| UNFINISHED BUSINESS BY TIMA |
CHAPTER 19 |
[For the first time in weeks, Viki feels some genuine hope that her brother will be back in her life again soon. Not only is she not fighting this battle alone anymore but now she has Todd's wife on her side, who she knows will be able to talk her way into forcing Todd's associates to reveal whatever information they may know about where Todd might be right now. She's also happy to see that Tea still clearly loves Todd as much, if not more, than she ever did. Todd will need that love. And, Tea will need that love to survive the upcoming battle. Finding Todd will most likely be the easy part. Convincing him to accept their love will be the true challenge.]
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chapter 19:
[For several weeks, Tea and Viki devote much of their time to trying to track down Todd.
His credit card transactions don't lead them anywhere, for the simple fact that there are none. They learn that Todd withdrew a sizable amount of money from one of his financial accounts on the day he disappeared, but after that his transactions of any kind cease. They assume that he's living on the large sum of money he withdrew that day specifically so no one would be able to trace his whereabouts.
They still have no idea where he might be, though, and they're frustration, and concern, is rising with each passing day.
Finally, after going through all of Todd's holdings, prior business dealings, and financial transactions they were able to access, as well as questioning all of his business associates, they feel that they have hit a definite dead end.
Together, they decide to devote a day to going through all of the accumulated paperwork again, hoping that something they missed before will be the clue to where Todd is now.
After hours of pouring over his records, they are again nearing the end of the pile, and the end of their hope that they will find him...at least until he wants to be found.
Tea suddenly gasps and speaks quietly in Spanish, drawing Viki's attention away from the papers laid out in front of her on Tea's dining table.]
Viki: Did you find something?
[Tea hands Viki the piece of paper she had been looking at.]
Viki: This is from when Todd purchased your house.
Tea: No, it isn't. The address is wrong.
Viki: I thought this was your address.
Tea: It's the right street but the wrong numbers. This address would be for a house further down the road.
Viki: Perhaps there was a typing error.
Tea: I know how much Todd paid for this house. The dollar amount of that house is much higher. He bought two houses.
Viki: Why would he do that?
Tea: Because he's Todd. He thinks bigger is better. He never understood why I wanted to live here. Many times he ask me if I was certain that this was where I wanted to live. He mentioned that we could buy one of the estates nearby, but I always assured him that this was exactly where I wanted to live. He must have bought this other house for us, waiting for the day he assumed would come, when I would finally admit that I wanted the spacious estate he expected me to want, instead of the small home I really do prefer. That day was never going to come, but he probably never believed that. Maybe he thought that if he bought me a bigger house, I'd be more likely to stay with him. That mind of his...
Viki: In his mind, his love wasn't the reason you were with him...
Tea: ...his bank account was. That idiot!
Viki: Do you think this could be where he is? Would he risk living so near to you? What if you saw him?
Tea: To go into the city I have to go the other direction so he may have felt certain that I would never go down the road the other way. Besides, if my theory is correct, I bet this house is far more secluded than mine is. It would be just like Todd to hide so close by. This way he's near me. And, he's not far from Llanview, so he could easily check on everyone he loves there.
Viki: You do believe he loves you now?
Tea: If I go to this house and he is there, I will know without a doubt that he loves me. If he didn't, he would have chosen one of his other properties to hide out in. He wouldn't have chosen to be just down the road from me, if it didn't mean something.
Viki: You do feel certain that he is there?
Tea: It would explain why he hasn't made any other withdrawals since he disappeared. I know he took a lot of money that day but if he were staying in hotels, or if he had flown to another country, his cash would have run out by now. He must have the expenses for this other house arranged the same way he does for his other properties. If he does, he wouldn't need cash for the major expenses of maintaining the property, or the home itself. He would only need cash for the day-to-day expenses, like food.
Viki: That would explain why he hasn't needed to use his credit cards.
Tea: He's there. I know he is.
Viki: Shall we storm over there right now and find out?
Tea: I don't know. He won't want to see me. You should probably go by yourself.
Viki: You just said that, if he is living in this house, you believe it to be because he loves you.
Tea: It's probably because he kept to himself out here. No one knows him. And, he probably thought that no one would expect him to be anywhere near me.
Viki: You are perfect for my brother. You both are so determined to get what you want until you finally do and then you both push it away or shoot yourselves in the foot to ensure your happiness doesn't have a chance.
Tea: Is that what you think I'm doing?
Viki: I think that you have spent all these weeks frantic to find the man you love, determined that once you did, you would never let him go again. Now, you believe you have found him, just down the road from where you are sitting right now, and instead of running to this other house, you are instead trying to convince yourself that you shouldn't go there. You are just as scared as my brother is of allowing yourself to hope for love.
Tea: I have so many reasons to be scared.
Viki: So does Todd.
Tea: You could go first. You could talk to him, make sure that he's okay. And, if he wants to see me...
Viki: If he wants to see you, if he loves you, he'll probably run in the opposite direction. Or, maybe you could both refuse to be the one who takes those painful first steps toward the other and you'll both continue to be alone...near each other...but alone.
Tea: We'll go together. When he yells that he doesn't want me anywhere near him, I'll leave and you can talk to him and convince him that he needs to be with people that love him, especially his daughter.
Viki: I think it's time for me to return to Llanview, to my own life.
Tea: What? No! You can't leave now.
Viki: Tell my brother that I expect him to call me later tonight...or tomorrow, if he's too busy tonight. When he returns to Llanview to see his daughter, I expect him to also stop in and see me, too. Tell him that if he doesn't, I will hunt him down again, and his penalty will be even more hugs and more expressions of love from me to him. That ought to scare him into coming to see me.
Tea: Viki...
Viki: You'll be fine, Tea. I know that this will be difficult. This is Todd, after all. You've been fighting for another chance and now you have one.
Tea: What if he's not there?
Viki: Then we'll continue looking for him. I have been telling him for years that no matter how hard he tries to run from love, he will never be able to escape it. Today, his wife will be proving that to him.
Tea: This could be a big mistake.
Viki: This could be what Todd has been secretly hoping for all these months.
Tea: Do you really think so?
Viki: He probably will never admit it, if it is true, but he will be glad, somewhere deep inside himself, to see that his solitude has finally come to an end.
Tea: This could be the hardest day of my life.
Viki: With the greatest potential reward.
Tea: True.
Viki: Good luck.
Tea: I'll need it.
[Viki gathers her things and leaves, feeling certain that, at last, her brother is found, and will soon be safe, with his wife's love surrounding him, whether he thinks he deserves it, or not.]
to be continued...
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