Don't Shoot the "Messenger", Ch. 10

           Todd paced, waiting for the one man he was hoping would give him some good news

“Damn it, Manning, what are you doing here?”

“What do you think? I want to know if you’ve found Mitch’s body yet.”

John slammed the door to his office. He really didn’t want to deal with Todd at that moment. He had just gotten a chewing out from the mayor because yet another mistake had been made by the Llanview police. Bo hadn’t returned to work yet and she was coming down on him because there were still fugitives at large. Mitch’s missing body was also a glaring item in the eyes of the mayor. “Hell no, we haven’t found it. Look, I understand why you’re interested in making sure he’s dead. I’m right there with you. I still haven’t found a way to tell Natalie about it. She’s been so happy thinking we’re all rid of him.”

Todd looked at John. He wished he could be so blissfully unaware. Last night he had awoken in a cold sweat, echoes of Mitch’s laughter reverberating in his ears, taunting him. He had felt like his air had been cut off and he was smothering in the scent of his father again. He stumbled out of bed struggling to breathe, collapsing outside on his balcony taking in huge gulps of air. For the next hour or so he had sat there remembering the tomb, with only Samuel as his company. With the first signs of dawn, he had crawled back into bed and taken Blair in his arms. Surprised at how cold he was, she wrapped herself around him trying to warm him up, but she hadn’t asked any questions. He had seen her looking at him at breakfast and knew she was worried about him. “Don’t tell Natalie, John, it will just cause her grief. Believe me, I know.”

           John looked sharply at Todd and noticed his clenched jaw and the beads of perspiration on his brow. He realized Todd had his own issues with Mitch, issues that obviously hit close to home for Todd. He only knew certain parts of the story surrounding Todd’s initial disappearance and his involvement with Mitch at that time. Judging by Todd’s current reactions, something bad had gone down between the two men; something that Mitch’s disappearance had again brought to the forefront for Todd. “She’ll have to be told eventually. Besides she works here, I can’t keep tabs on every bit of news that travels the grapevine here. Someone is bound to say something. She’s the one who shot him. She needs to know.”

           “I guess.” Todd took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So ...What do you know about his disappearance?”
  
           “I know that the officer, who delivered him to the morgue, said the doctor there announced him DOA and told the officer to just leave him. The kid’s a rookie and didn’t realize a signed release was needed for the body. We’ve talked to both coroners who have said they never received any bodies that night. “ 

            “John, could I talk to the officer?”

            “I’ll see if the kid’s working today. What are you thinking?"

            “I’m thinking, if he didn’t hand the body over to either of the coroners, then someone else was down in the office that night. There are several people still unaccounted for that night. One of them was a doctor.” 

“What? You think Kipling was at the hospital? Why?”

“I don’t know. The man is mad but devious. If you were a doctor on the run from prison, wouldn’t you hide in plain sight? I mean, he wasn’t up on the main floor but down in the coroner’s office. He would be able to access a number of items, someone like him could use. Chemicals, drugs, right?”

“So you think Kipling is the one the kid left the body with.”

“Look, I heard from Larry that one of the ambulances never returned that night. Now, you tell me.” Todd hadn’t wanted to think that Kipling had Mitch, but it made sense and once again his thoughts went back to the other night. “What if Mitch wasn’t quite dead yet?”

“Manning, Natalie pumped five bullets into him. There’s no way for the man to have survived that.”

“That’s what they said about me in Ireland. Just let me talk to the kid. At least we could get a description of the doctor.”

John frowned he didn’t like where Manning was going with this. “Hold on, I’ll be right back.” John left the office and walked over to the duty officer. “Dubrowski, is Cummings on today?”

Dubrowski scanned his computer.”Cummings’ shift started about ten minutes ago. Supposed to be writing reports today.”

“Get Cummings up here for me. Pronto.” John turned and went back into his office and saw Todd staring out the window. “You think Mitch is alive, don’t you?

Todd turned around, “I think that man is the devil and I’m sure he didn’t stay down in hell very long.” Todd’s very tone was chilling and John again wondered just what happened in 2003.

A knock came at his door. “Come in.” The door opened. “You wanted to see me, Lieutenant ?”

“Come in Cummings, we need to ask you some questions. This is Todd Manning.”

Todd was staring at the young cop. It was Deja Vu all over again. He felt like he was looking at a copy of Andy Harris. What was it with this department and girl rookies?

            Cummings looked over at the man standing by the window. She had heard quite a lot about him. He lived up to everything she had heard. The man was obviously dangerous and definitely exuded a certain magnetism. She knew of his past and about all his current dealings with the police. “Good morning, sir.” She didn’t know what else to say, the man’s intense stare was unnerving. When he continued to stare, she turned to her Lieutenant. “Questions, sir?”

           “Officer, sit down. Tell me about the night you delivered Laurence’s body to the morgue.”

            “Sir I’m sorry, I know I was remiss in not getting the release form. Everything was so chaotic that night. We almost had a couple of accidents just trying to get to the hospital, what with the blackout. Then when we got there, it was a madhouse. My partner told me to wheel the body to the morgue and hand it off, he went to break up a scuffle in the ER. I guess the hospital generators were overloaded because the lights kept flickering as I pushed the body down to the morgue. I was about to enter when the doctor stepped out.” 

            “What can you tell us about the doctor? Did you get a good look at him?”

             Cummings jumped at the intensity in his voice. Todd Manning had finally spoken to her. She felt his eyes boring into her, willing her to give him some answer he wanted to hear.  “As good as I could. The man was in a surgical gown and mask and had gloves on like he had just finished an autopsy.”

Todd was disappointed. “You couldn’t make out any distinguishing things about him?”

“All I could see were his eyes and his hair. He had silver hair and his eyes, man, they reminded me of a snake.”

“Do you think you could give a description to one of the police artists?”

“Yes Sir, I‘d be glad to.”

Todd looked over at John. “Don’t bother calling one of your officers, John. Let me draw something first.”

John nodded and went out of the office and came back with a sketch pad. “Do you need to sit down, Todd?”

“Might be best.” Todd took the pad and grabbed a pencil and sat in John’s chair.

Cummings looked on with interest.

 

John stood behind Todd and watched him begin to draw. He was obviously trying to draw Kipling in a mask and gown the way the officer had just described him. He knew what Manning was trying to do but then he stopped drawing. “Manning is there a problem.”

“Hang on,” Todd said angrily. He closed his eyes, Samuel, get out here and finish this. All I can think of is Mitch.

Sure, Todd, I’ve got it.

Samuel continued the drawing, Kipling’s face was one he would never forget. He finished the drawing and handed it to John, who in turn showed it to Cummings. “Is this something like you described.”

She looked at the sketch, “Wow, that’s amazing, I don’t understand. How could you draw his picture that clearly from my description? I mean, usually, we’re asked to pick out eyes and hairlines, noses. That’s the guy, Lieutenant. At least that’s the man I faced down in that hallway.” She saw the look that passed between John and Manning. Something was up and she would have loved to known what it was but she never got the chance to find out.

“That will be all Cummings.”

She knew a dismissal when she heard one. As she was leaving the office she heard the lieutenant’s comment.

“Samuel, thanks for helping out.”

Cummings stopped herself “Who the hell was Samuel?” Then it hit her, she had sat in a room with one of Todd Manning’s alters. She wasn’t sure what had happened but she sure had a story she could tell that night at drinks.

Inside John’s office, Samuel looked over at John. “It was my pleasure.”

“Samuel, is he all right?"

“John, you know the year we’ve had. He’s not happy about Mitch and I’m not at liberty to say anything more. He’s coming back.”

John waited patiently. He had a feeling from the length of time it was taking for Todd to reemerge that he and Samuel were obviously having words. Todd opened his eyes and glared at him.

“If you’re that curious, just ask, John. I won’t lie to you. I owe you that much, but don’t try to find things out through Samuel.”

“Sorry, tell me why you hate Mitch so much.”

Todd winced at the bluntness of the question. He had asked for it, but he had been hoping John would back off. He should have known better. He jumped out of the chair, even John’s office seemed to close in on him. He stopped himself. Get a grip, you’ve already faced this. He turned and faced John. “He didn't just beat me and leave me alone in the crypt.  The sadist tied me up, opened my father's casket and buried me alive alongside my dead father. How should I feel about him?”

It was John’s turn to wince. That was a part of Todd’s story he hadn’t heard. No wonder Todd wanted to know where Mitch’s body was. John knew that Todd and Samuel and all the rest walked a very fine line. They were always one wrong step from falling over the edge, he had seen Todd down in Savannah holding an ax to a man’s neck and had been at the hospital when Hesser had been brought in with his neck partially crushed. He sensed the anger below the surface right now barely held in check. “You need to stay out of this Manning, you’re too close.”

Todd got his anger back under control, knowing he had shown too much to John. He rolled his head to loosen his neck muscles and shrugged his shoulders. “John, don’t you think I would if I could?  Believe me. I thought all of this was over. It’s just not meant to be and I won’t hide from it, John. I hid for eight years. Enough is enough. Besides, don’t tell me I’m too close. You have your own reasons for hating Mitch. My niece and grand-nephew are two of them. You want him dead as much as me.”

John nodded. Manning had him on that. “So now what? The police forces from here to Philadelphia are searching for Kipling and haven’t found one sign of him. You know the guy, you found him before? Any suggestions?”

“I’m working on it. Look I’ve got to go. Kelly and Joey are arriving today. I’d think long and hard before telling Natalie and my sister that Mitch is still out there. Vicki doesn’t need the stress. I’ll let you know if I find out something, but I expect the same in return.”

John watched Todd leave. He had been upset when Todd had arrived but now he realized that bouncing things off Todd had worked better than sitting waiting for the next shoe to drop. Where would Kipling have taken someone near death? He would need someplace secluded but outfitted to handle such an emergency. John sat down at his computer and started putting in potential outlying clinics and facilities. No telling what they might find. It could be a wild goose chase, but it was a start.