Chapter 14: Decodings
**Daily Planet**
The elevator doors opened, revealing Lois and Clark. Lois let go of Clark's hand and quickly headed towards the bullpen.
“Jimmy! Do you have the items I asked for last night? I need to figure out what this symbol on the key means! Has a courier from Henderson dropped by?”
Jimmy, caught off guard by Lois's urgency and determination, could only nod.
“On your desk!”
Lois grabbed the files without wasting a second, and taking her husband's hand—who was arriving with a cup of coffee for her—she swiftly headed towards the conference room. Clark, following her, offered a compassionate smile.
“I figured you’d need some coffee with all this work,” he said, handing her the cup.
Lois nodded in thanks and rushed to the large conference table, where she laid out the files. Clark stood beside her, watching his wife's determined effort while taking a sip of his coffee.
“Where do you want to start?” he asked softly.
“The videos—we need to send them to Lois today; she'll go through them faster than we will. We still have to decode the key’s code and transcribe the prosecutor’s documents. Do you have a preference?”
“I’ll take the code. I was unbeatable at treasure hunts when I was a teenager.”
Lois chuckled.
“With superpowers, I’d win every race too…”
Clark feigned shock.
“I never cheated! Are you questioning my investigative skills?”
The conversation flowed easily, and it was nice to share this lighthearted moment of complicity.
“You’re a great investigator, trained by the best. But I would've cheated!”
She planted a kiss on her husband's playful pout and grabbed the prosecutor's file.
Silence fell for a few minutes until Clark suddenly stood up, scanning the room.
“What if…” he began.
“What are you looking for, Clark?”
“A directory! Or a map of Metropolis.”
Lois wasn’t entirely sure where he was going with this but told him, “Check the cabinet at the back of the room. I think there’s a directory.”
Clark walked over, grabbed the directory, placed it on the large table, and began flipping through it, stopping at the city map. Lois stood next to him, watching her husband closely. His eyes sparkled as brightly as the wedding band on his left hand. After a few seconds, he stopped.
“I think I’ve got it. What if 1946 isn’t a year but a street number?”
He pointed to the map, indicating "Dixon Street."
Lois followed his reasoning, her eyes lighting up.
“And SS stands for Suicide Slum!”
She examined the map more closely.
“So, we might have a clue leading us to an address in Suicide Slum. It could be a meeting spot or a hideout for Intergang.”
Clark nodded, excited by the discovery.
“Exactly. 1946 on Dixon Street could be a key location. We should check it out and see what we can find there.”
Just then, the conference room door opened, and Jimmy walked in. He didn’t have time to deliver his message before Lois started:
“Jimmy, you’re just in time! I need you to look up everything…”
“…you can on 1946 Dixon Street…” Clark continued.
“…owner…” Lois added.
“…history of activities, previous owners…” Clark completed.
“…recent movements…” Lois finished.
They were in sync again, completely in tune with one another, unstoppable. Jimmy, caught in their momentum, quickly nodded and left the room, forgetting his original reason for coming.
Lois turned to Clark, an excited smile on her lips.
“We're getting there. With all this information, we should be able to move the investigation forward.”
Clark looked at her with pride and affection.
“Yes, we’re on the right track. Now we just need to analyze everything and put our findings into perspective.”
The investigation was progressing rapidly, and the determination of the two journalists drove them to leave no stone unturned.
Meanwhile, Jimmy was already hard at work, contacting the necessary services to gather all the information about the mysterious address. The wheels of the investigation kept turning, and each discovery brought Lois and Clark closer to uncovering the truth behind the fires and Intergang’s activities.
Lois returned to her transcriptions, feeling lighter. The second breakthrough of the morning wasn’t long in coming.
“Clark! Clark, look at this!” she exclaimed, her voice full of jubilation.
Alerted by Lois’s excitement, Clark turned to her. His eyes fell on the paper Lois was waving in front of him. He took it and read what was written. The words confirmed what she had suspected, providing tangible proof for her hypothesis.
Lois couldn’t contain her joy. Her hands trembled slightly as she pointed out the key details of the document.
“Intergang is being led by a woman. Winter didn’t know her name, but a platinum blonde, sophisticated, opulent, very sexy, full of charm—that’s the description any man would give of Mindy Church.”
“I wouldn’t describe her that way.”
“You’re not a typical man, Clark. You’re my husband. But look, it all fits! I’m sure it’s her. You can’t deny it, Clark!”
“I admit, there’s little room for doubt. Well done, Lois!”
She kissed him with renewed enthusiasm, each kiss expressing her joy and gratitude. Together, they knew they were on the verge of a significant breakthrough in their investigation, and this victory was their first major step toward justice and restoring order.
The sound of someone clearing their throat brought them back to reality.
“Sorry to…”
“…interrupt? No worries, it’s the story of our life,” Lois quipped with humor. It was Jimmy Interruptus once again. Jimmy had a knack for appearing whenever Lois and Clark shared a tender moment. However, Lois was only momentarily annoyed, as Jimmy’s arrival often signaled a breakthrough in their case.
“Tell us everything, Jimmy,” Clark encouraged as Lois turned in his arms to face the young man.
“1946 Dixon Street is a warehouse owned by Mrs. Evelyn Winter, widow of a certain…”
“George Winter,” Lois suggested.
“How did you know? Anyway, it’s an inheritance she received from an old uncle 40 years ago. There’s no official or legal activity at this building, but there were suspicions a few years ago that it was a hub for art trafficking on behalf of Bill Church. However, no proof was ever found, and the warehouse was never raided by authorities.”
Clark, visibly interested, asked, “So, this building has been tied to Intergang for a long time. Any recent developments? Recent movements?”
Jimmy consulted his notes before replying, “No notable recent movements, but I found something interesting. The latest records show that Mrs. Winter recently carried out major renovations. That could be a sign she’s preparing for something important.”
Lois, excited by this information, broke free from her husband’s embrace and began pacing the room, thinking out loud.
“The renovations could be tied to preparations for illegal activities. If Intergang is planning something big, this warehouse could be a key location for their next move.”
Clark nodded, his expression growing serious.
“We absolutely need to investigate the place. If this building is indeed a central point for Intergang, we might uncover crucial evidence.”
Jimmy nodded in agreement.
“I’ll keep monitoring the situation for any new information. If I find anything else, I’ll let you know immediately.”
Clark thanked Jimmy with a smile and a nod.
“Thanks, Jimmy. Keep up the good work. We have a solid lead now.”
As Jimmy left, Lois and Clark turned to each other with renewed determination. It was time to prepare for a field visit.
“We should go before the renovations are completed,” Lois suggested.
“We need to be cautious and plan our approach,” Clark replied.
Clark took Lois’s hand, gently leading her to their desks to gather their notes and make a detailed plan for their next step.
