The continue of a Super story: Lois, Clark & Sharlynn – Part 13
***
Lois was speechless. Two Owens? Why should it be like this?
She turned to Clark, knowing he had heard the whole conversation. She wore a so–what–are we–going–to–do–now face, but he just gave her a shrug as an answer.
“Wait a minute, Dr. Klein,” she said. She covered the receiver with the palm of her hand. “Now what?” she whispered to Clark, frustrated.
“I don’t know!” he replied.
“You said that Welson called Owen! Didn’t you hear whether it was a masculine or a feminine voice speaking?”
“No!”
She moaned. “Rachel talked about a man, didn’t she?”
“Yes, but if the woman is a scientist too, it may be her!”
She moaned again, louder, and put the receiver back into her ear. “I’d like to know about both of them, Dr. Klein,” she said, giving Clark an angry look.
“Well,” Dr. Klein began, “Charles Owen had been working for S.T.A.R. labs since he graduated from college. About thirteen years ago he became the director, and he was until he retired, three months ago.”
“What does he do now?” Lois asked.
“Oh, nothing… He lives in a large apartment with his wife.”
“Children?”
“Two, a daughter and a son… They have their own families now.”
“Ehm… What did he do as a scientist, and as the S.T.A.R. labs director? Anything important?”
“He had worked in several project as a scientists, and organized others as a director. Many of them were successful.”
“OK…” Lois wanted to ask about his involvement in the “Treasure”, but he decided not to risk it. “And what about Catherine Owen?”
“She’s his younger sister. She runs the pharmaceutical company “Happy Life”.”
“Family?”
“She’s married to William Larren, and has two children.”
“Any relations with the S.T.A.R. labs?”
“No, not at all…”
“Alright. Thank you, Dr. Klein.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
She hung up the phone.
“I can’t believe we’re always messing up like this, Clark!” she grumbled. She slowly walked towards the couch, and fell on Clark’s embrace. They stayed there, Clark caressing Lois’s hair, and Lois thinking, while enjoying his touch.
“Who’s William Larren?” she asked him a few minutes later, opening her eyes and looking at him.
“I don’t know,” he said indifferently.
“I’m sure I’ve heard his name before,” she commented, looking around the room.
“Maybe…” he just said.
“If it’s anything important?” she asked.
“Honey, can’t you just relax? Let’s spend the rest of our evening here, not worrying about the Thorns, or the Owens, or anyone else.”
“I want to relax too… but…” She grinned. “I guess the reporter in me doesn’t let me do it.”
“Oh, I suggest that you told the reporter in you to leave you alone for the rest of the day,” he wryly said, bending over her face. “We have better things to do tonight, don’t we?”
“I guess we do,” she replied in the same tone.
He then started tickling her, and soon they were both lying on the couch, laughing, tickling and playfully kissing each other.
***
Many hours had passed. It was almost dawning outside.
Clark was on the bed, sleeping. Luckily for him, it had been a quiet night.
Lois lay beside him, but she wasn’t sleeping. Something was bothering her, and it had awakened her early enough to have time to think about it calmly.
The only problem was, she didn’t exactly know what it was. She could only tell it was something that she’d learned the day before, but she knew no further details.
She had been awake for almost two hours, when a thought flashed into her mind.
“Clark? Clark?” she urged him.
He sighed, and sleepily opened his eyes. “What is it, Lois?”
“I remembered who William Larren is!”
Clark remained silent for a few moments, allowing his mind to fully wake up.
“Oh, yeah, William Larren,” he finally said. “Who is he?”
“He’s the owner of the Metropolis Bank and the president of the Economists of Metropolis association!”
“The…” Clark processed the information in his mind for a while. “And this association was the one of the donors for the “Treasure” project!” he exclaimed.
“Exactly.”
“Gee… Lois, do you know what it means?”
“That Catherine Owen is the Black Team’s big head.”
“Yes! Wow! At least this issue is solved.” He sighed in relief. “I can’t believe it!” His eyes were shining.
“Great, huh?” Lois got closer to him, their faces almost touching each other’s. “Maybe we should celebrate it,” she wryly said.
“Yeah, maybe…”
He kissed her lips, and gave her a pleasant smile. She kissed him back, and soon they were in one another’s arms, celebrating Lois’s discovery.
***
Almost two hours later, neither of them wanted to leave the bed. They were still lying on the bed.
Actually, Clark was lying on the bed, and Lois was lying on him, her head resting on his bare chest. They were both absently staring at the ceiling.
“Who’s going to the Planet today?” Lois lazily asked.
Clark leaned toward her forehead and kissed her. “Which do you prefer, the Planet or the Thorns?” He smiled.
She grimaced. “I’m not going at the Thorns without you.”
“Neither do I.”
“So, together at the Thorns?”
“That’s what I was thinking of.”
“Perry will kill us.”
“Never mind.”
Clark reached for the telephone. He grabbed it and dialed the Daily Planet’s number.
Lois stretched and moved her ear close to his, so that she could hear what Clark was going to say to Perry.
“Good morning, Chief!”
“Hey, Clark, good morning!”
He paused for a second. “Chief, Lois and I can’t make it for today.”
“That story again?”
“Yes…”
“OK, then, go.”
“Thanks, chief.”
“Oh, Clark!”
“Yes?”
“Is this story going to finish soon?”
“…I think so, Chief.”
“Oh, fine. Goodbye.”
“Bye, Chief.”
He hung up the phone.
“Hmm, that was easier than I thought,” Lois said, drawing herself even closer towards Clark.
“Yes.” He smiled. “Perry’s in a very good mood lately.”
“Good for us.” She laid her head on his chest.
Then, a cry was heard from the next room.
“Sharlynn’s hungry,” Clark grinned.
“Oh, yeah.” Lois sat on the bed and stretched. “This girl has some timing…”
She put on her slippers and slowly walked out of the room.
***
About one and a half hour later, Lois and Clark – who had Sharlynn in his arms – were outside Rachel’s lab.
Lois knocked the door.
“Who is it?” they heard Rachel’s voice asking.
“It’s us, the Kents,” she replied.
“Wait a minute.”
She unlocked the door and allowed them in.
“Welcome,” she said, pleasantly.
“Thanks,” Lois simply replied.
Sharlynn, Jane and John were standing a few feet away. Sharlynn had her hands crossed over her chest and was smiling ironically.
“This is becoming a habit of yours,” she said sarcastically.
Lois got mad, but covered it speaking in the same sarcastic tone.
“Sorry, we came here just to bring you some good news.”
“What news?” Rachel asked.
“Rachel, what do you know about William Larren and Catherine Owen?” Clark turned to her.
“William Larren is the Economist’s of Metropolis president. He was convinced to finance the “Treasure”, but he put as a condition that any medically interesting results would be exclusively for “Happy Life”. “Happy Life” is the pharmaceutical company his wife is running. Catherine Owen is his wife.”
Lois and Clark remained silent, with equal now–I–understand–what–is–going–on–here expressions on their faces.
Sharlynn approached them. “Are you saying…?”
“Yes,” Clark answered.
“Now it’s all clear…” she murmured.
“I still can’t understand how did they find out I was experimenting here,” Rachel wondered.
“We told you that they didn’t know it was you,” Clark said.
“They knew from the beginning that you were still experimenting,” Sharlynn said. “I think they suspected something was going on when I came back from Guadalajara. Or maybe they just hadn’t bought the story that you had died and were still spying on you, or maybe they were keeping an eye on John.”
“Don’t you know anything, Jane?” Clark asked her.
She smiled, bitterly. “I didn’t even know that my husband was the leader of an evil gang.”
“You know, I think it’s all the explanations Sharlynn mentioned together,” Lois turned to Clark. “Rachel fakes her death. The Black Team don’t buy the story and keep an eye on John, hoping they will trace Rachel this way. And, when Sharlynn comes back from Guadalajara, they start spying on her too, they understand they’re hiding something, they find out what is this something. Even if they haven’t realized yet that Rachel is alive, Sharlynn is her sister…”
“Yeah, that would make sense…” Clark commented.
“You know, it doesn’t matter,” Rachel interrupted them, impatiently. “Have you talked to Superman?”
Lois and Clark stared at each other. So they hadn’t understood that he was Superman?
“Why are you looking like this?” Sharlynn asked, also impatiently. “Have you talked to him, or not?”
Clark wanted to sigh in relief, but he didn’t, thinking that this would attract their attention.
“Yes, of course,” Lois said. “He’s watching the Black Team, at the moment, and he said he’d go check up Catherine Owen later.”
“Great!” Sharlynn exclaimed.
“You all will be safe soon,” Lois smiled.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Rachel smiled back.
“Hmm… let me ask you something,” Clark said, remembering the fear he’d had. “Are William Larren, Catherine Owen or the Black Team connected to Lex Luthor in any way?”
“Why are you asking this?” Sharlynn said, surprised.
“You don’t wanna know,” Lois commented.
“The Black Team could have worked with him in the past…” Jane said.
“And he was a member of the Economists of Metropolis association,” Rachel added.
“Really?” Clark asked, interested.
“Yes… One of the most powerful ones. He was in the board.”
“I bet he was,” Lois muttered.
“I told ya,” Clark said to Lois.
“Yes…” she just said.
“What?” Sharlynn curiously asked.
“Oh, nothing important…” Clark replied.
“Anyway, we have to go to the Planet now.” Lois turned to Clark. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“Yeah, right,” he nodded. “So, goodbye.”
“Goodbye,” Sharlynn said.
“If we hear from Superman we’ll let you know.”
“Yeah…” she said. “Just call.”
“Oh, right!” Clark said. “What’s your phone number?”
“Let me bring you a paper and a pen,” Rachel said, unlocking the door.
“No, it’s OK. I’ll remember it, just tell me.”
“I’ll give you my cell phone number,” Sharlynn said, “it’s 217-8946.”
“OK. We’ll see ya, bye.”
“Bye!” everyone replied.
Lois and Clark walked out of the lab. Behind them, as always, Rachel shut and locked the door.
***
