Dance with the Devil: Chapter 1

I’m so sorry.  The words just seemed so hollow even to his ears. Of all the things Todd Manning had done in his life, this was the thing that was breaking him the most. The look in Tea’s eyes, the thought of all she had lost because of him--her husband and now her son--was eating away at him.

He flung open the door of the Metrocourt and was making a beeline for the elevators when Carly Jacks stepped in his way. “We need to talk,” the blond said.

“No we don’t,” Todd retorted in a low, dangerous voice.

She put her arm up, barring him from the doors of the elevator. “What the hell were you thinking switching Sam’s baby for Tea’s?”

He turned to her. “Why the hell is it your business. Didn’t you tell me that Sam was keeping you from Jason when he was in the hospital when I first came to town? Didn’t seem then that you and she were buddy/buddy.”

When she remained steadfast in front of him, he continued. “The only people I owe any explanation to are those two mothers. "I’ve already done that. Sam has her baby back. Tea has, yet again, lost something because of me. Now, I intend to go up to that lovely penthouse I’ve been staying in and getting drunker than I ever was in college.” When Carly finally allowed her arm to fall away, Todd entered the elevator and it made it’s way up to his floor.

Carly stood there for a minute, then shook her head. She resolved to get more answers from him soon. As she made her way back to the front desk, Blair Cramer, Todd’s first ex-wife, entered the lobby of the hotel. She saw Carly and approached her.

“Have you seen Todd?” she asked in a calm voice that gave no hint as to the concern that lurked near the surface. “All hell just broke loose at the hospital and Todd is once again at the center of the maelstrom.”

Carly nodded her head towards the elevators. “You just missed him.”

Blair looked in the same direction as Carly, tears forming in her eyes. “Oh, God, what did he say?” For the first time in their lives, Blair truly feared for Todd’s life. He was such a strong man, even eight years of imprisonment and torture couldn’t bring him to the breaking point. Yes, he had been tormented--the diagnoses of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome had been obvious to her and Viki once they began putting pieces together-- but this one event was the one she feared could send him over the edge. It brought up so much of his history, too much it seemed, and she was afraid he could do something
drastic.

Carly looked at Blair. “He’s probably into a bottle of Scotch by now.” She could see the other woman was worried. “You don’t think…”

Blair took a deep breath. As she thought through it, she began to calm down. No, Todd wouldn’t do that to her or to Starr or Jack. He loved them too much to take himself away from them forever. He had lost so much time already, due to the machinations of an insane woman. Even as she shook her head, Carly was guiding her to a couch. She left Blair there for a minute and returned with a drink for her. Blair accepted it gratefully, finally saying, “Todd was…lost for eight years. He lost time with his children, his sisters, his nieces and nephews.” She shook her head violently. “No, he would never put us through that again.” The drink was calming her at last.

Despite her feeling for the man right now, Carly smiled. She knew what it felt to love a man the way Blair obviously loved Todd. Her thoughts then turned to Todd’s other ex-wife. “How is Tea doing? This must be…”

“She angry, devastated, lashing out. She won’t hear reason,” Blair replied sadly. “When Todd told me the whole story, I had hoped that, once the truth came out, Tea wouldn’t blame him. He already blamed himself for where the delivery took place. It all unfolded as almost Shakespearean farce. Tragic events, misunderstandings, miscommunication. And there was Todd, right in the middle of it.”

At that moment, Starr and Michael Corinthos came up to them, tears streaming down Starr’s cheeks. Blair stood up and embraced her daughter. “Mom, say it’s not true!”

Blair merely shook her head. “I wish it weren’t, baby girl. I wish it weren’t.” She rubbed her daughter’s back, trying to stop her thoughts from going, inevitably, to Hope and Cole.

After a few moments, Starr stepped back, a worried expression on her face. “Where is Dad?” Having seen him at the hospital as he tore out of the place, she was more worried for her father than even Tea. “The look on his face when it all came out…”

“Your father went upstairs a few minutes ago,” Carly offered.

“I still can’t believe all that happened,” Starr said, shaking her head. “And the things Tea said about Dad.” She took a deep breath, and felt Michael’s hand on her shoulder, offering his silent comfort. “No matter how much he hated Victor, Dad would never harm a child, much less a newborn.” One thing Starr knew about her father was, even though he saw himself as a monster, he would never harm a child.

Blair had at last felt like she had regained some equilibrium. She turned to Starr. “I want you to stay here.” As Starr started to protest, Blair stood firm. “You stay here. Let me deal with your dad. I may be able to get through that thick skull of his and help him through this.” She paused. “Look, at least give me an hour. I’ll call you if I need help, OK?”

Starr nodded and proceeded to plant herself on one of the couches. Michael looked at Blair and his mother. “I’ll keep an eye on her, make sure she waits for you.”

Blair nodded. “Good luck. She gets her ‘bull in a china shop’ mentality from her father.”

As she walked towards the elevators, she distinctly heard her daughter retort, “You’re no better than he is.” Blair chuckled, remembering her little girl, the perfect fusion of her mother’s she-devilness and her father’s devil may care.

The doors opened and Carly stepped on as well. When Blair protested, Carly held up her hand. “My hotel. If he did any damage to it, I need to inspect it.” She turned away from the other woman. “Besides, you may need my help.” Carly flashed Blair a quick smile as the elevator made it’s way up.

Before it reached it’s destination, Blair’s phone went off. She assumed it was Starr, but was surprised to see Viki’s name pop up. The elevator stopped and both women stepped off. Blair grabbed Carly’s arm to stop her from proceeding as she answered the phone.

“Viki. Hi,” was all she could say.

“Blair what is going on up there? I just got a call from Tea. Did something happen to the baby?” Todd’s sister asked from Llanview.

“Viki, it’s a long story. I don’t have time, because I’m worried about Todd. Look, things are crazy here. Can I call you back?” she asked.

“Yes, please do. I’m worried about you all,” Viki said, ending the call.

Carly waited for Blair to hang up her end. “Todd’s sister?”

Nodding her head, she explained, “The older one. But Viki is the closest thing Todd has ever really had to a mother. Well, a mother he could acknowledge.”

The approached the penthouse door, when Carly heard the door to the starwell close. Ignoring it, momentarily, she readied the master key for the penthouse in case Todd wouldn’t let them in. But the door was ajar when they got there.

“Todd,” Blair called as she knocked on the open door. When no answer came, Blair called out again.

For some reason, a shot of cold fear ran down Carly’s back as Blair stepped into the room. She turned on the lights, and looked around. That was when she saw him, on the floor, on his stomach.

“Todd! Oh my god, Todd!” She launched herself into the room, to where his body lay on the floor, a glass just out of his reach. Blood was seeping out of multiple wounds in his back.

Carly ran in at Blair’s scream. She saw Todd Manning on the floor and in two steps was at the phone. “I’m in the Penthouse suite of the Metrocourt. A man has been shot. Send help quickly.” She ended the call and was at Blair’s side as she turned Todd over and cradled him in her lap.

“Todd, you stay with me, you hear! You hang on. Help is coming,” she said through her tears.

“What, no melon-baller available?” he asked, his characteristic smirk on his face.

“Oh, you stupid son of a bitch!” She shook him. “You stay with me!” She looked around then at Carly and back at him. The other woman had moved to the bathroom to grab towels, hoping they would slow the bleeding. “Did you see who did this to you, Todd?”

His breathing was getting shallow, but he tried to form the words. She brought her ear to his lips as he was able to only get out one small part of the answer. “He…” Before he could finish that, blackness engulfed him and he welcomed it, believing that it had finally taken him for the last time.

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