Chapter Five
>>>Monday, lunchtime
Lois looked around the room with dropped jaw. “Cat, I had no idea this place was like this! Is it always this crowded?”
“Of course. It’s always booked solid, too, but somebody either doesn’t show up or comes too late to get a table, so it’s pretty much first come, first served.”
“Wow. I’ve flown stand-by, but I’ve never eaten stand-by.”
Cat laughed. “I always book for two, and I’ve yet to eat alone.”
Wide-eyed, Lois noted the presence of the mayor and his office entourage, two idols of the silver screen in a dark booth whose individual marriages were rumored to be on the rocks, three business moguls, a used car salesman whose famous commercials hammered late-night viewers around the state, and what looked like a painting of a partridge in a pear tree beside the door to the kitchen.
The maitre’d bowed to Cat and spoke in a lilting Spanish accent. “Senorita, my deepest apologies and regrets, but we have no table for two available as you usually prefer. Would you accept a corner booth instead?”
“Of course, Arturo. That would be fine.”
“Bueno. Please follow me.”
As they made their way past the tables to the booth, Cat spoke over her shoulder to Lois. “I saw Mickey and Maude in this very booth last week. They looked really lovey-dovey, too. I think they’re going to get back together, and not just on stage, if you know what I mean.”
Lois nodded. “I read that in your column. Didn’t Maude’s husband issue a statement denying that rumor?”
Cat waved her hand. “He has to, Lois, or he loses all credibility. This way, when Maude leaves him, he can say that it took him by surprise and he never saw it coming and he wants half her income for the next fifteen years. He might get it, too, if he can get the right judge.”
Arturo stopped and gestured to the booth. “Here you are, Senoritas. Audrey will be here in a moment to take your beverage orders. Enjoy your lunch. If you require my services, please do not hesitate to call me.”
He bowed and smiled and glided away. Cat sighed as she watched him go. “My, my, my, what a waste of a man.”
Lois shook her head. “Excuse me?”
“Nothing. What do you want to drink?”
“Let me see. Wait, is this personal or business?”
Cat grinned. “It’s a bit of both, actually. And don’t worry about some Planet bean counter checking the receipt. It’s going on my personal credit card.” She leaned closer and whispered, “I write off most of this at the end of the year, anyway.”
Lois smiled back. “I think we use the same accountant.”
“Anyway, if you want a small glass of wine, go ahead, unless you think it’ll interfere with your judgment.”
“I think I’ll stick with iced tea today. If I come back on a Friday, I’ll check out the wine list.”
“Iced tea? I thought you were Lois Lane, risk-taker extraordinaire.”
Lois’s brow darkened. “Not so much. Not any more.”
Cat nodded and changed the subject. “Hey, have you talked to Clark Kent since he’s been back?”
“Clark? Uh, not really, just to say ‘hi’ and ‘welcome back.’ Why?”
She jiggled Lois’s elbow. “He’s back at work, silly. That means he’s recovering. You think he’s looking for a girlfriend yet?”
Towering rage reared its hideous head in Lois’s heart. Cat’s head remained on her shoulders only because a perky young brunette suddenly appeared at their table and distracted Lois. “Hi! I’m here for your drink orders. Do you need some more time to look at your menus?”
Cat nodded. “A couple of minutes, yes. Lois, you want an iced tea, right? And I’ll have a non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri.”
“Okay! If you need anything, my name’s Audrey!”
Lois had used the moment to regain her composure. She put on the most innocent expression she could muster and asked, “What’s your name if we don’t need anything?”
“Huh?”
Cat tried to stifle her splutter of laughter but failed. Audrey thought about it for a moment, then grinned and nodded. “I get it! Yeah! If you don’t need anything my name’s Fred!”
Lois chuckled. “Can we call that one a draw?”
“Sure! I’ll be right back with your drinks!”
Cat was still laughing behind her hand as Audrey bounced away. Lois picked up her menu and asked, “Is their steak any good or should I go with a salad?”
Cat leaned back and pressed a hand against her stomach. “That just struck me as so funny! Whew!” She fanned herself with her free hand. “If you want a steak, they’ll cook it exactly how you want it. I’m going with the baked grouper today. Arturo sent me an e-mail recommending it.”
Lois looked at the lunch entrees. “I think I’ll have the six-ounce sirloin and rice pilaf.”
“Sounds good. Comes with salad or soup, too.”
“At these prices it should come pre-cut into bite-sized pieces.”
Cat laughed again, and Lois returned a grin. Then she remembered Cat’s previous comment. “Hey, can I ask you a personal question?”
Cat grinned and leaned closer. “Ooh, an interview! Sure, fire away.”
“What did you mean when you asked if Clark was looking for a girlfriend?”
Cat grinned mischievously, then drew a breath to answer. Her smile slowly faded as she looked into Lois’s eyes. “Oh. Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Huh? Didn’t know what?”
“That you felt that way about him.”
“What? What way? What are you talking about?”
Cat frowned slightly. “It’s right there all over your face, Lois. I don’t think you want him for yourself, but it’s obvious that you care about what happens to him. You care a lot. And if some young, beautiful, sexy female co-worker decided to make a play for him, you’d swat her down in a Metropolis minute if she didn’t meet your standards for him.”
Audrey rematerialized beside their table and set their drinks down. “You ladies ready to order now?”
“Sure. Lois, you wanted that six-ounce sirloin, right? How do you want it cooked?”
“Medium rare, please.”
Audrey scribbled for a moment. “Baked potato, fries, rice, or veggie medley?”
“Vegetables.”
“And the dressing on your salad?”
“Um, Italian on the side, please.”
“Yes, ma’am. And what would you like today, Ms. Grant?”
“Broiled grouper with baked potato, butter only, no sour cream, Thousand Island dressing on green salad.”
Audrey’s smile shimmered again. “Okay! I’ll get this right to the cook and come back with your salads! Oh, did you want some of our fresh-baked bread? It tastes almost as good as a cute guy’s kiss!”
Cat laughed. “Bring it on! But I doubt it’s anywhere near that good.”
“You never know, Ms. Grant. The bread won’t take your phone number and then never call.”
Cat and Lois laughed with her as she skipped away again. Lois turned back to Cat and muttered, “I wonder about her timing.”
“It’s okay, Lois, I won’t spill your beans. I was half-kidding, anyway. Clark’s out of my league.”
“What? I would’ve thought he’d be right up near the top of your list.”
She shook her head. “No. Even before I found out that you – how you felt about him – I’d never get to first base with him, not even if he had amnesia. His wife spoiled him for just about anyone else.”
“Really? How can you tell? I didn’t think you’d met him before she – before.”
Cat shrugged. “I brought Paula Young here not long ago. Before she and Arturo got into an argument about her smoking, she gave me the lowdown on him. He was devoted to her and she to him. They had the real thing. It’s just too bad she died so young.”
Lois felt the knife twist in her heart. She bit her lip and felt her control slipping away. She stood suddenly and looked around. “Ladies’ room? Where?”
Cat turned and pointed. “Far corner past the kitchen.”
Lois hit the door at a fast trot and almost knocked down another patron. She dove into the first unoccupied stall she found, sat on the edge of the seat, and pressed her knuckles against her eyes to stop the tears. It didn’t quite work.
After a few moments she heard a hesitant knock on the stall door. “Lois? It’s Cat. I’m sorry. I really put my foot in it, didn’t I?”
Lois wiped her eyes with her hands and sniffed. “N-no. I just – sometimes I react badly, that’s all.”
Cat slowly pushed open the door and put her hand on Lois’s shoulder. “You okay? You want to cancel lunch?”
Lois shook her head. “No, no, I’ll be fine.” She pulled some tissue from the dispenser and blew her nose. “I’ll be right out.”
Cat nodded. “I’ll wait at the booth.”
Lois took a deep breath and looked around for her purse. Sure enough, her reflexes had worked; it was on the floor beside her foot. She spent a quick minute fixing her makeup before returning to lunch.
She nodded to Cat, who was working on her salad. Lois sliced a piece of bread and buttered it, then ate it silently before beginning on her own salad.
Cat speared a piece of celery. “I’m sorry. Really.”
“It’s okay.”
“I don’t think it is.” Cat held her fork in front of her mouth. “But I also think it will be.”
Lois closed her eyes. “When?”
“When you’re ready. When it’s time. When you’ve grieved enough.”
“And when will that end?”
“Never.”
Lois looked at her. “You know, you’d make a whale of a therapist.”
Cat shook her head. “I lost a close friend when I was twelve. She was hit by a car speeding through a school zone. There are times even now when I think, Oh, that’s so cool, I can’t wait till I tell Missy about this, and then I remember that she’s gone and it still hurts.”
“And this is supposed to make me feel better?”
Cat’s voice softened. “But the hurt doesn’t overwhelm me any more. It doesn’t stop me from making friends.” She put her hand on Lois’s arm. “And it doesn’t stop me from living. Don’t let it stop you, okay?”
Lois nodded her silent assent, then turned her attention to the loaf of bread on the table. After a moment, she became uncomfortable with the lack of conversation. “Audrey was right about the bread.”
Cat sighed. “Oh, I don’t know. Kissing bread really isn’t my style.”
Lois stifled a chuckle that escaped as a snort. “I guess it’s not mine, either. Are you going to complain to Audrey about it?”
Cat grinned around a lettuce leaf and shook her head. “I like to give the wait staff a hard time. Makes them earn their tip.”
Lois grinned and began to relax. Audrey materialized with their entrees, and the two women enjoyed a wonderful meal and began building a friendship.
*****
Lois spent the rest of the afternoon working on the carjacking story and growing progressively more frustrated. She’d spoken to three police officers, one desk sergeant, four victims, two ER nurses and an attending physician who’d treated the man who’d been beaten, and she had no more solid information than before. She realized she’d been muttering aloud to herself when Cat came over and plunked a diet soda down in front of her.
“Here. This may calm you down.”
Lois looked up at Cat’s soft smile and nodded. “Thanks.” Then she ripped the pull-tab off and chugged half of the can at once.
“Tough story, huh?”
Lois put down the can and burped. “’Scuze me. Yeah, this is a tough nut to crack. I can’t think of anyone else to call. I’ve got nine pages of notes and no more facts than I had when I started.” She flipped the notepad shut and slapped it down on her desk. “I haven’t been this frustrated since my seventh birthday.”
Cat sat on the edge of the desk. “What happened on your seventh birthday?”
“I asked my parents for an electric typewriter and they gave me a toy oven, complete with plastic food.”
Cat smiled gently. “As a famous philosopher once said, ‘You can’t always get what you want.’”
Lois chimed in with the next line. “’But if you try sometimes you might find – ‘“
They finished together. “’ – you get what you need.’”
Both women laughed, and Cat reached over and patted Lois’s forearm. “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“Guess not.” She rubbed her face with her hands. “It’s after five-thirty. I’m going to call it a day and head for home.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then. I have to finish my Wednesday column before I go. Good night.”
Lois shut down her computer and picked up her purse. Then she remembered her dinner date with Rebecca. She stopped and groaned, then decided to make the best of it and enjoy the girl’s company.
She might as well enjoy the company of women. Her luck with men was so bad it qualified for Federal disaster relief.
>>>Monday, 6:42 PM
“Hi, Lois!” shouted Rebecca. “Over here! I got a great table!”
Lois smiled. “As long as it’s within whistling range of the kitchen, it’s a great table.”
“Oh, it is! And I guilted your uncle into giving us free dessert tonight.”
Lois plopped down in her chair. “That couldn’t have been all that difficult. Uncle Mike’s a pushover for a pretty girl.”
Rebecca preened like a teen. “Thank you, Lois. Hey, did anyone ever call you ‘Lo’ when you were younger?”
“Not more than once or twice. And before you ask, I’d prefer you not greet me by yelling, ‘Hi, Lo!’ That’s been done to death.”
The perky redhead smiled even wider. “Oh, I figured that out already. I asked Mike to bring us the same drinks we had last time. Hope that’s okay.”
“Sounds great.”
Lois picked up a menu and glanced at it, then smiled as Mike brought their drinks. “Thanks,” she said.
“Non de parm,” he responded.
“Fermitas. Don de blemmel und planken.”
“Yah, und flicken spicken donder plotzen de glompen.”
“Nein! Winder zander de zipzen glatz. Pikten flinder morps.”
Mike paused and glanced at Rebecca, who was staring at them with a highly puzzled and slightly alarmed expression. “Hey, Red, what’s the matter?”
“Um – what language was that?”
Lois suppressed the laughter bubbling up from her belly. “What are you talking about?”
“The – whatever it was you two were speaking just then.”
Mike turned to Lois, and neither of them could hold it back any longer. They both burst out laughing.
When he calmed down, Mike explained, “It’s a nonsense language she and her little sister used to use when they wanted to befuddle their parents, which, by the way, wasn’t all that difficult to do. I picked it up when Lucy was about two, and sometimes we just fall back into it. Didn’t mean to mess with your head or anything.”
“Oh.” Rebecca nodded. “Yeah, man, ya don’t wanna talk like yer from outta state or nuttin’, do ya?”
Mike’s eyebrows rose, and when Rebecca glanced at Lois, she said, “Yah, Beeca, ya cain’t hardly find nobody whats talks good English no more.”
Mike lifted his finger. “Hey, you two, I – “
Becca broke in. “Ya know, chicky, they was a time when a goil could get a good meal and tons o’ respect, but now, I mean, ya cain’t never tell ‘bout dose guys.”
“Let me just take your order – “
Lois joined in. “Just think, huh, way back when them dino-sawers wuz roamin’ around. Hey, Mike, wuz you real, real sad when they all kicked the bucket?”
Mike glared at each of them in turn. “That’s it. You get the house special tonight and no backtalk!”
He stormed off the fit deeds to his words. Lois leaned forward on the table, and Rebecca nearly fell out of her chair.
Their hysterical laughter caught the attention of an older couple, apparently from out of town, who stood open-mouthed watching them from the sidewalk. When Lois noticed them and pointed, the sight of them set Lois and Rebecca laughing once again.
The woman nudged the man and said, “Come along, Walter, let’s leave before the men in white coats come to take them home.”
Rebecca and Lois were still convulsed in frenzied hilarity when Mike brought their entrees to the table.
>>>Tuesday, 8:30 AM
Lois was hard at work the next morning when her phone rang. “Lois Lane, Daily Planet.”
“Lois, this is Rebecca. How you doin’, girlfren’?”
She fell back into the funky patter with which they’d befuddled Mike the night before. “Doin’ good, doin’ good. How’s by you, eh?”
Rebecca’s laugh sounded like pure silver. “You sound like New Jersey by way of Canada!”
“I was never that good at accents, just nonsense speech. What’s up?”
“You know that article you wrote about Mr. Luthor?”
“Of course I do. I wrote it. We published it in this morning edition.”
Rebecca’s voice became breathy. “You won’t believe this. I’m not sure I believe it! I’ve never even heard of it before!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Lois, this is so awesome! He knows I know you so he asked me to call and tell you!”
“Rebecca, will you please tell me whatever it is you’re trying to tell me?”
“Oh, right, right.” Her voice dropped a full register. “Mr. Luthor read your article in the paper today.”
“I’d hope so. It was good.”
“Yeah, he thought so too. He thought your presentation was balanced and fair, and he thinks you’re a wonderful journalist. In fact, he wants you to interview him!”
Lois’s jaw would’ve hit the floor had it not been attached to her face. Rebecca waited for a moment, then almost shouted, “Lois! Did you hear me?”
“Uh. I think so. Say it again, will you?”
“Girlfriend, you have an interview with Lex Luthor!”
Lois almost fell out of her chair, then stood up and slapped her desk. “Yee-hah! I’ll be right over!”
“No! Not today!”
“What!” Lois was almost dancing around her desk. “Not today? When?”
“He’s out of the office for the rest of this week, but he’d like to see you Tuesday of next week at eleven o’clock. Think you can make it?”
“Are you crazy? I’ll be there with bells on! Oh! How much time can he give me?”
“An hour. Unless you want to have lunch with him, in which case it’ll be two hours.”
Two hours! A one-on-one interview with the third richest man in the world! It was almost a dream come true!
Then she had a thought. “Rebecca, who else will be there?”
“Uh, the cook, one or two waiters, maybe Mr. St. John – “
“That’s not what I meant! How many reporters will be there?”
“Other reporters? No others, Lois, this is your exclusive interview. You’ll have him all to yourself the whole time.”
A one-on-one private interview with the third richest man in the world! It was indeed a dream come true! “Great! Put my name down and use indelible ink! And tell him yes, I also accept his gracious invitation to lunch.”
“Done! I’ll send his secretary an e-mail about it. Hey, some of the other master’s students are coming over on Saturday night for a party, you know, music, dancing, mild refreshments, dangerous boys, and I thought you might like to come.”
“Ooh, dangerous boys, huh? I’d like to, but I’d better take a rain check this time. But if you do it again, be sure to let me know.”
“Will do. I better get back to work. See you next week.”
“Until Tuesday at eleven. And thanks.”
“Don’t thank me until after you get your interview. Whatever happens, I can promise you it’ll be interesting.”
Lois chuckled into the phone. “Okay, Rebecca. Bye.”
She hung up and raced into Perry’s office. “Perry! I got it!”
Perry looked up from the copy he’d been examining. “Great! What did you get?”
She pushed the door shut with a slam. “An exclusive interview with Lex Luthor!”
His face fell. “Aw, honey, you can’t mess with my mind like that! Lex Luthor don’t never give no interviews to nobody.”
“But Perry, it’s true! His receptionist just called me to verify it! He wants to meet with me at eleven o’clock next Tuesday! He’s mine for two hours!”
Perry’s jaw dropped. “Two hours?” She nodded excitedly. “What are you gonna talk about for two hours?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve got plenty of stuff to start with! Besides, the invitation also includes lunch!”
“Oh. Lunch. I see.”
“Don’t give me that ‘ulterior motive’ look, Perry! I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself!”
He stood and walked around the desk to stand in front of her. “Ordinarily, honey, I’d agree with you, but Lex Luthor’s a special case. He can charm the paint off a school bus. Why, he talked to a cowboy for just ten minutes the other day and walked away with his brand new boots, leather belt, and silver buckle with the man’s name on it!”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I’m assuming that’s a country aphorism of some kind.”
“Course it is! Look, you go, but you be careful! In fact, I’d prefer it if you took someone along for backup.”
“Backup?” She raised her arms in frustration. “I can’t take backup! That would just tell Luthor that I’m afraid of him!”
“You should be. He’s tough as an old shoe and tighter than a supermodel’s thong. He didn’t get where he is by being nice.”
“Perry, I don’t – “
“Take a backup.”
“I don’t want – “
“Take Clark.”
Her mouth froze for a moment. “Wh-what?”
“Take Clark with you. He’ll watch over you like a hawk.”
She thought for a moment. He would certainly do that. And if she did somehow get in over her head, he could be there to help her in a moment’s notice.
But would Clark agree? “What if he doesn’t want to go?”
Perry shook his finger in her face. “Who’s drivin’ this train, darlin’?”
She grinned and touched his fingertip with hers. “You are, you old softy. Okay, assuming Clark’s willing, I’ll take him with me. Have him ready by ten next Tuesday. It’s not formal, but tell him to wear a suit with a nice tie.” She hesitated, then continued, “Better yet, I’ll buy him a couple of ties.”
*****
Lois was still cloud-walking over the pending interview with Luthor when she came back from lunch. She waved enthusiastically to Cat across the room and even smiled at Claude. She sat down at her desk and whirled completely around in her chair once before going back to work.
An hour later, she lifted her head to decompress. She’d compiled a long list of questions to ask the man, and now she’d work on distilling them down into a shorter set which – hopefully – would allow him to volunteer information while answering other questions on related topics. One very good interview technique was to ask personal questions first, on the theory that most people like to talk about themselves, then proceed to more specific questions, which the subject would answer in more detail since he or she had already opened up and was already talking.
But she suspected Luthor was too cool for a ploy like that. She’d have to be very sneaky, very subtle. She’d have to step carefully, or he might simply shut the interview down. And that couldn’t happen. She had too much riding on this.
She sighed deeply and put the list aside. There was time for that later. She had to get back on the carjacking story before Perry took it from her and gave it to someone else.
She started as someone touched her shoulder. She looked up and saw Clark standing there with an anxious look on his face.
“Lois, please tell Perry I have to go. There’s an emergency.”
She nodded. “I’ll tell him. Go take care of whatever it is.”
“Right.” He turned and strode quickly to the stairwell near his desk, then slipped inside. Lois thought she heard a ‘whoosh’ before the door slid back into place.
She smiled to herself. She knew a secret! Well, she and Perry did, and it was nice to know that Clark trusted her enough to tell her he was leaving as Superman. She hoped he brought back a good story.
*****
Four hours later, Lois’s good mood was gone. She picked up four wooden pencils and snapped each of them in turn, then threw away the pieces and dropped her head into her hands.
“Lois? You okay, hon?”
She turned. “Oh, hi, Chief. Back from your meetings?”
He growled. “Hate accountants and actuaries and budget meetings. Those young bean-counting whippersnappers couldn’t write a story about the sinking of the Titanic if you spotted them the outline and five key sentences.” He looked around the newsroom. “You know where Clark is?”
“Yeah. He had – “ she waved her hand in a gesture meant to imitate flight “ – an emergency.”
His brow rose in comprehension. “Oh. You mean – “
She nodded. “Yeah, that kind.”
“Did he say when he’d be back?”
“No. I got the impression it was something pretty important, but he didn’t say what it was.”
“Okay. If you see him before I do, send him to me.”
“Will do, Chief.” She turned towards her desk, but saw Clark approaching from the stairwell, so she said, “Hey, Chief, I found him.”
“About time. We’ve got a newspaper to print, after all.”
Clark strode straight towards them, and instead of greeting them, he motioned for them to follow him into a conference room. He locked the door behind them and turned to face his two friends.
“I have some more information for Lois’s story on the carjackers.”
Lois’s mouth dropped open in shock. Her story? He was working her story? Friends didn’t steal each other’s stories! Super-powered or not, she’d clobber him!
Before she could pick up a blunt object and follow through on her plan, Perry frowned and put his hands on his hips and demanded, “Is that what you’ve been doing for the last three hours, Kent? Following leads for someone else’s story? That’s not the way we do things at the Planet – “
Clark cut him off. “I know that, Chief. And I’ll have a Superman exclusive about the earthquake in San Salvador and the rescue efforts on your desk before I leave. Now both of you, just listen for a minute.
“When I got back to Metropolis, I flew over a car as it was being stolen. By the time I realized what was happening, the driver was on his feet yelling for a cop and cursing at the thieves. Since he wasn’t hurt, I decided to follow them and see where they went.”
Lois leaned forward with an eager expression. “Don’t keep us in suspense, Clark! Where’d they go?”
“Down an alley and into the back of a tractor-trailer rig.”
“A trailer!” Perry burst out. “You mean they drove a stolen car into a trailer to hide it?”
“Not just to hide it, to take it to the chop shop. I have the address and the descriptions of all the people inside written down in my notebook, plus the make and model and license plates of the tractor-trailer rig and the cars I saw inside.”
Lois grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the doorway. “Great! Let’s go bust them now before they get a chance to get away!”
Clark leaned back and twisted his arm out of her grip. “Hold on! There’s one more thing you need to know.”
“Oh, come on, Clark, you can tell us all about – “
“Something hurt me.”
Lois’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Perry cocked his head to one side. “I thought there wasn’t anything could hurt you, son, at least not physically.”
Clark shook his head. “So did I, Chief. I guess we were both wrong.”
Lois regained control of her mouth. “What happened to you?”
“I landed just outside the chop shop. I was going to make a dramatic entrance and try to intimidate them into surrendering, but something outside hurt me.”
“What? What hurt you?”
“I don’t know, Lois. All I do know is that I suddenly felt weak, almost drained, and then I felt pain in my arms and legs. I turned and stumbled away and the pain stopped, but my powers were gone for a while.”
“Are they back now?”
“For the most part, yes, but I didn’t want to risk a crash-landing on the roof of the Planet, so I changed clothes in an alley and took a cab back here.”
Perry almost smiled. “Under other circumstances, Superman takin’ a cab would be almost funny.”
Lois would have snarled at anyone else. As it was, she glowered at her boss. “Perry, there’s not the slightest particle of humor in this situation! If somebody has something that can hurt Superman, why haven’t they used it before? And what is it? How much do they have? How badly does it affect him? How serious is this threat? How – “
Perry lifted his hands in defeat. “Okay, okay! You’re right. Kent, I’m guessin’ this ain’t part of your Superman exclusive.”
Clark put his hands on his hips and exhaled nosily. “I bet you’re a whiz at game shows, Chief.”
“They didn’t make me editor because I know all the dialogue to Blue Hawaii.”
Lois crossed her arms and ‘humphed’ loudly. “I’d stay and help you two work on this, but I have an appointment. I’ll see you later.”
With that, she led them out of the conference room.
*****
Nigel lifted the special cell phone and punched in a number. An electronically distorted voice answered. “Yes?”
“Project K has passed its first test with flying colors.”
“So soon? I thought the first test was scheduled for this weekend.”
“A serendipitous confluence of events provided me with a golden – or, perhaps I should say, an emerald – opportunity.”
“You’re saying you got lucky?”
He smiled. “Luck is preparation meeting opportunity.”
“Then I’m glad you were sufficiently prepared. How did this happen?”
“I was checking on the automobile parts distribution center and – “
“It’s a chop shop, Nigel. Just call it that.”
He forcibly restrained himself from calling his employer an ignorant colonial thug. “Very well. I was checking on the – the chop shop – when the subject landed outside the building. Fortunately, I was also outside at the time and about to leave. No one inside saw him.”
“What was the subject’s reaction?”
“Sudden weakness, loss of balance, inability to fly, and apparent pain. He fled the scene on foot.”
“Were you spotted?”
“Of course not. The subject remained completely unaware of my presence.”
“Hmm. Perhaps we should move up phase two.”
“As you wish. I shall arrange it for next Tuesday if that is convenient.”
“It is, but make it Tuesday evening, between six and nine PM. I have an appointment during the day and I want to hear the results as soon as you have any.”
“It will be as you say. Is there anything else at this time?”
“Not unless you have something else. Do you?”
“One thing. I recommend that we re-allocate our assets to preserve the most valuable members of the – the chop shop team and the most expensive vehicles.”
“Why not just empty the whole place?”
“I would not advise that. Such a move would reveal that someone noticed Superman near the site, and would precipitate a much more thorough investigation. If we let them apprehend a few non-essential personnel, it will allow the police – and the reporters – to believe that they have materially hindered our operations.”
“Hmm. That’s a good idea. Do you have time to get all that done?”
“Yes. The moves will be completed before midnight.”
“Good work, Nigel. Keep me posted.”
“As you wish.”
Nigel snapped the phone shut and turned towards his apartment. The payment to his private Cayman Islands account would be credited within the hour, and he had plans for that money.
*****
As Perry, Clark, and Lois exited the conference room, the young woman across the newsroom slipped gently away from Claude’s discreet embrace and shut herself into a storage room. She punched an unlisted number into her personal cell phone and waited.
An electronically distorted voice answered. “Yes?”
“Kent and Lane just had what looks like a pretty intense conference with Perry White. They all look worried about something.”
“Can you tell what it was?”
“No. If I find out, I’ll let you know.”
“I want you to find out. Is Lane still working on the carjacking story?”
“Carjackers? As far as I know, yes.”
The voice spoke slowly and firmly. “Don’t guess, Ms. Grant, be certain. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to our – arrangement, now, would we?”
She gulped and paled. “N-no! No, we wouldn’t.”
“Then I’ll expect to hear from you soon.”
“Yes. Yes, of course.”
“Have you learned who Lane’s source at LuthorCorp is?”
“Not yet. I’m still working on it.”
“See that you do. Your parents’ continued good health depends on it.”
The connection was cut from the other end. Cat turned off the phone and put her head in her hands and tried not to sob aloud.
*****
From his eavesdropping vantage point outside the door, Claude nodded to himself and mentally filed away what he’d just heard. The girl was young and beautiful and under some kind of pressure that would make her more vulnerable. His partner, Lois Lane, was also young and beautiful, and also under a great deal of pressure, but it just made her angry and surprisingly resistant to his proven charms.
Poor Lois. She would never know the ecstasy of Claude’s embrace, nor his fiery kiss, nor his loving touch. He pitied her.
For a brief moment, anyway. There were too many beautiful women in the world who were waiting for his special attention for him to lose time any bewailing the loss of one insignificant young brunette. It was time to share his glory with the lovely redhead.
