Chapter 4
Over the next few weeks Clark spent every free moment digging into the information Jim had been gathering but he was still no closer to finding the one piece of information that would help him to unravel Intergang’s web once and for all. He’d checked out over twenty former and alleged former, members of Intergang and had found nothing that would lead him to the new management of the gang.
Jim Olsen sat down at Clark’s desk and leaned in so he wouldn’t be overheard. “Any luck, CK?” he asked hopefully.
“No, nothing, Jim,” Clark sighed frustrated.
“Don’t worry, CK, I still have a lot of places and people to check yet. I’ve found some new names who are linked to some of the ones we already knew about.”
“That’s good, Jim. Every lead brings us one step closer to getting these guys.”
“Yeah. Well, I just wanted to check in. I’ll bring you that other research in about an hour.”
“That’s fine, Jim…” Clark’s voice trailed off. “Jim, I gotta go, I’m late for an appointment.”
Clark stood up and rushed to the stairwell, tugging at his tie.
‘I wonder how he knew he was late? He didn’t even look at his watch,’ Jim thought continuing on his way.
**********
Two hours and one Superman story later Clark Kent was back at his desk. This latest rescue had turned into more but now things were settled down again. He glanced at the clock, if he hurried, he’d have some time to play with Jonny before supper. Shutting down his computer he headed for the elevator.
Just as the car was reaching the news floor Clark heard a female voice call. “Hold the elevator, please!”
Clark stepped in and blocked the door with his hand. Seconds later a woman stepped into the car and slumped against the wall.
“You didn’t have to rush, you know,” Clark said, smiling pleasantly.
“I didn’t want to keep you waiting, Clark,” Erica said.
Clark looked at the woman, trying to remember her name. “Erica, right?” he said.
“That’s right. I’m surprised you remembered. We only met for a few minutes at the picnic and that was weeks ago.”
“You remembered my name.”
“Yes, but you’re famous. Your name is on the front page almost every day it seems. Your reputation precedes you around the office you know. Even financial weenies like me know who you are,” Erica said with a smile.
“Thanks, I think.” Clark chuckled. “So how are you getting on now that you’ve been here a while?”
“I love it,” Erica said with a smile. “I was concerned about moving to a city the size of Metropolis from Denver, but I love the city and I love my job.”
“That’s nice,” Clark said with a smile. “It’s always better when you love your job. I couldn’t do what I do if I didn’t love it.”
The car reached the lobby and the doors opened.
“This is my stop,” Erica said smiling. “It was nice talking with you Clark.”
“Yes, it was,” Clark said as the doors were closing. “Good night!”
The car continued to the parking garage level where it stopped with a shudder. Clark stepped out and walked to his vehicle, smiling as he approached it. He still drove the old Jeep but it was showing its age. He hated to get rid of it but it had a lot of miles on it and it spent more and more time in the shop. It was a good thing his mother had a reliable car or he’d have been forced to trade the Jeep in long ago.
“Come on old Jeep,” Clark said patting the dashboard, “let’s go home.”
**********
Clark walked into the living room and sat down on the couch next to his mother who was knitting a new winter sweater for Jon.
“So how many stories did you read him, Clark,” Martha said with a knowing look.
“Only three, Mom,” Clark smiled. “He must have been tired because he fell asleep during the third one.”
“We went to the park this afternoon and burned some of his energy off,” Martha chuckled. “He reminds me so much of you at that age, always on the go.”
“It has to be hard for kids in the city though,” Clark said thoughtfully.
“Why do you say that?”
“I had acres of farmland to play in and all kinds of chores to help out with. It kept me busy and active. City kids have a park, if they live close enough. And they certainly don’t have any cows to milk!” Clark smiled.
“No, they don’t,” Martha laughed. “Children have different activities in the city, that’s all. They can find opportunities for exercise, but they have to be creative.”
“I know, Mom, but childhood obesity is a big problem, for city kids especially.”
“I remember the article you wrote about that,” Martha said thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s time for a follow-up?”
“Maybe, Mom. I think I’ll mention it to Perry tomorrow.”
“How is that new editor, Clark? Erica, wasn’t that her name? She’s been here for a few weeks, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a coincidence that you’d mention her. I haven’t seen her since the picnic and tonight she rode the elevator down with me.”
“I don’t know why I thought about her but that is a coincidence. Is she settled in now?”
“As far as I know. She told me she loves her job and she loves living in the city.”
“She’s a very pretty woman, isn’t she?” Martha said innocently.
“Mom, please,” Clark said sounding frustrated. “She’s a nice woman but I’m not interested. Can’t we just drop this conversation once and for all?”
“Clark, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. You may not want to hear this, but I saw how you reacted when she shook your hand at the picnic, your father did too,” she said softly.
“And how did I react, Mom,” Clark said getting upset with the direction this conversation was taking. “I sure didn’t act like I did the first time I saw Lois, I know that!” Clark fisted his hands in frustration.
Martha laid her hand on her son’s arm, feeling the tension in him, she ran her hand up and down, hoping to soothe him. She didn’t want to anger him, but she had a feeling that something could happen between him and Erica, if he’d let it.
“I know, Sweetie, I know. But if you’re honest with yourself you did feel something, didn’t you?” she asked gently.
“I don’t know, Mom, I just don’t know,” Clark sighed. “The contact was so fleeting it could have been nothing. It could have been surprise. The grapevine said the new financial editor was supposed to be a much older man from the west coast.”
“Well, that should teach you not to listen to rumors, Clark,” Martha said, mock serious.
“I know, the grapevine is usually wrong anyway.” Clark chuckled and shook his head. “Mom, I’m going to do a quick patrol, I shouldn’t be more than an hour, I hope.”
“Take care, Sweetie.” Martha let the subject drop, for now, but she was determined to bring it up again sometime in the future.
**********
Clark knocked on the door frame to his boss’s office. “Got a second, Chief?”
“Sure thing, Clark.”
After closing the door behind him Clark sat down in the chair in front of the desk. “I’d like to ask for a favor. I’ve got some pretty heavy-duty financial data to go through for this Intergang investigation and I’m just not knowledgeable enough. I was wondering if you could suggest someone who might be able to help.”
Perry sat back in his chair, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before he spoke. “Erica Atkins might fit the bill. From what I remember of her résumé she has a master’s degree in Finance and was working on her PhD. She’s new in town so she should be pretty clean, connections-wise, at least here in the city. You want me to ask her?”
It was Clark’s turn to think now. Did he want to work that closely with Erica? He was feeling conflicted if nothing else. His mother had been right; he had felt something when they’d met at the picnic, but he’d felt nothing the other day in the elevator. He was obviously confused but not so much that he’d turn down help if it were available.
“If you would, Chief, I’d appreciate it.”
**********
Perry White knocked on the open door of Erica’s office.
“Can I bother you for a minute?” Perry asked.
“Sure, come in, Perry,” Erica said.
Closing the door behind him Perry sat down, facing her.
“I have something to ask you, but it’s not completely work related,” Perry said.
“Now you have my curiosity piqued. Why don’t you tell me all about it?” Erica asked curiously.
“Clark Kent is working on an undercover investigation for me. One that, by necessity, must be kept completely secret. Right now only three people know about this investigation, me, Jim Olsen, and Clark. They’ve come across a lot of financial data that is, frankly, outside their area of expertise. I remember reading on your résumé that you have an advanced degree in finance. I’d like to ask for your help, if you have the time, of course.”
“Why is this investigation so secret, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“No, not at all. There is a criminal organization that we had thought was out of business, but I have been given intelligence that says this organization is in the process of reconstituting. We, Clark and I, don’t want that to happen, so we’re doing everything we can to stop it before it gets going again.”
“Why are you and Clark so interested in this organization, past the usual desire to expose crime, of course?”
“Clark and I have personal reasons.”
‘Personal reasons, hmm.’ Erica thought, intrigued. “Can you tell me what name of this organization is?”
“Intergang,” Perry said seriously.
“That's the group that was linked to the killing of Clark’s wife!”
“And you know about this how?” Perry asked suspiciously.
Erica knew she looked embarrassed. “It was after our lunch. When I saw how affected you were I got curious. I searched the archives and read all the articles. I didn’t want to hurt anyone else by asking questions that might upset them. I’m sorry.”
Perry’s expression relaxed with Erica’s explanation. “No, it’s okay. I think you did the right thing. You went to the source, the archives, rather than the grapevine. I’m sure you would have heard a lot from that source but 99% of it would have been wrong. I appreciate your discretion, and I’m sure Clark does as well. Do you have any other questions?”
“No, I don’t. I’d be pleased to help. Do you have anything for me to look at?”
“Not with me. I’ll have Clark drop something off. Remember, this is free time stuff only. Our regular work comes first. Also, the information has to be kept under lock and key. I don’t know if Intergang has spies here but they used to, and I wouldn’t put it past them to do it again.”
“I’ll be careful. I have a locked drawer I keep personnel files in. I’ll put my working papers in there.”
“Nothing is to be left here overnight. When you leave, take the work with you. If somebody is looking there won’t be anything to find. We all take work home with us so there’s nothing out of the ordinary there. I doubt anyone will show their hand by breaking into our homes, at least not yet.”
Perry rose from his seat and turned with his hand on the doorknob. “I’ll talk to you later, Erica. And thanks.”
**********
Perry walked up to Clark’s desk checking the area before he stopped; no one was in hearing distance. “I talked to Erica. She’s onboard so you can drop something off to her whenever.”
“I was thinking about that, Perry. I think you should give her anything we want her to work on.”
“Why?”
“We want to maintain normal operations, so we don’t call attention to ourselves, right?”
“Yeah, but I’m not followin’.”
“How often have Jim or I gone into Erica’s office since she’s been here?”
“I don’t know, now that you mention it.”
“Never, at least I haven’t, and I doubt Jim has either. If we start going in there with paperwork and someone is watching they’re going to strongly suspect something. On the other hand you go in there all the time with paperwork or just to talk so you should raise no suspicions.”
Perry pondered Clark’s proposal. “You may be right, Son. Just in case, we’ll do it your way.”
“Please tell Erica why though. I don’t want her to think I don’t want to work with her, but the sensitivity of this operation is my biggest concern,” Clark said seriously. “I want these bastards, Perry.”
“We both do, Son. We both do.”
“She can fill us in on her progress when we meet at O’Malley’s bar. Nobody should question the new editor joining us.”
“Have Jim bring me what you’ve got, and I’ll see Erica gets it.”
**********
Erica Atkins opened the door of her apartment, locked it behind her and dropped her briefcase on her couch. Her new apartment was smaller than the one she’d had in Denver, rents being much higher in Metropolis. It was a one bedroom, one bath unit with a small kitchen. The kitchen was well appointed, which was a selling point for her as she loved to cook. The living room held her old furniture, reflecting the southwest style she and her husband loved. There were pictures of them in happier times on the walls as well as her parents and grandparents. Every time she looked at her parents picture she felt sad, they had been killed in a car accident when she was small, her beloved maternal grandfather and grandmother had raised her, something she was grateful for every day.
She quickly warmed up the meal she’d prepared the night before and settled down to eat. Her thoughts turned back to earlier, she’d hoped she’d be able to talk to Clark Kent now that she was helping on their investigation but a few hours later Perry White had dropped off the data for her to examine. Perry had explained that he’d be passing along anything they had for her to maintain appearances, and she couldn’t argue with that logic. In all the weeks she’d worked at the Planet she’d talked to Clark a grand total of twice, once at the picnic and once in the elevator and this missed opportunity bothered her.
Just because she understood didn’t mean she had to like it, however. Perry had mentioned that when a member of the team had something to report they would meet at O’Malley’s, the local watering hole Planet employees frequented when they wanted to blow off steam. There was usually a good crowd there on Thursday nights, so they had chosen that night to meet. So far it had worked well for them. Though it wasn’t ideal, some contact was better than none.
Finishing her meal she settled down to go through the data. Maybe she’d have something to report this week!
**********
TBC in part 5
