Previously on My Wife The Boss :
Lois turned at the door. “Hey, James. Flattering the boss will buy you a lot of slack, but I still need your story on the memorial service. You are duty reporter on the city desk tonight,” Lois reminded him. Checking her watch, she added, “There's still time for you to make the online deadline.”
“Sure thing, Chief,” James said with a wink. “I won't forget.”
Lois rolled her eyes. “Goodnight, James.”
The door closed.
*****
continued ....
Another winter squall beat needles of sleet down on Lois, Clark and Matt as they exited their Jeep. Their late arrival home prevented them from securing a parking space close to their townhouse, so they made a run for it, Clark's arm holding tight to Lois' elbow as she glanced down at her high heels not made for rainy surfaces -- or charging down the street.
On the way to Henderson's house, Clark had told Bill about the mysterious stranger who'd accosted him earlier in the park, and raised the possibility of him being the man Matt had seen at the crime scene. However, Clark had to admit it was a long shot. The explosion had diverted his son's attention, and Clark couldn't be sure this evening's meeting wasn't purely by chance.
Yet his instinct refused to lie quiet.
He ran a hand through his wet hair and tried one more time. “Matt, are you sure you can't remember anything else about this guy?”
Clark watched Lois shaking out her wet jacket with a pang of sadness -- he could no longer use his heat vision to dry her off the way he'd done so often in the past. Times had changed, and it was the little details that seemed to matter most.
“Dad, I'm sorry, but I've told you all I know. Honestly.” Matt's voice interrupted Clark's wallowing. “I only saw him for less than a second, and the next thing, I'm flying into an explosion, trying to find survivors.” He crossed to the nearest couch and sagged against the cushions. “I never thought remembering would be such a big issue ... and I never even saw this guy you met tonight.”
“I know,” Lois said with a sympathetic chuckle, as she made her way to the kitchen. “You were too busy looking at Melissa. You haven't said much about her ... or the two of you. How long has this been going on?”
Matt's eyes flashed as he sat up, but his face was turning bright red. “Nothing is going on! Not really. She's just a ... girl.”
Lois paused in the doorway, casually crossing her arms. “A very pretty girl. You have good taste.”
Immediately, Matt let his guard drop. “You really think so, Mom?”
Holding back a laugh, Lois considered the matter for a second. “Oh, yes. Of course, I don't know her, but I'm sure you wouldn't like her if she wasn't a good person. You should invite her over ...”
“Mo-om! It's not like that.” The teenage suitor squirmed on the couch. “Melissa is a nice girl. She's in my physics class ... and we get along real well ... but I'm not sure if she fancies me.”
“Sure looked that way to me.” Lois let her grin break through. “Why don't you ask her over for a study session, and she can stay for dinner.”
Clark had had enough of the inane chitchat, and he crossed the room to stand between his wife and son. “I understand Matt's, uh, dating life is important, but so is finding out who this guy is. So forgive me if I'm being insensitive, but I think discovering the identity of the bomber takes precedent.”
Matt and Lois exchanged glances ... part guilt, part exasperation. This conversation was beginning to sound like a broken record.
Matt sighed. “Dad, I'm sorry I've let you down ... I wish I could help, but I just can't.”
“Star!” Clark, exclaimed, his eyes bright.
“Star?” Matt's eyebrows lifted in a fair imitation of his dad's.
“An old friend of your mother's.”
Recognition dawned on Matt's face. “Oh, you mean that Star?”
Lois moved to Clark's side, her hand rubbing up and down his back. “I'm sorry, sweetheart, we can't ask Star. She's not here.” She shrugged. “Remember she told us she was abandoned by a boyfriend who went off to worship some giant butterfly ... or was that a stuffed rabbit ... in the Amazon, or somewhere like that?”
Clark nodded, though he looked somewhat bemused. “Vaguely.”
“Well, it turned out he wasn't a complete wacko. He finally got over his hippie period and joined some charity, working to save the rain forest; a bit like Mac and Marge, I guess.” She linked her arm through Clark's and walked him to the opposite couch, gently pushing him to sit, and perching on the arm beside him. “To cut a long story short, almost two years ago, this guy came back to Metropolis for an ecological conference and he happened to bump into Star. It turned out he'd missed her a lot, but he'd assumed she would have found someone else by the time he came to his senses ... which she hadn't, so he'd never got in touch before. Being Star, she saw this new meeting as a sign from heaven, and she ran off to the Amazon with him. We had a letter from Salvador when she arrived, but she was moving inland, and I have no idea where she is now.”
“Good for Star.” Clark sank back into the cushions, his smile awry. “I shouldn't be surprised that everyone else got on with their lives while I was gone. I'm happy for her,” he added, on a lighter note.
“Yeah, me too,” Matt agreed. “I liked Star, but what makes you think she could help, Dad? Those astro-readings of hers are a bit flaky ... and she talks to aliens.”
“Don't mock, Matt.” Lois looked at her son judiciously. “Star came close to the truth ... sometimes ... after a few tries.” She winked. “Besides, your dad's an alien and you're half one.”
“But we're for real!” Matt fell silent as he thought for a second or two. “Did she know about us?”
“Probably,” Lois replied, after a moment's consideration. “Not that she ever said anything, but I'm sure she had her suspicions ... and not just psychic ones.”
Matt ran his hands through his hair as he re-evaluated his opinion of his mother's old friend. “If you think she could help, I guess I could go look for her.”
“Matt, the Amazon basin is huge, and since the logging has been curtailed, the jungle is growing back. It could take you days to cover the area, and you have enough to do with your super job, and school. Besides, Star might have moved on. It's not the best use of your time.” Lois stood up. “Does anyone else want hot chocolate?”
“Yes, please, Mom.”
Clark sat silent, staring into space.
“Clark?” Lois reached over and gently shook his shoulder.
“What?” He turned toward her, but his gaze seemed like a million miles away.
“You want something to drink?”
He shook his head. “No. No, I'm fine.”
Lois nodded and continued on her way to the kitchen. She doubted that Clark was fine. Suddenly, she stopped. “Draw him!”
Clark still looked a little stunned. “Draw him?”
“Yes. As in art ...” She spread her hands, looking triumphant. “A sketch!”
“Sketch who?” Clark frowned at her. “The man from the park?”
“Yes, Clark. You've done it to identify criminals before. Remember Jefferson Cole? Perhaps seeing a picture of this mystery guy will jog Matt's memory ... and even if it doesn't, you can show it around when you visit those shelters. See if this stranger is a known associate of Tanner's.”
Clark's hands clenched nervously on his thighs. “I haven't done that for a long time, honey. I'm not even sure I still can.” He spoke skeptically, but there was a hint of resolve in his eyes.
“Well, you won't know till you try,” Lois said encouragingly. “There's a notepad and pencils in the desk drawer. Why don't I go make us all something to drink while you practice your skills.”
“I guess it wouldn't hurt to try,” Clark agreed, standing to retrieve the items. “Have you ever done anything like this, Matt?”
“Me? No. Never really thought about it. Art isn't my favorite class at school. I'm more into science and biology ...”
Lois smiled, as she listened to the conversation between father and son, which was cut off by the closing of the kitchen door. It made her feel good to hear them comparing skills ... super or ordinary.
When she returned, Clark was sitting at the desk while Matt craned over his shoulder, his head cocked to one side as he studied the portrait his father was still in the process of drawing.
“I'm not sure about this,” Clark announced, adding some final touches. “I'm sure I was better at this when I used superspeed.”
Lois balanced the tray carefully as she made her way to the coffee table. “If you've finished it in the time it took me to make three glasses of chocolate milk, I doubt you're that much of a slouch.”
Clark held the drawing at arm's length, studying it critically. “But I'm not sure it's a good likeness, and it will never win any prizes, that's for sure. Maybe drawing fast improved my skill,” he added, dubiously, but lost his deflated air as he looked more closely.
Crossing to the desk, Lois surveyed the finished portrait. There were actually two pictures on the page; one a close-up of a man's face, and the other a full-length figure. “They're pretty good, honey. I only caught a glimpse of the man in the park, but you've got the general impression, I think.”
Her lips tightened as she studied the image of the very thin face and narrow chin, the pale eyes which seemed to pierce the viewer to the soul. No wonder Clark was uptight. “This guy looks scary,” she finally said, suppressing a shiver.
With a shrug of his shoulders, Clark admitted, “To tell the truth, I can't be sure that I'm not projecting my own feelings into the drawings. He could be just an ordinary guy ...”
“No, Clark. I trust your instincts. You've never suspected anyone without reason. In fact, you always tried to see the good in people.” Lois rested her hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “And you were right about Luthor when everyone else thought he was the best thing since sliced bread!”
“Thanks, honey.” Clark smiled up at his wife. “I would never have thought of doing a drawing if you hadn't reminded me ... and thanks for the compliment.”
While his parents talked, Matt had remained silent, staring at the sketchpad on the desk. He closed his eyes and tried to recall the moment he had landed on the stage in front of the hospital, a split-second before the explosion had distracted him from scanning the audience, from watching the man on the edge of the crowd use his cellphone.
Only, now Matt remembered. The phone hadn't been at his ear, it had been concealed in his fist, and the hood of his jacket had been pulled low over his face. A rain-jacket very similar to the one his father had just drawn.
“Dad, I couldn't swear to it in a court, but I'm pretty certain that could be the man with the cellphone,” Matt said, pointing at the figure on the pad. “I never saw his face too clearly because he had his hood pulled low, but that chin looks kinda familiar.”
“I'm not asking you to give evidence, Matt. I'm just happy to have your corroboration. I was beginning to think I was obsessing.”
Lois slid both arms around her husband and, bending close to his ear, whispered playfully. “Obsessing, honey? You? Never!”
“Okay, so what do we do now?” Matt asked, crossing back to the couch, and picking up his glass, he took a large gulp of his drink. “Is there anyway we can find a name to go with the face?”
Both parents followed him and sat side by side on the other couch. “I guess we could ask Jim to do a comparison through the databases,” Clark answered, forgetting he'd refused and taking a long drink. “But that's a long shot. I doubt this man has a criminal record.”
“What about a driving license?” Lois suggested. “It's possible he has one of those.”
“It's worth checking, I guess,” Clark relaxed, and allowed his free arm to curl around Lois' shoulders. “But without a name and only a rough sketch, I doubt we'd have any success with the DMV.”
“I know,” she said with a sigh. “I was just throwing out ideas ...”
“The way we used to work,” he replied, smiling, and felt comforted as his wife snuggled into his side. “You were right earlier, Lois. Our next move should be to visit those homeless shelters to ask about Tanner and show the drawings to the people there. Who knows, we might get lucky and someone will recognize this man.”
“We should plan to do all of these things,” Lois agreed, sipping her own drink carefully; she did not possess an invulnerable tongue. “But not tonight. I think we need to get some rest. And, Matt, try not to go out again, unless it's something the emergency services can't handle on their own. I have a feeling that things are going to be pretty hectic over the next few days.”
“Let's hope you're right, honey. We could do with a break in this investigation.” Clark yawned; his bed was looking very welcome right now, and maybe he could persuade Lois to indulge in a little relaxation therapy before going to sleep. “You ready to go upstairs?”
“Sure am,” she replied, slowly licking the last drop of chocolate from her lips, causing her husband's eyes to glint appreciatively. She allowed him to pull her to her feet before stretching languidly. “I'm beat. You know, I'll probably fall asleep the minute my head hits the pillow.”
Lois walked in front of Clark, ducking her head to hide a grin. She didn't look back, but she was sure his anticipation had turned to disappointment. Poor Clark. He was just so transparent ... well, hopefully only to her.
But it appeared that his mind wasn't wholly on what was about to happen in their bedroom.
“Oh, and by the way, Matt,” Clark said, standing over their son. “I didn't want to continue the argument at Uncle Jim's, but I do agree with your mother when it comes to you drinking beer. Even if it doesn't effect you, drinking alcohol as a minor is illegal -- so no more.”
“Dad! I don't.” Matt protested loudly. “Honest! I've tried it ... but I didn't enjoy it much.” He wrinkled his nose. “I only asked for a beer 'cause I was trying to look grown up. I didn't think. You believe me, don't you? Jor-El doesn't lie!”
His parents were ascending the stairs arm in arm when he saw them exchange glances, and he could swear he heard them chuckle, too. Now what had he said that was so funny?
“Mom ... Dad? You do believe me?”
“We do. Go to bed, son.” Clark shouted.
Matt switched off the lights and trailed wearily up the stairs. Being a grown up sure wasn't easy.
*****
To Be Continued ...
