Winter Kiss

Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt.
~George Sewell~

Next morning was chaos. Hordes of people were constantly trying to make their way up to mine and Bruce’s apartment. The phone was constantly ringing. My mom was consistently calling and texting to my mobile for me to let her into the apartment. Bruce was out of the apartment, but I’m almost certain that he had a hard time leaving because of the crowds in the lobby. I specifically called the receptionist telling her not to let anyone up. I wasn’t sure if she knew about my current position or not, but either way she obeyed my orders.

My cell was ringing for what had to be the fiftieth time this morning. And of course, it was none other than my mother. I answered, just like I had answered her every other call. I’d feel even more guilty if I was to ignore her.

“Mom! I’ve already told you! I can’t let you up yet,” I exclaimed after I had answered the phone.

“Delilah, I am your mother. You can’t treat me this way! I can’t stand being away from my daughter this long knowing she’s been ill-treated!” Ill-treated. Pfft. She has no idea. She wasn’t saying anything like this when she left me in that horrible boarding school. “I need to see if you’re okay, right now! Please, just let me in! I assure you the crowds are dying down now.”

“I don’t want you to get hounded by press too. If they knew I let you in, you’ll constantly have people on your back about my incident. Please – just come back later.”

“What do you mean, later? Later isn’t going to be any different than now! There’s still going be the same amount of people lingering at your door,” my mother argued. She was right, but I was just too proud to admit it, but also ashamed of my own horrible mess I’d gotten myself into.

“Fine,” I sighed into the phone. “I’ll call the receptionist to let you up. But whatever you do, don’t let anyone else up with you. I just can’t take it at the moment.”

“Okay, sweetie. I’ll be right up.”

She stuck by her word to be right up, but as for letting no-one else up with her; she failed. “Mom! You’ve brought the whole police squad with you...and Geoff! No offence, Geoff,” I added in quickly.

“None taken.”

“I specifically asked you not to bring anyone else up!” I whined as I collapsed into the sofa. I rested my forehead in my hands and my elbows against my knees.

“What did you expect me to do?! Turn down a cop?”

“Miss Rivera, we just want a few moments of your time,” one cop asked. “I’m Commissioner Gordon and I am already familiar with the works of The Joker.”

“Then why are you here? I can’t help you. What can I tell you that you don’t already know? Word for word, that article that was written in today’s paper is exactly what happened. No more, no less. There literally isn’t anything else I can add to it. What do you want to know? Because every question you ask has probably already been answered in that article or it is a question that I am unable to answer.”

“Yes, but we see no real reason for why The Joker did what he did. Was there no motive for him to do what he did? The Joker hasn’t been known for his random attacks on young women in deserted alleyways. There has to be a motive somewhere. Has anything abnormal happened to you recently? Could you have possibly gotten onto someone’s bad side? What did The Joker say to you? You only mentioned that he was a man of few words.”

“Um...he mentioned something about his smile. He told me that I shouldn’t be wandering the streets alone. The streets are no longer safe and he wants all of Gotham to know it. Maybe the attack was to prove this to Gotham? I don’t know. Maybe I was just a warning. Maybe it was a mistake attack. It’s all very vague to me; it happened so fast.” I mentally applauded my quick thinking and my continuous good acting. “Now, I’ve told you everything. There isn’t anything left to say. Please...just leave.”

“Is this man dangerous?!” My mother blurted out. She clearly wasn’t familiar with The Joker just as much as I was when I first heard of him.

“Don’t be alarmed, Mrs Rivera-”

“It’s Mrs Howard actually.” I rolled my eyes at my mother’s inappropriateness.

“Okay, Mrs Howard, your daughter has come in contact with potentially one of the most dangerous criminals in Gotham. Hopefully- ”

“Oh, my God! What’s going to happen?!” My mother screamed.

“Mom!” I snapped, now completely irritable with her immature interruptions. “Please! Just shut up for a second. Continue, Commissioner.”

“As I was saying, hopefully if his assumed motive is correct, then your daughter may not have to encounter this man again. So far it seems like your daughter doesn’t hold a specific role in The Joker’s plan other than to scare people. We’ll do what we can to ensure that Delilah Rivera is safe. Thank you for your time, Miss Rivera. We’ll be sure to call if there’s anything worth telling you. Goodbye.”

All this unwanted attention. The cops were all fixated on my story when they could have been doing something that was actually useful. All I was doing was giving them false leads. These false leads were giving The Joker an undeserved head start to destroying Gotham whilst it was at its underbelly. If anything I should have the Karma police at my hands.

The cops dispersed from the apartment, but my mother and Geoff stayed. As soon as the police were out of eyeshot, my mother wrapped me into a sideways hug on the couch. Geoff merely stood back not knowing what to say or how to act in a situation like this.

“Delilah, I think you should stay over at mine and Geoff’s tonight. I don’t want to be away from you knowing that your life might be in danger. Just one night is all I ask.”

“No, mother. Bruce looks after me just fine. There’s no need for me to be an intrusion in you two’s house. Alfred’s always here too, so I’m not alone. Stay here for as long as you want, but I’m not leaving this apartment for as long as the press are standing outside. I’m going to become a recluse, but admittedly I’m going to have to leave the apartment some time. Just not too soon. Do me a favour, mother? Ignore the press when you leave. Don’t say a word to them. They have no right to intrude on my privacy. I’ve said my part in that article and that’s all I’ll say.”

“I understand. Well, I’m going to take up your offer and stay here a little longer. Just so you have some company other than just Alfred. You’re in a time of your life where you need to be nurtured and that’s just what I’m going to do,” she pointed out.

Without any requests, Alfred came out of the kitchen area holding a tray of what looked like tea and/or coffee. “I thought you’d all need a drink.” I made sure not to make eye contact with Alfred, lest I may be taken on a guilt trip again.

Bruce entered the apartment around four o’clock. My mother and Geoff were still here at this time. His vexed expression was enough to say that he’d just been hassled by a mob of press. “Bruce, are you okay?” I asked immediately, shooting up from the sofa.

“Just fine. The paparazzi are relentless,” he replied sounding stressed. I’m sure it was the fact that I’d continued with this charade that annoyed him more than the paparazzi. Was he just as bad of a person as I was for not exposing me? I saw it as love that stood in the way of him wanting to hand me in. Bruce placed a kiss below my ear and whispered, “How long are they going to be staying here?” Evidently he was referring to my mother and stepfather.

“I don’t know. They’ve been here all day and won’t leave,” I whispered back trying to sound as respectful as possible. Which was hard considering that they both showed no intentions of leaving soon. I was certain that Bruce would want a word with me as soon as they’re gone, considering he was still pissed with me for handing in the article.

I wasn’t sure if they had heard me or not, or if it was just coincidence, but both Geoff and my mother stood up. “Well, I think we’ve overstayed our welcome. We best be going now. But don’t think I won’t be checking up on you to see if you’re okay. Goodbye, sweetheart. Goodbye, Bruce,” my mother smiled before leaving the apartment.

“Goodbye, Eve. Goodbye, Geoff,” Bruce said for the both of us. As soon as they were both gone, Bruce turned back to me. “So have the police been yet?”

“Commissioner Gordon and few other officers came to question me. I just told them exactly what I said in that article.”

“How long are you planning on keeping this up?” Bruce asked with a sigh.

“As long as it has too. I’ve already told you how regretful I am for what I’ve done and I’m sorry.”

“Sorry still doesn’t make you safe. I’m worried, Delilah. I’m worried for you. If anything happens to you, I don’t know what I’d do,” he admitted. “I don’t meant to change the subject, but a fundraiser is being held for Wayne Enterprises. It’s a masquerade ball and we’re both invited.”

“Oh, great and I guess I’m invited just as your arm candy?”

“Don’t be like that. It’s the least you can do for promising not to expose you.”

“I think we’re going to be stuck in this vicious chain of bribery for the rest of our lives, Bruce.”