FREAKS || Jerome Valeska¹

28 || All Is Fair

Nearly three months had passed since that sentimental night. I've slept easier since. It wasn't a complete healing, but the absence of Theo's looming presence allowed me to grieve without being haunted by him. He was dead. And the world would be a potentially better place without him in it, and if I could find Tabitha someday and do the same... it'd be better.

They'd discovered Theo's body almost immediately, and his demise made headlines. The police department conducted a manhunt in search of Oswald and me; they were going above and beyond. They interrogated my brother and ransacked our home, trying to find me, and they almost caught me once in a dirty alley. That was the only time I slept there before I moved away from the obvious and crowded places and into discreet ones — abandoned warehouses or easy-access rooftops. I lived in constant vigilance, even when I snuck into the loft to shower and sleep. I had been prepared my whole life for chases like these. They didn't stand a chance.

Almost a month later, James Gordon testified in court about what had happened — He was quickly exonerated and reinstated. He denied being part of the murder; instead, he chose to confess part of the truth, the one that benefitted him. Only Oswald and I did it. What did the police department do? They doubled down on their search. Penguin hadn't been so lucky and was sent to Arkham Asylum. He refused to snitch on Jim. I didn't even want to imagine the horrible things he would have to endure. It was disgusting and painful.

Amidst the chaos, Edward had been the only one out of us to be doing somewhat good. There hadn't been any more murders, but he was allowing his mind to explore. He wasn't afraid to come out of his shell. Harvey Bullock had a taste of this new phase. Ed had stood up to him after being belittled. From what I was told, the defensiveness had frightened Harvey into a little apology. I would've paid to see that. I was proud of my brother and liked his new confidence.

Unfortunately, nothing good ever lasts, and he is worried because Gordon has begun snooping into Officer Dougherty and Kristen's disappearances. He was getting suspicious.

To remediate, Edward devised a plan to get rid of Jim Gordon. I would help him put this plan into motion tonight. I didn't want to do this to Jim because he had a baby on the way, but I couldn't have him investigating my brother's business. If he found out, Ed would be sent to Arkham, and I would lose my mind. There would be no way for us to communicate. I also wanted to do this for Oswald; he was left to rot in Arkham when Jim pulled the trigger and killed Galavan. He was not taking responsibility or helping. He didn't care about all the ugliness happening to Oswald as long as it didn't affect him personally.

This morning, Edward had anonymously called Internal Affairs using a voice modulator. He reported witnessing Gordon shoot Theo, not Oswald or me; to add credibility, he gave information not divulged to the public — The umbrella and the knife work we had made. It was so credible that Internal Affairs reopened the case.

Then, we unleashed chaos at the Gotham Museum of Art — We ignited a smoke bomb and spray-painted some paintings with green question marks. Art that hinted at Union Railway Station on Market Street, where we placed a real bomb inside a locker. When the bomb was activated, it set up a payphone call beside Officer Pinkney's (a rookie) apartment. Ed fabricated a statement from 'Pinkney' and had him sign it at Union Station. It said he wanted to speak to Barnes about Jim. The crowbar used to pry the locker at the train station would be used to kill Pinkney. We knew Gordon would go out looking for these clues, and he'd stumble into the dead man. Barnes would find him and the crowbar at the scene, and since he was already suspicious, this wouldn't help. This would accuse him of Pinkney's murder as well as make him viable for Galavan's.

It was an intricate plan. Jim Gordon was already suspicious, he was destined for conviction immediately. There was no one to vouch for him. Edward had was a fucking mastermind.