Chapter 73 - Evidence
Clark didn't sleep that night.
Technically, he didn't have to sleep at all, of course. It made him feel better, but he wouldn't spend the day physically tired if he didn't do it. Still, tossing and turning and thinking and worrying in bed all night, Clark guessed it was as miserable for him as it was for a human.
When Clark had first realized what had happened to Ryan, he had laid awake trying to deny what he had seen, trying to find any explanation that didn't involve his best friend being a murderer. It had driven him crazy. When he'd finally accepted what had happened, he'd had to stop himself from second-guessing it over and over. So even now, he reflexively shut down the little voice in his head that said that Chloe had made a good point.
But she had made some really, really good points.
He could see it both ways. He could see the possibility that Lex had manipulated him for information and access to his powers, and he could see the possibility that Lionel was behind it all. Granted, the explanations involving Lionel were a lot more convoluted, and Clark had to take a few leaps of faith to believe that Lex was really innocent, but the hardest thing of all had been reconciling the kindness Lex had shown him over the past couple of years with the idea that he had been in it for the power and money from the beginning, and nothing else.
Clark had forced himself to dismiss all of that kindness as an act. But now, given another explanation…
By the time the sun rose, Clark couldn't deny the truth that some part of him had known all along.
He wasn't sure exactly how to get in contact with Lex. He figured he would go to the mansion and see what he could find out. Clark didn't waste any time; he did a couple of chores as fast as he could, and then he raced to the mansion.
Pamela was waiting for him at the gate.
"I thought I might be seeing you here," she said. "I heard you and your girlfriend came here yesterday."
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Oh. Well. It's safe to talk out here."
"Did you know Lex was innocent?"
"Of course. I never would have thought anything else."
Clark winced—he couldn't tell if she was judging him for his doubt. "Do you know where he is?"
"I have my suspicions. But I don't think it's such a good idea for you to reach out right now, Clarke."
"No, you don't understand. I accused him of killing Ryan, I—I hurt him, he's gotta be—"
"Lex isn't mad at you, honey. If he wanted you to know he was innocent, he could have easily proved it."
Clark shook his head. "Then why… I don't understand."
"Lex can't stop his father right now. Lionel is looking to poison every one of his relationships. Lex is protecting the people he cares about here by taking some time away, but I'm sure he's working on a plan."
"Well, what am I supposed to do?"
"Don't contact him. Trust that he's got this in hand." She gave a slight smile. "He could use your help."
"How am I supposed to help him if I can't contact him?"
"Your eyes and ears in Smallville."
"How?"
She frowned, searching his eyes. "I don't know everything about you, Clark, but if you don't mind my saying it... I know there's something about you. I think you might be able to contribute more than you think."
He blinked a couple of times. He was sure she didn't know the details of his powers, but she was right all the same. His x-ray vision, his ability to break past any lock, speed into and out of any room without anyone seeing him. He didn't think he had any powers related to vision or hearing, but Lex did say his senses were several times better than that of most humans.
"And Clark?"
He looked back at her. "Yes?"
"Be careful."
"Thanks," he said. He was about to turn to go, but then he looked back at her. "Are you going to be OK?"
She took a deep breath. "Lex has research teams still working on curing the mutations. I'm stable for the time being, at this point it's just a matter of time."
Clark didn't even know what to say to that. "I'm so sorry."
"He's bought me a lot of time I wouldn't have had otherwise. Good weeks and months. I'm lucky to have him."
"He's lucky to have you."
She smiled and reached up to pat his shoulder. "Keep away from the mansion, at least until things settle down. You hear?"
"I hear." He heard that it was going to be a very long time before he could talk to his friend. But he also heard that he was needed.
Lex had helped him with a lot of things. It was time for Clark to put what he had learned to the test.
It took Lex about a week and a half to set up what he wanted to set up. In the meantime, he continued to meet Helen for drinks every few days. She didn't drop any more suspicious comments, but her behavior in and of itself was suspicious, if only because she seemed so genuinely interested in him.
In that week and a half, he did two things.
First, he sent an investigator to spy on Helen, to uncover her paper trail. One hundred thousand dollars had been recently transferred to her account, though its origins were difficult to trace. Really, that was all he needed to know, but he went about the second part of his test anyway.
The second thing he did was to start interviewing prospective employees as though he was going to restart a new branch of the company out in Metropolis. Carefully, he left a few of their names where Helen could find them on an evening she spent in his apartment. The names she had found never showed up to their interviews, never even returned his calls. Almost everyone else did.
Thinking over the evidence Lex had collected, sitting in his home office, his first instinct was to confront her outright. If he had started dating her any more out of genuine interest and attraction, and any less out of curiosity and suspicion, he probably would have done just that, just to hear her deny it, just to hold out hope a little longer. But hope wasn't something he held onto these days. Maybe he had grown jaded. Maybe it has just been too long since he had seen his friends and family. Or maybe he was just seeing reality for what it really was.
Clark would have corrected him for thinking like that. The thought made him smile to himself.
No, there was no point in outing Helen. Lex could have confronted her with the evidence, demanded an explanation, angrily cut off their relationship, but what was he doing in Metropolis in the first place? He wasn't there to enjoy himself and date beautiful women. He was there to regroup and figure out his next steps.
And if he stayed with her, he had one of his father's spies in his pocket.
Lex smiled to himself and went over to the fireplace, burning the documentation his hired investigator had sent to him, and then his notes from all of his interviews. He had a lot of options. And that felt a lot better than having none.
There was a knock on his door. Lex checked himself in the mirror one last time, straightened his jacket, and went to open it. His eyes widened when he saw Helen's red dress. She really did look incredible. "Wow," he said.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should."
She gave a light laugh, holding out a hand. "Ready?"
Lex hadn't exactly made up his mind about how he was going to play this. There were still a lot of variables to think through, just like there were in every good chess match. For a moment, he reflected with sick fascination that he actually enjoyed these battles, if not the casualties along the way. He never would've admitted it to anyone. But when he spoke, there was no hesitation in his voice.
"Yeah," he said, taking her hand in his. "I think I am."