October 27, 2005
Week 26 - Impossible Dreams 9
Episode 4
Powell sits alone in the Lamont kitchen, staring at the wall.
After a few moments, Lucy steps in, holding a large, rectangular carton. "Powell!" she calls, as she notices him, her face brightening. She runs to his chair and gives him a quick kiss. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you on patrol with my dad?"
"Um... He's in the Coyote Cave... I mean... the shed in the backyard. He's doing research on that old computer. He thinks Captain Camouflage is getting ready to launch the second part of the illusion ray satellite, and he's trying to figure out where." She stares at him and he shrugs. "It... It doesn't matter. Superhero stuff... But, um, listen... I want to ask you about something..."
"Wait a minute, let me show this to you first!" Lucy rests the carton on the table and slides out a large, black electronic display. "Look!" She pulls an extension cord from her purse and plugs it in. Its face lights up with two zeros.
"Uh... what's that for?"
"Things have been going really well with the minor shareholders. I've pretty much locked up enough proxies to keep control of the company. When the official voting takes place... during the twenty fifth anniversary ceremonies next month... I want to rub it in my cousin's face, the bastard... So I got this. I'm going to have it mounted in the boardroom... It'll display every vote." She presses a button on a small remote control several times and one of the zeroes on the board begins counting up. "And then, when I get more than fifty percent..." She presses the button again. A bell rings and the board fills with a colorful fireworks display. Lucy grins. "Now, what did you want to talk about, honey?"
"Oh... um... I was wondering about the car crash that... where you lost your mother..."
Lucy stares at him. Then she sighs and sits down. "What do you want to know?"
"Was your... was your father on the scene?"
"Yes... He was at my uncle's house at the time... he saw the whole thing."
"Was he... involved in the accident at all?"
"What? No! My uncle just lost control of the car. It's all in the police report."
"Were there any other witnesses, besides your father?"
"No... He was the only one who saw it. What are you implying!"
"Nothing... um... nothing..." Powell shakes his head. "Forget it..."