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Part 6/11
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It's early in the day and the front door of the Metro Club is locked. Clark and I walk around to the service entrance to get inside. I head for the office and knock on the door. No one answers.
"There's no one in the office." Clark pushes his glasses back into place.
We head down the hallway and onto the stage. There are two men over at the bar, neither one looks up as we come on stage.
"Hello?" I call out to them. "We're looking for Lou?"
The older of the two, a heavy-set man with dark hair turns to face us. "Who's looking?"
"Hi Lou," says Clark. "You helped us out on a story last year. We just need to ask you a few questions."
"Oh yeah…" Lou nods vigorously, recognizing us now. "How ya doin'? Any chance you came here to sing? We could use a singer."
"No, sorry. My singing days are over." I give him a smile, but I am flattered to be asked. For one brief moment during another story I actually got to live out a secret fantasy.
"Can we talk privately?" Clark asks.
"Sure, sure. Head on back to the office and I'll be there in a minute."
"I can't believe he remembers that I sang here," I say to Clark as we walk back to the office.
"Lois, no one who was here that night has forgotten it. You were sensational."
"Really?" Okay, so I'm fishing, but it's still nice to hear.
Lou comes into the office and waves us to some chairs. He sits behind the desk and steeples his fingers in front of him. "So what can I do for you?"
"We need to ask you some follow-up questions about Dermot Delaney." Clark says.
"Delaney! Seriously? Delaney's been dead for months now. Are you looking for the money? Is that it? They never did find it did they?"
"You had said that you thought Delaney had a partner?" Clark answers him with a question.
Lou stares at his fingers for a few seconds and then sighs. "Yeah, I think there was a partner. All that money had to go somewhere. They never found any of it at the pawnshop or in his bank account. He had to be stashing it away through someone else."
"But you don't know who it was?" I prompt.
Lou shrugs. "Hey, you know, I decided it was better to stay here with some job security than to go any higher. I don't want to end up like Delaney."
"You didn't answer the question," I point out.
"Why are you looking into this now?" Lou counters.
"Because, according to the bomb squad, Delaney tried to kill us yesterday." I say.
Lou's eyebrows rise in surprise. "Delaney tried to kill you?"
Clark speaks up. "Whether it was Delaney or not, the connection is worth looking into."
Lou nods and picks at the edge of his desk calendar. "Look, I want to help. I just… give me an hour, okay? I'll make some calls and meet you at the end of the pier. But don't come back in here, okay? If it is Delaney, I don't want nothin' to do with it."
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The rain that was drizzling earlier is falling in earnest as we leave the Metro Club. As we pass a coffee shop I decide it would be better to sit inside while we wait to meet with Lou. Clark goes to the counter to order and I sit in the closest booth.
"Who do you think Lou's going to call?" Clark asks as he sets down a tray laden with two cups of coffee and three doughnuts.
"I don't know. Maybe he has to call Delaney? Tell him that we're still out walking around." I take a coffee and push the plate of doughnuts away.
"Ha, ha."
"Admit it, Clark. It's possible that he's still alive."
"It's possible, but not probable." He picks up the chocolate frosted doughnut and takes a bite.
"So is the theory of intelligent life on other planets."
He narrows his eyes at me. "That's an entirely different argument."
"How's that?"
"Because you know darn well there's at least one other planet with intelligent life."
"Life, yes. Intelligent is still debatable."
"Boy, you really don't take being wrong well, do you?" He takes another bite, this time a little bit of the frosting sticks to his lip. I watch it, beginning to appreciate why he was so distracted earlier.
"I'm not wrong. Delaney's still alive." Why doesn't he just lick his lips and make it go away?
"How much?"
"What?" I lick my bottom lip but he doesn't take the hint.
"How much do you want to bet?"
"How much are you willing to lose?"
He considers it for a moment. "Loser buys dinner." Finally! He licks the chocolate away.
"Then I hope you're ready to buy me a very expensive dinner."
"Don't count your dinner before it hatches, Lois."
"What's this about an expensive dinner?" a voice says from the booth behind Clark. Bobby Bigmouth looks over the top of the booth.
"Bobby!" we both exclaim. I gesture for him to join us. He slides onto the seat next to me and swipes a doughnut from the plate.
"You guys don't know how happy I am to see you." I know he's telling the truth because he finishes speaking before he shoves the entire doughnut into his mouth.
"We looked everywhere for you yesterday." I tell him.
"Yeah, well, after I saw the warehouse I decided it might be best if I laid low for the night." Everyone has a talent. Bobby's is being able to speak distinctly with his mouth full.
"Do you know who E is?" Clark asks.
"No, sorry."
"Then how…" I start but Bobby hurries to answer.
"I got a big envelope from Drew, he's a guy I know from way back. Anyway, Drew said the guy had specifically asked for me to help him out. There was a note explaining everything along with the handcuffs. And a hundred dollar gift certificate for Marco's."
"Do you still have the note?" Clark asks.
"You gonna eat that?" Bobby points to the last doughnut.
"No, it's yours." Clark slides the plate closer to Bobby.
Bobby nods and reaches inside his jacket, pulling out a manila envelope folded into thirds. He unfolds it and pulls out a slip of paper before handing it to Clark.
"You don't mind if I keep the certificate, do you?" He holds up the paper. "Shame about Marco though, you heard about that, right?" Bobby adds and then takes a bite out of the last doughnut.
"He was smoking in bed and his house burned down." I say.
"No, not a house fire. Well, his house burned down, but it wasn't a cigarette that started it." Bobby inhales the rest of the doughnut.
"It wasn't?" Clark looks up from reading E's note.
"Hard to smoke when all your fingers have been broken. Somebody tortured Marco before they torched the place."
Clark and I exchange a look.
"You want my opinion?" Bobby leans forward, his voice dropping in pitch. "I never saw you. We haven’t talked. If you two know what's good for you, you'll get off the street and stay that way. Move out west. There's plenty of sunshine out there." He waves his hand to indicate the rain outside. "Metropolis ain't healthy for you right now."
Bobby raps his knuckles on the table. "One last thing before I go. I have to ask - how did you get free?"
"Superman," I say, daring a quick smile at Clark. "Superman found us about twenty minutes after you left."
"Lucky break. Well… adios. And remember what I said. I may not know who E is, but I know he means business."
"Thanks, Bobby. Is it okay if we hang onto this stuff?" Clark holds up the note and envelope.
"All yours." Bobby picks up my coffee and takes a sip. He makes a face but doesn't give my coffee back when he leaves.
"Can I see the note?" I ask. Clark slides it across the table to me. It covers half a sheet of paper in neat block letters.
'CALL LOIS LANE AND CLARK KENT AND SET UP A MEETING FOR 9:30 THIS MORNING AT THE WAREHOUSE ON PIER 3. I HAVE INFORMATION FOR THEM THAT IS TIME SENSITIVE SO THEY WILL NEED TO BE DETAINED. USE THE ENCLOSED HANDCUFFS TO CHAIN THEM TO THE PIPE ON THE WALL. TAKE THEIR CELL PHONES AFTER YOU LOCK THEM UP. LEAVE WHEN I DO, BUT COME BACK IN TWO HOURS TO RELEASE THEM WITH THE ENCLOSED KEY.'
Clark tips the envelope and a small key clatters onto the table. The he leans forward. "Lois, I have to go."
For a moment I think he means the restroom and I look up, ready to make a smart remark. Then I realize what he's saying. I glance at my watch. "Go, it's fine. I'll head over to meet with Lou. Just catch up to me there."
He smiles. "This is a lot easier than telling you I need to return a video."
"Go!" I shoo him away.
After he's gone I pick up the key from the table and consider it for a few moments before pocketing it. I might never tell him why, but I'm going to keep it. Think of it as a souvenir of his big secret.
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Rain is still falling as I walk to the end of the pier. What was Lou thinking in meeting here? The wind has picked up and the river is full of choppy waves. I check my watch - Lou should have been here five minutes ago.
I take another step forward and the post next to me explodes. You know how they say that time slows down in emergency situations? It's true. It takes only a split second for me to realize that I'm being shot at. In the same instant I have time to wonder where Clark is and realize that I'm trapped out here on the pier. I drop to my stomach just as another bullet whizzes by overhead.
Completely panicked, I roll over the edge and into the dark water. Frantically I swim underneath the pier as I hear footsteps running towards me overhead. I want to swim towards land, but that's what they'll be expecting. Instead I swim towards the end of the pier sending a mental scream in Clark's direction the whole time.
I hear a "whomp" and realize that whoever it is has dropped down to look under the pier. I pull myself behind a piling on the opposite side and cling to it, waiting. I'm wearing a dark shirt, so hopefully I'll blend in with the water better. The water is so cold it's hard to keep my breathing even and quiet. The waves threaten to loosen my hold and drag me out into the open.
Over the wind I can hear the faint sounds of my attacker moving away from the edge. Then… nothing. Is he just standing there, waiting for me to move? I'm sure of it. I don't dare move. I tighten my grip on the piling and try to think warm thoughts. Minutes pass and my entire body is beginning to ache.
Where the hell is Clark?
