Dance with the Devil: Chapter 27

It was early evening by time Viki had gotten to the airport. The Buchanan jet was waiting for her and as she walked to the gate, she nearly walked straight into Nora and Bo Buchanan. “You got up here quickly, I see,” she said.


“Well, the police commissioner want to speak to me about Victor’s shooting and Clint told us you were heading home today, so it just made sense,” Bo said. He looked at Nora as he asked his next question, “How’s Todd doing?”


Viki caught Nora’s look, but chose to ignore it. It wasn’t worth getting into anything with her friend over. “Despite the bullet, physically he’s fine. However, he’s questioning a lot now that we’ve seen the footage of Victor. He says he still does remember shooting him.” She let out a sigh. “We may have all been very wrong about questioning Todd’s mental state.”


Nora’s voice was skeptical. “He really has you believing his story? Viki, this is a man who faked DID to get out of three hundred years in prison for holding hostages!”


“Nora, you didn’t see him today when he was questioning his memories after watching the image of Victor and Allison Perkins on the screen,” Viki said, her voice raised slightly. “Look, I realize Todd is one thing we will always disagree on, but the Todd Manning you know was not around me or his family today nor has he been since the day of the shooting. He was questioning his own memories, his own sanity.” Viki walked towards the door leading to the plane. “Look, just promise me you won’t upset him more than he already is if you run into him in town. I really don’t know how much more he can take.” With that Viki left them alone in the terminal.


Bo watched her leave and turned to his wife. “Look, Red, I know you and Todd have a long, bad history together. But from they way Clint described him when he came home a few days ago, this may have really changed him. And if there is evidence that Victor is alive, that puts the both of us on his bad side,” he said then added, “Not that we were ever on his good side to start.”


She laughed, but it was short and bitter. “God, seeing Todd Manning as a victim? That’s never going to sit well with me,” she finally said. “Let’s see what is going on before we take anyone’s side, though.”


They arrived shortly thereafter at the police station and were greeted by John McBain and a brunette, whom he introduced as the police commissioner, Anna Devane. The four sat down immediately and viewed the images caught on the park cameras. As Nora watched it, she removed her glasses and began massaging the bridge of her nose. There was no doubt in her mind that it was Victor in the video. “Oh, God, there was a tiny bit of me hoping that this was some fantasy, that there was no evidence. Not that I totally wish the guy dead, but he’s been a thorn in my side for almost two decades,” she said. Then she thought about it. “Well, not the one on the video, his brother, but yeah, him too.”


Anna smiled at the lawyer. “I am aware of the…complexities…of Mr. Lord and Mr. Manning. John has also told me of your history with them,” she said.


“My history with Todd Manning. Yeah, defense and prosecution,” Nora replied.


“It’s actually quite surprising to me that you were allowed to prosecute him given that history,” Anna said. “I am aware of the extent of Mr. Manning’s crimes, the rape, his stalking of you.”


Nora didn’t like what the other woman was saying, but she ignored it. She turned to John and Bo. “I need to talk to Todd as soon as possible. We need to go over that night again to see if we can figure out just what happened.” She turned back to Anna. “Have you put out an APB for Allison Perkins?”


Anna nodded as she said, “John spoke to Todd today about the night of the shooting. Manning is still sticking to his story about going there and shooting him.”


Bo looked confused. “Manning still say he did it? That’s very unlike him.”


“Well, to be honest, he really didn’t seem to be his typical self when I spoke to him. He seemed like he was trying to cling to the memory, like it was a lifesaver, no matter what price he had to pay for it,” John explained as he faced Nora. “Look, it’s getting late, why don’t we continue this in the morning.”


Bo and Nora agreed and headed to the Metrocourt. After getting into their room, they decided they needed a drink so they went to the bar. When they arrived, they saw Todd and Blair already in the restaurant. Blair noticed them and Todd’s gaze followed Blair’s. The Buchanan’s tried to ignore the other Llanview residents but Blair came over to them.


“Bo, Nora,” she said pleasantly. “I’m guessing you’re here about Victor?”


Bo nodded. “We just came from seeing it at the station.”


“Well, I’ll tell you, Todd is not reacting the way you’d assume. He’s only made one crack at the LPD’s expense, but he’s very shaken. He’s really afraid he’s losing his mind, the memory of the shooting being so paramount to him,” Blair explained. “He told us that after holding onto all of us in his memories for eight years. How, he thinks he can’t even trust them.”


Nora remained quiet through Blair’s explanations. When Blair left, she finally looked over at Todd, whose eyes were only on Blair. Even to her, the younger man seemed different. Maybe something had changed about him, but she would reserve judgment on that until she spoke with him herself.


Back in Llanview, Viki arrived home to find Clint in the library with her niece Daniella. The young woman looked as if she had been crying and Clint was letting her. When Viki walked in, she asked, “Danie, what’s the matter?” She thought Danie may have learned about the baby, but Clint eased her off his shoulder and signaled Viki into the kitchen.


“She got here about an hour ago. There was apparently a huge fight and Danie left her mother back at the house,” Clint explained.


“A fight? What about?” came Viki’s next question.


“It seems that there was another DNA test that was tampered with,” Clint said. They walked back into the library as Clint said, “Viki’s back. I have some paperwork that I need to do, but your aunt will help you, I’m sure.” With that, he closed the doors behind him as Viki sat down on the couch.


“Darling, what’s the matter?” Viki asked, confused with what Clint had said.


Danie stood up and walked away from the couch. “My mom’s a bitch,” she said simply. When Viki gave her a look in askance, her niece continued. “I told her I wanted to just go see Todd up in Port Charles. Confront him about the baby, yes, but also see how he was doing. Starr’s been keeping me updated about his condition. But Mom wouldn’t let me. Then I told her she couldn’t keep me away from my father. That’s when she said she had been doing it all along. When I asked her about that, she said that Ross Rayburn was really my father.”


“What?” Viki asked, shocked. “But there was a DNA test--” Viki stopped herself. She then remembered the reputation of DNA tests in this town.


Danie’s laugh was hallow. “She told me she paid off a technician to have the results read that Todd Manning was my father, to secure his love. And it worked. ‘Todd’ loved me, loved her and married her, until the real Todd Manning came back and barely looked at her, then barely gave me a thought.” She turned back her Viki. “She was furious when he loved Sam more than his ‘biological’ daughter, when Sam stood by him during the trial.”


“Oh, darling,” Viki said as she embraced the girl. “I can’t believe that Tea would do that!”


“The funny thing is, if Victor had never died, she would have kept the secret. She knew he loved her, even if Todd never did, and would have been accepted me as his daughter,” Danie said though her sniffles.


Viki felt awful for the girl. She had come to think of her as her niece, as family. No, she was still family, despite biology. “What do you want to do now?” she asked.


“I was hoping I could stay here. I don’t want to go back home. Mom is so bitter about Todd and the baby. She’s lashing out and I can’t stand to be in the same house as her. Then I do want to see Todd. To tell him he’s off the hook with me,” Danie told her.


“Of course you can stay here. I’ll have Lois fix a room for you. Will you at least call your mother to tell her you’re here? I don’t really want her to worry about where you are,” Viki asked her. When Danie nodded, she led the girl to a room. Danie was tired and decided to go to sleep.


Viki came back downstairs to find Clint in the library. “That poor girl. I still can’t believe Tea would do such a thing, to trap Todd,” she said as she poured herself a glass of water. “It’s a good thing Todd or Blair aren’t here. Tea may have gone through a window again.”


Clint laughed at the comment. “She was telling me that Tea set it up to make sure Blair found out and then that Todd really didn’t seem to care about Danie when he came back last year.”


“Yes, she expressed a similar sentiment to me. But Todd does care for her, he’s just always been so focused on Blair and his children with her, even little Sam. Finding out about Danie blindsided him last year,” Viki told him. “Tomorrow, I’m going to have a talk with Tea. I just still can’t believe she’d go to that length for Todd. Those two have been fighting over him for nearly two decades, and it’s not like he’s the greatest prize to begin with.”


“How is your brother doing? I know he’s out of the hospital,” Clint asked.


“Physically, with the exception of the paralysis, he’s fine. Mentally…” Viki sighed. “It’s ironic, if Tea had stayed in Port Charles one more day, her secret would still probably be safe.” When Clint looked at her curiously, she elaborated. “Molly Lansing-Davis had an encounter at the park. She saw a woman pushing a youngish man in a wheelchair and she recognized the man.” She looked back at her fiancé. “It was Victor.”


“Victor? As in your brother, Victor Lord Jr.?” Clint said with disbelief. “But how is that possible?”


“We don’t know. The police are investigating it. Needless to say, when we told Todd about it, he was as shocked as you. So much so, Blair and the children took him to the hospital. He’s going to have an evaluation with a Doctor Keenan, the staff psychiatrist, in a few days.” She got up and looked out into the foyer. “I don’t think we should tell Danie this. Especially not after today.”


“Well, I’m going to be able to go with you when you head back up to Port Charles. Before Nora left, she got the judge to give me a suspended sentence for good behavior. I’m having the anklet taken off tomorrow,” Clint informed her. “Cord called me to tell me that Tracy Quartermaine is getting in the way of the deal and hoped I could have a talk with her father Edward. He’s an old buddy of Pa’s so I might be able to use that.”


Viki smiled at Clint. “Give me a few days to make sure the paper is running smoothly. I think we should take Danie with us when we go, but I’ll advice her not to say anything to Todd. He’s been through so much already, and I don’t want him to come down like a ton of bricks on Tea.”


Clint nodded. “I agree,” he said. “But should we tell Tea about Victor?”


Viki shook her head. “No, not until there’s any movement on that investigation. Besides, I don’t think she’d hear reason even if we tried to tell her.”


As Viki was saying that, Tea was in her living room, drink in hand, staring at her wedding portrait. Victor had on that corny grin of his on his face as he looked at her with nothing but love in his eyes. She closed her eyes and imagined Blair and Todd standing outside somewhere, laughing at her. She looked around and saw she was at the cemetery, bury her son next to his father. Then she heard a voice. “Hey, why are you crying?” it asked.


She would know that voice anywhere. She turned back around and there was Victor, standing there, alive. “Victor!” she said, utterly shocked. She ran to him and he was solid to her touch. They kissed fiercely, each unwilling to break apart. But then, Tea did, tears in her eyes. She closed them, saying, “No, this is just a dream. I’ll wake up and I’ll be alone. I’ve lost you, I’ve lost our son and I’ve driven Daniella away.” When she reopened her eyes, she was back in her home and she was alone.


In a hotel room in Port Charles, Blair was in a deep sleep, but Todd was merely dozing, merely steps away from being awake. It was in that state he heard a voice. Masculine and cocky, it called to him, though he didn’t want to hear it. “Todd, if we ever had any of that weird twin connection, I need it now,” the voice said.


Todd’s eye flew open and he sat up, though he didn’t wake Blair. He knew that voice. It was Victor’s.


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