"You could learn more about interior design," Shiller said leisurely while reading the newspaper. "If you can tell the flooring is worth hundreds of thousands of US Dollars, you should be able to discern the quality of leather goods. Only inferior leather requires lining to prevent heat from friction with the internal sponge; quality genuine leather doesn't need that."
"So I lost because of my lack of knowledge?"
"You only lost to age." Shiller turned to read another page of the newspaper. "Batman is also stronger than you in this regard. He has lived longer, so he's naturally learned more than you have."
"So was this all a misleading from the start? You wanted me to think you were the killer, so I wouldn't dare speak up?"
"Why wouldn't you dare speak up? Director Gordon was there at the time, and I couldn't possibly kill you to silence you on the spot."
"I..." Nemocine took a deep breath. "You're a psychiatrist, and you're my attending doctor. If you say I'm a madman who's speaking nonsense, people will believe you. My accusations wouldn't hold. And Gordon couldn't possibly stay with me all the time—I wouldn't have a good ending if I fell into your hands."
"There's some logic to that," Shiller said. "But this setup might be older than you think. If you'd really observed me carefully, you'd know that, after being notified in advance that someone would be staying at my place for a while, I prepare all the necessities accordingly. So why did James send you a package?"
"...You asked him to send it?" Nemocine felt a chill, saying, "Just to produce a letter opener so I'd notice it, then use it to mislead me."
"I said you needed some comforting items, preferably everyday items you frequently used before. James Gordon is a good father, so even though it's a bit hard, he got them from your previous host family."
Nemocine pursed her lips and said, "Actually, it goes back even earlier. When you first met me, you already knew what kind of person I was. You knew I wasn't normal, which is why you did this. If I were a normal kid, I wouldn't be that interested in knives, wouldn't have been so impressed by them, and wouldn't have associated them with you at the crime scene."
"Your condition is fairly typical," Shiller said. "And my experience is fairly extensive, so it's not surprising that I could see your manic behavior."
"And that phone call," Nemocine said, "the call to reschedule. You deliberately had the package delivered at that time. When I couldn't find anything to open it, I wouldn't care if you were on the phone or not. So I called for you, and you 'had to' explain the noise to the person on the other end, telling them about me, and mentioning that she'd see me this afternoon. This lady would remember this."
"This way, if I'd shouted your name last night and got taken by the police, making her miss seeing me this afternoon, she'd definitely ask you about it. Then you could explain to her and show her my diagnosis records. She'd also find traces of damage in this house, all caused by me. From this, she could conclude I was mad—a conclusion her opinion would certainly impact. Who is she?"
"A Judge," Shiller said.
Nemocine sat back down in the chair, saying, "You indeed didn't plan on framing me; you just eliminated all chances for me to tell the truth. Now I just want to know, what exactly are you planning?"
"If you think I'm someone who covers up crimes for others, then no explanation would suffice," Shiller shook his head and said. "Rather than focusing on what I plan to do, I'm more curious about your intentions. To go to the Gotham Police Department?"
Nemocine shook her head, saying, "No, from the moment I retrieved that package from the mailbox and noticed nothing amiss, I had already completely lost. It's too late to turn the tables now."
"So you're choosing to cover it up?"
"I have one more option," Nemocine said. "If I die here, you won't be able to escape the blame."
"You really should pay some attention to interior design, miss." Shiller said. "In a house of this level, it's impossible not to have any decorative vases. Have you seen them?"
Nemocine looked around and noticed there were no decorative vases; none of the objects on the antique shelves had sharp edges and wouldn't shatter. The dinnerware and utensils were silver crafts, useless as weapons.
"I guess you don't have the courage to bash yourself to death," Shiller said, closing the newspaper and smiling at her. "Any other plans?"
Nemocine slammed the table angrily. Shiller, while adjusting his collar, didn't even lift his eyes and said, "Since you know that I tolerate your aggressive behavior to leave evidence of your mania, it's best you control yourself when I don't have such needs, miss."
Nemocine didn't become manic, instead, she said, "Fine, you can do whatever you want with me. But I just want to know the truth. My head is starting to ache again."
"Who do you think is key? The mayor? Or the Eden killer?"
Countless case details flashed through Nemocine's mind at lightning speed. Suddenly, she grasped an ephemeral inspiration, though it felt like something was still missing. She said, "The CCTV camera, where's that camera that was stolen internally?"
"Ross would never easily give it to his employer because he was threatened. He needs to ensure his family's safety before handing it over. Since someone framed the Penguin Man, the Penguin Man would target him. The Penguin Man could get the camera from Ross."
"But what's so important about it?" Nemocine muttered. "It just recorded the Eden killer manipulating someone to murder. Even with Adam dead, he could create another one, allowing new cases, new footage, without hindering his plans."
"Then the question lies with the Penguin Man. What would he do with this footage? It's evidence of someone's murder, usable for blackmail. But with Adam, who was manipulated by the Eden killer, being dead..."
"No," Nemocine stood up slowly, saying, "Gordon sealed the news; no one knows that Covens, who played Adam, committed suicide within the police department. The Penguin Man doesn't know either because his bulky informant in the police was framed and controlled by Ross, unable to relay any news."
"More importantly, he doesn't know of the Eden killer's manipulations nor the existence of a copycat. He'd think Covens was the only killer, capable even of killing the mayor. He might use the footage to manipulate him into killing."
"He'd contact Covens, but Covens disappeared after killing the mayor. He'd send people to find him. If he can't find anything, what would he do?"
"He should investigate, trace the scene of the crime, see if he could find where Covens went. But it's unlikely his men have such expertise, and he can't directly ask the police, so he'd turn to..."
Knock knock knock! Number 125's door was knocked. Shiller walked over and opened the door. A short, stout figure with an eagle hook nose entered, accompanied by four strong, tall bodyguards.