Chapter Thirty-Eight
>>>Tuesday, May 24th, 8:52 AM
Rebecca dialed Clark’s number with an easy familiarity and waited for him to answer. “Clark Kent, Daily Planet.”
“Clark, this is Becca. Got a minute?”
His warm smile floated down the line to her ear. “For you, I have several. What can I do for you?”
Love me like I love you, she almost said, but she caught herself at the last moment. “I, um, I have a message from Mr. Luthor. He’d like to meet you and Lois here at my desk at eleven-thirty this morning. He has an invitation he’d like to extend.”
She could hear Clark’s puzzlement. “He wants to see Lois and me? Together?”
“That’s what he said. What should I tell him?”
“At the same time?”
She huffed slightly. “Yes, Clark, at the same time.”
“Is it something about business?”
“Not as far as I know. I think it’s personal.”
“Huh.”
She waited several moments, then drawled, “You know, you could ask Lois about this. She might actually have an opinion on the matter.”
“Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Be right back.”
She could hear the background noises of the newsroom as Clark lowered the handset to the desk without putting her on hold. The hustle and haste and eagerness of the people who published the Daily Planet never ceased to amaze her. As a scientist in training, her inclination was to gather all the data she could, cautiously try to put it in a coherent order, then make a determination on the hypothesis being tested based on the data.
Even though they both looked for truth in the information they gathered, Rebecca’s method was to be as slow and deliberate as it took for her to make the best decision she could with the evidence she had. If she came to a conclusion on something, it was after months – sometimes years – of gathering and analyzing information.
But reporters didn’t have time to work that deliberately. Clark’s ability to juggle multiple assignments and make lightning decisions never ceased to amaze her, and even more so the fact that his choices were almost always the correct ones for the situation. She knew she could never work in such a fluid environment. In this regard, she was very much like Lana had been.
Instead of comforting her, the knowledge disturbed her. She knew that she’d probably lose to a dead woman in a direct comparison contest, since she was a flawed flesh-and-blood human and Lana was only a revered memory.
Clark’s voice startled her from her dark thoughts. “Lois says she can make it at eleven-thirty.”
She was glad she could turn on the enthusiasm at a moment’s notice. “Great! I’ll pass the word along.”
“Okay. Hey, do you know what this is about?”
“No, except that Mr. Luthor thinks it’s going to be fun, whatever it is.”
“Hmm.” She could almost hear Clark considering what Lex Luthor might describe as ‘fun.’ “All right. We’ll be there.”
“I look forward to seeing both of you. Bye.”
She hit the disconnect button on her console before letting out a deep sigh. This relationship with Clark was getting complicated. She loved him and wanted to build a life with him, but at the same time she wasn’t sure it was wise for her to be involved with a man who wasn’t a scientist, a man whose career and whose interests didn’t parallel her own. For a moment, she wondered how Lana had envisioned her life as an archaeologist alongside Clark’s life as a writer, then she decided she didn’t want to know. The more she knew about Lana Lang-Kent, the less confident she felt about herself, and lack of self-confidence was something she hadn’t felt, hadn’t allowed herself to feel, in many years.
They hadn’t spoken about children, either his or hers. And certainly not theirs. So she didn’t know how he felt about them, but she knew that the truth about her inability to bear children would be another problem for them to overcome. And she also knew that the real reason they hadn’t talked about it wasn’t because the subject simply hadn’t come up. There had been multiple opportunities to discuss the subject. She had deliberately chosen not to do so.
In truth, she’d been afraid, both to talk about having children and afraid to contemplate having any. To her, life was a precious gift, and considering the lousy parenting models she’d grown up with combined with her time-devouring career choice, she’d decided years before that it would be best to do everyone a favor and never have a child she could abandon or treat with disdain or ignore or cry over because feeding and clothing the baby interfered with her tobacco and drug and liquor purchases or her dating life or her job.
Then she’d fallen in love with Clark Kent. She hadn’t intended to. She’d just turned around one day and there he’d been. He’d treated her with respect, compassion, patience, affection, and kindness. He was an outstanding man, and at first she’d wondered if he were worth the time she’d have to invest in a short-term fling with him. And then she wondered if he’d be easy to give up once the affair was over.
But as she learned more about him, she’d learned not only his strength but his gentleness, his quiet intensity alongside his tenderness, his ability to touch people’s hearts coupled with his abject refusal to exploit them in any way. She’d learned that, due to his innate honesty with both himself and the people around him, he would never become intimately involved with any woman he didn’t respect. And he’d never respect any woman who’d deliberately involve herself with him on a casual and short-term basis.
She measured herself against him and felt that she came up short. She understood that Clark would never become involved with a woman unless he believed it would be a long-term relationship. He wanted a home and family, a place to come back to at the end of the day, a place that would be a safe fortress against the outside world for everyone he loved. She wasn’t sure she could give that to any man, much less someone as wonderful as Clark. Her feelings of unworthiness battled with her love for him, and neither one was able to gain the upper hand. And, for the first time, she had begun to wonder if her decision never to have children had been the right one.
Along with all that, Clark’s relationship with Lois still puzzled her. Rebecca couldn’t figure out if they were former lovers or former enemies, and neither Clark nor Lois had ever offered to explain it to her, despite the many openings she’d provided to each of them for such a clarification. One moment they’d be nearly at each other’s throats, and the next moment they’d be standing shoulder to shoulder against the entire world. If anyone had Clark’s back, it was Lois, and he certainly had hers. But just how close were they?
Maybe it was time to clear the air, she thought. Maybe it was time to take their relationship to the next level, whether that level was one step closer to permanence or to the final break between them.
And at that moment, she didn’t know which ending she wished for more.
>>>Tuesday, 11:27 AM
Lois popped out of the taxi and scowled at the driver, who ignored her anger and held out his hand to her male companion. Clark handed him two ten-dollar bills and told him to keep the change. The man only grunted in response and gunned the cab away from the curb almost before the door latched.
Her irate mood carried through the mental message she sent to Clark. -* Idiot! If I thought it would do any good, Ultra Woman would teach him a very strict lesson in manners, preferably while hanging from the antenna mast of the Lex Tower’s main building. *-
-* Probably shouldn’t be your first choice. How would it look for Superman or Ultra Woman to be terrorizing the cab drivers of Metropolis? *-
She glared at him and responded in his head. -* Maybe it would make it safer to drive in the city. *-
He grinned. -* Well, shall we keep our appointment, or do you want to run the cabbie down and teach him a lesson? *-
She grunted and pushed through the door into the holding area with Clark behind her, then into the lobby proper as soon as the security system recognized them.
As soon as Rebecca saw Lois, the receptionist’s eyes lit up. “Hey, Lois! Glad you could make it. Is Clark – oh, there he is.”
Lois, still irritated by the cab driver, turned to glare at Clark. He gave her back a brief wry grin before turning on the charm for Rebecca. Interesting, thought Lois, as her glare faded. When he’s around Rebecca, he acts like I do around Lex. Wonder if that means the same thing for him as it does for me?
And then she wondered exactly what it meant for her.
She turned to look around and saw the other object of her thoughts. She could feel her facial muscles quickly morph from a sharp frown into a warm smile, and she didn’t care who saw it. She reached out to take Lex’s hands and wondered if she should kiss him, then decided not to. After all, this was his place of business.
Lex’s eyes seemed to be as alight as hers felt. “Welcome, Lois dear. And you too, Clark.”
Clark nodded, his manner a little cool for Lois’s taste, but polite nonetheless. “Hello, Mr. Luthor. We’re here for our appointment.”
Lex nodded. “Thank you both for coming. I have an invitation to extend to you.”
Rebecca was startled as another young woman tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Lunch replacement, Rebecca.”
“Oh! Sure, Carly, thanks.” Rebecca took off her headset and handed it to the other woman, who answered a call before she sat down. Rebecca said, “Clark, I guess it’s time for my lunch. Can I – can we get together some time this weekend?”
Before Clark could respond, Lex said, “Actually, that is what I wanted to speak to all of you about. I put in a call to Perry White, asking for a personal favor, and he’s willing to go along with it if all of you are.”
Clark frowned slightly. “You called Perry? About us?”
“Yes. He agreed with me that both members of his star reporting duo were overdue for a break, and that none of the stories they were working on were things that couldn’t wait a few days. So, since Lois has politely and very reasonably declined my many invitations to spend a few days alone with me on my lovely sailing yacht, the Miss Emily, I have taken it upon myself to invite both of you to accompany me on a leisurely, destination-free cruise beginning this coming Friday morning and lasting until the following Monday afternoon. What do you say?”
Lois frowned. “I just got a feature assignment about girls in inner city gangs. It’s going to be an in-depth story, a potential award winner, and I can’t just walk away from it. Clark, what about you?”
He lifted one eyebrow. “I’ve got a couple hot stories going too. None of them are as sexy as yours is, Lois, but they’re pretty important. At least, I think they are.”
Lex lifted his arms to include Clark. “Please reconsider. I know this is something of a surprise for both of you, but I assure you that my invitation is sincere.”
Neither Lois nor Clark responded for a moment, then Clark cleared his throat. “Um, I can’t speak for Lois, of course, but I think I’d be a third wheel on a trip like that.”
Lex smiled wider. “I apologize for my imprecision. I meant that you should invite someone to accompany you, also. Since you are close friends with Miss Connors, perhaps she would be amenable to such a journey.”
It was Rebecca’s turn to be surprised. “Uh – wow. I like your yacht, Mr. Luthor, she’s a fine vessel, but don’t you think it would be – um – inappropriate for an employee to join you on an excursion like that?”
“Nonsense! Besides, you would not be my guest, but Mr. Kent’s. And let me tell you all now, in case any of you are entertaining naughty thoughts about this trip, that the two main staterooms each have a pair of oversized beds. One of them would be the men’s dorm and the other would be reserved for the ladies.” He winked at Lois. “I don’t want any adverse publicity about some drunken ocean orgy being printed about me in the Star.”
Clark turned to Rebecca. “What do you think? And don’t think I’m putting pressure on you either way, Becca. This is your decision.”
She leaned closer to Clark. “So if I don’t go, you won’t either?”
He shook his head and pointedly didn’t look at either Lex or Lois. “Probably not. Besides, I don’t know how good a sailor Lois is, but I don’t have very much experience in the open water boats.”
Lex smiled at them. “If it would ease your conscience about taking a weekend vacation on your employer’s yacht, Miss Connors, I could simply fire you.”
Rebecca’s jaw fell and her eyes bulged. “What? Fire me? But I – ”
“Just until we return from our trip, of course. I think LexCorp would require the services of a talented and experienced receptionist beginning next Tuesday.”
“Oh.” The redhead’s face relaxed. “Well, since my new employment would be the result of an exhaustive and time-consuming search, I imagine I’d get a significant bump in salary over the previous holder of the position. And the same benefits, including time spent on the job?”
Lex chuckled. “It appears that you’ve been listening in on some of my business negotiations. I reluctantly agree to all of your conditions.”
Rebecca’s mouth quirked up on one side. “In that case, maybe I’d better go along with you after all. I can sail, and that boat will need at least one experienced crew member besides the captain.”
Lex raised his hands. “Splendid! I had hoped you would bring your sailing skills along on this trip, Miss Connors. One of the lesser reasons Lois gave for declining my previous invitation was her own lack of knowledge where sailing vessels are concerned.”
Clark turned to Lois. “So this trip is a go?”
Lois grinned. “With you two along as chaperones, I don’t see why not. Besides, I think I could use a brief vacation.”
Lex put his hand on the small of Lois’s back. She tried not to lean into him, but she did turn towards him and put her near hand on his upper arm. He smiled warmly at her. “I suggest we meet at the Metropolis Marina at seven AM on Friday. The Miss Emily is moored in slip D-four. Bring your casual clothes, sunglasses, and swimming garments. I will provide towels, sunscreen, and any sunburn medication we might need.”
Rebecca chuckled. “Bring a wide-brimmed hat, too. The sunlight reflecting off the water can get pretty hot, and when you combine that with direct sunlight, it can make for a nasty sunburn.”
Lex pulled Lois an inch closer to him. “It sounds as if you speak from experience, Miss Connors.”
“I do. I had first and second degree sunburn two years ago when I went on that dolphin project in the Florida Keys.” She smiled at Clark. “I learned some valuable lessons.”
Clark smiled back. “Maybe you can teach me some of them.”
Lois pressed Lex’s arm and said, “Lex, since we’re all together now, maybe we could have lunch – “
A fire alarm suddenly sounded in Lois’s enhanced hearing. She shot a lightning glance at Clark and saw that he’d heard it also.
To her disguised relief, Lex shook his head. “I’m sorry, my dear, but I have an important meeting in fifteen minutes that cannot be postponed. But I promise you that I will call you this afternoon.”
She forced herself to seem disappointed. “Okay. In that case, I’ll look forward to the pleasure of just hearing your voice.”
Clark’s smile didn’t quiver, but he thought to her, -* Lois, please. Ugh. I may throw up. *-
She shot back, -* Shut up. You’re just jealous. *-
She kissed Lex quickly on the cheek, then slipped out of his grasp and tried not to hurry to the exit. -* Ultra Woman should be able to handle this fire alone. I doubt I’ll need your help. *-
-* I’ll be available if you do. *-
-* No. You should take Rebecca to lunch. I think she wants to talk to you about something important. *-
-* Important? Do you know what it is? *- Clark sounded more alarmed at the prospect of that conversation than about the severity of the fire.
Lois pushed through the door and looked around for a place to change and take off. -* I don’t know, but I wouldn’t tell you if I did. That’s her business, not mine. *-
He sighed mentally. -* Okay. Call if you need me. *-
-* I shouldn’t need any help, but I’ll call you if it gets too much for me to handle. Now go have lunch with her. And be sure to listen to whatever it is she has to say. *-
*****
Clark turned to Rebecca. “Well, it seems we’re both free for lunch. Would you like to spend that time with me?”
Her smile was bright but brittle. “Sure, as long as it’s not in the LexCorp cafeteria.”
He took her hand and tugged on it gently. “In that case, I suggest The Italian Stallion around the corner. It’s a very nice pasta place.”
She laughed lightly. “Let me get my purse and I’ll be ready.”
He released her hand and glanced at the retreating Lex Luthor. He wasn’t sure what Luthor might have up his sleeve, but at least the man would be under Superman’s personal supervision for a long weekend.
As Rebecca returned with her purse over her shoulder, Clark realized that he hadn’t included Lois – or Ultra Woman – in his supervisory inventory. He wondered if that meant that he didn’t trust Lois’s judgment in matters of the heart.
At least, not in matters concerning her own heart. He thought her advice to him to listen to Rebecca was excellent.
And a little bit scary.
*****
Rebecca was impressed at the way Clark charmed the woman at the restaurant into giving them a table quickly without actually flirting with her or bribing her. They had a good table within a few minutes of arriving.
Clark slid Rebecca’s chair back for her. “Have you eaten here before?”
“No. Some of the other girls have, and they always come back giggling about the good-looking waiters.”
He took his seat. “But not you?”
She smiled wanly. “I’m not interested in eye candy.”
“I see. And what are you interested in?”
She took a deep breath and adroitly dodged the opening he’d given her. She wasn’t quite ready to broach that particularly dangerous topic of conversation, at least not in such a very public place. Especially since the last time she’d been so forthright, they’d broken up and hadn’t seen each other for weeks.
She decided to play it safe. “Right now, I’m interested in some chicken primavera and some of that wonderful bread they’re passing out. What about you?”
He smiled easily. She didn’t think he had any idea what she’d almost said to him. “Oh, I like their spaghetti and marinara sauce. Some of the folks at the Planet say it’s to die for, but I think I’ll limit it to being worth a boo-boo on the big knuckle of my left pinky.”
She laughed. She loved hearing him talk, even when he wasn’t really saying anything. “Here comes our waitress. Maybe she has a bandage for the big, strong, he-man.”
“As long as she has a couple of menus, I’ll be thrilled.”
It was a good lunch, and she had fun with him, but every time she thought about talking about their relationship, she chickened out.
And she couldn’t decide whether she was afraid he didn’t feel strongly towards her or whether she was afraid he did feel strongly about her.
The mental pressure combined with the pressure in her abdomen forced her to one decision, just before the check came. “Clark, would you excuse me? I need to visit the little receptionist’s room before we leave.”
He grinned at her euphemism. “Sure. I’ll even wait for you.”
She managed a smile somehow. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear that.”
His eyebrow quirked upwards. “Hope everything comes out all right.”
It took her several moments to process his response to her joke as another joke, and her groan when she finally got it was so loud that another woman in the restroom knocked on the stall door and asked, “Honey, you okay in there?”
“What? Oh, yes, I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. It was – just something I heard. Thanks, but I’m okay.”
“It’s ain’t a man hurtin’ your heart, is it?”
“No, really, I’m fine. Thanks for checking on me, though.”
The woman didn’t say anything else, but only turned and walked out the door. Rebecca laughed to herself as she washed her hands.
Clark stood as she returned. “Ready to go, or would you like some dessert?”
“Not today, thanks. That lunch was quite filling enough.” She lifted her purse and smiled brightly. “Are you ready to return me to my own personal salt mine, sir?”
He nodded. “Us salt miners have to stick together, you know.”
Clark walked her back to the front door of the LexCorp building and, as he had come to do each time they parted, kissed her lightly on the forehead before he left. As she finally took her seat at the reception desk, she angrily told herself that Lana Lang-Kent wouldn’t have been such a coward. She would have told him exactly how she felt about him and what she expected from him in return.
But she wasn’t Lana. And she desperately hoped that Clark wouldn’t hold it against her.
>>>Tuesday, 1:44 pm
Clark glanced up at Cat as she approached his desk. “Hi, Clark. Have a good lunch?”
“Yeah, Cat, I did. What about you?”
She blew on her fingernails and polished them against her shoulder. “Oh, yes. I picked up a number of excellent tips today. Too bad Lois missed the meal. She would have enjoyed it.”
“I’m sure she’ll make it next time.”
Cat smiled. “She’d better. I can’t fend off all those admiring young men by myself.”
“Well, I think she’d prefer to fend off Lex Luthor instead.” He made a face of pretend disgust. “Or maybe not fend him off.”
Cat chuckled. “Really? Is there any gossip that I need to be made aware of?”
“No. I mean, not really.”
“Oh? What does ‘not really’ really mean?”
“Cat, please, I didn’t – “
“I need something, Clark! Lois is a great friend and I’d never hurt her, you know that, but any Lex Luthor news is big stuff! You know something, I can tell!”
“You know I won’t break a confidence. And I won’t contribute to anyone printing rumors about Lois.”
Cat leaned on his shoulder with a transparently false seductive pout. “Aw, come on, Clark, honey, you can tell me all about it. Are they getting ready to elope?”
“What? No! And you’d better not print that!”
She slid off his arm and leaned against his desk. “Then give me something I can use. Please? Pretty please with strawberries on top?”
He lifted one eyebrow. “Strawberries, huh?”
“Fresh ones from upstate. Farm-fresh cream, too.”
He crossed his arms and gave her a mock glare. “You’d better come through on this. I won’t be bribed by anything as tawdry as money.”
She laughed softly. “I promise to meet your high standards of personal corruption.”
He grinned. “Okay. Lois and I have been invited to cruise aimlessly on the ocean with Lex and Rebecca this weekend. He was so eager to get Lois to come that he even coerced Perry into giving us a long weekend.”
“Huh! How about that?” She stood and posed thoughtfully. “Do you think he needs an extra deck hand on this trip?”
Clark laughed with her and turned back to his computer. Cat strode to the soda machine and decided she’d been watching her calorie intake closely enough to splurge a little, so she bought a diet drink and meandered to her own desk.
Cat glanced up in time to see Clark’s head lift and turn towards the elevators. She followed his gaze and saw Lois enter the news floor with a determined tread. Without any discernible signal from Lois, Clark rose effortlessly and met her as she dropped her purse onto the desk.
Cat watched and listened as he gently touched her elbow. “Tough story?”
She drew in a long breath through her nose and blew it out through her mouth. “Not really. Ultra Woman helped put out a fire at a warehouse in Suicide Slum. It’s a good thing she got there when she did. She couldn’t stop the fire, but she did manage to pull two homeless squatters out and save their lives, and she preserved some evidence that may point to the fire being deliberately set.”
Clark frowned. “Was anyone hurt?”
“No, but the contents of the building were badly damaged. I wouldn’t be surprised if the insurance company wrote it off as a total loss.”
Clark cocked his head to one side. “Really? What was in the warehouse?”
“Building materials, plumbing supplies, electrical wiring and outlets and light fixtures, roofing material, tools, machinery – “
“That sounds like one of Luthor’s buildings.”
Cat almost jumped with surprise as Lois snapped her head around with preternatural speed and took an instant step towards Clark, so quickly that it almost seemed that Cat had blinked and missed a few frames of a movie.
Lois growled, “You’d better not go there, Kent!”
Clark stood his ground, but kept his voice low and calm. “I’m not going anywhere near that idea, Lois. It’s not that I don’t think he wouldn’t do it if it paid off for him somehow, but I can’t think of any reasonable motive for Lex to torch his own warehouse full of supplies he’s already paid for and which he’d already announced he was about to use on the Hobb’s Bay restoration project. At this point, with the project already well under way, he’s going to lose money on delays and salaries of idle workers and replacing the materials and maybe even face penalties for being late on the project. If he did set fire to that warehouse, he’s way too tricky for me. And I honestly don’t think he did it.”
Lois relaxed a little and shifted back. “Oh. Sorry.”
“No problem. I understand, believe me.”
“Yeah. Anyway, the story will be in the ‘A’ section of tonight’s edition. I got quotes from the fire marshal on the scene and several firefighters, two of the investigators, a couple of witnesses, and everything points to arson. Even the timing of the fire, during the mid-day lunch rush time, indicates it being deliberately set. The traffic at lunch would have delayed the fire fighters if Ultra Woman hadn’t flown three units to the scene.”
Clark smiled. “That was good thinking on her part.”
For the first time, a soft smile appeared on Lois’s face. “I’ll be sure and tell her the next time I see her. She needs that kind of positive reinforcement.”
Clark reached out again and stroked Lois’s hair once. “She should get it, then. She’s doing a great job.”
His hand jerked to a stop and he lowered it awkwardly. Lois turned her head away and stepped back. “I have to get back to my other assignments, Clark. But thanks. Thanks a lot.”
He smiled warmly. “You’re welcome.”
That was very interesting, mused Cat. Very confusing, too, since both Clark and Lois were supposed to be dating other people. If she hadn’t known about their relationships with Rebecca and Lex, she might have assumed that they were either already an item or were trying to decide whether or not they both wanted to be an item.
Cat turned her attention back to the article she was working on, the one about the Jackie Michaelson tour being interrupted because three members of her entourage had been arrested on some pretty serious narcotics charges. Jackie still insisted that she had not had one inkling about her people being involved in something so awful. Fortunately, the evidence which the police in Chicago had released backed up her story. Plus, the singer’s reputation of being “all about the music” helped. For what it was worth, Cat believed her, and that was what she was writing for her column tomorrow.
She finally finished the first draft. As she closed the file and locked her workstation, she picked up her purse and headed for the ladies’ room. She puttered around the sink, washing her hands and fixing her flawless makeup as she waited for the room to empty, then she slipped into the farthest stall and pulled out her special cell phone.
This was it, she thought. This was her Rubicon, her line in the sand. If she could go through with what she’d planned, there would be no going back. But maybe – just maybe – she could sleep a little better.
The distorted voce answered on the second ring. “Yes, Ms. Grant?”
“I have a couple of things for you. First, Clark Kent told me that he and Lois are going on a boat trip this weekend.”
“Together?”
Cat paused, thinking about how the voice had somehow conveyed surprise. “No. I mean, they’re going to be on the same boat, but Clark’s going with Rebecca Connors and Lois is going with Lex Luthor. The four of them have some long weekend trip planned.”
“Do you know where they’re going?”
“Clark seemed to think that they were just going to float along with the tide and see where they ended up.”
“That sounds so very romantic, doesn’t it?”
Now the voice sounded sarcastic. “I guess so. The second thing is that Lois brought in a story about Ultra Woman helping with a warehouse fire in Suicide Slum today. She thinks the contents were a total loss, but most importantly no one was hurt. And the fire department is pretty sure that this was arson.”
The voice was silent for a moment, then said, “Thank you, Ms. Grant. That is indeed an important piece of information. And quite timely, too.”
“Good. There’s one more thing I’d like to mention.”
“I hope this isn’t about your marker, Ms. Grant.”
“Not – not directly.” Here it comes. Deep breath. Go for it. “The way things are going now, I’ll be retired before I pay off that marker. I’d like to do something to accelerate the payback somehow.”
The voice sounded cautious. “Oh? What do you propose?”
Another deep breath. “I’d like to take a more active part in your organization.”
The voice paused again. “I see. Have you considered what that might entail?”
“Yes. And I’m prepared to do it, as long as I don’t have to kill anyone.”
“Ah. So you intend to retain some scruples, then?”
“I guess you could say that. Or, maybe I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life behind bars.”
“There are worse things in life than incarceration, Ms. Grant.”
Cat ignored the implicit challenge. “What do you think about letting me work for you directly instead of whenever I hear these little tidbits?”
Cat winced. The electronically distorted laughter sounded almost demonic. “I will consider your proposal, Ms. Grant. Will there be anything else?”
“Not at this time, no.”
“Then I will contact you by the beginning of next week, sometime in the late evening.”
“That’s great! I hope – “ but she was talking to dead air.
Cat folded up the phone and exhaled deeply. She’d just taken a huge step onto a tightrope covered with grease. And she was working without a net.
She only hoped that she wouldn’t feel the impact when she fell.
*****
Someone rattled the door to the supply closet and muttered something irritated and unintelligible, and Jimmy knew his time was up. He listened to the bug for a moment longer but heard nothing else, so he shut off the small amplifier and took off the headphones. He still hadn’t heard Cat mention the name of her mysterious contact, and he’d heard only what Cat had said, but he’d heard enough to know that the Chief had to be told about this latest conversation immediately.
Over the last few months, while waiting for Cat to make her calls, he’d also learned enough about what women talked about when they believed that no man was listening to put him off dating for good. Ralph’s idea about sending for a Russian mail-order bride was sounding better all the time.
He hadn’t told the Chief about any of those conversations.
The miniature microphone in the ceiling of the women’s bathroom wasn’t perfect, and sometimes the echoes were enough to drive him crazy, but when Cat was in the last stall and alone in the bathroom he could hear her clearly. And the notebook he’d nearly filled with her reports was enough to get her hauled in front of a grand jury, especially considering that last conversation.
At first he’d considered installing a camera, but then he realized that he could go to jail for doing that if he were found out. And even if Perry had taken the responsibility for assigning him the task, he’d still be in deep trouble, and the lawsuit which would have resulted would have been enough to put his boss out of the news business permanently and Jimmy in hock for the rest of his life. Neither eventuality was worth the risk.
So he’d done the next best thing, which was to use a scanner to pick up Cat’s cell phone, but all he’d gotten from it was clicks and buzzes and weird static. It had to be a scrambled signal, and he had neither the money nor the access to equipment which could unscramble it.
Then he’d done the third best thing, which was to listen in with a tiny microphone in the ceiling of the bathroom. After several experiments, he’d found that the best place for the microphone was between the stall doors and the line of sinks, about five feet away from the end wall. Since Cat had a habit of claiming the far stall when using her “special” phone, he’d been able to listen in on most of her mysterious calls to whoever she reported to.
And up until this last call, Jimmy had believed that Cat had been coerced into doing what she was doing. He’d heard her anxious entreaties about the safety of her parents and the size of her marker, he’d heard her beg to get out from under the crushing debt, and he’d heard her sob more than once after she made a report. But this time was different. This time, she hadn’t been hesitant. This time, she hadn’t sounded afraid. And this time she’d volunteered to do more of whatever her anonymous “boss” was asking her to do.
It was too much. He had to talk to Perry. He couldn’t just stand by and listen in and gather information any more. It was time for action.
He only hoped that they could do something about it before it was too late.
>>>Tuesday, 3:01 pm
Nigel was en route to LexLabs to receive a report from the facility administrator when his special cell phone rang. He reached out to roll up the soundproof window between himself and the driver as he answered it. “Nigel St. John.”
“Hello, Nigel,” the distorted voice purred. “I assume the errand at the warehouse was successful?”
He glanced up to make sure the window was fully closed. He shifted in his seat to mask his mouth with the phone in case the driver could read lips in a mirror. “Yes. I’m afraid that I was forced to leave a mark, however.”
“That’s quite unlike you. What happened?”
He needed to say this very carefully. He knew his employer would not accept the blame for a botched assignment. “Due to the haste in putting on the show, I fear that several details were – er – glossed over.”
“You mean you rushed the job.”
“Given the time constraints, I did my best.”
“Hmm. Well, your best is usually top-notch, so I don’t mind a few minor imperfections here and there. Just don’t make a habit of it.”
“I assure you that I shall not.”
“Good. Anything interesting going on?”
Nigel resisted sharing his current dull errand as he wondered why they were engaging in such small talk. “I deal with life as it comes to me.”
“Well, as it happens, I have some very interesting news for you.”
“Interesting news, eh? Please, share it with me.”
“It’s time to eliminate targets one and two.”
He hesitated for a moment, then smiled. Not small talk after all. “I am indeed gratified to hear this news. Where and how should the package be delivered?”
“The targets will be on Lex Luthor’s personal yacht, the Miss Emily, over the weekend. They’re taking a floating holiday.” The voice bubbled with electronic laughter. “Floating holiday, on a boat, get it?”
Simpleton, thought Nigel. “Of course. That is most humorous.”
“Glad you liked it. Anyway, I want you to intercept the Miss Emily at sea and get it done there. And take care of any potential witnesses.”
Instead of voicing his thought that his employer must think him a rank amateur, he merely responded, “Naturally. Do you have a preferred time for the delivery?”
“They’re leaving Friday morning. I think that a malfunction of some sort on the boat would give you an excuse to try to find them, but sadly you won’t locate anything except perhaps a few pieces of flotsam.” The voice hardened. “And sadly, you also won’t find any bodies.”
“Consider it done. I anticipate reporting my success by Monday morning at the latest.”
“Good. There’s a bonus in it for you, Nigel. Of course, there’s a lot of money in it for me, so I can afford to be generous.”
The words came hard to his lips but slipped out with honeyed ease. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you. After this weekend, there will be no more nosey reporters buzzing about my business.”
The connection cut off abruptly and Nigel put the phone away. He pondered for a moment how to set this up. Perhaps there should be a problem with the fax machine aboard the boat, and a document, the signing of which could not be delayed. Yes, that should do it. It was an excellent excuse to seek out the boat.
He nodded to himself and lowered the inside window. “How far are we from the LexLabs office?”
“About ten or twelve minutes, Mr. St. John.”
“Good. Please wait with the car. This errand should not engage me for very long.”
“Yes, sir.”
Yes, he mused, not long at all.
