Blair stepped off the elevator to find several men packing up file cabinets and desks at the Crimson offices. She walked into the main office to hear Lucy instructing more of the men where to send the boxes. “Wow, you work fast. I believe Todd’s absolutely going to love you if you keep this up. He’s been looking for a good right hand since he lost his assistant. I’ll warn you now, he might end up calling you Lou instead of Lucy.”
Lucy smiled at Blair and then asked. “Why on earth would he do that?”
“That was his assistant’s name. Lou, it's short for Louise.”
“How funny. So, Blair, long time no see. How long have you known Todd Manning? The fact that you were exiting the bedroom this morning, tells me this is more than a casual relationship.”
Blair laughed. “My relationship with Todd left casual behind a long time ago.” Then she got serious. “When you and I met all those years ago, I was trying to pick up the pieces after he annulled our first marriage. I had immersed myself in Melador and then I found out I was pregnant.”
“Who was the lucky guy?”
“Todd was.”
Lucy motioned to a chair. “So I guess you guys reconciled.”
“Yes, but circumstances happened that ripped us apart. Over the last eighteen years, Todd and I have been married three times and divorced two. The last divorce took place not long before he disappeared from our lives in 2003. Now he’s returned but what occurred during that time still haunts him.”
“I know it’s none of my business, and it looks like you two are back together, but what happened during those eight years?”
“Last year, Todd came back into our lives. He said he had been held all those years and tortured and none of us believed him. When he finally proved he was the real Todd Manning, our sympathies still went to the brother who had replaced him for those years. Todd snapped and killed his brother. It was during his trial that we found out just how real his torture was. Todd was found not guilty by reason of temporary insanity.”
“I remember reading something about that. I’m guessing that’s why he’s here in Port Charles.”
“It is. He felt we all turned our backs on him and he needed to regroup somewhere new. Our daughter is here, so he came looking for her.”
“So now he’s buying Crimson and the Port Charles Press. Well, he’s ambitious, to say the least.”
“Todd hides behind his Publishing Magnate facade. In reality, he’s not in control the way he would like. He’s still suffering from the after-effects of that torture. But you don’t really want to hear all this. I’m rambling. We should finish packing.”
Lucy looked at Blair. Something in Blair’s voice told her there was more to the story. “You know, if Todd’s having trouble dealing, maybe he should see someone. My husband might be able to help or give him a name of a colleague.”
“Lucy, I didn’t know you were married?”
“Well, I still use my maiden name, but my Doc is terrific. He’s a psychiatrist and helping out at General Hospital right now.”
“Thank you for the suggestion, but I’ve said too much. The last thing Todd wants is for everyone to know about his life. Lucy, as his new assistant, I’d appreciate if you kept everything I said to yourself.”
“Okay, I understand, but really, Kevin would be glad to help. I’m sure of it.”
Blair had begun loading another box but when Lucy said Kevin, she turned. “Who’s Kevin?”
“ He’s my husband, Dr. Kevin Collins.”
Blair almost dropped the box. As coincidences go, this is a whopper. Todd always says fate has a hand in things. He couldn’t be more right.
****
Addie was exhausted. When she had awakened, she had panicked at first because she was afraid of suffocating. By rolling over onto her stomach and then back onto her back, she had managed to remove the sheet her attacker had covered her with. Addie had taken deep breaths through her nose when the sheet had finally come off. She had been struggling for what felt like hours to get herself free of the tape binding her but to no avail. She also had a pounding headache thanks to the chloroform used by the woman who had taken Sam. Now she lay on the carpeting trying to determine her next move.
Think, Addie. Okay, you can’t get the bonds loose, but there has to be a way to get someone’s attention.
Looking around she saw the phone across from her up on the desk. If you can get to it, you could try to pull it down and make some sort of call. Even if you can’t talk, you can make some noise. She rolled on her side, her hands and arms numb from being under her. Using her legs and bound feet, she tried to change her position so that she was more parallel to the desk. Frustration mounted when the sheet once more wrapped around her feet and she had to labor to untangle herself all over again.
After what seemed like forever, Addie found herself lying next to the desk. Then, she realized there was another problem. The phone sat in the middle of the desk and was attached to the wall by its cord. She was going to have to find a way to move it to the side so it could drop off. She turned on her side once more and bent her legs so they were now under the desk. Then she laid there, feeling her heart pumping from all the previous exertion. This is taking too long. Sam’s been taken, who knows what that woman is doing to him. You can do this, you have to. With that thought, her resolve strengthened. She put her feet on both sides of the cord hanging down behind the desk and caught it between her shoes.
Good, now take your time, Addie, just move it slowly.
Moving her legs, she began to move the cord. She could hear the phone above her sliding on the desk. It’s working, just be patient. Then she felt resistance in the line. The phone had caught on something. Oh God, what now? Her legs and feet had started to cramp, but she fought through the pain and tried again to move the cord. For a moment, she heard the phone start sliding, then her heart turned over in her throat as she heard it topple from its cradle and clatter on the desktop. “NO!” She cried aloud. The scream was muffled by her gag. Then to make matters worse, her foot spasmed and in her pain, her shoe snagged the cord jerking it and she watched it fall free behind the desk, no longer attached to the phone. Addie turned on her side and curled up, letting the tears she had been holding back, fall freely.
****
“You can’t be serious. I know I was uncertain that I killed my brother at first, but now the scene plays in my mind like an eternal loop. How can you say I might not have done it?”
Kevin met Todd’s eyes directly. “Your mother began manipulating your mind the moment she got you into her clutches. She was able to get you to talk about your past and you were unable to resist her. That means she was probably drugging you. You told me there were periods in those eight years where she had her men inject you with all forms of drugs. I know from seeing one of your episodes, that some of those drugs were designed to hurt you. I have to surmise that others might have been given to you to make you compliant to her wishes. That’s why I mentioned the hypnosis. With it, we might be able to access your memories without bringing on the pain. What do you say? Would you be willing to try it?”
Todd got up out of the chair. He felt a little wobbly and gripped the back of it a moment until his legs felt steadier. “Do you realize what you just asked me?”
“Todd, I know this is going to be difficult.”
“Doc, you have no idea. I just got free of a woman who thought nothing of brainwashing her one son and torturing the other. You were right. Some of the drugs, that were given to me, caused considerable pain. It’s highly possible others did what you believed, but I’ve had it up to here with everyone wanting a piece of my mind. I can’t do it. What you’re asking is too close to what she did. She took all my innermost thoughts and memories and gave them to my brother. Hell, she fucking mind-raped me. Now you want me to let you get in there too. Forget it, it’s not happening.” Todd struggled to keep the anger he was feeling about Irene contained. He squeezed the top of the chair wishing at that moment that his mother’s neck was under his hands. If he had it to do all over again he would have wanted her to die a slow painful death. Shooting had been too easy on her.
Kevin looked at Todd, noting the muscles tightening in his jaw and the strangle grip he had on the chair. The tension and fury rolling off him were palpable. He realized he had made a mistake. It was too soon for Todd to face everything. In trying to figure out a way to give him relief from Irene, he had inadvertently opened a hornet’s nest. First, he would have to get Todd past the rage.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
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