"Well, I think I'm done for the day. How about you, Lois?"
"Just finishing up."
Clark waited as Lois finished typing and then closed down her computer for the night, then he walked her to the elevator. They smiled at each other, as they always did when anticipating some time alone together. Just as they were getting into the elevator, however, Jimmy jogged up. His timing, as always, was impeccable. Lois and Clark exchanged another, somewhat different, smile.
The trio chatted amiably as the elevator brought them down to the lobby. They strolled out together, heading for the front door.
"Good night," the night watchman called out. He was a large man with an oval face and a scruffy beard.
"Good night," they responded.
"Did he look familiar to you?" Jimmy asked when they were outside.
"Hmm. Now that you mention it, yeah, he did," Clark said thoughtfully. "He kind of reminds me of that guy from those Indiana Jones movies. You know, Indy's contact in Egypt?"
"Actually, it was his voice that sounded familiar to me," Lois put in. "From a radio ad, maybe?"
"You know, he does have a kind of distinctive voice. Reminds me of a couple of cartoons I saw. But that wasn't what I was thinking of. I'm pretty sure I've seen him before."
"Hey, Clark, wasn't he in that play we saw last week?"
"Huh. Maybe he was...."
"I haven't seen any plays recently, so that couldn't have been it. You know, I want to say he looks like the professor from that TV show, 'Sliders' or that guy from the 'Wing Commander' video games... Paladin, I think, but I'm pretty sure it's someone I've actually met."
"What about that guy who took us around the natural history museum and helped us with that story?"
"He did look similar, but Jimmy wouldn't have met him."
"Oh, right. Good point, Lois."
"Actually, he looks a little like the guy who used to babysit for Perry... I've seen pictures."
"But I haven't. Besides, I'm pretty sure it was more recent than that. Feels like someone I saw not too long ago. ACK! This is driving me nuts!"
"What about that bartender who tipped us off to that drug story?"
"Jimmy wasn't there either, Clark."
"Right, right. And he couldn't have been thinking of that fireman I talked to after that Superman rescue a few days ago. Hmm..."
"Fireman, no, but... emergency services... wait, that's it! He looked just like the EMT who saved me last month after my neighbor tried to kill me! No wonder I had trouble remembering. I wasn't exactly fully conscious when I saw him."
"Did you ever find out why he did it?"
"He's an EMT, Lois. That's what they do."
"No, Jimmy, I meant the guy who tried to kill you."
"Oh. I'm not quite sure. I know he doesn't like kids. Won't let any of them into his barber shop. But those are young kids. He told me once that it had something to do with this kid, Dennis, who used to live across the street from him. Dennis pulled all sorts of pranks on him, and even occasionally knock out his windows with a slingshot. Don't know what that has to do with me, though. I just saw him on the street and said 'Hey, Mr. Wilson,' and he went nuts...."
"Wierd."
"You're telling me?"
While they'd been talking, the three of them had been walking down the street, looking for cabs. Lois's whistle could stop a taxi almost as well as Superman pushing on the bumper, but you had to find a cab first. At that late hour, traffic, including taxicabs, was scarce. Suddenly, some instinct told Lois to turn around. She was just in time to see a cab pull out of the Daily Planet's garage. Startled, but not questioning her luck, she flagged it down.
Since it didn't seem likely that they'd find another one soon, they agreed to share the ride.
"Where to?" asked the large cabbie with the scruffy beard and oddly familiar voice.
Jimmy gave his address, since they'd agreed he would be dropped off first.
"Wait a sec," Lois said suspiciously as the cab started off. "Aren't you the night watchman we just saw in the lobby?"
"Yes. I just got off shift."
"And you're a cab driver, too?"
"Yes."
"What else do you do?"
"Oh, this and that. Whatever pays the bills."
"Such as?"
"Well, I'm an EMT on Mondays and Thursdays. I'm a firefighter a few days a week, as well, but they make you take most of the week off so the job doesn't get too stressful. I act and do commercials when I can, and I work at the church on Sundays. I also tend bar on Saturday nights, and I work at the museum on Fridays. A few other things here and there. Like I said, whatever pays the bills."
"Wow," said Jimmy.
Clark, meanwhile, had been staring at the cabbie's license, which was prominently displayed to all passengers, as required by law. Finally, he had a name to put to that startlingly familiar face. Cameron Ough. "That's quite a list, Mr. Ough."
"These days, you do what you have to. The name, by the way, is pronounced 'oh', as in 'dough', not 'uff' as in 'tough' or 'rough.'"
"I see. Sorry, Mr. Ough."
"No problem, it's a common error. Please, call me Cammie."
The cab pulled up in front of Jimmy's building, and the young photographer got out. Lois and Clark, not quite alone, but figuring it was close enough for the time being, snuggled up to each other. Clark had one last stray thought before his attention fully focused on his wife. "Huh. So his name is Cammie Ough. That would explain things...."
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