17919/Jim's Gym Visit

Jim's Gym Visit
Date of Scene:	13 May 2024
Location:	Grant's Apartment - Grant's Gym
Synopsis:	Jim stops by Grant's Gym to give Ted an update on the string of art-related crimes they discussed the week before.
Cast of Characters:	Ted Grant, Jim Gordon

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Ted Grant has posed:
Wildcat is enjoying a rare day off from running the gym, which is to say micromanaging his staff. Clad in a tight track suit, he's actually vacuuming his carpet, while he runs a load of white laundry in the dryer. The only concession to superheroing is a large map of Amusement Mile done in minute detail, covered with cryptic little notes stuck on with rubber cement. Several routes circle from the gym in various colors.

Jim Gordon has posed:
Still no new crime has been reported or discovered since the elaborate set-up at the Gotham Opera House with the mannequins. However, a new development has arisen from the scene of the Opera House itself that could point them in the right direction. That being said, Jim has been pouring over the clue for the better part of 2 days and needed to take a walk to get some fresh air. That fresh air being a few cigarettes one after another.

The last time he ran into Wildcat, they discussed the case and Ted had expressed concern that while the scenes so far have been harmless to anything other than art and creative expression, things could escalate. He may have been right. He finds himself outside Grant's Gym and steps inside, looking around to see that Ted isn't currently working so he must be in his apartment. The sound of the vacuum inside confirms his suspicion. He takes the stairs up and knocks on the frame of the door a few times, trying to get the man's attention.

Ted Grant has posed:
Wildcat answers the door with a scowl. "How come you mugs run this place like clockwork when I'm breathing down your necks and making me feel unwanted and such and the minute I take a day or <ahuh> come in late, ya can't find yer skinny ass with both hands?" He shakes a wireless vaccum for emphasis.

Blink. Blink.

"Oh. Hello Commissioner Gordon. Pardon me. I though you were one of my so-called assistants. Come on in and take a load of. Want a beer or a coffee? Sorry the place is a wreck. I'm cleaning up." He hurriedly gathers some very feminine undergarments and stashes them. Four women traipse through here and he winds up doing all the laundry.

Jim Gordon has posed:
The verbal dressing down that he received mistakenly doesn't bother Jim. Instead, he finds it fairly amusing based on the fact that his mustache is sitting at an angle and the hint of a grin is bunching up his right cheek. "It's hard to find good help these days."

Upon being invited in, Jim steps inside and ignores the general state of the place. His isn't much better, although the amount of feminine underwear is at a minimum for the past few forevers. "I'm okay," he says in response to the offer for a drink, "I can't stay long, I just wanted to give you a heads up." He stuffs a hand into his coat pocket and fingers a plastic lighter inside, "We may have uncovered some new evidence at the Opera House. Someone noticed about a dozen or so of the chairs in the front section had 'x' marks drawn on them in red paint." All of the seats in the front section are unique because they have name plates bolted on to identify a donor for the renovations currently being done at the venue. "The seats with the marks on them are the only names of people who donated to the previous series of renovations at the same opera house."

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted Grant does sit down. It makes thinking easier. So does punching. "You wanna smoke, step outside on the roof, Commissioner. ... I don't think your guys would miss those x's. I think the perp came back to put them on later. Yanking your chain. Maybe... they'll come back again. They didn't finish that little set up the other night, probably got spooked. They might want to finish it up and who'd be dumb enough to do it yet again?"

Jim Gordon has posed:
Ted makes a good point. They combed over that crime scene and he's fairly certain there were no x marks on any of the chairs. Maybe one, but not as many as there are now. He can wait to smoke again, but not long.

He pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket that has been folded. He steps over to the coffee table and sets it down, sliding it in front of Ted, "This is the list of names." Years ago he'd feel really uncomfortable sharing information about an ongoing investigation with anyone outside of the precinct, but since he's dealt with the bats, it's become commonplace.

"We have uniforms keeping an eye on them from a distance, but in case you wanted to have a look, there you go."

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted Grant looks over the slip. "Have you told this to the Bat? It still looks off for a theme sort. All these names... Commissioner. I'm going back to that theater. Pretty sure you're not watching it now. They gave you all these pretty names to follow. Maybe I'll look around it myself. Maybe some of the folks will talk a little more to me than the police. It's near my usual digs. I want to meet this guy or gal. they feel like someone new, who might give riddler or Penguin a few lessons. But they got a problem. They're way too cocky." There's some doubt in him. This comes from hanging around the big brains of the Justice Defenders. He sometimes forgets he has brains of his own. They even keep working after a few hard knocks.

Or he could be totally mistaken, a stubborn old idiot fixated on that opera house. But he meant to walk the scene anyway.

Jim Gordon has posed:
"I've learned to trust my gut," Jim says as he watches Ted look over the list. "I'd say it's safe to trust yours," he finishes. When you've been around as long as Jim has, you know when you're just fixating on something without warrant. When you've been around as Ted, maybe you lose the faith in yourself, but the gut is usually right. Maybe not completely, but if Wildcat thinks there's something still up with the opera house, then there probably is.

"We don't have anyone on the opera house anymore. Not enough budget or manpower," he says, his tone shimmering with something. Resentment in the system? Frustration? Maybe both.

"Just watch yer ass out there, alright? And you need me, you call me."

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted Grant raises an eyebrow at the advice. "Oh Commissioner, I'm always careful. I'll call you with what I find. Just uh keep the Bat Family out of the way if you can. Too many cooks and all that. You know... I'm going to go out there now and lay in wait. Maybe this crooks is sneaking in disguised AS renovators."

Jim Gordon has posed:
"I haven't shared any information with Batman at this point," Jim says as he turns and glances over towards the window leading out onto the roof. "Haven't seen him in a while, so he must be busy with more important things." He glances over at Ted again, "But these latest developments have me worried things are going to get worse."

He rolls the lighter over in his hand, still in his pocket. The 5 minutes he's been here are already proving to be more than he can take not having another smoke. "I'll let you know if anything comes up with the names on the list."

Ted Grant has posed:
Ted Grant watches the man go to grab that smoke. "Join the gym Commissioner. We'll get ya healthy again. I'm a real good trainer! No fatlalities! Lately!"

"Yeah, he ain't quitting."