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Chapter 32
Blair rushed into the squad room accompanied by her faithful companion, Sam Rappaport. When Todd looked up and saw her he leapt across the room and grabbed her by the throat, slamming her roughly against the wall.
“YOU BITCH! WHERE’S MY DAUGHTER! WHERE’S STARR…I’LL KILL YOU FOR THIS, BLAIR! WHERE’S STARR!”
Blair cried out as Sam tried pulling Todd away from her but he turned and slugged Sam, sending him flying across the room, crashing into file cabinet. Bo and a couple of officers ran over and jumped on Todd, struggling to pull him off of Blair.
“LET HER GO, TODD!” yelled Bo.
“I DON’T KNOW WHERE SHE IS! I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!”
Todd pressed his thumbs against her windpipe as she began to cough and choke.
“IT WASN’T ME…PLEASE…PLEASE DON’T HURT ME! IT WAS RAM!”
Todd immediately let go of her and stepped back, staring down at his hands as if they weren’t his own. Looking lost, he turned away from Blair looking for Tea who came up beside him and took him in her arms. Burying his face in her shoulder he shuddered, hating himself for hurting Blair, hating the man he became every time this woman was in his presence.
“It’s okay, amor. I understand,” she whispered.
Bo walked up to Blair who was still gagging and holding her throat.
“What did you say? You know who has Starr?”
Sam stared up at Blair, getting up slowly from the floor where Todd had deposited him.
“I’m pretty sure.”
“How?”
Blair looked at Todd, his hazel eyes staring at her with hatred so malignant, it bored into her like a bullet, as if he would kill her with a look. She had to look away in order to continue.
“Ram…he…uh…he was Cherry’s friend. I think he’s the man who…uh…raped me. He called me the other night, wanted money, money I don’t have and he threatened to get it from Todd. But, he threatened to steal his baby…not Starr.”
Bo looked at her quizzically.
“Why didn’t you call the police? And...why would you be bargaining with the man that raped you?”
“Oh, come on, Bo,” said Todd, “you still believe that bullshit story of hers. She’s in this shit up to her ugly head, don’t you see it? Starr is missing because Blair is trying to cover her ass which is all she’s ever cared about.”
“THAT’S NOT TRUE! I WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!”
Todd got in her face.
“If anything happens to Starr, YOU’RE DEAD, BLAIR, DO YOU HEAR ME…DEAD!”
“I DIDN’T WANT THIS, I LOVE, STARR! SHE’S MY FLESH AND BLOOD!”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Alright, alright, everybody calm down here,” said Bo, placing his hand on Todd’s chest and pushing him back, away from Blair who was now crying hysterically, burying her bruised face in her hands.
“Blair, calm down. You have to tell us everything you know about Ram. The longer we wait, the worse our chances of getting her back. Now, you said Ram wanted money, how did he expect to get it?”
Blair wiped her face.
“He…uh…he said he would take something that Todd loved, and than Todd would pay anything to get it back.”
Bo turned to Todd and Tea.
“Have either of you been contacted by him.
“No,” they both answered
“Okay, we’re going to tap your lines and wait. If Blair’s right he’ll be contacting you soon. That’s when we’ll get him.”
“We’re staying at the penthouse,” said Tea. “Todd didn’t think it was safe at the lake.”
“I’ll send someone over right away. Todd, Tea, just go home. There’s nothing else you can do here.”
“AND WHAT ABOUT HER?” shouted Todd, looking at Blair. “ARE YOU JUST LETTING HER WALK OUT OF HERE?”
Bo turned back to Blair.
“Why the hell didn’t you call the police when Ram called you?”
“I was scared, Bo. He said if I didn’t get him some money, he’d tell everyone that I hired him to kill Cherry, and that’s not true. Cherry was a sweet girl and I just felt sorry for her. I had nothing to do with her death. Ram killed her, he told me so.”
“My God, what a consumate liar you are,” said Tea.
“Shut up, Tea! This has nothing to do with you. Starr is our daughter…not yours.”
Todd walked over to Blair.
“Correction, Blair. Starr WAS your daughter…you just lost any parental rights you ever had to her. When this is over, Blair, you will never see Starr again,” he hissed, his hot breath on her face.
“YOU’LL NEVER KEEP ME FROM SEEING STARR!”
“Watch me!”
Bo pulled Todd back.
“Enough! Starr is the priority here! Tea, take him home.”
Tea touched Todd’s arm.
“Amor, he’s right. If Ram is going to call, we need to be there.”
Todd looked down into her dark, tranquilizing eyes and relaxed immediately.
Todd turned to Bo.
“Now what?”
“You go home, Manning. If this guy wants money, he’ll be in touch with you. They’ll be an officer posted outside your door, day and night, and we’ll send someone with you to wire the phones.”
Todd threw a last hateful look at Blair before taking Tea’s hand and walking out.
Bo turned to Blair.
“And you, Blair, you better pray when we catch this guy he corroborates your little story…or you’re going straight back to prison,” he said, walking away with disgust.
Blair wiped her tears away and looked over at Sam who looked dazed and confused.
“Thank God, I have you as a friend, Sam. You’re the only one who believes in me. You do believe me, don’t you, Sam?”
“Yeah...sure,” he said quietly. “Come on, I’ll take you home. You need to rest.”
Tea awakened with a start at 3:00 AM. Todd wasn’t there.
Two days had passed since Starr was taken and they’d heard nothing. Todd had not slept, spending both nights driving around the city’s underbelly, searching for her.
Getting out of bed quickly she slipped on Todd’s bathrobe and tip-toed into the hallway. When she got to the top of the spiral stairway she looked down and saw him sitting on the floor, Alma asleep in his arms. He was fully dressed, his back against the railing of the stairway, and looking out at Llanview in the darkness.
Tea came down and sat quietly beside him. Alma slept peacefully against his chest, her delicate face inside his jacket.
“Did she wake up?”
“No,” said Todd, quietly. “I’m just afraid to have her out of my sight. I’m afraid she’ll disappear on me…like Starr.”
Tea leaned against his shoulder as tears streamed down her face. They sat quietly for a few minutes listening to Alma’s soft breathing.
“It’s Starr’s birthday, today,” said Todd sadly.
“I know.”
Again they remained silent.
“Tea?”
“Yeah?”
“What if…what if this psycho isn’t after money?”
Tea sat up and looked at him, his eyes bruised and swollen with insomnia.
“What do you mean?”
“What if he wants to get back at Blair for screwing him over? What if Starr just disappears forever like all those kids you read about? What if he…if he…does something to her?” he asked, his voice fading into a pained whisper. “What if he hurts her…you now, abuses her? What if he rapes her?”
Tea sighed and touched his face.
“No, amor, no. Don’t think that. Ram knows the police are after him and he needs money. He couldn’t get it from Blair, and I’m sure he knows that you’re rich. All he wants is money. I’m sure of it.”
“No, you’re not. None of us can be sure of it. My God, Tea, she’s just a kid…if he does anything to her…”
“Just don’t think about it.”
“I can’t stop thinking about it. I never wanted Starr to live through something like that, like I did. I want her to be innocent and naive and happy, not to feel filthy and guilty her whole life about her body…about sex…about loving someone. I don’t want her damaged, or corrupted. I don’t want her to have to suffer and fight for everything like I did…to not feel loved, or even worthy of it.”
“Listen to me! That’s not going to happen. Starr is loved and she knows it. And you’re not giving her any credit, Todd. Starr isn’t a baby anymore, she’s smart, and resilient, just look at all she’s dealt with at her age. Starr will keep her head and we’re going to find her, safe and sound. And then, we’re getting the hell out Dodge, and away from Blair. That’s the plan, right?”
Todd turned and smiled at her for the first time in days.
“Is that your pep talk, Delgado.”
“Yes, yes it is. And I refuse to think anything else?”
Tea reached over and took Alma from him.
“Now, I’m putting her to bed, and then, I’m putting you to bed.”
They both stood up, but were suddenly startled by a low humming sound, coming at short intervals. They looked all around.
“Amor, what’s that?”
“I don’t know.”
Todd looked around, trying to determine where the sound was coming from. It seemed to be coming from the desk by the door. There was a pile of opened mail that the doorman had brought up earlier. Todd had ripped it all open hoping for a note from Ram, but there was nothing but colorful junkmail. The humming continued.
Todd sifted through the pile of paper finding nothing but a rolled up evening edition of The Sun, the elastic band still around it. The humming was coming from inside it.
They looked at one another before Todd reached over and unfurled it. A small, black cell-phone fell out onto the carpet, giving off a low ring. Todd picked it up and answered it.
“Yeah, this is Todd Manning.”
“Daddy? It’s me…”
2003 Copyright by Trog
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