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It's Cisco that finally tracks Hartley down. Barry hadn't told him why, only that it was important. Using a combination of known and extrapolated sightings of Pied Piper, Cisco finds the most likely (but unlikely) base of operations. Rathaway Industries. Hartley is hiding in plain sight in the R&D department of his parents’ own business headquarters under an alias. It's both genius and as Cisco puts it ‘bat-shit-crazy’ which, Joe supposes, probably fits with Hartley Rathaway. What little he knows of him, anyway.Joe doesn't let Barry go in with him, trusting the neutrality of the location and that Hartley would want to keep his identity hidden. He's shown to a small meeting room and asked to wait. When Hartley is shown in, he's already on guard, hackles up as he skirts the edge of the room to the opposite end of the table. Joe can see him fiddling with something in his hand that he's fairly sure will do his eardrums some damage if Hartley feels the need to run.“My supervisor said you wanted to speak with me, Detective?” Comes the deceptively soft question.“Yes, thank you for taking the time. I know you're all very busy here...” The niceties only last until said supervisor is gone and Hartley looks at him with a shrewd gaze until something he hears gives him leave to act naturally. He stands up and Joe follows suit, shifting into a defensive posture.Hartley just huffs in amusement and leans back against the wall. “Cisco found me, I'm sure.... The question is why. I've stayed pretty quiet. Haven't gone out on any dams lately.”“You have robbed some jewelry stores and tech warehouses, though.”“Purely speculative data points.” Rathaway returns dismissively.And Joe has to remind himself he's not here to arrest him for theft. He takes a deep breath to keep from rising to the bait and that seems to make Hartley more nervous. Damn. The kid is so used to fighting at this point that it's a calmer mindset for him to be in than not. He knows how hard the kid has had it. Especially now. His mind flashes back to that scared twenty-two year old, hurting and trying to hide it in bravado until he realizes his boss would find out what happened. “Hartley.....”Hartley's fidgeting with that little toy again and watching him, eyes sharp and shuttered. “I'm sorry I didn't recognize you the last time I saw you. When you went up against Wells and Flash.”Hartley straightens now and Joe can see him warring with himself how to respond. “Well, it wasn't like any investigation actually got done past going to the club. Barely a blip in the radar of the department. I wasn't expecting anything else.”Joe can practically see the hairs on Hartley's arms standing on end and he sighs. He doesn't try to defend the investigation. Hartley had most likely been privy to all of it. “There were just no leads at the time.” He agrees“....At the time....” Hartley echoes.Joe nods. “There's been a break. In the case.”“I don't.... ....” Joe watches the young man become uncertain for the first time since the incident itself. Hartley shakes his head and braces his hand on the wall. “What's.....”He can't get the rest of the question out but Joe knows well enough what he's asking. “You’ll want to sit down. It'll be easier.”Hartley stops moving altogether and Joe curses geniuses and their intellects because he can see the moment it hits Rathaway on why he would need to be seated for the information. Why the knowledge should hit him as hard as Joe thinks it would. Joe rushes forward as the man covers his mouth and staggers. He catches him by the shoulders as Hartley's knees stop holding him up. “... ... ... Oh God...” Joe can see the horror in Hartley's eyes as the boy turns, expression begging for his conclusion to be wrong. Joe just pulls him in against him, closing his own eyes against the sting in them.Joe gives Hartley a soft tug to get them seated on the floor more stably. Hartley's started breathing too quickly and Joe slows his own breath to begin leading him out of the panic, giving quiet instructions on Hartley's own breathing and thoughts, slowing the boy down carefully. “How did you find out?” Hartley finally asks as his breathing steadies, fine trembles continue to course along his limbs as he starts to shift away from Joe again.“Back when I first suspected Wells of killing Nora Allen, Cisco and I found some blood still in the house. I had Cisco compare it against every database, specifically including Wells's DNA profile. We recently synched the systems.”Hartley lets out a wet breath. “That fucking bastard....” He shakes his head. “I.....” He shakes his head in disbelief. “I was being headhunted. Mercury Labs and General Eiling both. I never would have gone with the military but.... I always liked Dr. McGee and I felt that S.T.A.R., that Wells, didn't foster a professional enough atmosphere.” His tone is disgusted as he explains. “I stayed because of how he treated me afterwards. He was so kind. So patient..... He made me feel comfortable. He made me feel safe.” The boy spits the word.Joe could see it. He could see quite clearly how that could work on someone as young and as hurt as Rathaway was. It had only been five years since he'd lost his home. It was his first job out of college and he probably didn't have very many friends, if any at all. “He was an expert manipulator.”Hartley chuckles darkly. “He definitely got his money's worth with me... ... Thank you, Detective.” Joe watches Hartley struggle to his feet, once open features closing off again now that the shock has passed.Joe gets to his own feet and Hartley is holding out his hand. He takes the proffered hand to shake, “Will you be alright?”Hartley shrugs, “Well, I'm going to have to tender a resignation, create a new alias, and come to grips with the fact that I had an affair with my rapist who turned out to be a psychotic murderer.” His thumb strokes Joe's wrist enticingly just once before he pulls away. “I'll be fine. I'm pretty good at landing on my feet.” Hartley swallows thickly, “Stay kind, Detective. There's not enough of that in the world.” Joe nods sadly, watching the young genius go, wrist still tingling where Hartley's thumb had been.