Enter Nightshade

From the diary of Penelope Halwind:
Dec 25:
This Nightshade hooligan MUST be dealt with! I will not stand for this! He is messing with my livelihood, my best customer!

It was Christmas Eve. As usual, I was sitting alone in my office. The Lady Panther had again brought me a splendid ‘catch’ and I was looking over the jewels; remembering the conversation we had:

“Madam cat, do you ever knock?”

Lady Panther is an ailurophile and cat-burglar. She takes pride in her ability to sneak into places unheard. Her costume was comprised of skin tight black material and a cowl with ‘cat ears.’ She’s also built like a model and knows it. This, I admit, stirs up a little jealousy in me.

“Watch your tone, little bird. I have a plump piece of prey for you tonight.”

She dropped a velvet-lined box on my desk. Inside were two of the highest carat diamond earrings I had ever seen and an exquisite diamond and ruby necklace. I admit she never failed to amaze me at the variety (and consistent value) of the items she brought me on a regular basis. I never had trouble finding someone to buy the items, but sometimes things got tricky when the owners were persistent in wanting them back. Most of the time, she stole from people who didn’t even notice the items were gone, until after I sold them. Since opening my café, I had met a jeweler and a smuggler, among others, who were very helpful in this regard.

“You do know how we birds are attracted to shiny things. Make yourself at home.”

She walked over to my Monet art print and stared at it for a moment.

“This was not an easy hunt, birdie. Have you heard the stories going around about the new do-gooder?”

“Night-something-or-other? Yes.”

“I saw him tonight.”

“Really? I had no proof of his existence. What happened?”

“I was at the Dobson mansion. Got into their Christmas party, no problem. Got into the safe, no problem. Got out of the house, no problem. Then, a few blocks away when I was feeling scott free, problem. I hear this deep voice say, ‘Those don’t belong to you.’ Like I was going to give them back!”

Here she stopped and a strange smile crossed her face.

“So I turned to gauge my opponent. He was tall and strong looking, all dressed in black, like he was some shadow.”

She must have realized she was practically purring because she shook herself out of it.

“Of course I took him down and made sure he wasn’t tailing me before I came over here.”

I gave her a questioning look.

“We fought. I’ll probably have some bruises, but I left him on the ground after a really good kick. I do work out and train.”

She put her hand on her hip as if to say, “How else do you think I keep this figure?” Fair enough, but I couldn’t let her get pushy.

“I would hope so, madam cat,” I said with my most dangerous smile, “because, even though you are my most lucrative customer, if you lead him to me… well, let’s just say I know some dogs who owe me favors.”

“Don’t threaten me, little bird.”

I walked to my safe. “I will contact you in two days.”

So now I was looking at them. They were worth hundreds of thousands, easy. The next thing I knew something knocked out my desk lamp and I heard this deep voice:

“Those are meant for a charity auction.”

I sat perfectly still. Not frightened, but fascinated. There was something familiar about that voice…

“What does that matter to me? Do you wish to buy them from me?”

I smiled into the semi darkness. No answer. I leaned over to grab the jewels and run, but was caught from behind and had a cloth placed over my nose and mouth. When I woke, the jewels were gone and in their place was a little star-shaped purple flower with a little black berry growing in the middle: a nightshade.

The next morning the newspaper reported that the jewelry was being auctioned for some function hosted by The Wayne Foundation. I therefore sent some of my “boys” to find out about, and pay a visit to, The Lady Panther.