Jacks Cats and Bats

by Jeff Baker

Author’s Note: The Draws for the March 2024 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge were: A crime story, involving a comic book, set on an outdoor stage. Here’s what I came up with.—jeff

I was sitting right in front of the stage when the man disappeared with the comic book.

I’d better explain.

My name is Marty Baxter. I’d been coming to the local Comic Book/SciFi convention since my best buddy “Street” Allan had helped start it up when we were kids in High school about twenty-five years ago. This year I’d finally decided to go in costume, as “The Jack Of Hearts” from Marvel Comics. I’d had a boyfriend who had gone to a party as a big playing card so I just adapted the outfit and painted half my face dark blue. I thought the character was pretty obscure but a couple of kids recognized who I was supposed to be which was pretty cool to a forty-something kid who hadn’t read a comic book in about a decade.

There were a bunch of other cos players there. A few Supermen, Batmen and Wonder Women as well as a guy dressed as Robin who looked just like Burt Ward. I saw a Nightshade, several versions of Catwoman and one guy dressed up as The Scarlet Spirit, right down to the flowing red robe and the red full face mask. Plus a lot of Doctor Whos.

The big attraction that year was a near-mint copy of Detective Comics #45, this one actually signed by Bill Finger. Finger was the uncredited co-creator and writer of Batman. The book was going to be auctioned off toward the end of the convention. It was expected to bring in a bundle.

I was there mainly to gawk and to listen to the panels. They held several of them outside, which is risky in Kansas but the weather cooperated and it was nice and warm. The table was long, they had it draped with a floor-length cover and they were in front of a big curtain. I sat through about three outdoor panels; they even had Marc Tyler Nobleman (the guy who had written a book about Bill Finger and gotten the late writer some long-overdue recognition.)

They were between panels and one of the panel moderators was on stage adjusting the microphones, when I heard a commotion. The man dressed as the Scarlet Spirit rushed onto the stage, carrying what I realized was the vintage comic with the Finger autograph.

The Scarlet Spirit shoved the moderator to the side and dove under the covered table. The moderator pulled the cover up from the back and looked under the table. After a moment he crawled out from under the front cover, his jaw dropped shaking his head as a security guard and my old buddy “Street” who was one of the convention officials ran on stage.

“That man with the valuable comic book, dressed like a red Klansman,” the security guard said.

“He’s gone…” the moderator said. “He just disappeared…just like the Scarlet Spirit…”

I jumped up to the stage. The security guy about threw me off.

“It’s okay, I was an M. P.” I explained.

“Member of Parliament?” the security guy asked. You gotta love rent-a-cops.

But Street vouched for me, so I quickly examined the full-length curtain behind the table. The rest of the stage was behind there and I remembered seeing a Shakespeare play here one evening years ago. I noticed a door at the back. From the placement of the building I gathered it led to the convention hall. I pushed on the door. Unlocked with the convention hall on a lower level behind it.

I stared down at the crowd and the vendors. The cos players were conspicuous. I did some quick mental math as Street and a couple more security guys and the moderator walked up to me.

“Street, trust me. Don’t let this guy go,” I said, pointing at the moderator. Street (who was bigger than I was) grabbed the moderator, who protested as I grabbed his cellphone. “Let’s hope I’m right,” I said as I hit re-dial keeping my eyes on the crowd.

Street and I watched as the valuable comic book was placed back under the glass case which the Scarlet Spirit had opened with a spare key.

“The cops took the moderator and his accomplice away and they’ll want you to go down to the station and explain everything, but I want to know; how did you know the panel moderator was part of it? How did the Scarlet Spirit disappear? And how did you know how to find the Scarlet Spirit when he’d taken off that costume?” Street asked.

“She,” I said grinning. “In the comics, the Scarlet Spirit could turn invisible but you can’t do that in real life. When that moderator made like he couldn’t see the Spirit it was a good act but I realized they must have been in on it together. The Scarlet Spirit must have ducked under the back curtain and handed the moderator that comic book, which we found under his jacket. He, I mean, she ditched the Scarlet Spirit costume in the trash and had a Catwoman outfit on underneath, to throw us off. But I’d taken notice of the Catwomen in the crowd and she was the only one dressed like the one from the 1960s TV. show. I’m not a Bi comics geek for nothing. I noticed that slinky outfit right off! All I had to do was hope the last person the moderator had phoned was her and that she had her cellphone on her and would answer when it rang.”

Street shook his head.

“She was, and she did.” I said.

I looked around the convention for a little bit before I went down to the police station, even though I probably wasn’t dressed for it. As I left the hall I saw some kid carrying a 1970s comic featuring The Scarlet Spirit.

—end—