Dance with the Devil: Chapter 45

The Manning family had a quiet night at home and the next day, Jack and Sam were getting ready for the first day at their new schools.  Todd and Blair dropped Jack off at Port Charles High School, where Molly was waiting at the entrance for him.  Jack and Blair got out, with Sam in the back and Todd staying in the passenger’s seat as the teenage girl approached.  “So, are you nervous?” she asked.

Jack shrugged his shoulders.  “A little maybe.  I’m just glad I know someone here today.”

“Now, the game’s at four and we’ll be there, even Starr.  I think Sarah may try to make it,” Blair said as she tried to smooth down his hair. 

“Mom,” Jack said, as he backed away embarrassed.  “I’ll be fine.”

“Sorry,” she replied.  “Now, you two do good and Molly, thank you for helping Jack out.”

Molly grinned eagerly.  “Don’t worry about him Mrs. Manning.”  With that, they went in.

Blair returned to the driver’s seat.  “You ready for your first day, buddy?” she asked Sam.

“Do I really have to start school today?” he whined.  “I won’t know anyone.  What if they don’t like me?”

“How could anyone not like you?” Todd asked.  “Look, I know it’s scary when you’re new and don’t know anyone.  We’ll come in with you, how’s that?”

“Yeah, I guess that’s okay,” Sam said as they pulled up to the school.  Sam climbed out of the car as Blair got Todd’s chair for him.  As they gathered to go in, Blair noticed the police commissioner approach with an adorable little girl as she talked to Elizabeth Webber, who had two boys with her.

Elizabeth saw the Mannings and smiled at them.  “Hi there!” she said.

“Hello Elizabeth.  Are these your boys?” Blair asked.

“Yes, this is Aiden and this is Cameron.  Say hi, Cameron,” Elizabeth encouraged but Cameron ducked shyly hiding behind his mother.  “Is this your youngest?”

“Yes, his name is Sam,” Blair said with pride.  “He’s going to be going into the second grade.”

“Well, so is my granddaughter Emma,” Anna stated.

“See, Sam, you’ve already met two new people.  So, Cameron, do you like Spiderman?” Blair asked.

Cameron shook his head.  “The Hulk,” he replied, brightening and the two boys started debating the two characters.  Emma had been quiet but tried to keep up with them as they walked towards the doors.

“They seem to be getting along real well,” Anna observed.

“Yeah, that’s good for Sam.  He was afraid no one would like him,” Todd said as he turned to Anna.  “So, police commissioner but not too busy to drop your granddaughter off for her first day of school?”

“Well, my daughter died this February and her father, my son-in-law, he hasn’t been cooping too well with it,” Anna told them as she walked on ahead.

Elizabeth looked saddened and then explained to them, “Robin died in an explosion the night…the night of your daughter’s accident.  Patrick, he‘s had a rough time of it.”

Blair’s hand went to her heart.  “Oh that poor little girl.”  She remembered back to when she had to tell Starr about Hope and a tear formed in her eye.  Todd took her hand and kissed it, his mind going back to the day he saw Starr after the accident.  Blair smiled at him and they went in to make sure everything was okay with Sam.  They found him and Cameron were still talking superheroes so they decided to leave.  They headed over to the hospital for Todd’s appointment. 

When they arrived, Dr. Harmon was able to see them right away.  “I’ve been over your charts and everything is looking good.  Have you been keeping up with the pre-surgery PT?”

Todd nodded.  “Yeah, I’ve been working with Blair and a therapist has been coming in.”  He then clapped his hands.  “So, when can you do the surgery.  Tomorrow would be great.”

Harmon laughed.  “No, not tomorrow, but if everything goes according to plan, we should be able to perform the surgery fairly soon.  Let’s meet again this time next week and if nothing has changed, we’ll schedule you then.”

Todd and Blair left the office, and although it wasn’t what he had wanted to hear, he wasn’t completely downtrodden.  When they got back to the office, Viki and Tina were there waiting for them. 

“How did everything go with Dr. Harmon?”  Viki asked.

“Well, everything is looking fine to the point that I’ll be having the operation soon.  I just really want this last reminder of my latest screw-up done with so I can move on.  Maybe they’ll let me keep the bullet after it’s out,” Todd said.  He looked at his sisters.  “What’s up with you?  You gonna be heading back to Llanview, check in on Jess and the Banner?”

“Actually, that’s one of the reasons I came here.  Danie went back to Llanview a few days ago and Jessie picked her up at the airport, thinking she’d take her right over to Tea’s.  But Danie was still angry and stayed at Llanfair until this morning.  Jessica was finally able to convince her to go home but when she took her over there, Tea wasn’t there,” Viki told him.

Blair’s eyes went wide and Todd sat up straighter.  “What do you mean she wasn’t there?” Todd asked slowly.

“What do you think she means?” Tina asked.  “They couldn’t find her anywhere around the property, in the house…” She shut up when her brother gave her a look. 

Todd was about to snarl something to her, but Blair cut him off.  “Do the police know about this?” she asked. 

“Yes, and Nora left here as soon as she heard.  The authorities are looking into it,” Viki explained.  “When you saw her, Blair, what was she like?”  

Blair walked over to a side table, realizing something.  “The last I saw of Tea was as she was shoving me out the door.  She was so upset, she was barely coherent.”

“It sounds like your conversation went as well as mine,” the older blonde said.  “She was fully expecting a lecture, but I just wanted her to explain herself.”

“I think she want me to push her out a window again.  And I was sorely tempted, I’ll tell you.  She almost seemed…obsessed with you, Todd.  She admitted that she did marry you for your name and status, but she did seem to want you for more than that,” Blair admitted.  “She did also say that she did love Victor.  I told her he was still alive, but she didn’t believe me and that’s when she lost it.”

This talk was making Todd feel worse about everything that had gone on, from Victor’s shooting to the baby switch.  “Did you hear if the authorities have any leads?” he asked his sister.

“According to my contact at the LPD, none yet.  They’ve just started treating it as a missing persons case,” she replied.

Todd picked up his phone.  When the other end picked up, he barked, “Spinelli, I’m expanding your jobs.  I know I told you to stay away from my ex-wife, Tea Delgado, but it seems she’s gone missing…Last time we can think of anyone seeing her was two days ago…Last known location was her house on Jackson Hill Road…Could be…That’s what I pay you for…Get me any information you can, and this time, try being a little stealthier than you normally are…I’ll let Sam know.”  With that, he hung up the phone.  “So, we have Victor shot and assumed dead but not, his kid believed to have died at birth, but the DNA doesn’t match and now Delgado’s missing.  You got security on Llanfair?”

Viki shook her head.  “No, but I can see what your thinking and it may be a good idea.  I’ll also talk to John and fill him in on this latest development, as well as tell Natalie to keep her eyes open.  I also think Clint and I should head home.  We are really the only family Tea has left, now that Tomas left town.”

“We’ve already talked to Sarah and she’s been made aware of the situation.  This whole family seems to have a target on their backs, literally in some cases,” Tina fretted.

Todd threw his less beloved sister a nasty look, but chose to ignore her comment.  When they left, Blair turned to him.  “Are you thinking this has something to do with that Helena Cassadine person?”

“No, I still think this may have something to do with my shooting.  Maybe Heather’s gone after Tea because I screwed up her vendetta against Sam?” he pondered guiltily.  He stared out the windows, trying to put the pieces together in his mind.

As he was sitting in his office in Port Charles, in a room somewhere, a woman slowly began to return to consciousness as she heard a voice sing, “Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.  And if that mockingbird don't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.”  The woman groped around and found a lamp nearby.  She turned in on and put her hand up to shield her eyes from the bright light.  The voice continued, “And if that diamond ring turns brass, Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.  And if that looking glass gets broke, Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat.”  With her eyes adjusting she at last saw a video baby monitor.  On it was a woman holding baby. At last the woman stopped singing and place the baby gently in its crib.  She looked off to the side and walked out of the room the baby was in.

A few minutes later, the woman in the room heard footsteps and keys unlocking a door.  The door opened an in stepped Heather Webber.  She smiled manically as she said, “Welcome back to the land of the living, Mrs. Lord.  Oh, I’m sorry, you prefer Delgado.  I know how proud you are of your heritage.”

“Where am I?  What am I doing here?” Tea demanded.

“Well, if I told you all that, where would I get my fun?  Suffice it to say, you’re not in Llanview anymore.  I’m just glad you’re awake.  I wouldn’t want another murder charge for the police to bring against me,” she said.  “Don’t worry.  All will be explained soon.”

Tea’s mind was still clouded but she remembered what she saw on the monitor.  “Is that my baby?  Why do you have my baby?” she shouted as she attempted to get up from the bed she found herself in.  When she put her feet on the floor, her whole body collapsed. 

“Silly woman, you need to get back your strength.  It’s been a few days you were out.  That’s why I was worried I had given you too much,” Heather told her.

“Too much what?” came Tea’s groggy question.

“Too much ice tea.  It’s my special blend.  And if I tell you, I really would have to kill you.  And what with you so close to seeing your son!”  Heather put her back into bed and took a syringe out of a draw.  After giving Tea the injection, the lawyer fell back into a deep slumber.  “You need to rest until I get further instructions for you.”  Heather shut off the light and locked the door behind her.  She walked down the hall and unlocked another door.  On the bed in that one, Victor Lord, Jr.’s glassy eyed expression stared at nothingness.  “Besides, Mrs. Lord, you don’t know how close you are to seeing the rest of your family.”   



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