Chapter 107 [Seven Minutes Before That]
The van made good time from the airport. In no time at all, outlying farms gave way to squat business buildings. Then the downtown area popped up around them.
"It's like some 1940s dust bowl town." Glory peered out the window.
"I don't think I've seen parking like that." Harry Osborn pointed toward the street side parking slots.
"A lot of towns with old downtowns have those, Mr. Osborn." De Wolff looked at Robbie. "I want to see this café we're going to."
"I do as well for my own reasons." Robbie ached for a puff on his pipe. Tobacco kept calling to him. He looked up and down Main Street. "This, Kids, is classic Americana. There's a reason why this town is still the way it is."
"Does this have to do with that story Mr. Jameson wants?" Betty looked around at the mix of old and new around them.
"It has everything to do with it. Maybe the man himself will be there tonight?" Robbie supposed.
"If he is, I do not want his cage rattled, Mr. Robertson. Gwen and her fiancé deserve a nice weekend." De Wolff pointed out.
"I'm with the Captain there." Mary Jane remembered Gwen's stories about the near scares at the mansion earlier in the trip. I sure don't want to see any of that stuff! Bring on the good vibes! Keep those go go boots going all night! She saw the Talon's neon sign coming on in the twilight. "That's so cool! It's like an old movie sign!"
"That's exactly what it is, Mary Jane." Robbie narrowed his eyes. "That's where the café is. It was an old movie theater. It almost got torn down in 1981."
"Dad told me about it this week. He said Mr. Dubois was around if we wanted to respectfully ask," Harry put forward.
"Emphasis again on 'respectfully', Mr. Osborn. Gwen told me about what happened at the Bugle. I do not want any hassles this weekend, Folks. I mean it. Neither she, Peter or Dubois himself deserve that." De Wolff watched as they parked beside the café. "Seems this is our stop."
"Okay, Folks. Here we are!" A slender African-American woman opened the side door. She placed a step stool in front of the opening. "Step carefully. Your bags will be waiting at the hotel."
"Thank you," Robbie expressed. He watched as the rest of their contingent disembarked. He also saw a Lexus pull into a corner spot.
Lex walked toward the group. "Hey, Guys! Once again, welcome to Smallville! This is the Talon. Have what you want. We have treats and hot drinks. It's our version of the Coffee Bean. If you want it, we can make it with our coffee press." He held the door open. "Come on in!"
The group beheld the antique décor and the pastel colors. Contrast put those qualities up against the modern booths and tables. The counter and elaborate coffee press stood out as well.
"Far out! The décor is straight outta time!" Mary Jane declared.
"It is from the original theater." Lex motioned Jasmine over. "You all remember Princess Jasmine?"
"Welcome, Friends and Guests." Jasmine bowed to them. "I hope your flight was a good one? Please order what you'd like. We have good seats reserved for you all." She pointed to Gwen across the café and motioned for her to join them.
Gwen wove her way through the tables. She embraced Mary Jane. "You guys made it! This is so great!"
"It wasn't a bad flight at all." De Wolff assured her. "I like the historic café. Wonder if the old theater still works?"
"It does. We're planning an upgrade and digital theaters one day. I'm waiting for the right opportunity," Lex told them.
"I'd love to see that myself! Imagine a real old theater here! Imagine them showing El Cid or Gone with the Wind here!" Gwen could almost visualize the entire scene.
"They did back then." Lana walked over. "Hi, Guys! I'm Lana Lang, Lex's partner in running this café. Welcome. Just let us know when you're ready to order. Our menu's up front. If something's not there, we can always try it out. Who knows? You might inspire us too." She smiled.
"She makes a mean gingerbread latte." Gwen pointed toward the board. "Come on! Let's enjoy! Work's done for tonight. I have a few hours tomorrow morning at the high school for observations. Peter's doing that too. Enough of that! Discover the wonders, Guys! Yummy treats too!"
"You sound like it's the Coffee Bean, Gwen. Let's see." Harry led the others toward the front. He regarded the menu. "No way! They'll make my Mocha raspberry for me?"
"We sure will!" Miranda responded. She grabbed a cookie for another customer. "If we don't have it on the menu, we can always try to make it for you. That's a twist on our Dubois Dandy. My uncle came up with that. It's a mocha with cherry syrup. So yeah, we'll sub in raspberry for cherry. No problem."
"Your uncle?" Robbie considered the menu. "I'll take a plain coffee please. Sounds like an interesting guy."
"Uncle Dave will surprise you. There are certain stories he doesn't mind telling. Others like the ones your boss wants to know can't be told in a newspaper, Sir." She pointed at her chin. "See that scar?"
"Yes."
"That came from the bad stuff. Treat it like a Pandora's Box. Don't open." Miranda poured his coffee and handed it to Robbie. "Just have a great time. From what I understand, Mr. Luthor has quite the affair planned for the wedding." She heard the tell-tale throat clearing in her mind. She glanced over toward the corner.
Dubois finished his Dandy. Annoyance raised the eyebrow. He got up and trudged over toward the counter. "Hi, Guys. How's everything? Anyone else ready to order?"
"Uncle Dave, I'll bring your refill out in a few minutes. Let them get over their jet lag." Miranda shook her head.
"It's okay. I just wanted to have a chat with the gentleman here. It's a message for his publisher and any potential idiots who want to dig where they shouldn't." Dubois leaned against the case.
"Mr. Dubois, you and your wife declared yourselves dead for a decade. That's not something that you cover up," Robbie insisted.
"There are reasons, Mr. Robertson. I've seen some of them," Gwen interceded.
Dubois shrugged. "Why don't you come over to my booth?" He signaled to Lex. "Just talk. I got something to say. I want a witness."
Lex rolled his eyes. Robertson, what are you doing? That didn't take long! "Keep an eye on things. Jasmine, come on."
"By the Prophet!" Jasmine hissed. She added a few Arabic choice curses. She followed Lex toward Dubois' booth. "Master David, is there a problem?"
"Not yet. We're getting close." Dubois ground his teeth. A sharp spasm shook both him and the booth as a whole. "Great."
"What was that?" Robbie demanded.
"That was his condition. It's also why certain things can't be shared. All right?" Lex pointed out.
"Okay. I'll say this much. There was a sports columnist back in the 1980s who wrote for the local newspaper in Amherst, Mass. His name was Danny Colavitto. Ever hear of him?" Dubois started. Getting a nod from Robbie, he continued. "His wife, Candace, was my first journalism teacher and advisor for the White Knight, the Amherst High newspaper. She decided to go digging about my issues. The issues followed her back to the newsroom. I found the newsroom leveled and her infected with a cancer that cannot be cured. It causes incalculable pain for the victim and is always fatal. I had to clean up that mess and spend a weekend I'd rather forget. I almost died because of that. Then four years later, another teacher decided to snoop around about the situation. She ended up in a coma and died. About the cancer, Gwen almost ended up like that. My alter ego was back from your neck of the woods fortunately. I know you want the truth and that Pulitzer. It isn't worth it."
"Mr. Robertson, please! Don't bring those horrors down on us again." Gwen shook her head. "I hope Harry's father didn't know!"
Did he know? Maybe we might talk with him? Robbie made a note to himself.
"Don't be an idiot, Mr. Robertson. This is serious. This stuff is why Peter took the firing. He's seen it. Apparently Spider-Man encountered the sources of the trouble back in the day. And they hate him as a result. The ringleader nearly killed him two weeks ago. Ambushed him back in New York. We're lucky Dave's alter ego can get back there and got him treatment," Lex insisted.
"Well he lived after a decade." Robbie pointed to Dubois.
"I should be dead. My wife should be dead. The rest of our family is. We had some powerful friends who helped to set it up. It was for protection nothing else. Check. You'll see we paid our taxes and the mortgage on the farm off. Angie worked as a doctor around the county. I did library odd jobs much as I'm doing here. We were discreet. No laws were broken. People like you need to learn discretion yourselves." Dubois clarified. "And yeah, Norman knows. He was Lionel's biggest rival in those days. He used my Dad too for jobs. He wasn't all there at times either. I have a few words for him too. But you be careful what you try to print."
"Are you threatening me?" Robbie scoffed.
"He did not say that." Jasmine frowned. "He is asking that you be careful of what you print. Yes we have to report the facts. Just be aware of the outcomes. There are places we do not wish to make into…how do you say?...ah yes! Amusement parks. This is no game. The situation even extended back to my father's sultanate centuries ago."
"Sometimes people can't take the truth. I'm not saying lie about it. I'm saying don't mention it. The bad stuff was contained for 244 years. That's when my father bought the land, built his house there and started all of this garbage. Angie and I just want our lives. So do a lot of people around here." Dubois drank from what was left of his mug.
"You can't cover things up forever." Robbie drank from his mug.
"Trust me. Those creeps don't allow for cover ups. What I'm talking about is containment not cover up. Again I took journalism. I was the editor-in-chief of my school newspaper for two years. I agree with you, Mr. Robertson. Again though, I've learned what to write and what not to write. What did Tolkien say? "Don't disturb the water". That applies here too." Dubois saw his niece approaching with a coffee pot and another Dandy. "Right on cue. Thanks, Miri."
"You're welcome. I figured." Miranda swapped mugs with her uncle. She refilled Robbie's mug. "How are you, Mr. Luthor? Jasmine?"
"I'd like some more tea please. Thanks, Miranda." Jasmine smiled at their waitress.
"I'm fine for now. Thanks." Lex drank from his own coffee.
Miranda nodded. She turned and walked back toward the counter without another word. I hope he listens to them!
"Well I should be getting back to the others. Thank you for the insight, Mr. Dubois. Have a good evening." Robbie got up. He headed back toward the group.
"He's not going to listen. Is he?" Jasmine presumed.
"Nope. It's not entirely his fault. Jameson doesn't care. He just gets on his soapbox. Gwen, why don't you hang out with your friends? We'll be heading back to the farm soon."
"I think I will. I have something to ask them about." Gwen huffed back a curt breath. "Thanks, Dave. Everyone. Lex, let me know when you're ready to head to the farm."
"Absolutely!" Lex watched her walk toward the other guests. "She's still trying to fit in."
"She does." Dubois nodded. "She and Peter are part of their world. They're also part of this one too. This is what's making things harder for them."
"Yeah." Lex observed Gwen talking with the newcomers. "There's a girl with way too much on her shoulders. Those folks aren't helping."
"In more ways than you know." Dubois shook his head. I hope everything's okay back at the farm!
Trouble seemed to be rearing its head yet again….