The Devil You Know: Chapter 22

Morning dawn bright in Llanview.  It was crisp out, as  fall’s last wisps were giving way.  Activity was running high at the three major estates in the town.

At La Boulaie, Blair Cramer was drinking her coffee as she dialed a number. After three rings, the other end picked up.  “Greeting, Songbird.  I am rather surprised to hear from you on this fine day.  Is not Mr. Manning’s beloved sister preparing to tie the knot?” Damian Spinelli asked as he answered the phone.

Blair smiled.  The private investigator had grown on them in the months they had moved to Port Charles.  “Yes, we’ll be getting ready for the wedding in a little bit.  In the meantime, I have a project for you.”

“I would be most pleased to help in any way.”    

“I’d like you to look up anything relevant to Todd Manning on or about June third, nineteen seventy-seven,” Blair told him.

“Do you have any knowledge what I may be looking for?”

“No, unfortunately.”

“And how did you divine this date, if I may ask?”

Blair thought about the question, a smile forming on her lips. “Let’s just say, I did just that,” she replied enigmatically.  “Let me know as soon as you can.  But please, don’t call me between three and four this afternoon.  I interrupted this woman’s last wedding with a phone call, I don’t think she’d appreciate a repeat performance.”  With that, she ended the call before Starr and Molly came into the living room.

“Who were you on the phone with?” Starr asked.

“Oh, I just wanted to check in with the paper.  See if they had any further information on the arrangements for Mr. Quartermaine,” Blair lied to her daughter.  She didn’t want to bring in anyone else in on what Delphina had told her the night before.  “How was you night last night?  Have fun with all your cousins?”

“You had to hear some of the stories going around last night.  I still don’t get why they were calling Joey ‘Dustin Hoffman’,” Molly said as she bit into a scone.

Blair let out a laugh, remembering her aunt’s fling with the younger Buchanan son. 

When Molly gave her a look, Starr explained, “Let’s just say, he and my Aunt Dorian were an item for a while.”  Molly still didn’t seem to get it, until Starr explained further by saying,  “Think of the movie ‘The Graduate’.”

At that, Molly went, “Oh.”  Then Dorian walked in and Molly repeated, “OH!” and began to laugh, along with Blair and Starr.

“Can I get in on the joke?” Dorian asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

“What joke Aunt Dorian?” Starr asked, all innocent.  Then she turned her attention back to her mother.  “How was you night at the Buchanan’s?”

“It was…informative.  We basically spent the night comparing notes on our significant Lord others and talking about your grandfather,” Blair replied.

At the mention of Victor Lord, Senior, Dorian made a face.  “Why bring up him?”

“Because, for not much of a better but definitely for the worse, his kids are the way they are because of him.  His actions, his choices.  His secrets and his lies.  If he had been a halfway decent man and father, Viki, Tina, Todd and Victor wouldn’t be half the screwed up individuals they are now,” Blair said.

“Blair, let me tell you, Victor Lord was in no way ever going to be a decent man,” Dorian practically spat.  “Take it from someone who was married to him.”  Then she calmed herself down.  “Does anyone want another scone?” 

Blair looked down at her watch.  “Actually, we have appointments to get to, so we have to get going.”  She walked into the foyer, calling for Addie, who hurried down the staircase.  When she join her daughter and the teenagers, they set off to get their hair and nails done.

At the Buchanan Mansion, Clint and his sons were finishing up breakfast with Renee when Bo came in.  “There he is, the groom.  You nervous at all?”

Clint had to smile at his brother’s enthusiasm.  “No, no nerves at all.  After my third time to this woman, I really shouldn’t have any!”

Bo put his suit bag on the back of the couch.  “How did everything go here last night?  No problems?”

“What kind of problems do you think there could there have been, Uncle Bo?” Joey asked.

“Well, Blair was here and so was Tea, not to mention I’m sure you and Blair crossed paths, right Renee?” Kevin added.

“I barely interacted with her when she came.  Delphina gave her a message that seemed to unnerve her, but after that, she and Tea joined the men in here,” Renee explained.

“There were a few barded comments between Tea and Blair, but nothing got out of hand,” Clint said.  “It was actually rather enjoyable.  We were comparing all of them and finally came to the conclusion that our lives were better for having them.”  Then he looked at Kevin and Joey.  “I know my life is better for having you two as sons.”

Kevin smiled.  “You have been the best father a kid could hope for…a fact that Todd ironically reminded me of earlier this week.”

“I never wanted to replace Joe Riley in your lives.  I just hope you boys understand that,” Clint said. 

“I can’t speak for Kevin, but since he died before I was even born, you are the only father I’ve ever known, and I thank you for that,” Joey said, embracing Clint. 

“Thank you,” Clint whispered, his voice breaking. 

Bo was grinning from ear to ear as he said, “Well, we do have some time, but I’m sure there are things that need to be done.  So, let’s get this day started.”

Natalie and Jessica walked past Tina, who was carrying a breakfast tray to their mother’s room as they headed down the stair as Llanfair.  Saying good morning to their aunt they headed down the stairs and moved towards the closed doors of  library.  They heard two voices inside, and though they could tell it was Todd and Victor, they couldn’t make out what was actually being said.  Finally at hearing “That’s the plan then,” the twin girls opened the doors to confront their uncles on whatever nefarious deeds they were up to. 

For their part, Todd and Victor were lounging around, looking as innocent as possible.  In fact, Todd seemed almost happy when his nieces charged in.  “Good morning, Jessica, Natalie.  How was your evening with all of your cousins?”

“What are you two up to?” Natalie asked in an accusatory tone.

Victor looked over at Todd.  “Up to something?  What would we be up to?”

“We heard you say something about a plan,” Jessica pointed out, her gave going from one uncle to the other.  “You have something up your sleeve, don’t you?  If you screw this day of for Mom…”

“Yeesh, paranoid much?  Why would we screw this day up for your mother?  Really?  I have a life I need to get back to, so does Victor.  Viki’s made her bed, now she has to sleep in it,” Todd reasoned.  He was about to pour himself a glass of orange juice when he heard a loud clanging coming from upstairs and the hustle of high heels coming down the staircase.

Tina hit the landing and called out,  “Crisis!  We have crisis!”

“What the hell is going on Tina?” Victor asked.

Tina tried to catch her breath as she said, “I went…to bring Viki breakfast.  She wasn’t in her room…Where could she be?”

“She’s done a Runaway Bride already?” Todd asked until he got three nasty looks for the women. 

“Maybe she just went for an early morning walk, you know to clear her head,” Natalie suggested.

“Yes, I sure that’s it.  Girls, why don’t you go look around the grounds for her, okay?” Tina asked, plastering a smile on her face.  When they left, Tina turned to her brothers.  “I don’t think she’s on the grounds.  Where would she have gone?”

Victor scratched his jaw, trying to look thoughtful.  “The last time she was in a crisis about a relationship, she head out of town.  Paris, Texas maybe?”

Todd just rolled his eyes then he remembered something from the night before.  “I think I might know where she went.”  He bellowed for Reginald to tell Jessica and Natalie that he, his brother and his sister had gone to follow up another lead and headed out the door.  After a short drive, the three ended up at the cemetery.  “Look, this one may be a long shot, but Victor, head over to the old man’s grave.  If not, meet us on the other side.”

Victor caught his drift and went in one direction.  Tina looked at Todd as she asked, “Are you sure about this?”

“No, I’m not,” Todd admitted.  “But he was a topic of conversation last night, so it makes sense.”  Todd peeked around the gate that enclosed the headstones and sure enough, Viki was there, sitting in front of the grave marked ‘Joseph Francis Riley, Sr.’  He stepped on a dry leaf that announced his entrance.  Viki looked up and smiled.  Todd gave her his sheepish smile in return.  “Sorry.”

“No, it’s fine, though I must admit, I got a sense of déjà vu just now,” she said.

“Oh, Viki, I was so worried,” Tina said as she walked around Todd and hugged her sister.  “I went to bring you breakfast and when I found the room empty, I thought something had happened.”

“Well, I did leave a note telling you I was coming here,” Viki said as she heard Victor’s voice say, “Yeah, I see her now.  Thank you for letting us know, Jessica.”

He hung up phone and gave a hardened stare to Tina.  “Well, the girls didn’t find here on the grounds, but they did find a note she left saying she was going to pay a visit to the cemetery, Tina.”  Then as if just noticing Viki, he remarked.  “Oh, look who I found!”

“Yes, thank you all for worrying, but it is unnecessary,” she explained.  “I just wanted a little quiet time, which I had.  I just wanted to thank Joe one last time before the wedding for having the foresight, once again, to bring Clint here to Llanview.”        

“Well, come on.  Don’t you need to get your hair done and stuff?” Victor asked brusquely.

“Yes,” Viki replied.  She walked back to the tombstone, kissing her hand and laying it on the engraving.  “Goodbye, my love.”

As she walked off with her siblings, a voice called off in the wind, “I love you too.  Goodbye.”   


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