3.
Chloe had searched through drawers, under the mattress, bed, along the floorboards, and all the other obvious places Lana would hide anything in. Going through her underwear drawer had nearly made Chloe lose her lunch. And now she was in a predicament.
Lionel had confided in her that he knew where the first and second stone were, and that the third Lana had somehow made off with with the help of her boyfriend. Chloe had also been filled in on the double crossing going on between Jason and Lex. She couldn't think of anyone stupid enough to actually think they could get away with something on that dangerous a level. But then again, Jason didn't always resemble the brightest crayon in the proverbial box.
Then again, he had probably been baited by Lana. God new she got everything she wanted in life. All she had to do was play up the woe-is-me angle and poof! she received.
Chloe stood in the middle of the room, trying to concentrate on where a stone could be hidden.
Not so long ago she'd been possessed by a witch, albeit a pretty dumb one, but she remembered waking up alongside Lana and Lois in a hidden room of the caves. With them had been Clark.
Knowing what she knew of Clark she could figure out for herself that whatever these stones did, whatever Lionel beleived these stones did, it was probably true. And she wanted to gain that knowledge.
Sucking in a deep breath, Chloe glanced down at her watch, rolled her eyes to the ceiling and tried her hardest to think of where Lana would hide it.
A floor below Chloe, Lex had grown tired of waiting for her to return. He'd asked Lana in passing if Chloe was okay and she'd pinkened and replied, "Yeah, she just needed to borrow something."
But she'd been up there for a good half hour now and he was getting somewhat suspicious. He could just leave, but his interest had been piqued and he wanted to know what Chloe was doing snooping around in Lana's room.
Something Lionel had said to him resurfaced in his mind. That he'd been upstanded by Jason. Jason Teague of all people. And no doubt when Jason had made away with the stone, he'd showed it to his girlfriend. Lex's lip involuntarily curled into a sneer for a breif moment before he caught himself. God how he was tired of playing games with her. But she had obtained some sort of power from Isabelle, and he knew that Isabelle would eventually lead him to the third and final stone.
His eyes returned to the door up on the second floor landing. Lana's door. Isabelle's door. Lex growled low in his throat and pushed back from the table. Knowing it would be suspicious if he just went up the stairs, although he did own the place, Martha was sure to wonder why. Instead he made his way to the front counter and waited until Martha had a free moment.
"Lex, hi."
Lex smiled back at her and got on with it. "I was wondering if you had an extra key to Lana's apartment somewhere back here."
Martha's brow immediately shot up and before she could ask he answered. "Chloe was complaining a little while ago about having a stomach ache and she went up to Lana's. She's been up there a while and I just wanted to go and check on her."
Thankfully, Martha had always had a soft spot for him and instantly began her search for the key instead of asking him his intentions as Mr. Kent no doubtedly would have.
A moment later she popped back out from the backroom, key in hand. "Here it is."
Lex went to take the key and Martha pulled her hand back. "Do you think she might want some hot tea?"
Lex blinked and fought with his urge to just snatch the key from her. "I'll ask her."
Martha nodded and smiled and handed him the key, then surprised Lex by wrapping her hand around his. "It's good that you two have stayed close since, well." She pressed her lips tightly together and Lex nodded in agreement.
"I agree."
Martha smiled and let go of him and Lex was eternally grateful for the next customer to be impatient enough to come up and order their drink instead of waiting for a waitress.
He palmed the key and made his way up the stairs.
Chloe had just finished returning things to their original places and states when she heard the key in the lock and the knob rattle. She sucked in her breath and hurried toward the balcony window.
She slowly slid it open, grateful for the fact that the window was not in clear sight of the now opening door and stepped out onto the fire escape. She'd just managed to get out of the line of sight when she heard her name being called out to her through the open window. It was hard from where she was to figure out who was saying her name. If she had to make an educated guess, she pick Lionel's heir. Due to the fact that he'd probably witnessed her disappearance into the apartment and the impatience factor that mixed with it.
Lex had just made a cursory glance around the inside of the apartment when he noticed the breeze blowing the curtain away from the window. "Chloe?" He called out once again. He knew she was still near, he could practically feel her in the room with him.
Chloe plastered herself against the side of the brick building, smacking her elbow against a pipe.
She heard the distinctive clink of metal on metal.
Chloe closed her eyes and groaned. Of course, the one place no one would look.
She slowly stuck her hand inside the opening of the pipe and felt around cautiously for the hard object. Her fingers encountered cloth and pulled on the bag until it came loose and she was left holding it in her hand.
Slowly she ducked her head and peeked into the bag. She couldn't hold back the tiny squeal that worked its way into her throat, could hold back the grin that lit her face, barely held back the victory dance she wanted to do.
Instead she tightly closed the bag and put it in her purse, then resnapped her purse and went back to the window.
Lex stuck his head out of window at the same exact time Chloe went to stick her head in and their forheads smacked together. Chloe pulled back, rubbing at her sore flesh and Lex pulled back only to smack the back of his head on the bottom of the pulled up window pane.
"Shit." He cursed aloud.
Chloe laughed and pushed him out of the way, climbing back in to the apartment. "Come to check up on me."
Lex straightened and rubbed the back of his head. "You could say that."
Chloe smiled and patted him on the chest. As she turned to walk around he grabbed her wrist and forced her to look back at him. Chloe turned her head, her smile no less dim than it had been just seconds ago. "What were you doing on the fire escape?"
Chloe let him keep a hold of her wrist for the moment. "Getting some fresh air."
Lex stared into her eyes and wasn't the least bit surprised when she held his gaze. He had slowly come to learn that Chloe could bluff with the best of them. Him being one of the best. Lex nodded his head toward the open window. "Find anything interesting out there?"
Chloe smiled and pulled her wrist from his grasp. "Nope." She walked toward the door and swung it open wide. "Don't forget to lock up behind you."
Lex glared at her retreating back, not surprised to hear the echo of the words he'd used on her not that long ago when this had been Adam's living quarters.
He'd find out what Chloe was up to. He'd make sure of it.