Hi, everyone. Well, it's finally here, a little late on my deadline; but it took a while to get this chapter just right. Thanks for the reviews. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. I knew where I was going to end up when I started writing but kept going back and forth with who I wanted to be behind the whole thing. Anyway, this is the last chapter. Enjoy.

Chapter 15: The Culprit

In downtown Gotham, a man in a suit was waiting anxiously in a nice restaurant for his dinner guest to arrive. The man had a some bruises and cuts on his face, as well as a bandage covering his nose. He stood up to greet the 3 men approaching his table. The man in the middle took off his hat to place on the table, revealing his bald head. The bandaged man bowed before the bald man as he shook his hand. The injured man and bald man took a seat as the other two men remained standing.

"Don Falcone, it is always an honor-"

"Cut the crap, Arnie." The Don interrupted as one of the associates behind him handed the boss a newspaper. "You know why I called you here."

"Yes, sir." Arnie replied.

"You see, when I hire someone to do a job," Carmine stated while thumbing through the newspaper, "I believe they are capable of getting that job done correctly."

"Yes, Don Falcone." The employee agreed.

"Then do you mind explaining this to me." Falcone stated as he put the article about the lost and recently found circus baby in front of the nervous man.

"I can explain, Don." The nervous employee replied. "I was on my way to the safe house with the baby when-"

"Why did you take the baby in the first place?" The boss asked.

"I don't understand." Arnie replied. "That's the job you hired me to do. You told me you wanted me to take the circus' newest addition so you can negotiate with Mr. Haley for ransom and a future protection fee.

"You idiot." The Don muttered under his breath as shook his head in disbelief. "I was talking about their new elephant act, Zitka." He pointed to the elephant calf in a panoramic picture of the whole circus crew in the article.

"Oh. Uh, well… I-I didn't know." The man grew even more anxious.

"Let me make one thing clear, Arnie." Falcone declared. "In all my years building this business from the ground up, I have been very explicit about leaving children out of adult matters. I do this not only as a code of morality, but as a way to protect my own children."

"Yes, Don." The bandaged man agreed.

"Have you been drinking again, Arnie?" The boss asked.

Arnie looks down at the table, avoiding eye contact with his boss.

"Arnie…" Falcone probed.

"I may have had a few beers before I got your call about the job." He confessed.

"Of course you did." Falcone scoffed. "So, how did you manage to return the baby anyway?"

"Well, the thing is," The nervous man tried to stall. "I don't know exactly how the baby made it back to the circus. I guess I got lost on my way to the safe house the night I took

him and someone must have knocked me out and took him. That's how I got these." He gestured to the wounds on his face.

"Interesting." The Don replied. "Because some associates of mine claimed they saw you at the new Cash Cow Casino on Debauchery Row. Which, by the way, happens to be my casino; the night you were supposed to take the elephant. And they said you got kicked out for counting cards, but none of them mention you being bruised up beforehand. Want to try again?"

"Alright, alright." Arnie took a deep breath. "My memory's a little hazy from the concussion I got that night. But, I admit, when I was on my way to the safe house I saw the sign for the casino down the road. It's been awhile since I've got called for a job and was eager to enhance my recent income."

The insulted Don Falcone stared down the injured man.

"Well, the safe house was still a bit of a walk away and I know kids ain't allowed at casinos." Arnie reasoned. "So I tried to find a spot where no one would find him. I couldn't leave him out in the open in front of the casino, so I found a dumpster that was pretty much empty, in the alley behind the casino to keep him hidden until I was done. I was only planning on staying for maybe a half hour, but then I had a few drinks and lost track of time. Next thing I know, I'm talking to a cocktail waitress when the bouncer picks me up and throws me out the back door, where I must have I blacked out for a while."

Arnie rubbed his head as if trying to invoke more memories.

"When I came to," he added. "I heard sirens and instinctively ran in the opposite direction. I finally made it back to my apartment when I realized I forgot the baby in the dumpster. I went back to the dumpster, but the kid wasn't there. I thought maybe the people at the club found him. I figured whoever found him would hand him over to the police and they'd return him to his folks."

"Let me get this straight..." The Don countered. "When you dropped the ball on a job I paid you good money to do, which you screw up from the beginning; you relied on the kindness of strangers to fix up your mess?"

"I-I, uh. It's not.." Arnie replied, lost for words.

"When Carmine Falcone pays someone to do a job." The Don stated. "You better get the job done right. I have been planning this whole thing for over 3 months. I scheduled a business trip out of town when the circus was here to throw off suspicion. I had a dossier with all the details privately delivered to you express mail, which you obviously didn't read. I arranged for a moving truck to be waiting for you and the elephant up near the fairgrounds, which you never retrieved. And at your request, I even paid a deposit in advance to show good faith in your abilities. And you had the nerve to start pissing that money before you even got the job done?"

"Don Falcone, I am incredibly sorry." Arnie groveled. "I'll do anything to make up for it."

"Refunding my deposit would be a nice start." The Don demanded.

"I would give you every cent back if I could, sir." Arnie said. "But I must have spent all my money at the casino. When I got home, I only had $18 in my wallet. It's the truth, Boss."

The Don chuckled mockingly.

"Doesn't matter, I'll get my money back one way or another." The boss stated. "But you, Arnie; you're done here in Gotham. You have 24 hours to get out of this town. And if I ever see your face around here again, it will be the last time anyone sees your face."

Falcone snapped his fingers and the guard to his right grabbed the protesting Arnie and dragged him to the backhouse of the restaurant and threw him out near the dumpster as the restaurant patrons and staff actively ignored what was going on to avoid the repercussions of seeming too nosy about Falcone's business affairs.

"That's the problem with this business, Joe." The boss commented to his remaining guard. "There's no work ethic anymore. After a while people get lazy and sloppy with the work they actually do because everyone around here knows each other and thinks that guarantees job security. Everyone thinks they're irreplaceable."

After his second guard returned, Falcone and his associates left the table and headed for the front door. As they reached the door, a young man followed the group of older men.

"Excuse me, Mr. Falcone." The bus boy shyly spoke up. "You forgot your hat."

"It seems I have." The Don realized when he saw the boy carefully holding the hat as he reached for it. "Thanks...?"

"I'm Tony, sir." The bus boy answered "Tony Zucco."

"Well, Tony." The Don acknowledged as he put on his hat, "You must have decent parents to be such an honest kid."

"My parents died a long time ago, sir." Tony informed the Don.

"Sorry to hear that." The Don responded sincerely.

"It's okay, I was adopted a few years ago," Tony added. "But my adoptive mother ran off with another man and my adoptive father is in prison. But I never considered them my parents, anyway."

"That's rough, kid." The intrigued mob boss said before he reached an epiphany. "So how old are you, Tony?"

"I turn 18 next month." The bus boy answered.

"Well, if you ever get tired of bussing tables…" Falcone said as he handed the boy a business card. "Feel free to give me a call and maybe we can find a more lucrative career."

"Wow, thank you, Mr. Falcone." Tony thanked the man as he and his associates left the restaurant before returning to work.

"Carmine, you got to be joking." Joe said once the three men were outside.

"Are you really going to start hiring kids?" The other guard asked.

"Remember what I was talking about when Paul was taking care of Arnie?" The Don refreshed Joe's memory. "Everyone in this industry is getting careless and lazy thinking they can't be replaced. I say it's time we start looking to a new generation and give those lazy bums a run for their money."

THE END

Well, that's all folks. Hope you liked it.