CHAPTER 4
"Good!" Lois said into her cell phone. She was alone in the library of Bruce Wayne's mansion, or so she thought. "And are there any reservations available?"
When she turned around, she saw Clark next to the door, approaching her.
"Oh. Okay. Call me if you find out something else" she said, trying to break the conversation off after realizing that Clark was hearing it.
When Lois turned the cell phone off, Clark crossed his arms and looked firmly at her:
"Reservations?" he asked, distrustful.
Lois was checking her cell phone calls, and Clark rolled his eyes.
"Aren't you going to tell me what's going on?" he insisted.
"Where are Bruce and Alfred?" she asked back, dodging his question.
Clark took a deep breath. Lois was amazing, he thought. How could she do that? She has never answered his questions!
"It seems your friend Rachel arrived. She's in the kitchen with Bruce. I don't know about Alfred" he answered, pretending to be indifferent.
"Oh" she said, still checking her calls. "So, she's here, huh?"
"What did Chloe find out?" Clark finally asked. "And what reservations were you talking about?"
"She's going to try to find out everything we need to know about the Lucchesis business in Gotham" she answered.
"And if we find out their connections here--"
"We can discover who contracted The Duchess" she finished.
"Oh. A plan. Good to know we finally have one" he said, cynical.
Lois rolled her eyes, and faced him with a little smile: "Why are you being so irritating, Smallville? I mean, I know you're often irritating, but since we arrived here you've been acting like a jerk!"
Clark wrinkled his forehead, confused, and asked: "Me? What are you talking about?"
"C'mon, Smallville" she said, looking him straight in the eyes. "as much as you didn't want to come, I didn't want you here. Trust me. But the fact is, we are here and we have to solve this situation"
"Good point" he replied, irritated at her implications. "And, for your information, I'm trying to do something here but it's very hard when you don't tell me the truth!"
"Okay" Lois said, crossing her arms, and glaring at him. "Tell me. What do you want to know?"
Confused, Clark didn't know what to say at first,but before Lois could take advantage of the situation, he answered:
"What are we going to do while Chloe investigates the Lucchesis connections in Gotham?"
"Well, considering that the bad guys may have discovered that I'm not The Duchess, and that they may have contracted another professional killer who just may be around, I think we have to pretend everything is fine and not let Bruce go anywhere alone" she answered.
"Do you want to know what? I think we should have called the police to solve this since the beginning" he said. "Did you read the news? Gotham is a very dangerous town, Lois!"
"And did you forget what happened that night in Suicide Slum, Smallville? Those guys are mobsters! We don't have a choice"
"We don't even know who's behind of all of this" he replied.
"That's why we have Chloe. She's doing her part right now" Lois said.
"What about Wayne Enterprises?" Clark suddenly asked. "I mean, don't you think the bad guy might be someone who doesn't want Bruce coming back to lead the vast Wayne Empire?"
"I don't think so. Bruce is not interested in managing the family businesses, at least not right now. And the company is under the direction of a man named Earle, I guess, and it seems to be in good hands" Lois answered confidently.
"And what about this other guy... Joe Chill?" Clark asked.
"Well, that is something to think about, Smallville" she answered, thoughtful. "Bruce said he's going to get out of jail tomorrow. And there's this strange deal he made with the District Attorney--"
"So, do you believe--?"
"I don't know, Smallville. But if Chill is involved, something is going to happen during or after his hearing--"
"With many people around" Clark continued, following Lois' thoughts.
"I think there's someone who might help us" Lois said, smiling.
"Who?" Clark asked, confused.
"Come with me, Smallville!" she said, going out of the library.
"Wait a minute, Lois!" Clark protested, as Lois stopped and turned around to look at him. "What reservations were you talking about?"
Lois smiled. "Oh, didn't I tell you? We're going to spend the night in Gotham!"
"WHAT?" he asked, while Lois left him alone with his indignation.
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"Rach!" Lois said with a big smile when she met her old friend with Bruce in the kitchen.
Clark was right behind her, and watched the girls exchange a big hug.
"Hey, Lois!" she answered, with the same enthusiasm.
Bruce, who was next to Rachel, also smiled. But he was visibly distressed.
"How long has it been since we've seen each other?" Lois asked.
"I don't know, but it's been too long." Rachel answered. "And what brings you here to Gotham?"
"Well, I was around, and then I decided to come and pay a visit to my old friends!" she answered, and then, turning to look at Clark, she said: "Oh, I almost forgot... Rachel, this is Clark Kent. Clark, this is Rachel Dawes"
"Is he your boyfriend?" Rachel asked, giving a gentle smile to Clark.
"No!" Lois and Clark said at the same time, surprising both Rachel and Bruce.
"No... We're just friends. Isn't that right, Clark?" Lois asked, giving him her usual punch on his arm.
Rachel smiled, and turned to look at Bruce.
"We were talking about the days when we used to steal candy milk cans from the store-room" Rachel said, pointing to the closet.
"It was a long time ago" Bruce said, smiling, but distant.
"Yeah... Until the day when Alfred found out and moved them to another secret place" Rachel finished.
Lois smiled, but she and Clark both figured that Rachel and Bruce weren't talking about the candy milk cans before they came to the kitchen. There was something else. And it was probably related to Joe Chill's hearing.
"I think we have a lot of catching up to do, don't we?" Lois aked.
Clark rolled his eyes. Definitively, he wasn't interested.
"Well, I'm sorry Lois, but that will have to be postponed for another day... I have to go now" Rachel finally said, surprising them.
"Oh, it's a pity!" Lois said.
"Yeah. I know" Rachel said, smiling, and looking at Bruce. "I'm really sorry, but I have a lot to do--"
"Rachel is the District Attorney's assistant" Bruce explained to Clark.
"Oh... Really?" he asked.
Rachel nodded, and Clark finally realized she was the person whom Lois was refering to minutes before in the library.
"Well, now I really need to go--" she said, glancing at Bruce once more.
"Thanks for coming, Rachel" Bruce said, and Rachel smiled at him.
"Clark, nice to meet you" she said, looking at him. Clark just smiled back. "Lois--"
"I follow you out to your car" Lois immediatly said. "I'll be right back, boys. It's a girl's talk" she explained with a smile.
Then, there were only Clark and Bruce in the kitchen. And the silence.
"Isn't she amazing?" Bruce suddenly asked to Clark.
Clark wrinkled his forehead, confused, and asked: "Who?"
Bruce smiled.
"You're don't really want to be here, do you?" he asked.
"Well, actually--" but before Clark could finish the sentence, Alfred came from the garden.
And the butler acted as if they weren't there and started to prepare a tea.
"I'm a little dislocated" Clark confessed, in the same instant he felt uncomfortable making that important revelation. He considered the young Wayne as a rival, even though he didn't know exactly about what.
"I knew it" Bruce said. "I'm not being a good host. And I'm sorry about this. This is a very complicated week for me" he explained.
Then, the butler glanced at Bruce, with concerned eyes. Clark realized that he was talking about the hearing of his parents' killer.
"I didn't mean to say that--" Clark said.
"So, what did you mean?" Bruce asked.
Clark smiled, annoyed: "Forget it. It's not important."
"Oh. Is it something related to Lois?" Bruce asked, with a little smile as he crossed his arms against his chest.
"No!" Clark said, embarrassed. "Of course not!"
Then, Bruce smiled knowingly at Alfred, who also smiled back at both of them.
"She's bossy" Clark said becoming increasingly defensive.
Bruce just kept smiling, amused at Clark's negative words.
"She's stuck up, she's rude. I can't stand her" Clark continued, trying to prove his point.
"The best ones always start that way" Bruce said.
Clark looked at Bruce then to Alfred, not responding.
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"Lois, you have to convince Bruce not to go to the hearing" Rachel said, as they were approaching her car.
"For what reason?" Lois asked, hoping to hear something important from Rachel that may help her to find out who wanted to kill Bruce.
"He's not ok with it." Rachel answered, concerned. "He doesn't accept the fact that Joe Chill is going to go free--"
"I know" Lois said.
"Can you believe he was banished from Princeton?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah. He told me" Lois nodded, crossing her arms.
"He said he doesn't need a diploma to be an international playboy" Rachel explained. "Can you believe that?" she asked.
Lois smiled, and then Rachel smiled too.
Then suddenly, Lois wasn't smiling anymore.
"Rach, may I ask you something?"
"Sure"
"It's about the deal your boss made with Joe Chill... What is it about?"
"Well, in prision he shared a cell with Carmine Falcone. He learned things and he'll testify in exchange for early parole" Rachel answered.
"I understand" Lois said, thoughtful.
"But Bruce doesn't" Rachel replied. "That's why you have to help me to help him"
Lois nodded. "You can count on me, Rach. I'll try to talk him out of going to the hearing"
"It's going to be very painful for him" Rachel said.
Lois agreed, and as Rachel got into the car, she wondered if she dared to ask her about Chill's connections in Metropolis. But Lois knew she couldn't do it. Rachel was the District Attorney's Assistant. As such, she would probably put things in police hands, and they would never find out who the man was behind all the dirt. Then, Rachel smiled through the window and said: "Take care" as Lois stood waving to her while she drove away from Wayne's mansion.
To be continued...
