Failings of the Fathers: 63

"Brotha, I've been meaning to catch up with ya," the nun said.  "I've got a very bad feeling about things in Llanview."

"Ya too?"

"Yes, me too."

"I spoke with Miguel.  He said a character named 'Calvin' was a friend of theirs.  Recently lost a great deal of money, wanted revenge.  Tina's met him, and of course, Eric."

"Something is not right here," the nun offered.  "If ya look at it open-mindedly, ya can see that there's something larger at stake.  Something we didn't count on."

"Be specific, Creena.  Go ahead and just say it all.  I'm more than ready."

"Ya'll think I'm daft, but I will anyway.  First, Todd started remembering strange things about his father, which led to strong revelations, it did.  Then, he came to Ireland, found Aiden.  This brought up the memories of his past here in Europe, to which he connected a 'visit' from his father, Peter.  Everyone tried to refute it, and the poor thing relented.  Of course, then there were Bitsy's dreamings, and mine.  Both of us dreamed the same thing.  I can't see it any other way.  Now, a man came and took Todd's children, and targeted the boy that resembles Todd as a young child.  If ya can't see where I'm headed . . ."

"What, that Peter Manning is indeed alive?  That he's the man who attacked the children?" he interrupted.

She stopped, rather stumped.  "I . . . well, yes, if ya want to jump right into the stew pot after the rabbit."

"I know, I've already thought of it.  There were holdings, financial, we were never able to trace. One account was drawing funds off Todd's fortune for almost twenty years.  I closed the leaks and stopped it.  This was only a few months ago."

"Oh, Dear."

"And, hold on to your wimple, I believe this 'Calvin' is Peter Manning, who faked his death in 1994.  He lived off Todd's money until then."

"For once, I don't feel like a shamrock in a patch of grass."

"Well, y'ar not.  I thought it today.  However, Dear One, we don't know for certain.  We need proof."

"Where would we ever get that?"  she asked.

"I don't know.  I am sure if we out our heads together, we can come up with something."

"Broham, what does this mean for the lad?  Malcolm, I mean?  Where is he?"  she feared the worst.  "What could this "Calvin" have done to assure Malcolm's silence?"

"I'm suspecting that he never made it to the states at all, or if he did, he was not the one who showed up and beat Starr and hurt the children.  Just a feeling I'm getting, deep, deep in me bones."

"Then, what happened to him?"

"I'm not certain.  Who in the world would know what Peter Manning looked like?"

"Todd."

"But, we can't ask him.  With all this going on, it's unfair.  To ask him is to set something in motion that might devastate the family further."

"Perhaps Todd's sister, Viki?  Or maybe . . . my goodness, what is wrong with me?  Bea, of course."

"She's ill.  Ya said she's not alert, she's not aware."

"I know, but . . .ah!  The luck of the Irish, I just remembered something else."

"What is it?"

"I can call Ray Martino.  In Todd's file, from way back, he had a photograph of Peter.  He showed it to me, when trying to make heads or tails of my dreams.  He can fax it to us, and we have our answer."

"The question is, then what, Dear Creena?"

***

Todd went to the airport, after calling ahead that his jet be fueled and set to go.  He had no bags, but somehow, he didn't think he needed any.  He had only a small carry on.  It contained his phone, tablet, some photos of his family, and a candy bar.  He'd arranged for a carrier to deliver a .9mm with ammo when he arrived.

He wanted to be in Chicago as fast as he could, and though he could have had Williams drive him the entire way, the plane would make him able to get his hands around Peter's neck all that faster.  If that didn't work, he would blow his perverted brains all over his secret room.

For a minute, he felt sick.  It wasn't that he was ill, or that he felt wrong for chasing down his so-called "father" after all these years.  It was that he hadn't told Blair where he was going, what he discovered and why he left everyone.  That won't do, in her book, or yours, you know that.  He fished his phone out of his bag, and attempted to call her, but found he had no signal in that section of the airport.

He still had an hour or so before he'd be boarding, so he decided to walk to a section that he knew he could call her from.  When getting himself ready to do just that, he looked up quickly and thought he saw him, dressed in a Brooks Brother's suit, gray, and a white shirt and tie.  He turned away, and then looked back, and the image was gone.  You're not going to crack up, now.  It's too important not to.  You always wanted to kill the fucker.  Here's your chance, and you'll take your son home to Blair.  He felt woozy, and instead of going for the walk, he sat back down.  Easy, Manning.  You're going on little sleep, little food and a huge helping of major stress.  He closed his eyes for a moment, wanting to rest his mind, and then remembered.

He was in the clinic in Switzerland.  He was almost healed, and was telling the doctor he wanted to get home.  His baby was almost ready to be born (little did he know, Starr was early) and he wanted to be there when she made her appearance.  

The doctor had left, after the pleasantries.  He was still healing, so there was residual pain, but in general, he felt better.  He still had trouble walking, since almost all of the bones in both legs were shattered, but he knew it would come with time.  It was then, that another patient, wearing a johnny coat, and a surgical mask, had made his way into Todd's room.

He remembered looking up, and saying, "Who the Hell are you?" when the man walked closer to the bed and snatched his arm up from the bed.  Holding it, he said, "Remember this?" and held the lighter under his palm.  Todd had moved his arm away, forcing the flame to scorch his forearm, and had screamed.  The man ran, and Todd had experienced an emotional setback that cost him another full month away from his family.  It was after that point that he no longer had any recollection of Peter and his lighter, until after he'd lost Blair, and almost Starr, upon returning from Ireland.  He first remembered it again in the presence of Tea and Coach, when he was falling apart - and without the love of his life. 

And here he was today, remembering it, as clear as day.  It wasn't a dream, and it wasn't just imagined. Peter had been alive in 1996, and had burned him with the lighter, and yes, he was alive and yes, he had done it.  Todd couldn't understand why.  He couldn't fathom any of it:  why fake his death, why burn him with the lighter in the clinic, why call him on the phone at Aman and Lily's, why hide out all these years, why come out just now and want revenge, and why want it?

He got up.  He needed to tell Blair the truth.  How he would make her understand and believe, he wasn't certain, but he would.

***

Blair went into Mountainview via the front door, and in the lobby, she was met with two large security guards. "It's after hours, ma'am."

"I know, but it's an emergency.  I need to see a patient.  Now.  It's a matter of life and death."

"Ma'am, rules are rules.  It's only five a.m.  Visiting opens much later," the second one said.

"Call Dr. Ray Martino.  He'll vouch for me."

"I can't do that ma'am."

A doctor passing by spotted Blair and slowed and she said, "Doctor, please, help me."

"What can I do for you, this is highly irregular."

"Please.  A man, a dangerous man, has my three year old son.  I need to see a patient, to see if she can identify his picture."

"First, this sounds like a police matter, and second, that could be a detriment to the patient."  He turned to go.

"No, please, please," she begged.  "Dr. Ray Martino will vouch for me, I just need to see her, please?  I can call him myself, right now, I have his number, right here."

She realized as she dug for her phone, that the two guards brought out their guns and pointed them at her.  She looked up.  "I know how this appears.  I understand, totally.  I am not upset that you're holding me at gunpoint, just let me get my phone, and I can call Ray, and this will all become crystal clear.  Please.  This man has my baby."

They kept their guns pointed at her, and she brought her cell phone out, and quickly went to her contacts list, accessing Ray's number.  She dialed.  "Hello," he said, and he was quite groggy.

"Ray, this is Blair.  My baby's been kidnapped.  I need to see Bitsy.  It's a long story, I understand, but they won't let me in to see her."

"Blair, this is not something common.  I . . . what did you say about the baby?"

"Your namesake.  He's been kidnapped, by someone very sick.  The man also beat Starr almost to death, and . . ."

He interrupted, "Blair, I'll be right there.  Let me talk to the guard."

Within a few moments, both men lowered their guns, and returned them to their holsters.  She said, "Then I can go and see her?"

"He prefers you wait."

"I can't.  It's my baby's life," and she ran up the twisting staircase to the floor on which she knew Bitsy's room was located.

She went in the door quietly.  To her surprise, Bitsy was not sleeping, she was awake and staring out over the lake.  Blair said, "Momma, Momma, please.  I know you were trying to tell us something.  I know, and I believe you.  Please.  Momma, he has my baby.  He has Ray."

Bitsy did not respond, but at that very same moment, Blair realized that Todd didn't come to Mountainview after all, or he would have been right where she was standing, and also not able to get by the guards.  

Todd went after Peter.

"Momma," she became more urgent.  "Todd's gone to find Little Ray.  He's gone to get him back, from the bad man who has him."

Bitsy made no movement or acknowledgement of Blair.

Blair knelt in front of the woman's chair.  "Please, Momma, just look at this drawing,  Just look at it and tell me if it's who I think it is?  Please?  I can't let my baby die, I can't let this happen to us.  Please, I can't let Todd face this alone."

As she pleaded, she was holding the artwork from Jenna in her hand, and accidentally let it slip to the floor.  When she went to pick it up, and looked back to Bitsy, the woman was looking right into her face, and, Blair noticed, she was making eye contact.  "Yes, Momma, that's right.  You can trust me, I know you want Todd and Ray to be safe."

Bitsy reached out and took the drawing and turned it toward herself.  Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she reached to her desk for a pencil.  

She wrote over the face, "The One Who Hurt Us," in large letters.

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