Dance with the Devil: Chapter 60

“Thank you for calling, Todd.  We’ll keep our eyes on the lookout,” Viki said as she hung up the phone.  Turning to Clint, she told him Todd’s end of the conversation.  “So now, it seems that Helena was also come into contact with Blair and Todd is frighten.”

“Todd Manning, frightened?  I don’t think I’d ever live to see that,” he said.

“Well, after living through eight years of torture at the hands of your mother, I can see how that could scare him.  He also said Blair agreed with Jack’s description of this woman,” Viki continued, a shiver running down her spine at the memory of her college roommate.  “I think we should go to John McBain with this information.  Maybe the authorities can help out.”

Viki and Clint made their way to the Port Charles Police Department and saw John.  He was talking with the commissioner.  “John, Commissioner Devane, we need to talk,” Viki said.

Anna noted the concerned expression in the woman’s eyes and they ushered her into Anna’s office.  Viki then gave the two police officers the rundown of what Blair and Jack had experienced with the Cassadine matriarch.

When Viki had finished, Anna agreed with her concerns.  “Helena does have a penchant for causing mischief, but I don’t see any reason to go after your family.  Until recently, the Lord family has been contained to Llanview.”

“When Todd was in the hospital, I remember he had the book, Lord of the Banner, about our father.  He said he got it from Jack’s friend, Molly, who said it was in her uncle’s library on Spoon Island.”  Viki wondered aloud,  “Maybe it wasn’t her uncle’s.  Maybe it was Helena’s.”

“Ms. Lord, could there have been any connection between Helena and your father?” Anna asked.

Viki thought about it for a while.  “None that I can think of.  While Father was well known on a national social scene, I don’t remember anything international figures visiting us or him visiting them.”

“Wait a second, Helena Cassadine?  Asa did business years ago with a Mikkos Cassadine, I remember that,” Clint spoke up.

“Now, Mikkos Cassadine I know of.  My ex-husband foiled a plot of his years ago.  That was what brought the family to Port Charles initially,” Anna said.  “Helena showed up shortly afterwards for a brief time, but seems to have returned on and off since the late 1990’s.”

John, who had been listening to the back and forth, asked Anna, “What brought her back?”

“If I remember the stories correctly, her son and grandson returned here when the grandson’s sister needed a bone marrow transplant.  They bought and settled into Wyndamere.  Helena turned up a short time later,” Anna said.

“Well,” John piped in, “whatever she is up to, she seems to have your family in her sights.  We just have to figure out why.”  John grabbed a piece of paper and began thinking out loud as he wrote.  “Jack was the first member of the family she encountered, correct?”

“According to my brother, yes,” Viki replied.  “He met her at Wyndamere, as did little Sam and Jack defend Molly’s mother, Alexis from Helena.  Blair just encountered her at the Metrocourt restaurant and Blair noted that Helena made the connection between her and Jack.”

“I know Natalie hasn’t encountered the woman, because she would definitely be alert about a woman like this,” John said.  “What about Tina or Sarah?  Have either of them said anything?”

Clint shook his head.  “No, Cord would have told me about it.  And Starr hasn’t said anything about meeting her either because, again, Todd or Blair would have mentioned it.”

Viki’s eyes lit up.  “Todd said that Victor has met Helena,” she remembered.

Anna looked at the woman curiously.  “Your brother, Victor?  I wasn’t aware it was public knowledge that he’s back.”

Viki looked alarmed.  “No, it isn’t.  From what Todd told me, she approached Victor when he was still in the hospital and I know no one knew he was back at that point.”

“Then how did she know Victor was at General Hospital?” John asked.

While they were trying to put the pieces together at the station, on Wyndamere, Helena was enticing Victor.  “If you want your wife and son, you will bring me my great-grandson,” she said.

Victor let out a laugh.  “What are you talking about?” He couldn’t imagine what the woman meant.

“My great-grandson was born on the same night as your son.  But his mother is not worthy enough to raise a Cassadine.  She’s the bastard of a bastard.  I want to ensure that her child is raised as a proper Cassadine,” Helena said.

“And how do you expect me to get my hands on this kid, huh?” he asked.  “My brother is keeping me on a short leash as it is.  Hell, I don’t even know who this kid is.”

“His name is Jason Morgan, Jr.,” Helena spat out.  “Though that will be the first thing I change when I have him.”  Helena turned back to him, her voice sweetening.  “Please understand, I have been denied a relationship with my grandson and his son almost all of their lives.  And I fear for my newest great-grandchild’s safety.  He is in the care of a mob hitman.  My granddaughter has the same disastrous taste in men as her mother.”

“Well, maybe you should try going through the legal system, if that’s the case.  I don’t know of a court in this country that would award custody of a child to anyone ‘connected’, as it were, over someone with your obvious wealth and power,” Victor responded.

“Well, thank you for the compliment, but I am not a citizen of this country and that would be detrimental to my case.  Beside, if you can help me, I can see that you are reunited with your family,” Helena said.

“Say I do agree to help you out.  How would I even go about doing this?”

“You are a clever man, Mr. Lord.  You would have succeeded in gaining custody of  Hope Manning-Thornhart, had she not been switched for the dead daughter of Jessica Brennan,” Helena said.

Victor turned to face her swiftly.  “How do you know about that?”

“I told you, I have done my research on you,”  Helena said.  “I’ll allow you to think it over this night.  We can continue this discussion tomorrow.”

Victor left and took the launch back to the mainland.  When he arrived back on the dock, he was greeted by a tall, older man.  “You had business out on Spook Island?” he asked.

Victor looked back from where he came and then at the man.  “What business is it of yours?”

“Let’s just say, I know the family that owns that pile of rocks.  Thought it was deserted, since Prince Nikky is in Zurich.  Anyway. no good ever came from there.”  The man walked up to him.  “Take my advice.  Don’t get involved with them.  No good has ever comes from it.”

Victor just looked at the man and walked away.  Eventually, the other speaker made his way to the PCPD.  As he walked in, Anna was showing Viki and Clint the exit.  “Well, this seems to be perfect timing, or are you in a rush?” Luke asked.

Anna could tell by the gleam in his eye that Luke had some important information for them.  She led Luke and the two out-of-towners back into her office.  “What’s going on, Luke?”  she asked.

“Well, Slim, I just had an encounter out on the pier with a dead man returning from the pits of hell,” he began.

Viki and Clint both gave the other man a combination of curious and exasperated looks.  Anna, though usually finding Luke’s nicknames charming and amusing, had no time for them today.  “We have visitor to our fair city, Luke, who are…familiar with your way of speaking.  If you could be a little more definitive?”

Luke almost bowed to Viki.  “My apologies.  What I mean is, I saw Victor Lord, Jr. returning from Spoon Island just a little while ago.”

Anna looked at Viki then back at Luke.  “Now that is interesting,” Anna said.  “We were just mentioning the Cassadines.  But I thought there wasn’t anyone currently occupying Wyndamere?”

“Not as far as I know.  Natasha, sorry, Alexis Davis keeps a lengthy distance while watching over the estate, I know that Miss Molly would love for the family to move in there, but other that that, no one else I know of is staying there,” Luke expounded.

“Well, we know Helena Cassadine was seen there,” Clint spoke up.  “Viki’s nephew Sam had an encounter with her when he and his brother were over there.”

“Yes, that’s right.  I remember Todd Manning asking me about the Cassadines.  But usually, Helena bunks down at my niece’s establishment,” Luke said.  “Guess old Uncle Luke needs to go pay a visit to Caroline.”

“Helena made her presence known in town earlier today.  Carly was having lunch with my sister-in-law, Blair when Helena introduced herself at the table,” Viki said.

Luke nodded and moseyed on out of the office, leaving Anna behind.  Viki looked at the man in amazement.  “Who was that man?” she asked.

“Oh, that was Luke Spencer.  He was friends with my ex-husband when Robert foiled the Cassadine’s plans years ago.  Since then, he’s sort of the town’s vigilante with regards to the Cassadines.  Much of the time, he can get a little paranoid with regards to them, but now it’s only really Helena.  He’s calmed down but he still likes to know what’s going on with her,” Anna explained

“So, the next question is, why was Victor over at Spoon Island in the first place?” Clint asked, looking to Viki.  His fiancée just looked back at him unable to answer.   

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