"I found him. But I won't tell you his identity." Batman's voice was firm. "I can only tell you there are no items or clues related to the Holiday Killer in his residence. After arriving in Gotham, he acquired five firearms total. None were .22 caliber. Not one."
He paused for emphasis.
"And most importantly, his marksmanship is extremely poor. There's no way he could shoot and kill five gang members in seconds."
That was accurate. Jude had practiced shooting for less than two weeks total. No evidence of firearms proficiency. Only one recorded instance of him firing a gun.
He'd hit a chandelier.
That single data point had actually helped mislead everyone's judgment.
Harvey looked at the shadow in the darkness. He wanted to know the person's identity, but Batman's refusal meant he had reasons.
Good reasons.
"His story matches Harvey's account, Gordon." Batman's tone left no room for argument. "We should trust our old friend."
Gordon frowned, thinking for a long moment. Finally nodded slowly.
"Fine. At least Harvey donated the money." He sighed. "But you'll probably face questions about it later."
"Investigations, depositions." Harvey shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I can handle that. But have you heard about the soup kitchen in the slums recently?"
"More than heard about it!" Gordon's expression brightened. "GCPD's been busy with it these past few days."
"I heard the porridge there is delicious? What's it called?"
"Nanakusa-gayu. Festival food from Japan."
Batman responded casually. After returning from the soup kitchen, he'd specifically researched the topic.
"It tastes okay."
Gordon and Harvey's eyes widened simultaneously. They stared at the shadow.
Are you Batman? Did someone hack your account?
Why would Batman engage in small talk about food?
"Ahem." The low voice smoothly changed subjects. "Back to business. The Holiday Killer case hasn't been fully investigated, but I have a lead."
The idle topic disappeared.
"Black round hat. Loose grey trench coat. Blurred face. Rough men's gloves. Everything grey except the hat."
Silence.
"...Anything else?"
"No. That's all."
"What kind of lead is that?" Harvey and Gordon exchanged glances, then sighed in unison. "That outfit's easy to acquire. I even have one at home."
"Exactly," Gordon agreed. "This evidence is less unique than the ugly pumpkin."
"No need to track the pumpkin anymore." Batman shook his head. "The trail ends there. Line's broken."
It didn't snow today.
Only today, though. The entire rest of the week, Gotham City had been buried under continuous heavy snowfall. Thick white coating covered everything, dressing the city in winter clothes.
Not very warm clothes.
Jude stirred porridge in the massive pot and didn't feel cold at all. The Santa Claus costume from the system shop was genuinely warm. He'd even switched to a longer spoon and stood farther from the steaming pot to avoid sweating.
He admired the children playing in the snow even more. How did they have that much energy?
"Hey! Hey! That kid! I told you not to wipe yourself down with snow!"
Gordon's vigorous voice rang out. Over the past few days, he'd occasionally come to the soup kitchen to help maintain order and register the number of homeless children in the East End. Though he never said it aloud, Jude could tell he enjoyed the work.
Maybe being around this group of tenacious wild kids made him feel younger?
The bespectacled Commissioner, expression serious, quickly grabbed a shirtless child covered in snow. "Little rascals! Didn't I tell you there's a bathing area here?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Policeman."
Jason's face fell dramatically. His eyes rolled with obvious calculation. He looked very clever. No trace of sadness remained on his features. His body had filled out considerably compared to weeks ago.
"But, Mr. Policeman, all the bathing spots are full. And I really wanted to try what bathing in snow feels like."
"At your age, if you try that, you'll be in bed with fever for a week! Go! Put your clothes on!"
Jason raised his head reluctantly and glanced at Jude. Seeing "Santa Claus" shrug sympathetically, he had no choice but to turn and retrieve his new clothes.
Winter clothes specially manufactured by Wayne Apparel. They'd roughly categorized children's body shapes and sizes, created several standard options. Beyond warmth, they'd considered aesthetics.
Of course, for children who'd been barely clothed, warmth alone was valuable enough.
Jude watched Jason and smiled internally. Now that he had enough food and clothes, Jason's original mischievous nature was emerging. This personality would have evolved into extreme aggression after years on Gotham's streets. But now? He was just a curious child.
What amazed Jude more was Commissioner Gordon's personal charm. As the cop most hated by street gangs, he'd won their trust in just days. One couldn't help but recognize the gold-standard leadership that had lifted him from isolated junior officer to GCPD Captain.
As for why Jason thought bathing in snow was a good idea...
Probably because he genuinely felt hot.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
Mission: Winter in Gotham City
Status: In Progress (31.592%)
Reward Activated
"Festival" Attribute Effect Active
Festival Food: Nanakusa-gayu
Attributes:
Harmonious Nourishment: Enhanced nutritional supplementation
Warming Body, Dispelling Cold: Enhanced cold resistance
Current Attribute Enhancement: 31.592%
Effect: Consumers gain 30% cold resistance for 12 hours + significant nutritional boost
Note: Honestly, why not make less porridge? It's not good to eat this much every meal.
Thanks to Wayne Logistics' efficiency and the network relationships among child gangs who all knew each other, Jude had rapidly located homeless orphan gang strongholds throughout Gotham City with Jason's help. The number of children was astonishing. In a short period, mission progress had reached thirty percent.
With three meals daily, the festival attributes of Nanakusa-gayu had stacked to this level. After one bowl, eaters gained thirty percent cold resistance for twelve hours, plus enhanced nutritional effects.
As things stood, the effect might be too good.
Even Jude had gained muscle mass recently. Of course, if he didn't start exercising, he'd probably get nosebleeds from his own cooking eventually.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
You have a new odd job. Please check.
Jude's heart skipped. He put down the large spoon, pulled out his phone, checked the calendar.
December 24th.
Christmas Eve.
His blood ran cold.
The Holiday Killer struck on holidays.
Halloween: Johnny Vitti.
Thanksgiving: Five Irish Gang members.
Christmas...
Who would die tonight?