The Murder of Clark Kent
by Sockrob
Chapter 2. The Initial Questioning
When Officer Steven Bartlett ended his radio call, Superman told Officer Bartlett that he was just going to go into the bathroom and clean up. “I assure you that I won’t go anywhere, Iv’e just had one hell of an evening. I really need to freshen up.” Superman tried to explain.
“I am afraid that won’t do, Superman. Please wait until homicide gets here and clears you. You appear to be covered in evidence.” the cop professionally stated. His partner, Officer Mike Nugent, agreed but added, “Superman I am sure that there is a good explanation for all this, but please just stay right where you are until we find out what that explanation is.” Both Officers continued to hold their useless weapons on the super hero.
Superman took a seat at on a chair by the dresser to wait. He was totally confused. every few seconds he’d satre at the corpse looking for some sign of the imposters true identity. He used his x-ray vision to scan the entire scene. He was amazed to see that the body was an exact replica of Clark Kent. Same height, weight, same hair, eyes, same hand and foot size. Hell even the same penis size. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to clone Clark Kent, but who?
Clark’s dark rimmed glasses lay on a bloody pillow, next to the naked beaten body, broken and mangled, the body and the glasses. The victim had bruising all over him. His skull was fractured, both arms were broken. His left leg was torn out of socket at the knee. Amazingly the victim’s face, although, was almost scarless. There was a cut above the imposter’s right eye that oozed blood and he had a fat lip and was missing a few teeth. Other than that it was plain to make out the man’s identity, too easily, thought Superman.
Scanning the bathroom it appeared that the victim had been in there before the attack. The shower was still wet from recent use. Shaving creme dotted the sink. There was fresh urine in the toilet. Superman scanned the remainder of the apartment noting that a lamp was broken near the front entrance. A dining chair was broken into wooden shards as if it had been used during the fight. It lay in pieces on the floor in the hallway just outside the bedroom. The apartment door was broken in, but Superman had heard Officers Bartlett and Nugent break that in upon their arrival. Blood trails ran from the front of the apartment through to the bed where the victim now lay. There were blood spatters on the walls down the hallway. There was blood all over the bedroom. someone had really given this fake Clark a real beating. All of this Superman carefully took note of as he sat and waited for the detectives. There was no further converastion between him and the two officers. They just stood with their pistols drawn and held towards Superman. He had given his word though and meant to stick to it.
It only took about fifteen minutes before the homicide detectives were on the scene. Detectives Carlilse and Emerson quickly scanned the crime scene and asked the Officers if CSI had been notified. They were told that, yes they were on the way. Carlilse was the lead detective and took charge. He posted one of an officer at the apartment door with instructions that noone was to enter except CSI. He then ushered Superman and the initial reporting officers out of the building and into a waiting police mobile crime scene van which he had ordered when he got the call.
Superman was visibly shaken at the events unfolding around him.This was certainly turning into quite an eventful night. Something strange was going on and, to his displeasure, he was not in control of the situation. How could he explain that he definately knew that the dead man in Clark Kent’s apartment could not possibly be Clark Kent, without giving away his most valuable secret.
As the group left the apartment building, the CSI team entered. The detectives showed Superman through the mobile crime unit to a room to the rear of the trailer. There Detective Carlilse and Superman entered a small, confined windowless room with a table and chairs. The mobile interrogation room, thought Superman. Superman sat and immediately tried to explain, that he knew, that the man upstairs looked like Clark Kent, but that, that was absolutely impossible. This seemed to peak Detective Carlisle’s attention. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Superman, I know that there are things that you know that we don’t, but just how is it that you KNOW that that is not Clark Kent?” He glared directly into the Man of Steel’s confused blue eyes.
“Well,” Superman began shakily, “I can’t divulge that, but I assure you that that can not possibly be Clark Kent.”
“I tell you what, Supes, let us be the judge of that, ok? CSI and the coroner will be able to tell us soon enough!” the determined detective smirked. “You want to tell me what happened up there? Besides you really aren’t in any shape to be involved in this investigation, except as a suspect. Look at you! You are covered in the victim’s blood, and apparently have yourself just been in some sort of brawl. Your uniform’s a mess. Mr Kent was apparently beaten to death by someone or thing immortal. Did you see that crime scene. There’s blood everywhere.”
“Look I know it looks bad, but I had only just arrived myself before your officers. I had been at the landfill fighting with a drug gang, before I arrived. I found the body and was trying to assist when your men burst in. Mr. Kent, or whoever that is, was already dead when I touched down.” Superman explained.
“That’s just it Superman,” Detective Carlisle continued in his superior tone, “Exactly what were you doing in Clark Kent’s apartment. Had he called you. I know that you two were aquainted, right?”
“You could say that Clark and I were aquainted.” Superman answered. Quickly realizing that the detectives would probably be checking the phone records, Superman said, “No I hadn’t called. Clark and I are connected more than you know. I just sensed that something was wrong and flew in to help.”
Again the detectives curiosity was peaked. “You mean to tell me you had some sort of preminition, Superman. Come on, man! Is that one of your powers too now.”
Detective Carlilse was starting to loose his temper. “Just tell me what happened in that apartment, Superman; and, we can call it a day.”
“I’ve already told you all I can!” Superman exclaimed. “Let me go get cleaned up and then I’ll help you find out who’s behind this.” Superman tried to take the lead.
“Supes, you aren’t going anywhere but down town, my man! I can’t allow you to clean off that evidence, either, until we get samples and pictures.” Detective Carlilse continued. “Look, Supes, I know that you could just beat your way out of here, if you wanted. but how guilty would that look. Just cooperate with us and I promise to put a good word in for you son.” The detective went on his fatherly tack.
Superman was really starting to tire of this. He was sure that there had to be answers, but he could definately see the detectives point. It wasn’t looking good for the Man of Steel. On one hand he needed to get out of here so that he could get to the answers, but on the other it would definately appear that he had something to hide if he did. He decided to try something different. “Detective, are we alone here?” Superman asked.
“Yes, Supes. There is no two way window into this room like down town. It’s just you and me. The others are out in the main part of the trailer but they can’t see or hear anything from this room.” Detective Carlilse explained.
“Good!” Superman said,”Because I am going to tell you something that noone else can know. You have to give me your word that you will never divulge what I am about to tell you. It will exhonerate me completely though. so do I have your word?”
Detective Carlisle moved to the edge of his seat across from the Man of Steel. “Sure thing, son. You have my word and my undivided attention. What gives?”
“I know that that man up in that apartment is not Clark Kent, because, well because……” Superman had a hard time spitting it out. “I am Clark Kent!” he blurted it out.
The detective sat up staright. He glared into Superman’s eyes looking for truth. Then he laughed, “That is rich, man. Who do you think is going to believe that crock of shit. You have got to be kidding me! Who do you think you are playing with young man!” He pounded the atble with his fist. He’d had enough of this.
As Superman tried in vain to explain that it was true, Clark was his alter ego, the detective stood up. “Enough!” he shouted. Then he walked around behind the seated Superman. “Stand up Supes!” Detective Louis Carlisle ordered. “Put your hands behind your back Superman. You are under arrest for the murder of Clark Kent.”
As Superman solemly stood still, professing his secret, Detective Carlilse reached down to the table and touched a button that Superman hadn’t noticed before. A console opened up on the table. The detective hit another button and spoke into the console. “Detective Emerson could you come in here please. I need a witness.”
Seconds later the door opened and Detective Emerson entered. He was not alone. With him was the District Attorney, Lyle Cartwright. Cartwright asked, “Detective, are you arresting him?”
Detective Carlilse had retieved his handcuffs from his belt and was clasping them on Superman’s wrists behind the super heroes back. “Yes, I am.” Carlilse bluntly stated. “He’s not being coperative and look at him. He’s covered in evidence.” He continued putting the cuffs on Superman and told Emerson to read him his rights.
As Emerson began reading the most powerful man on earth his miranda rights, Carlilse betrayed him. “You heard that cock-n-bull story he was giving me counselor.” He smiled at the stunned, cuffed super hero. “Sorry, Supes. You should have known that I couldn’t speak to you all alone. Someone has to listen in on these things to keep our asses protected.”
Cartwright spoke up. “I heard the whole thing, detective, but what I didn’t hear was a confession, unfortunately.” Cartwright looked perturbed but went on, ” There’s enough for an arrest though. He is dripping with the victim’s blood after all.”
“I know there wasn’t a confession, yet!” stated Detective Carlilse but this interrrogation will continue downtown. “We’ll see what we can do.” Then to Superman, who was standing with his head down, wondering how all this had gotten so out of hand, the lead detective said, “Supes I realize that you could probably just break out of those cuffs and high tail it out of here. But I don’t think that’s what you want to do, now, is it? However it is policy, and we’ve got to do this by the book. Like I said before just cooperate with us and things will go smoothly. We are gonna take you down to the station now. We need answers my boy. Lots of questions need answers”
“Please, you’ve got to believe me!” Superman pleaded, as they made their way out of the trailer. He was starting to see that the shit was getting pretty deep for him.
“When you start telling us the truth, we’ll start believing you big man.” Cartwright spat over his shoulder. “Until then I am afraid things are not going to go so smoothly, Superman. I have always thought that you were too good to be true. I knew that there was something just not right about a goody two shoes muscle stud running around the streets of our fair city in women’s underwear. Well now we’ll bring out the true Superman, I guess.”
Superman wrestled in the grasp of Detective Emerson. He was furious at Cartwright’s barbs. Superman knew that the DA didn’t like him. He knew that Cartwright and Lex Luthor were old buddies, but try as he might he could never get anything on the man. He was squeaky clean, and, after all, the public had elected the jack ass. The stress of the moment took over Uncharacteristically, Superman lost his temper. He broke out of the handcuffs and the detective’s grasp, and went for the offending DA. “You asshole!” he yelled. “I’m not gonna stand by and take your shit. I’ll rip your head off, jack ass!”
Cartwright cowered out the mobile unit’s exit, visibly shaken. Carlilse stepped between them. “Now come on, Supes. Is this how an innocent man acts.
Get ahold of yourself, man.The press is all over this. Is this the Superman you want the world to see.”
Superman heard the cameras popping off all around. He caught the flashes as they captured his hot tempered pictures. Cartwright smiled an evil grin at the angry super hero. superman quickly realized that he had walked right into the DA’s trap. Cartwright got exactly what he had planned. Superman’s angry outburst was captured for the world.
Superman took control of his emotions. He apologized to the detectives and offered himself to them for re-cuffing. “Great” he thought, “Could this get any worse?” Now the press was gettting pictures of their hero being handcuffed by the police covered in dirt and blood. He let himself be guided over and placed into the backseat of the detectives squad car.
Detective Emerson sat in the driver’s seat waiting for his partner. Nothing was said between him and the super suspect cuffed in the seat behind him. However, Cartwright and Carlilse were chatting off in the shadows.
“Have you spoken to Mr. Luthor?” Carlilse asked Cartwright.
He didn’t look at the other man but averted his gaze down at the toe of his right wingtip which he was using to roll a small pebble around on the asphalt.
“Yes I talked to him just before I got here. He is pleased with the progress. He will be even more pleased when I report these new developments. I knew that the super idiot would start blabbing all of his secrets as soon as he realized how deep in the shit he was. We will take care of that soon enough though. I seriously doubt that the cunt of steel will want to go to trial with that story after I grill him about how noone is going to believe that their beloved hero has been lying to them about his identity all these years. How incriminating it would be, if he is capable of such deceit. Luthor has finally got the muscled jester in quite a pickle. Ha ha ha…..” Cartwright was full of himself. Things were going perfectly by schedule.
“Well, tell Mr. Luthor that I will do my best to get that confession. I’m sure that the fucker will break as soon as I get him into the special interrogation room that Luthor helped us set up for him at the precinct. Don’t take too long we’ll be ready to start his interrogation within the hour. We’ll book him, fingerprint him and all that shit. I’ve got a good idea that our super freak is gonna be brought down quite a few pegs by that process alone. By the time he’s been strip searched and fitted out in the jail garb I’ve got planned for him, Superbitch isn’t going to walk so proudly anymore. And he should already be weakening from the small amount of kryptonite that Luthor fitted into that second set of handcuffs I used to shackle the dumb stud.” Carlilse replied to his cohort.
The two conspirators said their goodbyes and Carlilse joined Emerson and their prisoner for the ride downtown.
