Hi FoLCs,
See you soon.
****
(On the previous part)
04/16.
At the Daily Planet, Lois was on the phone with Bobby Big-Mouth. She seemed furious but, this time, it was hard to define what was really driving her mad.
“Bobby, did you find anything about those athletes?… What about your friend in the athletic agency? Bobby!!! I need this! Ok, talk to you later.”
Lois hung up the phone and Elise came to talk to her, taking advantage of that brief interval Lois was having.
“Lois…”
“Not now, Elise. I have some stuff to do. I have to go to the real estate agency to try for the last time to break the contract on my apartment.”
“But, Lois…”
“Elise, do me a favor. Tell Perry I can´t stay today.”
“Lois, I need to talk to you.”
“Not now, Elise. I´m outta here for the day!" Lois said just as she saw Clark and Stella coming into the newsroom.”
“Good afternoon, Lois," Stella said indifferently.
“Hunf!”
“What is wrong with her, Clark?”
“I don´t know. SHE hasn´t been herself lately.”
******
Even Steel Melts - Part 4
******
Later on, at the Lexon Hotel.
“How long now?”
“In five days everything will be perfect.”
“So, five days more and we´re outta here?”
“What??”
“I mean, are we going to leave the city in five days?”
“That is better. Yes, but we should stay an extra day to check if we succeeded.”
“Of course.”
***
04/17
At the newsroom, Perry and Elise were talking while leaving his office.
“Ok, chief. I´ll try again.”
“Thanks, Elise. Jimmy! Where´s Lois?”
“She just called, chief. She said she was going to the Metropolitans to check on that file they promised her weeks ago.”
“Good. And Clark?”
“Went to do the same with the other team.”
“Oh, good. Finally someone working around here.”
***
At the Mets, Lois was talking to one of the secretaries of the club.
“I asked for Mr. Rieges profile weeks ago. Can someone explain to me what is going on? Why aren´t you willing to help the press? Do you have anything to hide? Why isn´t anyone talking about the missing player? Why didn´t you report it when he didn´t show up for the training? Did you have any kind of interest in his disappearance?”
“Ms. Lane, you´ll have your file by tomorrow. I promise!" the secretary said impatiently, hurrying to do so, afraid he wouldn't get another word in edgewise.”
“Fine. Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow! the secretary said, exhausted and mentally drained.”
“Fine.”
***
At the Metropolitans...
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes, Mr. Kent. Tomorrow, I promise.”
“Fine. Thanks for your help.”
“You´re welcome.”
“Clark was coming back to the Planet when he heard someone calling for help.”
***
At the Daily Planet, Lois entered the newsroom and Elise was waiting for her. She decided to tell Lois what she had to.
“Lois, can I talk to you now?”
“I´m kinda busy, Elise. What is it?”
“I wanted to tell you I´m…”
"Lois… you have a call," Jimmy called, interrupting them.”
“Sorry, Elise. Just a second." She picked up the phone.”
“Mr. Stern? No… I didn´t forget our meeting in…" She looked at her watch and it was twenty to three. "… 20 minutes. I can make it, sir. Don´t worry. I´ll be right there. Bye. Elise, I´m sorry but I can´t talk to you now. I have to go to an extremely important meeting. Talk to you later.”
“But, Lois I…uh…”
“Meanwhile, Clark was talking to his parents over the phone.”
“Yeah, Mom… I know what I´m doing. Stella is a great woman. I´m really thinking about… what about her? She´s going to London in 6 days. No… Mom… I tried, but she said she wouldn´t change her mind. There´s nothing I can do about it. No, Dad… I gave up long ago. It seems that we never liked each other… talk to her? Again? No. To tell you the truth I almost feel glad she´s leaving. It has been really hard to work with her these days. What?…Ok, I'll talk to you later. Luv you. Bye.”
***
04/18
At 6 am, Clark was still in bed when someone knocked on his door.
“Just a sec.”
Clark got up and got his glasses while heading to the door. He opened the door and saw a man in his 30´s, very well dressed with Latin features-- very well fitted but with a troubled look on his face. He seemed scared and impatient.
“Mr. Kent? My name is Bruno Ramirez. I have information for you. Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
“I know it is very early, sir, but I had to catch you at home and not at the Daily Planet. I can´t let her see me.”
“Her who…? Lois?”
“Stella.”
“Stella?? Why?”
“I can´t tell you much now, Mr. Kent, but you´re in great danger. Stella is not who you think she is. She is a monster!”
“Now, you wait a second. I´m not going to let you come into my house and insult the woman I love. Please just get outta here!”
“Oh, God. She did it. She did it again! the man said in despair.”
“You get outta here, now!”
“Mr. Kent… you have to fight it! You can´t let her…”
“Out!”
***
At the Planet, Lois was coming into the newsroom when Jimmy approached her.
“Good morning.”
“Why good morning? Do you see anything good about this day?”
“What happened, Lo?”
“The interview I had yesterday. I was ten minutes late. They just let me speak for five minutes. Where´s Perry?”
“He went out for breakfast with Elise.”
“Elise? She wanted to talk to me about something this whole week. Do me a favor, Jimmy. When she comes in, you tell me, ok? Have we already received the files?”
“What files?”
“The files from the teams with the information of the players.”
“Not yet.”
“Not yet??? I´ll kill that secretary with my bare hands.”
Perry and Elise came into the newsroom. She had lots of files in her hands.
“Lois, Elise is here.”
“Elise! You wanted to talk to me. What is it?”
“Gee, I´m really sorry Lois, but I´ve gotta do some stuff now. I´ll talk to you later, ok?”
“Ok…" Lois said, disappointed. *Haven´t been lucky at all.*
Clark entered the newsroom looking really unfriendly.
“Good morning, C.K.”
“Why good morning? Do you see anything good about this day?”
“Gee, you sound like Lois.”
“I´m sorry, Jimmy. I´m just not in a good mood today. What do you want?”
“They sent your files.”
Lois got up and interrupted the conversation that was being held in front of her desk.
“And how come I didn't receive mine?”
“Because maybe you were rude again with the person you asked it from.”
“And I suppose you were the usual boyscout when asking for yours, weren´t you?”
“Some politeness never hurt anyone, Lois. Maybe you should try some time.”
Lois was going to say something back but Jimmy interrupted.
“Lo, line 1 for you.”
“I´ll get it. Maybe it is someone with some information for a change," she said in Clark's direction. "Lois Lane. Bobby? Oh.. hi, what do you have for me?" she said loud enough for Clark to hear. "Nothing?" As it slipped from her lips, she noticed the small smile on Clark's face. "Bobby… And you still call yourself a professional snitch? Ok, now, just call me again when you actually have something for me!
“C.K., line 2 for you.”
“Perhaps one of us can actually get something useful. Clark Kent. Oh, hi Stella. Hold on." He looked at Lois. "Would you mind?”
Lois realized she was almost between him and the telephone in his hands.
“Oh, of course not. I have something better to do than to listen to this!”
“Then, you won´t mind walking away, I suppose.”
“Not at all! Jimmy! Call the Metropolitans! I want my file today!”
“Got it, Lo. Oh, Mr. Stern left a message for you to pass by his office at 5 am on the 20th.”
***
In the afternoon, Stella came in the newsroom without her assistant. She looked really astonishing holding a little picnic basket in her hands.
“Hello, Clark. Are you ready for lunch?”
“Yeah, I was just going to check on a file I received this morning and didn´t have time to look at.”
Stella eyed the name of Louis Cassidy on the file and on an impulse grabbed Clark´s hand and pulled him.
“Clark, I am just starving. Can't we go now, and you look at it later, please?”
“Well… ok, I guess that can wait. Let´s go.”
Lois watched them leave and ran to his desk to look at the file, but she was interrupted by Perry asking her to come to his office.
“You called, chief? She asked sneeking her head inside his office.”
“Yeah, Lois. Listen… how´s the piece I asked you and Clark to work on? It has been weeks since I asked you this.”
“Slowly, chief. I think no one really knows where those guys are. I tried to gather all the information I could, but the teams are just not willing to help. Plus, it´s hard to work with Clark getting on his knees because of this Stella.”
“I see. Well, did you talk to him about this?”
“We´re not talking.”
“Not at all?”
“Not at all.”
“Not even about the piece?”
“Not even about it.”
“Oh, well, darling, I know you two have problems to solve, but you can´t bring it to work like that.”
“I know, chief. I´m trying my best not to mix things up, but its kinda hard at the moment. He just seems to be fascinated by this woman.”
“And it bothers you, right?”
“Well, of course it does. He´s my partner! Well, at least for a few more days.”
“Lois, it´s great that you mentioned it, cause I wanted to tell you that…”
Jimmy entered the room interrupting their conversation.
“Sorry. Lois, your files just arrived.”
“Oh, great! Perry, I have to check on this. I'll talk to you later.”
“Lois…”
“Be right back!”
“Yeah, definitely... They work better together.”
She went to her desk with Jimmy and while she was reading the files, he kept listening to her.
“Tall man, not very muscled but fitted, healthy, intelligent, great personality and manners. Hmmmm. I´ve heard this description before. Jimmy can you get that file on Clark´s desk?”
“Here.”
“I knew it! Same description. Now, all I have to do is remember where I heard this description before.”
A man appeared in front of Lois´ desk.
“Excuse me, are you Ms. Lane, Clark Kent´s partner?”
“You could say so. Do I know you?”
“My name is Bruno Ramirez. I need to talk to you.”
“I´m sorry, Mr. Ramirez. I have lots of things to do at the moment. I´m sure someone else can help you. Maybe Clark himself-- he just went for lunch. He´ll be here in an hour or less.”
“I know he's out for lunch, Ms. Lane. That´s why I came to talk to you. I´m here to tell you something about Stella.”
“Stella? What about her?”
“If we could just talk somewhere besides here…”
“Jimmy, if anyone asks, I´m out for lunch.”
“Got it.”
When Lois and Bruno were leaving the Planet, they didn´t notice they were being followed by Gallan.
tbc...
MDL
