“She did it, Blair. She programmed me to believe I killed Victor. None of it was real.” Todd’s voice caught. He swallowed hard and looked away from Blair so she wouldn’t see the tears building in his eyes, and quickly tried to blink them away.
Blair had listened quietly as Todd told her about his dream. She sensed his anger, but she also heard the underlying pain in his voice. She reached and took his hand in hers. “Todd, I’m sorry.”
“For what?” He looked at her hand and marveled at how good it felt when she took his. Then he met her eyes and saw them glistening with unshed tears, too.
“All that’s happened to you recently. You forget I was there when you read your mother’s diary for the first time. I know how much it meant to you.”
His eyes dropped from hers, and he pulled his hand free. He got up and walked over to the window. He rolled his head to unkink his neck. “That was a long time ago, Blair.” He stared out at the view.
She got up and joined him. Wrapping her arms around him, she molded herself to him from behind. “I know, but I also know it hurts. It hurts just like it did when you found out the horrible truth about your father, Victor.”
He covered her arms with his. “Why? Why did she hate me so much?” his voice broke. “I was a baby when she gave me away. What did I do?”
“You didn’t do anything. Your mother was just as sick as your father. She was the one that was broken, and she took advantage of your brother. She molded him until he was nothing more than her lap dog who would do and say anything for her. She couldn’t manipulate your father and something in you, even as a baby, told her she would never be able to manipulate you.”
“But she did, she made me believe I killed my own brother.” He turned in her arms and met her eyes again. His hands went around her waist. “She tried to kill me and almost killed all of you. I put you all in danger because I wouldn’t play her damn game.”
“Stop it! I won’t hear you blame yourself.” She put both of her hands on his face. “You’re stronger than both of them put together. You fought her and escaped, then beat her at her own game, and she hated you for it. She was vile and cruel and she deserves to be dead. As for making you believe you killed your brother, it didn’t last. You figured it out. Now we know you had nothing to do with Victor’s death and disappearance.” Blair rubbed her finger against his scar. “You are, without a doubt, the strongest man I know. Any other man would have been a basket case after what you’ve been through.”
“I don’t think I'm all that strong, but when I’m with you, I feel I can be. You do that for me.” His hand moved from her waist, and he stroked her hair. “Every time they would torture me, I just kept remembering you and the kids and it gave me strength.” He leaned and kissed her softly. “Thanks” he whispered.
“You’re welcome,” She said, with that breathy voice she sometimes used.
He gathered her into his arms and looked at the sunrise. “It’s a new day. I need to stop thinking about her right now. We have to find Victor. The ones who have him know we’re on to them. If we can’t figure out how to locate him, they might kill him after all.”
The sunrise was beautiful, but as Blair looked out over the city, she couldn’t enjoy it. Tomas, Calmar, and whoever they worked for had tried to frame Todd. She hugged Todd. “Do you have any sort of plan?”
“Yes. Last night you told me about Calmar. You said he was Tomas’ superior. I looked at that chip. It contains the plans for making more of those replicas, for lack of a better word, as well as a list of potential targets to be replaced.”
“My God, you mean there’s some organization out there planning on making more of those things?” Blair felt goosebumps run up her arms. She remembered her horror when she saw what was left in Victor’s casket.
“Yes. It’s my guess that my mother stole the plans and was blackmailing the organization with the information. They’ve been taking orders from her ever since. I put a serious crimp in her plans when I found the chip and took it. When she ordered me killed, they sent Tomas after me. He had no idea why, and when I almost died. my mother decided to try and recover the chip and ordered him to bring me to her instead. Eight years later I escaped and it became a whole new ballgame.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tomas and his pals found out why Irene had been holding me and realized she had lost the chip. Her power over them was over, but the chip was still out there and they needed to find it. Tomas told them I knew nothing about it. So they took Victor. They set me up thinking all they had to do was make it look like I killed Victor and it would take me off the playing field. I killed Irene and that helped them even more, but they didn’t know I had found the chip. Now I’ve got the power.”
“Todd, what are you going to do? You can’t give them that chip. You just told me they intend to make more of those things and take over other people’s lives. You can’t let them do that.”
“I’m going to bargain with them for Victor’s life. They return him and I’ll keep my mouth shut about what I know. If they kill him or attempt to harm anyone else, the chip will be turned over to the proper authorities.”
“Why don’t you just turn it over to Bo, now. We can’t take the chance they won’t go after the children to force you to return it.”
“If I turn over the chip, we have nothing left to bargain with. I have to do it my way. Are you with me or not?” Todd waited, everything in him hoped she would go along with him, but he knew a lot had changed for her while he had been gone. He was uncertain just how much of a risk-taker Blair was anymore. The silence lengthened. “I guess I have my answer.” Todd released her. “I’ll take you home.” He was disappointed, but he wasn’t going to let her know how much it hurt.
Blair had been caught off guard by all the revelations and a small part of her remembered all of Todd’s schemes that had backfired. Then she recalled the exhilaration she had felt helping him the night before. It had been like old times. Them against the world. When Todd asked her if she was with him or not, she had paused. If she went along with Todd she was trusting him to protect her and their children. Can you do that Blair? You know you love him, but do you trust him? He’s not pushing you, he’s giving you a chance to walk away. Is that what you want? She was startled when she heard his words and he pulled away from her. What? No, wait? You idiot! Stop him!
She turned and grabbed him as he started to walk away.“Todd, stop. It’s not what you think. I’m with you. Whatever you decide to do, I trust you. I know you won’t let anything happen to me or the children.”
Todd stared at her in wonder. “Do you mean it?”
“You big goof, of course, I mean it.” She flung herself back into his arms. She wasted no further time talking, instead, she searched out his lips with her own, letting her tongue slip out slightly and brush the edges of his mouth. Her lips molded to his as the kiss deepened.
Todd wasted no time returning the kiss. When he lifted his head, both of them were breathless. “I … I thought you were just going to send me away like the last time. Because it was too dangerous. I wouldn’t have blamed you, you know. This isn’t going to be a piece of cake. These guys are ruthless.”
“I know. But you said you were going to make sure the family wouldn’t be harmed and I believe you. Now how are you going to contact these guys? You don’t know where they are.”
“I’m going to go find Louie. Irene said he was dead, but Victor heard him. That means he’s out there. I’ll start at the docks. If that doesn’t work, I’ll go to have a long talk with Tomas Delgado. Either way, I will make contact. This has to end.”
****
Tomas sat opposite John. He was confident that John was just on a fishing expedition. They couldn’t possibly have anything to really connect him to Victor’s death The gun, that Louie had so obligingly given them from Todd, wasn’t the one John had just confiscated. That, at least, worked in Tomas’ favor.
“Look, John, I don’t know why I’m here. You came to Tea’s house, said you wanted to talk, and the next thing I know you’re arresting me. “
John looked across at Tomas. “Really? You were all set to shoot me in the back. Care to explain that?”
“Your Officer Fish just got overzealous. I wasn’t going to shoot you. I just realized I had the gun on me and was taking it out to put it back in the house before following you to the station.” It was a flimsy excuse, but he knew Fish had stopped him before he had pointed it at John. The only thing the officer could testify to was that he took the gun out of his pocket.
John shrugged. “That remains a matter of opinion, but let’s talk about the night Victor died. According to you, you had a late-night meeting with your friend Calmar and didn’t get home until well after Victor died, correct?”
“Yes, I told you. I was on my way home when I had a flat tire and arrived home too late to help Tea.”
“So it’s safe to assume you never saw Victor that night at all.” There was a knock on the door. “Excuse me, hold your thought.” He got up and opened it to find Natalie holding a file.
“This just arrived from Cherryvale, John. The prints are a definite match. We still haven’t been able to identify the material. Something new or experimental, its resemblance to the real thing is uncanny.” She handed it to him, stared a moment at Tomas, and walked away.
John walked back to the table. “Sorry about that, now where were we? Oh yes, from your statement, I guess you never saw Victor the night he died, right?”
“That’s right, by the time I got home it was all over. You know all this, John. Why are you dredging it all back up?”
“There’s been a new wrinkle in the case. Someone disturbed Victor Lord’s grave last night.”
“My God, did you tell Tea?”
“Yes, I just left her. Let me ask you one more time. Are you sure you never saw Victor that night?”
Tomas felt a chill go down his spine he looked at the file in John’s hand. “What’s really going on, John? I’ve already answered that.”
“There’s a strange thing about the graveside disturbance. You see, the casket was opened, and you can imagine Bo’s and my surprise when we found out what was in it. Victor wasn’t there.”
Tomas started to breathe a little easier. “You mean it was empty? Did the grave robbers take the body?”
John had been watching Tomas and had seen him tense up. He also noted Tomas’ eyes on the file and then saw him relax when he heard Victor wasn’t in the grave. ”I’m sorry, did I give the impression that the casket was empty?” Once again, he watched Tomas shift in his chair and start drumming his fingers on the table nervously.
After tapping the table a few more times. Tomas got up and started to walk around the room. “Look, you seem to be playing some sort of game here. Spit it out, John, was Victor in the casket or not?”
John didn’t say anything right away, he pretended to write a note on the folder and observed Tomas a moment longer. Judging by his reaction, it looked like Bo and the Cherryvale Coroner had been right. The coroner said the body was supposed to have been consumed by the fire, it just hadn’t been. Tomas had expected the casket to be empty. “No, Victor wasn’t in the casket. But you already know that. Oddly enough, what was there, resembled Victor and told us quite a bit. Like you lied when you said you didn’t see Victor that night.”
Tomas froze in place when he heard John’s words. It couldn’t be. They assured me the damn thing would be ashes. He tried to gather himself and sat back down. “I don’t have the foggiest idea what you talking about now. Something in the casket resembled Victor but wasn’t Victor. I don’t understand.”
“Well let me see if I can help your confusion. This is just conjecture at this time, but I’m guessing you went home that rainy night You walked in on Victor making a call to Shaun, and you shot him, but you didn’t kill him, you just knocked him out. Then you removed his body and replaced it with the thing we found in his casket. A replica so life-like and engineered that even Tea thought she was holding onto her husband.”
Tomas smiled grimly. “You’ve been reading too many science fiction books, Detective. I told you, I was with my friend Calmar. I never saw Victor. I have no idea where this replica you’re talking about came from, but I know nothing about it.”
John opened the folder that Natalie had just handed him, took out a sheet of paper, and tossed it onto the table in front of Tomas. “Well, you see, I have a problem with that. You made a mistake, Tomas. You left your fingerprint on its neck. That artificial skin although very real, holds prints and yours are a match for those and several others found on what was left of the body. Perhaps you’d like to explain how they got there?”
Tomas stared down at the paper in front of him, then back at John. “I’ve said all I’m going to. I want my lawyer.”
John nodded. “I’ll have Fish bring you a phone. I hope your lawyer’s good. The way I see it. You’re going to be the one who takes the fall for this.” He started to walk to the door and then stopped and turned back. “I forgot to tell you something. It seems the coroner who pronounced Victor dead was suddenly killed last night by a hit and run. It made me think someone might be trying to tie up loose ends. Hmm, I wonder if you fall in that category.”
Tomas watched John leave. His hand slowly covered the sheet of paper in front of him. He crumpled it into a ball and threw it across the room.
****
Todd walked back into his office. Blair had protested, but he had insisted on taking her home. He walked over to the window and stared off towards the docks. Okay, Todd, just how are you going to find Louie? You told Blair you were going to the docks, but you know that‘s pointless. The police have been looking for him ever since you told them about the gun.
"Knock, knock, what are you going on about now? God, I swear you have the most muddled mind."
“Shut up Victor! That muddled mind you’re talking about wasn’t so muddled when it figured out a way to prove you were still alive. What happened to you yesterday?”
I don’t know. I think they drugged me. I was talking about the Frenchman and then he came in. The next thing I know they put a needle in my arm. That’s all I remember until I woke up a few minutes ago. They’ve still got me blindfolded and I hear a lot of activity outside this so-called room they have me in. Tell me, what did you do to prove I wasn’t dead?
“I opened your grave.”
What the hell, that’s cold. I shouldn’t be surprised given what I know about you and graveyards. So I was right. There wasn’t anything in it, was there?
“Oh, there was something there. Blair fainted right into my arms. The rain brought her around quick enough, but we both were shocked by what we found.”
Well, don’t leave me in suspense. What was in my grave?
“Some kind of strange replica of you. I’ve got to say if there hadn’t been a gaping hole burned into the thing’s chest showing us the insides. I would have thought it was you. The parts that weren’t burnt looked like you and it’s no wonder Tea thought she was holding you.”
What did you do next? Take it?
“Didn’t get a chance. Someone called the cops. Bo and John showed up. Things started happening. It was taken to Cherryvale. I’m guessing by now, Tea’s been informed. It’s out of my hands now, but we learned something. Tomas is involved in this and so is his pal Calmar. Blair says Calmar is French. We think he’s the one holding you.”
Well, what are you waiting for? Find Calmar and find me. Got to tell you, I’ve got to get out of here. These guys don’t play nice. I don’t know what they’ll do next.
Victor’s words brought back images Todd wanted to bury. The room felt cold suddenly, and he hugged himself. Day in and day out Baker had tortured him seeking the damn chip. If they weren’t shooting him up with electricity which in itself knocked him out, they would attempt drugs. Sometimes he hadn’t known which side was up because of the drugs they put in him. It had been endless, and he had finally withdrawn, unable to stand it anymore. His hands dropped to his side and clenched. He had been torn from his safe place by yet another drug, and he had found out how many years he had been held.
“Look, you don’t have to tell me what‘s going on. I’ve already lived it. These guys are every bit as ruthless as our mother. I’m not going to let them get away with this. I think I know of a way to get them to release you. You’ll have to trust me. Victor, you said Louie sounded like he was reluctant to continue working with those guys. If you get a chance to make contact with him, try and work on that insecurity. The guy saved my life. I don’t think he meant to hurt you or me. If I can find him, I think he’ll help.”
“Look, you don’t have to tell me what‘s going on. I’ve already lived it. These guys are every bit as ruthless as our mother. I’m not going to let them get away with this. I think I know of a way to get them to release you. You’ll have to trust me. Victor, you said Louie sounded like he was reluctant to continue working with those guys. If you get a chance to make contact with him, try and work on that insecurity. The guy saved my life. I don’t think he meant to hurt you or me. If I can find him, I think he’ll help.”
Victor didn’t respond back immediately. Todd waited, wondering if his brother had just nodded off because of the drugs. He wouldn’t have blamed him. The memory of lying in a stupor on a bed was still fresh. “Are you still there, Victor?”
Umm. I...What the hell, I’ll try if I get a chance. No one around here just talks to me, though, you know what I mean. I’m not in the best position to help you.
Todd nodded, he knew exactly what Victor was living. “Hang in there, I’m not giving up. We’re going to get you home.”
Got to go. The door just opened. Todd, I... Shit!
Todd buckled over, his side felt like it had been kicked in. He clutched his side and braced himself against the window. “Victor!”
