The Fourth Life: Chapter 8

"So, how was your day?  Session with Ray?"  Blair said.  She greeted him at the door.  "Are we still going to The Sun?"

"Sure, are you and my little buddy ready?"

"He's upstairs, I'll go and get him."

"Good, we have lots to do."

"Why?  You look like the cat that captured the canary today, Todd Manning."

"I ran into Zeus, and I've got something really juicy for us to delve into."

"Sounds great, let me go get the champ."  She went upstairs, and stopping at the top, turned back and said, "Glad you're home, Todd."

He smiled up after her, and picked up the phone as soon as she was out of eyesight.  "It's me.  Todd Manning, that's who.  Did you do as I asked?  Is everything set?  Sunday, and make sure it's perfect, or no payment.  Perfect."  He heard her rounding the corner at the top of the staircase and hung up.  "Ready?"  he said, covering.

"Yes, we are!  Aren't we?  Look, it's Daddy!  See Daddy?"

"Yeah, see Jane run, let's go, Blair, the car's in the no parking zone," he said, throwing the door open and holding it for her, as she walked through with the carrier in her hand.  He took it from her, and closed the door behind them.  

The limo ride was uneventful.  She sat, cooing over Ray, who was awake and alert, and he read his tablet on the way, attempting to find information to support or refute the idea that Zeus posed about Carlo Hesser.  At this point, it seemed like a stab in the dark, until he remembered, and got the dazed and amazed look that Blair had come to know.

"Todd, what?  You came up with something, didn't you?"

He said, "Yeah, Blair, are you forgetting my investigative skills?  It's been a lot of years, but you never lose that."

"I guess not," she placed a kiss on his cheek.  "You're a brilliant man."

"Well, wait until you get a load of this one.  Zeus thinks he's Hesser's son."

"Todd, that's not funny.  The guy is delusional, he's sick.  That's not something to poke fun of.  You're not planning to do that, are you?"

"No, I feel for the guy.  He's been through a lot, like I have, and not as long or much, but he was tormented.  Brainwashed.  Besides, I am the reason he was at that weak point anyway, when all this started.  So, no.  It has to do with him, but not the way you'd think."

"All right, spring it on me.  I love the way you think, Todd."

"Well, maybe, but you're the one who lead me to this."

"Me?"

"Yeah, I was just sitting here, thinking about Zeus, how he's certain Carlo's his papa, and how Carlo once slipped a hint to him, and I thought of something you'd never expect."  She was his captive audience.  "Back when we took down Mayor Finn and her establishment, and Carlo escaped, she and I had a very interesting conversation just before her press conference and arrest."

"I'm with you, go ahead."

"She told me about her college days.  She was a hooker, and wealthy men paid for her to be their 'escort.'  One she ran into was Carlo.  He was about fifteen years older than she was.  To make a long story short, they fell in love, believe it or not.  Can you imagine loving that guy?"

"No, can't say that I can."

"Well, she did.  And, she fell hard for him.  Then, she found out that he was a common gangster and dumped his bald little self."

"Okay, call me deadheaded, but I don't see where this one is leading."

"That's just it, you wouldn't, unless you knew that she later found out she was pregnant with his kid."  Todd said, shifting his eyes to the side to see her reaction.

Blair's mouth dropped in surprise.  "Oh my God!"  she said, "Pregnant?  Well, then that's it!"

"Not quite it.  She said that he wouldn't leave her alone, he stalked her, and all that good stuff..."

"Todd, stalking is not good stuff."

"Why?  I always stalked you?"

"Nevermind.  Go on."

"Well, he followed her around and got arrested and beat up for not leaving her alone.  When the baby came, she let him back in her life a bit, and then she lost the baby."

Blair's face changed at the words.  "Oh.  Maybe that explains a little why she was so...I don't know.  Mean."

"Well, I even felt something for her there.  So, after she lost the baby, he blamed her and he took off on her."

"This is getting sadder, and not quite leading to anything yet."

"Yet.  When Carlo was back in jail last year, he contacted her.  He wanted her to free him.  He promised to help her get the governor's seat and she would pardon him.  He also had the hooker stuff to hold over her head, and she thought it would ruin her."

Blair said, "So you're thinking he...wanted to get back at her, blackmailed her?"

"Yeah, but think about it."

"He could have hid the baby from her?"

"He could have."  Todd agreed.

"He could have taken the baby, and told her it died."  Blair said.

He didn't respond at first, and neither did she, because both were thinking about the same thing.  His face changed in a way she didn't want to see.  He seemed greenish, and couldn't find words.  Knowing where his head was, she said, "Are you convinced it's Zeus?"

He said, "What?"

"The baby. Do you think it was Zeus, and that he lived?"

He took her hand.  "Don't pretend that you aren't thinking about Jack, and what kind of man I was."

"I'm not.  I did flash on it a minute, but I'm not thinking of that.  I'm thinking of how you changed and how much you love us."

He kissed her hand, "I'm so sorry, Blair, still.  I hope every day that you know that."

"I do.  It's behind us now, Todd.  Let's go, we're here," she said, as the car drove up to the doorway of The Sun.  "Let's go search out this story."

***

John took a beer from the fridge and sat on the couch.  Slumping against the pillow, he sucked some of it down, and heard her coming in.

Natalie's beautiful red tresses were tied in a loose ponytail, and she had Liam in one arm.  "He's going for his nap, Daddy!  Say night night," she said, leaning over toward him.

He cradled the baby's head in his hand, and kissed his forehead.  "Love you, Liam."  She whisked him off.

Returning, she sat next to him on the couch, and said, "Okay, what's wrong?  I can tell.  You were preoccupied all day."

"I think I made a mistake,"  John said.

"How?"

"I went to see Carlo Hesser.  Today, before we met up."

"You went to see Carlo Hesser."

"I did.  Interrogation room at Statesville."

"Why was it a mistake?"  Fear showed in her eyes.

"I pissed him off, rubbed what happened to Manning in his face.  I don't want you anywhere, with or without Liam, without your piece."

"I won't.  But if he is after you and us, a little visit like that won't alter it, either way.  He's also obsessed with my uncle and Blair.  What you did isn't going to make much difference, at least as I see it."

He hugged her.  She was always pretty sensible about things, but he knew that she was doing this in part to make him feel better about what he'd possibly stirred up.  They separated, and he went back to the kitchen to get another beer.  When he came back, she was looking through the file he had left on the coffee table.  "My God, what are these pictures of, John?"

"Todd's back."

She swallowed, and shuffled through a few more before closing the file in disgust.  "You're spending a lot of time on this."

"Yep."

"These images are ghastly.  You're getting overwhelmed by this John, I'm worried that it's becoming too much a part of you."

"Tell that to your uncle."

***

"There's nothing on the internet about the death of this baby.  Only a little teeny obituary.  Nothing more."  Blair said.

Todd was miles away.  He was sitting by the window, on the mustard couch, staring out.

He closed his eyes, and remembered back to the rock cage, the lighter, his belt, being undone, and shook it off, refusing to let it overpower him.  Instead, he turned his attention to the jail, and Statesville, and Carlo, alone, in his orange attire, in the visitor area.

He imagined the visitor room again, empty, except for Carlo, who was sitting on the inmate side, with his hands and legs chained.  Breaking the glass, as if the place was deserted, Todd walked behind Carlo, lifted the man's hands in front of his own throat, and used his chains to begin to strangle him.  He felt a sort of freeing power as he picture Carlo squirming under the pressure of the metal links against his larynx.  He squeezed the man's hands together, from either side of his head, until he stopped moving and slumped forward...


 "Todd?  Are you listening to me?  Todd?"  Blair repeated, going over and touching his shoulder.  He jumped, and grabbed her wrist.  Looking at her, he immediately let go.

"I'm...I don't know why I did that," he brushed it off, standing and crossing to the easel where the mock-up stood.  The headline was "The Devilfather Imprisoned."  He looked at it, and without warning, pulled the corner and ripped it down wildly.

Blair was unsure of what to do.  Wanting to comfort him, or calm him, she felt the urge to rush to him, but a part of her...

She was afraid.  For the first time in years, she was afraid of what he might do.  Not that he would intentionally hurt her, but, she was not sure about his state of mind, and if he were aware of his surroundings.  This changed within a moment, when she saw him brace himself on the desk, with both hands, and lower his head.  She heard one, short sigh, and saw his shoulders shake.  Without any more hesitation, she was up on her feet, touching his shoulders, and head.  He turned, falling to his knees, and burying his face in her torso and holding her around the waist.  She drove her fingers through his hair, and said, "It's too much, Todd.  You have to let go."

She heard him sigh again, and then, "I know."

She went to her knees, facing him, and ran her hands along his face and hair, using her thumbs to brush away the moisture under his eyes.  She kissed his eyelids gently, then moved to his scar, and kissed it.  He put his hand under her hair and kissed her, hard and longing, and she waited for his lead.  Instead, he pulled back and said to her, "I have to tell you something."

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