When Churches Come Crashing Down
Folc4evernaday
Part 17
***
The next morning, Lois sat at her desk, sifting through her and Clark’s files on the attempted robbery at S.T.A.R. Labs. Something about the whole incident made no sense to her. Why would a world-famous journalist risk their career for something so frivolous as a robbery?
“What are you working on?” Clark whispered from behind her as he placed a peck on her cheek.
She smiled, turning to face him as he placed a cup of steaming coffee in front of her. “Thanks.” She took a sip of the coffee. “I’m going over this story on the break in at S.T.A.R. Labs.” Lois gestured to the files in front of her. “Nothing makes any sense here.”
“When has ANY investigation made any sense?” He asked, teasingly.
“I’m serious.” Lois continued as Clark took a seat next to her. “How do you go from world famous journalist to fugitive so quickly?”
“Well, maybe there’s more to it than that.”
Lois looked at him perplexed for a moment, “You mean another explanation other than the fact that she lost her mind?”
Clark took the police report from her and scanned it shaking his head. “What do we know about her other than the fact that she moonlights as an accomplice to armed robbery?”
“She’s a vulture and loves sleaze. Probably has some sort of relation to the rats in Suicide Slum.” At Clark’s reproving look, she sighed, “I guess I could have Jimmy run a background check….”
“Please contain your excitement, Lois.” Clark teased, “What gives? You’re usually chomping at the bit when it comes to investigations like this.”
Lois stared at the phone for a moment then back at her husband, “I guess I’m just….distracted.” She said.
Clark sighed, understanding the meaning. “He’ll call when he knows.” They were both sure Dr. Klein would confirm their gut feeling that Jesse and Jordan were the same person, but that didn’t make the waiting period any easier.
“I know. It’s just hard. I’m not a very patient person.” Lois said slightly deflated. “I just ….I need to know. We need to know so we know how to move forward.”
“I know.” Clark smiled weakly at her.
“Lois!”
Both of their heads turned to face a fuming Lucy Lane as she stormed towards them.
“Lucy, what are you doing here?” Lois asked in concern.
“What am I doing here?” Lucy mocked, “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because SOMEONE opened their mouth about my private business….”
“What are you talking about?” Lois asked.
“That’s okay. Play dumb.” Lucy mocked. “Did you tell everyone or just the whole newsroom?”
“Tell everyone what?” Clark asked.
“Stop trying to protect her.” Lucy snapped, “I cannot believe you! I came and told you I was pregnant because I thought you would help me; not spread it all over the place!”
“Lucy…” Lois began at the same time Clark asked, “You’re pregnant?”
Lucy stopped her tirade, noticing the stares of the newsroom, “What?” She asked the newsroom. “Haven’t you ever seen a crazy pregnant woman before?”
Lois exchanged an amused look with Clark before looking back at her sister who was glaring her down angrily. “I didn’t tell anyone you were pregnant, Lucy.”
“Then why did Jimmy come confronting me with it this morning?”
“Jimmy?” Lois shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe he overheard us yesterday, but I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want him to…….” Realization suddenly dawned on her. “Oh. Ohhh!”
Clark opened his mouth to speak, but then noticed the look in both his wife and sister-in-law’s eyes and decided wisely to close it; opting to remain silent during their banter.
“Lucy….” Lois began, “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
Lucy shook her head, “I really don’t want to talk about it.”
“Ahem…” Allan stood behind them, clearing his throat.
Lois looked towards him, annoyed, “What is it, Allan?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt. Really, I am, but there’s a Dr. Klein on line two for you.”
***
“What’s going on Inspector?” Detective Wolf asked as he took a seat next to him.
“I’m trying to make some sense out of this,” Henderson said, sifting through the file on his desk.
“What do you mean?” Wolf asked.
“This woman came in claiming her baby was kidnapped, but I can’t find anything documenting a birth or adoption for her. I’m not sure where to start.”
“That is a bit odd. Why don’t you check hospital records? Sometimes the state just doesn’t update their records like their supposed to. Takes a little while for files to be put in.” Wolf suggested.
“Maybe…” Henderson mused.
“You think it’s something else?” Wolf prodded.
“I just got this nagging feeling that there’s something else going on here.”
***
Linda slammed her car door closed as the stomped towards Bibbo’s new bar. She needed a drink; a strong one at that. It had been a long day. Lana had adopted a baby and the brat wouldn’t stop crying. She half suspected he just didn’t like Lana. The only time he was quiet was when he was asleep.
“Buy you a drink?” Bill Church asked as he took a seat next to her at the bar.
“Sure.” Linda smiled back at him; intent on drinking the night away.
“Good choice.” Bill smiled, revealing a 9mm in his jacket pocket. “We need to have a talk about your editor, Ms. King.”
***
Lois stared blankly at the wall in front of her as she tried to comprehend what Dr. Klein had just told them. Jesse was not Jordan. He had no genetic link to her.
“I don’t understand.” Lois said, “If he isn’t our missing son; then how the hell is he able to have Clark’s superpowers?”
“I don’t know.” Dr. Klein shrugged.
“You don’t know?” Lois fought the rage that was threatening to overtake her. “This woman goes on national television every day claiming to have Superman’s love child. Every day; I have to listen to this, Clark has to listen to this, our parents and friends; and the best you can give me is ‘I don’t know?’”
“Lois, it’s not as simple as that. I’d have to examine him myself to be able to tell you how he got his superpowers. I just don’t know.” Dr. Klein sighed, “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, so am I,” Lois said shakily. She looked up towards the window where Clark stood, staring out at the street below them. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Clark seemed to come out of his daze and nodded, following her without a word. There was nothing left to say.
***
Mike Rogers wasn’t an honest man. He had made many mistakes in his life. He had lied and cheated to get what he wanted in life. The one thing he sought out the most was power. Power over the media and the people. He thrived in the power he had earned by working for Intergang. What he hadn’t planned on was the repercussions of turning on Bill Church.
As he fought to breathe on the cold cement floor he wondered what his life would have been if he’d tried to be more honest. It was too late now. He swallowed through the pain as he struggled to breathe. The blood was quickly filling his lungs. He glanced at the figure above him and smiled, “I’ll….g…get…y…you…..”
Bill Church knelt down to hear what he was saying. “You’re going to get me?” He scoffed. “I’d like to see you try. In chess; I’d say this is ‘Check Mate.’ I always win, Mikey.”
Mike smiled as he drew out the small blade he held in his jacket pocket and thrust it inside Bill Church’s abdomen. “I….win…..Check Mate, Billy!”
***
<< ‘Never trust a man…’>>
<< ‘No genetic link…>>
<< ‘Superpowered baby…>>
Lois sat in the corner of the shower stall, curled up into a ball. The tears streamed down her cheek at full force as the lukewarm water beat against her skin. Question after question raced through her mind as she tried to make sense out of Dr. Klein’s revelation from earlier that afternoon. Clark had been quiet after they left Dr. Klein’s office; opting to take a patrol around the city rather than talk to her.
It hurt.
The pain she felt when she’d first been told Jordan had died. She refused to believe Clark. Months after her son’s supposed death she still refused to believe he had died. It had taken her months to get Clark to open his mind to what had really happened. When Leigh-Anne had come forward; claiming to have had a child with Superman…
<< ‘Never trust a man…’>>
‘No!’ She mentally shook herself. ‘If Jesse isn’t genetically linked to me then he isn’t linked to Clark. It’s not possible.’
She felt a slight shiver run down her spine. She broke out of her reverie as the ice cold water struck her skin. Grimacing, she reached forward to turn off the shower. She stepped out of the shower as she wrapped a large towel around her body, trying to keep herself warm.
She slipped into an old sweatshirt of Clark’s and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms then curled up beneath the comforter. The alarm clock blinked back three digits, reminding her of how long her missing husband had been gone. She tried not to focus on the time; opting to focus on trying to warm up instead.
Ignoring the pain in her chest when she thought of the huge void she felt whenever she allowed her mind drift to her missing son only helped her focus her anger towards Clark; who was still gone. It had been four hours now. Where was he?
“He’d better have a good story…” She muttered under her breath. All of a sudden she felt a wave of nausea hit her. “Not again,” she whimpered as she dashed to the restroom. It was going to be a long night.
***
“Oh, my God!” Detective Wolf waved his hand in front of his face as he surveyed the scene. Police were everywhere. Forensics stood over where the officers on the scene had marked the locations of the bodies; trying to piece together what had happened.
Henderson just laughed, “Disgusting, isn’t it?”
“What? When? How?”
“That’s what these guys are here for.” Henderson motioned to the officers around the room.
Wolf motioned to Clark who stood next to Henderson, “What’s he doing here? I would have thought this kind of scene would be closed off to the press.”
“I…” Clark stammered, trying to explain his presence.
Henderson smiled, patting Clark on the shoulder. “Kent was one of the first on the scene. He called the police.”
Wolf looked from Henderson to Clark then back to Henderson again. “That so? Lucky…for you. Big exclusive.”
“Detective Wolf, I’m not really….” Clark began but was cut off once again by Henderson.
“Mr. Kent understands what has to be sealed until we’re done with our investigation, Wolf.”
“Yeah, but does his other half understand?” Wolf pressed. “They don’t call her Mad Dog Lane for nothing.”
“I wouldn’t repeat that around her if I were you,” Henderson warned.
“Definitely not.” A familiar feminine voice said quite testily.
The three men turned to see Lois standing in the doorway of Mike Rogers’ office. The expression on her face was unreadable to all but one of them. “So, what happened here?” She asked, pushing past the two officers that stood guard by the entrance.
Wolf gave an exasperated look towards Lois, but she ignored it. Henderson just smiled, used to Lois’ knack for finding herself in the middle of trouble at all times. He nodded towards the two officers that stood behind her, watching her carefully; signaling them that she was ‘okay.’
“Murder,” Henderson said with an exasperated sigh. “Your husband found the cleaning lady screaming at the top of her lungs and called the police.”
“Oh?” Lois arched an eyebrow at Clark then turned her attention back to Henderson. “Did he? How helpful of him.”
Henderson sensed the tension in the air but chose to ignore it. Getting in the middle of a disagreement between Lois and Clark was not something he intended to do. He tried to steer clear of her temper during investigations; even more so ever since the destruction of the Planet last summer. He glanced at the folder in his hands and continued his explanation, “Anyway, it seems Mr. Church and Mr. Rogers had a disagreement about something.”
“Church?” Lois asked, “As in Bill Church?”
“Yep.” Henderson nodded. The tension in the air was thick and Kent didn’t seem to be tempted to say anything. He looked back and forth between the couple. Lois was glaring him down, but Clark was looking anywhere but at her, readjusting his glasses as he looked around the room. The guy must have astigmatism. “Anyway, I think we’re done with you, Kent. We’ll call you if we need anything else. Remember; no printing the details in tomorrow’s paper. I do read ya know.”
Clark didn’t say anything; silently nodding as he walked out the door.
Henderson shook his head as he watched them leave. “I’d hate to be him…”
***
“Such a pity about Billy. I don’t have anyone to share my inheritance with now.” Mindy said with a sultry smile. “How will I ever understand all this business with organized crime if someone doesn’t teach me?”
“You really are a piece of work, aren’t you, Mrs. Church?” James Turner asked with admiration.
“You better believe it.” She smiled. “My contact at the police department said they found Billy stabbed to death. Pity. With Mike Rogers gone and the STAR being taken over by Wayne Enterprises we won’t be able to move forward with operation Superman hate group anymore… ”
“Yes, a pity. I was enjoying the destruction those groups were doing to our neighborhood alien, but all good things must come to an end eventually. Well, I guess we’ll have to delegate some of the responsibility.” James Turner mused, taking a long puff on his cigar. “I think I know the perfect guinea pig.”
“Oh?” Mindy purred. “Do tell…”
***
Clark sat on the couch, watching Lois pace around him as he received the third degree from her regarding his failure to include her in the investigation regarding Church.
“That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t call me.” Lois snapped angrily. “I get the part where you found Church. I get the part where you call the police. What I don’t get is why you didn’t call me!” Lois snapped angrily.
“I don’t know. It all happened so fast…” Clark sighed. “I wasn’t really thinking about calling you.”
“You get the exclusive on a story that could possibly finally break our Intergang investigation and you didn’t think I’d want to know about it?” Lois pressed.
“No, I didn’t, Lois. I kind of had more important things on my mind.” He snapped back bitterly. He immediately regretted both his statement and his tone as soon as the sentence escaped his mouth.
She’d had things on her mind too. Jordan. He hadn’t been there. He’d busied himself with Superman duties and stumbled upon Church’s body in the process, but he’d left her to deal with everything by herself.
The expression on her face read several different emotions at once. Pain. Hurt. Betrayal. Anger “Well, you could have fooled me!” She snapped angrily. With that she stormed upstairs, slamming the door behind her.
“Great…” He muttered under his breath.
***
“Partner?” Miranda looked from Mindy to Turner, trying to understand the proposal; looking for ulterior motives.
“Yes. With Billy gone I’m going to need all the help I can get. We’ve been working so well together lately why not make it official?” Mindy purred happily.
“So, I get a cut?” Miranda asked.
“Yes. 50-50.” Mindy smiled. “What’s wrong? Don’t trust me?”
“I don’t know you that well.” Miranda reminded her.
“Sometimes those make the best partnerships.” James Turner chipped in. There was something so familiar about him, but Miranda couldn’t place it. “So, do we have a deal?”
“Deal.” Miranda lifted her glass to toast.
“To a rewarding partnership,” Turner remarked.
“Partners,” Miranda repeated.
***
TBC...
