My Brother's Keeper #6

         “Please don’t tell me you’re doing what I think you’re doing.”


          Damn Victor, now is not the time!  Todd stopped what he was doing and sat back on the couch.  Go back to sleep, whatever you were doing, just leave me alone!  He glanced down at Blair, who was looking at him with bewilderment. “Sorry Babe, someone just dropped in unannounced.” He mouthed the name“Victor”. “Talk about a ‘wet blanket’, you take the cake, Victor.” Todd reverted to talking aloud.  It seemed more natural than carrying on a conversation just in his head.

          Blair groaned, she and Todd had just been getting comfortable on the couch.  It figured Victor would be the one to interrupt.  Whoa, did I just think that?  My god, I did.  She looked at Todd and for the first time realized she believed he was talking to Victor.  He wasn’t acting crazy.  In fact, he was upset, just like he would have been if Victor had walked in on them.

          “Hey don’t blame me, I just regained consciousness. How was I supposed to know I’d go looking for you and get an image of... Let me tell you. I could have done without it.”

         “Next time, just try calling my name, before, as you say, you come looking.”

          At Todd’s words, Blair suddenly began to cover up. Surely Victor didn’t see what they were doing.

         “I’m just kidding, brother. I can’t see anything, any more than you can see me.  Let’s just say your emotions were pretty high and it wasn’t hard to figure out what would make you feel that good. I’m guessing, deeply passionate emotions fall into the same category as intense pain.”

         “You’re a riot, Victor.  It’s a good thing you can’t see, I’d have to have your eyes removed otherwise, and that might ruin your homecoming to Tea.  Still, I’m glad you’re alive.  Do you have any idea who beat you up?”

          "No, it’s like I told you, they still have me blindfolded and usually use some sort of voice modulator to disguise their voices.  Hold it!  I think I hear someone.”

          “Todd, what’s going on?” Blair finished buttoning up her blouse and looked at Todd waiting for an answer.

           He smiled sadly and lightly touched the top button. Since he was waiting for some sort of response from Victor he leaned over and gently kissed Blair, letting her know how much he regretted the interruption. When he broke the kiss, he answered her question. “It’s Victor,”

“I gathered that from your half of the conversation, but why have you stopped talking.”

“He said his captors have always talked to him with voice changers, but he thinks he might be getting a break. Blair, if he can even recognize one voice, we might have a clue who’s doing all this.”

“Even if he knows the voice, how is that going to help us find him?”

“Blair, think, if we can put a name to the voice, then we have someone to track down. In this day and age, technology is our friend and if your name is known, it’s a lot harder to hide. Hang on, I’ll try and get him to let me know what’s going on at his end.”

Blair couldn’t believe she was actually sitting there waiting for an answer from a dead man. But if Todd was right, his brother was very much alive. Tea and Jack would be overjoyed.  She had to admit it was fascinating.  It was like listening in on one side of a phone conversation except Todd wasn’t using a phone. “So is he saying anything else?”

“Victor, what’s going on?”

“No wonder Irene kept me instead of you, you were probably just as demanding as a baby. I think we just got a break. The guys made a mistake. They think I’m still unconscious. I can overhear two of them talking outside my room. One of them sounds French. He’s talking to some other guy. The Frenchman is saying the other guy knew what he was signing up for when he wanted to use his training in the war to help. Now the second guy is saying, he never signed up for framing a guy for murder.”

“Do you recognize either of the voices?” Todd felt a chill go down his back. Were they possibly talking about him?

“Hell no, I don’t know any Frenchmen. Wait a minute. I just heard a name. Don’t know if it means anything. I think the french guy said the name, Louis.“

Todd frowned. It couldn’t be. “Did he say, Louis or Louie?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Louie, isn’t that french for Louis?”

“Can you hear any more of the conversation?”

“No, they’re moving away. So I’m being held by some Frenchman.  What the hell do the French want with that thing Irene was trying to get from you?”

“I’m not sure why you’re hearing some french guy. What concerns me is the name of the other guy. I’ve been looking for a guy named Louie since your death.” Todd found himself looking into Blair’s eyes.

“Well, Louis or Louie, whoever he is, didn’t sound too happy. Do you think my guy and your guy are one and the same? Oops, I’ve got to go, I think someone’s coming in here. You’ve got to find me.”

“Victor wait. Damn, I’ve lost him. Blair, I’m wondering now if Irene was lying to me. What if she never had Louie?  What if I turned the gun over to someone who used it to set me up?”

“I don’t understand.  Do you think Louie shot Victor?”

“I don’t know what to think anymore. I gave the gun to Louie.  I’m still shaky on when I did that as far as time is concerned. We know he didn’t give the gun to John, maybe he gave it to the Frenchman instead.”

“So you think this Frenchman turned around and used it to kill Victor.  Okay, I could see that, but we have a lot of holes to fill.  Tea supposedly found Victor and he died in her arms.  Todd, we have to open that burial plot.”

He knew she was right. “Are you up for some grave robbing tonight?”

“Are you serious? You can’t just go dig him up. I was thinking along the lines of going to Bo and asking his help for an exhumation order.”

“Bo’s not going to help me. I am sure Nora has him convinced I killed Victor. That cemetery has to be one of the easiest places to get in and out of unseen. Look, we’ll dig him up, check the casket, and if there’s a body there, I’ll get something like hair that we can get DNA on. On second thought, you don’t have to come, this is my mess. It might be best if you were home with the kids. If I get caught, I’ll just explain that as his brother, I have a right to make sure it was really Victor in the ground.”

“You’re not going to that cemetery without me. I’ll be your lookout. If someone starts to come at least I can give you a warning. That way you won’t get caught. Like you said, Nora would like any reason to put you back behind bars.”

****

         It proved to be a miserable night, for what they had planned.  Much like the night Victor died, the rain was pouring steadily as Todd and Blair arrived at the cemetery. “Todd, I can’t believe you want to do this tonight.  We could be at La Boulaie sitting in front of the fire.” Blair wrapped her jacket around her tighter and pulled up the hood to hide her blonde hair.  I must be crazy.  I’m going to let Todd dig up Victor’s grave.  Even as she thought it, she looked at Todd and knew in her heart she was going to go through with it.  Todd was determined to find out who was in Victor’s casket, and when they made love earlier, Blair realized she would help him no matter what. But damn, why did it have to be pouring.

         “Yeah, I can see it now.  Just as you and I start to relax, Jack will come in and rip me a new one for being in the same house with you. I don’t think I’m ever going to make headway with my son until I can give him back Victor.” Todd had glanced over at her as he answered her.  He couldn’t help smiling. She was beginning to look like a drowned kitten, but she was still standing next to him ready to help.  He pulled her into his arms. “I’ll do this as quick as I can. You can get out of the weather if you stand closer to the Lord Mausoleum. You’ll be able to see me and anyone who might come out in this weather. By the way. I think you look great, even all wet and I promise you, I’ll find a way to warm you up when we’re finished.” He gave her a quick kiss, grabbed the shovel, and walked to Victor’s grave.

          Blair looked after him, touching her lips briefly. Todd was just full of surprises lately. He had definitely become more demonstrative since his return. She wiped the rain out of her eyes, moved to the sheltered spot Todd spoke of, and watched as he began digging. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to be doing it that night. No one else would be crazy enough to be out in the rain.

          Todd dug like a man possessed. He knew in his heart there was an answer waiting for him in the casket. He just had to get to it. Although the ground was softened by the rain it also made it heavier. Soon he was covered from head to toe in mud. It didn’t bother him, he just recalled lying in the woods covered in blood and dirt after he had flung himself off the bridge at his mother’s cabin. He had survived that night and a number of others, all of them with injuries. At least this time he was injury-free and it was just mud, no blood in sight. He didn’t know how long he had been shoveling but suddenly he struck something solid. He had reached the casket.

The rain had begun letting up and Blair heard the thud as Todd hit the coffin. She crept over to the grave and pulled out her flashlight. She gasped as the light hit Todd, he looked like some wildman, primitive and dangerous, covered in mud. This was the man who had survived in the wilderness when he was on the run. He had so much more strength than most people gave him credit for. That was why he survived Irene.

“Blair, shine the light down here so I can find the latch.”

She moved to the edge of the grave and shone the light as Todd scooped mud from the side of the casket.  He finally cleared enough mud away from the side to reach the latches holding the lid closed.  Picking up the shovel he brought the edge down hard on them.

In the silence of the cemetery, the noise was deafening and Blair jumped at the sound. She almost dropped the flashlight, her hand tightening as it started to slip free. “Are we really going to do this?”

“Blair, I have to know. Here goes.”  Todd reached down and lifted the lid. 

"Oh my God!" Blair screamed and dropped the flashlight.

My Brother's Keeper #5

        From the look on Blair’s face, Todd knew she was about ready to call the men in white jackets. Somehow he had to make her realize he wasn’t crazy. Todd walked gingerly to the office couch and sat down. “Blair, like I said, I’m not crazy. Sit down, I’ll try and explain everything.”

        Blair wasn’t sure what was going on. “What happened just now? I thought you were having some sort of heart attack. Something really hurt you for a moment, but you appear fine now. Why did you say someone was beating Victor? Todd, that’s crazy talk.”

        “Don’t you think I haven’t thought that myself. When Victor first contacted me, I thought I was losing it. I was sitting in jail right after Jack had me arrested. I awoke from a strange dream about Victor and Irene and all of a sudden he was talking to me, in my head. I figured Irene had finally done it. She had finally driven me nuts. She had been badgering me all night, telling me I had accomplished my job. When I asked what she meant, she said I had succeeded in killing Victor. I told her I didn’t kill him and I had proof. That was when she mentioned Louie, and told me she had him and the gun. Then she told me if I said anything, all of you would be in danger.”

       “Yes, I know about this part of the story. She threatened to kill us all, that was why you had Starr help you break out. Where does Victor come into all this?”

       “After she threatened all of you, Bo sent his officer to get her for more questioning. That was when I had the dream. I woke up and suddenly Victor was commenting on the dream. Then he said he wasn’t dead but floating in some kind of fluid and that he wasn’t hurt at all. I even wondered if he was some sort of alternate personality. But he said there was no way in hell he was an alter of mine.”

       “So you’re just hearing him in your head. Todd, that’s not good. I knew something has been bothering you since the cabin. You were injured. Everything Irene put you through has to have had some effect on you. Why on earth didn’t you say something? I think you need to see a doctor.”

       “There’s more Blair. I’m not just hearing him, we have some sort of connection. Victor feels it’s an identical twin thing. He felt it when I was shot. He contacted me again in the cabin. That was when he said I needed to find him. The problem was, I wasn’t in such good shape right then. He doesn’t know where he is, just that several unknown people are holding him. They’re asking him about the damn chip, but he knows nothing about it. I had begun to think I had just imagined him since he hadn’t contacted me for so long but the afternoon I got my inheritance back, he reconnected with me. He described sitting in a chair and his wrists and feet were bound to it. The next thing I knew, it felt like I had put my finger in a wall socket.” Todd had been watching Blair’s face, he could see she was torn. He hoped she was at least giving him the benefit of the doubt.

        “But Todd, you said yourself, you wondered if he was just your imagination.” Blair was reeling. What if Todd was telling the truth and Victor was alive?

        “When I felt that shock and he described the chair, I knew something else was going on. I looked up anything I could find on the phenomenon that some identical twins share. One twin feeling something when an event happens to the other twin, it’s real. I’m not sure why our connection triggered so late, but we have it. Today was the first time since the shock that Victor reached me again. We were trying to figure out how he could get clues to his location when you came in.”

          Blair looked at Todd. The last time she remembered him so adamant about something was when he told her he didn’t rape Rebecca Lewis. Strangely enough, she was beginning to believe him. “But if Victor is alive out there somewhere, how do you explain the body that Tea held and watched die?”

         “I can't. Victor swears he wasn’t shot. I have to assume some sort of trick was played on all of us. It’s something that would be right up my mother’s alley. There’s no telling what my mother was capable of or what her group was experimenting with. I have something else to tell you.” He stopped. You love her, do you trust her enough to tell her the rest? “I have another problem. My mother’s been haunting me since the cabin. She says I killed Victor and now every time I turn around she’s in my face reminding me. The scary part is I keep seeing Victor fall and I’m holding the gun. Blair, I swear I don’t know what’s going on? Why do I keep seeing myself shooting Victor? He assures me he’s alive. After the things I’ve been experiencing, I believe him. If I didn’t shoot him, did I shoot someone else? I need your help. I need to find Victor and I need to know who or what is buried in Victor’s grave.” There, he had said it. He waited for it to sink in. Now it was all in Blair’s hands. She had just heard him confess to shooting someone. Would she turn him over to John?

           Blair’s mind was in a whirl. “Let me get this straight. You think you shot Victor because your mother came to you in the cabin and made you remember shooting him? Todd, you were pretty sick in the cabin. Why do you now believe you actually shot Victor?”

          “Because I keep seeing this scene in my head. It plays over and over. I’m standing there in Victor’s entrance hall, holding a gun and saying ‘You took my life now I take yours.” It seems so real.” He looked at her, “I really don’t know what happened. I’m so confused now, it’s ridiculous, and with Victor telling me he’s still alive, I’m barely holding things together. Tomas is breathing down my neck. He told Tea he’s going to find the murderer of her husband. I think he suspects me. The gun I stole from Dorian is supposedly in the river, at least that’s what Irene told me before I shot her. I don’t know if I want it found or not.” He got back off the couch and wandered over to the window of the office looking out over Llanview. “If my memory is correct, I killed somebody. Okay so it wasn’t Victor, it was still a person. I don’t want to go to prison. I just got my life back.”

           Blair got up and walked to Todd. He had already been through so much. “Todd, when you came over Halloween, you were all set to go out with Sam and I. What stopped you?”

          “Irene. She said I would lose you if I told you about Victor’s death. I panicked. I didn’t know how to tell you about my fears. Now you know. I suppose now you’re free to start hating me the way Jack does.”

           “I don’t hate you. I’m very confused by everything you’ve just told me. I’m not sure how much I believe that Victor is alive. It’s obvious you do. If that’s the truth then I’m going to help you figure out how to find him. I’m having more trouble with your second revelation. Something about it bothers me. You were so positive you didn’t kill Victor. I don’t believe you were lying. I think something else is going on here.”

          Todd turned to her puzzled. “You lost me. What else could be going on?”

           Blair reached for his hand. Touches had been few and far between since the premiere. Todd had backed off, unsure whether he should let his feelings be known. The closest he had come to moving forward with her was when he had come to her house, Halloween night. Now he had just opened up to her and she wanted to let him know it was okay. “Todd, I think Irene might have done something. You said you started seeing her after she shot you. Did she say anything to you before she died?”

           “Only that I’d never be rid of her, that she was in my soul and in my head. Boy, is that an understatement.”

            “That’s what I mean Todd. What if she did something to you when you were in jail with her. Maybe she planted some sort of suggestion. You were in her clutches for eight years, there’s no telling what she could have done. You only remember snippets of your time there and most of that involved her goons torturing you. I think you need to have a doctor check you out.”

           Todd was disappointed, “You mean a shrink don’t you? That’s what this concern is all about. You do think I’m crazy.” He pulled his hand free and started to walk away from her.

            Blair reached and grabbed his arm stopping him.“Todd don’t. I’m not saying you’re crazy. I think Irene found some way to hypnotize you or program you into believing you killed Victor. A psychiatrist might be able to find that out. But first things first. We need to find out who’s buried in Victor’s tomb. We can’t exactly ask Tea for help.”

            His eyes drifted from her arm back up to her face. She was looking at him not with pity but understanding and something akin to determination. Blair was working on some sort of plan. he could see it in her eyes. “Does that mean you believe me about Victor, after all?”

           “I don’t know but I think I’m beginning to. You’ve never shown much belief in things supernatural. In fact, you were always the first to scoff at my premonitions. So for you to actually believe in this twin phenomenon, I figure there must be something to it. Now any ideas on how to get into that grave without getting caught?” She smiled at the stunned look on his face. “Hey, don’t look so surprised, I know you. We’ve done many weird things together, and apart, to find out things we needed to know. I’m sure you’ve already been trying to figure out some way to find out the truth.”

           Todd raised his hand and cupped her chin. “I love you, Blair.”

            Now it was her turn to be stunned. She hadn’t expected that. “What did you say?” Her heart started beating fast. She realized she had been waiting to hear those words since he had gotten home.

           “I said, I love you and I want you back. I was going to tell you Halloween until Irene interrupted. It means more than you know, that you believe me.” He was gently rubbing his thumb absentmindedly over her lips as he talked and before she could say anything else he leaned in and kissed her.

           Her arms went up around his neck and she deepened the kiss. It felt heavenly and she didn’t want it to end. This was what she had been missing. They belonged together and there was no way she was going to let Irene ruin it.