Chapter 151: Party and Umbrella (Part 3)_1

"So now, Mr. Cobblepot, are you willing to cooperate with my treatment?"

In the ward of Arkham Psychiatric Hospital, Shiller moved a chair and sat next to Cobblepot's bed. Cobblepot was still staring at the ceiling, but he subtly nodded his head.

"Alright, first question, was it your first time killing someone when you killed Old Edward?"

Instantly, Cobblepot's arm, constrained by the splint, stiffened. His hand trembled slightly, then clenched. He turned his head to look at Shiller, unable to maintain silence any longer. He asked, "How did you know?"

"Answer my question first."

Cobblepot's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as if he wanted to provide an answer, but eventually, he didn't speak, only nodded instead.

"It was the Godfather's command, wasn't it?"

Cobblepot didn't answer. He simply said, "I swear to God, I will not reveal any——"

"Alright then, you don't have to say anymore. I'll say it for you."

"The Godfather needed an excuse to have a fight with Little Edward, so he asked you to kill Old Edward and frame his nephew."

"Making the move to kill at the Godfather's son's coming-of-age ceremony, no one would object however he chose to deal with the Edward Family afterwards."

"Nobody would ever think that a skinny umbrella boy bullied by colleagues and teased by patrons would turn out to be an assassin given a major task by the Godfather."

"If that was indeed your first time killing, I should say that you have considerable innate talent. The washroom was handled cleanly, and the escape route was excellently planned without bumping into any guests..."

Cobblepot turned to glare at Shiller. It seemed Shiller's evaluation left him dumbfounded. After all, no normal person would see things from this perspective.

"Alright, let's put the past behind." Shiller flipped a page of the medical record and said, "Explain what happened recently."

"I advise you to be more forthcoming since I'm not a police officer. The police might be helpless against you because you are a minor and mentally unstable."

"But I'm different. Right now, I am the only one in all of Gotham willing to treat this kind of mental illnesses and confident that I can cure it. If you don't say anything, I won't keep you a bed here."

Cobblepot's mouth turned down, looking extremely sinister, with a maturity beyond his years.

Then he spoke, his voice hoarse and low. "I am indeed the godfather's man. I don't know why he chose me, but I did his bidding and killed Old Edward for him."

"You must have guessed what I want to know…" Shiller said without lifting his head.

"He sent me to the Living Hell to watch everyone there. He doesn't trust anyone there. Every corner of Gotham should be under Falcone's rule…"

"So, I joined the biggest gang in that place, the Mooney Gang, and became Fish Mooney's underling…"

"She didn't care about me, even disliked me quite a bit, but at least at that time she was still sane. I was just sidelined, but that was okay, I was used to it…"

There was a certain numbness in Cobblepot's voice. It was evident that he had trouble articulating some words. The effects of the sedatives had not completely worn off, resulting in his disjointed narrative.

"Later, I went to work for Kevin. It was a betrayal to Fish, but I had no choice. Kevin gave me what I wanted…"

Cobblepot's lips trembled as if he was about to slip into an excited state again. He said, "I kept rising in the ranks there, from just a mere techie to the person in charge of a restaurant's supplies…"

His tone took on a wistful note as if sketching a fantastical image. Cobblepot continued, "The restaurant is exactly the type I dream of, both grand and luxurious. Mob bosses coming and going, all of them being respectful to the restaurant's owner…"

"I knew what I wanted then, yes… just like that…"

"Calm down and continue." Shiller's voice shattered Cobblepot's illusion, stopping his growing excitement.

Cobblepot swallowed, let out a dry exhalation, and then said, "I got there, was appreciated, and was assigned to oversee the tap water system…"

"My colleagues were all fools, but that didn't matter. It served my purpose. I was quickly promoted and even became a minor leader..."

"The feeling was too wonderful…" Blood vessels on Cobblepot's neck bulged as his body started trembling again, "It felt so good... I began giving orders, directing the work, having the upper hand…"

He quickly stopped, slipping back into a rigid state, and then sneered, "Therefore... I want more power! More territory! Nobody can stop me!"

"Kevin... oh... yes, they call him Black Hand Kevin. A resounding name. He was the first one blocking my path..." Cobblepot's voice once again became low.

"After I took control of the entire tap water system of the North District, he felt that I would threaten his position."

"Indeed, that fool didn't understand anything. Following him would only lead to starvation, but it was different with me. Many in the gang saw the truth and began supporting me, which shook that fool's position…"