****
Viki looked at the numbers in front of her. Even with Clint’s money, The Banner was beginning to go downhill again. She knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to shut down if she couldn’t find some way to fund the changes needed to turn the paper around. Jeffrey King had been a big help and had offered to approach his mentor, but Viki wasn’t sure she trusted Carl Peterson. She couldn’t say why; maybe it simply had to do with the fact he was keeping company with Dorian. She sat back and closed her books.
Her eyes fell on the pictures of her family. Jessica and Brody and the children were in London with Kevin. Both had needed to get away from all the heartache that had taken place with all the baby drama. Jessie had wanted to come home when she heard about Clint, but Viki had explained that she wouldn’t be able to see him. Viki and Natalie had tried to see him a number of times but had been turned away by the doctors who said he was totally irrational and had advised the family to stay away for the time being.
Two other pictures caught her eye, Victor, and Todd. She was upset when Todd had almost met his death at Victor’s hand. No matter how hard she tried, there was nothing she could do about the animosity that existed between them. To make matters worse, she found out from Natalie that Victor was suspected of killing another man. Something had indeed happened to him while he was away.
She reached for the picture of Todd. She loved her brothers, but Todd was dearer to her heart. When word had come that he disappeared, she was devastated. It was like everything she loved was vanishing from her life.
“I’m so sorry, I had such high hopes for you this time around. You deserved a break after everything you went through because of Irene and Victor. Lately, I’ve begun to wonder if you weren’t right. I think we’re cursed.” She touched Todd’s face in his picture. “I saw Blair the other day, she told me a secret that would have made you very happy. She’s expecting your child. Then she told me about this new man in her life. I have a feeling you’d be pretty upset right now if you knew she was trying to move on.”
She choked up, and tears came into her eyes. “Todd, I wish you were here. Everything is falling apart. I could use your absurd sense of humor right now. The Banner is in trouble again. Blair made a suggestion, I wonder what you would think of it? It’s so risky. You would probably remind me that Father would have jumped at the chance if it benefited him. What was it you said, ‘There never was a line Victor wouldn’t cross.’” She laughed at the memory: Todd standing in her library after being imprisoned for eight years. He had been so afraid he’d never be able to prove he was her brother, but it hadn’t stopped him from making her laugh. She brushed the tears from her eyes and rummaged around on her desktop until she found the card Blair had given her. “Maybe it’s time for me to cross one of my own lines.” She picked up the phone and dialed the number on it.
“Hello. This is Victoria Lord Banks. I’m the publisher of The Banner in Llanview, Pennsylvania, and I have a business proposition for Mr. Butler. I was wondering if I could arrange a meeting with him to discuss something that might end up being a lucrative venture for the both of us.” She listened to the person on the other end, then responded. “Very well, I’ll await your call. My calendar is clear for a while and I would appreciate a reply as soon as possible.” Putting the phone down she looked back at Todd’s picture again. She took a deep breath and then expelled it. “Well, I took the leap. Wish me luck, I hope there’s a net to land in.”
****
A week and a half had passed since Todd had walked away from his road crew job. He spent the better part of it traveling by charter around the country setting up offices to match the information in his background. People had been hired, and Todd figured he’d put them to work so he also invested some of his money in several ventures.
One of the ventures was run by an old friend of his, Sam Vance. She was now the owner of an investigation and security company that was struggling in the Silicon Valley area and she had gladly accepted a new partner. He decided to have Sam investigate the Tattoo Organization. If anyone could find out more about it, Sam could. He knew that anyone checking into his holdings as Tony Butler would merely see that he owned a Security Company.
He also invested in a wildcat drilling operation in Texas area as well as the Dakotas. If they hit the natural gas reserves they were searching for, he’d be an even richer man. If they didn’t, it would merely seem like one of those chances, that Tony Butler took, didn’t pay off. Other offices were set up as fronts in Seattle and New York. Staffs were there to take calls and transfer them to the office in New Orleans.
Todd strolled down the hall to his new office in Downtown New Orleans. He chose that particular highrise office building because the suite of offices faced the Garden District and he had a view of the Buckner Mansion. OTB Ventures, the title of his company emblazoned the wall outside the office. The office had been decorated in shades of gray but with pops of color that reminded him of Blair and her club. In particular, the green emerald shade of the blouse she had worn when she sang “No Regrets” and the vibrant blue she had worn the first night he returned to Llanview. He admired the finished product as he looked around the outer office. The jazz artwork in the blues and greens were just another nod to Blair. He walked up to his new assistant. “Phil, talk to me? Did she call?”
His assistant looked at him. She was a petite good looking woman in her early fifties. A single distinctive silver streak accented the deep auburn of her hair, which was cut in a bob that framed her face. Her clear brown eyes twinkled upon hearing the nickname her new Boss had bestowed on her. She had liked the man when he had interviewed her for the job and had been pleased when he offered it to her. Her first assignment as his assistant had been to contact the various offices and get daily progress reports. She had also been told to keep alert for a call from one Victoria Banks. That call had just arrived. “Yes Mr. Butler, she called a little under an hour ago. She wishes to meet to discuss a business proposition. I informed her I would let you know and call her back.”
“Great. Okay, call her back but make sure she understands that the meeting needs to take place here. I have some dealings going on that make it impossible for me to leave town at the moment. See if she’s willing to meet with me on Friday.” That said, he turned to enter his inner office, then stopped, turning back. “Let me know when the meeting is set.”
****
Viki stepped out of the elevator. She squared her shoulders. Her stomach was fluttering, and she was as nervous as she had been the first time her father had given her an assignment for The Banner. This is ridiculous Viki. Why does talking to a virtual stranger about investing fill you with such trepidation? Admit it, you’re afraid you’re selling away your legacy. Up ahead she saw the sign on the wall. Okay, take a deep breath. You checked this guy out. He’s coming up in the world and seems pretty shrewd in his business dealings. Besides, Blair trusts him. The least you can do is meet him and then make your decision. She opened the door and entered the office.
Phillipa looked up from her desk. “Good afternoon. May I help you?”
Viki approached the desk. “Yes, I‘m Victoria Banks. I have an appointment with Mr. Butler.”
“Of course Mrs. Banks, Mr. Butler has been expecting you. Let me tell him that you’ve arrived. Please have a seat, I’ll be right back.” After indicating a chair, she arose from her desk and entered the inner office.
Viki didn’t sit, instead, she remained where she was and looked around the office. It was very tastefully decorated, and she found it very soothing. Her nerves began to settle.
Inside the office, Todd was on a call to Blair. He frowned when Phil entered. "Hold on, Blair. What is it?"
Phil cleared her throat. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but Mrs. Banks just arrived. You said you wanted to know immediately."
"Well what are you keeping her waiting for. Show her in." He spoke into the phone. "Blair, Viki's here. I'll call you later." He put the phone down and leaned against his desk.
“Mr. Butler will see you now,” Phil said as she opened the door. She allowed Viki to pass her, then closed the door behind her.
Viki walked in but paused as she was momentarily blinded by the light coming through the window. As she shaded her eyes, she made out a man moving to darken the windows. Something about the way he walked seemed familiar. As he turned around to face her, Viki stared at him. Her hand went to her throat. She was stunned. Am I’m seeing things? “Todd.” She whispered softly. Then he spoke.
“Hi, Sis.” Todd smiled. He knew it was a shock for her, so he waited as she absorbed what she was seeing..
Viki’s eyes filled with tears. Without saying another word she moved forward and embraced her brother. Feeling his strong arms go around her was too much and Viki finally broke down and cried.
Todd choked up and he held her tightly. His own eyes filled with tears which he blinked away. Oh god, she’s really upset. “Hey Viki, it’s alright. I’m alright.” He gulped as he felt her grip around his neck loosen up. He released her, slowly giving her time to compose herself. In some ways, Viki hated being vulnerable as much as he did. She always prided herself on maintaining decorum. His father would have frowned on her display of emotion. Todd led her to his couch and as she sat, he walked to the desk and called his assistant.
“Phil, would you bring some hot tea in.” He glanced over at his sister and noticed that she had a slight smile on her face and was shaking her head “What?“
Viki chastised him gently, “Really, Todd, Phil? Her name is Phillipa. ”
“Oh come on, you don’t seriously expect me to call her that. I’m sorry, but calling her Flippa would have me in stitches; I’d never get anything done.” He grinned and then noticed the door opening. “Call me Tony, please?”
Phil walked in and set the tray down on a table close to Viki. “Will there be anything else, Mr. Butler.”
“That’s it for today, but first thing Monday morning I want you to touch base with Rogers at the Dakota drilling site. Tell him I want him to start giving me weekly updates or the funding halts. Also, reach out to Vance. It’s important I get anything she’s been able to find out as soon as possible. You have all that?”
“Yes, Mr. Butler. Rogers and Vance, first thing Monday morning, I’ve got it. I’ll see you next week, Sir.” She nodded in Viki’s direction. “Have a good evening, Mrs. Banks.” and exited the room.
Todd ran his fingers through his hair and went to sit beside his sister. “Look, I’m sorry about the shock. There’s so much you don’t know.”
Once she got her emotions back in control, she took a good look at her brother. He appeared to be in good shape, but there was something about his face that didn’t seem quite right. As he sat down next to her, she realized what it was. His scar was missing. She reached for it. “Todd, did you get it removed?”
Todd caught her hand. “No, it’s hidden, that’s all. I had to make some changes to my face so I could get the new ID. I covered the scar, got contacts to change the color of my eyes, grew the beard and became Tony Butler. The masquerade works for the most part, except with you. You saw past all the changes and saw me.”
Viki sighed. “I promised myself I would never fail you again. I let other people talk me into seeing Victor as you. When you came back, I couldn’t believe I had been so fooled. You’re my brother, I’ve studied your face countless times since you disappeared. I’ve missed you so much.” Her voice cracked and she was unable to continue.
Todd leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I’ve missed you too. Damn it, I knew you were under a lot of stress with The Banner and all that stuff about Clint. Believe me, I didn’t want to go like that. I had no idea Clint was going to go off his rocker.”
Viki frowned, “So what is all this? Why are you pretending to be Tony Butler? What if he finds out you’re impersonating him?”
“I’m not impersonating anyone. I am Tony Butler.”
“No, that’s not possible. I checked into him and his company before deciding to talk to him. He has offices all around the country and …” She stopped as she realized Todd was telling the truth. “You did all this. You manufactured a whole new identity. Why, and why did you let all of us think you were dead? Wait, not all of us. Blair knows you’re alive. She’s the one who told me about Tony Butler.” She stiffened and looked reproachfully at Todd. She was hurt.
Todd winced as he saw the pain that crossed her face when she realized he had lied to all of them again. “You can be upset with me, but don’t be with Blair. This whole thing has been hard for her from the beginning.”
Viki wasn’t sure what to feel anymore. Her happiness when she realized he was alive had been overwhelming, and now disappointment had definitely filtered into the mix. Was he merely into another scheme or was there more to this charade? The woman, who had just left, appeared to be the genuine article and she believed she was working for Tony Butler.
“This office is quite nice, Todd. How are you funding this? With your disappearance, everything belonging to you is currently frozen in probate.”
“I’ve got plenty of money in offshore accounts that aren’t associated with any of the Manning holdings.” He poured her a cup of tea. “Here, drink this. Phil makes a pretty good pot of tea.”
He's stalling. Something's very wrong. Viki took the cup and immediately set it down. She grabbed his hand. “Todd, why have you suddenly become Tony Butler? Who are you hiding from?”
An image flash through Todd's head. He was strapped down, his fingers shaking badly. "I have a sister. Her name is Viki. I trust her above all others." Todd shook his head to break free of the memory. He looked at his sister. When he had arrived back in Llanview from Port Charles, she was the only one who had welcomed him home. He had gone home with every intention to put the past behind him and start afresh. He had promised himself there would be no more lies, but the organization had changed all that. She deserved the truth.
“Viki, I’m not even sure where to start.”
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Another good installment keep it going
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