from your pregnant wife?"
"She was your subordinate, man, she used to have her own career, and then... well, we know what happened, don't we? Poor woman."
Jim Gordon calmed down. Anger was gradually replaced by shame, and just as he was about to immerse himself in it, he suddenly realized that in front of the Riddler, his emotions were easily shaped like porcelain.
So he turned around and no longer faced his prisoner.
But all this is not normal. Over the years, no matter which crime the Riddler committed, a riddle would be left at the scene.
Passionate killing without a riddle? This is contrary to the Riddler's crime pattern. Edward Nygma should have looked down on such low-end crimes the most.
Gordon had a vague feeling: something seemed to be wrong. The Riddler... seemed to be no longer the Riddler of the past.
But no matter what, he has been caught now.
Gordon said: "You will be transferred to the rebuilt Arkham Asylum. You can wait there, maybe Batman will have time to interrogate you."
He looked at the Riddler, and his pupils reflected the grim smile on the other's face:
"Do you believe it?"
He heard Edward Nygma say: "It only takes 20 seconds to escape the cage."