They left the car in long term parking at the Metropolis Airport and took a cab into city center. Chloe had insisted on a disguise again, and Lex was dutifully wearing a toque and sunglasses that they had purchased at a convenience store on their way.
Chloe watched people as they passed, making sure she didn't see any signs of recognition as they passed. She knew that Lionel wouldn't hesitate to take further steps to ensure his little scheme, so she knew they had to remain unseen until they had the proof to take Lionel on.
She looked up from her scrutiny of a passing pedestrian to see Lex pulling her into the public library.
"What are we doing here?" She asked, cringing when the librarian gave her a dirty look for the volume of her voice.
"Well, I haven't got any sources to tap with the police, and I don't want you to talk to any reporters, so this is the next best place to try and get some information on my father." Lex explained quietly, as he led her to the back, where the library kept all newspapers on microfiche.
Lex smiled. "If we can't talk to reporters, at least we can read their work. Look for anything connected to my father, THW enterprises, or the two together."
"THW?" Chloe asked, not having heard the name before.
Lex nodded. " That's Winston's company. Named for him. Torrence Hubert Winston, the third." Lex grinned. "Awful isn't it."
Chloe nodded. "That's really his name?"
Lex nodded, then turned the microfiche machine on and began scrolling through the most recent news reports.
Sitting down next to the machine, Chloe began flipped through actual newspapers, since they were the most recent.
Lex was getting up to get a new fiche, when Chloe reached over and grabbed his arm.
"Look at this." She said, and handed him the business section of the paper.
Lex quickly skimmed the article. It was the day's paper, and the news was interesting.
Million Dollar Merger
Luthorcorp today, announced a merger to THW Enterprises, in a move that will garner both companies millions. Torrence Winston, owner and chairman of THW Enterprises, announced earlier today that the merger would broaden the operations base of both companies. "Up to this point, we have been operating mainly on the Western Seaboard," Winston says. "This merger will allow both Luthorcorp and THW to more effectively market the whole of the United States."
Due to the merger, Winston will move his base of operations into Kansas, in a move he says will "shake things up" and provide new life to his company. Incidentally, the new main office of THW Enterprises will be the same facility formerly owned by Lex Luthor, under the business moniker, Lexcorp.
Lionel Luthor declined an interview, saying only that while the loss of his son and heir is tragic, it would be even more tragic to lose his business over a missed opportunity.
While no one can fault the business smarts of the merger, one can speculate on the nature of priorities, when one writes their son off after not much more then a week, and amalgamates the business with his own.
There is no word on the new company name, nor when the new stock will be available for public sale.
Lex looked up from the story and practically growled. Chloe blinked and took a step backwards.
"If my father thinks he's getting rid of me that easily, he has another thing coming." He muttered under his breath. He turned and looked at Chloe. "Do you still have that disk that you copied off of Mac's computer?" he asked.
Chloe nodded. "I kept it with me because I didn't trust Adams, no matter what you said." She pulled the disk out of her back pocket and handed it to Lex. "What are you going to do?" Chloe asked. "They're going to fire my father, Lex. They took your company."
Lex nodded. "And for some reason, they're going ahead with this while I'm still unaccounted for." He paused, trying to get into his father's head, to figure out what the game was. He skimmed through the news report again. It didn't say a lot. There was a merger, and Winston was being set up in the plant in Smallville.
Lex froze as his own thoughts coalesced. 'Set up in Smallville'. He looked at Chloe. "Aside from the obvious, why does this merger feel weird?" Lex asked her.
Chloe took the paper from him, and read it through again, trying to see what it was that had prompted Lex's question. She looked up when she was done. "I don't know what you're getting at." She said.
Lex nodded. "My father is merging with THW. And THW stands to gain enormous profit from this. That's what's strange to me. Luthorcorp doesn't stand to gain as much as THW. Luthorcorp has much wider influence then THW. My father already has interests in California. Why would he merge with THW?" He asked.
Chloe stared blankly at the paper, trying to figure it out. Then the light came on, and she looked up at Lex in shock. "He's stopping the whole thing! He needs someone to take the fall!"
"We've got to do something!" Chloe said. "We can alert the police! They can get Lionel investigated, before all the evidence is gone!"
Lex didn't look at her, but sighed and sank down on the arm of the chair she was sitting on. He began rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.
Finally he shook his head. "We've got the shipping records from the plant, we've got the disk from Mac which we found in Winston's mansion, and we have my word that it was Winston that kidnapped me. My father covered his tracks too well on this one. It's not enough to implicate him."
"What if Winston was offered a deal?" Chloe suggested. "To help you take your father down. I'm sure that if he knew that he was going to lose his company and go to jail, he'd rat Lionel out."
Lex looked down at Chloe and smiled a weary smile, that seemed to make her aware of how nieve she was when it came to the hostile world of business. "Winston would be dead, before he even made his testimony." He explained.
"So we go to Smallville, and we badger a confession out of him, before your father knows what's going on."
Lex hesitated, and Chloe jumped out of her chair and glowered at him. "We can't give up Lex. I got *shot* over this thing dammit!" She sighed. "It's worth a try. You can't just let your father use you and me and Winston like pawns."
Lex nodded. He looked up and smiled. The look in his eyes was almost relieved. He reached out, caught her hand, and pulled her into him. Standing, she was a little taller then he was sitting. He reached up, hooked a hand around her neck and pulled her down towards him. He planted a kiss on her forehead and rose. Keeping his arm hooked around her shoulders.
"We'll try it." He smiled. "I don't think that I've ever had anyone in my corner, with a vested interest in me, just me." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head again. "It's nice. That's new for me."
"Nice is new?" Chloe pretended to ponder that for a second. "Yeah, I could see how that might be unfamiliar to a Luthor!"
"I just meant that not having to worry about ulterior motives in a first!"
Chloe looked up at him. "What about my exclusive?" She grinned to let him know she was joking. "I mean, what a story!" She patted his chest, and her face grew solemn. "I'm just kidding Lex. I really do care. I hate what you're father is, and what he's done to you. What he's still doing." She paused. "Let's get him!"
TBC...
