Chapter 2: Police Enquiries

"The woman was traumatised, Chief. Bound, gagged, assaulted, robbed. Something needs to be done. This is just the latest of this sort of attack, there have been — what four? Five? In the last few weeks."

"Five that we know of, Commissioner. Six, if you include the incident at the museum."

"Six then. They are all from the same hand if you ask me. Some sort of devious and mischievous criminal mind is at work here."

"Certainly that is our belief in the Department, Commissioner. It very much looks like the work of a single villain."

"Some sort of master criminal, I am sure, Chief. Which is why I have decided to bring in some help. In the face of superior villainy we need a superior response."

Chief O'Mara was very much afraid that he knew what was coming next. "Is that wise, Sir? I mean doesn't it just make the problem worse? You've seen it in Gotham, And over in Metropolis. Sure they've got their super heroes but it seems to me that they've just pulled in more and more super villains? I'm not sure we want that, do we?"

"Tell me, Chief. After six of these events have you the slightest idea who is responsible? Any forensic evidence? Any witnesses able to describe the offender? Any circumstantial indications? Any intelligence at all?"

"It's obviously a villain, Sir."

"Indeed, Chief. And from the comprehensive list of villains that have troubled our fair city at one time or other, have you a single one on your list that might fit the bill?"

The Chief felt uncomfortable. He scratched his head. "Well, Sir ... No, Sir."

"No. And if you think the Mayor's office is going to stand by while I have the same conversation with her, you're wrong. The local papers are already calling for action. Look at this on Jameson's rag: 'Police Powerless : Commissioner Clueless'. Do you think that helps?"

"No Sir."

"No, Chief. That's why I'd like you to give every cooperation to our visitor." The Commissioner reached for his intercom and buzzed through to his secretary. "Send in the young lady, please."

Chief O'Mara looked uncomfortable as the door opened.

"Ah, do come in," the Commissioner said with a smile.

His greeting was met by a hearty "Thanks, glad to be here," from the new arrival.

Chief O'Mara's didn't bother to hide his lack of enthusiasm for working with anything resembling a super hero and gave a acknowledging but hardly welcoming grunt. The girl that had come into the Commissioner's office seemed to confirm all his worst fears - outlandish costume, extravagantly over endowed physique, and, of course, a mask.

"This is, sorry what was the name again," Commissioner Brown sometimes lacked a grasp of detail. "Ah, yes, Jungle Girl."

"Jungle Jane," the visitor corrected. "Jungle Girl is over on the west coast. She's more your eco-warrior type, I'm more your crime fighter type..."

"Ah, sorry," said the Commissioner, "yes. Jungle Jane."

She offered her hand to Chief O'Mara. "Hullo Chief," she said. "I'm going to enjoy helping out."

O'Mara took her hand and shook it. Helping out, he thought to himself. Getting in the way more likely. And besides what good was a jungle girl here in the city? He took a close look at her. She was wearing khaki; a crumpled shirt was tied off beneath her improbably pneumatic breasts, leaving her midriff bare; a pair of shorts cut tight to her comfortably upholstered backside traced the lines of her crotch clearly; her calf length desert boots with enough of a platform sole to elevate her height to that of the Commissioner and Indiana Jones style hat was perched on the back of her head leaving the Chief with a view of a healthy, weather beaten, face half hidden by the girl's eye mask.

"Sorry about the mask," she said, "secret identity and all that..."

O'Mara grunted. He didn't care for these masked crime fighters. He knew what the public would say if his officers took to wearing masks. Why should the public be so keen on these amateurs?

"You'll give Jane every co-operation, I'm sure," said the Commissioner."Why don't you start off by showing her the files from the first cases?

"Right you are, Commissioner," O'Mara responded, trying to appear willing. "Won't you come with me, Miss, err, Jungle?"

"Just Jane will, be fine Chief," the girl said following him out.

The Commissioner smiled as the two of them left the office. He was happy to have the well proportioned Jungle Jane around even if the Chief wasn't. And it just might help to clear up these mysterious crimes.

The ballroom at the City Concert Hall was filled with an impressive display of the local great and the good, responding to a call to open their wallets in favour of some deserving local charity or other.

Gregg Gillstrom had little enthusiasm for evcents like this. When it came to charity he felt that it best began at home and most specifically at the home of Gregg Gillstrom.

"Do you cultivate an air of inscrutability or does it just come naturally?"

Gregg Gillstrom looked around at the woman addressing him. He hadn't seen her at any of these events before but with the amount of valuable jewellery hanging around her neck and dangling from her wrists he was asking himself why not. "It's hard to say," Gregg responded, not keen to surrender his inscrutability whatever the cause. It wasn't so long ago he was a geeky teenager rather than a criminal mastermind and he hadn't quite got used to the transition.

"Sorry," she said, holding out a hand. "That was rude of me. "I'm Victoria Leon."

"Gregg Gillstrom," Gregg replied shaking her hand. "Have you known our hosts long?"

"No," she replied. "I've only been in the city since the weekend and I'm really here because of friends of friends. I'm still camping out in the Excelsior. How about you?"

'Camping out' was not a phrase usually associated with accommodation in the City's best hotel, nor with a woman dressed as Victoria Leon was. Gregg shook his head. "No, I'm an impostor, I'm afraid." Victoria looked intrigued. "Nothing strange, I'm afraid. Sorry to disappoint. I'm just here as the entertainment. After dinner you'll be treated to a display of magic the like of which you won't have ever seen before."

"Not really my thing," she said. "Cards, rabbits, that sort of thing?"

"Pretty much. But I'd still recommend it. If you're around for a drink afterwards you can tell me what you think." Over Victoria's shoulder Gregg caught a glimpse of Maxine raising an eyebrow at him. The last thing he needed before a performance was an earful from her. "But, if you'll excuse me, I need to get ready."