Dance with the Devil: Chapter 29

Sam and Alexis stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Todd. While Alexis’ face grew hard, Sam gave him a small smile. “I heard about your shooting. They’ve released you?” she asked with surprising kindness.


Todd didn’t know what to say, but he answered, “Uh yeah a few days ago. I had to come back for other things, like I had to see a shrink and tell him I was hearing my dead brother who it turns out isn’t really dead…” He looked embarrassed by his babbling. “It’s a long story.”


Sam nodded. “I hope everything gets better for you,” she said finally as she moved off.


“Wait, can I talk to you for a few minutes?” he asked.


Sam could tell by the look on his face he really needed to tell her something. She turned to Alexis. “Can you hold him for a minute, please?” she asked as she handed the baby to her mother before she even received an answer. Then she and Todd left Alexis, Blair, Starr and Jack as they moved to a bank of chairs.


Todd took a deep breath. “I want to apologies to you again for what I did. I should never had trusted someone I didn’t know and I was panicked about Tea’s baby. Heather lied to me, she told me that you didn’t want the baby, your husband didn’t want it and you were just there to abandon it. And as Tea was bonding with him, though every thought running through my head was saying no, I couldn’t break her heart.” He looked up into Sam’s eyes. “It was selfish and cowardly, but…that’s just what I am.”


Sam closed her eyes as she spoke. “Heather has been causing trouble from the moment she was released from Ferncliff. She caught me in her web and you just fell into it. But you did come forward in the end and told the truth, even if it cost you greatly. I am sorry for your sister-in-law’s loss.”


She was about to get up when Todd caught her arm. “Wait, there’s one thing I like from you.” Sam looked unsure, but sat back down as Todd continued. “I know you saying you gave up the PI business was a sham, but I could use one right now.” Todd sat back as he explained, “It’s come to light over the past few days that both my brother and his son may in fact be alive. I don’t know how, but I have never really trusted cops. I’d like to hire you and that partner of yours to find them. You can even talk to John McBain, he’s looking into it with more legitimate methods, but I don’t think that will be enough.” He waited a moment. “Please say you’ll take the job.”


Sam sat back and thought for a moment. Then she nodded. As she got back up, she said to him, “I’ll be in touch with you when we find anything.” With that she moved back to her mother and they went on their way. When Todd got back to his family he explained to them that he hired her to do an independent investigation of Victor’s shooting and his son’s disappearance. Then they made their way to the showing. It turned out to be not just a house, but an estate. The main house, about the size of Llanfair or La Boulaie, was Tudor style, with a master suite on the ground and four bedrooms in the upstairs. There was a large kitchen and a library that kind of reminded the family of Llanfair’s.


“You also have a lovely gatehouse, which is wonderful for company that may visit,” the realtor described cheerily.


“Or for grown-up daughters,” Todd mumbled for Starr’s benefit. His daughter rolled her eyes at him, but he played innocent.


Sam, who had joined them, ran in from the back. “Mommy, there’s a pool! Can we buy it, please?”


“Ah, there’s one vote for the house,” Blair said. She turned to Jack. “What’s your opinion there, son?”


Jack had meandered around the place, but when asked, shrugged his shoulder. “Whatever,” he finally said in a tone of voice that sounded just like his dad.


Todd turned to Starr. “What do you say, Shorty. You and Sarah can share the gatehouse. It’ll get you out of that crappy apartment you picked over me and the Metrocourt.”


Starr just glared at her father, but after a minute, she pulled out her phone and called her cousin. When she gave her father a thumbs up, he and Blair looked at each other and nodded to the realtor. “I’ll have the papers drawn up as soon as I get to the office.” With that, she left.


The boys ran upstairs to pick out their rooms and Starr went out to the gatehouse to meet Sarah and show her their new residence. Todd and Blair were alone and he pulled his love into his lap as he wheeled them around their new home. “Well, what do you think, Mrs. Soon-to-be Manning? Does it meet with your approval?” he asked.


“Yes, it does,” she said as she got quiet. When Todd noticed this, she added, “I guess this means our lives in Llanview are over.”


Todd shrugged. “Not exactly. Yes, my base of operations has moved here, but I still have the Sun in Llanview plus other business holdings and I did purchase a penthouse to get out of Llanfair. I still have, I guess you could say, family there. We’ll still be going there, at least to visit.” He pointed to the upper floors “We still have some extra rooms, since Starr’ll be in the gatehouse. Addie can come with us, if you’d like,” he said as he swallowed hard.


“Well that is sweet of you to think of Momma, but she has her own life and she likes La Boulaie. She can stay there for Dorian and look after the place,” Blair said. When Todd let out a exaggerated sigh of relief, Blair swatted him on the arm. They laughed together as they checked out their new home.


Meanwhile, in their old hometown of Llanview, Viki walked up to the home of her sister-in-law, Tea Delgado. She had spoken earlier in the morning to Danie about what Tea had revealed the night before and Danie had agreed not to say anything to Todd about it. Now, Viki was determined to get the whole story from the other woman.


When Tea answered the door, she was still in her robe. “You know, I just realized something,” she said, allowing Viki to enter.


“What’s that?” Viki asked without any other greeting.


“For years, Todd, and then Victor, told me all about your famous lectures. And I just realized I’ve never had the pleasure of one.” She walked into the den and sat down. “Until now, it would seem.”


“Alright, Tea, what do you think I’m going to lecture you about?” Viki asked.


“Daniella ran to you after I told her Todd wasn’t her father, am I right?” When Viki didn’t answer, Tea continued. “It’s the truth.” She stood up and walked over to the patio doors, looking out. “I grew up in the basement of a luxury apartment complex and pretend that I was one of those rich kids. When I became a lawyer I imagined a very different childhood for myself and when I married Todd, I was finally able to give myself the life I imagined. It didn’t even matter if he loved me, he gave me the means to get what I wanted. Then a funny thing happened. I fell in love with your brother, but he never loved me. He never looked at me the way he looked at Blair. I realized that when I left town with him years ago. That’s why I left him.”


“What about Victor?” her sister-in-law asked.


“I had heard about Todd and Marty and I came back to see if he really had changed. I was shocked at how different he had become over the years I was away. And he flirted with me. He never did that in all the years before.” She chuckled as she continued. “He even flirted with me in front of Blair.” Then she grew serious. “When we were stuck on that island, we had one romp. And what did Todd do afterwards? He built a raft and left. Left me and Ross on that island alone. So what did Ross and I do?” She left the answer hanging there.


“So when you heard of how different Todd was, you came back to, what test the waters?” Viki questioned.


Tea nodded. “I wanted to see if he would just use me again to try and get Blair. Then when I had him, I figured I leave a trail for her and see what she would do with the information. I wanted to see how Todd would react. He surprised me. He accept my daughter as his wholeheartedly. He loved her,” she started to laugh again, “MORE than Starr and Jack and Sam. And I had everything I wanted. The man I loved, a beautiful daughter. Hell, Blair and I were even friendly.”


“And then the real Todd Manning came back to Llanview,” Viki concluded.


“You weren’t there the night of the premiere. He barely looked at me. And when he did acknowledge me, it was only to verify information. He only had eyes for Blair and Starr and Jack. When he looked at them, it was like seeing a man who had been lost finally come home.” She turned towards Viki. “That’s what I had to fight against. And I was never going to win with Todd.”


“But you had won Victor and that was enough,” Viki said.


“I thought so, but then Todd killed him and I was left alone. And then I lost the baby and I came back here so angry. Then, Danie wanted to see Todd and I lost it. So now, Todd will be so happy. He’s free of me, free of Danie. He can live with Blair and her children, including Sam, even if Todd did killed his father. He’s Blair’s son, after all.”


Viki stood there in absolute shock. She knew there was only one thing to say. “Tea, there’s something you need to know--” she began, but she was interrupted by the other woman stalking out of the room to the front door.


“Viki, I don’t really care to hear anything you say. Please leave. I know all I need to know about your brother Todd,” she stated as she held the door. Viki realized she had little choice and began walking out the door when Tea told her, “You know, when Todd and I were in the police station in Port Charles for Starr, I told him he would always be able to worm his way back into his family. He even admitted that everyone had something they were good at and that was his talent. I’m glad to see that I was right. Thank you, though for letting Danie stay with you until she cools down.” With that, she closed the door on Viki.


The older woman returned to Llanfair and Clint greeted her there. He could tell by her demeanor just how well that conversation had gone. “I tried to tell her about Victor, but she’s just so broken, she would even let me,” Viki said. “Have you been successful in your search today?”


Clint shrugged his shoulders. “I think I may have found a doctor. I called the hospital and spoke to Dr. Webber. He gave Todd a list of names and the one I found was on his list as well. I spoke to the doctor and have him on standby in case Todd agrees.” He looked at her. “Dr. Harmon is in the top of his field, despite a lot of obstacles.”


Viki was intrigued. “I don’t see what Todd would object to, if he’s that good,” she said finally.


“Todd might be skeptical because Dr. Matt Harmon himself is a paraplegic,” Clint told her.


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