Port Charles Chronicles: Chapter 26

        Dante looked at the clock.  He had called the MetroCourt, just before the lunch hour, looking for Manning.  He still hadn’t heard back from the guy.  He saw John McBain talking to Agent Anna Devane of the FBI and waited until they were finished.  As the agent walked away. Dante took his opening. “McBain, I have a question for you.  You know Todd Manning, any ideas who might want him dead?”

        McBain frowned, the last person he wanted to talk about was Manning.  Blair had got him to thinking about a number of things overnight, and now he was beginning to wonder if he hadn’t been manipulated into believing Manning was guilty of his brother’s murder.  From the moment they met, Manning had been straightforward with him. Manning had readily admitted to the killing of Agent Kent and had also stepped forward and admitted killing his mother after she shot him.  If he had been honest about all that then it would stand to reason he had been honest about his brother.  If that were the case, everything that had happened after that became suspicious.  Now someone was trying to kill him again.  John looked at Dante.  “The man has enemies in some weird places, I suppose one of them could come here after him or then again there’s your father, Sonny.  Todd did try and kill him for his granddaughter’s death.”

       “I know Sonny is ruthless, but this attack is beginning to fall into the category of really strange.  Our forensic people discovered something else about the bullet that hit Manning.  Whoever shot him, did so with a unique bullet.  I’ve been trying to reach Manning all morning to alert him but so far he hasn’t returned my calls.”

       “Care to share?  What’s so unique about the bullet?”

       “It seems to have been coated with a rather nasty combination of hallucinogen and Malaria.  Manning is going to be one sick puppy pretty soon if he doesn’t get into a doctor.”

       “But Manning was only nicked by it.  Surely that wasn’t enough for the bullet to do any harm?”

       “It seems the compound is highly toxic.  If any of us had come into physical contact with it, we would have been exposed, too.  Luckily, we’ve all handled it with gloves.  Manning wasn’t so fortunate.”

       John thought back to the previous night.  Manning had said he was drunk, but now it was pretty obvious he was sick and had no idea why.  “You say he still hasn’t returned your call.  I’m not surprised at that, he has a real aversion to talking to cops. Tell me.  Does your forensic expert think this compound could kill him?”

       “No, but it’s going to really mess with his mind and body.  It was certainly designed to slow down the potential target.  The shooter knew exactly what he was doing.  This attempt has all the earmarks of some high-level conspiracy hit.  Just what kind of people is Manning mixed up with?”

       “It’s a long story.  I’ll try and reach his ex-wife and alert her to the problem.  If anyone can make Todd see the need for a visit to the doctor, it will be her.  In the meantime, I suggest you try calling him again.  The man is stubborn as hell, but I think he wants to know anything you can tell him about the shooter.  I’ll check with some of my FBI sources and find out if this could be connected  to his previous captors.”

       Dante nodded, putting his curiosity, about John’s last cryptic words, on hold as he placed another call through to the MetroCourt.

       John pulled out his cell and called Blair.

****

       Blair glanced down as her cell went off but was unable to answer because she was in heavy traffic around Philadelphia.  She was about an hour away from Llanview and for some reason, she had started feeling very anxious.  The flight to Philadelphia had been the best she could get on such short notice, but it had meant longer travel time.  She bit her lower lip as she realized that Todd might be trying to call her.  You’re getting worried about nothing.  Todd said he would sleep.  It was probably Tea wanting to know when you’re going to arrive.   You can check it later when you get home.  You better start thinking how you’re going to tell the boys they’re moving and also how you’re going to handle Jack’s reaction. Blair came out of her musings suddenly as somebody honked at her.  She took a quick look at her watch.  She had been gone for about three hours, if Todd had managed to get to sleep he’d be waking up shortly, hopefully, Starr would be around by then.  Blair didn’t want him left alone too long.  She should have put in a call to the doctor after Todd’s mood had plunged that morning.  Don’t do that Blair.  He was acting more paranoid than normal because he was sick, nothing more.

       Blair pulled up to La Boulaie.  She sat in the driveway for a minute trying to get her thoughts in order.  The front door opened and she watched her young son come running to the car.

       “Mom, you’re home.  I missed you.  Jack’s been a real jerk since you left.  Did you see him?  Does he still remember me?  Is he coming home too?  Was Starr okay?”  Sam babbled as he hurled himself into his mother’s arms.

       “Oh Sam, I missed you too.  But slow down I can’t possibly answer all those questions at once.”  Blair got down and hugged him.  “Now let me see you.  I know I’ve only been gone a little over a week, but I swear you’ve grown six more inches.  What is Grandma Addie feeding you?”

      “Lot’s of pizza.  Can I carry your bag, Mom?” Sam looked around.

      “Don’t worry about my bag, I came to pack up your bag and Jack’s. You’re going back to Port Charles with me, but that’s a secret until I can talk to Jack.  Okay, Little Man?”

     “Yay!  You did see him!  How come Uncle Todd’s not coming home?  I miss him.”

     “I know, Sam, and he misses you, too.  He’s having a pretty hard time right now and wants to stay there and figure things out, but he wants us with him.  I think it would do him good to see you.”

     “But Jack‘s mad at him.  Jack’s been mad at everybody lately.  He yelled at grandma this morning before going over to Aunt Tea’s.  He said she made terrible pancakes and just left.  Grandma cried.” Sam pushed his glasses back up on his nose. “I gave her a hug and told her Jack was just being a jerk.  She laughed and hugged me back.  I think she’s okay now.  She’ll be really happy to see you.”

       Blair gave her son another hug. “You are just the best, Little Man.  Your brother has his nose out of joint and he’s taking it out on everyone, but I’ll talk to him.  I’ll call Aunt Tea and get your brother back home.  By tonight, I intend for all of us to be in Port Charles.  Let’s go see your grandma.”

****

      Todd was tossing and turning. The aspirin had taken the edge off the pounding in his head and he had fallen into a fitful sleep.

      He was standing in a clearing and the moonlight was casting a soft light over the area.  there were chairs set up and an aisle between them leading to a floral covered arbor, a minister was standing under it and was beckoning to him.  Todd looked down and realized he was in a tuxedo. It was his wedding day.  He moved to take his place by the minister and looked back.   The chairs were filled with pictures of his family. Vicki, Jessica, Natalie were all missing just their cardboard likenesses filled the chairs.  The same was true of Blair’s side of the family.  He looked for his best man and was confronted with another cardboard cutout.  This isn’t right, where is everyone? He looked down the aisle as the music started and staggered as his mother Irene appeared carrying a cardboard cutout of Blair.  She moved toward him step by step just like a bride. She was smiling at him.   “This is just for you son.  The wedding of your dreams.”  She placed the cutout next to him and backed away.

      “What is this? Where’s Blair?”

      “Why Todd, this is all you’ll ever have of Blair.  She’s marrying someone else today.  She sent me the cutout and said to tell you that now you know what it’s like to be turned down at the altar.  So let us begin, shall we?”

      Against his will, Todd found himself being forced to turn around to face the minister. He wanted to leave, but it was as if he was rooted to the ground.  In the distance, he heard another wedding march.  This couldn’t be happening.  He watched helplessly as the minister began.

     “Todd Manning, do you take this cutout Blair Cramer to be your bride.” 

      He tried to say no but his mouth was stuffed with a sweatband and so his mother answered for him. “Yes, he does,” She said as she stroked his hair lovingly and planted a kiss on his cheek.

     “Cutout Blair Cramer, do you take Todd Manning to be your husband?”

       Irene moved to stand behind the cutout.  She spoke in a high, sing-song voice.  “I do, I love him with all my heart, and he can walk all over me, and do hurtful things to me and I’ll always understand.”

       “If there are no objections to this union, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

       Once again Todd found himself forced to lean in and kiss the cutout only to be met by his mother’s lips.  He gagged as the smell of her rotting carcass hit him and suddenly he was free to move again.  He stumbled away and ran heading toward the sound of the music in front of him.  Behind him, his mother laughed.

      “You’re too late. She’s already married by now.”

      He burst into a clearing and saw Blair being kissed by her new husband. “No!  You asked me to marry you. Why are you doing this?”

      Blair turned around resplendent in her gown and sublimely happy.  “Oh look, everyone.  It’s my ex-husband.  He came to wish me well.  He even brought his new bride.  Isn’t she lovely?”
 
      Everyone turned and looked and began laughing.  Todd realized his cutout bride was sticking to the back of him like she was glued to him. He began turning around trying to get her off.

      Blair’s new husband turned around and spoke. “He’s definitely ready to start dancing. Come, Todd, bring your new bride to the reception.  We’ll all dance with you.”

      Todd stopped twirling and stood dumbfounded.

      The minister announced, “May I present Mr. and Mrs. John McBain.”

      Todd was sweating profusely. He had kicked free of the covers and was beating and clawing at his back, then he stilled as he was swept deeper into his nightmare.

      The ballroom was beautiful.  Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves.  He entered looking for her, but she was nowhere around.  This was their night. They were married and she had disappeared right after the ceremony.  He had been searching for hours and had finally headed for the reception.  The guests would be waiting.  As he entered the room, a man stopped him.
   
     “I’m sorry sir, this is a private party.  I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

     “Wait a minute, I’m the groom.  It’s my party.”

      The guard looked him up and down.  “I hardly think that’s likely.  If you insist on fighting me, I’ll call the police.  This is a wedding party and you are not attired for a wedding.”

     Todd looked down and was alarmed to find himself in an all-white outfit consisting of pants and a shirt and white tennis shoes. ‘Not again. He was free he couldn’t still be there.  He was marrying Blair.’  He felt hands on his arms and turned to find Baker and Kent standing beside him.

     “I’m sorry,” Baker said to the guard.  “He escaped confinement earlier today.  He’s not a well man.”

     Todd struggled, “No, don’t listen to them, they’ve been holding me captive. You have to help me.”  Just then he spotted Blair coming into the room. “Blair tell him. This is all a mistake.  We just got married.”

      Blair walked over to them.  “Oh poor Todd, this is for your own good.  You’re sick, I didn’t marry you today.  I married a man who’s going to treat me with respect and love me the way you never could.  He understands me.  Look, here he comes now.”

      Todd stood there struggling against Baker’s hold as Tomas Delgado entered the room. Helpless he watched as Blair met her husband and kissed him deeply then shook her head at Todd sorrowfully. 

     “Mr. Baker, I believe it’s time for him to return to the sanitarium, he’ll get proper treatment there.  I’m so glad his children aren’t seeing this.  Starr still has fond memories of him and Jack never got to know the true Todd.  This is for the best. Goodbye, Todd.”

     Baker and Kent hauled him out of the room.  “Come along, Todd.  Someone is waiting anxiously for your return.”  They neared a car and the back door opened to reveal his mother with arms outstretched. “Come to mama.  I’ll take care of you.”

      Todd awoke, his heart racing and tears streaming out of his eyes.  It had all been a dreadful nightmare. She wouldn’t do that to him.  Blair wouldn’t lead him on, only to hurt him.  He needed to talk to Blair.  She would help this.  The images of Blair kissing John and Tomas kept playing through his mind non-stop and the pounding in his head returned with a vengeance.  He reached to the side of the bed and started to call the front desk.  He paused and forced himself up, staggering to the bathroom for a wet cloth.  Looking in the mirror, he hardly recognized himself.  His eyes were sunken from lack of sleep.  You look like a crazy man.  Could it be true?  Does Blair see you as crazy?  He spotted the card on the counter from Dr. Collins.

     Oh God, it’s true.  She knows all about Irene and now she knows I’m seeing a shrink.  She was just placating me. She didn’t go home to get the boys, she’s probably talking to Tomas right now.  He’ll convince her to commit me, saying it’s for my own good. He’ll poison her against me. I’ve got to talk to her.  I’m not crazy.  I’m not.  He rushed back into the other room and began searching for his cell phone.

****

       Blair had been dismayed when she opened the door to find Tomas standing there with Jack.  She really didn’t want to have to talk to Tomas, but he had been nice enough to bring Jack home.

     “Hi, Blair, I’m glad you’re back.  I wanted to have another talk with you.” Tomas moved into the house ahead of Jack.  He knew Blair was too polite to just ignore the fact that he had brought Jack home.  All he needed was a small window of opportunity to talk to her.

    “I thought you understood how I felt.  I don’t know what else we have to talk about.  Right now I need to talk to Jack and find out where all this hostility has been coming from.”

     Jack had taken one look at her and run up the stairs without even a “hi”.  Blair really didn’t want to face him and then Tomas, but it looked like Tomas was going to wait her out.

     “I think you owe me a chance to prove you’re wrong about me.  When you finish talking to Jack, if you’ll just give me a minute, I would appreciate it.”

      Blair was fit to be tied, she suddenly was getting that uneasy feeling in her stomach again.  Images of Todd standing at the end of the dock that morning flashed into her mind again. She had to talk to Jack and let him know what was going on.  Addie was already getting Sam and herself packed.  They had all been waiting for Jack.  She looked at Tomas and knew he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.  She would give him his few minutes while Jack packed. “Very well wait here.”  She started up the stairs yelling. “Jack Manning, we have a few things to talk about.  Hiding in your bedroom isn’t going to stop the talk.”

      Tomas walked around the living room. You got her home. Now you just have to make her stay for a little while.  He walked back into the foyer.  He could hear Jack’s voice raised in anger.  The kid was really riled up about something.  More than likely, his mom was mentioning the call Tea had made earlier that day.  He had to hand it to Tea. She knew how to stir up a hornet’s nest.

      Upstairs, Blair couldn’t believe her ears. “What do you mean you didn’t hurt anyone?  Your temper has gotten out of control.  Sam told me how you blasted your grandmother this morning and he says you’ve been mean to him too.  I don’t care that you feel I’m giving too much attention to your sister.  She deserves a little extra concern.  She just lost Hope.  I thought you understood that.”

     “Oh yeah, she just lost Hope.  So did we.  Doesn’t it matter that I cared for my niece, too?  So what if I told Tea I wanted the guy dead who hurt Hope?  I’m not the one that pulled a gun on him and almost killed him.  That was Starr.  I don’t see you coming down on her for being angry.  She can never do wrong.  You stand up for her the way you did Scarface.  I remember how you tried to make me spend time with him after he came back.  But you were wrong weren’t you, he really did kill Victor.  He’s violent and now Starr is too.  How am I so different?”

     Blair wanted to cry.  Jack was so mad at everybody and she didn’t know how to help him.  Victor had taught him to get back at those who hurt him and he had been trying to do that ever since Todd had returned.  She had been wrong to turn her back on Todd.  It had just led to mixed messages for Jack.  He had gone with her to the trial and had scoffed at the witnesses that said his father suffered from PTSD.  He saw Todd with Victor’s eyes and that meant Todd was wrong and should be punished.  He couldn’t see how badly his father had been treated for all those years, nor could he accept that something else could have driven his father to kill Victor.  Ever since her talk with Todd the day after their reunion in Port Charles, Blair had felt there was something off with Todd’s memories.   How could she explain to Jack that they might all have been wrong about Todd?  Now she faced her angry son.  He needed her love and understanding as much as Starr and Todd did.

     Without saying another word she walked and took him into her arms.  He stood rigidly in them, determined to stay angry and then collapsed on her shoulder.  “Shh, it’s alright to be angry.  We’ve all had so much loss recently.”  She stroked the back of his head and the two of them sat down on his bed.  As she held him, she realized it wasn’t the right time to tell him about Todd.  She would have to get him to Port Charles first and then she and Todd could work on making him understand. “Listen, I think we all need to be together and work through this as a family.  Starr has decided to stay in Port Charles.  There is a man there who has bought her contract from that sleazy producer and he’s going to help her make an album.  I thought that you boys could come up and we’ll help her set up house.  Port Charles is a great little town in upstate New York run by a mob family.”  She laughed as Jack pulled away and looked skeptical. “It’s true.  What do you say?   School doesn’t start for another couple of months.  It will be an adventure.  You can find out all about mobs and gangsters.”

      “You’re serious aren’t you?” Jack looked at her. “It would be better than being stuck here, I guess.  I would like to see Starr.  I’ve missed her.”

      “Great, let’s get packing.”  Blair felt a sense of urgency.  They needed to get back on the road.  She had promised Todd they would be there that night.

****

    Todd had finally found the new cell phone.  He began pacing, trying desperately to remember Blair’s cell number. Come on you idiot. You know you know it.  Think!  It was so difficult.  His thoughts were all muddled and confused.  He was struggling to separate the dream from reality. Irene was laughing “You’re too late.”  Blair was kissing John, then Blair was kissing Tomas, telling him, ”You’re sick Todd. It’s for your own good.”   He beat on his own head.  Stop it!  You just need to talk to her.   He dialed the number.

      Tomas was sitting on the stairs when he heard the cell phone ring.  It had gotten quiet upstairs.  Blair would be down soon and they could talk.  He walked to the table where Blair’s purse was and pulled out her phone. He didn’t recognize the number, he answered. “Hello.”

      Todd froze.  It was more of his imagination. Tomas couldn’t be answering Blair’s phone. ”I need to speak to Blair.”

     “Todd, what do you want?  Blair’s busy right now.” Tomas smiled. It couldn’t be more perfect.  He held the phone away and raised his voice so Todd could hear. “What did you say, Blair?... Sure, I’ll be there in a second.”  Raising the phone to his mouth.  “Like I said, Blair can’t come to the phone.  She’s anxious to get reacquainted if you get my drift.  I’ll tell her you called, but I wouldn’t expect a callback.”  He hung up and began laughing.  By now, the drug in Todd’s system should be working overtime.  It had been designed to work on a person’s fears.  When Todd kidnapped him, he realized that Todd feared losing Blair the most.  Todd’s call had given him the chance to plant the seed. Now the drug would make it grow until Todd cracked.

     The connection went dead as Todd dropped the phone.  He walked over to the chair where his shirt was and put it back on.  Then he walked out of the room.


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