TOCChapter 3As they returned to the newsroom, Perry had already called for the morning conference. Lois and Clark were the last to slip into the conference room.
“Ah, Kent, so nice of you to join us,” Perry said. “We missed you, yesterday. Have you been chasing any leads?”
“None that panned out, I’m afraid,” Clark said apologetically.
Though Lois hadn’t really expected that her partner would be more forthcoming with Perry concerning his whereabouts, she still felt a pang of disappointment. Most days he at least brought back some Superman story when he disappeared without an explanation. Clenching her jaw tightly, Lois sat down on her chair. She watched Clark take his seat next to her.
He seemed to squirm a bit under her gaze and flashed her a smile. Lois felt her resistance melt as, for a moment, he looked at her as if she was the only person in the room. Against her will, she felt her heart flutter with excitement.
“Okay, boys and girls, what have we got?” Perry started the meeting. “Lois? Any news on the Bender case?”
Lois needed a second to pull herself together. “Nothing we could print yet, but it’s getting weirder by the minute. Apparently, Bender turned up this morning, claiming that his abduction had been nothing but a prank. But the guy who took him was found dead around the same time, floating in Hobb’s Bay.”
"You may be onto something there," Perry rubbed his chin, then turned his attention to Jimmy. “And it seems like Bender is your only lead. Jimmy, any chance you can find out where he is now? Or any of Luthor's other former employees for that matter."
Jimmy beamed and nodded. "Sure thing, chief."
"Then get to it," Perry said with a wave of his hand, indicating that he wanted to get the job done as soon as possible. He addressed Lois and Clark. "And you two come see me in my office later, and we’ll talk about how to continue that investigation.”
While Jimmy jumped up and got to work, Perry let his gaze drift across his staff.
"Now, who's next? Eduardo, what can you tell us about the fire in the apartment building?”
Eduardo straightened in his chair. “At this point, the police assume that the fire started by accident, but it’s still a pending investigation. There were seven fatalities and several injured people.” He took a deep breath, before he continued. “What’s strange is that I heard voices blaming Superman for being too slow, too indecisive. One firefighter I talked to said that Superman was acting off, somehow. He said that he’d seen him help with a number of fires, but that it had never been like this. He could have saved more people."
Lois could see Clark tense. His head whipped around to look at Eduardo.
His voice was cold, almost furious. "Superman did what he could! How would you even know if he could have saved more people? Have you been there with him, inside a burning building?"
He'd jumped up while talking, his hands clenched into tight fists. Everyone's eyes were fixed on him, mouths agape with surprise. Clark Kent losing his composure was literally unheard of. Even Lois herself had witnessed it only once or twice, usually when there was some blatant injustice going on.
Before anyone had had a chance to say anything, Clark stormed out of the conference room. The door was rattling on its hinges as it fell shut behind him.
A deep frown appeared on Perry's forehead as he looked after Clark and then turned his attention back on Eduardo.
"We'd need better arguments if we were to print an accusation like that," he stated quietly. "Superman has done a lot of good for the city. Even he's bound to have a bad day every once in a while, if it was even that. Let's ignore these rumors for now, okay?"
Eduardo nodded, looking slightly embarrassed but not entirely surprised. He muttered something to the effect that he'd meant his words more as a heads up than something he was going to mention in his article.
Lois was still a little shell-shocked by Clark's outburst. Her heart was beating rapidly, her gut clenching in sympathy. Had Clark talked to Superman? Did he know more about what had happened at that fire? It was strange that Clark was defending Superman in front of everyone. Usually that would be her part since Clark viewed the hero in a much more critical light than she did. Was Superman the reason Clark had seemed so off all morning?
Perry cleared his throat, getting ready to continue the morning meeting. As he focused his attention on Pete from the sports section, Lois realized that all the exciting news had already been addressed. Seeing how Clark was doing suddenly seemed like a higher priority.
"Perry, would you mind if I checked on Clark?" Lois asked.
A small smile tugged at the corner of their editor's lips. He shook his head. "Go ahead. But don't forget that I expect you in my office in twenty."
Quietly, Lois got up. She didn't really listen as Pete gave a brief recount of last night's basketball games. The rest was lost on her anyway as she closed the door of the conference room behind her.
Clark had returned to his desk and was kneading his hands with a look of grim determination on his face. His jaw was working and anger radiated from him.
"What is wrong, Clark?" Lois asked softly.
He looked up, his expression creased with such a deep frown that it seemed as if he was furious with her. But then his features softened so quickly that Lois wasn't sure if she'd just imagined that.
"It's just so unfair," he muttered, his voice carefully controlled. "Superman did his best."
"I'm sure he did. You know Perry's never going to print any of this." Lois tried to soothe him.
"Maybe. But other newspapers are." His jaw worked again.
"People will always talk." Lois laid her hand on his shoulder and gave him a comforting squeeze. "I know it's unfair. Did you speak to Superman this morning?"
Clark let out a short laugh, as if there was something funny about her question.
Then he sobered. "No, I didn't." He heaved a sigh, got up from his chair and faced her. His voice had taken on a sultry tone. "Let's forget about this whole thing, shall we? How about I pick you up at seven and make it up to you that I was missing the other night and this morning."
Lois looked at him, feeling slightly thrown by this sudden change in his demeanor.
"Are you all right, Clark?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
His smile appeared too forced to be convincing, but Lois knew that it would be no use trying to get him to talk. She'd failed all morning, so why would she succeed now? She supposed Clark would open up about what was troubling him whenever he was ready. But she didn't want to wait, she wanted to settle the thing, whatever it was, that stood between them. That made her a nervous wreck whenever she thought about their date.
"Clark…" she tried again.
His eyes rested on her, gleaming warm and lovingly. For a moment, she felt a shift, something that calmed her frayed nerves. Perhaps, she was going to find her equilibrium after all. She reached for his hand.
"CK! Lois!" Jimmy was almost running as he approached Clark's desk. His gaze darted from one to the other and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. "Am I interrupting something?"
Lois heaved a sigh. "No, Jimmy, it's okay."
"I found Bender," Jimmy announced proudly. "He's in seclusion on his yacht. As for the other guys, no one has spotted them in days."
"Wow, that was quick. Well done." Lois patted Jimmy's shoulder and smiled at him. Then she glanced at her watch. "It's almost time to see Perry."
Clark let out a breath. "Then I guess we should go."
Briefly, he placed the hand on the small of her back, following her toward Perry's office. Something about his touch unsettled her. Her belly did a nervous flip flop. Why was it even irritating her? She didn't know.
His touch had always felt comfortable and never intruding. But after the constant up and down of this morning, she couldn't find any reassurance in his gesture. It felt as if he was forcing a closeness she didn't want. The magic of his gaze resting on her had already expired.
Lois pushed the unwanted thought out of her mind, telling herself that she was losing it. This was Clark behind her. He was the kindest man she'd ever met and he certainly wouldn't force any kind of intimacy between them. He'd gracefully withstood the dance of the seven veils. All seven of them. And while her memory of that night was still foggy at best, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he'd always been a perfect gentleman.
She couldn't understand why the prospect of a date with Clark was rattling her so much. She'd been slightly nervous about it when he'd asked her yesterday. But the kind of jitters that were ailing her now were just plain ridiculous.
Lois suppressed a sigh of relief as they entered Perry's office and took a seat across from him.
Perry looked up from whatever he'd been working on. "So, what do you think about this Bender case? Do we have a story here?"
Lois nodded. "I'd bet on it. Something fishy is going on here."
Perry focused his attention on her partner. "What's your opinion?"
Clark shrugged. "I don't know, chief. It sure seems like an odd coincidence that so many people who used to work for Luthor show up in Metropolis at the same time. But it could be just that, a coincidence. We saw Luthor fall from Lex Tower. No one could survive that."
Lois turned to Clark. "You don't honestly believe that, do you?"
He shrugged again and kneaded his hands. Lois watched him from the side, realizing again how preoccupied he seemed. As if, in his mind, he was miles away from this room.
"And you're saying Bender is our only lead?" Perry asked. "Did Jimmy find out anything about him?"
"He's staying on his yacht," Lois replied. "But we don't know about the rest."
Perry ran a hand through his hair. "It's still not much to go on," he muttered. "If this story doesn't pan out soon, I've got to kill it, you know that. But we've learned from experience that there's almost always something fishy going on around Luthor."
"Even if he's dead?" Clark said with a hint of exasperation.
Lois raised her brows. "Strange words coming from someone who was suspicious of Luthor before anyone else had an idea he was not the philanthropist he'd pretended to be."
Clark glared at her. "I'm just trying to be realistic. Four people meet in a city like Metropolis. Big deal."
Lois crossed her arms in front of her chest. "One gets abducted, and the guy who took him is floating in Hobbs Bay."
Clark rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying there's no story. But it could still be a coincidence. The guy who was shot was dealing with dangerous people."
Lois stuck out her bottom lip. "Exactly!"
Perry let out a soft growl. "Whatever's going on between the two of you better stay out of the newsroom."
Both Lois and Clark lowered their gaze in embarrassment.
Perry grunted in approval. "Here's what I suggest. The two of you keep an eye on Bender around the clock. Maybe you can find out what these people are up to."
"By around the clock, you mean...?" Clark said warily.
"You know exactly what I mean, Kent," Perry stared him down. "Got any better plans? I'm still waiting for you to bring in a story for today."
Clark's eyes widened and he sighed. "No, chief. Got no better plans."
"Great," Perry beamed. "A friend of mine has a condo at the marina. That should be the perfect place for a stakeout. Now on you get and bring me a front-page story."
He ushered Lois and Clark out of his office. Lois felt dazed, but also strangely relieved at the prospect of an all-nighter with Clark. What on Earth was wrong with her that she rejoiced because she didn't have to go out on a date with him? A stakeout seemed like so much safer territory. Their working relationship she could deal with…
As Clark closed the door behind them, he turned toward Lois. "I guess this spells the end to our plans for tonight."
"Yeah, I guess it does," Lois echoed.
She saw the disappointment in his gaze and, immediately, it made her feel guilty as hell. He'd put his heart on the line, for the second time. And while she hadn't stomped on it like she'd done the last time, her thoughts were just as terrible. He didn't deserve this. They didn't deserve this.
She knew that her feelings for him went deeper than for anyone else in her life. So why couldn't she just jump in and enjoy his love? Why did she have to second-guess now when she usually went right in without checking the water level?
"I'm sorry, Clark," she muttered and gave his hand a soft squeeze.
A small smile appeared on his lips. "I guess we can do this another evening."
"Or we could say that the stakeout is some sort of test run, like an almost first date."
His face clouded over. "An almost first date?" He sounded less than enthusiastic, bitter even.
Lois tried not to be irritated with him. She'd expected Clark to smile at that. But maybe whatever was going on with him today was making him grumpy.
Before she had a chance to say anything, she heard Jimmy's voice. "Lois, Henderson for you on line one."
Lois frowned and hurried toward her desk. She picked up the phone. "This is Lois Lane."
"Lane, this is Henderson. What exactly are you working on concerning Bender?"
Lois blinked, irritated. "What I'm working on? Why?"
"Lane, you know the rules. I'm asking the questions," Henderson said, impatiently. "So, what are you onto?"
"Nothing much," Lois replied with a shrug. "We received photos from a source showing Bender with Nigel St. John, Gretchen Kelly and a guy named Asabi."
"That's it?" She could almost hear Henderson's frown.
Suddenly, Clark stood in front of her, a panicked expression on his face. "Lois, I need to talk to you."
Lois clapped her hand over the speaker and glared at him. "Now you want to talk? I'm on the phone, Clark."
"Lois, please," he begged, his eyes wide and his lower lip quivering slightly.
He reached for her arm, trying to pull her with him. Lois felt a rush of anger and pulled her arm from his grip.
"Not now," she mouthed.
"Lane, you still there?" Henderson asked.
"Yeah, Bill." She had a hard time remembering what he'd been asking her. "That's all we got."
Clark was nervously running a hand through his hair and pacing in front of her desk like a caged animal. His gaze darted back to her frequently, speaking volumes about his distress. It was a rare occurrence that calm and collected Clark was so agitated. It made her wonder if maybe she should have taken the time to listen to him. But the call wouldn't last more than a few minutes, surely he could wait that long, couldn't he?
On the other end of the line, Henderson muttered a string of expletives, the likes of which Lois had never heard from the quiet inspector.
Lois felt torn between her conversation and the urgency Clark was oozing from his every pore.
But whatever Henderson had to say must be important, else he wouldn't have called her. And she was still mad at Clark. So Lois decided to stick with the inspector.
"Why are you so interested in our investigation, Bill?"
There was silence on the other end of the line and for a moment Lois thought that Henderson wasn't going to answer her question.
Then he cleared his throat. "We found Bender's body on his yacht. He's been killed."
Clark froze in mid-pace as if he'd heard what Henderson had said and perhaps he had. After all, he was close enough.
"Any idea who did it?" Lois asked.
Henderson snorted. "Do you think I'd be calling you if I knew the answer to that question? Okay, I gotta go. Two dead bodies in one day without any motive to go by. That means work for weeks to come."
Lois watched Clark, who now strode toward his desk and started to jot something down. Then he straightened and looked at the note with a deep frown.
"Bender was a lawyer, don't you think that's enough of a motive?" Lois quipped.
Henderson let out a brief laugh, then the line went dead.
Clark was just tearing the note from his pad and crumbled it into a tight ball. His jaw worked and his lips had become a tight line. Lois hung up and went over to Clark's desk.
"Now, what was so urgent that you had to interrupt my call?" she asked curiously.
Clark's eyes widened slightly, before he plastered a smile on his lips. "It's not that urgent," he said. "I'm sorry. So, what did you learn?"
Lois felt her anger rise as he once again deflected her. "Henderson just told me that Bender was murdered. I thought you had heard that."
"I didn't hear everything he said," Clark replied smoothly. "So, I guess that puts a sudden end to our investigation, huh?"
Lois stared at him. She'd have expected more of a reaction to this kind of news. "I guess so."
"That means our date for tonight is on again?" he asked.
"Clark…" She let out a breath.
Was she reading too much into this? A filthy lawyer had found his untimely end. It really wasn't that much of a tragedy. And it was true that they'd just lost their last lead, so there was no point in wasting a good evening. Perhaps it was just her frayed nerves making her suspicious of perfectly normal behavior. She was losing it, no doubt about that.
She tried to shake the bad feeling creeping up on her. Going out with Clark was going to be fun. She'd enjoy herself and forget why she'd been so nervous in the first place.
Lois forced a smile on her lips. "Sure, why not. You said you'd pick me up at seven?"
"I can hardly wait," Clark said huskily. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'll be out for a while looking for that story Perry wants me to bring in for today. Be back in a bit."
He flashed her a smile and turned on his heels. Lois felt dazed as he left the newsroom. She sagged against his desk and closed her eyes. Her emotions were completely out of sorts. She could only hope that she would manage to bring them back under control by the time Clark would pick her up this evening. There was no way she was going to survive a date in her current state.
She straightened her stance and took a deep calming breath. First she would get herself a cup of coffee, then she would tell Perry about Bender's death. Lois' gaze drifted toward the notepad Clark had used to write on.
Acting on a sudden impulse, Lois took a pencil and started to scratch it across the empty page. Clark's handwriting appeared.
<Don't trust>
Lois stared at the letters in front of her, wondering if she'd ever been more confused in her life.
