Lois was the first one to speak when they came through the lounge door. "So it wasn't with a gun," she said, eying the untouched gun cabinet.
"I don't like guns," Clark said. "They're one of man's worst inventions. Instead of helping the human race, they destroy. They're certainly not restful décor for a lounge."
"Are you one of those pro gun control people, Smallville? There aren't many things my father and I agree on, but the right to bear arms is one of them. I can defend myself without one, but some people can't. Then there are the people who only want to collect them or hunt. Guns don't kill people. People kill people."
"True but as technology advances, killing people gets easier."
"It's not a nuclear weapon to blow up the world for goodness sake. Unfortunately, some countries need those too to defend themselves from other countries with nuclear weapons. How would pioneers have survived without guns?"
"The outlaws could have done without them."
"How do you think the wild west was tamed?"
"Would you two shut up?" Lex said. "We're not at a debate on the right to own guns. Start looking for the secret passage. We have to find that body as soon as possible."
They all began to feel the walls. After about 5 minutes without finding anything, Oliver spoke up.
"I don't think there's a secret passage in this room. If you want my opinion, I think we can go ahead and call the police. We all know Clark Kent did it."
Everyone became motionless with surprise except for Lois. She became angry and moved until she was up in Oliver's face. Oliver, hero that he was, wasn't immune to the fear she caused.
"How dare you," she whispered angrily, then she shouted, "How dare you! Clark is the most honorable person I know. He won't even kill a spider much less a human being. He would rather release the spider back into nature than stomp on it. I don't think murderers have that hang-up."
"You don't know Clark Kent like I do. It would be easy for him to do it."
"It'd be easy for me to kill you," she said, holding her finger over a vulnerable pressure point in his body, "but that doesn't mean I'd do it. What do you mean I don't know Clark? I've known him longer than you."
"How come you didn't defend me like this?"
She didn't answer.
"Actions speak louder than words. You deserve to be with someone you can love and trust."
"It's not that I don't like you, Ollie."
"I know."
"As long as you don't accuse my other friends of crimes they didn't commit, we can still be friends."
He gave her a skeptical look. "Clark and you have a friendship that I guarantee you, we will never have. I hope for your sake, he's innocent."
"What do you mean by that?"
He smiled. "I wish you luck. It was fun while it lasted."
Lois nodded in halfhearted agreement and walked away from him. Everyone stopped watching the soap opera moment that had broken out and began the search again.
Oliver said to himself, after Lois was out of hearing range, "Your heart was already won before we met, but you don't even know. Neither does the victor for that matter, but you two will one day. Actions speak louder than words."
Clark had given up on the wall. He supposed somebody could have stuffed the body under the couch. He wondered why his powers hadn't come back. It would make the search a lot easier. He must have been exposed longer than he thought. He tripped on the rug and it revealed a trap door under it. He opened it up and smelled perfume drift up but not just any perfume. It was the kind his mother was wearing tonight and the same one that Lois had borrowed before she left the house. It just couldn't be. Neither his mom nor Lois would ever kill somebody in cold blood, no matter what the secrets had been. He had begun to think Lois was right and that murder hadn't been committed, but why had Lionel's heart stopped? Maybe someone had lied to get off the suspect list and set Lois or his mom up.
By this time, they all had noticed the open trap door. Oliver was the first one over, and the smell of perfume was not lost on him. "I'm sorry I misjudged you, but you have to admit, it wouldn't have been hard for you to do and get away with."
Clark only nodded. He was still coming to grips with what the perfume might mean.
"It was a woman who did it," Oliver said, "and as Lana has already been cleared…"
"I did it," Lois and Martha said at the exact same time.