Part 28
Over the next few days, things seemed to settle into a routine. As Luthor had promised, everyone who had been laid off had been invited to return to work, although not everyone accepted the offer and many of the returnees were coming back with a loss of seniority.
Luthor finally moved into his office upstairs, leaving the day to day running of the paper to his pet, Chip Peterson, the ‘Supervising’ Editor-in-chief. Perry had called in sick, saying his doctor had ordered him to rest.
Clark had turned in the story on the double homicide at the Hob’s Bay Carnival. It had ended up buried in the Metro section.
“Anything more on those murders at the Carnival?” Lois asked when Clark walked in.
“Henderson’s keeping this one close to his chest,” Clark told her. “They’ve finally released the names though. Thomas Devane and John Linquist. Devane was retired military intelligence. Linquist was an actor – commercials, professional extra. His family told the police he said he had a role in a new production that was supposed to be his big break.”
“So, why was he out at the carnival grounds?” Lois asked.
Clark shook his head.
Peterson stuck his head out of the editor’s office door. “Kent, where’s that story on the parking lot rates at Met General?”
Clark pressed a key on his keyboard. “It’s in your inbox, milord.”
Lois chuckled but she noted Peterson’s glare in Clark’s direction.
“I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Clark said softly to her. “Peterson told me this morning that he thought it was a waste of resources to have writing teams. That if we couldn’t stand on our own, we shouldn’t be here.”
“But Perry thought it was a great idea,” Lois protested.
“Perry isn’t here,” Clark reminded her. “Also, the medical insurance plan has been changed. Long-term therapy for work-related mental health issues is no longer covered.”
“So, no more visits with Doctor Friskin?”
“She called me this morning,” Clark said. “Apparently someone claiming to be from the Planet’s health insurance carrier called her and demanded copies of my treatment files for review by them.”
“What about doctor-patient confidentiality?”
“She told me she has no intention of turning anything over to them aside from the insurance claim paperwork. Diagnosis, treatment recommendation, prognosis.”
“But that’s bad enough,” Lois said worriedly.
“I know.”
Clark winced and then Lois felt the building rock, almost like an earthquake. People started running toward the stairs.
“That was a bomb,” Clark stated. “Get everyone out!”
-o-o-o-
It was horrible. White flames licked out of the windows and the fire department was having trouble dealing with it. Planet employees stood across the street to watch the building die.
Lois looked around to see if Jimmy and her other friends had made it out. She spotted Jimmy covered with soot, standing with other members of the pressroom crew. Jack was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly the flames seemed to flicker and die back as more fire engines arrived. Soon, surprisingly soon, the fire department had the fire under control.
Lois finally spotted Clark. He was covered with soot and his jacket was charred. His complexion was ashen and he seemed to be in shock.
“Clark?”
“Jack’s dead,” Clark said. He was shaking and he seemed ready to burst into tears. “He was helping people get out. He went… I couldn’t stop him. He went back inside and the second bomb went off. There were about fifty people left in the building when… when…”
“Who would do this?” Lois asked.
“You have to ask?” Clark said. “The question is who is Luthor going to frame for it?”
-o-o-o-
It was a soggy, blackened ruin. Fire crews were still watching for hot spots, but for now it appeared the fire was out. Perry had joined her, Clark and Jimmy to stare at the ruins. They were all in shock. So many horrible changes.
“Gone. All... gone,” Perry murmured.
“We'll rebuild,” Lois promised, trying to sound more positive than she felt.
“Sure we will,” Jimmy said. But his tone said he didn’t believe her.
“This is about the worst thing I can imagine,” Perry said.
“Not the worst,” Luthor said as he approached them. Lois hadn’t noticed him then she realized he had come out of one of the police cars that had pulled up.
“The worst would be that one of our own employees set this fire deliberately,” Luthor stated, his face a grim mask. He pointed to Clark. “That's him.”
Lois was horrified. “No.”
Two officers came forward and handcuffed him.
“Lex, this is a mistake,” Lois protested. “Clark would never…”
“No mistake. The police found the explosives he used to make the device hidden in his apartment,” Luthor said. “And you, of all people, should be aware of his mental instability.”
Clark didn’t say a word as the two officers put him in the back of one of the squad cars.
Luthor watched after them for a moment. “A sad day for all of us,” he said finally.
“An historic day,” Perry corrected. “Tomorrow, for the first time in two hundred nineteen years, there will be no edition of the Daily Planet.”
-o-o-o-
The building had been condemned and was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape. Lois stood with Perry and Jimmy as the globe over the entrance was removed.
Lois knew Perry was trying not to get emotional, but she could see the tears brightening his eyes. She pulled him into a hug. “It's okay, Chief. We'll bounce back,” she promised.
“I'm afraid the Planet and I are all bounced out,” Perry said softly. “'Will not reopen in the foreseeable future' was the phrase Luthor used at the press conference.”
“Come on. I'll buy you guys a cup of coffee,” Jimmy said. “I always wanted to be a reporter for the Daily Planet. Now I guess I'll just have to be satisfied with being a video tycoon. That's the way it goes sometimes.”
Perry led the way to a sidewalk café the Planet staff people frequented. With the Planet gone it was going to be harder for them to survive too. All the threads that tied businesses to businesses, people to people, had been sundered in one horrific act.
The trio sat and sipped their steaming coffee, each one lost in their own thoughts for a while. Perry drained his cup and got up to grab the coffee pot from the service counter. The waitress started toward him but he waved her off. “I got it, Candy.” He poured coffee for them and started to speak. “I was only seventeen years old when I came here. I had an interview with Krebbs – assistant copy boy – and I was already late. But I stood under that globe and just stared at it. I knew that my future was in that building.”
“I can’t believe Clark could do such a thing,” Jimmy said quietly.
“Jimmy, I can’t believe you’d say that,” Lois protested. “We all know Clark’s incapable of doing something like that.”
“But the evidence…”
“Jimmy, do you really think Clark’s stupid enough to leave evidence of a capital crime in his own apartment?” Perry asked.
“The police seem pretty convinced,” Jimmy reminded them. “But I hear Luthor’s hired a high-powered lawyer for him.”
“Who will make sure Clark never sees the outside of a prison for the rest of his life,” Lois said bitterly. “If you expect to utterly defeat a battlefield opponent, you must destroy their support system, their allies, and any avenue of retreat,” she quoted. “Guys, I know it sounds self-centered, but Luthor asked me to marry him last week. I told him I had to think about it. Then, things started to happen. Bad things.”
“Hon, I know you and Clark where chasing down leads on possible criminal activities, but you think Luthor is behind all this because of you?” Perry asked.
She nodded. “Clark thought so too. He was just waiting for something to happen that would discredit him, force him out of the Planet. Like Luthor did to you. Heck, my father is in Africa, courtesy of Luthor. My sister has a fabulous job in California, courtesy LexAir. My Uncle Mike got deployed suddenly to Europe even though he’s up for retirement in a few months. That could be a coincidence, but I doubt it. And my mom checked in earlier this week to an alcohol treatment center courtesy of guess who? Am I paranoid, or is somebody out to get me?”
“But aren’t those all good things for them?” Jimmy asked. He was right to be confused. At any other time, Lois would have been pleased that things were working so well for her family. But this wasn’t ‘any other time’.
“Jimmy, my family is spread to the four winds. I can’t just call if I need them,” Lois explained. “All I had left was you guys and Clark. All I had left was my family at the Planet. Now that’s gone too. All in a week.”
Perry sat back in his chair. “Alice and I talked last night. I was planning on taking early retirement. I'm too old to start interviewing with runny-nosed kids with more diplomas than good sense.”
“And now?” Jimmy asked.
“Now I’ll have Alice put off the real estate agent for a few days. A man shouldn’t rush into retirement.” He eyed her. “But Lois, if Luthor really is behind this, we don’t dare let him know we suspect there’s anything wrong aside from the obvious.”
“You mean we can’t help Clark?” Jimmy asked.
“No, I mean we can’t let Luthor know we’re gunning for him,” Perry said. “And Lois, most of that’s going to be up to you.”
-o-o-o-
Lois found Luthor having lunch at his desk in his penthouse. Mrs. Cox was there, as usual. Luthor dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
“Lex... I need your help,” Lois began.
“With what?”
“With rebuilding the Daily Planet,” she said, trying to make it sound obvious.
“Lois, there isn't an advertiser in this city that I could count on for revenue. Besides, the Planet was pitifully under-insured. Rebuilding makes no economic sense,” Luthor told her. His demeanor dripped with sincerely. “I'd like to, but I can't. I have the other stockholders to think of.”
“But everyone's so lost,” Lois told him, pleading. “No one knows where or if they'll find another job... Perry's threatening an early retirement.”
“Is that all bad? Perry deserves retirement. He's worked too hard for too many years. Let him enjoy life for a change,” Luthor said.
“His life was the Planet. Mine, too.”
“Lois, I know you called the Planet home,” he told her. “But I can make another home for you.”
“Lex, I couldn't just sit around organizing dinner parties. I need to work.”
“I know that, my darling. That's why I have a job for you. At Luthor News Network.”
“Television?”
“The on-ramp to the information highway,” he assured her. “The future is five hundred interactive channels of television viewing. Let me show you around this afternoon.”
“I guess it won't do any harm to take a look,” she conceded.
“That's my girl. Speaking of which...” He pulled the ring box from his pocket and set it on the broad desk top. “Have you reached a decision?”
“Not... quite yet. Soon,” she promised.
-o-o-o-
Luthor News Network was modern, bleeding edge, high-tech maelstrom. Large monitors showed what was on the air on the various networks. Linda King was on the LNN-LA monitor. Lois tuned her out.
The Metropolis newsroom was sparkling clean and bustling. It was exciting. She realized she could probably fit in there except for one problem – Luthor. She knew he wasn’t going to allow her to put down roots here. ‘…destroy their support system, their allies, and any avenue of retreat…’
Steeling herself, she smiled at him. “It’s wonderful. When do I start?”
-o-o-o-
Dinner was with Luthor again. She listened as he extolled the virtues of the information highway that LNN represented. How information was the currency of the future.
Lois left early, citing a need for good night’s sleep before her first day at LNN.
Mrs. Cox was waiting for her beside the penthouse elevator.
“You know, you’re the only woman he’s proposed to who didn’t say yes immediately,” Cox stated.
“And how many women has he proposed to?”
“You’re number seven.”
“Lucky me,” Lois said. She wasn’t sure what Cox wanted but the woman seemed sincere. Then Lois recalled Mrs. Cox had been an actress.
“You do know that there are only two answers to the question he asked. Yes and no. And the longer you delay telling him yes, the more convinced he’ll become that you mean to say no. And the worse it will be for the people you care about. Because no one tells Lex Luthor ‘no’.”
“Are you threatening me?” Lois asked.
Cox seemed amused by the accusation. “Not me. But if you’ll take a little advice from someone who’s been there… take the ring, climb into his bed, and graciously accept his settlement when he realizes you’re just like all the other sluts he’s wooed and screwed.”
“Like you?” Lois challenged.
Cox chuckled. “I have other talents he appreciates, but yes. Like me.” The elevator doors opened. “Just remember what I said, Miss Lane. No one tells Lex Luthor ‘no’. No one.”
-o-o-o-
There was a message waiting for her when she got to her apartment. Inspector Henderson asking her to come down to Central Holding as soon as she could.
She hurriedly changed into jeans and an oversize sweatshirt and headed out.
Metropolis Police Department’s Central Holding Unit was next to police headquarters and across the street from the Superior Court Building. Enclosed aerial walkways connected the three buildings. Police headquarters and the courthouse were both Art Deco, in much the same style the Daily Planet had been. Central Holding, aka city jail, had all the charm of a cinder block. Heavy steel mesh covered the high narrow windows. ‘Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.’
Lois found a parking space and hurried into the building. The desk sergeant gave her an incurious look as she walked up to the bullet-proof glass enclosure.
“I’m Lois Lane,” she told him keying the microphone on her side of the partition. “Inspector Henderson asked me to come down.”
The sergeant beckoned to a uniformed officer and Lois heard the door unlock. The uniformed officer opened the door and allowed her through. She followed him to a locked elevator. “The inspector’s waiting up in the infirmary,” the officer told her.
“What’s happened?” she asked the officer. His nametag said his name was Mooney.
“I can’t really say, Miss Lane,” Mooney told her. The elevator doors opened onto a dingy corridor. Mooney ushered her out and led the way to another locked door. He pressed a button by the door and after a few moments, the door opened.
The area beyond was a pallid green. She spotted Henderson standing at the end of the corridor and hurried over to him.
“I only got your message a little bit ago,” Lois explained. “I came as soon as I could.”
Henderson nodded. He looked tired, like he hadn’t slept. But of course he hadn’t. Murder investigations went full tilt for at least the first forty-eight hours. Nearly all solvable crimes were solved within that time frame. Beyond that, memories became contaminated by what was on TV and in the newspapers, evidence became scarcer and less trustworthy.
“What’s going on?” Lois prompted.
Henderson took a deep breath. “Kent had a ‘seizure’ of some sort a couple hours ago. The docs are keeping him here for observation overnight.
“Is he okay?” Lois asked.
“I’m told he should recover,” Henderson told her.
“But something’s wrong, isn’t it?” Lois insisted worriedly. A ‘seizure’?
Henderson turned the key and opened the door in front of them. More pallid green. A man in an orderly’s uniform was seated by the door. He looked up as they walked in then went back to his magazine. But it was what was in the center of the room that made Lois’s blood freeze. Clark was lying on a hospital bed in four-point restraints. Wires snaked from under the sleeveless scrub style shirt to an EKG monitor that beeped in a steady rhythm. His eyes were closed and his glasses were missing.
“What happened?” Lois asked, unable to keep the horror out of her voice.
Clark opened his eyes to look at her. “Before or after I fired Luthor’s lawyer?”
Henderson turned to the orderly. “We’d like some privacy.”
“He’s not to be left alone,” the orderly told him.
“You can wait outside the door,” Henderson told him. “I’ll yell if anything happens.”
The orderly frowned, but grabbed his chair and went into the corridor. Henderson shut the door behind him and leaned against it.
“What’s going on?” Lois demanded. “Why…?” She gestured to the restraints.
“Inspector,” Clark began. “Would you please…?” He wiggled the fingers on his right hand.
“You know I can’t do that,” Henderson admonished. He nodded to a camera set into the corner of the room. They were under video observation. “Doctor McCorkle will be here in the morning and do an evaluation. That should handle it.”
“What’s going on?” Lois repeated.
Clark sighed. “The lawyer Luthor hired for me came in with his mind made up. Hardly even talked to me. Kept insisting I should cop a plea. I didn’t buy it. I mean, what’s the difference between life in prison for a crime I didn’t commit or fifty-four counts of second degree murder at twenty years apiece? So I fired him. Even one of the public defenders would do a better job of defending me. At least they wouldn’t be coming in convinced I was guilty. I wasn’t very polite when I told him to go away.”
“What happened then?” Lois asked.
“After I fired him, I told the officer taking me back to my cell what had happened and I didn’t want to see Mister Halstead again,” Clark told them. “The next thing I know, I’m in a solitary confinement cell.”
Henderson picked up the narrative. “Halstead told one of the officers that Kent had threatened him and had said that he’d never go to prison, that he wouldn’t even come to trial. When we get word that a prisoner’s been making claims like that, we don’t assume he means he thinks we’re going to drop the charges.”
“You assume he means to kill himself,” Lois said. “So…?”
“Clark’s on suicide watch,” Henderson confirmed.
“But I never said those things,” Clark said.
“Doesn’t matter,” Henderson said. “He said you did.”
“Okay, you fired Luthor’s lawyer and he got even. What happened then?”
“Nothing much until dinner time,” Clark said. “I remember the little door opening for the meal tray then it all gets hazy until I came to here. What I’m told was that I screamed and when they opened the cell door to check on me, I was fighting off something nobody else could see. Then I collapsed and stopped breathing.” He swallowed hard. “They had to do CPR. What I do remember is the feeling that I was being buried alive. I was trying to break open the coffin lid and I couldn’t.”
“What caused it?” Lois asked.
Henderson shrugged and Lois caught the blue glint of his Brotherhood ring on his finger. “The blood tests have come up negative for drugs, at least those we can identify,” Henderson said.
‘Blood tests?’ Lois thought. She was afraid to ask the question of how they managed to get blood from Clark.
“The Brotherhood thinks it may have been a psychic attack,” Henderson continued. “A very powerful one. Against anyone else it would probably been fatal.”
“So what happens now?” Lois asked.
“The Maddox Foundation is assigning an attorney to Clark’s case. A man named Webb. He’s solid, reliable,” Henderson said. “Not that he’ll have much to do. The evidence against Clark was purely circumstantial and we know it was planted. We’re now looking to identify the persons who planted it.”
“So, why haven’t you released him and announced he’s been cleared?” Lois demanded.
“Because so long as the press has a scapegoat the real bombers will think they’re in the clear,” Clark explained with a resigned air. “Which means there’s a greater chance they’ll relax and make a mistake.”
“They’ve already made several,” Henderson added. “It’s only a matter of time before we catch up to the real perps.”
“But in the meantime, you’re letting people believe Clark’s guilty,” Lois pointed out.
Henderson made a face. “He’ll be safer here than on the streets,” the officer said. “I understand you and Perry White are doing your own investigating into the failure of the Planet and Luthor’s takeover?”
Lois nodded.
“Do yourself and everyone else a favor,” Henderson told her earnestly. “Work with us on this one. If Luthor really is ‘the Boss’, he’s incredibly dangerous. He would have no compunctions about killing you or anyone else who gets in his way.”
“No one says ‘no’ to Lex Luthor,” Lois quoted.
Henderson gave her a curious look.
“He proposed to me,” Lois explained softly. “I haven’t accepted. But his assistant warned me just this evening that bad things were likely to happen to the people around me if I didn’t say ‘yes’.”
“I can’t advise you what to do, Lois,” Henderson told her.
“But if I do say yes, he might just lay off the people I care about,” Lois said.
“Or he might not,” Clark said quietly. “How is everybody anyway?”
“Jimmy and Perry are worried about you,” she said. “Cat already has a job at Newstime. I start at LNN tomorrow. I’m going to try and bring on as many Planet people as I can, but knowing what I know, I’m not holding out much hope. Perry was talking about retiring.”
“He’ll go crazy after a couple weeks,” Clark said.
“Tell me about it,” Lois said.
There was a knock on the door. “How much longer are you going to be?”
Henderson opened the door. “I think we’re done here.”
“Lois, be careful,” Clark called as she moved to the door.
“You too.”
The orderly settled back in his chair with his magazine. The door closed behind her and Henderson.
“Are you really looking into Luthor’s connection to organized crime in Metropolis?” she asked him.
“Yeah, but it’s slow going,” Henderson told her. “We have a lot of little pieces. We’re looking for the key that will make everything fit.”
“I had copies at home of everything Clark and I had put together,” Lois told him. “Including material Superman collected before he… before he died. He was investigating Luthor too.”
“Do you think Luthor had anything to do with what happened to Superman?”
“Yes,” Lois said. “I’ll make sure you get copies of everything we have.”
“If I’m not available, give them to A.D.A. Drake,” Henderson told her. “She’s been spearheading this project.”
“A.D.A. Drake,” Lois repeated. “I’ll do that.”
-o-o-o-
Luthor was waiting for her in his study when she walked in. She hadn’t bothered to go home and change again so she was still in jeans and a sweatshirt. He stood to greet her with open arms although he did stare at her sweatshirt for a moment. It was simply one she’d thrown on without paying much attention.
“Lois, what brings you back so soon?”
“I… I needed to talk to someone,” she finally said. “Inspector Henderson left me a message asking me to go over and see Clark.”
“And how is he?” Luthor asked, sounding sympathetic.
“He… He fired the lawyer you got him, apparently made threats. They have him on suicide watch…”
“I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do to help,” Luthor told her. “But apparently, Clark doesn’t want my help.”
He took her into his arms and she had to fight to keep from shuddering at his touch. She stared up at him.
“What is it?”
“Nothing,” she lied. “It's just... do I really know you? Know enough about you?”
“My life is an open book,” he said with a smile. “Shall I read it to you?”
“Only the parts you wouldn't want anyone else to know.”
“Okay... I started with nothing... orphaned at age thirteen…” he began.
“It must have been terrible,” she said sympathetically.
“Yes. But it made me strong,” he told her. “I'm no saint, Lois. I've done questionable things in pursuing success. Unfortunately, that's the nature of big business. Sometimes, out of jealousy or frustration, I've over-reacted. I've been ruthless toward my enemies.” He pulled back a little and looked her in the eyes. “But, as God is my witness, I swear to you, from this moment on, I will change. I no longer want to hurt anyone.”
He let her go and walked over to his desk. He opened a drawer and took out the box with the engagement ring in it. He brought it back to her. “Lois, I'm ready to devote my life to you, to commit to you utterly and eternally.”
He was down on one knee again in front of her.
“Will you marry me?”
Lois stared at him a moment. Her stomach was roiling and she almost felt like throwing up. “Yes, Lex. I will marry you.”
He pulled her close and kissed her with growing passion. She tried to keep from pulling away, imagining it was Clark she was kissing instead.
“No one will ever come between us, ever,” he promised her. “Not Superman, not Clark Kent, not anyone.”
That was when she realized she was wearing a Midwest University sweatshirt. She was wearing one of Clark’s sweatshirts. Her blood ran cold.
