TOCChapter 2As if running on autopilot, Lois headed for the elevator. One last time, her gaze drifted over Clark’s still empty desk.
Surely, he was fine and she was worried for nothing.
Why was the prospect of one date turning her into such a mess? Why did he have to choose this day of all days to vanish from the face of the Earth for hours on end? Why did she have to fall for him so hard that her world was being turned upside down like this?
Lois impatiently pushed the elevator down button, her gut still a tangled mess of worries. She stared at the lights above the lift, watching as the car slowly crawled up. And still she took in deep breaths, hoping that once she was out on the street to look for Clark, she would no longer feel like she was going to suffocate any moment.
Finally, the elevator dinged and the doors opened, revealing the man she'd been desperate to see.
Lois felt like fainting with relief. “Clark!”
He seemed tense as he stepped out of the elevator. His usually smiling lips were drawn into a thin line, and a muscle in his jaw was twitching.
His face lit up as he spotted her. “Lois, it’s good to see you.”
For a moment he just stood there as if he didn’t know what to do with himself. His gaze drifted across her body, lingering there longer than Lois was comfortable with. She didn't know why, but somehow she felt the sudden urge to wrap her coat more firmly around herself as if that would help to keep Clark from undressing her with his eyes. She was hard pressed to keep herself from following that impulse. What was going on with her? Just moments ago she’d been afraid that he’d been killed, and now she was once again thinking the worst?
She had to be losing her mind.
*Get a grip, girl.* she chastised herself. *This is Clark, for Heaven’s sake. He
doesn’t undress you with his eyes.*
As she looked at him again, his eyes were firmly on her face. He raised his brows in a quizzical look.
Worry tinted his voice. “Is everything all right with you, Lois?”
“Yeah, yeah, why wouldn’t I be okay?” She couldn’t help but wince at her lame attempt to brush off his concern.
His face hardened again.
“Sorry, Clark. I was just…” She paused for an instant, racking her mind how to excuse her strange behavior. But she drew a blank and decided to dodge his question altogether “…going out. Someone in the police department gave me a tip that they found a body floating in Hobb’s Bay. Are you coming?”
“Sure.” He smiled at her and turned on his heels, placing his hand on the small of her back as he followed her into the elevator. “So, what’s new? Anything on Bender?”
Lois blinked, irritated. A sudden rush of anger filled her. First he ran out on her, leaving her alone to investigate
their story, and now he didn’t even have the guts to apologize for his absence? How could he act like nothing had happened, when she’d been worried sick that his lifeless body was floating somewhere in Hobb’s Bay?
“Still no sign of him,” her eyes narrowed. “Which you’d know if you’d returned from your… ehm…errand yesterday! I had to go to the police all on my own and meet Bobby afterwards. Where the hell have you been, Clark?”
His eyes widened in the same slight expression of panic that always seemed to cross his features, either shortly before he left on a moment’s notice or came up with one of his trademark excuses. Even before he opened his mouth, Lois knew that she wouldn’t get a straight answer from him. She sighed inwardly.
Clark had the decency to look contrite. He chewed on his bottom lip, his expression rueful yet adorable. “Something came up.”
For a fraction of a second, Lois allowed herself to hope that he was going to elaborate or at least apologize for putting their investigation on hold. Well, sort of – since she had managed to talk to Bobby and get the information they needed.
“Do you think Bender’s abduction has anything to do with Luthor?” Clark changed the topic rather abruptly.
Lois’ tensed at the mention of her late fiancé and almost husband. “He’s dead. How could he possibly be involved in this? But I admit it’s odd that Gretchen Kelly, Nigel St. John, this Asabi guy and Bender all turn up around the same time. Something strange is going on there.”
“You may be right,” Clark agreed. “Lois…” His voice softened into that warm tone that sent pleasant shivers across her spine.
Was he going to apologize now and expected her to just forgive him without offering an explanation? Did he know what that low rumble did to her? How easily he could convince her to just give in, because some part of her just longed to hear his soft laughter and gentle teasing.
She was aware of his gaze resting on her while she studiously avoided looking him in the eyes. She knew that he had the power to melt her insides with one longing glance, and the last thing she wanted now was to succumb to his undeniable charm. Admittedly, she didn’t want to bite his head off either. After all, they were supposed to be going out on a date this evening.
He couldn't know that she had been having nightmares ever since Dillinger had shot him. She'd never told him. How was he supposed to guess that she'd been so worked up about his absence?
Lois' hands tightened into fists as she prayed for Clark to make the first step, to apologize, whatever. Anything that would help her forget about his unreliability last night.
She stole a quick glance at him, realizing that he looked rather troubled. Briefly, Lois wondered if maybe she should offer him an out. Perhaps he did have a good reason for staying away, perhaps -
No, she wasn’t going to make up excuses for him. She’d seen her mother do that, back when she’d still been in love with her father. And Lois knew that had ultimately resulted in the drunken stupor her mother had spent most of her days in, afterwards. She wasn’t going to make those same mistakes.
They spent the rest of the ride down to the lobby in silence, and Lois lost the last bit of hope that Clark was going to apologize. Though part of her was still too relieved he was okay to really be mad at him, she felt unable to just let the matter drop.
The elevator doors opened and Clark stepped out. Lois, still caught up in all those confusing emotions, followed him.
She tried again, doing her best not to snap at him. "Clark, honestly, where were you yesterday? You said you'd go to the precinct and fetch the tickets. It's not like you to stay away without even calling. If you didn't have the time, why did you go in the first place?"
"Lois, I'm deeply sorry. It won't happen again." He still dodged a straight answer. He stuck his hands into the pockets of his pants. "And I did go to the precinct. The guy who took Bender is one Ramin Tarbush."
Lois flashed him a sour look. "Thanks, but I already knew that."
He bit his lip but didn't reply.
She could see he was struggling. The smile on his face seemed awfully forced and he looked at her - once, twice - as if he was thinking hard about how he was going to explain his behavior. But no words came out. He held the door open for her, and again she felt his hand on her back, lingering there longer than she was comfortable with at the moment.
What was wrong with her? She’d always enjoyed that gesture, at least coming from Clark. Was she just nervous about their impending date, or was she having some serious second thoughts about him? But this was Clark! Of course he wasn’t perfect, but certainly the most considerate man she’d ever met. Everyone was bound to make mistakes. Perhaps he was just as nervous about this date as she was.
They stepped out of the Planet building and Lois raised her arm to hail a cab. It was so much easier to focus on the mundane tasks of her daily work instead of confronting her feelings, or Clark for that matter. She kept her eyes on the street as if her life depended on it, knowing that her best friend and partner was probably watching her helplessly as he struggled for an explanation. She didn’t want to look at him right now, because she knew she’d falter under his puppy dog eyes.
Clark remained irritatingly quiet.
"Did you at least get those Pearl Jam tickets?" Lois grumbled.
"Pearl Jam?" he echoed, confused.
Her anger flared and her gaze darted back to him, her eyes narrow with fury. "Yes. Remember, you asked me out!"
“Of course I remember!” He cringed and gave her an awkward half-smile. "But upon second thought, Pearl Jam didn't sound like such a good idea after all. I mean, it's loud and crowded and we wouldn't be able to really talk. So, I went ahead and made a reservation in a restaurant. Do you mind?"
There it was, his puppy dog gaze that almost made it impossible to stay mad at Clark. And before Lois had a chance to make up her mind about his presumptuous decision, a cab pulled to a halt beside them. Clark opened the door for her. As she glared at him, his expression turned so adorably shy that her anger already began to fade.
She wanted to be furious, she really did. On top of leaving her alone, he'd changed their plans for the evening without consulting her first. That wasn't the kind of behavior she was ready to tolerate in a man. But part of her was also relieved that she wouldn't have to go to a Pearl Jam concert. She hadn’t been looking forward to that part of the evening anyway.
Lois scooted to the side, making room for Clark. He got in and closed the door behind them.
The apologetic half-smile he flashed her gave him the appearance of a hurt puppy. He looked so troubled that her heart almost went out to him.
Lois felt torn between anger and relief. On the one hand, she didn't want to let it go, lest he'd assume she was okay with his unilateral decision. On the other hand, she realized that now wasn’t the best time to lash out at him, not when there was a cab driver to witness the scene. Moreover, Clark had in fact done her a favor, which made the whole issue even more confusing.
Lois let out a frustrated huff and told the driver where to go.
Then she studied Clark, who still looked sufficiently remorseful.
Lois took a deep breath. Could she let it go, just this once? So he’d made a mistake, maybe two. Everyone did. She’d broken his heart when he’d opened it up to her. She’d almost married Lex Luthor and destroyed their friendship. Still, he was here, ready to forgive her. Who was she to throw the first stone? Lois could almost hear Lucy's voice in her mind. She'd certainly urge her to give Clark a chance, arguing that she'd never find love if she kept pushing men away at the first sign of trouble.
Clark's disappearing acts and his most recent absence aside, she
knew he was a decent guy. All the times he'd been there for her, steadfast and without ever pushing for more than she was ready to give had to count for something, hadn't they?
He sighed and hung his head. "I can tell you're mad. And you have every right to be. I'm so, so sorry, Lois. I know I've disappointed you. I did have a good reason for staying away the other day. And I promise we're going to talk about it. It's just not…" He took a deep breath. "It's just not something we should be discussing in a cab. Or at the Planet, for that matter."
"Okay," Lois replied with as much righteous indignation as she could muster. "But you're going to tell me what's going on."
Clark smiled at her. "Scout's honor."
She kept her gaze steely. “And you promise that the next time you want to change our plans for the night, you consult me first?”
“I promise,” he said solemnly.
Lois gave him a tight nod. Her emotions were too much in a jumble to start a normal conversation, and she was also still angry with Clark. So instead of saying anything she'd come to regret, Lois settled for silence. Clark seemed to sense her reluctance to talk and remained quiet.
Now and again, she registered that his gaze was lingering on her. His hand was twitching slightly as if he wanted to place it on her thigh. Part of her almost hoped he would touch her and dispel the awkwardness between them.
Lois hated the way she was behaving toward him, but she just couldn’t help it. It was so much easier to be angry than forgiving. Fortunately, the trip to Hobb’s Bay was brief.
The blue and red lights of several police cars were flashing when they arrived at the scene. The cab pulled to the side. She glanced at Clark, indicating that it was his turn paying the driver. He looked back at her like a deer in headlights, mumbling something about his wallet still being at home.
With a roll of her eyes Lois pulled out her own purse and paid before they got out. What was wrong with Clark that he seemed so set out on falling from her good graces? Was he usually like this and she just ignored it because she’d never really studied him in the light of potential boyfriend material?
Lois decided to focus her attention back on the story.
Yellow and black tapes marked the area that was off-limits to anyone but the police officers. Two sturdy policemen were guarding the site. One was in his fifties, the air of a seasoned officer surrounding him like a second set of protective gear. The younger one was probably in his thirties, but he looked just as smart as the other one. It was obvious that Lois wouldn’t be able to talk them into something they didn’t want to do.
She straightened her stance, tightly wrapping her out-of-control emotions under the professional mask of Mad Dog Lane, ace reporter, who always got there first and never took any prisoners. She held out her press pass like the weapon that was going to get her through any enemy’s defensive lines.
The policemen stiffened as Lois and Clark approached.
"No press beyond this point," the older one said, his voice quiet but with undeniable authority.
Lois brought her press pass into his direct line of sight. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet. What can you tell us about the victim?"
The officer smirked. "There will be a press release later. Till then, no comment. Come on, you know the drill, Lane."
He crossed his arms in front of his chest as if to emphasize his point, and the younger officer adopted the same stance.
"Yeah, yeah,” Lois rolled her eyes. “Doesn't hurt to try. Can you at least tell me-" She broke off as the answer to her quandary walked toward her. "Henderson?"
The inspector looked up and let out an exasperated sigh. "Lane! I should have known you'd be here. One of these days I need to go through my department with a fine-toothed comb and find all your informants.”
“Good luck with that,” Lois replied, unfazed. “What can you tell me about the victim, Henderson?”
The inspector pursed his lips, seeming to ponder whether to answer or dodge her question. Eventually he settled for a shrug. "White male, identity unknown, mid-thirties, I would guess."
Behind him, the staff of the medical examiner arrived with a stretcher that carried the body bag. Henderson paused for a moment to watch them as they got ready to lift the stretcher into the car to bring it to the morgue. Then he looked back at Lois and Clark. And once again the expression flashing across Henderson’s face told Lois he was wrestling with some kind of decision.
Henderson heaved a sigh. "Since you're already here - maybe one of you guys knows him? After all, you seem to be familiar with at least half of Metropolis’ underworld.” His gaze rested on Lois and Clark, his expression conveying a level of respect Lois had not quite expected. “And you'd save me hours of work."
He waved at the M.E.'s assistants. "Wait a moment, guys. Let them have a look at our victim."
Henderson lifted the black and yellow tape up a bit, so Lois and Clark could duck underneath. Then he ushered them toward the body bag. The M.E.’s assistants threw Henderson an exasperated glance, but did as they were told and unzipped the bag.
The zipper revealed a tangled mess of wet hair and pale, lifeless skin. At first, Lois wasn’t sure how to recognize anyone in the completely relaxed features of the dead man. Certainly, he didn’t look like anyone she might have known in life. But upon closer inspection, Lois felt her heart starting to race.
She gasped. "That's Ramin Tarbush."
Clark's eyes widened. "You recognize that guy?"
For some reason, that brought her anger back with a vengeance. Lois let out a frustrated sigh. "Yes, and you should, too. That's the guy who took Bender."
Clark flinched, shrinking a bit under her gaze. "Guess I didn't get too good a view of him."
As her thoughts drifted back to the previous day, the surge of anger abated. Was she too hard on him?
“I guess you didn't. You went to get the police."
She took a calming breath, fighting to get her emotions back under control. Why couldn’t she forget about their date, about his disappearing act and everything that had resulted from it, just for a moment to focus on her work? She’d barely even broken rule number three, and already she was becoming unprofessional.
Lois heaved a sigh. "Guess I can skip visiting the homeless shelter on Union Street, then."
Clark looked at her, confused. "And why's that?"
"Because Bobby told me I'd probably find Tarbush there. Unlike some people, I stuck around to get the job done," Lois shot back.
Clark flinched again and a guilty expression flashed over his face.
But before he had a chance to reply, Henderson cut in. "Would you mind arguing about that later? So you're saying this guy's name is Ramin Tarbush?"
He pulled out his notepad and a pen, starting to jot something down. Then he paused for a moment and looked at Lois expectantly, urging her to continue.
"Yes,” Lois took her cue. “Like I said, my informant told me he's usually staying at the homeless shelter on Union Street. But who am I telling this to? I thought the police had a warrant out for him."
Henderson huffed. "I'm doing homicides, Lane. Can't keep track of every thug playing their part in fraternity pranks."
Now it was Lois' turn to stare at the inspector. "Come again?"
One of the M.E.’s assistant’s asked, “Sorry, Inspector? Are we done here?” He gestured toward the body bag and then had a meaningful glance at his wristwatch.
The inspector turned to him. “Yeah. Bring him to the morgue. And don’t forget that I want the report on my desk first thing tomorrow.”
Lois watched the exchange with an impatient tapping of her foot. She felt the strong impulse to grab Henderson by his lapels and make him focus on her again. There was no denying she was feeling off today. Her gaze drifted over to Clark, whose expression was annoyingly impassive.
Lois tried another calming breath, knowing that snapping at the inspector wouldn’t get her anywhere. “Henderson? What were you saying about this fraternity prank?”
"Apparently, Bender turned up this morning, declaring that his abduction was just a practical joke his fraternity brothers played on him," Henderson explained. "Guess the guys from that department didn't yet get around to writing a press release."
Lois furrowed her brows and pointed at the body bag that was being loaded into the van. "Somehow I doubt that playing a practical joke is what got this guy killed."
Henderson shrugged. "Maybe. But let me tell you that guys the likes of him don't need a solid reason to be at each other's throats. For all we know, the guy could have been shot for a few bucks."
Lois pursed her lips. "Or there's something really fishy going on. Thanks, Henderson."
The inspector put his notepad back into his pocket and gave both Lois and Clark a brief nod. "Thanks for the ID."
"Yeah, and don't forget I saved you some trouble when you find out who killed this guy," Lois reminded him.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Henderson scoffed. "I know from experience what a pain in the neck you'd become if I forgot."
The inspector ushered them back behind the black and yellow tapes, then walked toward his car and got in. When he drove off, the dark M.E.’s van followed him. Only a couple of policemen stayed behind to clear the area.
Clark still stood there mesmerized, watching the scene unfold. Finally, he turned to Lois. A huge smile was plastered across his face as he looked at Lois, completely in awe. "Did you really just get Henderson to show you the victim of a homicide and he promised to keep you updated about a pending investigation?"
Lois shrugged. "Why do you sound so surprised?"
He laughed and shook his head. "I'm not surprised, you just never cease to amaze me."
"If you think that flattery is going to get you off the hook, you've got another think coming," Lois said tightly. “Come on, we've found out everything we could. Let’s get back to the Planet."
Clark let out a breath. “Lois, how many times do I need to tell you I’m sorry?”
Lois’ breath hitched. How many times, indeed? Was she once again being unfair? He'd been unusually quiet during their conversation with Henderson. Maybe whatever had kept him away yesterday was still troubling him. Maybe she was just too preoccupied with her own problems to really waste a thought on how he was feeling.
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