The Fourth Life: Chapter 60

Zeus finally found his senses, and ripped the blanket off the bed inside the room that lead to the balcony, and made his way down the staircase.  Rushing out the patio doors, he put the blanket over her and knelt down.  He said, "Mother."  then he looked to the darkening sky, "You didn't give me a chance, oh God."  He sat by her, and her hand was coming out from below the blanket he had thrown over her.  He touched her fingers, with his.  They were cold and did not respond to him.  He said, "Mother, I'm alone, again.  I'm so alone," and bowed his head.


As John drove up, he could see Zeus, sitting next to a heap that was covered in a blanket.  His knees, were bent up and his wrists rested on them.  John walked up slowly to the man, whose head was hanging, and said, "Zeus.  I'm sorry."


He looked up.  The strain was visible all over his tear-stained face.  "I didn't know....she's gone."


John crouched beside him, and said, "I know this is hard, but can you talk to me about what happened?  We can go for a walk, or go into my car."


Zeus stood up, not moving his eyes from Kathleen Finn's body on the stone patio.  "I'm okay.  What do you want to know?"


"What happened here?"


"She killed herself, in front of me.  I didn't know she was thinking that way, she was talking to me, and then just...I tried to grab her but it was too late."


John said, "I'm sorry."


Zeus' pain turned to anger.  "She set up a table for us, made food.  She let me ask questions, then she started talking.  I know what you want to hear, John.  Yes, she knew about my shooting, and yes, she killed Carlo Hesser."


John was shocked at Zeus' words.  He said, "Calm down, now, tell me the rest."


Zeus cried a moment, and then said, "She was talking to me, telling me everything.  I just wasn't thinking she was going to....she was in so much pain, emotionally.  It seemed like she was for years."


"That's sad, and I'm sorry.  I'm going to call Tea."


"I called her already.  Believe me, she rates over you."


"I'm sure she does."


"My mother...she confessed everything to me, and I thought she was just asking for my forgiveness, so I gave it to her, for everything.  I just wanted to...you know...get to know my mother."  His voice cracked and he put his forehead against the fingers of his right hand and wept.


"She confessed to Hesser's murder?"


He nodded, unable to speak.  Then, attempting to compose himself, he said, "She confessed to everything.  She's been wracked with guilt for years.  She said she saw him dead in his bed at the hospital.  She said she took lives.  The next thing I knew..." he stopped, trying to control his sobs, "She said something about the sky, and hopped over the rail and then let herself fall."


John put his arm around Zeus' shoulder, and walked him away from the body, giving Natalie and her team chance to get closer and begin their work.  As they neared the squad cars, Tea's BMW screeched to a halt and she raced out of the driver's side.  Zeus fell into her arms, and John could hear her repeating, "Lo siento, mi amor," and saw her stroking the back of his head over her shoulder.


The Lieutenant made his way to his car radio, called in to the precinct to cancel the arrest of Blair Manning.  Returning to the scene, Natalie said, "Everything is consistent with what Zeus reported.  From what I can see, she committed suicide."



He said, "I was an inch from arresting Blair."


"I know," Natalie said, "But that's over now."


Tea was still holding Zeus in her arms, and turning, began to walk him to her car to get him home.  He had started trembling all over, and looked pale.  John realized they were the symptoms of shock.  He called to her, "Tea, he may need a doctor."


She helped her husband into the driver's seat, and Tea made her way back over to the cop.  "He had so many dreams and hopes tied up in finding this woman.  If you had heard the things he had already planned she would be part of, you would understand.  He doesn't need a doctor, he needs to be home with his babies.  He's been through enough.  Do you need him for further questioning?"  He saw her lawyer hat come out of her closet.


"No, he's done.  If I need him, I'll come by in a few days.  It seems to be pretty open and shut."


"It's a life, John.  Another life lost in this Todd Manning mess,"  And she turned to go.


He watched after her, and said aloud, "and at least one saved."


***


Todd and Blair were in the hot tub, and had just finished making love.  They were resting in the water, with the temperature and jets turned up high, and Borodin being piped in through the sound system he'd had put in when Unforgettable was built.  She was close to sleep against him, and he was lost in thought.  He had a plan.  If anything were to go wrong, he would say that he was the murderer, by proxy, and that he sent someone to off the bastard.  He would never watch her go to jail, ever again.  He would never let her children be without her.  He'd rather die.


He started to drift off, when he heard the siren in the distance.  Slightly alarmed he jostled her to alertness and both of them got out of the tub, and hurried to dry off.  He told her, "Stay here, until I tell you it's okay," and put on some lounge pants and a tight-fitting t-shirt.  He bounded down the stairs, and said, "Is this official, Lieutenant," to John, leaning against the door frame as he opened the door.


John said, "No one else here?"


"Blair's upstairs.  What can I do for you?"


"You're not going to ask me in?"  John said.


Todd realized this was the same man who had eaten barbecued food in his yard not long ago.  "Sorry, come in.  You had the siren on, I just thought..."


"You just thought I was coming to arrest her," he said.


Todd didn't respond.  Instead, his eyes became slits and he said, "What is it, John?"


"The Hesser Murder Investigation has come to a close.  Kathleen Finn committed suicide this evening after confessing."


Todd  flopped onto the couch.  "Whoa, okay."


"She confessed to Zeus. He had just found out she was his mother, as you predicted, and went to meet her for the first time.  She killed herself in front of him."


Todd winced.  "That's a tough break."


"More than that, the guy is shattered."


"He just wanted a family.  He's always wanted that, from way back when I first met him."


John nodded.  "Blair was going to be arrested tonight.  All the signs pointed to her, and to a certain incident that one of my hospital guards related to me.  These last 24 hours have been pretty hectic.  He told me that Blair had some kind of breakdown right in Carlo's room, the same night he was discovered dead."


Todd sat up, "What do you mean, breakdown?"


"He just said that he was off getting coffee for a few moments, and asked the nurse's desk to keep watch.  It was very late, so he assumed no one would bother.  When he came back, two orderlies and a nurse were trying to pull her away from Carlo, and she was screaming various obscenities and, frankly, delusions.  She was literally on his bed, with her knees on his chest.  Anyway, he helped remove her and bring her back to her floor and room.  She fought like you know she can, and it took them a great deal to get her restrained.  After hearing this, I was almost certain she had somehow already killed him, because by the time the guard got her settled, helped restrain her, and reported it to his immediate supervisor, they returned to find the remaining staff in an uproar.  Carlo had been killed.  Within those few minutes that they tended to Blair, someone had done the deed or....it could have been Blair herself."


Todd didn't say anything, he just listened.  John said, "So, I started to believe that Blair had actually killed him.  The forensics report said suffocation, and with Blair on his chest when seen, we believed she was the killer and that the staff and guard were just too late.  Along with the obvious other factors, her grief, her mental state, I was pretty certain it was Blair.  Until the ex-Mayor told Zeus that it was on her hands.  She killed him.  She also was part of the plan to get Carlo out of Statesville, and unwittingly, the killing of Zeus that lead to the death of your child."


Todd took a while to soak it all in.  Blair crept toward the stairs, and from the top said, "Can I come down, now?"


"Yeah, go ahead, Blair."  She walked into the sitting room, and sat by her husband.  


John quickly related the main details, and Blair, sitting on the arm of the chair, wobbled and said, "I feel lightheaded.  It must have been that hot tub, maybe we were in it too long..." and keeled over onto Todd.  Todd rested her on the couch.  "She'll be all right, she's been under a lot of stress lately.  She'll be fine.  I think the shock of hearing who killed him, and the idea of the woman killing herself, just overwhelmed her."


"With good reason," John said, "she's been through a lot.  I'm relieved I don't have to take her in."


She stirred, "Todd?"


"Right here, Babe."


"It's so terrible, for Zeus."


He looked at John, and back to her, "I know.  He'll be okay, he has Tea, like I have you."


She sat up, "I don't know what came over me."


John said, "Well, the case is closed.  You can put it behind you, and move forward.  Sorry for your loss, again.  I'll see myself out."


Todd turned to Blair, "Well, I guess that's it."


She got up, wringing her hands, "No, it's not."


"Why, Blair, what is it?"


"I remember.  I was kneeling on his chest, Todd, I was holding a pillow over his face.  I can see it.  Finally."


"She admitted she did it, Blair.  You wanted to, heck you tried, but they stopped you.  She must have gotten in there and done the deed.  It only takes a few minutes, maybe one or two, to inject something into an IV.  With his airways partially blocked, he was done for.  Did the monitors beep and did he flatline while you were there?"


She thought about it, "No.  No it didn't.  I remember everything, Todd, I do.  I remember flipping out, they grabbed me, I fought, I thought I heard him, moaning, still, while I was fighting them.  They dragged me out of there!  I see it.  I wonder why I couldn't remember before?"


"I don't know, but it doesn't matter now.  You're not guilty.  It's over."  He wasn't sure, but one thing was certain.  Timothy had left out some very important information and Todd was determined to find out why.


***


By the next morning, all of the airwaves were filled with stories of the ex-Mayor Finn's death and Zeus' story of gaining and losing his family within twenty-four hours.  Sister Rebecca Katherine, who was eating breakfast across from Marty Saybrooke, said, "My goodness, it's over at last.  The poor Mr. Zeus.  He has lost his parents once again.  Sad, really.  He will need some support and help, that one."


Marty, who had little sympathy for the Todd-impostor, said, "I suppose.  At least the nightmare is over for Blair.  It was enough to lose her baby.  Maybe they can move on, once and for all."


"Yes indeed, they've had a rough run of it, I'd like to see things go better for them."


Marty said, "Will you excuse me?" and got up, heading for the door to the cafeteria.  


Sister Rebecca Katherine took a few moments to put everything together in her mind, and realized why Marty was upset.  "Oh Rebecca, Timothy would say, 'Creena, your mouth has run off without your shoes.  Can you learn to be quiet sometimes?'"


She would go to Marty, later, and express her sorrys, but at the moment, she wanted to see Todd and Blair and hear about the finale to this horrible ordeal.  She made a call to her driver and planned an outing to Unforgettable.


When she arrived, she rang the doorbell, and when it opened, she said, "Jack, dear, you're looking out of practice.  We must have a miniature boxing match later.  Are your parents at home?"


"Just my mom, come in, Sister."  He called to Blair, "Mom?"


Blair came down the staircase, "Sister!  How good to see you!"  She hugged her, and they walked into the sitting room, arm in arm.


"Blair, dear, how are you doing?"


"I'm okay, sister.  I think it's better now, what with the news about Kathleen Finn being the killer.  It's sad, how this ended, but at least we can try and move forward."


"Where's Todd?  I was hoping to see him."


"He's not here right now, he may have gone to work, I am not sure.  He'll be back soon, maybe you can stay for lunch with us?"


"That will be delightful, dear.  But I must say to ya, I was worried about both of ya, for a while there."


"I think we are going to be okay, Sister."


"You will, but you must not forget two things, Blair.  First, both of ya have not totally grieved for Sommer, mostly because you have been thrown in and out of these criminal proceedings, and Todd's arraignment, and the accusations about the murder.  And, second, I must remind ya, as his wife, that he has not fully recovered from his memories of Leona's abuse. That got completely ignored once the trial got under way.  He's going to need you, still.  He's most likely still fighting those memories, and will be for some time."


Blair paused, "I've been so worried about myself," she said, "I...I know you're right.  Those terrible things that happened to him.  We've been through so much."


"Yes, and this is why the cruise is the best idea for the boys.  Ya need time together to deal with everything you have endured."


"I never thought of it that way."


"Perhaps Starr can care for the baby, and I'll help."


"I think it will be just what we need.  Thank you, Sister, you're a blessing to us."


"As you all are to me, dear."


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