Chapter XI
Suspicious Characters
Clark and Lex arranged for Chloe and Pete to meet them at the Talon after supper, so that all the friends could share what they'd found out. Chloe was going to hit the computer a little, and Pete was going to pay a visit to the sheriff. Lex wanted to check up on his company, and Clark had chores he needed to do, but he refused to let the older boy go back to the mansion. They finally reached a compromise.
Lex swore upon his mother's grave that he would yell for help if anything even remotely unusual happened, and Clark left him alone in the farmhouse with his laptop and the phone to attend to LexCorp. Lex didn't know how Clark was supposed to be able to hear him from out in the middle of the fields, but he didn't want to ask, either. He knew it wouldn't do any good. Sometimes being friends with Clark made him so mad he wanted to smash things, but being Lex Luthor was all about self control these days, so he didn't.
Mrs. Kent came back from delivering produce and baked goods to her customers in town; Clark and his dad came back in from their work; Lex closed up the laptop, and everyone sat down to supper. As always, Lex was struck by the dichotomy: the Kents treated him almost like a member of the family when he was in their home, but they obstinately refused to let him near their secrets.
"You're very quiet tonight, Lex," Mrs. Kent observed as she spooned stew onto his plate.
Lex smiled at her. "My father's company just bid a contract out from under LexCorp. I guess I'm in a bad mood."
"I'm sorry about that," Clark said. He looked like he felt guilty. "If I'd let you go back into the office instead of keeping you here on the farm all day, I bet you would've been able to stop him."
"It's not your fault, Clark," Lex claimed. "Don't feel bad. It probably wouldn't have made any difference."
Then Mr. Kent started talking about a new bull calf he'd seen over at Pomeroy's, and the table grew cheerful again.
Supper finished and the dishes done, Clark and Lex checked Lex's convertible over carefully and headed into town.
They found that Chloe and Pete were already at the Talon. The boys ordered coffee and sat down.
Pete was the first to speak. "I went down to the sheriff's office. That guy who followed you from Lex's house has a record as long as your arm -- burglary to start with, then arson and extortion. He was even arrested for murder once, but a witness disappeared, and there was no conviction. All in Gotham City."
"So all the criminals who've been after us so far have been from Gotham," Clark mused. "That's got to mean something."
"The parts were sent from Gotham," Lex put in.
"The mechanic and the new pilot at Hakes's are from Gotham, too," Chloe interjected.
"So we've got a lot of guys from Gotham City," Pete said thoughtfully, "and some of them are thugs. What's been happening up there lately, to drive the roaches out into the countryside?"
Pete looked at Chloe, and at the same time as each other, they said, "Batman!"
"But why here?" Clark asked. "What's in Smallville that brings it to the attention of Gotham City crooks?"
"Well, there's LexCorp, and there's still quite a bit of LuthorCorp business done in Lowell County. They could be trying to get a toehold in Metropolis via our assets here," Lex speculated.
"Oh!" Chloe exclaimed. "Andy told me that most of the business Hakes Air Transport does is delivering banking records from Lowell County to Metropolis! If a person were diverting those..."
"The possibilities for fraud would be tremendous," Lex finished for her. "Both my father and myself do quite a bit of our corporate banking from here."
They all sat silently for a moment, drinking their coffees. Lana came over. "What's up, guys?" she asked cutely, tilting her head to one side.
Pete smiled up at her. "It looks like we might have stumbled onto an organized crime ring, right here in Smallville. They seem to be operating out of Hakes Air Transport at Smallville Municipal Airport."
"You don't think poor Mr. Hakes is a criminal, do you?" Lana blinked a few times. "I always feel so sorry for him!" She nodded emphatically.
"No," Clark said. "I don't think he's in on it. I think those two guys are using him."
Chloe nodded, and Lex said, "I agree. He's obviously depressed and unable to control what's going on in his own place of business."
"So sad," Lana mused, gazing soulfully into the distance. "They never recovered his wife's body. He doesn't even have a grave to comfort him." She wandered off to serve another customer.
Clark, Lex, and Chloe all looked at each other. (Pete was still watching Lana walk away.)
"I'll consult with my bankers," Lex volunteered.
"And I'll check out the investigation of that crash," Chloe declared.
"And we'll meet here again tomorrow morning, around eight?" Clark suggested.
Chloe and Lex agreed immediately.
"What?" Pete asked.
Everyone got up from the table. "Lex and I'll walk you home, Pete, and we'll tell you on the way," Clark said. "I'm not letting anybody grab either one of my bald friends again!"
Suspicious Characters
Clark and Lex arranged for Chloe and Pete to meet them at the Talon after supper, so that all the friends could share what they'd found out. Chloe was going to hit the computer a little, and Pete was going to pay a visit to the sheriff. Lex wanted to check up on his company, and Clark had chores he needed to do, but he refused to let the older boy go back to the mansion. They finally reached a compromise.
Lex swore upon his mother's grave that he would yell for help if anything even remotely unusual happened, and Clark left him alone in the farmhouse with his laptop and the phone to attend to LexCorp. Lex didn't know how Clark was supposed to be able to hear him from out in the middle of the fields, but he didn't want to ask, either. He knew it wouldn't do any good. Sometimes being friends with Clark made him so mad he wanted to smash things, but being Lex Luthor was all about self control these days, so he didn't.
Mrs. Kent came back from delivering produce and baked goods to her customers in town; Clark and his dad came back in from their work; Lex closed up the laptop, and everyone sat down to supper. As always, Lex was struck by the dichotomy: the Kents treated him almost like a member of the family when he was in their home, but they obstinately refused to let him near their secrets.
"You're very quiet tonight, Lex," Mrs. Kent observed as she spooned stew onto his plate.
Lex smiled at her. "My father's company just bid a contract out from under LexCorp. I guess I'm in a bad mood."
"I'm sorry about that," Clark said. He looked like he felt guilty. "If I'd let you go back into the office instead of keeping you here on the farm all day, I bet you would've been able to stop him."
"It's not your fault, Clark," Lex claimed. "Don't feel bad. It probably wouldn't have made any difference."
Then Mr. Kent started talking about a new bull calf he'd seen over at Pomeroy's, and the table grew cheerful again.
Supper finished and the dishes done, Clark and Lex checked Lex's convertible over carefully and headed into town.
They found that Chloe and Pete were already at the Talon. The boys ordered coffee and sat down.
Pete was the first to speak. "I went down to the sheriff's office. That guy who followed you from Lex's house has a record as long as your arm -- burglary to start with, then arson and extortion. He was even arrested for murder once, but a witness disappeared, and there was no conviction. All in Gotham City."
"So all the criminals who've been after us so far have been from Gotham," Clark mused. "That's got to mean something."
"The parts were sent from Gotham," Lex put in.
"The mechanic and the new pilot at Hakes's are from Gotham, too," Chloe interjected.
"So we've got a lot of guys from Gotham City," Pete said thoughtfully, "and some of them are thugs. What's been happening up there lately, to drive the roaches out into the countryside?"
Pete looked at Chloe, and at the same time as each other, they said, "Batman!"
"But why here?" Clark asked. "What's in Smallville that brings it to the attention of Gotham City crooks?"
"Well, there's LexCorp, and there's still quite a bit of LuthorCorp business done in Lowell County. They could be trying to get a toehold in Metropolis via our assets here," Lex speculated.
"Oh!" Chloe exclaimed. "Andy told me that most of the business Hakes Air Transport does is delivering banking records from Lowell County to Metropolis! If a person were diverting those..."
"The possibilities for fraud would be tremendous," Lex finished for her. "Both my father and myself do quite a bit of our corporate banking from here."
They all sat silently for a moment, drinking their coffees. Lana came over. "What's up, guys?" she asked cutely, tilting her head to one side.
Pete smiled up at her. "It looks like we might have stumbled onto an organized crime ring, right here in Smallville. They seem to be operating out of Hakes Air Transport at Smallville Municipal Airport."
"You don't think poor Mr. Hakes is a criminal, do you?" Lana blinked a few times. "I always feel so sorry for him!" She nodded emphatically.
"No," Clark said. "I don't think he's in on it. I think those two guys are using him."
Chloe nodded, and Lex said, "I agree. He's obviously depressed and unable to control what's going on in his own place of business."
"So sad," Lana mused, gazing soulfully into the distance. "They never recovered his wife's body. He doesn't even have a grave to comfort him." She wandered off to serve another customer.
Clark, Lex, and Chloe all looked at each other. (Pete was still watching Lana walk away.)
"I'll consult with my bankers," Lex volunteered.
"And I'll check out the investigation of that crash," Chloe declared.
"And we'll meet here again tomorrow morning, around eight?" Clark suggested.
Chloe and Lex agreed immediately.
"What?" Pete asked.
Everyone got up from the table. "Lex and I'll walk you home, Pete, and we'll tell you on the way," Clark said. "I'm not letting anybody grab either one of my bald friends again!"