The Devil You Know: Chapter 29

The Mannings had been back in Port Charles for a few days when Blair called Lucy Coe to talk about her act for the Nurses’ Ball.  They met for lunch and Lucy was her usual bundle of energy.  “So you know what your act is going to be?” Lucy asked excitedly. 

Blair smiled and crocked her finger, beckoning Lucy closer.  “This has to be kept quiet.  Meaning, no one but you and me can know.  Deal?”

“Oh, definitely!  My lips are sealed,” Lucy assured her, miming zipping her lips. 

Blair smirked at the gesture.  “My youngest son does that, but it never seems to work.”  Blair looked around the restaurant again then said, “When we were in Chicago this week, Todd learned some things he didn’t know, ore rather remembered, about himself.  One of them was, as a kid, he was actually a very talented pianist.”  Lucy’s eyes widened as Blair went on.  “We were sitting in the hotel bar and he went over to the piano.  He started to fiddle with it and all of a sudden, he was playing Nat King Cole’s ‘Unforgettable’.”

“Oh, I love that song!” Lucy gushed. 

“It was playing the night Todd and I met.  We both hated it and yelled for it to be shut off,” Blair said, the memory coming to her.  “Anyway, we would like to do that for our act, maybe like a lounge singer and her accompanist.”

“Oh, that a great idea!.  We’ll get that together for you,” Lucy said, a smile beaming from her face. 

“And I mean it, Lucy.  It’s a skittish situation.  Todd’s been dealing with a lot from the visit and I’m a little worried about him,” Blair said. 

“What happened?”  Lucy’s tone turn to one of concern so quickly, it made Blair’s head spin.  From all her talks with the bubbly event organizer, she had never heard that tone of voice before.

“It’s just…Todd has had a lot to deal with over the past couple of years and especially a lot in the last week,” Blair said. 

“Is this what we talked about before you left?” Lucy asked.  When Blair nodded, Lucy put her hand on top of the other woman’s.  “Maybe he does need to talk to someone.  Really, Doc is great, even with the most stubborn patients.”

“Todd completely dismissed it when I suggested it.  He isn’t the type to talk thing out.  He doesn’t like people knowing too much about him.  The last time he did let a stranger know personal information and talk about his feelings, it came back at him as fodder for emotional blackmail,” Blair explained.  “Which led to him being shot and a whole big mess we only just got cleaned up.”

Lucy’s usual curiosity was piqued.  She had read a little bit up on Todd Manning since he had offered to sponsor the Nurses’ Ball, but she didn’t want to pry too much into the man.  And really, she had a number of shady characters help her out over the years.  She wasn’t one to judge normally, and she didn’t want to be in the position to judge either.  Still, she felt bad for this man who seemed to have some real issues.  Then a thought occurred to her.  “Are you above a little subterfuge to help out your man?”

Blair looked at Lucy seriously for a moment, but then a smile formed on her lips.  “What do you have in mind?” she asked.

“I think it would be lovely if we went out to dinner.  You can tell Todd it has to do with the Ball.  I’ll bring Doc with me and maybe we can have him try and at least get a read on Todd,” Lucy said.  “We’ll try to make it an innocuous as possible so Todd doesn’t think it’s a set-up.”

“Let’s have you two over at our house instead.  That way, if anything does come up, it’s a more controlled environment,” Blair suggested.

“You think something could come up?”

Blair sighed.  “Well, let’s put it this way, if Todd figures out what it is I’m trying to do, I’d rather he lose it in our own home.” 

Lucy nodded her head.  “Understood.  I’ll give Doc a heads up on dealing with Todd in a professional capacity.”

“Okay, so we’ll see you tomorrow if it alright.  Is there anything you can’t eat or don’t eat?” Blair asked.

“Oh!  Duck!  I don’t east duck,” Lucy informed her.  “Other than that, anything else is fine.”

Blair nodded her head slowly, finding the comment strange.  “Okay then, no duck.  I’ll call you when everything is settled.”  Blair looked at her watch.  “Now, I have to get going.  We’ll talk again.”  With that, Blair left and headed for the Manning Enterprises offices.  She wanted to let Todd know she had spoken to Lucy. 

When she arrived on the floor, it was almost too quiet.  Maxie was not at her desk and the door was closed.  Blair went over and knocked. softly.  When there was no response, she knocked a little harder.  Still there was no response so she tried the handle.  The door opened and she walked in.  Todd was sitting in his chair, staring out the window.  He made no movement, which set off alarm bells in Blair’s head.  “Todd?” she called softly.  When there was no answer, she approached the desk, trying to remain calm.  “Todd, are you alright?”  Finally, she faced him and noticed the blank stare on his face.  “Todd can you hear me?” she cried, the panic rising in her as she shook him.

Just them, Todd blinked and looked at her.  Confusion played over his face.  “Why are you yelling?”

“Oh, Todd!” she exclaimed with relief.  She threw her arms around him and squeezed tight, afraid he may slip away again and let a tear fall down her face. 

Through her embrace, Todd wondered what had triggered it.  “I’m okay, but what’s got you acting like this?” he asked. 

“What’s got me…?  Todd, I knocked on the door, I call from the threshold, I even tried to shake you to get your attention, but you weren’t responding.  What happened to you?”

Todd shook his head, as if clearing out his mind.  Then he squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them.  He took a deep breath and let it out.  But he himself had no idea what happened.  “Ah, I sent Maxie on an errand and I was looking at some papers and then, you were here.”

“Now your getting me worried.  You’re losing time?  Todd, I really think you need to see someone.  You still have issues from last year and now with everything you learned in Chicago, it’s taking a toll on you.  Even the Starr and Jack are noticing,” Blair said, her voice almost pleading. 

Todd stood up and grabbed his cane, walking back out into the reception area.  “Blair, we discussed this.  I don’t talk to shrinks!  End of story.”

“You talked to Ray Martino all those years ago.  Why can’t you talk to someone now?” she asked, trying to stay calm.

But Todd gave he a cold stare, one that she knew meant she should drop it. 

“Fine.  Have it your way,” she said finally.  “I just came here to tell you that I had lunch with Lucy Coe today and I invited her and her husband over for dinner to talk further about the Nurses’ Ball.  They’ll be over tomorrow night.”

“Who’s coming over for dinner?” a new voice asked.  Blair turned and saw her sister-in-law, Tina Roberts standing there. 

“Ah, the woman in charge of the Nurses’ Ball, that thing I’m sponsoring,” Todd said, relieved for once that his sister was here.  Maybe it would stop Blair’s going on about the shrink.

“Oh, I heard about that!  I’m so glad.  I wanted to pitch in for it also,” Tina said exuberantly.  “Would it be too much of an imposition if Cord and I joined you?  I‘d love to meet this Lucy Coe.”

Blair looked at Todd who shrugged his shoulders.  That was not the response she was hoping he’d give, but she didn’t say anything.  Turning back to Tina, she said in her sweetest tone, “I don’t see why not.”

“Thank you.  Oh, I can’t wait to meet her.  Maybe you can tell her I’m more than willing to help out in any way,” Tina replied as she sashayed past Blair.  “Now, I need to tell my baby brother some things, so why don’t you run along, dear.”

Blair leveled a death glare at the redhead, but excused herself.  “Todd, I’ll see you at home.”  With that she left. 

Todd walked over to his sister and unexpectedly hugged her.  To say she was taken aback was an understatement, but she returned the sentiment.  “Well, I missed you too,” she said.

“No, not that, you may have just save me from an argument with Blair,” he replied.

“One that could break you two up for good?” she asked, a touch too hopeful.  When she saw Todd’s reaction, she sighed melodramatically.  “One can still hope, can’t one?”

“Why’d you come here, Tina?  Besides play the same tape you’ve had for all these years.”

Tina sat in front of the desk.  “I just wanted to tell you that Tracy Quartermaine wants to meet with us whenever you’re available.  She seems to have something for us that her father left for after his death.  She’d also like Victor to be here too.  That was Uncle Edward‘s wishes.”

Todd frowned and grimaced at the mention of his brother.  No matter how much time would pass, there was never going to be a time when the thought of having a brother, much less a twin, wouldn’t sound weird.  “Fine, call him and tell him to get his ass up here.  I want to get this over with.”

“Well, after the funeral, where Tracy told me this, I called Victor and he said he can’t get up here…until the Nurses’ Ball,” Tina said. 

Todd’s eyes rolled so far back, he thought he saw his brains.  “I thought he wasn’t coming.  Thought he had no interest in it.”

“Well, I guess Viki mentioned it to him and he changed his mind,” Tina tried to reason.

“Translation:  Viki talked him into it,” Todd replied with disgust.  “Whatever.  Fine, we’ll wait till then to talk to Tracy.”  He started shifting paper around his desk and look back up at his sister.  “Are we done here?”

“Well, I guess so--”

“Then leave.  I’m busy,” he dismissed her.

Tina walked to the office door and looked back.  There was something going on with Todd and it worried her.  She realized she’d have to do something she absolutely loath and talk to Blair about it.



*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.