A Ghost from the past

Chapter 11: Hood, report now or I'm calling your dad

33 weeks pregnant, Caracas Venezuela,

"I will never stop telling you Carlos, I have been around the world and no one beats your empanadas," Slade told Carlos as he read the news on his tablet.

"Senor Slade, you are my favorite American," Carlos smiled, "I must warn you, a blue eyed man has been circling the place since you came by yesterday, he's also been at your hotel."

"I know, he thinks I can't see him," Slade kept a smile on his face, "I leave in 3 days."

"I'll have an order ready to eat and 3 orders frozen ready to be fried or baked," Carlos set a cold beer on the table.

"You're an angel Carlos;" Slade sighed then added, "send our blue eyed man a beer from me, will you?"

"Right away Senor Slade," Carlos nodded.

Slade watched the owner of the restaurant going in and out with a beer. He waited for a few minutes and then someone walked to his table and brought shade with them.

"The seat is taken," Slade didn't lift his eyes from his tablet.

"Didn't seem like it," Dick set the beer on the table.

"Fancy seeing you here, Grayson," Slade said glancing up for just a second.

"I'll get right to it," Dick sat down.

"Uh-huh," Slade continued reading, "do get right to it."

"Did you shoot Talia in Gotham 2 weeks ago?"

Slade sighed exasperated, locked his tablet and looked at Dick.

"Do you really expect me to tell you if I did?"

"Not really, no," Dick watched the bottle of beer.

"Then why did you track me here? Still following daddy's orders are you?"

"I don't follow his orders," Dick gritted out.

"And yet here you are," Slade grinned satisfied; he loved getting under Dick's skin, "are you here to continue the summer internship Renegade?"

"Don't call me that, just answer the question Slade," Dick clenched his fists.

"Ouh, am I getting under your skin pretty bird?"

"You were seen in Gotham not too long ago, did you shoot Talia?"

"No, I didn't," Slade went back to his tablet.

"Then what were you doing in Gotham?"

"Catching up on some gossip, here and there," Slade smiled when the empanadas made it to the table, "help yourself, the best in the world."

Dick watched Slade eating.

"I'm serious Grayson, these are the best you're ever going to eat," Slade pushed the basket towards the former Titan as he chewed his food.

"Hmm," Dick indulged he reached for an empanada and took a bite, "okay, best in the world is an understatement."

"Told you," Slade snorted a laugh, "now do you want to give me a few deets about the shooting or are you just going to tease?"

"Why should I?"

"Because you know if I had shot her I would take pride in it gloat and all, and you knew it wasn't me because you know my shooting style, so now you're wondering if I might know your mysterious sniper, so spill."

"She was shot with a custom made bullet," Dick put the files on the table, "it was jacketed with copper and it seemed to have been based with frozen nitric aside."