13343/Opening Moves

Opening Moves
Date of Scene:	12 November 2022
Location:	Arcade Diner - Park Row
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	J'onn J'onzz, Detective Chimp

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J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John Jones, Private Investigator, sits at a booth with a cleaned plate in front of him, among other things. Specifically there are a few newspapers and a laptop. The man taps a few keys, looks over at the newspapers for a moment, and then returns his attention back to the laptop screen again. A fedora rests to the left of said laptop. The dark skinned man is wearing a beige trenchcoat and black business dress clothes.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp has had a case earlier tonight, where he was having to follow a cheating husband. It is not his preferred type of case, but he has to pay his bills, and the lady was willing to pay at least part up front. So with a little bit extra cash on hand, he has came into the dinner to grab some food. Chimp may not be a regular here, but he has been in Gotham long enough there are just a few odd looks when he walks in and heads to a booth to have a seat, eating at the bar gets him weirder looks so might as well avoid that.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John hunches over the laptop for a few moments longer before deciding to strech his arms a bit, but as they cross behind his head, he happens to notice that a chimpanzee has, unattended, entered the diner, and is sitting at a booth. Perplexed, the seemingly mundane man casts a glance, and then stands to approach. Unsure of what to say, he sits down across from the ape, and offers a silent nod. It's a gambit to be sure, but worth a shot, afterall there is a gorilla warlord at large that has far surpassed human understanding of ape intelligence...

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp looks up at the man a brow raises a bit. He will sigh a moment, and says "Yes, I talk, no I am not a pet, or a robot, or a mutant." He runs through the normal things he is asked at first. He studies the man a bit though, something about the man is different than most, but he can't quite put his finger on it yet.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John smiles, but only lightly, "It would be difficult to assume that you are a pet because you are not in anyone else's company. But you have corrected me with regard to being a mutant. It can be hard to tell. My name is John Jones, Private Detective, and I am well aware that human beings are not the only intelligent life forms on this planet." Now his smile becomes full and genuine.

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp nods a bit to this and will offer his hand in greeting "Detective Chimp, also a detective, you may have heard of my office, most people think the chimp logo is just a gimmick till they show up at the office." As the waitress comes over, he will order a breakfast plate heavy on the meats and some coffee.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John continues to smile as he extends his own hand in greeting, clasping Chimp's, "Yes I've heard of you. I never doubted that a chimpanzee is capable of becoming a detective. Gorilla Grodd, although acting in a moral opposite of you, is another example of simian intelligence that is not human. As uncomfortable as that comparison may be, my point is that I do not consider human beings to be that unique with regard to intelligence, or evolution as a whole. If one follows the news without a hard bias today, this isn't difficult to see."

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp looks over and says "Well, I am a bit special, there is not many chimps that are on my level, hence why I get the questions and such. When his coffee is brought he thanks the waitress, and as she walks away pulls a flask out of his jacket, and pours something from it into his coffee. "So, you work in Gotham often?"

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John nods, "Gotham is where I find the vast majority of my cases. Currently I am investigating a theft. A pure gold tiger statue, handed down from the grandmother of a woman named Gale Percy, vanished after it was sent to a cleaning, and restoration business, which is called "Gotham Keepsake Restoration." The police looked into the company, and while it was determined that this gold tiger was checked in for service, and payment made, no evidence of foul play by any staff was found. By all appearances the statue vanished without a trace while it awaited service in the backlog storage."

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp hmms and nods his head a bit to this and listens to the whole explanation. "Well, two suspects come to mind right off the bat," He says not intending a pun for Gotham, but hey who knows. "I can ask one of them, he has been trying to lead a clean life lately so doubt it is him, the other is a lady, who I don't know as much about as I should probably.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John nods, "I attempted to question the staff there but they seemed reluctant to speak to me. I had no choice but to continue digging on my own. So far I haven't come up with anything. If you are willing to assist me, I certainly won't turn you down. For me this isn't about personal gain. I just want this woman to recover her family heirloom."

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp hmms as his food is brought, he thanks the waitress, and takes a sip of his spiked coffee. He hmms and says "I can help with it, animal based crimes in Gotham can be some special things as I am sure you know, if you have worked here a while."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John nods again, "Gotham is.. interesting. I feel that this is why many are drawn to this city. Good and evil in fact. Not every crime is committed by a human and sometimes it takes a mind that isn't human to see beyond the paradoxes that arise as a result. I would be honored if you would help me."

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp says, "Well some of the animal based crimes are human based, I mean like Croc will work on instinct as much as plans, but like Penguin, or Catwoman, both will have animal based crimes. Occasionally the Riddler, but that is more a one off occasion."

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John thinks for a moment, "A common element or two can be found regardless. But if it wasn't a human who stole this statue, there could be missing links in the investigation conducted by the police, perhaps that is why the staff were unwilling to discuss specifics with me. It would be embarassing for otherwise tight security measures to be countered if seemingly impossible methods were used in the theft. It would be bad for business to admit it. If someone, even if they are human, did not think like a human, then the means would be difficult to uncover by conventional detective work. The police are trained to investigate crimes committed by humans who think like humans."

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp nods, and says "And while there are some good minds on the GPD, but not all are good ones." He admits. So, are you planning on trying to sneak in to look at the place, since they are not wanting to talk to see what you can find?

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John sighs, "I am reluctant to break the law, even if I believe that the staff are hiding something. I would rather evidence be gathered within the bounds of the law. It is easier for defense attorneys to help their clients avoid criminal trial if the evidence provided was obtained illegally. What do you think? This case is difficult for me because I do not have a lot of experience dealing with type of crime. It would be too easy to assume that one of the staff members stole the statue, and the that the others are covering for them, especially since this statue's value split that many ways would not provide much of a gain. After all it would mean that they lied to the police, which is a crime itself. It's why I go by the book, because proper chain of custody when it comes to evidence denies underhanded tactics during the trial, especially if these underhanded tactics are supported by the law. The bottom line is that, whoever this thief is, their attorney will work as hard as they are paid. I always assume that this payment is substantial."

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp hmms and nods a bit to this and says "Well, then I would suggest we look into the different employs and see if there is any reason they may not be willing to talk. So, would not talk to the cops or you?" He hmmms a bit and says "could have been bought off, but if the value split that many ways would not be enough someone maybe threatening them.

J'onn J'onzz has posed:
John nods, "Greed seems to be less of a motive. Fear is more likely. The statue is made of gold but it's not a large statue. It's more something that you would place on your nightstand.'

Detective Chimp has posed:
Detective Chimp hmms and nods his head a bit to this and says "Is there any special info on it, it's history or where it is from?" He will ask and eats a bit more "I mean if it has some historical of cultural value it could have something to do with it as well."