The Fourth Life: Chapter 46

Todd didn't sleep long, in fact, he barely shut his eyes, when he realized he should open them, and admire her, while she slept, peacefully, before getting ready to leave for the arraignment.  It could be the last time, for a while.  Looking at the clock on the wall, he said to himself, "We've got 50 minutes.  That's not long."  


He slowly tried to unwrap himself from her, and she stirred, taking his hand, and saying, "Todd, where are you going?"  She was dreamy, at first, and then her eyes focused and she said, "Todd?  How did you get these bruises and cuts on your knuckles?"


He shook his head no, and hated himself for making her see.  Now she would have more sadness and stress on her.  He said, "I ran into a wall."


"You didn't.  Tell me, Todd.  What happened?"



He couldn't lie to her, not anymore.  He said, "I had a run in with Carlo's face."


"No, Todd, you didn't,"  she propped herself up on her elbow and actually looked better than she had in days.  Maybe attending to him and his issues was healing for her.


He said, "I did.  After the testimony, he said something, and I lost it.  I lost total control, Blair."  He sat back down by her on the bed.


She said, taking his other hand, and seeing both the new marks and the old wrist scars, "Oh, Todd," and both her voice and face were soaked in compassion, "I wish you were not alone."


"If you were there, you would have stopped me.  You were probably the only one who could, Blair.  You've always stopped the voices in my head."


"I wish you stopped them yourself.  Are you in trouble, Todd?"


"Yep."


"Where's Carlo?"


"Probably here."  And after he said it, he was not quite sure why, but he wished he hadn't.  "He said he was going to the emergency room."


"Perfect.  I have to be in the same building as that evil creep."


"It's okay.  Squirt him with saline.  It will melt him like the wicked witch."


She smiled weakly, "Todd, are you going to jail?"


"Nah, Nora will get me out of it."


She was shocked, "Nora?"


"Ask John McBain, he got her to take my case.  Guess he likes me."


"Maybe.  I'm scared.  I can't do this without you."


"You won't have to.  I'll be all right.  Now, come here."


He held her, and for a moment, everything melted away for both of them.  She, resting her head on his chest, could hear his heart, and knowing he was alive, and with her, made it all seem like someday, it would be all right.  He, putting his arms around her, and bringing her close, knew that she was the only thing between him and the death of his soul.  Together, they were eternally safe.


After a few minutes, he said, "I have to go, Babe."


She was crying.  She took his face in her hands and said, "I love you!"


He said, "I love you, too, but I'll be back in a little while.  Promise," and his promise was resting on the abilities of one Nora Buchanan.


In the car, Todd said, "Where's Patrick?"


"He went off to do something.  He said he had an errand to take care of."  John said.


"She knows."


"I figured she'd get it out of you."


"She saw my hands.  I didn't mean  to hurt her."


"Seems that doesn't matter much now.  She's hurt, she's been hurt for a while.  You can't go back and change it.  Just accept it and try and help her."


"How can I help her from a cell?"


"You don't know where you'll be...you'll have to wait and see what happens with Nora."


When they arrived at the courthouse, Nora had arranged for them to meet in a side room.   John went into the courtroom and sat, waiting, in case they needed his statement.  He hoped that Patrick would come in soon, and be there, in case someone needed to hear his point of view.  


Todd walked into the meeting room and saw Nora sitting there, going through papers.  She looked up.  "You're right, I am crazy for meeting with you alone."


'I wasn't going to say that."


"All right, what then?  What have you got to tell me, Mr. Manning?"


"In the interest of full disclosure, I should let you know that...that Michael Leona was a rapist."  She stopped.  The paper in her hand hung in the air, and her face took on a shocked expression.  He continued, "He tried to rape Blair the night he kidnapped me.  He threatened to rape her when we were held together last year at Carlo's compound.  And...he's done it before."


"Why are you telling me this?"


"Explaining the rage, so you don't think I was just being petty about his nasty comment."


She stared, "Are you trying to tell me something, Todd?"


"Whatever you think, counselor.  Just wanted you to understand, so, I'm telling you."


"This Leona was hired by Carlo?"


"Yes."


"Did Carlo know what kind of man he was?"


"Does it matter?  He makes Peter Manning look like Gumby."


She read into his statements, just as he hoped she would.  "Todd, if he was the way you say he was..."


"Yes, and let's let it go at that."


Nora stood, and grabbed her coffee, and turning from him, she sipped it, trying to maintain her own composure.  Not this.  After the years of torment, this too?  She pulled her blazer down, and turned to him.  "Thank you for giving me this information.  I'm guessing you prefer it's not common knowledge?  That's why you never said it outright?"


He just smiled at her, putting his feet up on the table.


She said, "Todd, let's go," and headed out toward the courtroom.


Within a few moments, he was sitting, in the same room as in 1993, next to Nora Buchanan.  He felt strange, misplaced, almost as if he was back there, on trial again.  But of course, he wasn't.  He had changed.  She said, "Let me do all the talking."


She touched his arm, and he got up with her, standing.  He pleaded "Guilty with Extenuating Circumstances," and sat back down.  She began to detail his abuse, the kidnappings, and described the pictures of his marked body in great detail.  In his pain, not wanting to relive it again, his mind drifted away.  He thought back to the last time he was with Blair, alone, in their room at Unforgettable, looking at the moon.  


He had put his hands over her belly, and covered it, as they floated in the warm water after making love, and looked up through the skylight at the moon.  Everything looked so hopeful for them that night.  Through the glass panes that arched into the ceiling, the moon was peeking in and out of clouds.  


He had said, "Do you think it's like this for everyone?"

"No," she'd said, "I know it's not.  You barely have to touch me."

"I know."  He said, and he lifted his eyes to the sky.  "The moon is so clear.  Even behind those clouds."

"It is."  She looked up, and said, "Things will be all right, won't they?" He was startled out of his memory by Nora, saying, "Stand, Todd."

"Due to the circumstances explained here by the Assistant District Attorney, regarding Todd Manning's plea, I hereby declare that all charges against Mr. Manning will be dropped.  In light of his heroic work in bringing down the regime of the Men of 21 last year, as well his diagnosis of PTSD, the recent loss of his child and near murder of his wife, I declare that there are no grounds for a trial.  In lieu of this, I require thirty additional hours of therapy with his therapist, at Mountainview, which must be submitted to this court for approval by the last day of July of this year.  You're free to go.  Court is adjourned."

Todd, looked around him, turning behind to see John, and fumbled to pass the defense table, as if he did not know exactly what to do.  John said, "Nora," and took her hand, shaking it, "thank you."

Todd turned to her and said, "It should be me thanking you.  I can't thank you enough.  I have to go to Blair," he said, turning to go.  He hesitated a bit, as if unsure of himself, and pushing his hands into his front pants pockets, he walked off, head down. 

Nora said, "How does he do it?"

"What are you referring to?  How does he live, day to day, after all that?" John answered.

"I don't even know what I meant.  It's just, I sort of feel...I've always thought he deserved some kind of retribution for the things he had done, and now, it just feels empty, now that he's survived these terrible things.  I still don't forgive him for the mess he almost made of my life."

"Then all the more, I appreciate your doing this," John said.  "Let's go, I'll get you a cup of coffee."

"I've had three."

"All right, how about some pie, then?"

"You're on.  At the diner in Angel Square?"

"Where else?"

They left the courthouse together, out in the front, sitting on the steps, was Todd.  He was holding his cell phone.  He looked up, "I forgot I didn't have a ride to the hospital.  I called the limo, Williams is on his way."

John's cell phone rang, and he said, "Excuse me."  He lifted it to his ear.  Nora stood by, waiting.  "McBain.  What?  When?    I'm on it."  He hung up.  He said, "Todd, cancel that limo, I'm on my way to the hospital."

Nora said, "I hope no one is hurt?"

John looked from one to the other and said, "Not hurt, dead.  Someone's killed Carlo Hesser."

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.