Ririko arrived at the hotel where Oswald was staying.
She pushed open his room door and said cheerfully, "Little Oz, where are you?"
The room looked freshly cleaned. No one answered.
She walked to the bedroom doorway and glanced inside. The bed was neatly made, his luggage was still there, the bathroom door was open, and the faucet was dry.
There was no sign that Oswald had returned at all.
She set her purse on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa, muttering as she took off her shoes, "Where did Bird Man go..."
She had planned to tell him that she had placed a huge advertising order with the Daily Planet to promote his image as mayor-
As long as his distinguished face as Gotham City Mayor appeared beside every news story about Superman fighting monsters, Mayor Morrisroe of Metropolis would surely be hopping mad.
And once she put a little more effort into getting the editor-in-chief and that slippery old reporter fired, making them cough up the prize money with interest, it would be even more satisfying.
She took out her phone and called Oswald.
No one answered.
Her brow furrowed slightly. Oswald had no reason not to answer her calls. This was far too unusual.
She pulled up Butch's number and called him instead.
Butch answered quickly. "Hello?"
Ririko asked, "Has your boss gone back to Gotham?"
"No," Butch said.
"Then what are you doing?" Ririko asked. She could hear a strange humming noise.
"Putting on sunscreen. I'm about to tan under a sunlamp."
"...Carry on."
She hung up.
Sitting on the sofa, she frowned harder and harder. Had those Alien Worms coveted Bird Man's tender flesh and abducted him?
She immediately called Clark. "Bring Krypto to the hotel right now."
A minute later, Clark