Joker's Janitor (FANFICTION)

III

Once home, Margaret stated her arrival, then continued into the kitchen. She put a frozen pizza into the oven, then made a tea to drink whilst she waited for the food to cook.

'We should change our clothes.' The voice spoke.

"Good idea, then I won't have to clean them." She went to her bedroom and changed into black trackpants and a purple tank top. The room was spotless, not a spec of dust, not one item out of place. She dusted and vacuumed each day, the sheets were changed every fourth day. She owned no ornaments or toys, her shelves were filled with cleaning products, ordered by use and strength. The walls were blank, no posters or paintings, just white paint and a single mirror positioned in the exact centre of the wall. Even her sheets held no patterns, plain purple or plain green, and they always matched.

Her mother had stopped changing her sheets for her at twelve, when she mixed purple pillow cases with a green quilt cover. Margaret was sent into a psychotic rage, throwing clothes, pushing over her dresser and screaming hysterically. After that, her room became a temple where nothing was touched by her parents, her clothes were left in the washing basket to be sorted by Margaret.

"I made dinner!" She announced, walking into the living room with three steaming plates. "I know, I'm home early. That manager made me upset."
She set down a plate each in front of the two figures, blowing a kiss to both of them.
"It's okay Dad, I had a talk with him and he let me have the night off. It'll be nice to sit and relax, we can do the count down for once!" She began eating, the cheese slipping off onto the plate.

"It's definately the best brand. They really pack the cheese on, ay?" She smiled at the two figures on the couch.

The faces were barely recognisable, rotten from decay. The tightly wrapped plastic had done well, but not well enough. She could not detect their scent of death, her sense of smell weak from years of harsh chemical inhilation.

She continued eating, the television blank, the lights dim.

-

A hard knocking on the door awoke her, she had nodded off on the couch, carefully sat between her deceased parents.

"One minute please." She looked at the clock and realised it was 4:30am. "Damn, I slept in". She usually slept for three hours after work and three hours before work.

She opened the door, greeted by two men in police uniforms. Both were very tall; one clean shaven, the other had slight stubble around his chin.

"What can I help you with?" She asked casually with a polite smile.

"Are you Margaret Townsend?" The one with stubble asked.

"That's my name, don't wear it out!" She stated sarcastically, giving them a wink. "May I ask yours?"

"Officer Pike and Officer Frank." They looked at each other, then the clean shaven one, Pike, continued. "We are here regarding two incidents which occurred late last night. Where were you between nine and ten?"

"I arrived at work at nine-fifteen, I entered the back door with my keys. The chef was there, which was unusual, but it turns out they were staying open late for the new year, which I was not informed of. I then made my way to the manager's office. He said some upsetting stuff, so I sorted it out, then exited the diner through the back door."

She stood quietly smiling, while he finished writing.

"I was walking home, when a rude man took my earphone out and began insulting me, but I set him straight too."

"By putting him through a window and a rose down his throat?" Pike asked.

She half cupped her mouth to whisper to them. "Honestly, I was going to stick it in his ass, but I thought that might be going a bit far." She began giggling.

"Do you think this is a joke?" Frank asked, frustration and confusion in his voice.

"Do you think I am joking?" She scoffed, then laughed again.

"What about the state you left your manager in?" Frank asked.

"I had a routine, a schedule, it was all planned to perfection, then he ruined it. I just wanted to do my job, but he was rude and arrogant, he messed everything up. Besides, he will be fine. Some time away from that phone will do him good as well."

"What about the staple lodged in his forehead? Or the injuries from the bookcase? He's in the hospital."

"I have suffered worse and lived, he's just soft, like a newborn." She glanced around and saw neighbours spying through their windows. "Did you want a coffee officers? I keep it on hand for visitors." She turned around and started walking inside, beckoning them to follow. They entered the house, preparing the arrest, when a foul smell filled their nostrils.