9337/Looking for clues

Looking for clues
Date of Scene:	27 September 2019
Location:	Victor Sage's Gotham Office, The Narrows
Synopsis:	Vic asks Stephanie to come in for an interview about her father and Arkham
Cast of Characters:	Question, Spoiler

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Question has posed:
It's another typical day in Gotham. The air is humid, the temperature hovers somewhere just below uncomfortable but just above what most people would call temperate. Vic's office, however, just tips that balance onto the former side as it lacks air conditioning and the stuffy air inside offers no breeze.

Sitting at his desk, Vic lifts a sleeve to his forehead and wipes at a bead of sweat that slowly travels in a rivulet down his forehead. Leaning back with a sigh, he lifts the cup of coffee to his lips and takes a sip before he mutters to himself, "Ok, Vic. You're coming up dry here...maybe you need to approach this from a more Questionable angle." The reporter glances at his watch as he looks towards the door, as if expecting someone, "She should be here soon," he says under his breath, "Maybe she will have some insight on what is going down at Arkham. At the very least her dad."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie Brown had been hesitant about the contact she'd received from the investigative reporter. From more than one angle. First was her gaff taking part as Spoiler in the April O'Neil interview with Harley Quinn. It still made Stephanie cringe to remember, and the look on Bruce Wayne's face after was a look she never wanted to see given to her again. Since then, Stephanie had religiously avoided the press. To be fair, no press had approached her, but it was the principle of the thing.

The second? Her father. The detective wanted to talk to her about her father, and Arkham. It wasn't something Stephanie Brown could pass up, in case there was something going on there she didn't know about. She hadn't visited him in a long time. Hadn't visited Arkham since the Quinn interview, except to stop Stockholm's escape and near-murder at the hands of Bane.

Maybe she should have kept better tabs. But her father was the kind of subject she could never remember and be happy for it. But that hasn't stopped her from coming, the college student freshly turned twenty-one standing outside of the man's office, wearing a Gotham U t-shirt and a pair of jeans. She takes a breath and then gives a soft knock on the door before entering.

Question has posed:
The shadow falling on the frosted glass of the window on the door alerts Vic to her presence before the knock does, so by the time her knuckles touch the wood of the door he is already halfway across the room.

THe door opens with a subtle squeak, the noise causing Vic to glance at the hinges for a moment before turning his gaze to Stephanie. "Ms. Brown?" asks Vic as a polite smile forms onto his face. "Vic Sage, reporter for KBEL. I appreciate you taking the time and agreeing to meet with me. Please, come in."

Vic moves to the side to allow her entrance into the office, gesturing to a decently-comfortable looking chair in front of the desk. "Please, have a seat. May I get you some coffee? Tea? Water?"

Spoiler has posed:
The blond girl comes inside, her hesitance evidence in her expression to those accustomed to reading such things. Blue eyes dart about the office before settling on Vic finally. "Hello," she offers back. The young woman hesitates for a moment. "I'm not wanting to go on any cameras or having anything I say broadcast," she says, hesitating there near the office doorway as if she's prepared to turn and go if that contingency is not agreed to.

Her eyes dart about the room, looking for cameras. She'd thought very well of April O'Neil going into the interview, but had felt ambushed by the time it was over. Her trust level for the media is very low, and it shows as she checks out the room.

Question has posed:
Chuckling, Vic leaves the door open and strides over towards the coffee machine as he replies, "Of course not, Ms. Brown. I take it you have never seen my show? I am the only one that every appears on camera, I run more of an investigative opinion piece, not guest interviews. I promise your name will not even be mentioned in the broadcast. I can't promise that the things you might say to me won't find their way to the air, but if they do they will be in my voice and I won't mention you."

Vic looks back to Stephanie and smiles again, "Cream? Sugar?" Sage pulls two mugs from the little cabinet over the coffee machine, and pours one mug for himself, doctoring it with a little splash of cream as he awaits an answer from his guest.

"All I am doing is trying to root out the seed of corruption over at Arkham. Something there is rotten, we all know it, and it is finally time that someone put a name and face to it. All the escapes, the treatment the inmates receive, all of it." he says as he rolls a shoulder in a shrug. "Since your father is there, I just wondered if you had any insight into his treatment or how it is he has escaped before."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie hesitates by the door for a few more moments. Remembering a certain pair of eyes looking at her with disappointment. But she pushes that from her head. She needs to find out what this is about.

The young woman finally steps further inside. "Sugar, and enough cream it turns tan," she tells Vic, signaling her acceptances. She moves over to the chair in front of the desk, taking a seat. "It certainly seems that they have a lot of issues there," she agrees with a little shake of her head. "I don't know that I'm going to be able to give you too much information though. I haven't been making many visits there for some time," she says. "Has he been involved in something there?" she asks, the blond's head tilting to the side curiously.

Question has posed:
Nodding, Vic turns back to the coffee and starts to doctor it as he was instructed. "Not that I know of, Ms. Brown, but I haven't specifically been looking into your father..." he pauses for a moment before turning his head to look at her over his shoulder, "...should I?"

The question hangs in the air for a moment, curious but not accusatory. A second passes before Vic turns back to the task at hand, lifting the coffee mugs and passing Stephanie's off to her as he makes his way around the desk. "Is there any particular reason you don't visit, Ms. Brown? Or is it just the typical family guilt or shame of having a relative in a place like that. No judgement. I understand it can't be easy for someone to be the daughter of a costumed criminal, even in Gotham."

Taking a sip of his coffee, Vic sits down in his chair on the other side of the desk, picking up a pencil and jotting down something in the open notebook in front of him. "When was the last time you visited Arkham?"

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie takes the offered coffee, holding it as she says, "As long as he is still in there, I don't know what there would be to investigate." She takes a sip of the coffee and, giving a little shake of her head but says, "Yes, something like that," Stephanie says quietly.

"So what is it that you're investigating there? Do you think there are people complicit in the escapes? My father hasn't been out in some time, and I barely saw him before he was caught and got put back in. He never told me how he escaped, besides some boasting about how clever he was," she say, speaking more slowly than her usual habit of blurting things out, as if measuring her words more than Stephanie normally does.

Oracle would be proud.

Stephanie takes another sip of the coffee. "It's not easy, no. This town can't seem to make up its mind about the criminals we face, but Dad wasn't the kind to draw followers even by the biggest losers. Stigmas a real thing," she says, shaking her head.

Question has posed:
Remaining quiet for a moment as he looks at Stephanie, Vic finally nods. "As far as I know. I haven't heard anything about any escapes recently, but you never know with that place. It seems to have a revolving door somewhere in the back."

The reporter takes another sip of his coffee before setting it down onto a coaster on his desk. "I don't blame you, Ms. Brown. As I said, no judgement. Having a relative in lock up would be a difficult thing I imagine, even if it was a normal facility. Toss a costume on top of that, and well...I get it. As for what I am investigating, just that really. The way this place seems to have a revolving door policy. I find it interesting that some of the more prominent guests seem to find there way out of there with regularity, while those of lesser status, like you father, don't have the same rate of escape."

He lifts the coffee again to take another sip, "It is almost like if they have a sizable loot stash somewhere, they somehow get passage out. I thought that was something to look into."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie rests her coffee up on her thigh atop her jeans as she says, "Hey, if you can uncover anyone that's helping those nut jobs escape, you have my support," Stephanie says. "My father is there because he does things where he deserves to be there. And if he's ever had a sizeable stash it sure wasn't used on his family. Frankly I doubt he does. It sounded like they retrieved most of what he stole," Stephanie comments.

"So is the prison making any attempts of their own to deal with the situation? I mean are they investigating how these guys are getting out and closing holes? Or does it take some more pressure from the media to get the politicians to act on it finally?" she asks.

Stephanie takes a small sip of her coffee. "Seems like with the upcoming elections, it would sure be a good time for the public to bring up the issue," she says astutely.

Question has posed:
"That is exactly what I am trying to find out, Ms. Brown." says Vic with a grin. "I think someone on the inside is getting paid to look the other way. Those 'patients' with money seem to be the ones that escape more often than not, where as people like your father don't. It seems to have been a problem for quite some time, and even if the staff at Arkham is looking into it, they are doing a piss poor job of it. Something has to be done, and getting it out into the public eye is a good step to take. If people ask questions, then they get answers one way or the other. A question unasked is never answered."

He lifts the mug to his lips once again, slurping down some of the hot liquid. "So, if there is anything you have, no matter how small, that would be of a help. I can proceed with the story without it, but without fact it is all speculation. I promise, I will not expose you at all. So if your dad said something, or did something..." He leave the question hanging in the air, awaiting an answer.

Spoiler has posed:
"If I could help you catch someone who is putting the likes of the Joker or Harley Quinn back on the street, I would," Stephanie Brown tells Vic with a shake of her head. "I don't really talk to my dad. But, if you had any ideas, if there's any kind of lead where I could try to get something out of him? I'd absolutely be willing to. I've seen first hand how this city is being harmed by the kind of criminals you're talking about."

Stephanie is watching Vic as she talks, trying to gauge his reaction to her offer to try to ferret out information. It's tough, spotting micro expressions and the other tells she's being taught to watch for. Much tougher live than watching a video where you can rewind it to double check.

Question has posed:
The offer of help catches Vic slightly off guard. He masks it well, but a subtle shift of his eyes show that he wasn't expecting it. "Really? I mean, the simplest solution is sometimes the easiest solution. You could always just ask him. He would be more likely to tell you than he would tell me if I go ask him." At least as Vic Sage anyway.

Vic leans forward and places his elbows on the desk, placing his fingers into a steeple in front of his face as he thinks for a moment, "I mean, only if you think it might get a response or a reaction...and one that wouldn't land you into any trouble. If there is even a hint that it could be a risk to you I don't want you doing anything. It isn't your job to take risks like that."

Spoiler has posed:
It is Stephanie's turn to try to hide her reaction. Has her father figured out the role she played in his re-incarceration? She doesn't think so. "You know that might be about an even money bet," she says with a bit of a chuckle. "He knows how disapproving I am of what he did. That said, if he found it frustrating others manage to get free while he doesn't, he might let something slip," she says.

The blond sips from her cup of coffee as she considers what repercussions there might be. "Well, I can't think of what risk there would be. Unless he told me and someone overheard it. But... hey, it may not be my job, but it's my city too. If I can keep someone like Two-Face off the street by going and having a conversation somewhere? I'll consider that my civic duty," she says.

Question has posed:
Nodding, Vic says, "Yeah, sometimes things like that slip when people let their guard down, or get frustrated. He would likely been less on guard when he is with family, disapproving or not. It's family."

He leans back in his chair, tapping a finger on his chin as he looks to Stephanie for a long moment. "I need to give this some thought. Your civic duty be damned, I don't need the guilt of someone getting hurt on my account on my conscious."

Spoiler has posed:
Stephanie gives a chuckle with only a little mirth. "He might be aggravated enough to distraction and let something slip, even. He won't expect me to be conciliatory, so there will be plenty to occupy his mind, if so," she says. Stephanie finishes off her coffee, then rises to take the cup back over but just sets it down on the counter.

"Well, give it some thought. You have my number. I'm willing to do it, if it might help. Long this is about closing down that turn style they have on the door, and not just ratings. But I looked up some of your stories and, you seem to do stories that you actually care about. So I'm willing to give it a try," she offers. "I need to get to class though. So give me a ring after you've given it some thought, and let me know the verdict?"

Question has posed:
Standing, Vic makes his way around the desk and moves to open the door for Stephanie. "Of course, Ms. Brown. I will certainly let you know what I decide. I do appreciate the offer of assistance, it's rare that someone would. Good luck with your classes, and I will be in touch."