Catwoman #32

Issue Details

Synopsis

RACE OF THIEVES PART 3 - HIJACK Roulette's next test in her race of thieves is a real race on tribal land, outside of federal jurisdiction. As such, anything goes. Though Catwoman bets she is a long shot to win, she believes she will, all the same. While the contestants begin to get aggressive with each other, Selina spots her friend Rat-Tail among them, and beckons him into her car, making him take the wheel.   Twelve hours ago, Selina had helped to bring new light to a near-century old murder case. Officer Eddy Gillbrite was charged with the investigation by a private citizen. Selina assumed it was Rita Viceroy, a descendant of the victim. Unfortunately, the coroner was less invested in the case than he. Selina suspects that Eddy is invested because he's fallen in love with Rita. Eddy has since found that the motive for the murder was likely a child out of wedlock. The will went missing and all trace of that child vanished.   As the race continues, Interpol takes interest, and orders everyone to stop their vehicles. Naturally, everyone speeds up.   While Gillbrite was distracted by Rita, Selina used the opportunity to look over the collected evidence, wondering if the deceased's cosmetics might have been laced with something, or if the missing finger might indicate an attempt to steal a ring. When the Coroner suggested that they all get out of his lab, Eddy claimed that he had solved the case - a matricide by the son who didn't want his inheritance going to an illegitimate child. The coroner disagrees. He pointed out that she had a significant amount of arsenic in her system - which he tested via her severed finger - a likely result of using the poison to give her a paler pallor. She was shot after she was dead of arsenic poisoning.   Nine hours ago, Catwoman broke into the mansion of Hunt Stone, whose money would fund the prize for the race - though, against his will. Roulette claims to have taken his child hostage, but she found that none of the rooms in his house had more than one chair in them. The only evidence of a child she found was a disturbing cast of a baby's face. It was old, but she suspected that she could still pull a finger print from it.   When Interpol's helicopters begin firing rockets at the contestants, Catwoman begins to wonder if they really are Interpol. Surely an international police force would not kill people so recklessly. Rather than let them continue, she hooks a tow-line to the chopper, and drags it into a crash. Neck-and-neck with Mirror Master, Catwoman spots Vice and Swindle arguing about the fact that they were hired to kill the other racers by Roulette. Annoyed, she returns to the race, hoping to catch up with Roulette's train.   After checking Hunt's mansion, Selina returned to the coroner's office and demanded to know who really hired Gillbrite. He admits, eventually, that it was Roulette. Selina realized then that the face cast she discovered was related to the murder case. It likely belonged to the illegitimate child of the old Viceroy woman and one of Hunt's ancestors. She warned Gillbrite that he would have to solve the crime if he wanted to keep Rita's affections - even if he was being paid not to solve it. Afterward, Catwoman spotted Alice Tesla's signal, and learned that her friend had designed her a special car, just for the race.   Now, she pulls up next to Roulette's train in that vehicle, as Mirror Master speeds toward the finish line. Catwoman's goal, though, is reached, as soon as she clambers up onto the roof of the train. In accordance with their plan, Mirror Master places a massive mirror across the tracks in order to trick the driver into stopping the train early. Unfortunately, it doesn't work, and there's a collision.   At the finish line, both Catwoman and Mirror Master are stopped by detectives Alvarez and Keyes. The thieves quickly disarm the detectives, and suggest that the pair focus their policing on the actual crime. Grinning, Keyes and Alvarez thank Catwoman for winning the race, as they put money down on her victory. Catwoman suggests that they are mistaken, pointing out that a much older man in a jeep really won - and she put all her money on him.   Hoping to get her hands on Roulette, Catwoman leads Mirror Master and Rat-Tail onto the train, only to find that Roulette is gone. Angrily, she swears that she will catch up with her.