The Devil You Know: Chapter 24

The reception was in full swing at the Palace‘s Grand Ballroom.  Viki did the traditional first dance with both her brothers while Clint took his daughters for a swing each on the dance floor after dancing with Renee.  While the newlyweds were having their own first dance, Blair came up behind Todd and wrapped her arms around him.  “Hey handsome,” she said in a breathy voice.  “You did good today.”

Todd smirked as he turned in her arms.  “Yeah and I got my jollies in as well, so win/win for me.”  Off of Blair’s look, he admitted “Victor and I wanted to mess with our nieces’ heads this morning.  We made them think we were going to pull some stunt.”

“Todd!” she cried, “don’t you ever stop?”

“No, and if I did, people may get nervous.  Think I may behave myself.  I got a reputation to protect,’ he joked.  He kissed her softly and was about to deepen it when her phone went off. 

She reached into her clutch and checked the number.  “Oh, I need to take this.”  She stepped into hotel bar and answered it.  “That was quick.  I’m guessing you found something,” she said.

“Yes, indeed I have,” Spinelli began.  “Using the date you gave me enabled me to find a number of newspaper articles on the subject of Todd Manning.  It appears that on June the third of the year nineteen seventy-seven, your beloved performed at a piano recital where he was given much acclaim.”

Blair pause before she said, “Todd was in a musical recital?”  That was something she couldn’t begin to picture.

“Indeed, he was but there is more.  He was touted afterwards as being something of a prodigy.  A number of renowned conservatories had an interest in having him attend them when he was older.”

Blair walked out of the bar and saw Todd in a conversation with Sarah and Dillon.  In all the years she had known Todd, he had never even shown any musical inclination.  She remembered Victor toying with the piano once in a blue moon, but never Todd.  When she heard Spinelli calling her from over the line, she walked back into the bar.  “Can you email me those articles?”

“Certainly.  However, there is another piece of information I discovered in my investigation.”  The PI’s voice grew very hesitant.  “It appears that on the same night as this recital, the police were called to the home of Peter and Barbara Manning and Mr. Manning was arrested for battery  It was quite bad and Mrs. Manning was hospitalized for a few days because of it.”

Blair closed her eyes at the thought of that event.  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“Also, their son was missing for a day after the incident.  He was eventually found by a neighbor hiding in a shed, whom he stayed with until his mother was released,” Spinelli said.  “And sadly, the charges were eventually dropped by Mrs. Manning, despite the objections of the local authorities.”

“Do you have a copy of the police report?” Blair asked.  Spinelli answered in the affirmative and told her he would send that along with the aforementioned articles.  Blair thanked him and hung up the phone.  As she turned back to the party, Victor passed by.  Quickly, she tugged him into the bar.  “I have something I need to ask you,” she said unceremoniously. 

“Hey, would you watch it?  I really don’t want another incident like the catfight you and Tea got into last time,” he complained.  He looked at her and saw concern etched in her face.  “Something wrong?”

“Where did you learn to play piano?” she asked quickly.

“Piano?  Why ask about that?”

“Just answer the question.  Was it something that came out from Irene’s manipulations or do you remember actually learning it as a child?”

Victor thought for a moment, then the memory came to him.  “It’s was from when Irene gave me Todd’s memories, I’m sure of that.  I couldn’t tell you an honest memory I have of my own,” he said at last.  “Why?”

Blair let out a sigh.  “From Todd’s memories, do you remember Peter being arrested for beating Bitsy when he was about seven?”

This time, Victor shook his head.  “No, why?”

“That’s not surprising,” she murmured.  When his look implored her, she waved him off.

Normally, Victor would have left it, but he was starting to get a sinking feeling.  “You found out something?” he asked.  “Tell me.”

To say that Blair was shocked by the display of concern coming from Victor about Todd would have been an understatement.  But she could see it in his eyes.  She wanted to tell him what she learned, but at the last moment, decided not to.  “I can’t right now.  I don’t have a lot of information and I need to talk to Todd about it first,” she said finally.  “But thank you for your concern.  I don’t want to keep you from your sister’s wedding.”

Victor didn’t move for a bit, but nodded his head and headed back in.  After ordering a glass of water, Blair made her way back.  Todd had moved on to talk with Starr and Michael.  “What’s the topic of conversation?” she asked.

“Hey, where did you wander off to?” came Todd’s question.

“Oh there was a problem with a layout and the printer needs it first thing Monday.  It really couldn’t wait.  Sorry,” she fudged, not wanting to mention Spinelli’s call tonight at that moment. 

“Well, it looks like the party’s breaking up now.  Besides, the plane leave early, so I say we get out of here while the getting’s good,” Todd said wickedly.

“The party’s no where near breaking up.  They haven’t cut the cake, Aunt Viki hasn’t thrown the bouquet…” Starr begun until she caught her father’s expression.  She looked around.  “You’re right, it is.”

“Yes, and I have a room booked upstairs, so why don’t we say goodnight Gracie,” Todd told Blair.  They said goodnight to Starr and the boys then went to congratulate Viki and Clint one more time before heading to the suite.

As the elevator ascended, Todd took Blair’s hand.  “I want you to close your eyes, okay.  I got a surprise for you.”

Blair gave him a look, but did as asked.  When the bell chimed, Todd led her out and placed her in front of him.  “Okay, open your eyes.”

She did so but didn’t understand what he was getting at.  “It’s a hotel room, Todd,” she pointed out.

“Not just any hotel room.  It’s room 922.  Do you remember what we did in room 922?” he asked.  “I remember, because I remember everything about us.”

Blair searched her memories then her eyes widened and her grin turned mischievous.  “Now I remember this room,” she said as Todd opened the door for her.  Inside was an ice bucket with champagne and a multi-tier cake with candles.  Blair gasped with surprise.  He had recreated one of their most memorable moments.

“This was the room where we made Jack,” he explained finally.  “Yeah, it may have been the start of a lot of bad stuff for us, much of it my fault, but, oh what a start!”  Todd’s ridiculous grin was plastered on his face.

“You gave me the greatest present that night,” she replied.  At his cheesy grin grown bigger, she went on.  “Proof that Ms. Skye Chandler wasn’t who she thought was.”

“It was also our little bomb dropping night,” Todd smiled with delight.  “Remember the fun we had with that?  Asa, Renee and Max, Rae, framing Skye, exploding all their secrets.”  He poured each of them a glass and handed her over.    

“We’re a long way from those people, Todd.  Another marriage, three attempts, our current engagement, not to mention the kids,” Blair pointed out.  “We’ve overcome a lot since then, though.”

“And we have more to overcome now,” Todd mused.  “When we go to Chicago, it’s going to bring up a lot of stuff for me that I thought I’d buried a long time ago.  Thought I buried them with old Peter.”

“About Peter,” Blair began as she grabbed his arm.  “I haven’t had the chance to tell you about last night.”

“Yeah, how was the rodeo at the Buchanan’s?  Any interesting topics of conversation?”

“As a matter of fact, we wound up talking about the family we all married into.  You and Viki and Tina and Victor.  Hell, even Larry Wolek was there.  I think we were all amazed how Victor Lord’s children managed to survive,” she laughed a bit.  “But the really weird thing was what happened before that talk.  Delphina was there and she gave me a message: ‘Thank you for loving my precious boy’.”

“Really?  You believe her?” he asked incredulously.  “Blair, she was quack, a con artist.”

“Yeah, but she also gave me a date, June third of seventy-seven.  Does that have any meaning for you?”  Blair decided to play it as naïve.  She was unsure if Todd would remember anything and she didn’t want to push him.

As it was, he looked confused.  “You want me to remember that far back?  Why?”

“Well, you were the one who said you remember everything--”

“Yeah everything to do with us.  All the love, all the pain.  I’m cursed to remember it all!” he yelled suddenly, almost in a panic.

“Okay, calm down.  I just thought it had some meaning to you.”  She moved closer, running her hand along his scar.  He closed his eyes, absorbed in her caress.  “Like you said, Delphina’s got a good act going.”  She moved in to kiss him gently, which opened his eyes.  As the kiss deepened, he closed them again.  “So, we got this  room, what do we plan to do with it?”

They moved to the bed as he removed his tuxedo jacket.  She sat down, going for his shirt and he stopped her fingers.  “Blair, before we go on, I’m going to really need you for the next few days.  This trip…you know me…I’m never good at facing my past and…”

“Todd, I will always be there for you.  You know that.  And the kids will be there too.  We all love you,” she whispered to him, trying to keep him calm.  “I love you so much.  Anything we find, we can face it together.”

He looked into her eyes.  Never before, not in all the years they had been together, had he felt this much love from her, and for her.  He moved in to kiss her and released her hand.  She moved to the buttons on his shirt and undid them, one by one.  He laid her down on the bed gently and they got lost in each other’s arms.


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