No one knew whether Margaret had fled after receiving a tip or if she simply wasn't home by coincidence. But Gordon didn't believe in coincidences, especially after questioning the neighbors and confirming that Margaret had left shortly before they arrived. A check of her call records confirmed his suspicions.
It was obvious: she had received an unknown phone call shortly before leaving, then made several calls of her own to some unlisted contacts before hastily departing.
"Damn it!"
Gordon took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, then angrily tossed the cigarette butt to the ground, stomping it out hard. There was no question now—someone on the inside had tipped her off.
The presence of a mole within their ranks made the entire investigation a nightmare, especially when you couldn't pinpoint which informant was the one leaking crucial details.
Determined, Gordon decided to head straight for Margaret's orphanage.
Just then, new information came in from Gotham PD.
Margaret was en route to Archie Goodwin International Airport, apparently trying to flee by plane!
Archie Goodwin International Airport.
The airport was located in a remote part of the suburbs. It would take nearly two hours by car to get there from downtown.
"We're heading to the airport!" Gordon quickly changed plans, leading his team to the airport to catch the fugitive.
"Understood." The officers swiftly climbed into their patrol cars. With a loud "bang," the doors slammed shut, and the sound of engines roaring to life followed. Soon, several cars sped into the night, their red and blue lights cutting through the darkness as they disappeared into the distance.
...
Meanwhile, Batman had already noticed Margaret's movements.
Given his brief interaction with the woman, coupled with the extensive intelligence he had on her, Batman knew that Margaret was not the type to sit idly by. If she had learned she was under investigation, she would undoubtedly take drastic action.
It wasn't that Batman and Gordon hadn't wanted to keep the operation against Margaret Williams a secret. Ideally, they would have captured her before she even realized what was happening.
However, such things were not entirely up to them. After all, the police department wasn't ruled solely by Gordon. So, Batman had to shoulder the burden, closely monitoring Margaret in secret until he could assist Gordon in bringing her to justice.
Once the case went to trial, given the amount of money Margaret had embezzled over her twenty-plus years of service and the severity of the case itself, even if certain individuals tried to protect her for various reasons, it was unlikely she could escape unscathed.
But that was a story for another day. The immediate objective was to successfully complete this arrest operation.
No one knew exactly what Margaret had discussed during her phone calls. She had been exceptionally cautious in that regard. Even Batman, with all his resources, hadn't been able to tap into her conversations. Instead, he relied on the tracker he had placed on her vehicle and hacked into the city's surveillance system to monitor her movements closely.
It wasn't until Margaret summoned several henchmen and drove straight to the outskirts of Gotham that Batman finally understood what she was planning.
She hadn't chosen to flee, which was smart. Even if she had managed to leave Gotham quickly, she wouldn't have been able to escape the entirety of the U.S. Her connections might have helped reduce her sentence, but only within the boundaries of New Jersey.
So, she intended to destroy the evidence.
While her involvement in child trafficking and other crimes might have some wiggle room for defense, the remains of hundreds of children were irrefutable proof that would undoubtedly be used to convict her in court.
"She's going to destroy the evidence. I need to stop her before the police arrive," Batman muttered as he grabbed his cape and flung it over his shoulders, preparing to leave immediately.
Tonight, Batman had uncharacteristically skipped his usual patrol. Perhaps it was because, no matter how diligent he was, Gotham was simply too large for him to be everywhere at once. Crimes like robberies were constantly happening. But in comparison, those small incidents had to be set aside. The major case at hand took priority.
Avery who is standing by his side, handed him his gear and carefully helped him suit up. "Need any help?"
His voice was calm, as if asking about something entirely mundane.
Batman glanced at him briefly. "Are you sure you can handle it?"
Avery chuckled softly. "You could try trusting your butler a little more. I wouldn't take on anything I couldn't handle."
In the dimly lit underground chamber, illuminated only by the glow of various electronic devices, Batman looked at Avery before giving the order.
"Mr. Nobody, stay here and monitor the situation. Act when necessary."
"Understood," Avery replied.
...
Gotham's night was as gloomy as ever. Thick clouds veiled the sky in darkness, while the pale moonlight cast a bleak gaze over the silent land. In the depths of the forest, leaves rustled in the wind, and from the dense branches, pairs of glowing green eyes quietly watched the intruders, observing in eerie silence.
An aged female voice suddenly broke through the stillness.
"Are you sure this is the place?"
Margaret surveyed her surroundings, unfazed by the eerie, foreboding atmosphere around her. Perhaps it was because she had long passed the age where such things could frighten her. Her calm eyes then shifted to one of the henchmen standing behind her.
The man, who appeared to be in his thirties, had a faint scar at the end of his eyebrow, and his eyes held a hint of menace. He smirked slightly. "I'm the one who brought all those bodies here, one by one, back then. I remember exactly how many there were. There's no way I'd forget."
As he spoke, the man glanced at Margaret, a mocking tone creeping into his voice. "What's the matter? You finally decided to clean up because things are blowing up? I told you long ago to be more careful—should've just cremated the bodies at a funeral home."