The MST, Ch. 12

Blair caught a cab to Tomas's Gallery. She had decided when she couldn't reach Christian that she'd head over on her own to the Gallery. She was looking forward to seeing Tomas and also getting on with finding Samuel. The cab pulled up in front of the Gallery and Blair got out and paid the driver. It was a beautiful day at least they wouldn't have the weather to contend with. Blair enter the Gallery and headed for Tomas's Office. The door was opened, Tomas appeared busy so Blair gave a gentle knock. Clearing her throat she said. "Good Morning."

Tomas looked up and smiled at her greeting. "Good Morning to you also. Are you ready for our adventure?"

Blair smiled and replied, " Well I am, but you look busy, perhaps I should just do this myself."

           "Nonsense, I was just finishing up some correspondence Simone left me from yesterday. I'm eager to help you with your search. Yesterday was truly one of the best days I've had in a long time. I know together we can probably track down Samuel and I would love to spend another day in your company." that said Tomas stood up and came around his desk and took Blair's hand and gently kissed it. He led her to a chair and turned to face her, leaning on his desk. "Now, we need to make a plan. Did you bring the sketch?
           Blair pulled the sketch from her purse and unrolled it. Again she marveled at how much Samuel looked like Todd. "Yes. You're sure this is Samuel?" she asked.

           Tomas nodded, "That is most definitely the man I know as Samuel. I've been thinking.
 Samuel left here the other night on foot. Perhaps that means he lives somewhere in this general area. Maybe we should start our search checking the surrounding neighborhoods. Maybe he has been to other shoppes around here."

           "That's perfect." says Blair, "We'll start locally and see what we turn up. It is certainly going to help that you speak French, by myself I probably would have a language problem."

"Very well. We have a plan. I informed Simone I would be out again today after I talked to you earlier on the phone. So we can begin right away." Tomas stood up and held out his hand to Blair.

Blair took Tomas's hand and rose from the chair and turned to leave his office. She stopped in astonishment as she saw the portrait on the wall in front of her. Stunned, Blair looked at herself standing in the light of many fireworks and the figure of the man watching from the shadows. It was so familiar it hurt. How well she remembered that night when Todd had given her that surprise. He had always done that, given her surprises that used to touch her deep inside. He had known her so well. She looked down at the sketch in her hands. This just didn't make sense. Samuel was painting memories only she and Todd shared and now Samuel appeared to look like Todd. Something just wasn't right. A thought was beginning to form that seemed too outrageous to consider. What if Samuel was Todd? But that was impossible, Todd was in Llanview. Or was he? Blair turned to Tomas. "We have to find Samuel! I don't know what is going on but I'm beginning to think there is so much more going on than just finding an artist. I know this sounds crazy, but I think Samuel is my Todd."

"But Blair didn't you say your ex-husband lived in Llanview. You told me that your ex-husband had plastic surgery and you’ve been with him on and off for over seven years. Surely you know him. Why would you doubt that?"

"Oh, I just don't know Tomas. I know Todd is living in Llanview, but something all of a sudden seems very off. It's as if I'm waking from a dream and Todd is standing there in all these portraits yelling at me. He's begging me to open my eyes and realize he needs my help. He's wondering if I'm going to come for him. Oh God, Tomas, I HAVE TO FIND HIM!" Blair looked at Tomas her eyes glistening with tears. "I have to find him!" she whispers.

Tomas was at a loss. He wanted to take Blair in his arms and comfort her. She had been so happy moments before but now her mood had switched to a deep pensiveness. She was lost in thoughts that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with Samuel. He was still trying to take in her exclamation that Samuel was her ex-husband Todd. Blair had told him the story of how her ex had disappeared only to return several months later with an entirely different face. She had recalled falling in love with him thinking he was someone else, only to find out that he was her ex. From all that Blair had told him, Tomas surmised their relationship had been full of many on again-off again moments. "My dear, I'll do my very best to help you find Samuel, but you can't really believe he's your ex."

Blair smiled tremulously. "I know it doesn't make sense Tomas. My head is saying you've got to be mistaken, but my heart is telling me I'm right. I'm sorry. Today's mood has gotten way too somber. It's not the time to dwell on what might be. Right now we have to find him, then we'll worry about what it all means. Come on, lead the way, Tomas. The stakes just went up on this mystery. I won't quit till we solve it." Blair rolled up the sketch and took Tomas's arm and together they left the gallery. The search had begun.

****

Not far away from the gallery, Samuel was cleaning up some of his paint supplies. He had spent the morning trying to decide when would be the best time to continue his relationship with Alex. He came to the conclusion that he needed to let a couple days go by and then he would give her a call. Samuel wanted to keep her off guard. He knew he had the upper hand because she didn't know he was on to her. Having made the decision about Alex, he then let his thoughts wander back to his sister.

           He remembered when her image had come to him when he was so depressed and the feeling then, that they shared a common pain. He looked across the room at her and wondered just who had made her suffer. It bothered him deeply to know she had been hurt. He remembered her, but still couldn't recall her name. It was so frustrating. He was getting pieces of memories but not the whole. He had a child. Was it a girl or a boy? How come he wasn't with that child, who was the mother? With each memory came even more questions. He had to find out what was keeping the memories in check. Even the woman he had hurt still remained elusive. One thing was sure. With every memory, he regained he felt himself becoming whole.

" Hmmm. Becoming whole was such an unusual phrase but it seemed to apply directly to him." Just thinking that phrase reminded him of the earlier feeling that he had heard another voice talking to him. Not just one voice but several. Why was he hearing voices and why did they feel real? Samuel paused what he was doing and headed to the bathroom . He quickly went to the mirror. He was seeing a scene in his head, another time when he had looked in a mirror; only that time he had been carrying on a conversation with several other people but he was the only one there. Samuel looked and posed a question. "Who are you?" of course he really didn't expect an answer but suddenly in his head, he heard. " Oh, oh I'm Tom!" Then another voice spoke. "Shut up you moron!" "But Pete, he asked" "You idiot! Ms. Perkins says he's not ready yet." and just as suddenly the voices stopped. Samuel blinked. "What the heck!" Okay, now that was just weird. He really was losing it. Samuel looked at himself again. He didn't feel crazy. Well, if he wasn't losing it, then he had just been answered by two separate people in his head. They even had names. This was getting surreal but what else was new. His life had been surreal since he had awakened.

****

Blair and Tomas hadn't had much luck at the shops nearest the Gallery but they continued on to the next couple of streets. Most people couldn't recall seeing the man in the sketch at all. Blair was getting a little discouraged. Surely someone had seen or encountered him. On the next block Tomas suggested they stop and get a bite at the sidewalk cafe.

"Blair, we'll sit and rest and get some refreshment. Don't worry I believe we'll find someone who has seen him." Tomas directed her to a table in the warm sun but sheltered from the wind and they sat down. The waiter approached the table and took their order. Blair looked at the sketch again wondering why Samuel covered half his face. That was a very unTodd thing to do, and the real mystery was that he painted. Todd had been talented when it came to headlines and computers but she had never seen any artistic talent while she had been with him. If Samuel was Todd when had he learned to paint. The waiter returned with their order and before he left, Tomas took the sketch and asked if he had ever seen Samuel.

"Oui Monsieur, the gentlemen comes here sometimes for a quick bite. He is a very quiet man and always leaves a generous tip." the waiter replied.

Eagerly Blair asked, "Do you know which way he goes when he leaves."

"Oui, Madame, he walks back toward the Bank over there. I think he usually comes here right after going there. He always gives fresh crisp banknotes for a tip. Is there anything else I can help you with?" asked the waiter.

"Merci, what you have provided is excellent," replied Tomas. "So, Blair, our next stop will be the bank. You see things are beginning to look up. One person has seen him, and I'll wager someone in that bank knows him too."

Blair forced herself to remain calm and finished eating. All she really wanted to do was get up and run to that bank. She looked across the table at Tomas who was smiling so warmly. She couldn't help but smile in return. He was being so helpful. She enjoyed his company but thinking of Todd had put the brakes on starting anything new with another man. All the paintings and the memories had stirred up all the old feelings. If Samuel was Todd she might have another chance with him. With the kids getting older she really missed a man in her life. There were so many unanswered questions. Samuel had been living and painting in Paris for eight years. If he was Todd, why was he calling himself Samuel? Why hadn't he contacted her? How could he abandon his children? Why was he painting pictures of her but not trying to get in touch? The only way she was going to get answers was to find him. She didn't even want to think about Todd back home. If Todd was here in Paris, who was living at home as Todd?

Tomas quietly finished eating and sat back and looked at Blair. She was a million miles away. He thought to himself, Tomas you need to be careful, you are starting to care for this woman, but you might have already lost her to the past. You need to move slowly. She has a lot on her mind and you want her mind on you, not him. He picked up the check, paid it, and said."Are you ready to go Blair?"

Blair blinked and brought her thoughts back to the present. "Yes Tomas, forgive me my mind has been wandering. Yes, I'm ready when you are."

Tomas stood and offered his hand. Blair took it and together they headed for the bank. The street was clear and they quickly crossed, made their way to the bank, and entered. After the bright sun, it took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the darker interior. They saw several guards and a number of tellers. Who could they ask first? Tomas headed for one of the security guards and began talking to him. He then gestured to Blair indicating she should come to him. Blair went over and joined Tomas and he explained that he spoke to the guard and needed to show him the sketch. The minute they unrolled the picture the Guard nodded. He spoke rapidly to Tomas and then pointed to a young teller. Tomas said: "Blair, Samuel's been in here many times in the past to exchange money. The guard says he always sees that young teller."

As they neared the teller Blair looked at the girl's name. Curiously it was Jessica. Just another coincidence in a week full of coincidences. Samuel appeared to have made the acquaintance of someone with the same name as his favorite niece. When her customer left, Tomas and Blair went up and Blair asked, "Do you by chance speak English?"

"Oui Madame, how can I help you," replied Jessica

"Could you tell us anything about the man in this picture." Blair then showed the picture to the young woman.

"Oui Madame. That is Monsieur Toddman. He has been coming in for more than seven years to exchange American money. That is a good sketch of him, tell me is it for sale." She replied and smiled.

A little taken aback by the directness of the question, Blair was momentarily silenced. This young woman seemed to have a crush on Samuel, and that was definitely something new. Todd had usually inspired fear not adulation. Blair quickly recovered and said, "No I'm afraid I can't part with this picture but tell me do you have any idea where we might find Mr. Toddman?"

"Alas, I must say I do not. He just comes to exchange money, he does not have an account with us and therefore we have no idea where he lives. Many times I have tried to get him to tell me more about himself but he is so mysterious. He usually smiles, then he thanks me, and leaves. I never know when he is going to come in again. He was just in here a couple of days ago and I asked him if he had a woman to keep him company and he informed me with a rather cryptic smile that he had three lovely women that keep him company. I must say I'm very jealous of those women." Jessica again smiled

Blair felt a burst of jealousy sweep through her. How dare he leave her and come here and live it up with three women when her life was turned upside down.

Tomas turned to Blair. "It appears we've hit another dead end." Even as he said it he saw the look on Blairs face. She looked like she was ready to kill someone and he thought he had a good idea who she wanted to kill. Something the young teller said, had a deep effect on Blair. "Blair," he repeated to get her attention.

She looked at him blankly for a second then blushed and stammered, " Oh, forgive me Tomas just some residual anger creeping in towards my ex."

He repeated what he had just said."Blair, it appears that we might have hit another dead end. We'll have to keep looking in the neighborhood."

Blair nodded and turned to thank the young teller. "Well, we have his full name at least." In her own mind, Blair thought about that last name. "So Samuel, your last name is Toddman. If that's true then I'm becoming more convinced that you're really Todd. Samuel Toddman why have you been hiding all these years?" One thing that Blair had always believed was that Todd loved his kids more than anyone else on the planet. He had always come back for them. In 2003 she had been convinced he had returned for them and she had believed Walker when he had admitted to being Todd. Now she was questioning that. If Samuel was Todd, why had Walker let everyone believe he was Todd?. Even Vicki thought Todd was in Llanview but what if Samuel was really Todd. Samuel had been living here in Paris for eight years, while someone unknown had been living Todd's life. God, what a mess! In order to start making sense of everything, they had to find Samuel. As they left the bank, Blair and Tomas looked around trying to decide where to go next.

Tomas spoke, "Blair if we look back in the direction of the gallery you can see we're on somewhat of a straight line. For the rest of today, I think we should narrow our search to the streets that flow away from the gallery in this direction. I think maybe he might be along this path as opposed to the other direction."

"That works as well as any other direction," said Blair. They continued their search down a couple more streets along the same line as the Gallery and Bank. When they hit the third street they found themselves in a neighborhood full of apartments. "Perhaps Samuel lives in one of these. We'll have to start asking at each door," remarked Tomas.

Blair agreed but suddenly she had an idea. "Tomas you go ahead and get started, I need to make a quick call.” Blair pulled out her cell phone and called Starr. " Hi Starr, how are you and Hope. You're fine. That's great... No, I'm going to be here a little longer. It has become very important that I find this artist. I'll explain it to you later. I need you to do me a favor right now. Would you keep an eye on your father and keep me informed if he appears to be acting stranger than usual. ... What do you mean he's already acting strange? How?... He's encouraging you and James to have a relationship? He was happy Marty's been put at St. Anns. ... You're right that sounds strange even for Todd ... Why did I ask that? It's nothing, you know me, I just like to know what your father is up to. Okay, I have to run. I'll call again later. Love to you, Hope, and your brothers." Blair put the phone up. Starr was right, Todd was behaving differently. He usually kept all men away from Starr. Why would he suddenly do an about-face? Also, why this complete lack of sympathy for Marty? Ever since Blair had known him, Todd had always tried to make amends to Marty for the rape. It was so out of character for him. Blair noticed Tomas coming back down the steps of the first apartment building. No luck at that one. She moved briskly to catch him. This was proving to be a long day of revelations and dead ends, but something else would indeed turn up. She had FAITH.

The MST, Ch. 11

"Ya See That! He heard me. He almost fell into those eyes but instead, he heard me." Pete grinned from ear to ear. "I knew if I yelled loud enough I could get through to him. What do you have to say to that, Ms. Perkins?"

"I'd say that we're making progress. I do believe he is indeed starting to hear us and that means I need to check and see if the crack has opened wider to the room holding in his memories. We've been held silent long enough. The trauma that drove Todd into Samuel was tremendous, but when Samuel awoke and had no memory of any of us, I knew something even more insidious had occurred. When I tried to wake Todd all those years ago, it had been like trying to touch him through some invisible wall. I kept telling myself that Todd had put us behind the barrier to keep us safe and then I had noticed the room that held all of Todd's memories was encased in some kind of impenetrable glass. Although I could see the memories I couldn't get to them. If I couldn't get to them then neither could Todd. Someone or something did this to Todd all those years ago. But since we've been chipping away at that room, we've managed to free up portions of memories that Samuel has been using in his paintings. I think we're close to freeing all his memories and if that happens, then we can get to the bottom of the event that brought Samuel out."

Ms. Perkins paused in her musings to look over at Todd. He was still trapped in some nightmare that she couldn't get through. He responded to Tom, so Tom had been put in charge of keeping him from hurting himself. Yes, Tom had always been good at comforting Todd. Ms. Perkins turned her gaze back to Pete. "You're right, your instincts when it comes to danger for Todd have always been spot on. I agree that Ms. Olanov has an agenda and if she's here, my guess is Mr. Hesser is not far behind. Samuel has made up his mind to enter into this game so you need to be ready to help when the time arrives."

"Oh, I'm ready. This is going to be great. I think it was Hesser who trapped us here all these years and if I'm right, he's got a nasty surprise waiting for him if I get free. I agree with you, it's time we broke those memories free from that barrier. We have to find out everything that happened on that night eight years ago. You've got to free me, I promise I won't try to take Samuel's place. Right now you need my strength to finish breaking that barrier and I finally understand that if I want my freedom I've got to give Todd his." Pete stopped struggling at his bonds and gave a cold hard stare at Ms. Perkins.

Looking steadily at Pete, Ms. Perkins nodded and said "Very well, I can always restrain you again if you try anything and you're right, Rodd and I need your help on that barrier. We must have that night's memories, no matter how bad, if we're going to get Todd's life back." She undid his bonds and Pete stood and stretched, "Hmm. That feels great. Okay, you old battleax lets tackle that wall. I'm itchin to hit something and right now that wall sounds just great."

***

            Blair rolled over in bed. She smiled as she recalled the events of yesterday. Tomas had been incredibly charming from the early start of lunch in the Eiffel Tower to their fun-filled evening in the Paris nightclubs. Tomas had worked wonders on her morale. She hadn't thought about anything but fun all evening long. Paris at night had been beautiful. It was indeed the City of Lights, and romance wafted through the air like a sweet perfume. After hitting several night clubs she and Tomas had ended the evening with a quiet walk along the Seine. They hadn't said much, but in the chill of the night Tomas had gathered her close to keep her warm and they had walked in companionable silence. Tomas had dropped her off at her room and with a kiss on her hand he had left, promising to call.

            As she looked at the clock, she tried to figure out what time it might be back in Llanview. It was too early to call Starr. The last time she had chatted with Starr it had been in the wee hours of the morning. She hadn't realized just how early in the morning it was until she had finished getting dressed for breakfast. That was when it struck her that Starr had called well after Midnight. There must have been something really bothering Starr to have made that call then. Blair grabbed her robe and picked up the house phone and dialed Christian's room. She let it ring a number of times, but he didn't answer, hopefully, that meant things had worked out for him and Layla. When Chris didn't answer she called room service and ordered some breakfast. She had enjoyed yesterday, but today she had to start trying to find Samuel. She needed to meet him face to face and find out how he knew all of these intimate details that he had been painting, and especially, why he looked like Todd.

            Tomas opened the gallery and headed to his office to see what was ahead for the day. He was hoping the day wouldn't be too full. He wanted to try and get together with Blair again today. He knew she wanted to get out and show the picture of Samuel around, to see if they could track him down. His curiosity had really been stirred up when Blair announced that the picture had resembled her ex-husband, but then she had said her ex had a whole new face. Upon entering his office, Tomas saw several messages from Simone on his desk. He picked them up, as expected they contained information about a couple of shipments that were due in and there was one with a bid from Mr. Hesser on the new portrait. Mr. Hesser was another man who seemed taken with Blair.

             He looked across his desk up at her portrait on the wall. He had seen that look that Samuel had captured. Last night as he held her close to keep her warm and she had looked across the Seine, he had been looking at her. It was the same look she had in the portrait, that look of utter enchantment at the sight before her. He had become enamored with her when he had purchased the picture and last night he had been overwhelmed that he was holding the portrait in his arms. Tomas recalled the ending to last night. Not wanting to scare her away he had given her just a gentle kiss on the hand, but he had to keep seeing her. She stirred something in him long thought dead, he wanted to feel again and Blair was bringing him back to life.

           Tomas picked up the phone and called Blair's hotel. "Yes, Connect me to Ms. Cramer's suite.

            Blair was looking at the sketch of Samuel when the phone rang. "Hello,... Tomas, I was just thinking of our day yesterday. It was a wonderful day and I feel like I can face what's ahead of me again. I can't thank you enough...What? Well yes, I was thinking of taking the sketch out and seeing if anyone might recognize him. I haven't been in touch with my friend but I'd be delighted to have your company. I'm not sure if my friend will be able to join us, I'll leave him a message and meet you at the gallery in an hour. Well, thank you again, Tomas. I'll see you shortly." at that, Blair hung up. She tried once more to reach Christian and when she couldn't, she left him a message telling him of her plans. It was a beautiful day and maybe, just maybe, it might prove to be the day they found Samuel.

***

Samuel woke up feeling totally at peace. Yesterday had been a true eyeopener. He had faced some harsh truths about himself, but had come out still sane and strangely energized by what had occurred. It had been extremely painful to realize he was capable of hurting a woman; and in his heart, he knew he hadn't just bullied that woman,he had brutalized her. Samuel got up and went to his mirror. His hand went up tracing the horizontal scar. He remembered that pipe descending and impacting his cheek but the agony he felt came from the realization that what he felt, didn't compare to what he had done to the woman in his painting. He looked into his eyes and saw a man he hadn't seen before. He saw a man fully capable of violence and anger toward another human being. The man in the mirror had hated and been hated but even as he looked Samuel also saw pain mirrored in those eyes. Samuel felt pain for himself and for his victim. Those eyes knew violence but they also knew pain and they knew remorse. While he looked Samuel began to understand the feeling of coldness he had felt in his soul, but now he needed to find out where it came from.

           Even as he looked his fingers strayed to the second scar. He still was unable to remember how he got that scar. Tracing the scar from his eye to his chin he began to imagine what could have made such a mark. He had this uncanny feeling this scar was going to be the answer to his memory problems. Whoever or whatever caused it, also started Samuel's journey. Samuel was certain if he could retrieve that memory, all the rest would come back like a tidal wave.

           Samuel shook his head to clear the cobwebs. He had to figure out how he was going to handle the latest development in his life. The very lovely Alex and whoever was behind her and directing her actions. Samuel knew just how low he had been the previous night, but when that vision had fallen at his feet, Samuel had taken it as a sign that all was not lost. Alex had been the diversion needed to pull him up from despair. That being said, it was funny how that little voice in his head had made him stop before giving a beautiful stranger too much information. It was peculiar but it had been somewhat comforting to hear that voice, like it was an old friend, someone he had counted on for much of his life. He had taken the advice to stop because it seemed right.

             As he had taken Alex back to the Ritz, he was amused when she tried to get him to see her again. At first, he had breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he had escaped her charms, but the more he thought about it the more he realized he could use her the way she had been trying to use him. Just like his scar, he needed to find out who had been watching him all these years and why they had decided to make a move on him now.

             Walking out into the sitting room, he headed straight to the mantel. " My lovely ones I'm going to start courting a beautiful woman. If I'm right, she'll lead me to the person who put her in my path. I just have this feeling that whoever that is, is privy to a lot of information about me. I want to know what he knows." Stepping back, he took a long hard look at the two of them. As he looked he began seeing his serene one as she stood in an elegant room. Her name seemed just out of reach but Samuel knew that she too was as real as the woman he painted yesterday. He sensed he was very close to her but it wasn't romantically, more familial. Yes! That was it, she was family. She was...no, not mother..she was his sister. He couldn't believe it; his serene one, his Muse, was his sister. Why couldn't he remember her name? It was frustrating and exhilarating all at once. He had a sister, he had a child but he still couldn't figure out the names.

           His gaze shifted to Dee, surely she too had a connection to him that was more than just his imagination. She was so dear to him but with her, all he saw was an obscuring fog, something was keeping him from finding her. "Don't worry Dee, I believe that you are as real as my child and my sister. I'll discover a way through the fog. I'm going to make this right. I will get my memory back. I'm more convinced than ever before that something is impeding my memories."

The MST, Ch. 10

.

Alex entered the hotel and headed straight to the bar. She couldn't believe he was immune to her charms. Everything had started out so well with the exception of the tumble, but even that had worked in her favor. Alex caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. She looked beautiful and she knew he had thought so too, but just as things had started to heat up, he had suddenly turned off. It was disconcerting. Strangely it was also fascinating and one of the things that had always drawn her to Todd. She had never been able to get a good read on him.

Alex sat down at the bar and ordered a drink, "I guess I should give Carlo a call, he wanted to know when I made contact, and I've done that. I hope I can get him to understand what happened. Hmmph, I'm not sure I understand." She pulled out her cell phone and made the call.

Carlo looked at his phone. It was Alex. He answered,"Yes my dear, tell me you have good news."

Alex took a quick drink, then answered. "Carlo darling, I do have some news. I made contact with your Mr. Toddman this evening. I don't understand Carlo. He looks like Todd Manning but he didn't know me, and I know Todd is in Llanview but has a different face. What the heck is going on?"

Carlo replied, "Alex dear, you shouldn't worry your pretty head about that. Just tell me. Were you able to get him interested in you? Do you think you'll be able to get him to Llanview?"

Alex thought and took another drink, she had to tell him something but how to spin it so Carlo would think everything was going as planned. "Well, we've made a tentative date to see each other again. Tonight was just the start, he'll be following me to Llanview in no time." Carlo didn't have to know tonight had been a bust and she wasn't lying exactly, Samuel had said if he found the time they might get together.

"Excellent, Alex, Now remember you have to keep him from seeing Blair. I'm counting on you. I have a few things on my end, that need to be seen to. I'll let you know when I need him in Llanview. Goodnight my dear." Carlo hung up.

Whew, she had managed that well. It gave her a little time but now she had to figure out how she was going to accomplish the impossible. She didn't even know where Samuel lived, much less how to make contact again.  She was exhausted, nothing else was going to happen that night. Alex paid for her drink and headed for her suite. Tomorrow something would turn up and she would be able to continue Carlo's request.

Once in her suite, Alex went and started a hot bath. She needed to unwind and she needed to go back over the night. As she rested in the comforting bubbles she went back in her mind to that first shock. Looking up at that familiar yet slightly different face and hearing his voice. God, she had never expected that. He was Todd, but he wasn't. His concern and the gentleness he showed when helping her up was so not "Todd". And when he had tried to cover his scars because he didn't want to make her look at them. He'd been ashamed of his looks. She'd felt sympathy for that man, that was why she had stopped him from covering the scars.

Todd had never liked his scar, but he had always worn it as a statement that it was him and everyone who didn't like it could shove it. When Samuel had taken her hand and given that gentle kiss, it had been his way of thanking her. She looked at her hand, surprisingly, she really wanted to get to know Samuel. He was quite charming. This could be quite a nice diversion in her somewhat humdrum existence right now. Alex stepped out of the bath wrapping the towel around her. Yes, somehow she was going to make it happen. She was going to get Samuel and she might not let him go.

Carlo hung up and looked at the phone momentarily. Chuckling softly he thought of Alex. "Something tells me you're not telling me everything my dear, but no matter, my sources are there keeping an eye on things, they'll keep me informed." He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a file. The label on the top read Samuel Toddman/Todd Manning. He opened it and began reading.

' March 2003, Cherryvale Clinic ER report of Trauma physician on duty.

Called to the Er in the early morning hours. Discovered a severe Trauma case had been brought in. Patient's brother informed us his brother had been in a severe auto accident and had just crawled free when the car had exploded. The patient has severe third-degree burns on his hands, numerous broken bones all over his body, a severe laceration on the right side of his face extending from his eye to his chin, and massive internal bleeding. Immediate efforts were taken to find and stop the internal bleeding, after numerous hours on the operating table and almost losing him twice, the patient was stabilized. Three units of o-neg. blood was transfused to bring the patient up to acceptable blood volume. The patient had yet to regain consciousness and was going to need numerous more surgeries to repair all the damage. Against medical advice, the patient was removed to a private facility on the family's orders.'

Carlo still recalled Alex's plea for help when they discovered Manning on the side of the road. He hadn't wanted to help.  Manning had been a thorn in his side for a number of years stemming back to his interference in "The Men of Twenty-one".  He had agreed to help only if Alex would let him handle everything. 

He sent Alex home and called some of his business partners and they had staged the car crash and fire.  While that was being staged, he kept an eye on Manning who was barely alive but hanging on.  As quick;y as the car blew he was on the phone calling 911.  He had instructed his men to burn Manning's hands to prevent identification, Manning had been so out of it he never felt it.  By the time the ambulance from Cherryvale arrived the car was fully engulfed and only he and his driver and his poor hurt "brother" remained.

To his surprise, Manning survived. The man was really remarkable. He really was like a cat with nine lives. With his "brother " stabilized, Carlo decided to move Manning.  Cherryvale was too close to Llanview and obviously, someone wanted Manning dead.  It was then that Carlo had an idea of how to make all this work for him.  He sent Manning to his private clinic outside of Philadelphia and began putting his plan in motion.

Carlo decided he could use this situation to his advantage. He had promised Alex he wouldn't let Manning die. He never promised how he would let him live. Carlo and his doctors had been working for some time on a memory transference project. Manning was a captive audience and a perfect subject to test their theories on but Carlo also needed a patsy to give the memories to. That night he sent out his men to find someone of the same general height and coloring. They would also need to match his blood type if Carlo's plan was to work, so they were told to check all blood banks for a suitable candidate. Someone down on his luck who was willing to sell his blood. Carlo's instructions, "Bring him in alive but barely."  Such a man was found that night. Although beaten severely, he was perfect for Carlo's plan. That became the Night of the two Todds.

          Carlo continued to look at the file. Todd Manning had proven to be quite a challenge. It had taken the doctors quite a while to track down all of Todd's memories because they had kept coming up with blocked areas they couldn't penetrate. They gleaned all the memories concerning his wives, his children, his sister Vicki and all of his connections to the Lord Family;   Whenever they had attempted to go farther into his memories concerning his adopted father Peter Manning it was like they encountered a brick wall. No matter what they tried, from the experimental machine to deep hypnosis, they were never able to get those last memories. Carlo had made the final call that they would work with the memories they had and they had begun indoctrinating Todd 2.

Todd Manning improved slowly. The doctors put one of their own barriers around the memories they had taken from Todd and secured it with a deep hypnotic suggestion that if he tried to recall those memories he would experience excruciating pain. Then it was decided to move him to Philadelphia General for more surgeries under the name of John Doe.

Todd went through the surgeries and remained in a coma for about 3 months. The only item that had been found on Todd that night in March had been a safe deposit key, when the doctors said they could find no memory of it, Carlo again made the decision to let it go with him to the hospital. If Carlo had realized the significance of that key, he would have destroyed it.

Carlo had daily updates on Manning's condition the whole time he was in the hospital and was alerted when Manning woke up. When Manning woke up, Carlo and his doctors had expected him to not remember anything; they had never expected him to remember a name. No one was prepared for the reveal that he was Samuel Toddman. Carlo remembered thinking "Who the hell is Samuel Toddman!". Although he looked into it, Carlo had never been able to figure out why Todd called himself Samuel Toddman.

It soon became apparent that although he had a name he remembered little else and every time he tried to push his memory he had severe pain. The doctors at the hospital finally convinced him that he should concentrate on getting well and that his memories would return when they were ready. Just before the doctors released Manning, a large number of funds were delivered in his name. After paying his hospital bill Manning had disappeared. It was just by chance that Carlo's spies at the airport discovered that Mr. Toddman had a ticket to Paris, France.

Once in Paris, Samuel had again eluded his associates. It was early in 2004 that an Art dealer of Carlo's acquaintance had called to tell him of a new artist he might be interested in. Always on the lookout for good art, he had made the trip to Paris only to find himself staring at a very familiar face. There on the wall in front of him had been a picture of one Blair Manning and he knew only one man in Paris would know that face. Mr. Toddman was an artist. Who would have thought that Manning could produce such beautiful work? Although his men hadn't found out where Mr. Toddman lived, they were able to find out where he banked and ate sometimes. Carlo was kept informed when a new painting would show up. It had continued that way for seven long years until three days ago when Blair Cramer had shown up looking for the artist and carrying one of Samuel's pieces.

When Tomas's assistant had called, Carlo knew it would only be a matter of time before his whole charade would start to fall apart. The experiment had definitely been a success. Todd 2 had recovered in Cherryvale and had thought he really was Todd. He had set about making plans to change his looks thanks to the deeply implanted suggestion to do so, and had found Walker Flynn and bought his face. For seven years he had been Todd Manning and lived his life, he had raised Todd's kids. There was a moment when it looked like he might even be executed. All that time he truly believed he was Todd Manning. Recently Todd 2 had been showing signs of paranoia and more quirkiness then usual. After talking to the doctors at the clinic it was believed that he was beginning to unravel. Could Samuel also be experiencing some unusual occurrences?

Carlo closed the file. it was time to pull out of everything before the plan tumbled. His anonymous association with all of Todd's companies had proven very lucrative, but before he got caught in the firestorm that was sure to happen once Toddman's memories returned; he needed to remove his shares. Then he could sit back and watch the Manning/Lord house of cards fall.

The MST, Ch. 9

       The cab pulled up to the Au Diable and Samuel stepped out and paid the cab driver. It was a little early by Parisian standards, but not by his and he needed a stiff drink. He entered and headed for the back corner booth he usually occupied when he came here. He slumped down at the table deep in thought.

        "Monsieur?"

        At the question, Samuel looked up and saw the waitress looking expectantly at him.

        "May I get you something to drink, Monsieur"

         With the way he felt, it was going to take something stronger than wine to numb him. He nodded, "Oui, bring me a double shot of bourbon and keep them coming until I tell you to stop."

       The waitress left and Samuel was once again alone with his thoughts. The scene kept playing over and over in his head. The fear in her eyes and the laughter echoing in his ears. He had done that.  He had put fear in those eyes and he had liked it. Samuel couldn't wrap his mind around that thought. He had liked it! Samuel felt sick, he had always respected women. He just couldn't believe he had been able to actually hurt some woman intentionally. The waitress put the drink down and before she could leave, Samuel downed it. "Bring me another." and he let her walk away. His eyes watered from the strength of the drink and from the turmoil he felt inside.

       He had known something was off. Remembering back to the dark time, when he had felt like this but hadn't known why. Well, now he knew why. There was something ugly inside of him, something horrendous that he had been keeping buried all this time. I don't want to remember any more. At least without the memories, he had been able to live a relatively simple life..Samuel had been happy with his girls but now that was over.  I can't even face them. How can I face anyone real? Surely everyone can see the real me now.  His hand went to his cheek and covered the scars. These are the reminders of my violence. I can't remove them anymore then I can remove the action that put them there. His second drink arrived then Samuel waved the waitress away. He picked up the drink looking at the darkness of the liquor. That's my soul, dark and stained.

       Alex arrived at the restaurant and quickly paid the cab driver. She stepped inside and started looking around. It was early, but there were a few patrons. I wonder if I'm going to get lucky. Could he be here? As she made her way through the restaurant she noticed several men all sitting alone. Could any of them be Mr. Toddman? She took her time studying each man, but none of them appeared familiar. Then she spotted a man sitting by himself in the dark corner of the place. That's odd, there is something about him that seems familiar I don't know if its the long hair or what? Oh, what the heck, I'll give it a shot. If he's not anyone I know I'll simply tell him I'm looking for a friend. At that Alex began making her way to the back table. Just as she was nearing him, her boot suddenly caught in a crack and she found herself falling to the ground at his feet.

       Samuel was startled and immediately got up to help the woman in front of him. He reached down and offered his hand "Are you okay? May I help you?”

       Alex had never felt more foolish. Then she heard his voice. She must be hearing things. She looked up and there before her, stood a man she hadn't seen in eight years. Reaching down toward her was none other than Todd Manning. She gave him her hand and let him help her up. Flustered she felt she should say something "Oh I'm alright, new boots and I wasn't watching where I was going." she smiled and realized that he didn't know her.  My God, he's Mr. Toddman and he has no clue we know each other. No wonder Carlo said I would recognize him.

       Samuel helped her to a chair at his table. "You need a drink after that tumble. Will you let me buy you one?" All of Samuel's previous dark thoughts had fled when she had landed at his feet. His natural instinct to help any woman in distress took over. "Oh excuse me, I'm presuming. Are you meeting someone?"

       Alex was flabbergasted. This wasn't the Todd Manning she knew. This was a gentleman who obviously knew how to treat a lady. "No, that's quite alright. I'm here in Paris alone. and heard there was a place that served American food. So here I am and I would love to have a drink. You're right I am a little shaken."

       Samuel hailed the waitress and looked inquiringly at the woman in front of him. "Glass of Merlot would be perfect " she replied. He instructed the waitress and sat back down in his seat. He looked at her and thought of how he would paint her. His artist's eye appreciated her smile and the beautiful eyes staring at him. As he looked he saw her eyes wander to his cheek, feeling naked, his hand went swiftly to his pocket and he removed the mask and started to cover his scars. Suddenly he felt a touch on his hand and noticed she had put out her hand on his.

       "Please, You don't have to do that on my account." He looked across at her. She was smiling. "They're not that bad and they give you somewhat of a devil may care look."

       Samuel smiled. "Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself my name is Samuel."

       Alex smiled back in return "No need to apologize. My name is Alex." She looked at him carefully, looking for any signs of recognition on his part. But all he did was extend his hand and gently taking hers, brought it up to his lips, and gave a gentle kiss.

       "In all my years, this is the first time such a lovely lady has fallen in my path. I have been blessed to have three beautiful ladies in my life up till now. But I must confess, you are the first real beauty I have encountered in a long time."

       "What a strange and nice thing to say."  Alex took a sip of her drink. "I don't quite understand. You say you have three beautiful women in your life and then you say I'm the first beauty you've encountered. What about the three women?" Alex was perplexed. She was playing everything off the cuff, never in her wild imagination had she thought she was going to be sitting across from Todd Manning. It was bizarre that he didn't know her and why was he calling himself Samuel. Also, how did Carlo expect her to entice him if he had three other women around who might object?

       "Ahh. Let me explain. You see, I'm an artist and my three beautiful women are my Muses but they aren't real, except in my paintings. They have kept me company ever since I moved to Paris."  Samuel looked at Alex, as he finished his second drink, "but I don't want to boor you about my simple existence. Let's talk about you. You say you are here by yourself in Paris, surely there is someone waiting for you somewhere." Samuel felt the need to turn the conversation away from him. He had started to get that feeling again of being watched and he didn't really want to cut this conversation short. Yet he found himself a little wary of Alex all of a sudden. Maybe he shouldn't let his guard down too fast, in the past, his feelings had always been spot on. He was grateful to her for interrupting his journey into despair but perhaps he needed to know more about her before giving her any more information about himself.

       It was Alex's turn to be uncomfortable. "Well, you see, there's no one now. There was until recently, but it all went bad. I needed to get away from him, so I got the first flight I could get and it was to Paris. Like I told you when I so unceremoniously landed at your feet, I was looking for some good American food."

       At that, Samuel chuckled, " I'm afraid my dear you came to the wrong place for that. Still, it hasn't been totally unpleasant that you landed at my feet. At least I've had an enjoyable drink in your lovely company.  But, as enjoyable as it has been, I'm afraid I have some business that I must attend to.  Still, I can't leave you stranded here by yourself.  If you'll allow me, I'll see you to your hotel." With that, Samuel stood up, pulled his money clip out, and left a sizable amount on the table to cover the bill and the tip.

       Alex had never had an encounter like this before in her life. Just when she thought she was going to get somewhere with Samuel, he did a sudden about-face. Carlo was right, he was definitely skittish. It was like something had spooked him. She knew better than to try and extend the conversation, she remembered when Todd used to change like quicksilver. Obviously, Samuel was as mercurial as Todd. This was going to be a challenge after all. She smiled at Samuel. "Oh, I'm sorry. I hope I didn't delay you too much. You don't really have to see me to my hotel.  I can take a cab."

       "Nonsense, I feel responsible to make sure you arrive safely back at your hotel. I wouldn't want you taking any more tumbles." With that, Samuel offered his arm and guided her out of the restaurant. He flagged down a cab and joined her inside and looking askance at her "Where to my dear Alex?"

      Left with no choice, Alex replied. "I'm staying at the Ritz."

       Samuel smiled, "Take us to the Ritz."

       For Alex the ride took forever, Samuel was quiet and didn't seem inclined to carry on a conversation. She wondered how she was going to get him to see her again. She decided to be forward about it. "Samuel, thank you so much for seeing me back to my hotel. I've never been to Paris and you say you've been living here for some time. Perhaps if you have any free time you might give me a call and help me see some of Paris in your gracious company. I'm staying in Suite 240."

       Samuel looked at her "Dear Alex, I would really love to be able to show you around. I, unfortunately, will be extremely busy for a while. But if you are still in town when my business is completed perhaps we will see each other again."

       The cab pulled up to the front of the Ritz and the Doorman came and helped Alex alight. She smiled ruefully. He had effectively foiled that attempt. "Goodnight Samuel, it was a pleasure to meet you." She turned and entered the hotel. I need to talk to Carlo. If he wants my help he's going to have to give me more information.

       Samuel watched her enter the hotel and felt like he had just escaped a bullet. The hairs on the back of his neck were raised and he sensed something definitely important had just occurred tonight. I think my watchers are making some kind of move. This is going to get interesting.

       "19 Rue Morgue," Samuel instructed the driver. As he headed home, Samuel replayed everything that had occurred in the last few hours. The memory of what he had done to that young woman still haunted him but now for some reason, it felt like an old wound. He felt like he had lived through something awful connected to that memory but had come out the other side a better man. If he could live with that memory, he could probably survive the next bad memory too. After all, they were memories, something that had happened in his past. Horrific they might be, but he knew he would face them one at a time. He felt like a weight had lifted. Then he began thinking of Alex. He had felt comfortable with her almost as if he had known her from someplace, but at the same time it was like a voice in his head had suddenly yelled: "Don't Trust Her". He felt bad that he had cut her off so quickly. It was times like those when he missed the interaction with others. But that odd feeling he got, that sense of danger had always kept him safe.

       Arriving back at his apartment he hurried back inside. Once there, he put his coat down and crossed to Dee and his serene one. "I'm so sorry! Forgive me for leaving without telling you why. I felt so dirty after I got back the memory of how I got my first scar. I couldn't face you. I know you've always helped me through these moments, but I was ashamed. I never knew I was capable of attacking someone like that. I know now that I've got to look at everything my past might throw at me if I'm to find myself. You've both told me so many times, that when the time was right I would be ready for it. I think I am. Something has broken free. It's happening." Samuel looked at all his beautiful girls surrounding him. They filled him with a feeling of love and warmth, banishing all traces of the cold that had taken him over just hours before. He walked back into the loft and looking at the picture, he addressed the woman portrayed there. "I'm sorry for everything I did to you. I know I haven't remembered it all but when I do, I pray I'll be able to face you in person to show you just how sorry I am.”

       Samuel turned and left the loft. Wandering into the kitchen, his thoughts went back to his encounter with Alex. Although he didn't know why he was sure that Alex was mixed up with his watchers. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage. They wanted Alex to get to know him, it was like they wanted to control him. Maybe he would let them think they succeeded. Yes, while they thought he was putty in Alex's hands, he could get a foothold into figuring out who was pulling the strings. He was tired of hiding and trying to stay off the radar. It was his turn. He was the one. He was in charge now!

The MST, Ch. 8

Samuel rolled over in bed "God, My head is killing me. Wait.  How did I get here? I remember standing in the sitting room talking to the girls. "Ahh, this head!" he gingerly sat up noticing that he was still dressed except for his shoes. Standing up he made his way to the bathroom. "That's strange, the medicine cabinet is opened." The pain was intense he reached for the aspirin and took two. Samuel closed the cabinet door and grimaced as he viewed those hated scars glaring out at him from the mirror. "You're the culprits for this headache, just because I wanted to remember how I got you." Samuel returned to the bed, sat down, and reached for his shoes. Doing so caused the room to spin. Samuel gripped the edge of the bed until the spinning stopped. "I might have to slow down a little bit. I'm not even going to be able to work if this keeps happening." He carefully put his shoes on and headed for the kitchen.

Grabbing the coffee pot, Samuel filled it with water, he noticed that his hands were shaking. "Get a grip, Samuel. Okay, something happened you can't explain but whatever it was you're still here." He couldn't stop wondering how he got to his bed and what had occurred before that. He looked around the room, nothing was disturbed. The front door was still bolted, no one had been in here last night, but Samuel felt like someone had put him to bed. He shook his head trying to clear the cobwebs but that was a mistake as his head throbbed even harder. "No matter, I've got to get something accomplished this morning." He reached for his cup and filled it with some of the coffee being brewed, took a croissant from the counter, and sat down at the table. "I just need to eat something and then back to work."

When he finished eating he filled his cup again and headed for the loft. The pain was easing up and Samuel had an idea for the next painting. He grabbed up a blank canvas and carefully moved his Muse to continue drying. Gathering his supplies around him, he took a brush and started to put the background in the painting. The colors were dark and murky and then shapes began to form. As he painted he found himself seeing a dark alleyway with one ghostly light shedding its glow on the scene below then a face appeared in his mind, one he had never seen. This face wasn't one of his Muses but he knew her. He found he couldn't stop painting even though the pain in his head was once again returning. He kept going as her long hair unfurled around her face, he painted her lips trembling and her eyes glistening with tears, pleading at him. Samuel stood frozen staring at this lovely woman, his heart, as well as head, pounding ferociously. She was so scared. What had happened to bring that look to her eyes? Samuel was fascinated and frightened. This woman had some connection to him. He backed away from the painting taking the whole picture in. But even as he stood there it seemed to get bigger and he was suddenly standing in that alleyway. He was inches away from that face. Just as suddenly Samuel clutched as his chest.

Searing pain was making it hard to breathe. Samuel collapsed in a nearby chair praying for the pain to stop. He willed himself to think calm thoughts, this wasn't the time to panic. He looked around for one of his paintings of Dee. She would help, she always helped him. There she was, he focused hard on the painting of Dee laughing at him. There was snow around her and he had painted her with a ridiculous Santa hat on her head. She was so endearing. As he looked at Dee the pain began to subside, his breathing eased up and he was able to take a deep breath once more. It was alright. His heart was beating normally again.

He stood back up and looked at the painting he was working on. He deliberately avoided the face and instead decided to concentrate on the background a little more. While he was looking he saw a sign appear on the wall behind the face. Picking up his brush he quickly began putting the sign in the painting. When he was done he read it to himself. "Rodi's." Was it a real place?

***

Blair walked over and looked down at the sketch. He looked so real staring up at her from the table. She remembered thinking how breathtaking Todd's looks had been in those early years. There had always been something soulful and compelling in his eyes when he looked at you. It was as if he could see the real you. The combination of those eyes and the scar added an air of mystery to him. Todd always managed to draw attention to himself simply by a nod of his head or a knowing glance in your direction. Blair sat down and drew the Sketch closer. She and Christian had talked late into the night about the possible reasons Samuel looked like Todd. Was it conceivable for Todd to have a twin? Not likely. Blair knew Todd's history and was pretty sure if Todd had had a brother, Irene would have written it in her diary all those years ago. Both she and Chris talked about the possibility of him being a double. It was a fact in the world that doubles of us do exist. Ok

Blair looked at her watch. In less than an hour, Tomas would be coming for her. She was going to have some fun. Shoot, she was in Paris. One of the most romantic cities in the world. She was single and it was time to give herself a treat. Tomas was handsome and appeared to be unattached so she was going to enjoy herself. Taking a quick trip to the bedroom, she touched up her makeup, winked at her reflection in the mirror and grabbed her bag off the bed. After a quick peek at the contents of the bag and noting that everything necessary was in it, Blair headed toward the door. Just as she reached for the handle, a knock was heard. "Yes, who is it?"

"Dearest Blair, it is your tour guide for the Day" Blair laughed and opened the door to find Tomas standing there smiling.

"You look enchanting My Dear, but don't forget your wrap. It is still nippy this time of year in Paris. I am hoping this will become a long friendship so that I'll have the privilege of also showing you Paris in the springtime. But we have today, and I will make the most of it. Come Paris awaits." He assisted her into her coat and they departed.

Arriving in the lobby, he took her arm and lead her out to a waiting Cab. "Now, if you will allow, I chose to make reservations for us in the Eiffel Restaurant. This will give you an excellent view of Paris and we can discuss where to venture next." Blair was thrilled. She was going to see the Eiffel Tower and she was in the company of a very handsome and charming man. The cab ride proved very enjoyable as Tomas filled her in about Paris and told her amusing stories about some of its famous history. By the time they arrived at the Tower she felt completely relaxed. They exited the cab and she gazed up at the incredible structure in front of her. The pictures she had seen didn't do it justice. She gave Tomas her hand and together they made their way to the restaurant. Tomas kept her fully entertained during lunch and as the meal was winding down, Tomas suggested several other places they could visit that afternoon. Blair accepted and they continued their adventure.

***

At the Charles De Gaulle International Airport, a flight from Bermuda was arriving at the gate. The gendarme watched the passengers exiting, he couldn’t help but smile when he saw a charming mademoiselle exit looking very out of place in her summery clothes. As if knowing she was being watched Alex looked up and saw the handsome Gendarme staring at her. She put on her best smile and walked to him. " Excuse me, do you speak English. my French is very rusty."

The young officer replied, "Yes Mademoiselle, what can I help you with?"

Her smile got bigger as she inquired, "Perhaps you could direct me to a Shoppe in the airport where I might purchase some more seasonal attire. I'm afraid I left Bermuda in somewhat of a hurry and forgot how much colder it was here." The young officer obligingly directed her to a great shop and Alex quickly added to her wardrobe. "Carlo's paying for all this I might as well take advantage of it." After changing into a beautiful cashmere sweater and suede leather slacks as well as some comfortable boots, Alex put on the lovely mink jacket she just purchased, gathered her new purchases, and headed to baggage to retrieve her luggage. With her luggage retrieved Alex made her way to the exit and a waiting cab. "The Ritz," she informed the cab driver.

Alex sat back in the cab recalling the recent call from Carlo. She wasn't entirely sure why he had sent her here. She recalled a night eight years ago when they had happened upon the body of a man. When Carlo had turned him over, they both had been surprised to see the face of Todd Manning looking up at them. He had been beaten to within an inch of his life and was barely alive. Carlo had wanted to leave him, but Alex felt she owed him her life. If it hadn't been for Todd she would have been rotting in Prison. She begged Carlo for his help and Carlo had agreed, but on his conditions. He told her he would take care of Todd but she was to leave everything to him. At that, he had sent her away. She didn't know what happened after that until she met Todd later with his new face. She had just assumed that Carlo had financed Todd's recovery. But now he was asking her to go see this man in Paris.

.

What did Carlo mean she would know him when she saw him? She didn't know any Samuel Toddman and it was weirder than that. Carlo said he wasn't to know who he really was? That made no sense at all.

The cab pulled in at the Ritz and The Doorman helped Alex out. She entered and proceeded to registration. Then Alex headed for the Suite. Once inside she decided she'd better let Carlo know she was in Paris. She needed a little more information but was not sure if Carlo was going to give her anymore. Taking off her Jacket, Alex reached for the room phone and called room service. It had been a long flight, tonight she was just going to unwind. Tomorrow would give her time to find out anything she could about this Samuel Toddman and she could also check into the restaurant that Carlo had mentioned.  A few hours later, relaxed and replenished, Alex picked up her wine glass and pulled out her cell phone. It was time to call Carlo!

"My dear, how lovely to receive your call. So you are now in Paris? Excellent have you already made contact?" Carlo inquired.

" Well no, Carlo, That is why I called, After running everything you said to me on the phone yesterday, I'm a little confused. You said this had something to do with what happened eight years ago. I recall that night and that was when we helped Todd Manning. But I don't understand what this man has to do with Todd. Todd's in Llanview, yet you intimated that this is about him. You told me not to let Blair see me. It's very confusing." pleaded Alex.

"It will become clearer Alex if you do what I tell you and don't ask any more questions. Now it is essential that you make contact with him before Blair can. You must get him to trust you enough that he'll be willing to go to the States with you. Don't fail me Alex and again don't let on you know who he really is? "

Just as Carlo was about to hang up, Alex said one more thing. "But Carlo I don't know who he is. I've never heard of Samuel Toddman. You say I'll know him when I see him. I don't understand.”

 Cryptically Carlo replied."You will!" and cut the connection.

Alex put the phone down. It looked like she wasn't going to be able to leave everything till tomorrow. She was going to have to find him tonight. Alex set down her wine and made a call to the Concierge."Yes, are you familiar with a restaurant known as Au Diable De Lombardes?"

"Oui Madame, the Diable is a popular place with Americans."

"Excellent.  Could you make me a reservation for 9:00 o'clock tonight?"

"Oui, Madame, there will be a car waiting for you when you are ready to leave."

"Thank you monsieur. That will be fine." Alex hung up and went to the bedroom to see what she was going to wear for this seduction scene.

***

Samuel finished cleaning his brushes and took another quick look at his painting. Careful not to dwell for a moment on his subject's face he studied the portrait. It was a dark portrait in both the color and the mood that emanated from it. He could not remember any other portrait that he had done over the last eight years being so dark. He was beginning to believe his portraits and paintings were parts of his memory. But if that were true, then this painting depicted something very alarming and very scary indeed. This portrait was screaming violence and fear.

He steeled himself and looked at the face of the woman in the picture. Again his heart started palpitating and he felt overwhelming panic, he didn't want to know this woman. He had done something awful to her and he didn't know what that was but it was tearing into his soul. He shuddered and felt tears begin to make their way down his cheek. As he looked he was again in that alleyway, but now it was like standing and watching someone else. He stood there unable to move as he watched a man move closer to her. She was crying and he, the other man, was laughing getting some perverse pleasure out of her fear. From the corner of his eye, another figure entered the alleyway and started yelling,suddenly the new figure picked up a pipe and hit the laughing man across the face. Samuel felt that blow and reeled. Dismay and anguish welled up as he realized what he had just seen. He was the laughing man and that was when he got his scar. "Oh God, I was a Monster.” He didn't want to remember, but it was too late.

The memory wasn't going to go away, and Samuel knew in his heart that there were other memories even more horrific to come. Shakily Samuel left the Loft, he felt dirty. He had to get out of the apartment. Right now he couldn't face his Muses, he couldn't face himself. He grabbed his coat but he didn't take out the mask. He was ugly and he couldn't hide from it anymore. Down on the street, he hailed a cab. "Take me to Au Diable." As the cab pulled away, Samuel felt like he was drowning in his thoughts.

***

Alex was looking at one expensive outfit after another, and then she paused. I don't even know what kind of place this is. I need more information. She went to her bags and pulled out her laptop and started searching for info on the restaurant. There it was. Well, she didn't need to dress fancy for this place. Mr. Toddman wasn't too selective where he ate but at least they served drinks. She could work with that. She looked down at the Sweater and slacks and decided they would work just fine for this initial encounter. Now all she had to do was connect with Mr. Toddman. She grabbed her jacket and headed out. Down in the lobby she crossed to the concierge and said. " I'm Ms. Olanov, would you call a cab and cancel that 9:00 o’clock reservation to the Diable, I'm going to go now." When the cab arrived, Alex got in and told the cabby "Au Diable"