Chapter 4: Mannheim

Lois blinked as the doors to the lift opened. She stepped out and walked down the hallway toward the reception area.

"Hi." She said, looking at the receptionist, a blonde girl with green eyes, who reminded her a little of Chloe. Before Chloe had gone off the deep end.

"Hi." The receptionist said. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm here to see the Mayor." Lois said. She'd phoned his office earlier today after the meeting with her source. She'd had to haggle to get this meeting. She just hoped he didn't wiggle out of it now.

The receptionist nodded. "One moment." Lois watched as the girl picked up a phone and dialled a number.

As she waited, the girl asked. "Could I take your name please?"

"Lois Lane, Daily Planet." Lois replied, flashing her reporter's badge for the woman.

Clearly whoever was on the other end of the line had picked up, because the girl said. "Hi, yes, Lois Lane's here."

There was a brief pause, then the girl nodded and put the phone down. "You can go on through."

Lois smiled her thanks at the girl and walked passed the desk and pushed open the door, then opened another door, before coming to a third door, which she knocked on. A moment passed and then the door opened, and there he was. Tall, muscular, with a shock of black hair, and piercing green eyes.

Bruno Mannheim, the Mayor of Metropolis.

He smiled at her and extended a hand. "Ms Lane, lovely to see you. Please come in."

Lois shook the man's hand and then walked into the room. As she looked around she spotted a variety of newspaper clippings, detailing the man's business exploits, some about his father, and one or two about his election as Mayor. Mannheim had been the surprise winner of the election, a year ago, given that most people had banked on Manchester Black winning the election, given that he'd won the previous two with comfortable majorities. But Mannheim had won.

Lois took a seat opposite the Mayor's desk, and then pulled out a notepad. Some reporters used tape recorders, but, with her phone already on and recording, she wanted to note some stuff down just to be safe.

Mannheim sat down and smiled at her. "So, what can I do for you, Ms Lane?"

Lois took a breath, remembering what her source had told her, she knew she had to be extremely careful with how she worded her next few questions. "There was an incident down at the docks a few days ago, things were taken and ships were seized. I was wondering if you as Mayor could comment on them. Why were these ships seized and what was on them?"

Mannheim snorted. Clearly he'd not expected her to know that the ships had been seized, but she'd seen proof of that. It was interesting to her that he didn't deny that the ships had been seized, instead he simply said. "They contained illegal goods. Under the US Marine Act of 1931, it is my duty as Mayor to seize any ships that contain illegal goods."

Lois made a note of that on her pad before asking. "What illegal goods did they contain and how did you know they contained those goods?"

She looked at him expectantly, but Mannheim wasn't looking at her. Instead he was looking at the signet ring on his middle finger. When he did reply, his voice was soft. "The police received a tip off."

"A tip off?" Lois asked, writing that down. "From where?"

Mannheim smiled. "Now that would be telling."

"But the police trusted the source?" Lois asked.

"Yes, obviously." Mannheim said.

"And what were the goods that were seized?" Lois asked. Wondering if Mannheim would confirm what her source had alleged.

Mannheim merely smiled and said. "No comment."

"SO, they were something serious then?" Lois asked.

"No comment." Mannheim replied, his smile getting bigger.

Lois was about to keep pressing when she realised that this was likely what Mannheim wanted. He wanted to goad her into asking all sorts of pressing questions so that he could then complain to Perry about it. Perry being who he was would then give her stick for it, and then Cat would be the one doing the big interviews.

She stopped asking those questions and changed tack. "How have things been going at City Hall?"

Mannheim's smile remained in place, but Lois noticed that his eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there are all sorts of rumours flying about the place, Sir. I'm sure you've heard them. Now that I'm here, perhaps you'd like to put those rumours straight?" Lois replied.

She saw Mannheim look as if he were considering it. She'd heard that he wanted Black back in office as some sort of assistant, or that he wanted Lex Luthor of all people on his team. And then of course there were rumours that Perry Mason wanted to remove him, and the odd whisper that his father's family were funding him.

Mannheim merely smiled though. "I think that I can categorically say that City Hall is fine."

"Fine?" Lois asked, making a note of that. "And what do you mean by fine?"

"Everyone is doing their bit. We are going to keep our campaign promises." Mannheim said.

"To cut crime, to increase housing and to make women feel safer?" Lois asked. She doubted that last one, Mannheim's cousin had been arrested years' ago for women trafficking.

Mannheim flashed his teeth at her. "Yes, quite right."

Lois made a note of that. She felt as though she should press one last time about the ships, but decided to leave it. She was about to put her notebook away, when Mannheim spoke again. "If you really want to know more about the ships, you're better off asking Mr Black."

Lois frowned. "Manchester Black?"

"Yes." Mannheim said.

"Why?" Lois asked.

Mannheim stood up, indicating that their meeting was over. He walked over to the door and opened it. Lois put her notebook in her bag and stood up, she walked over to the door, and as she was about to leave, Mannheim simply said. "The elite squad."

Before Lois could ask him what he meant about that, she felt him push her out of his room and saw him shut the door.

What had he meant by the Elite Squad? Lois wondered. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she didn't know why. She walked out into the corridor, nodded to the receptionist, pressed a button and got into the lift. As the lift went down, she took out her phone and stopped the recording. She hadn't gotten a lot of info, but perhaps it was enough to write something, anything.

The lift pinged as the doors opened onto the ground floor. Lois stepped out and dialled Clark's number. He answered on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Do you know anything about the Elite Squad?" Lois asked.

"The what now?" Clark replied.

"The Elite Squad, Mannheim mentioned it." Lois said.

There was a moment of silence and then Clark said. "No, sorry, doesn't ring a bell."

"Okay." Lois said.

"How did it go with Mannheim?" Clark asked.

"It didn't. He deadballed me." Lois said as she waited for the taxi she'd hailed to arrive.

"Ah, so he's hiding something." Clark said.

"He definitely is. I just need to find out what." Lois replied.

Clark hummed down the line to her. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I've got this, thanks. How's your story going?" Lois asked.

"It's going. Should be done before deadline." Clark replied.

"That's good." Lois said. "Drinks tonight?"

"Yes, I'd love that." Clark answered.

"Excellent." Lois said, she looked up and saw her taxi pull up in front of her. "Anyway, got to go, speak later."

"Bye."

Lois ended the call and put her phone in her pocket, then got into the taxi.

"Where to Miss?" The driver asked.

"Daily Planet, please." Lois said. The Driver nodded and then the car moved off. Lois found herself wondering what Mannheim had meant by the Elite Squad, and whether it was real or just a diversion.