Friends or Lovers
Part 4
Folc4evernaday
***
Lois glared at her reflection in the mirror, splashing cold water on her face. This was not how she’d planned to confront Clark. She’d known he was still dealing with Mayson’s death. She’d known now was not the right time. He kept lying to her. He kept pushing her. Now she had to face the music of the mess she and he had created.
“Two years,” she muttered under her breath in disgust. She pushed open the bathroom door and headed back into the newsroom.
***
Clark stared at his computer monitor in a trance. He had been blindsided by Lois’ revelation. Lois knew. She knew he was Superman. She knew he had been lying to her since the day Superman had arrived on the scene. He knew she would be upset when he told her the truth, but he hadn’t planned for this. He hadn’t planned on Lois figuring it out. Her figuring it out herself wasn’t going to bode well for him at all.
Clark looked up from his screen when Lois re-entered the newsroom. He watched her take her seat and get to work. She sorted through some papers and began typing up notes. She was professional and in control to the outside observer.
She was a wreck and he knew it.
Perry stuck his head outside of his office door and called, “Lois, Clark, in my office.”
They both exchanged looks. Clark looked down at his feet in shame immediately after meeting Lois’ glare. They both headed toward Perry’s office in silence.
Clark opened the door and entered Perry’s office behind Lois.
“What is it, Chief?” Lois asked as the door closed behind them.
“Lois, Clark, I’d like to introduce you to,” Perry began as he gestured to the guest in his office.
Lois and Clark immediately recognized the man as the mysterious visitor they had evaded earlier at Mayson Drake’s office. “You!” they accused in unison.
“ — Agent Scardino,” Perry finished. “I assume you have already met?”
“Small world.” Agent Scardino grinned at the two of them.
“AGENT Scardino??” Lois inquired as she circled the man in question.
“Oh, please, call me Daniel,” he replied.
“Why didn’t you identify yourself at Mayson’s office?” Clark inquired.
“What and spoil all our fun? By the way, you have got to show me how you did that trick with burning my foot. I’ve never lost anyone I’ve had at gunpoint until today; what was that? A trick laser or something?” Scardino inquired, changing the subject.
“Sorry, can’t be giving out my secrets,” Clark replied with a smug grin.
“What’s the harm in sharing?” Scardino asked.
“Is there a problem here?” Perry butted in.
“There is if Agent Scardino is Washington’s idea of solving Mayson’s murder,” Clark accused.
“Washington had nothing to do with it. In fact, they sort of suggested I keep my distance. They have this crazy idea I’m some sort of loose cannon.” Agent Scardino shot Lois a dazzling smile. She shifted uncomfortably and rolled her eyes.
Clark caught the gesture but ignored it. He smiled inwardly at Lois’ reaction to the man’s obvious flirtation with her. “I wonder where they’d get a crazy idea like that.” Clark snapped his fingers for emphasis.
***
Lois cornered Scardino once more. “If you’re not here officially then why are you here?”
“Because, I know the man who designed the bomb that killed Mayson Drake, a con by the name of Sean McCarthy,” Scardino replied emotionally.
Perry interjected once more into the conversation, “The guy responsible for that series of drug-related bombings in ‘89?”
Scardino nodded. “The same. I lost someone very close to me in one of those bombings.”
Lois shot him a sympathetic look and then looked towards Clark. What would she ever do if she lost Clark?
***
Clark was still a bit skeptical. Agent Scardino just rubbed him the wrong way and he didn’t like the way he kept eying Lois. “I thought McCarthy died in prison three weeks ago?”
Scardino smiled. “So they say. The hit on the D.A. says otherwise. I know McCarthy’s M.O. like the back of my hand. I was the one who put him in prison. Somehow he’s out there again. And I’m gonna nail him.”
Clark replied, “So, your idea of solving Mayson’s murder is looking for a dead man?”
Glad that Clark had essentially caught on, Scardino shot Clark a 100-watt smile. “I guess you could say that. So if you come across any information that might help, I’d appreciate you letting me know. I’m staying at the Bristol.” He handed Clark a card and got up to leave the office. Clark just shook his head in disbelief. There was no way he was going to share information with this clown. He was obviously a loose cannon.
***
Agent Scardino stopped and turned to Lois. “Please, don’t take this the wrong way. But are those eyelashes real?”
Lois shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze. “Of course they’re real.”
“Boy, they’re pretty,” he replied.
Lois stared at him for a moment in disbelief. She wasn’t used to a man hitting on her so openly. She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or offended. Getting a hold of herself she smiled and shot back, “Agent Scardino, those lines may have worked for you up in Washington, but this is Metropolis and they do NOT work here.” She then proceeded to exit the office.
Clark followed behind, laughing to himself as he left the office. Agent Scardino just stared on in interest while Perry wore an amused look on his face. Clark smiled to himself as his super hearing picked up the small talk between Perry and Scardino.
“Is she seeing anyone?”
“Son, you are WAY out of your league.”
***
Lois sat down heavily at her desk and stared at her monitor in disgust. She had no idea what to do about the story or Clark. She watched as Clark came up behind her and took the seat at his desk. He keyed in a few strokes and then picked up the phone. “What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m trying to see if I can find Sean McCarthy’s obit.” At her confused look, he shrugged. “He’s the only lead we have right now.” He then turned his attention to the person on the other end of the phone line. After a brief conversation, he hung up then keyed in a few more strokes on his keyboard. “Ah-ha. Survived by his mother, Colleen McCarthy.”
Lois managed a weak smile. “I guess we owe her a visit.”
“Yeah.” He sadly looked at Lois then mentally shook himself. “You ready?”
She nodded, “Let’s go.”
***
Lois let out an exasperated groan as they entered the Jeep later that afternoon. Clark laughed at her antics as he closed the door behind him.
“Come on, Lois, it wasn’t that bad. At least we got the letters.”
“Yes, we got the letters after listening to how ‘adorable’ her Sean was for only God knows how many hours. No wonder the man turned to crime; the woman is a nut!”
“Lo-is“
“It’s true, and you know it.”
“Yeah. Now we have to figure out who tried to blow her house up. Someone obviously doesn’t want these letters to be found.”
“I don’t know. In that last letter, it sounded like he knew he was going to die.”
“Maybe … “
Lois recognized the look he was giving her. He wasn’t thinking about the story right now. “What?”
“Nothing. I was just thinking.”
“About?”
“It’s kinda nice getting back to our old routine,” he said softly.
“Arguing is our routine?” she countered, but then added lightly, “I’m still mad at you.”
“I know. I am sorry. I was planning on telling you. It’s just everything got so complicated.”
“Well, lying does that. It catches up with you.” Lois started the engine and they drove off.
***
TBC..
Last edited by folc4evernaday; 10/28/16 09:00 AM. Reason: Updated
