| THE UNEXPECTED BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 2 |
Todd: I can change. I have changed, Tea. Give me another chance.
Tea: It's too late. I have tried so many times and I have given you so many second chances. I can't give you anymore. I can't keep giving you everything I have and receiving nothing in return. It hurts too much. You've taken everything, Todd. I have nothing left to give.
Todd: You don't mean that.
Tea: Yes, I do. I had hoped that I could trust my heart to you and I hoped that in time you would trust yours to me but you never did and I can't risk my heart again. I have to save what little I have left. I'm sorry.
Todd: You really mean this?
Tea: I have to mean it. I have to save myself.
[Todd stares at Tea's eyes for a moment then gets up and leaves her hotel suite.]
****
[The next day Tea tries to get in touch with Todd, to make sure he's okay. She goes to some of the places she thinks he may have gone and calls everyone she can think of that he may have contacted but she can't find him anywhere and no one has seen or heard from him since he left her hotel suite the day before.
Worried about Todd, Tea goes for a walk. Tea arrives at the docks. She's surprised to see Todd. He's sitting, his feet dangling over the edge of the dock, leaning the side of his head against a crate. She stares at the back of his head for more than a minute without saying anything.]
Todd: Did you follow me here?
Tea: How could I have followed you? I didn't know where you went after you left my place. No one else knew where you were either.
Todd: You were checking up on me?
Tea: I wanted to make sure you were okay. Obviously you are. I'll leave you alone.
[Tea turns and starts to leave.]
Todd: Could you take this with you?
Tea (turning back around): Take what?
[Tea sees Todd place an object on the dock next to him. It takes several seconds for her brain to register what the object is. When she realizes it's a gun her heart starts to beat at a frantic pace.]
Tea (quietly): Todd...
Todd: Take it, Tea. Get it away from me.
Tea (moving closer): Who was that for?
[Todd doesn't respond. He keeps his face turned away from her.]
Tea: Who was it for, Todd? (pause) I need to know.
[Todd speaks so softly Tea barely hears him.]
Todd: Me.
Tea (trying to comprehend this turn of events): You? Why?
Todd: Why do you think? Just take it and get out of here.
[Tea kneels down and stares at the gun in front of her.]
Tea: Is it loaded?
Todd: Of course it's loaded. What? You think this is like the fake explosives at the lodge? You think I'm faking this? I'm all by myself here. Why would I need to fake this?
Tea: Why here?
Todd: Why not here?
Tea: Why here? (pause) Did you want to take this away from me? This is one of the few good memories I have from our marriage. Why were you going to take it away? Why here? (pause) Tell me, Todd. I need to know. Why here?
Todd: Because...you're here. I didn't want to be alone.
[Todd turns his face and looks at Tea. She can tell that he's been crying.]
Todd (as new tears start to fall): You're here.
[Tea cautiously slides the gun over on the dock and sits down next to Todd. Todd turns his head away from her trying desperately to make the tears stop falling.]
Tea: Is the gun legal? (Todd doesn't respond) Todd, is the gun legally registered to you?
Todd: No.
[Tea takes her cell phone out of her purse and dials a number.]
Tea (into the phone): This is ADA Delgado. I need to speak to Commissioner Buchanan immediately.
Todd (looking back at Tea): You're turning me in?
Tea (into her phone): Bo, could you meet me on the dock off Esperanza Street right away. It's very important. (pause) Thank you.
[Tea hangs up and puts her phone back in her purse.]
Tea (to Todd): We need to get rid of the gun and we're going to do it legally.
Todd: Fine. Send me to jail. I don't care anymore. I'll confess to every crime I ever committed. Put me back in prison.
Tea: You won't confess to anything, not without a lawyer.
Todd: You're my lawyer.
Tea: Not anymore. I work in the District Attorney's office now, remember?
Todd: Then you can prosecute me. You know about most of my crimes anyway. Even the ones no one else knows about.
Tea: Any information I acquired about any crimes you may, or may not, have committed while I was acting as your attorney is now off limits to me as a prosecutor.
Todd: It doesn't matter I'll confess to Bo, or anyone else you want. I'll even confess to stuff I didn't do. I don't care anymore.
Tea: You won't confess to anything. Do you understand? Keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking.
Todd (looking in Tea's eyes for a moment): You sound like my lawyer.
Tea: I'm not your lawyer. I'm your wife.
Todd: Lawyer...wife...whatever - they both talk to me the same.
Tea: I'm serious about this, Todd. Don't say anything when Bo gets here. You might feel like you don't care if they lock you up right now but as soon as that cell door closes you'll regret it. So for once take my advice and keep quiet.
Todd: When have I ever not taken your advice?
Tea: When have you ever taken my advice?
Todd: We got married because of your advice. We got divorced because of your advice.
Tea: Maybe we shouldn't talk about this right now. Bo will be here soon. After we've survived this hurdle then we'll talk. Okay?
Todd: Whatever.
[Tea and Todd sit quietly until Bo arrives.]
Bo: Tea, what was so important? I was working on Max's murder case when you called.
Tea (gesturing to the gun next to her on the dock): I thought you might want to rid Llanview of one more weapon.
Bo: Is this loaded?
Tea: Yes.
Bo: Did Manning threaten you with it? Are you all right? I've got you this time, Manning. I may not have all of the evidence yet to prove that you killed Holden but very soon I'll have enough to put you away for a long time and holding the ADA hostage with a loaded gun won't help your case any.
Todd: Get real. I'm running a newspaper again, remember? I know the evidence that you found by Holden's corpse. Three sets of foot prints each made by very small feet...child sized feet. Have you seen my feet? They're huge. Hey, I know, instead of coming after me why don't you check the alibis of Holden's kids maybe they offed the old man. I know I should have offed mine. I would have if it hadn't been for Sam showing up and ruining everything.
Tea: Todd, remember what I said earlier?
Todd: You know I never listen to you, Delgado.
Tea: Well listen to me now and shut up. (standing up and addressing Bo) He did not hold me hostage. No criminal acts were committed with this gun. It is being turned in willingly. I see no reason this matter should have to progress any further.
Bo: Did you switch sides again? Are you acting as his attorney?
Tea: Of course not. I'm simply pointing out that this weapon is being voluntarily turned in thereby eliminating one more weapon from our streets. This action should be rewarded not condemned.
Bo: How do I know he didn't commit any crimes with this gun? How do I know that he didn't use this gun to fire those three bullets into Max Holden's body?
Tea: I'm certain that you will run tests on the gun and you will find that it was not this gun that fired those shots into Max Holden's heart.
Bo: You better believe I'll be running tests on this gun and I'll also be holding your Mr. Manning until those tests prove conclusively that this is not the murder weapon. As soon as those tests are finished, or as soon as I run out of every other charge I can think of to keep your Mr. Manning in my jail cell, then I will free your Mr. Manning but until then he's mine.
Tea: No he isn't.
Bo: Tea, don't risk your job for this loser.
Tea: I'm not risking my job. What makes you think that gun belonged to my Mr. Manning? Perhaps it was my gun.
Todd: Tea...
Tea (turning briefly toward Todd): Shut up, Todd! (to Bo) You have no proof that gun belonged to Mr. Manning.
Bo: Are you saying the gun is yours?
Tea: I'm saying the gun is now yours. Run tests on it to prove it wasn't used to slaughter Holden.
Bo: And if it was?
Tea: It wasn't. I guarantee it.
Bo: Tea, I can't just take this gun and pretend I found it. I have to take a statement from either you or Manning. I have to know why this gun was purchased, where it was purchased and by whom.
Todd: I bought it.
Tea: Todd, shut up!
Todd: I wanted to end it. Tea didn't have anything to do with it. Leave her alone.
Bo: You wanted to end what? The custody battle with Blair? Your marriage? Your insane vendetta against my family? Who were you planning to shoot?
Todd (turning and for the first time looking directly at Bo): Me. I was gonna shoot me. I wanted to end me. Are you satisfied? Now leave Delgado alone.
Tea: Bo, you can understand, right? You've been despondent before, haven't you? Haven't you ever been to such a low point in your life when you were filled with so much pain and sadness that living did not seem like the best option?
Bo: What are you trying for here, Tea?
Tea: I'm asking you, as a personal favor to me, not to Todd, don't make an issue out of this. Take the gun, run tests on it if you need to, but do not use this to put Todd in jail right now. Being locked up right now is not the best thing for him.
Bo: I don't care what's best for this creep.
Tea: If you have any idea what it's like to be where he is right now then let this go. Keep it confidential. The last thing he needs right now is to lose any chance of seeing Starr.
Bo: Maybe he shouldn't be around her right now.
Tea: At this very second probably not but he'll get through this. He isn't a danger to Starr. Don't do something that will make him lose his child. She's the only thing that's really important to him. If you make this public knowledge he would lose her. Don't be responsible for keeping a father from his only living child.
Bo: Okay. Fine. I'll only agree to this though if you agree to be responsible for this lunatic.
Tea (hesitantly looking at Todd): I don't know.
Bo: If he's as despondent as you're saying I don't want him doing something stupid or dangerous. Either you agree to look after him, at least for tonight, or I put him in his usual jail cell.
Tea: Agreed. He'll spend the night with me.
Todd: Wait a minute. I didn't agree to that.
Tea: Fine, Todd. Pick - spending the night in jail or spending the night with me? Which torture do you chose?
Todd (resigned): You.
Tea: Good answer.
Todd: If you say so.
Tea: Well, come on, Todd. Let's go. Thank you, Bo. I appreciate this. (to Todd as he begins shakily standing up) You appreciate this too, don't you, Todd?
Todd: No.
Tea: Todd!
Bo: Don't bother. Just keep him out of trouble.
Tea: I will.
[Tea gently rests her hands on Todd's back and leads him away from the dock.]
