The Fourth Life: Chapter 54

Sister Rebecca Katherine was sitting in the solarium, soaking in the sun and praying.  In her thoughts, she prayed for Blair, so that she would find some peace, and she prayed for Todd, that he would be strong and eventually find God, for all good mothers want their sons to be saved.  She was nodding off, and the sun through the glass was warm and pleasurable.  She pulled awake when she had suddenly flashed on the courtroom, and the events that took place when Sommer was killed.  She ran it over in her mind again, hoping to find an answer.  Zeus being sworn in.  Zeus stating his name.  She looking to the ceiling in prayer, spotting the shine off a gun's barrel, and yelling "There in the balcony!  Duck down, Mr. Zeus!" 


Prior to that, she was dozing.  Timothy reminded her that she would miss everything if she slept.  And prior to that, they had walked in, late because of traffic, and she remembered the expression on Timothy's face when he first saw Hesser.  She had said, "Now, brother, looking at him like that won't get ya anywhere."


Timothy had growled, literally, and said, "If I were smart, I'd have brought my pistol and blown his head off right here in broad daylight."


She snapped out of the memory and covered her mouth, gasping a bit.  Someone walked up behind her and said, "Sister, are you all right?"


It was Marty Saybrooke.  "Yes, Marty, I am fine, dear."


"You seem upset."


"I guess I am a bit upset, what with The Mannings burying their babe, I was just reviewing the day of that horrible massacre in my head.  You know, hoping to discover something I'd missed."


"Did it work?"


She paused.  "No, not really, dear."


"I've done the same thing, about one hundred times.  I wish I saw the shooter.  I'd give anything to help John, with either case."


"Either case?"


"The Hesser murder, and the shooting."


"Ah yes, the Hesser thing.  I'd totally forgotten about that," she lied.  What was it coming to?  She was becoming more prone to mistruths?


"I can't.  First, I know Patrick is a suspect.  I don't want to think about him being arrested for this, or even imagine that he may have done it."


"Do you believe he did, child?"


"Not really, no.  But I do know he had a lot of hatred for that man, having kept both of us prisoner for years.  He has a pretty hot temper at times."


"Yes, it's the Irish in these men, I'll admit."


"These men?"


She stopped, 'Well, yes, my brother.  Timothy is very hot headed and I warn him about it.  Always have."


Marty said, "I see.  Well, we're in good company, then."


"Yes," she said, "Perhaps more than ya know."


***


McBain scanned through the photos that Horace Snardwig had brought to the police station, and Horace, breathing through his mouth, said in a nasal voice, "Does The Deputy get a badge?"


John lifted his eyes momentarily to look at him.  "Uh, if it leads to an arrest and is approved by the Commissioner."  Horace rubbed his hands together and snorted.  


John went back to the pictures and stopped on the one showing a clear view of the man's face.  "Horace, you just might get your wish," he said, picking up the phone.  "Brody, get in here, stat.  Mr. Snardwig, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.  Give your name, number and address to the policeman at the first desk.  I'll be in touch if this leads to anything."


The teen took his camera off John McBain's desk.  "May I?"


"May you what?"


"Take your picture, for my collection?  You remind me a little of a vampire I once saw on television."  And without waiting, he snapped the picture.


"Please, see your way out?"  John maintained composure.  After all, the kid had just helped him solve the murder of Sommer Manning.


***


"Something's bothering you, mi amor, I can tell."  Tea said, handing him a plate.  She had fixed a light lunch for them, which they were eating on the patio.  


"I know I said differently, but I want to know who my mother is.  It's been on my mind for weeks."


"I understand.  I'd want to know also."


"I think I might need your help."


"Okay, what can I do?"


"Todd Manning said that he believed the ex-Mayor Finn was my mother."


She laughed, sarcastically, "Well listening to Todd never got anyone anywhere but trouble."


"Maybe, but he was serious.  Carlo never told me who my mother was, but the timing of everything makes me think that Todd could be right.  Why not find out and then cast off the idea?"


"That makes a little sense, even to me.  You want me to petition the court for a DNA test for her?  I can try, but we need reason."


"She was arrested and linked to him.  She told Manning that she was in love with Carlo, years ago, and that she had a child with him, who supposedly died."


Tea paused.  "That's reason enough.  I'll take care of this first thing in the morning, is that all right?"


"That's perfect, just like my sandwich."

"You're something."


"You're everything," he said, leaning over and kissing her.  


***


Timothy woke out of his afternoon dream by spilling the glass he held all over himself.  Sitting up, groggily, he shook his head wildly to remove what he was envisioning.  Had he seen Blair in Carlo Hesser's room at the hospital?  He racked his soggy brain, that was under the spell of 25 year old scotch.


He got up, hoping that a stiff cup of coffee might help, and put a morning cup with a Dunkin' Donuts logo on it into the microwave.  Waiting for it to heat, he stood leaning on the counter, trying to keep from swaying.  "Yer head's not clear, man.  Too much of a good thing will get ya every time."


He put his hand to his forhead and closed his eyes, as the microwave bell rang.  Drinking two big gulps of the horrific coffee that had been sitting most of the day, he winced.  Then, he went back to the den, and sat, with his head in his hands, attempting to recall the daymare he had just pushed away.  


He was on his way to Hesser's room, seething with hatred.  The hatred had never seemed to mend.  Unlike other wounds that would fester and then dry up and heal, this one had never even scabbed over in his soul.  When he turned the corner, the room door was opened, and he could see inside.


Standing in her white nightgown, that Todd must have brought for her, for she wore no Johnny coat, was Blair.  She was right at Hesser's bedside, and she was staring into his face, with her hands gripped into fists...


He lost the image, as he moved quickly to the bathroom, interrupted by sharp pains.  The coffee had already started working and he was feeling familiar stomach cramps.


***


"Freeze, police!"  John said, kicking open the bedroom door.  Kathleen Finn was still, finally, sleeping and it was past noon.  She hadn't been able to rest for days, and had just found the peace of slumber an hour or two before.  Mac was in the bathroom, washing and shaving for the day.  She sat up, spilling out of her nightie a bit, and hiking the covers over her.  "Hands where I can see them, Finn."


She obeyed.  Mac came out of the bathroom, shaving cream on one half of his face.  "What's the meaning of this?"  he heard himself say.

Brody pointed his gun at Finn, and John switched to Mac.  "You have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say maybe used against you in a court of law..."


As the words circled him, Mac Hennessey raised both his hands, slowly, on either side of his head.  When John finished, he asked, "Can I at least finish shaving this half of my face?"


"No time.  We'll help you get cleaned up down at the station."  He quickly went past him into the bathroom, looking around, and grabbed a towel.  "Here," he said, throwing it to the large man.


Hennessey wiped his face.  "Can I at least know what you are arresting me for?"


Kathleen Finn said nothing.  She cowered under the blanket and waited.


"The murder of Sommer Manning, the unborn child of Blair Manning.  Is that enough for you?  Also, the attempted murder of Blair Manning and Zeus Zelenko."


Mac clammed up, quickly, and Brody cuffed him behind his back, as John turned to Kathleen.  "You should get up and dress.  We're going to need to question you."


Mac was hauled off out the door by Brody, at gunpoint, and went peacefully.  John, concerned about the man's size, followed behind, leaving a third cop, who had arrived late on the scene, to remain with Kathleen Finn.  She said, "Why are you here?"


"Get dressed, ma'am.  You heard the Lieutenant."


She obliged.  Somehow, she felt a calming sense of relief.


***


Todd came in to Unforgettable, and throwing his keys on the table by the door, he took the stairs, as usual, two at a time, and starting calling her, "Blair?"


He got to the nursery door, and there was Little Ray, standing at the side of the crib.  Todd smiled, and excitedly said, "Hey, you!  When did you learn to do that?  Huh?"  He went to his son, and picked him up, bouncing him around a little, and then throwing him into the air and catching him.  Ray smiled, and upon each throw, a little chuckle would come from his belly.  He caught sight of her watching him from the doorway.  Catching Ray the last time, he put him onto his shoulder, and said, "Hey Babe, what's going on?"


He spotted her expression, and put the baby back into his crib, which he was not too happy about, and he fussed for a few minutes as Todd went to her.  She said, "I...Oh, Todd," and leaned toward him, and he opened his arms and caught her, holding her close and saying, "What is it?  Tell me, so I can make it better."


She lead him out of the nursery and to their room.  Her hands were shaking, and she was wringing them, disraught.  "I can't do this anymore, I've tried."


"What can't you do," he said, sitting on the bed.  She paced in front of him.


"I can't live like this, Todd.  I, I have to tell you something."  She stopped, and looking at him caused her to break down and look away.


"So, go ahead and tell me something.  I want to know everything, Blair, whatever it is."  A small part of him was afraid of what she might say.  I don't love you anymore.  I can't be your wife.  I can't forgive you for involving me with Leona and Hesser.  I'm taking the children.  You're poison.  You're why Sommer is dead.  We have to get away from you...


She knelt in front of him, on the floor, and put her head on his knee.  He automatically began to stroke her hair.  Regardless of whatever she was going to tell him, he loved her, completely.


He said, "Blair."


She continued to cry.  "Yes?"


"Tell me.  It's all right.  It's you and me against the world, whatever it is."  He waited.  "Are you done with me, Blair?  Is that it?"


She jerked her head up, "What?  No!  I could never be done with you Todd Manning, you'd haunt me from the grave."


He was relieved.  That sounded like her, as he always thought of her.  The Blair who would take nothing from anyone.  He said, "All right then, anything else I can handle, then."


She put her head back on his knee again.  "I've been afraid to tell you because of what it means for you if I do.  But I can't take it, Todd, not anymore.  I can't do it alone.  I tried.  I just can't."


And just then, he knew exactly what it was that she had to tell him.  "It's all right, you're not alone."


"I...I did something."  She said, and her arms wrapped around his legs.  She held on for dear life.


He smoothed her hair again, and said, "It's all right."  He lifted her head, and nodded to her to come onto the bed.  He patted the spot beside him.  "It's okay.  You can tell me anything, Babe."


She looked as if she were stuttering.  "I...I did something...I..."


He wanted to help her, so he took her hands, and he said, "Look at me.  You can trust me.  This is about Carlo, isn't it?"


She nodded.  


He said, "You killed him, didn't you?"


She nodded and fell onto him, crying, explaining, trying to make sense of it.  He just held her and swayed slightly as everything spilled out onto him and into him.  The pain and fear she held was now shared between the two of them.  


Finally, she was very quiet, sans a sniff here and there.  He said, "Don't worry, I'm not letting go of you until you want me to."


"Help me.  Hold me, Todd.  Don't stop, please."


"I won't.  I promise."  Strange relief washed over him as he closed his eyes, and brought himself back onto the bed, with her in his arms.  Both of them rested there, until the sun moved across the rest of the sky and began to creep and settle behind the mountains.


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