To Journey's End Part Twelve

            Todd had been on pins and needles all through dinner. Sam’s cryptic remark about his past made it hard to even swallow down his food. He was certain that Sam had found out something horrible and he wasn’t sure if he could take another shock. He was watching Beth and Sam as they worked to clean up the mess left by Baker and Kent around the front door. Beth had ordered him to take it easy while they worked and Todd found himself controlling an overwhelming urge to leave. Just sitting there, while they worked gave him too much time to think. Just what had Sam found out? He said he wasn’t going to sugar coat things, that sounded bad.


           “Okay Beth, hold it right there.” Sam ran a strip of duct tape down to seal the opening.

Beth kept glancing over at her patient. His hands were fidgeting as he cleaned his nails for the umpteenth time, and his bottom lip was getting chewed on constantly. His eyes had darted around the room so many times Beth had lost count as he tried not to look at them. “Sam finish this up, he can’t take much more waiting?” she whispered through the door.

Sam looked through the panes of the door and saw what Beth had been watching. “Damn it. Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Sam frowned at her through the window.

“Because you were all concerned about the safety of this house and I knew until you had that off your mind you wouldn’t switch to another subject.” Beth said smiling at him.

“Am I really that single minded?”

            “Yes, but I love you anyway. Now are we finished?”


            “Just one last strip. Hell, I figured he wouldn’t want any bad news. That’s why I’ve been stalling.”


            Beth wanted to laugh. “Sam, I thought you were a better read of people. After you told him he was Todd Manning, you turned around and dropped a bombshell on him.”


          “What do you mean? I didn’t tell him about anything. What bombshell? “ Sam looked at her with a puzzled looked on his face.


         “Sam, If you were dying to know any news about yourself and I told you I had some information on you and I would tell you but not sugar coat it. How would that make you feel?”

         She watched her husband’s face as he realized what he had done.  


         Sam looked with alarm at Todd and knew without a doubt that Todd was in agony and he had just been torturing the guy, keeping him waiting. He looked at his wife and put the tape down and walked back into his living room. “Todd, I’m sorry.”


         Todd looked up at Sam and heard his words but it took a minute to absorb them. “What Sam? Why are you sorry?”


         “Look, just wait a minute, I’ll be right back.“ Sam turned around and left the house. He ran around to the driver’s side of his car and opened the door reaching in for the file sitting on the console between the seats. He had debated telling Todd everything on his way home, then had decided to hold off until the man was stronger. He was sorry he had even mentioned it. Now Todd had been sitting there anxiously waiting for the news Sam had told him about. It was going to tear the guy up but he needed to know. He bounded back up onto the porch and entered the living room. “Here, I’m sorry I made you wait.” Sam handed Todd the information he had managed to get from IAFIS and the Internet.


         Todd took the file with shaky hands, Sam had assured him he was Todd Manning, but he still had way too many blanks in his memory. He took a deep breath and opened the file.  The top page was the fax from IAFIS stating that the fingerprints had been identified on file in Llantano County, Pennsylvania, belonging to the convicted rapist of one Marty Saybrooke. Todd stared at those words “convicted rapist” and he closed his eyes. An image of a terrified, long haired strawberry blond filled his mind, “Oh God, Marty!” He was lost for a moment as more pictures flooded through his mind. Pictures of a fight with a man and the man falling and dying. His tear filled eyes looked at Sam. “I raped her...a man died because of me. What kind of monster am I?”

Beth had quickly covered her mouth at his words, sitting down abruptly, her legs unable to hold her as the words struck home. Todd was a rapist. It had to be a mistake, but Todd seemed to be remembering it and he believed it. There had to be more to his story.

Sam sat down and pulled his chair closer. “The kind of monster who’s also a man. Keep reading Todd.” Sam too had been alarmed at first when the result of his fingerprint check had come through, he had tried to picture the man in his home doing such a violent act but it was hard. The man sitting in front of him right then didn’t seem capable of that kind of violence, yet the papers didn’t lie and Todd had just confirmed it, but Sam knew he was a different man now. Sam had heard the love in his voice when he talked about his friend Sam and his family, a career criminal he wasn’t, even though the papers made him out that way,

Sam had looked up the whole story and seen all of it. Todd had been in college when he had committed his crime, his victim had managed to get a confession from him and he had been sentenced to eight years in prison. He had escaped prison and during his rampage of revenge, a man named Suede Pruitt had died. Subsequently after being recaptured and on his way back to prison, Todd had found himself freed again because of a car crash.  Instead of escaping when he could have, he had stuck around and saved four lives, one of those had been his rape victim.  No, there was a lot more to him than his crimes.

Todd continued to read through his tears. He found an article that Sam had printed telling the story about hospital rapes and his part in capturing the real perpetrator. Another article named him as the Lord Heir, there was a picture of his sister Viki and Todd found himself tracing her features on the page. I trust you above all others. He remembered a scene in a tomb. It was his father’s tomb, the night before he was to marry Blair, he recalled Viki’s torturous revelation that their father had raped her as a child. She had convinced him that he wasn’t his father, and he had married Blair.

Todd’s tears dried as he looked at other articles. The article of the death of Publisher Todd Manning shortly following his marriage to Blair Daimler, then another article about his miraculous return.  Next he found an article stating how he had held half of Llanview hostage, among those held had been Blair and Viki.  Later, another article about an infamous DID trial and the fraud perpetrated on the citizens of Llanview as Todd Manning once more escaped punishment for his many crimes. At this point, Todd had read more than enough to convince him he was the scum of the earth and deserved everything that had happened to him. He finally found himself reading an article about the death of his mentor, Sam Rappaport, and his own disappearance in connection to Sam’s death. Todd crumbled that article and turned as pale as a ghost. “I didn’t kill you Sam. It wasn’t me. Mitch had me.” He flung the file to the floor and turned into the couch as his tears for his friend overwhelmed him.

Sam looked on and reached a hand out, patting Todd’s shoulder to once more offer comfort to the man in front of him. He knew that the man was in for another shock, but Todd needed a moment to digest what he already had seen.

Beth picked up the papers looking at them and then one article caught her eye. “Todd Manning Returns.” The article talked about the new look of Todd Manning after his harrowing escape from the man known as Mitch Laurence. She couldn’t believe what she was looking at. The man looked nothing like Todd. “Sam, what’s this? It doesn’t make sense.”

Sam looked at the article Beth was holding up and shook his head, “I don’t know what to tell you. There’s more.” he indicated she look at the rest of the clippings.

Todd stirred, “What doesn’t make sense Beth. It’s all there in black and white. I’m someone you folks should have left to die. It’s obvious isn’t it. One crime after another, but I swear I didn’t kill Sam.  Please tell me you believe me.  I know I didn’t kill him.  He was the closest thing to a real father I had.  I loved him.”

           Beth carried the papers over and sat next to Sam. “We know you didn’t, Todd, it turns out someone named Lyndsay killed him.”


          “That’s Sam’s ex- wife.  Why would she kill him?” He didn’t know how he knew that, but it had just come to him. Why would a detail like that be so easy to remember and yet other things were taking forever to access?


         “The papers said it was accidental. That she was mentally disturbed and thought he was someone else. Todd, you should know there’s something here that’s probably going to confuse you because it certainly has us confused.” She handed him the article proclaiming the new Todd Manning.


         Todd read the article and slumped back on the couch. “It can’t be, I’m Todd.. You said I was Todd. How can he be me?” Beth handed him the rest of the articles that Sam had copied. Todd sat there and felt like he had dropped into another world. His breath caught as he read the next clipping in front of him. “Todd Manning Found Guilty in the Rape of Wife.” he couldn’t believe what he was reading, “Blair” he whispered. He rubbed his eyes, his stomach lurched as he thought about someone hurting Blair the way he had hurt Marty. Sam had stapled another paper to the article and Todd gingerly turned the page over to see the one underneath. The attached copied paper, stated that Blair had misinterpreted the actions of her husband due to a brain tumor and the guilty plea was overturned.

Todd was shaking and Beth took the rest of the papers from his hands. “I think that’s more than enough for now. We’re not going to solve this tonight.” Todd had received too many new shocks and she was concerned he would have a relapse. She should have put a stop to everything earlier when he had gotten upset about his friend.

Todd grabbed her hand. “Beth, I need to know everything.”

“I don’t think this is doing you any good. Whatever you’ve done, I don’t believe you deserve what was done to you. Your wounds tell me you were indeed held for a number of years and if you’re truly Todd Manning, than there’s much more going on here.” Beth closed the file.

“Beth’s right. Those men came here looking to take you back. That means they don’t want you returning home. If they can’t take you back, they want you dead. Neither of those men showed an ounce of sympathy when they thought you had died. You’re a problem that needs to be resolved, and I’m betting if you get back to Llanview, you’ll be interfering with a plan already in place.” Sam knew he had Todd’s attention now. “For now, they have no proof you’re alive. Stay here, get better, and we’ll work on getting you home.”

Todd looked from one to the other. “You’re serious. After what you both know about me now, you’d let me stay here?”

“This is what we know about you. You’ve been tortured for a number of years and I’m guessing by those newspaper clips, it’s been at least eight. You love your wife and children and just want to get home. Nothing I’ve seen or heard from you indicates to me that you’re dangerous or delusional.” Beth leaned over and whispered in Todd’s curly ear. “Besides I’m still waiting for a chance to go down on you.”

Todd was not sure he heard her correctly and said, “What?”

Beth smiled “Just wanted to see if you were listening.” She watched as Todd blushed clear to his toes.

Sam looked at Beth. “What did you say to him, hon?

Beth just sauntered over to her husband and said “I’ll tell you later. Why don’t you go take that shower you were wanting earlier, I’ll keep Todd company.” She turned and winked at Todd and laughed when he lowered his eyes from hers.

Todd couldn’t believe it, but Beth was actually turning him on with her outrageous suggestion.

Beth watched as Sam left the room. She turned back to her patient. Her stomach was fluttering as she realized she was about to do something she had never done with anyone, but her husband. She wasn’t sure if it was the knowledge that he had once raped someone and was dangerous, or the knowledge that her husband could catch her, but something in her wanted to help the man lying on the couch. She quivered knowing she was totally turned on. She walked back over to the couch and knelt down on the floor beside him. “Todd let me do this for you. I know it’s been a long time but I want to make you feel better.”

“Beth, you’re serious aren’t you?” he was shocked, never in his wildest dreams did he think this generous and loving woman would make such an offer. She had just found out he was a convicted rapist, yet she was offering to make him feel better. He wasn’t sure any of this was real anymore. He watched fascinated as she undid his zipper and reached in to free him. The stroke of her soft hands around him was unreal. Beth began stroking and kneading him and then she brought her mouth down on him. The sensations were incredible and he knew he wouldn’t last long.

As a doctor, Beth knew all pressure points to get the best response, besides she had had plenty of practice on Sam. She looped her tongue around him, teasing him and felt him shudder against it. Beth could hear her own heart beating faster as he began to softly moan and she knew he was going to climax soon. She gripped his hips, as she placed her mouth to fully encompass him, her fingers relishing the tight muscles beneath the surface. He was in excellent shape but she had already seen that. Now she realized just how toned he was.

His body was overpowered with feelings rushing through him, he knew he should stop her, but it had been so long since someone had cared about him at all. His body was starved for affection and Beth was giving it too him. He gave into the urges, unable to fight any longer.

Todd suddenly caught her head as he gently pushed deeper. Beth relaxed to let him, continuing to massage him with her lips and tongue. Suddenly he came inside her mouth and from long practice, Beth swallowed and then slowly withdrew from around him, his hands had dropped their hold on her and were laying across his chest and by his side. His breath was quick and uneven and his eyes were closed. She kissed his firm stomach enjoying the tremor and slight moan that escaped from Todd. She carefully zipped him back up. and leaned closer to him, wiping his brow and making sure he was all right. ”You should call it a night.” she said as his eyes opened and met hers. She got ready to rise, when he grabbed her hand.

“Wait.”

Beth remained alongside him a moment longer. She was at peace with her decision. He had been so strung out after all the revelations, he had needed an outlet to release the tension. She was glad she had been able to do that for him. She sensed he was more relaxed and it was good. Now he might be able to get some sleep.

Todd sat up and slowly leaned toward her. Gently kissing her, he said. “That was the nicest present I’ve been given in a very long time. Thank you.”

Beth smiled and put her arm under his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Todd got his feet under him and with her help retired to his bed. Sleep took him quickly.

Beth smiled as she left his room.

Sam was coming out of the bathroom, and asked.”Is he going to be all right tonight?”

She nodded, “I’ll be in to join you after my bath.” she patted his arm and shoved him toward their room, “you better be awake when I get there Mister.”

Sam began humming as he headed to his room, the twinkle in Beth’s eyes told him he was in for some good times that night.

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