Chapter Twenty-Seven
>>>Tuesday, 10:14 AM
Perry stepped out of his office into the newsroom and lifted his hands. Normally his gesture would not have been noticed by many, and most of those would have ignored him, but not on this day. The entire floor went silent as they awaited his announcement.
He scanned the crowd. Young Olsen was standing beside Eduardo’s desk, holding a stack of research materials. Ben Collins, sports editor, had stopped in his tracks and was watching Perry expectantly. Cat Grant was at her own desk, her pale face in stark contrast to her unkempt dark auburn tresses.
No one moved, rustled a piece of paper, slurped coffee or soft drinks, chewed a candy bar, or even breathed loud.
Perry lowered his hands. “The police and fire departments have recovered sixteen more bodies, none of which are Daily Planet employees. They have also identified residual material from the explosives used to bring down the building, and they’re starting a trace to see where the material came from.”
He looked around and saw that everyone was still hanging on his every word. “One more thing. One of the bodies recovered this morning, tentatively identified as Dr. Samuel Platt, has two bullet wounds in the middle of his chest. Another, tentatively identified as Dr. Antoinette Baines, head of the entire lab, was holding a small-caliber revolver with two chambers discharged. Now I want everyone – and I mean everyone! – to focus on these two people. Get everything you can on them for the last five years, right down to their hairdressers and what brand of shoes each one wore. Baines shot Platt and then someone set off a bomb. Find out why she killed him and maybe we’ll unravel this thing. That’s our ticket to figure this out, people. Get to it!”
The entire room burst into activity. Perry looked around at his news staff and felt regret for deceiving them. They all thought Clark and Lois were dead, smashed flat as Tennessee road kill under tons of concrete and steel. But their anger at two of their own having been murdered gave them an extra boost of determination. They’d find out what happened and why, and heaven help the perpetrators when they did.
He turned towards his office, but a lack of motion at one desk distracted him. Cat Grant was still in her chair, gripping the edge of her desk as if she was afraid to fall. He started to make his way over to her, but was interrupted by Jimmy.
“Chief! I have those proofs you wanted for page two.”
“Good. Put them on my desk.”
“Right away!”
“Wait. Olsen, come here a minute.”
Jimmy spun around and trotted back to his boss. “What’s up?”
Perry faced him and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “I want you to look at me, look only at me, and tell me what you think is bothering Cat Grant.”
Jimmy frowned and started to turn his head, but remembered his instructions just in time. “I dunno, Chief. I guess she’s just upset about – about Lois. They were starting to get kinda close, you know?”
“Uh-huh. So why does she look so scared?”
Jimmy opened his mouth but had nothing to say. His expression morphed to one of intense curiosity. “How’s about I try to figure out the answer to that one, Chief?”
Perry slapped him gently on the shoulder. “You do that. But keep your head down, okay? I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
Jimmy’s eyes turned to stone. “You mean anyone else, right?” And he turned away.
Perry sauntered over to Cat’s desk and leaned on the far corner. “Miss Grant?” She didn’t respond. “Cat?” Still nothing. “Hey, Kitten!”
Her head snapped up. Perry saw something in her eyes that surprised him. It wasn’t grief, it was more like a mixture of fear and blame.
Her chin quivered. “Have – have they found anything from – from Clark or – or Lois?”
This girl was terrified, thought Perry. And I can’t imagine why that would be.
He sighed. “I didn’t want to say this in front of the others, but they did find Lois’s purse this morning.”
Cat’s eyes closed and she moaned. Perry thought she would fall out of her chair, but she caught herself at the last minute.
“Young lady, you have to be positive. You have to expect the best. But no matter what happens, you have to keep doing your job. Okay?”
Cat nodded mutely, but Perry wasn’t convinced. “Maybe you should go home today and get some rest. Do you want me to call someone for you?”
She forced bleary eyes open and said, “No. No, I’ll be okay. Just let me – “ she stood and headed for the ladies’ restroom.
Perry nodded to himself. Something was going on with her, something more than just shock and grief. And he was determined to find out what it was.
*****
Cat slammed into the last stall after making sure the restroom was unoccupied. She fumbled with the cell phone and finally placed the call she’d been dreading since the day before.
“Miss Grant. Nice to finally hear from you.”
Cat ignored the distorted sarcasm. “You killed them.”
“Them who?”
“You know who!” She stopped herself and lowered her voice. “The building Clark and Lois went to yesterday blew up. They found Lois’s purse this morning.”
“Ah. I was beginning to wonder if they’d managed to leave before the explosion.”
Cat gasped. She could no longer lie to herself that the information she’d provided hadn’t had anything to do with the blast. She had to face it. She was party to a mass murder, maybe even a terrorist act.
The voice ignored her agony. “Thank you for the confirmation, Miss Grant. I expect to hear from you as soon as the authorities identify the bodies of Kent and Lane.”
Cat didn’t answer. “Miss Grant? Are you still there?”
“Uh – yes. I’m – here.”
“Good. As I promised, there has been a five percent reduction in the principle on your debt. At this rate – “ the distorted chuckle sounded to Cat like frantic fingernails scraping the inside of a coffin lid “ – your debt will be eliminated in, oh, a few years more.”
The signal cut off and Cat put away the phone by reflex. I helped kill more than fifty people, she moaned to herself. And I set up Clark and Lois to die with them.
It was too much to think about and she fainted.
One of the research interns found her a few minutes later and called for help. Cat spent that night and most of the next day in the hospital, recovering from shock and from the concussion she’d suffered when she’d fallen to the hard tile floor.
>>>Tuesday, 10:14 AM
As Clark led Lois down the steps to Bob’s cradle, his mind roiled. Did he want Lois to keep her powers? If she kept them, would she use them openly? Would she wear a flashy costume and fight for truth and justice, or would she help anonymously from behind the scenes as he once had? Would she still respect him as a person, as a man, as a friend, when she found out that having these powers didn’t automatically make him wise and patient and the keeper of all the answers?
And, once she learned how hard it was to be him, would she still be his friend?
Later. He’d think about that later. She wasn’t broadcasting mentally, but he could tell that she was apprehensive about the next few minutes.
Well, so was he. Let her stew. It might tenderize her a little.
He turned on the light at the same moment he realized that she didn’t need it any more than he did. He looked at her and almost spoke an apology, but her blank expression made the words fade from his tongue. Still stone-faced, she motioned for him to lead her to Bob.
Without another glance at her, he put his hands on the globe’s surface. It always surprised him slightly that the globe was warmer than the air around it. The thing looked cold to him, despite the moving geographic display of Krypton’s continents. Maybe it wasn’t the globe, he thought, maybe it was his impression of the people of Krypton and the way he thought about them. To him, they had seemed cold and unfeeling in most areas of their lives, except for his birth parents’ last action in sending him to Earth so that he would survive.
Now, for some reason, he wondered if their motives were less loving, less altruistic than he’d always thought. Maybe they’d planned to follow him if his ship survived the journey. Maybe his ship had actually been a test bed for the propulsion system. Maybe his father had miscalculated the speed of Krypton’s breakup and his parents had been caught in the maelstrom before they could escape the planet’s gravity well.
And maybe Lois’s cynicism and suspicious nature was infecting him.
He shook off his concerns and listened for the sound of one hand clapping.
*****
Bob? We’re here.
>> I know, Clark. I registered your body mass, along with Lois’s, on my sensors and identified you as soon as you were within range. <<
Bob? This is Lois. What’cha got for us?
>> I have several pieces of information for you. Perhaps I should list them all for you before either of you respond. <<
Okay with me. How about you, Clark?
Fine by me.
>> Very well, I shall begin. There are no examples of such a transfer of abilities hinted at in the archive database. Since Clark’s abilities manifested themselves only on Earth and would not have developed on Krypton, no hard data exists for such an event. Nor is there any theoretical discussion in Jor-El’s notes on his son’s physical potential on Earth. Nothing like this was recorded in my data storage. <<
Are you telling me you can’t help me?
>> No, Lois, I am not. The changes in your body have made your physiology similar to Clark’s, but since your base DNA is compatible with Clark’s but not identical to it, there will be some slight differences in the extra-human abilities you now share. I suspect you will have already noticed some of them. In addition, Lois will require additional sustenance in order to support her new altered physiology. Her metabolism will be able to store and utilize solar energy, but to a lesser extent than Clark’s. Her increased food intake will compensate for the increased energy expenditure. I would expect that Lois would already have noticed this change also. <<
Yeah. I ate Clark’s mom under the table this morning.
>> I am not familiar with the idiom, but I believe I understand your meaning. This condition is temporary. As your body develops its own aura, you will be better able to process solar energy and require less chemical intake. I estimate that the conversion process will take approximately three weeks. <<
Oh, great. So I’m going to eat everything in sight until then?
>> Your appetite will diminish in proportion to the development of your aura, which will assist you in directly utilizing solar energy. At the end of twenty-two days, your food intake should be reduced to what passes for normal for a human your age and build. <<
Why? Clark doesn’t eat like that.
>> Clark is Kryptonian. You are human. The process your body has undergone and is currently undergoing will not transform you into a Kryptonian. You will remain human, save that you will no longer experience illness or injury. <<
What about her life span? Will that change significantly?
>> I have insufficient data for a definite prognosis, Clark, but I theorize that Lois’s life span will be increased by fifty to eighty percent if not significantly more. <<
What? You mean – you think I’ll live past a hundred?
>> If my calculation are correct, yes, you will live well into your second century. And you should be active and productive for the majority of those years. <<
Okay. I guess I can live with that.
>> Was that an attempt to be humorous, Lois? <<
Huh? No, no, I was just – um, just making conversation, I guess.
>> Ah. I will add that data to my humor studies database. Humans are sometimes funny without any intention of being humorous. <<
Bob, there’s a question Lois and I need to ask you. Is there a way to reverse this process? Just in case Lois wants to, um, get rid of her powers some time in the future.
>> Lois, is this a course you wish to pursue? <<
Thanks for jumping in and helping, Clark. Huh. Well, yes, I’d like to know if I have that option.
>> Very well. Since you cannot provide specific data and exact circumstances of the incident which conferred these abilities upon Lois, I am unable to safely attempt a reversal of the procedure. If both of you ordered me to proceed, I would of course do so, but I am required by my programming to inform you that I do not have sufficient data to predict the odds of success. At this point, there is as high a probability of serious injury to one or both of you as there is of restoring Lois to her baseline human state. <<
Oh. In that case, I think she should keep her powers, at least for now.
>> That would be my recommendation also. Lois, what is your opinion in this matter? <<
You’re kidding, right? I’d rather be super-powered than dead or seriously injured! Besides, I’m starting to like this.
>> In that case, I will continue my research but withhold my conclusions unless or until Lois requests them. I must inform you that there is a far higher probability of successfully severing your mental link than of removing Lois’s powers. <<
And since you’re not happy about trying that on us, I guess Clark and I will stay linked for now, too.
>> Very well. Do you require anything else of me at this time? <<
I do. Are my powers permanent or will they fade away or just quit some time in the future?
>> I do not have sufficient data to answer that question, Lois, but the probability that the transfer is permanent is high. Your molecular structure would have to revert to its original composition before your powers would fade, and I project that event as having a very low probability. But I would require many more examinations before I could commit to a diagnosis. <<
Okay. I can come back for periodic exams, I guess. Is that okay with you?
>> I believe I should take readings from you on a daily basis for the next four days. That should provide sufficient data for a tentative prognosis. <<
Daily, huh? When should we start?
>> We began last evening. I would prefer to take these readings at approximately twenty-four hour intervals. Is that convenient for you? <<
I guess I’ll make it convenient. Besides, I wouldn’t have to use any of my credit card miles to come and go. As long as you don’t have any scheduling conflicts.
>> I would welcome the opportunity to study new phenomena such as this. Is there any other way in which I might assist either or both of you at this time? <<
I’m good. Clark, how about you?
Nope. We’ll talk later, Bob. Bye.
*****
They stepped back. Clark looked at Lois, trying to gauge her state of mind without touching the link, but she refused to meet his gaze.
Fine, he thought, be that way. He moved aside to allow her to leave the compartment first, but she stopped at the foot of the stairs.
“Clark?”
Her tone was flat and she still wasn’t looking at him. “Yes?”
“Why did you ask Bob if he could remove my powers?”
He frowned. “Because I wanted to know, and I thought you needed to know. Besides, I wasn’t sure if you wanted to keep them.”
“You should have asked me if I wanted to keep them.”
“But you’d already said – “
“Doesn’t matter what I said before. You should have asked me.”
He sighed. “Fine. I should have asked you.”
“Yes. You should have.”
He didn’t respond. He didn’t know what to say or do.
She finally turned and looked at him. “So when do we tell your parents?”
“What?”
“I said, when do we tell – “
“I heard you the first time!”
Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t yell at me, Clark. I’m just now getting to where I don’t want to take your head off below the shoulders.”
He lifted his hands to placate her. “Sorry, sorry, you’re right.” He waited until she relaxed, then asked, “Are you sure you want to tell my folks?”
She nodded. “Yes. They deserve to know what’s happened and that we can’t reverse it. Besides, I bet they’d have some good advice for me, you know, like how not to peek into the men’s shower area at the gym?”
He tried not to laugh, but the sight of Lois fighting off her grin broke down his defenses and he let it out. “Okay, you win. What about tonight after dinner?”
“What time do they normally eat?”
“Five, five-thirty.”
She nodded. “Okay. I imagine I’ll be hungry again by then.”
Her stomach growled and they both chuckled. “I think you’re hungry now. How about I take you to town and we do some grocery shopping?”
“Sure. I bet your mom has a list somewhere, too. We can get whatever’s on it, too.”
He put his hand around and felt for his wallet. “Okay, but I’m just a little short on cash right now.”
She put her hands on her hips and gave him a mock frown. “Haven’t you heard of ATMs, Clark? You put your card in the machine and get money out.”
“They charge you to do that from the Smallville bank to my account in Metropolis.”
“So I’ll owe you the fee. And I’ll spring for half the groceries once I get my cards back.” She brightened. “Better yet, we’ll let the Planet pay for it.”
“Are you sure Perry will go for that?”
“Hmph. If he doesn’t, I won’t tell him about my powers.”
He smiled and nodded. “Ms. Lane, you have a deal.”
*****
Clark glanced around at the odd looks he and Lois were getting as they loaded the last of the groceries in the back of the pickup. -* Act like the bag is almost too heavy for you, Lois. You don’t want everyone to know. *-
-* Sorry. Got carried away. Being this strong is pretty neat, you know? *-
He grinned at her over the bed of the pickup, then climbed into the driver’s seat. Because Lois didn’t have her license with her, and because her driving skills were foreign to Smallville’s gentle ways, she’d agreed to let him take the wheel.
She climbed through the passenger door carrying a bag of Red Delicious apples. At his lifted eyebrows, she grinned and said, “Just a late-morning snack. I can’t believe how hungry I am.” Then she bit into the first one and let out a quick sigh.
He nodded as she practically inhaled that apple and started on a second one. Her metabolism had better stabilize soon, he thought, or we’ll both be flat broke.
*****
She finished off the last apple as Clark set the parking brake on the truck. She burped daintily and said, “Excuse me.”
“I’m not surprised. You finished off eight apples, two pounds of bananas, two heads of lettuce, a half-dozen tomatoes – “
She got out and picked up two bags from the back of the truck. “Are you with the snack police now? Stop recording everything I eat.”
He lowered his voice. “Just remember what Bob told you about your metabolism. You need to be careful about what you eat, especially in front of others.”
“I know, Clark. Please don’t be a mother hen, okay? I’ll be fine.”
Just then, Martha opened the back door. “You two need any help with that?”
“If you’ll hold the door, Mom, we’d appreciate it.”
They had the truck unloaded in two minutes. Martha looked around at the bags on the table, on the cabinet, and on the floor. “Wow. Did you two buy out the entire store?”
“No, Mom, we just got what was on your list. And a couple of other things.”
She looked around again. “Okay, if you say so.” She bent to find the milk and cheese. “What do you two have planned for this afternoon?”
“Nothing special, Martha. Oh, Clark, be sure and save the receipt. We’ll turn it in as an expense.”
Martha frowned. “Is that ethical, Lois?”
Lois nodded. “We’re putting you and Jonathan out, eating your food, using your hot water, creating more laundry, crowding your house, so yeah, I think it’s totally ethical for the Planet to pay for some of your groceries.”
Clark gave the question some thought and found that although he understood his mother’s point, he agreed with Lois, although he wasn’t sure he would have done so a few weeks earlier. “Mom, it’s okay. Perry won’t object, I’m sure.”
She looked dubious, but nodded. “If you both say so, I suppose it will be all right. Now, did you two say what plans you had for this afternoon?”
Clark looked at Lois and nodded microscopically. She said, “I want Clark to show me his Fortress again.”
Clark tried to look innocent as his mother gave him a piercing look. “Uh-huh,” she muttered. She turned her look to Lois, who stood motionless and looked back without blinking.
His mother nodded. “Okay, you two. I’ll call when dinner’s ready.”
He needed to get out of there before his mother figured out anything else. “We’ll be listening, Mom. Lois, are you ready?”
“Sure.” Lois reached down and grabbed a bag containing two pounds of grapes, four peaches, and three cans of baked beans. At Martha’s questioning grunt, she said disarmingly, “Oh, Clark was nice enough to pick up a snack for us. We didn’t get back here for lunch, remember?”
And he hustled her out as fast as he could without arousing even more suspicion.
>>>Tuesday, 6:28 PM
Jonathan leaned back and patted his belly. “Martha, you’ve outdone yourself yet again. That was a terrific dinner. And Lois, if you keep eating like me, you’re going to look like me before long.”
Lois flashed him a mega-watt smile and said, “You mean I’ll have short gray hair and I’ll need glasses?”
The four of them shared an easy laugh. Martha stood. “If anyone still has room, there’s a peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream for dessert.”
Jonathan shook his head. “No thanks, hon, I’m stuffed.”
Clark glanced at Lois, then nodded. “I’m game, Mom. That sounds wonderful.”
“Me, too,” gushed Lois. “You can’t get authentic Kansas cuisine in Metropolis.”
Martha put the cobbler and the ice cream on the table. “You two can help yourselves. I’m going to join my husband in the living room.”
“Thank you, Martha! I can’t remember when I’ve eaten so well.”
“Try thinking about this morning’s breakfast, Lois.”
They all chuckled again. Jonathan poured two cups of coffee and carried them into the living room as Lois began loading cobbler and ice cream into her bowl.
“Think you used enough ice cream there, Butch?” Clark whispered.
Lois stopped with the spoon halfway to her mouth. “Who’s Butch and what does he have to do with ice cream and peach cobbler?” she whispered back.
“The movie. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. When they blew up the safe the second time they stopped the train and the blast destroyed the railroad car and blew money everywhere. Butch used too much dynamite on the safe and Sundance called him on it. Robert Redford looked at Paul Newman and drawled, ‘Think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?’”
“I see. Sorry, don’t remember that scene or I’m sure I’d laugh uncontrollably.” She slid the spoon into her mouth and rolled her eyes upwards. “Oh! This is absolutely heavenly! Your mom sure can cook.”
He shook his head. “I think you’d react like that if you were eating a live squid.”
“Hey, can I help it if I have a super-appetite?”
He grunted with irritation. “A little louder, please, I don’t think they heard you in Wichita.”
“Relax, Clark, your parents are watching the news.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re deaf.”
She finished off her helping of cobbler and nodded. “You’re right. It’s time.”
They walked into the living room and sat near each other on the couch. Martha touched her husband on the arm and said, “Dear, I think these young folk have something to tell us.”
Clark nodded. “We do.”
Jonathan said, “Okay, son. If you’ll turn off the TV, we’ll give you our undivided attention.”
Clark clicked off the set. “This is really Lois’s thing to tell you.”
“Okay,” his father nodded. “Then let’s hear Lois tell us this thing.”
Clark leaned back and looked at his partner. She seemed smaller and more helpless than he’d ever seen her. “Okay. This is – unexpected news. To say the least. And I don’t think either one of you will be real thrilled about this. See, we sure didn’t expect this, and we didn’t plan for it, and – “
Jonathan burst out, “Oh, my heavens, you’re pregnant!”
Lois jerked and stared at Jonathan. “What?”
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” He turned to his son. “Clark! Why didn’t you at least use some protection?”
“What? Dad, wait, this isn’t – “
“You’ve got to be kidding! Lois! Are you two going to get married or adopt out the baby or do you plan to raise our grandchild on your own?”
She leaped to her feet. “Wait a minute! I never said I – “
Jonathan stood also. “This is just crazy!” He stomped each foot once and waved his arms aimlessly. “You couldn’t wait to get your hooks into him, could you? You took advantage of – of – his – “
His tirade trailed off into silence as he stared at Lois, who was now floating above his head near the ceiling.
Her voice was strained and her face was drawn. “Jonathan. Martha. Listen to me. I’m not pregnant, not with Clark’s child or anyone else’s. Clark and I aren’t having sex. We’re not getting married. We’re not even a couple. That’s not what we wanted to tell you. This is what we wanted to tell you.”
Martha found her husband’s hand and tugged on it until he overbalanced backwards. He would have fallen had Clark not caught him and eased him down into his overstuffed chair.
He knelt on the floor in front of his parents. “Mom, Dad, we don’t know how this happened, but my powers have been copied to Lois somehow. For the past two days, I’ve been teaching her how to control them. That’s why we’ve been spending so much time together. She’s pretty good, actually, and she’s a quick study.”
Martha nodded slowly as Lois drifted down to the floor. “I see. You say you don’t know how this happened?”
“No. We were in the lab, we were hit by a huge charge of electricity, the bomb went off, and the next thing we knew we were buried under several tons of concrete.”
Jonathan took a couple of deep breaths. “And that’s how she survived?”
Clark’s voice tightened. “Her name is Lois, Dad.”
Lois crossed her arms and sighed. “It’s all right, Clark. Your father has a right to be upset.”
“I don’t want him to treat you like you’re not standing right in front of him!”
She nodded. “Thank you. But we just hit them with something even more unexpected than they expected, so I think you could cut him a little slack and give them some time to adjust.”
Clark frowned but stepped back and sat down on the couch. Lois sat on the chair beside Jonathan and took his limp hand. “I’m sorry. I know Clark is unique in the world, and I’m not trying to take his place or do his job or grab headlines away from him. If we could remove my powers safely, I might say go for it, but Bob said he didn’t think it was a good idea to try without lots and lots more information, that it might be dangerous to both of us if he miscalculated anything. Please, please don’t blame Clark for this. He had nothing to do with it, except for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Jonathan slowly pulled his hand back from Lois and looked at his son. “Is what she’s saying true? Any of it or all of it?”
Clark bristled slightly. “Lois has no reason to lie to you, Dad, especially not about this.”
“So what is she going to do with these powers? Are we going to have another costumed super-hero flying around saving people? Or is she going to schedule her fine, unselfish acts and then bill her clients? How will the press see this? What will they say about Superman’s relationship to – to whoever she’s going to be?”
“I don’t know that she’s going to ‘be’ anyone – “
“And what about us?” Jonathan stood and his voice also rose. “Are we going to be in more danger now that we know about both of the super-powered people in the world? Will other people try to copy your powers? Can other people copy your powers? Maybe only one other person can have them at one time! Maybe copying your powers again will leave you helpless and vulnerable! Maybe Lois will join up with this new person and start her own crime syndicate and look at what you will have created!”
Clark stood and faced his father. “Dad! Lois isn’t – “
“And if you were going to give your powers to someone, why in God’s name didn’t you give them to Lana?”
Lois felt her bowels turn to water. She stood and walked back into the kitchen and pushed through the door. She jogged across the field and stopped at the base of the tree housing the Fortress of Solitude, where she floated up to the wooden platform Clark had showed her just days before. She sat down and looked across the brook into the meadow glimmering in the fading twilight.
Then she put her head in her hands and wept her heart out.
*****
Martha was the only one in the living room who’d seen Lois leave. Her husband and son stood almost nose to nose, staring at each other, barely breathing. She thought about saying something, anything, but couldn’t come up with any words which wouldn’t make the whole situation far worse.
They remained locked in that position for several minutes. Neither man would speak first, neither man would look away, neither man would step back. It was a contest of wills into which they had never before entered at any time in Martha’s memory.
The three of them were still frozen in place when headlights flashed across the far wall and a car crunched to a stop on the gravel in front of the house. Martha heard voices, felt a car door slam, then heard another close more gently, and then heard footsteps on their front porch.
No, no, no! she wailed in her head. No visitors tonight! There couldn’t be a worse time for someone to just drop by!
She opened the door, prepared to apologize profusely to whoever had just arrived, tell them they couldn’t come in, and gently invite them to return at another time.
But the wan and haggard faces of Dennis Lang and Ginny McCoy greeted her from the other side of the screen.
“Ginny? Dennis? What are you two doing – “
Dennis lifted his hand wearily. “Martha, we need to talk.”
“About what?”
“About Clark.”
