"Slowly, darling." She crooned, soft fingertips skipping along the man's scalp. "You've input the numbers to the safe hundreds of times, recite them slowly with me..."

"Left to four."

"Left to four." She repeated.

"Right to twelve."

"Right to twelve."

"Left to sixteen and pull."

"Left to sixteen," Minerva mimicked, "...and pull! Very good darling, now, you're going up the stairs again, one step, and you can feel your fingertips. Two steps and you can feel your legs. Three steps, you're starting to wake up... four steps, your eyes are so light they might-- ah, Mr. Horwitz!"

The man blinked blearily. "Where... Minerva?"

"Yes, darling?"

"I must have dozed off during that scalp massage." He yawned, sitting up. "That was wonderful, Minerva, I see why you're famous with Gotham's upper crust."

"You flatter me, darling. Now you'll find jacket and valuables at the front desk."

"Thanks Minerva, I feel a new man. You're truly a life saver."

"Oh, trust me," she laughed a light chime-like laugh, "The pleasure is all mine."

"News broke early this morning of a robbery at the house of multimillionaire TV producer Howie Horwitz..."

"Another one?" Dick interrupted the television set, he was still clad in his pyjamas, having only just woken up. "How does this new gang keep escaping us?"

Bruce frowned. "It's the same MO as the others: no alarms, nothing broken, just a safe left open and empty."

"You think they've got a lock breaker?"

"Maybe..."

There was the soft clearing of a distinguished throat, and the two turned to find a faithful butler stood in the doorway. "If you'll permit me, sir, I am familiar with Mr. Horwitz's personal housekeeper, I'm sure if I could take her to tea this afternoon she'd be more than willing to share anything strange she might have noticed before the robbery."

"Good idea, Alfred." Bruce checked his watch. "I almost forgot, I need to sign off on those diamonds being used for the gemstone exhibition..."

"Diamonds?" Dick asked.

"They're not mine, but they've been assigned my legal protection by a couple friends overseas." Bruce explained. "It's just for the exhibition, and then they're being shipped back to safety."

"Bruce, you don't think... I mean... a gemstone exhibition..."

"No." Bruce dismissed. "We've taken every precautions and I'll spray the gems with a low-radioactive dust so that we can track them if they're stolen." Bruce shook his head. "No, there's no need to worry about the diamonds. Right now I'm worried about these robberies..."

"Going to work?" Barbara asked, mouth full of cereal.

"Four robberies in two weeks, I've got half the rich people in Gotham breathing down my neck..."

Barbara frowned. "And there was no evidence at the scene?"

"Not even a forced lock. It's as if they were let in." Her father pecked her on the cheek. "I'll keep in touch."

"Yeah..." She murmured. "Yeah, me too."

The Saturday afternoon passed slowly for Dick, he had a test on physical and chemical change coming up, and though he tried to study, his mind was taken over with the robberies. How could they get in without triggering any alarms, without any damage to the safes? It was like they knew of every precaution and how to evade it, it baffled him.

When Alfred returned home around four 'o' clock, the three residents met in the batcave, along with Barbara Gordon.

"It seems Mr. Horwitz had attended a new mineral spa the day prior to the burglary." Alfred confided. "He was referred there by Mr. Dozier."

"He was robbed too." Babs interjected. "I heard dad talking about it. "

"What's the place called?"

"I believe it is called Minerva's."

"Minerva's Mineral Spa..." Bruce finished.

"You've heard of it?" Dick asked

"Yes, it's become very popular among Gotham's elite..." Bruce frowned. "The same Gotham elite that have been getting robbed these past few weeks."

"Great!" Dick exclaimed. "Let's get in there and bust some skulls!"

"Not yet." His guardian warned. "We don't know for sure that they have anything to do with the robberies."

Dick got quiet. "I'm still worried about that diamond exhibition."

"No, all these other robberies have been personal possessions taken from safes and vaults, if someone comes after them it won't be these thieves."

"Then what do we do?" Barbara asked.

"Bruce Wayne got an invitation to Minerva's spa about two weeks ago." Bruce stood. "I think we'd better have a look around."

"Mr. Wayne." Minerva sung, leaning on the counter. She was a beautiful woman, her twisty blonde hair pulled into an intricate style atop her head. "You've finally come by, I was hoping I would get to see you soon."

"Yes, my busy schedule let up this afternoon, and I thought I'd finally take you up on your offer."

"Very good, if you'll give me your coat and valuables for protection, my assistants Paris and Helen will lead you to the change room."

"You won't mind if my ward, Dick, waits out here for me?" Bruce asked.

"Why of course not." She cooed, leaning further over the counter so as to see the boy. "I've always been very fond of children."

Once Bruce had been lead into the spa, Dick sat in a chair just new enough to be uncomfortable, and scanned the waiting room. It was empty, but was clearly used to hosting, as it was impeccably clean; a beaded chandelier hung low over a solid-looking coffee table.

The minutes ticked by at a snail's pace. If there was anything amiss in this place, it certainly wasn't in the waiting room.

Minerva watched him from behind the counter. "Perhaps I should put out some colouring sheets in future," She mused, "That way you are not so bored?"

A young man-- one of the two assistants who'd escorted Bruce deeper into the building, entered. "Minerva, Mr. Wayne is ready for your vitamin scalp massage."

"Wonderful." She grinned, her heels clicking down the hallway as she followed him to one of the many rooms down the hall.

As soon as the two were gone, Dick leapt to his feet. He crept behind the counter. It was far too tall for him to reach, forcing him to use a supplies box to reach it.

Glancing around, he opened the appointment book, flipping to the page from the previous week. Three names were underlined in red: Mrs. Shubert, Mr. Converse, Mr. Dozier. Dick fished around in his pocket, removing his phone, and began snapping photographs.

There was a footstep in the hall. Dick jumped off the box, kicking it back against the wall.

By the time the man named Paris reentered the waiting room, Dick was back in his seat, staring out the window in mock boredom. He eyed the boy suspiciously.

"I don't get it." Barbara said aloud. "I found no records of Minerva on file at GPD: no criminal offenses, no violations of patient confidentiality, not even a negative review! There's nothing about her except an Appearance Enhancement Operations license in her name."

"Perhaps you are searching the wrong name." Alfred proposed.

"I though of that, but if she has changed her identity, she's done a good job. It's like she just popped up out of no where one day. She sighed, "I hope the others is having more success than we are."

Wrapped in the plain white robe he'd been offered, Bruce was ushered into one of the private massage rooms.

"This part I always do personally." Minerva said, entering from the opposite door. "I've tried to train my staff, but none of them have mastered the vitamin scalp massage quite yet. Sit down, please."

He did. "This is quite the establishment you run, Minerva." Bruce said. "That steam room is definitely something..."

"I'm so glad you're enjoying yourself." She stood behind him, fingers sinking into his hair. "I am so excited to see your contributions to the gemstone exhibition,"

"Well, it's not really my contribution, they're just using my vault."

"Ah yes, your vault." She muttered. "Are you relaxed, Mr. Wayne?"

"I am, thank you."

"Good." Her painted lips twisted into a smile. "I'm going to count backwards from five." She whispered. "I want you to imagine going down a flight of stairs..." Her soft fingertips drummed on his skull. "Five, let your exhaustion take over, you must be a very busy man... four, and the numbness of sleep takes over your hands and your feet... three--"

Bruce's eyes shot open. "I'm-- I'm sorry Minerva, I just remembered I have an appointment with some investors this afternoon."

Minerva stepped back, surprised. She quickly recovered. "Oh course, Mr. Wayne. Why don't I give you a voucher? You can return whenever you are free?"

"Yes, thank you." Bruce stood, hastily padding to the change room.

"That was quick." Dick remarked.

"I remembered something important." Bruce said, retrieving his things from the front desk. He thanked Minerva one last time and made for the door, Dick on his heels. "Did you find anything?" He asked as they crossed the parking lot.

"Do the names Shubert, Converse and Dozier ring a bell?"

"Victims of the robberies last week." Bruce realized.

"So that's our evidence? Dick asked. "All the victims attended this spa!"

"Looks like it..." Bruce hummed. "But the question is, is it correlational or causal?"

"What?"

"I mean, were they robbed because they went here, or did they happen to go here because they run in the same social circle, and got robbed because they're all wealthy?" He stopped in his tracks.

"What is it?" Dick asked.

"Something happened back there, I-- I hesitate to even suggest it, but-- I'm almost certain Minerva was trying to get into my mind..."