When Churches Come Crashing Down
Folc4evernaday
Part 35
***
“What are you doing?” Lucy asked, watching her sister as she laid out note cards on the carpet.
“Thinking,” Lois said, placing another note card on the carpet.
“I’d hate to see you when you’re supposed to be relaxing,” Lucy said sarcastically.
“I’m fine,” Lois glared at her. “Too much has been happening. There has to be a connection. I’m trying to figure out how these are all connected.”
“Like what?”
“Dr. Benzen was a part of the cover up with Jordan. He was also supposedly involved with Amanda Marshall, right?” Lois looked over at Lucy for confirmation.
“Yeah, she’s still on the lam. No sign of her.” Lucy sighed. “You are keeping the doors locked at night, right?”
“Yes, Lucy, I do know how to protect myself,” Lois said, “Now, the story is that Amanda killed Lana in custody, right?”
“Yeah, some fight was going on between them on the inside.” Lucy nodded.
“Then there was Miranda with her pheromone that was making half the city crazy,” Lois said, placing another card down. Lucy was quiet, placing a hand over her swollen abdomen. “The question is ‘why?’ There isn’t really any motive for doing it.”
“Maybe there was an ulterior motive. Think about all the crime that was committed during that time,” Lucy suggested.
“True,” Lois jotted a note down on another card and placed it down next to the one she had just placed down. “We know Miranda had been using the pheromone before at the Metro Club before the fire because of what had happened to you.”
Lucy nodded, “Yeah, but that was different from what had happened before. This was more potent,”
“Then we have Intergang,” Lois placed a card with a big question mark in the middle. “Where do they come into play?”
“Don’t forget ACL Industries,” Lucy prompted, “Lex’s ex-wife runs the company.”
“True,” Lois placed another card down. “I still don’t know what she’s up to.”
“So, how are all these guys connected?” Lucy asked.
“I don’t know,” Lois said, shaking her head. “Mindy Church was in the hospital when that fire was set…. Wait, that’s another thing. The fires…” She jotted down her notes on another card and placed it down as well. “Who’s starting the fires?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Lucy said, “So, we need to figure out how Dr. Benzen, Intergang, Miranda and ACL Industries are connected.”
“And what they want,” Lucy added.
“And where Daddy and the Superman clone fit into all of this,”
***
“Dr. Mamba, it is a pleasure to meet you,” Dr. Klein extended his hand to shake the fellow doctor's hand.
“Dr. Klein,” Dr. Mamba nodded, “Your message said you had information on a cloning project on Superman?”
“Yes,” Dr. Klein motioned for him to follow him. “I got him to trust me enough to run some tests. Normally, I would refer to our cloning specialist on staff, but…”
“Yes, I read the papers. It’s tragic. I never thought Dr. Lane would get himself mixed up in something this dirty,”
“Yes, well, we’re hoping the innocence he continued to maintain is true.” Dr. Klein pulled out the reports. “I have yet to see anything like this.”
“Seems Dr. Lane has gotten somewhere,” Dr. Mamba mused looking over the reports.
***
Two Weeks Later…
“She’s still alive,” Dan said uneasily. “I really can’t risk trying something like that again. There’s gonna be a price on my head, Mr. Turner,”
“Yes, well, I’m sure allowing the dust to settle momentarily won’t hurt,” Turner smiled at Dan, “Just don’t do anything stupid like growing a conscience. I still have that tape and I will not think twice about using it if you so much as breathe the wrong way. Are we clear?”
“Absolutely, sir,” Dan nodded. “So, until then?”
“Make yourself scarce.” He lifted up a glass of wine, “I have some things that require my undivided attention for now.”
Dan followed his gaze to the television showing Lucy Lane and Mayson Drake in front of a string of reporters outside the courthouse. “Undivided attention, huh?”
“Yes, Ms. Lane isn’t someone to go weak in the knees at ‘hello.”
“Lane?” Dan asked weakly.
“Yes, is there a problem?”
“No,” Dan shook his head. “No problem.”
“I’ll be in touch,” Turner said, waving him out of the office.
Dan left the office, closing the door behind him. Turner shook his head. Dan had been seeing Lucy. He knew that, but it felt good to have the shoe on the other foot. To have Dan be the one squirming as he watched Lucy and him together. Tonight he would make his move. Tonight he would wine and dine Lucy Lane. He knew her heart couldn’t completely open up to him until he revealed himself to her, but for now, it was a start. She always loved surprises…
A soft clap on the other side of the room brought him back to the present, “So, your enemy is at her weakest and you’re just going to bide your time?” Nigel asked.
“Eavesdropping? That is so unbecoming, don’t you think?”
Nigel shrugged, “I have to make sure you’re not making a tragic mistake,”
“I know what I’m doing, Nigel,” Turner argued.
“Do you?” Nigel asked, “Or are you just too busy skirt chasing to realize what you’re doing?”
“You want to partner with me, Nigel, we do things my way,” Turner snapped angrily.
***
Jimmy paced through Whispering Pines cemetery. Everything between him and Lucy had been fine until Lex Luthor had happened. He hated him. He walked towards the plot area designated for criminals. That attendant had told him this was where the state buried everyone. He still hadn’t found Luthor’s plot yet.
If he could just make sense out of what it was she had seen in someone that had been so evil. Luthor had been a criminal; the very thing that Lucy swore to put away. Why was she still so hung up on him?
He glanced around the plots once more. Luthor’s grave wasn’t here. Where was he?
***
“What happened here?” Clark asked, looking around the conference room covered in blood.
Inspector Henderson shook his head, “The cleaning lady,” He pointed to the young woman in the corner of the room speaking with Detective Wolf. “She called it in. There’s no body; so we’re not sure what happened exactly.”
“Whatever it was someone definitely got hurt,” Clark said, noticing the blood on the carpet.
“There’s no way you can survive losing that much blood; not without medical care anyway,” Detective Wolf said.
“We’re interviewing everyone on staff to see if anyone knows anything, Maybe heard or saw something, but so far nothing’s shown up. We have a crime scene but no known victim.”
“So essentially you’re chasing a ghost?” Clark asked.
“Something like that,” Henderson acknowledged.
***
“We need to talk,” Lucy said, approaching her father’s cell as she paced in the small hallway.
“Well, this is a surprise, Lucy,” Sam smiled up at her.
“You made a clone of Superman. Why?” Lucy asked, folding her arms over her chest as she stared coolly at her father, waiting for a response.
“I don’t have anything to say without my attorney present.”
“I’m not the one prosecuting you, Daddy. I’m not here as an ADA; I’m here as your daughter. Please, I need to understand why you would do something like this.”
“Science,” Sam shrugged. “I was greedy and now I’m paying for it.”
“Is there any way to stop him; the clone?” Lucy asked.
“I don’t know,” Sam shook his head, “I always dreamed of creating a clone to show the world, but I never imagined things would get so out of hand.”
“Did you kidnap that baby?” Lucy asked abruptly.
“What?” Sam asked.
“Jesse. You remember? The baby you’re being accused of kidnapping? Did you do it?”
“I…” Sam looked away. “You shouldn’t be here, Lucy,”
“Who are you trying to protect?” Lucy asked. “Please, I can help.”
“I’m beyond help. Just go,” Sam snapped.
“Fine,” Lucy nodded, “but I’ll be back. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
***
Clark walked into the living room expecting to find Lois at her laptop as always, but he was surprised to find her sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by note cards with different names on them. “Lois?”
She turned around and smiled at him, “Hey, I thought you were coming home for lunch,”
“I’m sorry. I got a bit tied up.” He apologized, leaning down to give her a kiss as he took a seat next to her.
“I heard about the fire,” Lois said, reaching out for his hand. “It's good to see Superman back in action,”
“Yeah, he’s glad to be back,” Clark smiled back at her.
“Nah,” Jordan called out as he wobbled towards them.
“Nah?” Clark asked, looking at Lois.
“He’s been saying it on repeat since I picked him up,” Lois explained. “He’s been trying to walk and every time he stands up he says ‘nah.’ Every time he falls down; he says ‘nah’.”
“That is something to be upset about,” Clark reasoned.
“Nah,” Jordan crawled towards them, tugging on his father’s pants leg.
“Nah?” Clark asked, leaning down to pick Jordan up. “What up with all this ‘nah’ buddy? You sound like your mommy.”
“Hey,” Lois thwacked him against the chest, “I’m right here,”
“Some of the time,” He whispered to Jordan.
“Ma…” He pointed at Lois with a smile.
“Well, ma, how was your day?” Clark asked, turning to Lois, “And what is up with all the note cards?”
“They help me think.”
“Tin,” Jordan tried to repeat.
“Careful, he’s a little mockingbird,” Lois laughed.
“I see,” Clark said, readjusting himself so he was leaned back against the couch. “He’s talking more and more.”
“And arguing,” Lois added.
“Hey, like mother like son,” Clark shrugged.
“That’s not funny,”
“Really? I think it’s hilarious.”
Lois thwacked him against the chest once more. “You are such a brat sometimes,”
“Hey, if the shoe fits,” He shrugged. “So, what are you trying to think about?” He asked, motioning to the circle of cards around them.
“Everything.” Lois said, leaning her head against his shoulder, “Dr. Benzen, Amanda, Intergang, ACL Industries,… my father. I think it’s all connected somehow but I haven’t figured out how yet.”
“Hmm, well, you can add the fires to the list and a possible death,” Clark said.
“What do you mean?” Lois asked.
“Metropolis General,”
“No, I know about that,” Lois shook her head, “What death?”
“We don’t know yet. Top Copy’s conference room is covered in blood. No body; so no one knows who was attacked or killed.” Clark explained.
“Wow,” Lois said softly, “That’s...”
“I know,” Clark sighed. “It’s hard to investigate a murder when you can’t find anything besides the crime scene.”
“Yeah,” Lois sighed, “You know today was kind of fun. I should work from home more often,” She teased, “Lucy came over and helped me sort out all this mess,” She motioned to the note cards on the floor. “It was the first time we’d been able to really be ourselves with one another without all the tension you know,”
“Sounds nice, but I think if you worked from home I’d probably go insane,” Clark whispered, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “How’s Lucy doing?”
“Good,” Lois nodded. “She’s claiming to be done with Jimmy. She said she’s taking a break from dating. Oh, and get this! That Ryan Knox keeps pushing her towards that James Turner.”
Clark made a face and she nodded, “Yeah, me too. She’s still got a weird feeling about him. Not sure what to think about the whole thing. She keeps talking about Lex and how she feels like he’s watching her….” Lois shook her head, “We then joked around a bit and cut loose. Today was nice,” She leaned up to kiss him.
He smiled against her lips, “Nice is good,” He said, pulling away, “So, what do you want for dinner?”
“I think some pasta would be good,” She laughed when he groaned at her suggestion. “What? I can’t help that I love what pasta does to you…or that your daughter is craving it,” she patted her abdomen for emphasis.
He laughed, leaning over to pick her up in his arms as he laid her on the couch with Jordan, “I’ll be right back. The usual requests?”
“Yes, please,” She pulled him towards her by his tie, capturing his lips before pushing him away. “Go. The sooner you go the sooner you get back.”
“Guh bye,” Jordan squealed.
“I get the picture,” Clark groaned, standing to his feet.
“Thank you,” Lois said with a smile.
“Yeah, yeah,” Clark said after he spun into his Superman suit. “I can feel the love.”
***
“We need to talk,” Jimmy walked up to Lucy as she left the courthouse.
“No, we don’t,” Lucy hissed angrily, “I told you not to come near me again.”
“Don’t blame me because you can’t handle the truth,” Jimmy snapped, “Your boyfriend’s missing,”
“What are you talking about?” Lucy asked irritably as she made her way down the steps.
“Luthor,” Jimmy said, following her in hot pursuit. “Did you know he isn’t buried anywhere in Whispering Pines?”
“I…” Lucy shook her head, “Jimmy, why are you trying to find his grave anyway?” She held up her hand to wave down a taxicab.
“Why is he not there?” Jimmy asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never gone to the grave. After everything that had happened I…” She reached for the door handle of the taxicab that had pulled up, “Look, I can’t do this right now. Just leave me alone,”
“But, Lucy,” He stopped when she slammed the door to the taxi in his face.
***
“So, what have we got here?” Clark asked, picking up one to the cards, “ACL = Intergang?”
“It’s just a theory,” Lois shrugged. “I haven’t really put any clout into any of it yet. I was trying to sort through everything.” She took a bite of the cannoli he had brought back, “Mmm, these are so good,”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying them,” He said, reading through some of the other cards he’d picked up off the floor. “You don’t have anything under ‘fires’” He observed.
“I’m not sure what to put there,” She explained, leaning her body against his side as she scooted her back against him. She reached behind her and lifted up his arm so she could lean against his chest more comfortably.
“No theories on the fires? Usually, you have all the answers,” He teased.
“Not this time,” She shook her head.
He leaned over to finish picking up everything on the floor, “What’s this?” He asked, pulling out a magazine, ‘Metro Woman’
Her eyes got big as she reached over to grab it from him, “It’s nothing. Lucy left it over here.” She stammered as he blocked her from grabbing it.
“Really? Why are you acting so nervous then?” He asked, standing up to dodge her.
“Would you give it?” She lunged towards him only to miss again as he floated out of her reach.
“Now, I’m really curious,” He laughed, opening up the magazine to skim through it.
“That is not fair,” She argued.
He shook his head as he flipped through the colorful pages, “I will never understand fashion magazines,” He muttered. “Well, what do we have here? Quizzes,”
“You’re really not cute when you get cocky,” Lois harrumphed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Let’s see here, ‘Are you ready for the next step?’ That can’t be what you’re worried about seeing as how there’s not really another step to take.” He winked, sitting down Indian style as he continued to float in the air out of reach.
“Ha ha, so funny, but the chances of you crossing any lines are growing slimmer and slimmer the more you read,” She warned.
“That’s okay. I’m having plenty of fun right now,” He shot back. “Oh, how about this one, ‘How compatible are you?’” He laughed, “I can’t believe you actually took this,”
“It was a dare from Lucy. She took it too.” Lois shot back. “You’re not seriously going to go through every one of those questions, are you? It’s dumb,”
He laughed, “You’re really bothered about this, aren’t you?”
Lois threw a pillow at him, “You are a brat,” She took advantage of his distraction to reach up and grab the magazine out of his hands, “and this is going out into the trash,”
“Hey, wait, I wanted to see how compatible we were,” He laughed, following her into the kitchen as she attempted to throw the magazine away.
“No, put me down!” She shrieked when he picked her up halfway into the kitchen. She shrieked in laughter as they continued to fight over the magazine.
***
Lucy looked around the restaurant nervously. It was beautiful. She hadn’t been in a setting like this since her courtship with Lex. “Beautiful,” Turner commented, taking a sip of his wine.
“Yeah,” She smiled back at him. “Mr. Turner, what is this about? You said you had information on….”
“Rich food is something to savor but not to be overdone.” He said. “I’m happy you agreed to dinner.”
Lucy took a sip of her water, “I didn’t have much of a choice….”
“Ms. Lane,” He said, holding up his glass to toast.
Lucy placed her glass of water down, “Mr. Turner, I think you have the wrong idea here…”
“Well, isn’t this nice?” Jimmy walked up to them.
“Excuse me, but we’re in the middle of something,” Turner said.
“Yes, I can see that,” Jimmy said with a bite in his tone. “Don’t you think it’s a bit insensitive to be taking a pregnant woman out like this; drinking in front of her? Kind of selfish; don’t you think?”
Lucy glared at Jimmy, “Jimmy, can I have a moment…”
“I’m just getting started,” Jimmy said angrily. “You want to keep moving on with everyone but me. You don’t have a problem having relationships with everyone else, but me. Why is that?”
“I told you to leave me alone, Jimmy. If you can’t respect that simple request on your own I will get a restraining order,” Lucy warned.
“A restraining order?” Jimmy scoffed. “How exactly is that going to work? I’m supposed to follow it whenever its convenient to you, but if I need anything then it’s out of the question.”
“Mister…?”
“Olsen,” Jimmy introduced himself, “Jimmy Olsen. I’m the father of her baby,”
“Yes, well, Mr. Olsen, you need to probably walk off whatever it is that’s …”
“You think I’m drunk?” Jimmy laughed. “Surprise, I’m sober. I just can’t stand having my child exposed to the likes of you,”
Turner stood up to face Jimmy, “Is that so? Well, we can settle this like men,”
“Bring it on,” Jimmy challenged.
“Both of you stop it,” Lucy argued.
Jimmy swung at Turner, knocking him in the jaw and onto the floor. “Jimmy!” Lucy snapped, “Stop it!”
Two large men in tuxedos came towards them, “Mr. Turner, are you all right?”
“Get him out of here!” Turner pointed at Jimmy.
“Come on, let’s go,” One of the men said, grabbing Jimmy by the arm.
“I am terribly sorry,” Turner apologized to Lucy.
“I’m sorry, but I think I should go,” Lucy said, shaking her head. “This is a mistake and you obviously have the wrong idea here…It’s too soon after…”
“After what?”
“Nothing,” She said, turning to leave.
“Lucy,” Turner followed her out of the restaurant. He stopped when he saw Jimmy approach her outside.
“Lucy, wait,” Jimmy said, trying to catch up with her.
“Leave me alone,” Lucy screamed. “I hate you! Why do you keep doing this to me???”
“Lucy, I’m sorry,” Jimmy apologized.
“No, just leave me alone!!” She pushed him away, running down the steps angrily.
“Lucy,” Jimmy called out. She stopped, turning to face him in tears. He placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone off like that…Just seeing you with…him….on a date…after…”
“It wasn’t a date,” Lucy said bitterly, pacing in front of him outside the front of the restaurant.
“It wasn’t?” Jimmy asked baffled, “…but he…”
“Had the wrong idea…I had a message that he had information about Intergang and my dad. Obviously, he had other intentions…”
“So, I got mad for nothing…?” Jimmy asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Luce. I don’t know how to do this. I miss you. I miss our friendship and being able to tell you everything and laugh. I miss you.”
Lucy smiled wryly, “I miss you too. I’m not good at this. I…This whole year has been so hard….I can’t do a relationship with you ….I can’t do a relationship with anyone right now. I’m barely able to do a relationship with my own sister. I miss my friend. Can I please just have him back and maybe we can work the rest of it out as we go?”
Jimmy smiled back at her and nodded, pulling her to him. “I can do that.”
For the first time in months, Lucy felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She beamed up at him happily. She watched as his face changed to fear. “Jimmy what’s….?” Before she knew what had happened she felt a searing pain course through her side, her abdomen.
“Noooooo!!!!”
***
TBC...
