Blue Eyed Dreamboat | R. Grayson

[36]

Bruce couldn't get time to investigate the Coopers earlier but ever since he had met the siblings, he felt that unmistakable urge to look into their past. For some reason, Irene felt strangely familiar to him as if he had met that girl years ago when she was far too young to remember.

He wasn't suspicious of the Coopers. He could see they were far too innocent and good-natured to be involved in anything questionable. But he was skeptical of why their names felt familiar and why he couldn't easily recall the connection.

It must have been years back for him to have forgotten too.

Unable to find the answer behind his sixth sense warning him that there was something about the Coopers that he should have known, he decided to visit that small bookshop in Alleytown himself.

He got the address from the past month's book donation details and before going home after work, he went to the Coopers' bookstore.

It didn't take him long to spot the bookstore at the end of the street in a building very reminiscent of Old Gotham. The casement windows, decorated door with stained glass panels, and the bracket holding up the chipped little board all looked like it was right out of a vintage magazine.

He had seen that place before, he thought, probably when he was out on patrol in that area.

The sign on the door indicated the store was open so he pushed the door, a small bell ringing upon it that announced his arrival. From the inside, the store looked very different as books upon books greeted him.

Finding his way through the shelves, he reached the counter and saw a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes hidden behind a thick pair of rectangular frames. She was going through a register but seeing him, she paused, eyes widening slightly in recognition.

"Mister Wayne...?" She was surprised to see him there but quickly overcame it, a cordial smile flickering on her features, "How can I help you?"

She was familiar, Bruce thought, but when she put aside her spectacles, it struck him why he had the feeling that he knew them already.

They were the family of a once-celebrated author who had committed suicide years ago. It was back in the days when Bruce hadn't taken up the mantle of Batman but knew about the case as his friend Jim Gordon was investigating it.

He remembered coming to that very place along with the Police commissioner the night Harris Cooper had been found dead in his attic. And that was when he had seen Irene and the woman in front of him for the first time.

Knowing his silence would come off as awkward, he managed a polite reply, "I just came to see how the store is doing, Miss...?"

"Norah Cooper," she replied, seeing that he didn't know her name as they hadn't formally met earlier, "our store is doing fantastic, thank you. Actually, the book donations you have made really helped us, and we were able to reach out to a lot more customers."

"That's good to know, it was all Jason's idea."

"Lovely boy," her smile widened, "in fact, both of your boys are very amiable and have become almost like family to us." Noticing that he was still standing, she came out from behind the counter and remarked, "Please take a seat. It's the first time you've come to our store. What would you like to have?"

Bruce was about to tell her that there was no need for her to feel like she had to do anything for him, he had just dropped by for a short visit. But when she offered to show him around the store so that he could find some books that might strike his fancy, he didn't refuse.

Those days he seldom got time to read but perhaps he would try and squeeze some time out of his busy schedule if he had some unread books waiting for him.

Of course, he couldn't directly ask her about her husband. So he went along with the flow, mildly observing the place that both his sons loved to come to.

He certainly noticed the calm and tranquil environment of the place and the comforting scent of old books that hung about the air. Richard would love to spend hours there, he had often found him holed up in the Manor's library too just because he liked the calm and the variety of books to read there.

By the end of the short tour through the store, Bruce had picked out a few books that he brought to the counter. It was awfully silent in the place except for Norah's gentle voice and Bruce's steady footsteps. Perhaps both Ashton and Irene weren't at home yet, he thought.

Norah was insisting that there was no need for Bruce to pay for the books as he was an esteemed guest but Bruce politely refused, paying nevertheless. It was time for him to leave when she asked, "There's one thing I want to ask from you, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead please."

"I was thinking of arranging a celebration for Richard as he got recruited into the GCPD," she spoke up, her hands clasped tightly behind that counter which Bruce couldn't yet see as she was trying to hide the slight hesitation. "It would probably be this weekend and I have already invited your boys. I hope it's not an issue if they spend the weekend with us?"

"Certainly, I have no issue. They love to come here and Jason talks about your son a lot."

A soft smile spread on her face as she nodded, "That he would. Um... I wanted to know if you could come as well? I mean, of course, I know you are busy and you might have prior engagements but it's Richard's day and we want to make it special for him so..."

Bruce paused for a second but he understood the sentiment behind Norah's offer so he nodded, "I will see what I can do. Thank you for inviting me."

"You're welcome. I hope the books are to your liking and you really are always welcome at our store," she remarked, a slight pink tinging her face as their eyes connected briefly.

"That's very generous of you, Miss Norah. I appreciate it."

She smiled at that response and at that moment, Bruce could see where Irene had inherited her pure lovely smile from. 

It was almost identical to how Norah smiled, her blue eyes crinkling and her irises gleaming with a very endearing warmth.

But other than that, Irene looked exactly like her father. Harris Cooper who had committed suicide in the attic of that very place, a case that had never been solved and gotten buried under the piles of other cases.

That thought made everything turn somber for Bruce afterwards. He took his leave from Norah and left the store but there was only one thing on his mind.

He needed to dig out Harris Cooper's case file. That case had to be solved.

***