Chapter 35: Clues
In a massive dressing room within Osborn Manor, Harry Osborn carefully selected a suit that was neither overly ostentatious nor failed to show sufficient importance.
He hadn't forgotten yesterday's instructions from his father Norman after leaving the police station—he needed to visit Spencer's family.
"Hope Spencer's son and wife won't be too grief-stricken. I'm not very good at consoling people."
Fully dressed, Harry crossed the manor's first-floor hall straight to the garage, deciding to drive a more low-key vehicle.
"Harry, where are you going?" Norman Osborn was curled on the first-floor sofa wrapped in a blanket. Hearing Harry's footsteps, he looked up.
"Father, why aren't you resting in the bedroom again?"
Only then did Harry notice Norman huddled on the sofa. He quickly approached his father.
"I... I don't know. I've been having nightmares these past days, dreaming of demons laughing madly in my ears. I tried sleeping pills, but they don't seem to help much."
Norman gripped the blanket tightly.
"Father, the company's situation is putting too much pressure on you." Harry poured a glass of hot water and placed it on the coffee table. "I'm going to Spencer's house. I'll be back soon."
Osborn Manor's garage was on the manor's west side. Harry's gaze swept across various sports cars, finally settling on the relatively understated Cadillac his father often drove.
Casually turning on the car radio, Harry carefully recalled Spencer Smythe's apartment address.
"...Following Oscorp's tragedy and the disaster of Dr. Otto becoming 'Doctor Octopus,' New York has experienced another violent incident."
News played on the radio. Harry shook his head. He didn't want to hear more of this.
Just as he was about to change stations, the radio voice made his movements completely freeze:
"Last night at dawn, a mother and son in a Queens apartment had their hearts brutally removed. The killer attempted arson afterward to cover the crime."
"According to investigation, the deceased were the son and wife of Oscorp robotics expert Spencer Smythe..."
Harry's mind went blank. His finger already on the car radio button had lost even the strength to press down.
One second ago he'd planned to visit Spencer's home. The next second he heard news of their brutal deaths.
Harry could almost imagine Spencer's despair learning this news in the detention room.
The car radio voice paused several seconds before the host spoke again, this time with barely suppressed panic:
"Apologies, breaking news... Also last midnight, renowned robotics expert Spencer Smythe committed suicide in his detention cell."
"These successive tragedies all connected to Oscorp raises questions whether this multinational corporation will completely collapse."
"What cruel killer created this series of murders?"
Snap!
Harry stumbled from the car, slamming the door heavily, staggering all the way to the garden before the manor entrance, as if only sunlight could provide some sense of security.
Today was bright and sunny, yet Harry inexplicably felt cold, as if everything around might transform into evil spirits that would tear his heart from his chest alive.
Since his memories began, those researchers including Spencer had worked at Oscorp. But now these people were dying one after another. Harry almost couldn't help imagining someday he'd be brutally murdered like them.
Simultaneously Harry understood why his father Norman had been having frequent nightmares.
"Harry."
Just as Harry shivered under the sun, Batman arrived as Peter.
"Peter!"
Harry hurried before Batman, as if having this close friend nearby could provide some security.
Batman held no memories of Peter, no emotional connection to this "best friend" Harry Osborn.
But he needed this identity to complete his return to Gotham, so he could only maximize his acting to maintain the persona.
Saying "sorry" in his heart, Batman's face showed concern, patting Harry's shoulder:
"The murders are intricately connected to Osborn. I know as Oscorp's heir you bear tremendous pressure..."
"You have two choices now: let pressure crush you, let doubt consume you... or use it as fuel. Cooperate with police to uncover the truth—not for stock prices, but for those who can no longer speak."
After speaking, Batman held his breath. The hand patting Harry's shoulder produced a batarang, releasing a small amount of sedative gas before flicking his wrist to throw it far away.
Words couldn't match sedative gas effectiveness. Soon Harry's emotions stabilized:
"Peter, you should have called ahead. I'd have had the butler arrange a car to pick you up."
"With this series of events happening, how could I continue troubling you?" Batman shook his head.
Harry led Batman from the garden toward the manor. Approaching the door, his steps paused. He looked puzzled at Batman:
"But... Peter, I haven't told you anything. How do you know what made me emotional?"
Batman also stopped, looking at Harry in silence for two seconds:
"Right now news, newspapers... the entire city is full of Oscorp-related information."
....
"Yet Peter still came to visit. Harry, many years from now when you're old, you must never forget you once had this friend who shared hardships with you."
Norman pushed open the manor door. He looked much better than when huddled on the sofa earlier.
"Father."
Harry called out. In his eyes, Peter's arrival and Norman's improved mental state were both causes for happiness, except the sedative gas temporarily prevented joy.
"Peter, by rights you should be at school today. What brings you to Harry?" Norman looked at Batman.
"Recent news made me worry about Harry. Plus he didn't come to school... I had to check on him." Batman found himself a nearly perfect reason.
Norman nodded, grinning at Batman:
"You haven't visited Osborn Manor in quite some time. Have Harry show you around. I need to go out for media interviews and cooperate with police."
Batman didn't speak. Instead, he stared at Norman for several seconds.
Just as Harry sensed the atmosphere seemed off, Batman finally spoke:
"Mr. Norman, your hair needs fixing."
"Really?" Norman touched his hair, discovering his usually meticulously combed black-and-white hair was indeed flattened down, like someone who'd just removed a hat. "Thanks for the reminder. I should pay attention to appearance."
With that, he hurriedly left through the door, leaving Harry standing confused.
....
"Thanks for the reminder. According to abnormal electricity usage timepoints provided by New York's power bureau, the time of the Osborn underground Level 3 tragedy doesn't match Dr. Otto's timeline."
"He was in the sewers connecting experimental equipment to power then. Equipment operation time was uninterrupted—manual operation records every few minutes. Dr. Otto remained in the sewers without leaving."
At Manhattan Police Station, George Stacy looked at data his assistant Auggie submitted from the power bureau:
"We arrested Dr. Otto suspecting he caused the Level 3 tragedy. But currently this appears completely mistaken."
"The killer is someone else."
***
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