Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 37

"You're up early," Todd said, turning over in the bed to find her place next to him empty.


"Yeah, I have to bring Ray for an appointment.  Check up."


He didn't respond, just waited instead for her to ask him to go along.  He said, "He's getting big."


"He is.  He's really growing,"  she continued to prep herself for the day.


"I should get up and get showered," he said, matter-of-factly.


She put on her earring, "No, you don't have to.  Why don't you just rest a little longer?  You seemed tired yesterday."


"Tired from your special brand of workouts," he said, smiling.  He jumped out of the bed, and went behind her, kissing her neck.  


She smiled, touching the side of his face.  "I'll give you another one when I get back.  I can't be late.   If you're not there on time, they give your slot to someone else and you have to wait longer."


"All right.  I'll see you later, then.  I'm going to work today, anyway, gotta keep that paper up."


"It's doing fine, Todd."


"Yeah, maybe, but I should go there and act the part."  He went into the bathroom. 

She returned to brushing her hair.  Catching his gaze at her in the mirror, she said, "Look at us, Todd.  We're okay."  Her voice had that familiar catch in it when she was pushing back emotion.


"I'm okay because of you.  You know that."  In the back of his mind, he questioned as to whether or not he should be telling her about his latest bouts with memories, so overwhelming, they had drawn him to Timothy for support.


"And I'm okay because of you.  And since it's mutual, I'll get back soon."  She walked to him, kissed him, and said, "Be back later."  Leaving the bedroom, she flounced off, her hips swinging with confidence and a cloud of her familiar perfume wafting to him.    

He looked at himself in the mirror.  "Stop.  Stop thinking of the worst," he said aloud.  He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to stop that kind of thinking, even though it had been told to him, by everyone, that it wasn't necessarily good.  Come on, Manning.  Get it together.  You wanted to be honest with her, now you're keeping more from her?  He looked back at his reflection again.  Quickly, he grabbed his jacket and ran downstairs to lock up, wanting to get back up to the heliport and get to Llanview Center before Blair even set foot there.  Something is just not right . . .


***


Timothy woke up, and turning over, saw Dorian laying next to him.  Her hair was tousled and falling over her face on one side.  He gently moved it back, and she opened her eyes.  She said, "Morning."


"Morning, Dear Lady."


"What time is it?"


"It's about nine.  It's another sunny day in December.  Not a cloud in the sky."  He raised his eyes to look at the windows above the penthouse bed.


"Nine.  Hmf.  I was supposed to be at an business meeting at 9:15.  I suppose I won't be making it."


"Most likely not,"  he leaned in to kiss her.


She reciprocated, and then turned on her side, facing him.  "What's on your agenda for today?"


"I was to check on the woman that I met in the park yesterday, but we all know what happened there, eh?"


"Yes, quite a development.  Any calls?"


"None.  No one's seen her.  I have a call to make now, and then I'll be off to the mission to try and help find her."


"That sounds good.  If I get up and shower, I could be at that business meeting a bit late, right?"  She said, throwing the covers off.


"Ya might."  he watched her go and reached for his phone.  Dialing, he put it to his ear.  He said, "Mr. Martino, or should I say doctor?"


"Good morning, yes.  Either is fine."


"Timothy Broderick."


"Ah, yes.  How are you?"


"I'm fine.  I'm calling to ask your assistance with a support group for teenagers.  Jack is still having struggles with his emotions, and it seems guilt.  He almost died of alcohol poisoning the other evening."


"My God, is he all right?"


"He is.  On the mend.  I wondered if you could help to find us a group for teens who have turned to alcohol for some comfort?"


"I think he's already been assigned to attend, but hasn't yet.  Let me drop you the details in an email.  I'm currently due for a session, and my patient has just arrived."


"I'll text you the email address, and I thank ya."  He ended the call, saying to himself,  "This blasted phone," fishing it out of his pants, "these new-fangled contraptions....but I must admit, it makes some things faster," grabbing his long-john pants, and hearing Dorian's shower still running, went to seek out clothes for the day. 


***


Todd, rounding the corner at the base of the stairs and rushing to the front door to lock it, turned it, when the doorbell rang.  Wincing and tapping his fist on the door, he opened it.  "Yeah?"


John McBain said, "Is that how you receive me?  I'm surprised.  I thought I deserved better after all we have been through."


"I was. . . on my way out, that's all."  Todd said.


"I think we need to talk," John said, walking past Todd, who didn't hide his regret at having his plans to go after Blair thwarted.


"What's this about?"  Todd said.  "I just . . . have to be somewhere."


"First, your friend, that nun, she called me.  A patient is on the loose from St. Anne's.  Not dangerous to others, just missing.  She somehow got out, and she was last seen at, the mission in town, the new one.  Second Chances?"


Todd did not react.  "Okay, so what does that have to do with you coming here to talk to me?"


"Nothing, it's just that, in my research, I came across the fact that . . . you've dropped hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, into this place."


"So?"


"So I wondered why it's a secret?  Why the public doesn't know?"


"Why should they?"


John thought about it.  "Maybe it might make you look good, in their eyes?"


"Not why it's there, not going to work, so why bother?"


"Well, I don't know.  But I found this," he said, putting his hand out and showing Todd a picture.  It was a sketch of Jack.  It was a perfect likeness.


"That's great, who did it?  Was it Jenna?  She's got it bad for my boy."


"No, it was the woman they say is missing.  Seems she came in contact with your son."


"Now that you mention it, I think I remember that.  He said something about it yesterday."  For some reason, he was starting to panic.


"In the park?"  John said.


"Right.  He and Timothy helped her get back to the mission.  Isn't she there?"


"I guess not.  Just thought Jack might want it, and also, wanted you to know, since it's your business holding."


"All right, thanks, I suppose."  He put the drawing on the table by the door.  "If I hear anything, I'll be in touch."  Inside, he had a strange feeling.  The mental patient, he was certain she was harmless.  Right?  "While you're here, Dorian said something interesting the other day."

John put his hands into his jacket pockets.  Snarking, he said,  "Already?  It's nine a.m.  I guess I have no choice."

"Well, she mentioned that Mitch Laurence went by Michael Lazarus once.  Can that mean anthing in this missing mother case?"


"It means what it means.  I can look into it.  Are you aware Laurence rigged cameras so jail personnel couldn't see the footage of certain visitors?"

Todd went cold.  Laurence.  "He did.  Sounds like something he would definitely do.  Can that relate to the missing woman?"

"Either that, or he wants to hide someone he's been visiting with.  It was Natalie's discovery.  Seems she sort of watches things Mitch does closely."  John said.  Todd understood exactly why.  "But, you won't be one of those visitors, Manning.  Stay away for Laurence.  You should already know that it won't help confronting him, or going after him."

"You're reminding me of that?  Hmf, ironic.  I spent hours next to my dead father because he felt like making my day."

"Stay away.  I'm not going to say more, except you have a family.  The last time you screwed with this guy, it ended up separating you from humanity for eight years."


"Who said I was doing anything?"  he said, walking past John to the stairs.  "Thanks for letting me know.  I have to go, I have an appointment to keep."


John watched him with a quizzical look.  "That's all?"


"Yeah, that's all.  I have to go, my wife needs me."  Why did I say that?  She's just going to an appointment?


Todd disappeared into the top level of the house, then came back down the stairs.  "I have to lock up, I forgot."


John stepped toward the door.  "Todd, as a friend . . ."


"Friend?"


He repeated himself, "Yeah, as a friend, I'm telling you to let this go."


"Let what go?  See, I already forgot what you told me,"  he opened the door, and stood there with a grin on his face, hands put into his pants pockets.


"All right.  Let's keep it that way.  I don't want to see Blair lose anyone else she loves."


He was gone.  Todd turned to the stairs and took them two at a time, keeping his jacket in his grasp.  If you hurry, you can catch them at the pediatrician's.  Racing through the bedroom, he opened his glass pane doors, and hopped up into the copter.  "Don't worry, McBain.  The baby's got a check up, and then . . . we'll see about Michael Lazarus."


***


"Thank you, doctor!"  Blair said, cuddling Ray to her cheek, and talking to him in her baby voice, she said.  "He's doing great, I am so happy to hear it all.  He's getting to be a big boy!  He's strong and smart, like his Daddy."


Blair grabbed her baby bag after bundling Ray for the cold.  She said, "We'll call Williams in a little while, Little Man.  Let's go for a walk first?"  She put him into his carrier, and sat the carrier into the unique stroller base, and wheeled him outside.  It was a glorious, sunny day, not too cold, and he was bundled up and warm.  She took a big breath of the fresh air, and headed into the park. 


The day was blustery but not bitter, and she started their walk around the perimeter of the park.  Walking briskly to get some exercise, Blair talked to her baby son the whole time.  She was starting a tradition, with him, of telling the same stories she told to Starr and Jack about her life with Todd and the things their father had done.  In Ray's case, he had more stories of heroism, since his very life was saved by Todd.  She started with the story of their meeting, at Rodi's, exaggerating and romanticizing it the way she had when Starr was born and Todd was presumed dead.  Every once in a while, he'd say "Da-da" or chortle adorably from the carrier.  


Finally, she spied a bench, and went to it, sitting down and resting a moment, and warming her hands by rubbing them together.  She checked him; he was warm.  She had put the little warmers that Todd bought into the sides of the carrier to keep him comfy.  She was interrupted by a mechanical sound coming from above, and looking up, she recognized The Manning Copter.  She said, aloud, "Well, Baby Boy, your father is a tough talker but he could not stay away from you," she thought, then, "unless he's just going to work."  Not sure why, she had a suspicion that Todd was coming after them, not The Sun.


She bent to fix Ray's little blanket before turning back to head for the other end and call Williams for a ride home, when she spotted two feet standing in front of her.  She looked up.  There, looking over her shoulder into the stroller, was a woman.  She was dress in a coat, but she did not look warm enough.  Blair said, "Hello," and smiled.  The woman was staring into the carrier at Little Ray.  Blair stood up, standing aside him, and said, "Do I know you?"


The woman did not answer.  She continued to look at Little Ray.  Her expression was one of awe.  Blair, attempting not to lose her composure, said, "You look very cold.  We're about to leave," she bent to the carrier, and removed the warmers, and handed them to the woman, who looked at them, puzzled.  She smiled at Blair, and Blair said, "Here," putting the warmers into the gloves.  The woman smiled larger and nodded.  Looking back at the carrier, the woman tilted her head, curiously, and moved slightly closer.  Blair, avoiding panic, attempted to put herself between the woman and the baby, and began thinking.  I'll shove her.  She's a little bit of a thing, I'll shove her and take off running with the carriage.  Two more minutes with her trying to get near him, and I'll shove the bitch to the ground.


Then, she heard him.  "Blair?  Blair!"  he was calling to her from across the park, bellowing as he used outside La Boulaie, in the days when they were trying to put themselves back together.  She turned her head and saw him, and when she looked back, the woman, with the warmers in her gloves, had run off, clearly frightened by his presence.  


He jogged toward her and she almost lost her mind and ran to him, but instead, she sat on the bench, checking Little Ray again, and starting to cry.  He got there, and said, "Hey, I know this is going to sound stupid, but . . . Blair?"


"Oh, Todd," she cried, and he went to her, bringing her into his arms.  He sat beside her on the bench,  she choked out, "I'm glad to see you . . . I was . . . just a little scared, I'm just being silly."


"What happened, Babe?"


"Nothing, just a homeless woman, she, she wanted to look at Ray, and I just got scared.  Seems we scared her off."  She tried to smile and softly laughed through her nervousness.  


He smoothed her hair, "Here I was, thinking I was being an overreactive husband.  After you left, I wanted you back so much, I didn't know what to do, so I left.  I figured I'd track you down.  I saw you from the sky, actually."


"Stalking me, again?"


"Of course.  You know love that about me."


"Yeah.  I love that about you."


He brushed a little tear from her cheek.  "It's okay.  You guys are safe."


"I know.  Especially now that you're here.  I probably jumped to conclusions.  She was just cold and thought he was cute."


"Guaranteed," he said, "he's an adorable baby, like Jack was.  Like Starr was."


"Like you probably were."


"Me?  Never.  I was never a baby.  And I was never adorable."


"Oh, no, Mr. Manning, you're very adorable,"  she leaned in and kissed him.  


He said, "Let's go.  The copter's on The Manning Building."  He stood up, keeping a hand protectively on her back.


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