Disclaimer
The characters used in this story belong to DC comics and Warner Bros. I have used them in this story which is a product of my own imagination
Any other names and characters created in this story do not have any resemblance with the original persons or characters, if they exist.
Chap 27
Your Voice Office – Metropolis
"! That is a pleasant surprise I must say!" a middle aged man, with too conspicuous efforts to hide his age, greeted Clarke as he made his way into the editor's cabin.
"Of course, Mr. Powell! It's been a long time!" Clarke nodded and smiled with all the warmth he thought was essential so as not to arouse suspicion.
"Yeah! I'm glad you remembered our little encounter at Lex Luthor's annual party. I don't see you there anymore!", Mr. Powell returned the smile, "Ah, please take a seat! And call me Jerry! I love being called with my first name."
"Thanks, Jerry!" Clarke said, as he took the chair across Jerry's. For a moment he did not know how to begin, and an awkward silence filled the room, as the pasted smiles on the both the men prevailed.
"Umm…I…"Clarke began as he realized the need to speak something.
"So, you are under a new boss now, ha?" Jerry remarked, raising his eye brows.
"I beg your pardon!" Clarke frowned.
"I don't see you with Luthor anymore! I see you've got a new boss. Wayne – isn't that the name?"
"Well, yes, but that happened two years ago!" Clarke said, "It's Mr. Bruce Wayne."
"Yeah, yeah! The Gotham billionaire!" Jerry nodded, "I am sorry for you people!"
"For what?" Clarke frowned, disapproval clear in his tone.
"Ah, comm'on Clarke!" Jerry let out a chuckle, "Don't tell me that this Wayne guy is running you people better than the most revered entrepreneur in the world! I mean…Wayne…really!"
Clarke began to grow irritated by Jerry's disposition. He knew that Jerry was simply throwing pebbles, hoping to hit the right spot. Jerry had been behind Clarke ever since they met at Lex's party few years ago, and had offered to pay him double that of what he earned at Daily Planet is he joined him. As lucrative as the offer was, Clarke did not even show a hint of interest and kept avoiding Jerry. Needless to say he wasn't looking forward to this confrontation. Clarke wanted to emphasize that Luthor was anything but revered, and they were more than happy to get rid of him. But he somehow managed to stay quiet.
"Well, well, what can we say," Jerry continued, encouraged by Clarke's silence, "I guess all good things must come to an end someday!"
"Jerry, I came here for…" Clarke started, desperate to end his monologue.
"I won't be too presumptuous, although I will commend you on making the right choice!" Jerry smiled.
"Jerry, I really wasn't intending to meet you. Your receptionist escorted me to your cabin even before I said anything!" Clarke brought in the intended exasperation into his tone, and Jerry's face seemed to have grown colorless. Clarke bore his stern expression, while in the heart of hearts, he celebrated his triumph.
Jerry cleared his throat and continued, "So, what brings you here, my friend." The remark was everything but friendly.
Clarke paused for a while to frame his thoughts into a sentence, and then began, "I need to give an ad in your classifieds."
Jerry forced a short laugh, "Why, did your paper refuse to put this?"
Clarke did not feel the necessity to humor the old man. "I want to sell my two year old car and I'm looking for the best bargain I can make! I think you see the reason why I approached your paper. Your paper caters to just the kind of prospective buyers."
Jerry did not know if it was a compliment or a comment, although the last line would've made a compliment if it wasn't for the marked sarcasm in Clarke's tone.
"Very well, I think we can get you the right kind of buyers" Jerry returned the aspersion.
"Fine, then! I think I should leave now," Clarke rose, but Jerry did not want to indulge into the courtesy of showing his guest out. Clarke opened the door and stepped out of the cabin, but looked hesistant to leave. He turned around and said, "I just hope you won't make a front page headline out of my ad."
Jerry frowned and clenched his fists. That was totally uncalled for.
"Why the hell would I do that?" he scowled.
Clarke kept his calm. Now he was on the right track. "Well, you seem to have the habit of putting the front page news into classifieds. So, I thought I should make sure you don't do it the other way round!"
Jerry stood up with a jerk. "That is a baseless accusation!"
"Oh, yeah!" Clarke gave an impish smile. "Three months ago, you somehow got hold of the hottest murder case in the town, and put it under the classifieds! Remember?"
Jerry was taken aback and gaped at Clarke. Clarke slowly made his way back into the cabin, and before Jerry knew what was going on, Clarke was back in his chair.
"How…how do you know?" Jerry managed to speak.
"Well, I ran across a copy of it, a few days ago!" Clarke said, casually.
"Impossible! No copies of that exist. No copies of that ever existed!" Jerry protested.
This time, it was Clarke's turn to be taken aback, although he managed to hide his astonishment. "Really!"
"Clarke, I am not kidding! I had seen the mistake and stopped the circulation immediately! That day, there was no paper which went out of the press." Jerry said.
Clarke seemed to consider that. He realized that they had not seen the actual paper in print, but just an online copy of it.
"May be an online copy then!" Clarke said.
Jerry dropped to his chair and slapped his palm against his forehead. "We don't do online circulation! Although we maintain soft copies of that day's final print in our computers."
"Probably it was leaked then," Clarke teased, although he was actually gripped with anticipation. "We'll never know! By the way, why on earth did that go up to the print?"
"That's none of your business!" Jerry snapped, almost immediately. But Clarke wouldn't give up.
"Never mind! None of my business!" he shrugged, but fixed his eyes on Jerry, who squirmed.
"All right, I don't think it can hurt anymore. I'm sure the people in your office already know about it!" Jerry said weakly, rubbing the perspiration off his forehead.
"Nope! No one does! It's just that I came across one by chance!" Clarke said, reassuringly.
"Well, you must understand, that it was a mistake, and was rectified!" Jerry began, and looked at Clarke for expression. Clarke did not show the sign of giving up.
"Do I have your word that you will not leak this?" Jerry asked.
"I don't need to give you a word. And I don't need to know anything." Clarke said.
"Ah, gimme a break!" Jerry shouted, "I know what you're here for!"
"Well, enlighten me then!" Clarke shrugged, "All I know is that I want my ad in your paper, and a buyer for my car!"
"All right, all right! I'll tell you!" Jerry nodded furiously, beads of perspiration flew off his forehead. Clarke pretended to dodge them.
"One day, a lady walked in with an ad. She offered to pay almost double the price if we reserved a particular spot for her ad. The editor obliged without consulting me - although there was technically no need to consult me, customers can have their preferences regarding the placement of the ad. Anyways, the ad was about a missing dog, so we assumed she should be a rich girl, for who'd care about a missing dog! The editor had read the piece of paper she handed to him and it was passed. And then all of a sudden, when the print came up the next day, it showed some insane case of a suicide. We stopped the circulation immediately, and the editor who passed that was suspended eventually." Jerry completed with a difficulty, intermittently gulping hard.
Clarke considered the matter for a while. Jerry seemed to be telling the truth. But on the back of his mind, he doubted if it was the complete story. The only way he could get more information was to interrogate the suspended editor.
"Hmmm…well that must be an editor with one heck of an eye sight! I bet he cannot see at all without his glasses." Clarke remarked casually.
"Hell, no!" Jerry protested immediately, "Our hiring policies are very rigid, we never can take in such people. Contrary to your opinion, he was a young chap, a new hire, about 30 years old. He wears no glasses whatsoever!"
"Perhaps he would consider wearing them, now that he's got the time and the reason!" Clarke said, hoping that Jerry would get into specific details, there by saving him the pain of going through the entire employee database.
"No, I don't think so!" Jerry pressed. He seemed to Clarke more excited than he ought to be. "He is a wonderful chap. If it wasn't for this mishap, he would've gone far, very far!"
Clarke tried to keep his tone as even as possible. "I hope he got another job, then!"
"I made sure he did. And this incident will be off the records, and no one has a problem with that…" he eyed at Clarke, "No one!"
Clarke stirred nervously. "Well, I guess we've been talking cross purposes for a long time now! I need to go, duty calls!" he turned to go, but then, added a final remark.
"It's hard to believe some lady has played such a big prank on you!" he smiled.
"Well it won't happen again! I'll make sure it won't! Next time one of my staff sees a six foot blonde, they'll know what to do!" Jerry said, raising up to escort Clarke this time.
Clarke went pale. Six foot!