Perhaps he just wasn't capable of feeling anything with any clarity.
Or thinking, for that matter.
He'd failed so comprehensively that not only had he continued his surveillance, he'd increased it by listening to their conversation.
Oooh!
She'd repeated the line that had become their mantra. We're friends. And partners.
Poor guy.
Perry had said more, but it had blurred into a haze of words as Clark had waited for just one thing - the woman he loved to question whether Clark Kent had really killed Mayson Drake.
Eek! Just talk to her, big guy.
The jury - the only jury he cared about - had found him guilty as charged.
Poor guy.
He hadn't even had the chance to defend himself.
Which is why you need to talk to her, lunkhead!
Would she really try to hurt Lois if he went to the police? Was she still watching the police station?
Yes and possibly.
Would the police believe him if he were to tell them about Lana's threats? Or had all his credibility been eroded by the long hours of absence?
Maybe and almost certainly.
Could he go to her as Superman? Could he warn her and beg her to be careful?
Yes.
Would she take care to avoid potentially dangerous situations?
Well, this *is* Lois, so...no.
Probably not, he realised.
See?
If Lana knew Clark Kent was Superman, how would she respond to Superman talking with Lois?
Not well.
"But, this time ... I'm worried."
Perry straightened a little in his seat. "What have you heard?"
Well, *that* got Perry's attention!
"Don't let her go off by herself. Insist she tells you what she's doing and where she is."
Or a squad of bodyguards.
"Yes," Superman said, glad Perry had understood.
Not a man in his position because he can yodel!
"Do you think Clark did what they're saying? Do you think he could take a gun and shoot someone?"
Perry believed Clark had killed Mayson.
Lois had accepted his guilt without a whimper.
He was a murder suspect. Accused - that was bad enough. Alone - that was worse.
"No, I mean Clark makes his bed every morning. I've never seen the covers ruffled."
Good girl!
"You come into Clark's bedroom?"
On both shelves, there were rows of tubes - skincare products made by the French company, La Roche-Posay. All of the tubes were part of the Toleriane range. She turned to Henderson.
And yet, no one thought to dust for fingerprints.
"Lois," Henderson said. "Even if the dress and the cosmetics don't belong to Mayson, it makes no difference to the case. It doesn't change that two people were in this apartment and one of them was shot dead."
<Takes Henderson's badge and fires him on the spot>
Lois shook her head. "You told me that the first time she was here, she stayed five or six minutes. The witness heard arguing - that suggests they were near the door. The second time Mayson came, the shot was fired a couple of minutes later. It wasn't Mayson on the bed. And it wasn't Clark. It was the owner of the dress. She was here. Yesterday."
Thank you, Lois, for being the only person here with a brain.
"Lois, I don't want Clark to be guilty, either. But none of your possible scenarios are supported by the evidence."
Really? Because you could have fooled me there, Bill.
"That will depend on whether Wolfe thinks he has enough evidence to get a conviction."
Which means...Clark will be charged.
"Take this," she said. "If you can get a fingerprint from it, you might be able to identify the other woman. Then, perhaps, you'll be on the way to actually solving this case instead of just jumping on the most obvious answer."
<promotes Lois to Chief of Police>
Was this a part of the police strategy? To keeping him waiting? To apply mental pressure? Was the cop at the door surreptitiously watching him for signs of guilt?
Probably.
<doesn't want to imagine just what...or who...Jimmy might be doing>
He nodded in resignation and recoiled into the darkroom.
Oh...right...developing photos. Of course, that was my, uh, first guess.
Oooh, this is shaping up to be fun. I'm just really pissed off in how Henderson is handling this. Come on man! You're a good cop! Be one already!
