Beep! Beep Beep!
Artemis wakes up her eyes barely open.
"Morning Arty" Artemis forces to open her eyes to see Wally standing at the end of her bed.
"I guess we need to work on the case?" Artemis yawns. Wally throws her her costume.
"First Robin needs to see us" he begins to walk out.
Artemis appeared in her archer costume and joined the boys in a room like a science lab.
"So I tested zaidi on Sophie. Bruising on her lungs and throat suggest mechanical asphyxiation. Your death-by-mask theory certainly looks solid." Robin explains. Suddenly, there's an excited squeal from the other side of the room. They see Zatanna seated in front of a row of computers.
"Guys I've got something!" she points to one of her monitors, where several complex picha have been overlaid for comparison.
"I ran a chemical analysis on the plaster in the masks and found trace iron impurities in the quartz"
"Uh okay, so?" Wally asked suddenly confused.
"So this particular composition indicates that the plaster was imported from Southern Europe. Tuscany, I think. So I've been looking and looking and I found that there's only one business in Gotham that imports its plaster directly from Southern Europe! Its called Italia Imports and Exports, its located in these coordinates" she hands them a paper. "And get this... According to their website, they also deal in exotic masks." The three Heroes lean over to the the monitor.
"Nice!" Robin says. Wally turns to Artemis.
"Lets roll" Wally piggybacks Artemis to the coordinates. Later they stand before a shabby building.
"I prefer buying my creepy death masks online. Lets go in." Wally replies. The teens step into the building. The shelves are lined with exotic masks. A carved wooden face with a straw mane stares down at them with blank eyes.
"Well that's creepy" Artemis says in a low voice.
"Its meant to be" A tall lanky man strides over.
"And wewe are?"
"My names Lance Boggs. Tell me miss, do wewe like exotic masks? If so, you've come to the right place"
"Actually were here for a crime" Artemis says.
"Regards to the Maskmaker killings?" Mr.Boggs's shifty eyes the rear exit.
"Yes. Were here because the Maskmaker is using plaster acquired from your business to murder innocent women." Wally says sternly. "We need to take a look at your records" Mr.Boggs rolls his eyes.
"Like I am going to onyesha them to some teenagers"
"Whats that supposed to mean?!" Wally seems pretty annoyed.
"You figure it with your brain" Mr.Boggs spits back. "Idiot" he whispers.
"What did wewe say?" Wally steps towards Mr.Boggs.
"A moment please. Excuse us" Artemis pushes Wally outside.
"What?"
"Keep with your attitude will just make him cover up even more. Stay out here. He obviously wont talk with wewe in there"
"And what are wewe going to do?" Wally crosses his arms.
"Wait and see" she enters the building while Wally listens through the window. Lance Boggs steps up behind Artemis, holding a box cutter.
"You again."
"I just want to apologize for my partner. He can be a little uncouth"
Uncouth. Boorish. Impertinent. He sickens me." Boggs steps closer. The box cutter glints.
"Please, my dear. Allow me to onyesha wewe something" he slices open a nearby box to reveal three masks.
"Wow their very impressive" Artemis says.
"Really? Any particular?" Boggs asks. Artemis sees a black demon mask with horns and an evil grin, a white plaster mask of a women's face and a wooden mask with a human figure on top.
"Yes I like the female mask"
"Oh the L'Inconnue de la Seine? Good choice. Its a inayopendelewa of mine as well. The man who created the original, was taken kwa the beauty of a drowned girl that he preserved the image of her face in the plaster."
"Sounds a bit like the Maskmaker's case doesn't it?" Artemis asks.
"Your right! Only in Sophie's case, the mask was made first, and then her body was dumped overboard."
"Did wewe just say 'Sophie'?" Artemis asked. Boggs raised an eyebrow.
"Well yes, the third the victim...is there something wrong?"
"We deliberately kept Sophie's name out of the press." Artemis suspiciously glared at him.
"Oh, heh, I'm sure I've read it somewhere...Because I...I..." Boggs turns to run, but instead bumps into KF. Wally slams Boggs against a shelf. Masks fall down lifelessly on the floor.
"Lance Boggs, wewe are under arrest for the murder of Sophie Mills, Chanelle Pomeroy..." He takes out a pair of hand cuffs.
"No! Wait! Wait! I'm not the Maskmaker! I've just been talking to him!" Wally backs away.
"What...?!"
"Please allow me to explain. Follow me." Boggs leads the teens into the back and opens up a laptop. "This morning, I received an instant message from an individual claiming to be the Maskmaker. He offered to sell me an 'Original work'." Wally scans the chat log.
"Here it is. Whoever this is, he listed all three victims kwa name. Nobody but the police should know that info."
"So this really could be our guy?" Artemis asks.
"Yeah. Could be. Boggs, does this person emailing wewe have any idea what wewe look like?" Wally waits for a reply.
"I...I don't think so. Please, wewe have to believe me. I never would've made the purchase."
"That's too bad, because your about to." Wally begins to write a reply.
"Wait. You're actually going to try buy the mask?" Artemis asks with a confused reaction.
"Exactly. kwa the time the Maskmaker comes to deliver the merchandise, we'll be there to take him down. wewe got a problem with that?"
"No I just think wewe should negotiate the price."
"Your really think we should be bargaining with him?" Wally asks Artemis.
"Hey your pretending to be Lance Boggs, remember? He also may upendo masks, but he's also a shrewd businessman. He'd try for the best deal he can get."
"Shes right. I always lowball my opening bid." Boggs says. Wally puts his hand on his shoulder and lays his arm on his chest.
"Yeah okay that kinda makes sense to me. Good thinking" Wally cuts the offer kwa half and then presses 'send'. "Now lets see what happens next." An instant message pops up. It shows an address in the Portola.
"Hey it worked!" Artemis smiles and cheers.
"Yeah but hes only aliyopewa us fifteen dakika to get there. We better get moving. But first lets get a bite to eat. I'm starving!" Wally piggy backs Artemis out of the building with a vast of wind behind them.
To Be Continued...
Artemis wakes up her eyes barely open.
"Morning Arty" Artemis forces to open her eyes to see Wally standing at the end of her bed.
"I guess we need to work on the case?" Artemis yawns. Wally throws her her costume.
"First Robin needs to see us" he begins to walk out.
Artemis appeared in her archer costume and joined the boys in a room like a science lab.
"So I tested zaidi on Sophie. Bruising on her lungs and throat suggest mechanical asphyxiation. Your death-by-mask theory certainly looks solid." Robin explains. Suddenly, there's an excited squeal from the other side of the room. They see Zatanna seated in front of a row of computers.
"Guys I've got something!" she points to one of her monitors, where several complex picha have been overlaid for comparison.
"I ran a chemical analysis on the plaster in the masks and found trace iron impurities in the quartz"
"Uh okay, so?" Wally asked suddenly confused.
"So this particular composition indicates that the plaster was imported from Southern Europe. Tuscany, I think. So I've been looking and looking and I found that there's only one business in Gotham that imports its plaster directly from Southern Europe! Its called Italia Imports and Exports, its located in these coordinates" she hands them a paper. "And get this... According to their website, they also deal in exotic masks." The three Heroes lean over to the the monitor.
"Nice!" Robin says. Wally turns to Artemis.
"Lets roll" Wally piggybacks Artemis to the coordinates. Later they stand before a shabby building.
"I prefer buying my creepy death masks online. Lets go in." Wally replies. The teens step into the building. The shelves are lined with exotic masks. A carved wooden face with a straw mane stares down at them with blank eyes.
"Well that's creepy" Artemis says in a low voice.
"Its meant to be" A tall lanky man strides over.
"And wewe are?"
"My names Lance Boggs. Tell me miss, do wewe like exotic masks? If so, you've come to the right place"
"Actually were here for a crime" Artemis says.
"Regards to the Maskmaker killings?" Mr.Boggs's shifty eyes the rear exit.
"Yes. Were here because the Maskmaker is using plaster acquired from your business to murder innocent women." Wally says sternly. "We need to take a look at your records" Mr.Boggs rolls his eyes.
"Like I am going to onyesha them to some teenagers"
"Whats that supposed to mean?!" Wally seems pretty annoyed.
"You figure it with your brain" Mr.Boggs spits back. "Idiot" he whispers.
"What did wewe say?" Wally steps towards Mr.Boggs.
"A moment please. Excuse us" Artemis pushes Wally outside.
"What?"
"Keep with your attitude will just make him cover up even more. Stay out here. He obviously wont talk with wewe in there"
"And what are wewe going to do?" Wally crosses his arms.
"Wait and see" she enters the building while Wally listens through the window. Lance Boggs steps up behind Artemis, holding a box cutter.
"You again."
"I just want to apologize for my partner. He can be a little uncouth"
Uncouth. Boorish. Impertinent. He sickens me." Boggs steps closer. The box cutter glints.
"Please, my dear. Allow me to onyesha wewe something" he slices open a nearby box to reveal three masks.
"Wow their very impressive" Artemis says.
"Really? Any particular?" Boggs asks. Artemis sees a black demon mask with horns and an evil grin, a white plaster mask of a women's face and a wooden mask with a human figure on top.
"Yes I like the female mask"
"Oh the L'Inconnue de la Seine? Good choice. Its a inayopendelewa of mine as well. The man who created the original, was taken kwa the beauty of a drowned girl that he preserved the image of her face in the plaster."
"Sounds a bit like the Maskmaker's case doesn't it?" Artemis asks.
"Your right! Only in Sophie's case, the mask was made first, and then her body was dumped overboard."
"Did wewe just say 'Sophie'?" Artemis asked. Boggs raised an eyebrow.
"Well yes, the third the victim...is there something wrong?"
"We deliberately kept Sophie's name out of the press." Artemis suspiciously glared at him.
"Oh, heh, I'm sure I've read it somewhere...Because I...I..." Boggs turns to run, but instead bumps into KF. Wally slams Boggs against a shelf. Masks fall down lifelessly on the floor.
"Lance Boggs, wewe are under arrest for the murder of Sophie Mills, Chanelle Pomeroy..." He takes out a pair of hand cuffs.
"No! Wait! Wait! I'm not the Maskmaker! I've just been talking to him!" Wally backs away.
"What...?!"
"Please allow me to explain. Follow me." Boggs leads the teens into the back and opens up a laptop. "This morning, I received an instant message from an individual claiming to be the Maskmaker. He offered to sell me an 'Original work'." Wally scans the chat log.
"Here it is. Whoever this is, he listed all three victims kwa name. Nobody but the police should know that info."
"So this really could be our guy?" Artemis asks.
"Yeah. Could be. Boggs, does this person emailing wewe have any idea what wewe look like?" Wally waits for a reply.
"I...I don't think so. Please, wewe have to believe me. I never would've made the purchase."
"That's too bad, because your about to." Wally begins to write a reply.
"Wait. You're actually going to try buy the mask?" Artemis asks with a confused reaction.
"Exactly. kwa the time the Maskmaker comes to deliver the merchandise, we'll be there to take him down. wewe got a problem with that?"
"No I just think wewe should negotiate the price."
"Your really think we should be bargaining with him?" Wally asks Artemis.
"Hey your pretending to be Lance Boggs, remember? He also may upendo masks, but he's also a shrewd businessman. He'd try for the best deal he can get."
"Shes right. I always lowball my opening bid." Boggs says. Wally puts his hand on his shoulder and lays his arm on his chest.
"Yeah okay that kinda makes sense to me. Good thinking" Wally cuts the offer kwa half and then presses 'send'. "Now lets see what happens next." An instant message pops up. It shows an address in the Portola.
"Hey it worked!" Artemis smiles and cheers.
"Yeah but hes only aliyopewa us fifteen dakika to get there. We better get moving. But first lets get a bite to eat. I'm starving!" Wally piggy backs Artemis out of the building with a vast of wind behind them.
To Be Continued...
'a smile grew across her blood splattered face'
