Home V: Obsession -- 7/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
Clark put an arm around her and pulled her against his bare chest. "One thing, though, that I hadn't thought of before. Since we don't know why the killer targeted these particular friends of Connor's, did it occur to you that now *you* might be a target?"
Lori stared at his face, reflected in the mirror. "No, I hadn't. Do you really think someone would go after me just because I'm a friend of his?"
"A pretty good friend of his," Clark said. "Someone sure doesn't seem to like Connor's female friends."
"Yeah." Lori bit her lip. "I'm married, though."
"We don't know that being married matters," Clark said. "Promise me you'll be careful, honey."
"I will," Lori told him. "Believe me, I will."
**********
And now, Part 7:
"Ms. Lyons!" Lori and Clark stepped out of the elevator and Lori turned her head at the instant hail. Carla, the new intern, was waving several sheets of hardcopy at her.
"Wow," Lori remarked to her husband, "things sure seem to be starting off fast this morning."
"It's the police reports you asked for," he said quietly. "Looks like Velma pushed it through for you in a hurry."
"That was nice of her," Lori said.
"Practical," Clark said with a grin. "She knows you pretty well by now."
Carla hurried across the room and presented the papers to Lori. She was a petite, very pretty girl with blue eyes and dark brown hair, who had been employed by the Planet for exactly a week, and been gratifyingly in awe of Lori for the entire time. Lori was somewhat embarrassed to be the object of such intense hero-worship but Clark found the situation amusing. He observed that today the intern had a new hairdo suspiciously similar to Lori's.
"It's a bunch of police reports," she informed her idol breathlessly. "All about women murdered the same way as the one night before last."
"Thanks," Lori said, trying to be nonchalant. "I was waiting for this."
Carla glanced at Clark. "Is it some kind of serial killer?" she asked.
Lori shrugged. "We don't know, yet. We're just getting started."
Carla shivered. "It must be exciting being an investigative journalist," she said, a little enviously.
"Sometimes it is," Clark said. "Most of the time it's dull research. Speaking of which, I need you to find out the names of all employees of the Metropolis Fitness Center for the last three years."
Carla looked slightly crestfallen, but rallied at once. "I'll get on it as soon as I can, Mr. Kent."
"Thanks," Clark said, smiling at her. "Lori and I will be out of the office most of the morning. If anything else comes through for us, give us a call, okay?"
"Will do, Mr. Kent," Carla said.
Lori's wrist talker beeped softly at that moment. She excused herself and stepped away to take the call.
"Lori Lyons," she said.
"Lori?" her mother's voice said, "your father's in a business meeting this morning. I wondered if you'd like to have a cup of coffee with me before you start your day."
Lori sighed. Knowing Mariann, it was going to be more than coffee. From a couple of the things her mother had said the day before, Mariann had focused on Lori's appetite, and had undoubtedly decided that Lori needed some motherly advice. She couldn't refuse without hurt feelings, but she couldn't restrain the slight sinking feeling in her middle. "Sure, Mom. Clark and I have a couple of interviews this morning, but I guess I can spare fifteen minutes for coffee. Where would you like to meet?"
"How about that little coffee shop right across from your office," Mariann's voice said. "I just happen to be there right now. Clark can pick you up right afterwards and you can go on to whatever you have to do from there."
"All right," Lori said. "I'll be there in five minutes."
She ended the call. Clark, she noticed, had gotten rid of Carla in the meantime, and was waiting for her to finish her conversation.
"I guess that was your mom?" Clark said, unnecessarily.
"Yeah," Lori said. "I have the feeling I'm in for a mother-to-daughter lecture."
"Yeah, I noticed your mom seemed a little worried about what you were eating yesterday," Clark said. "Shall I come with you?"
She shook her head. "She more or less told me she didn't want you there -- that remark about picking me up afterwards."
"I caught that," Clark said. "If you like, I can play the dense spouse who can't take a hint."
"No, I might as well get it over with. If you'd listen in and interrupt if things get too tense, I'd appreciate it, though. Besides, I need to get something to eat before we head for that interview. I'm starving."
"Say no more," Clark said. "My ears will be peeled. And if I pick you up a little early, well, that wouldn't hurt, either, would it?"
"Just what I was thinking," Lori said. "I'd better go." She stood on tiptoe to peck him on the cheek and turned toward the elevator.
**********
Mariann Lyons was sitting in a booth at the rear of the coffee shop, a cup of coffee in front of her. The seat opposite her was vacant, of course, but a cup of steaming coffee sat waiting for Lori, a couple of containers of low fat coffee creamer and two packets of sugar substitute lying beside it. She slid into the seat, observing the preparations for her arrival. Her mother wasn't even trying to be subtle.
"Hello, Mother," she said.
Mariann bit her lip. "You have that tone in your voice again," she said.
"What tone?" Lori asked.
"The one you used to get when I lectured you as a teenager, and you didn't want to listen." Mariann sighed. "Lori, I hope you know I only want the best for you."
"I know that, Mother."
"I just ... " She hesitated. "I never wanted you to marry. I was so afraid it would somehow have a detrimental effect on your career -- but you chose to marry Clark. Don't get me wrong; Clark is a charming man, but he's still a man."
"Yes, he is. But --"
"Lori, men place a great deal of emphasis on physical appearance. I know how much you care for him, and since he seems so important to you, I don't want you to lose him. I realize your pregnancy is causing your appetite to spiral out of control, but if you put on a tremendous amount of weight, is he going to want to stay married to you? He's a very attractive male specimen. I'm certain he wouldn't find it difficult to replace --"
"Mother," Lori said, reminding herself sharply that Mariann didn't have all the facts, "Clark isn't going to leave me."
"How can you *know* that, though? He married a slim, attractive girl. If you let your weight get out of control --"
"My weight isn't out of control, and neither is my appetite," Lori said firmly.
"I have trouble believing that," Mariann said. "I saw how you were eating yesterday."
"Mother, please trust me on this," Lori said. "Clark and I know what we're doing, really." She reached for the sugar canister and took four packets. "And you know I can't use that substitute sugar stuff. It makes me break out."
"I thought that was Marcy," her mother said.
"She breaks out too," Lori said, dumping the sugar into her cup. "Neither of us can use it." She poured the non-fat creamer into her coffee. "Mother, I appreciate your concern, but you don't need to worry, really. Clark isn't going to leave me. *He* was the one that said first that he wanted a lifetime contract. He's not going to change his mind now that I'm pregnant. And I'm not going to get fat."
"Am I interrupting?" Clark's voice said from behind her.
"No," Mariann said, biting her lip. "Please sit down, Clark."
He slid into the booth beside Lori, glancing at the containers that had held the creamer. "Nonfat? You know what your doctor said, honey. You need to gain weight."
"Sorry," Lori said. "It was all that was here. I'll try to pick up something else after we interview the Congressman."
"All right," Clark said, managing to sound skeptical. "You know, Mariann, you really need to talk to Lori about taking care of her health. She's had low blood sugar for most of her pregnancy so far, and her doctor specifically said no dieting right now. She doesn't want the baby to be underweight." He added, "She's lost three pounds this month alone. Her doctor told her to eat more."
Lori barely restrained the impulse to turn and stare at him. She covered her reaction by taking a sip of coffee. "I promise," she said. "I'll eat."
"If that's the case," Mariann said, "Perhaps you should have a sandwich before you go to this 'interview'."
"I had breakfast," Lori protested feebly, wondering how this whole thing had turned around so quickly. "I'll get a snack right after the interview. I promise."
The waitress appeared with a tray, on which resided a thick chicken sandwich, a scoop of potato salad and a bowl of applesauce, accompanied by a tall glass of milk. She glanced questioningly at Clark.
"Right here," he said, indicating the spot in front of Lori. "Thanks." He waited until the food had been deposited in front of his wife and the waitress had gone. "I noticed you didn't have time for more than a glass of orange juice and a piece of toast this morning," he said blandly. "I figured you had to be starving, and since you were already here ..."
Mariann was nodding. "Clark is right," she pronounced. "Take a few minutes to eat, Lori. You have to take care of yourself while your baby is on the way."
"I knew I could count on you to back me up," Clark said to Lori's mother. Lori jabbed him with one finger under the table and then rubbed the offended digit against her side.
"I'm going to have to box some of it up to take along," she said. "Otherwise we're going to be late. I've got an interview with Congressman Bradford this morning," she told Mariann. "He was the one who's been trying to avoid an interview with me, so I don't want to give him an excuse to dodge me again."
"Why doesn't he want you to interview him?" Mariann asked.
"He knows I'm going to ask him questions he'd rather not answer," Lori said. "He's going to have to take a position for once. Which," she added, "is just too bad. If he wants to be Senator Bradford, then people have a right to know where he stands on certain issues. If he doesn't want people to know, then they have every reason to vote for his opponent." She bit into the sandwich.
Clark glanced back at Mariann. "Lori has the reputation for being a tough interviewer," he explained. "She doesn't let these guys dance around her question and get away without answering. Naturally, politicians don't like that."
"Naturally," Mariann said. "If you need to be going, let's get this boxed up for you. Clark, you'll be sure she eats it, won't you?"
"Count on it," Clark said.
**********
"It's times like that," Lori said, munching on the second half of the sandwich between mouthfuls of potato salad, "that I remember the advantage you have over us ordinary mortals. You could teach an applied psychology course, and I'll bet you never took any, did you?"
"Well, I took a semester of basic psychology way back when," Clark said as he maneuvered their vehicle through the morning traffic. "I needed it for some requirement or other. Your mom doesn't know I can hear what she's saying from across the street, and I've lived long enough to know how people will react most of the time -- except you, for some reason. And I didn't lie."
"No, but you sure as heck implied a lot," Lori said, around a mouthful of applesauce.
"Do you mind?" he asked.
"Not a bit," she said. "Now I can eat all I want -- except now she's going to be bugging me to eat *more*!" She laughed. "Poor Mom. At least Dad got her to go into counseling over her control thing. She finally seems to be coming around to accepting you and Ryan, anyway."
"Which," Clark said, "will make everyone happier, especially her. Do you know who she reminds me of?"
"No, who?"
"Ellen Lane, Lois's mother. She does things a little differently, but the more I see of her, the more I see the similarities. Ellen was a recovered alcoholic, though. At least that's one thing your mom didn't have to cope with."
"Thank heavens for small favors," Lori said. She finished the last bite of the chicken sandwich and took a final forkful of potato salad. "There. That should hold me until I finish the interview, anyway. Maybe by then Carla will have that stuff on the Metro Fitness Center for us. If Connor got some of his employees from the Metro gym, it's possible we're looking for someone from there. After all, a couple of the murdered women were killed after going to the gym."
"Naturally, the school turned down my request for records," Clark said. "Do you by any chance, still have your way of getting into their computers?"
"Sure," Lori said. "I set it up while we were hunting for 'The Professor', if you remember. I'll do it after we get back from talking to Bradford."
"We need to match them up against Connor's employees," Clark said, "and the current employees of the Metro gym, too."
"Yeah," Lori agreed. "Maybe it will give us some kind of starting point. Maybe we can talk to the employees of the restaurant where Lily worked, too. Somebody may have seen something and not realized it. Maybe we could get pictures of the employees at the Hobs Fitness Center and show them to some of them. Someone is bound to have seen the actual killer, without realizing why he was there, but didn't know it."
"It's possible," Clark said. "The question is, would they remember after all this time. Not everybody has the kind of memory you do, sweetheart."
Lori glanced at him with a little smile. "I never thought of myself as a sweetheart."
"You're *my* sweetheart," Clark said firmly.
"And you're mine," she said. "That's a good combination, especially during Valentine's Week."
"Sure is," he agreed. "I was talking to your dad yesterday just before we left Kerry's, by the way. He wondered if we could get together tomorrow evening for dinner and maybe a play at the Metro Performing Arts Center. I said I'd have to check with you, but I didn't see why not."
"Sure," Lori said. "It sounds like fun." She glanced back at the sound of a horn but was only in time to see the driver behind them give the driver of another car who had apparently tried to cut him off the one-finger salute. Surprisingly the driver of the green groundcar didn't reply in kind. Lori turned back.
"What was it?" Clark asked.
Lori shrugged. "Bad manners."
"Plenty of that to go around," Clark said. "I'd like to go over to the gym later this afternoon. We could interview the instructors and look around. Maybe try to get some idea of who was there night before last, when Ginnie Talbot left work."
"I agree," Lori said. "Maybe Superman could do a little snooping, too. Like if anybody there keeps a knife in their locker or something."
"Not likely," Clark said. "The police would be bound to find it."
"Oh, I know. But you know what I mean. Who knows what he might find?"
"Yeah," Clark agreed. "You never know. This whole thing seems like a long shot, though. There isn't likely to be another attempted murder this soon after the last one -- at least, I hope not. The police are watching Connor again, too."
"That's probably not a bad thing," Lori pointed out. "If somebody *does* try to kill anybody else, Connor will have an alibi. And maybe, if there is, you or I -- or the police -- will find something to uncover who this killer really is."
"I think we're all hoping that," Clark said. "Just make sure that whoever it is doesn't go after you, honey. Remember what I said last night."
"I'm not likely to forget," she said. "I don't think it's too likely, though. I'm obviously very much married to you."
"Don't forget, just because you're pregnant doesn't make you off limits," Clark pointed out. "Some guys prefer a pregnant woman. It means she can bear children. The rate of female sterility is still higher than it should be, even if it's getting better. That was why the Mayflower Project only allowed couples with children."
"Well, yeah, but how likely --" Lori broke off. "You're right. I'll be careful."
"That's all I want to be sure of," Clark said. "I'm going to talk to Arnie about giving you something a little less obvious than a wrist talker to signal for help, just in case anything happens."
Lori frowned. "Do you really think it's that dangerous?"
"I don't know," Clark said, "and I don't want to have to find out."
**********
tbc
