TRIALS OF THE HEART - PART THREE

TRIALS OF THE HEART - PART THREE

PREVIOUSLY
"No one's beyond help, Bo. Even Todd. Starr misses her father terribly, and he needs her. Her mother and stepmother agree, so is it really your decision to make? You know he'd never hurt her," Viki continued.
"Viki, it's not that simple. There are rules," continued Bo.
Viki fixed him with her cool stare. "And rules are meant to be broken, Bo," she said. "Especially by the Commissioner of Police. Let's talk."

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As the afternoon wore on, the heat and humidity in the subterranean cell rivaled the steam room at Serenity Springs. Todd remembered reading somewhere that heat rises, so he was now stretched out directly on the cement floor of the cell with a pillow under his head. The position was not providing any relief, however, and he was actually starting to have trouble breathing. "Maybe I'll get lucky and pass out," he thought. "A short bout of oblivion would be welcome about now." He was staring straight up at the holes in the asbestos ceiling tiles when the guard appeared with a pair of handcuffs.
"On your feet, Manning" he ordered as he unlocked the cell door. "They want you upstairs."
Todd rose to a sitting position. "What now? The commissioner was just here."
"I'm not your social secretary. All I know is that I got an order to take you up. Let's go." The prisoner took his time getting to his feet, then kicked a pair of rubber sandals into place and slid his bare feet into them. Glancing down at his sweat-soaked T-shirt, he grabbed a wrinkled chambray shirt from the top bunk and quickly threw it on. He did up two of the buttons, but left the long shirt tails hanging over his pants. Using his hands, he smoothed his long hair back from his perspiring forehead. "I don't have all day," prompted the guard. Todd stepped to the cell door and held out his hands as his wrists were manacled together. Then, propelled by a shove from the guard, he stepped out of his cage for the first time in weeks.

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Bo Buchanan finished locking the last drawer on his desk and looked carefully around his office for even the most insignificant item that could be turned into a weapon. He turned to the officer who was helping him. "Now we're clear on this, Ryan? There is to be no mention of jail or the fact Manning is under arrest while his daughter is here."
"Yes, Commissioner, but..."
"Save it, Ryan. You won't be telling me anything I haven't thought of myself. Just make sure the guys are on top of this. Manning is as tricky as they come. We don't want to give him an opportunity...." Bo was interrupted by a knock on the rear door of his office. The officer pulled it open and Todd Manning walked in, followed by his guard. He surveyed the room warily, then his eyes locked on the window. He nonchalantly moved into the airstream of the window-mounted air conditioner.
"Gee, actual light and air. You'll spoil me, Commissioner." He turned toward the unobstructed view of the city square and looked at the Manning Building, sticking up behind the courthouse several blocks away. The guard grabbed him by the upper arm and spun him around. Todd's eyes widened in surprise as the handcuffs were removed. He looked suspiciously toward Buchanan as the two officers exited the rear door and closed it behind them. "So now what? I'm supposed to be so grateful to get out of that hellhole for a while that I'll just fall on my knees and confess? What's the matter, Bo? Your "bad cop" routine was a bust, so you're going for "good cop" this time around?" Bo walked around to the front of his desk.
"Let's get this clear, Manning. This is for her. I couldn't care less about you." Todd looked confused as Bo strolled to the main door and yanked it open. A little girl was standing on the other side and her face lit up at the sight of her father.
"Daddy!" she shouted, running toward him.
"Shorty!" he cried, taken completely off guard. He melted to his knees as she ran into his arms. Closing his eyes, he buried his face in her long, soft hair and crushed her to his chest. His whole body trembled with the effort to keep his emotions in check.
"You're squishing me, Daddy," complained the little girl, and he eased his grip so she could pull away slightly. She smiled into his face. "I missed you, Daddy," she said.
With full eyes, but a smile on his face, he answered, "I've been missing you too, Shorty." Gaining partial control of himself, he looked over his daughter's shoulder. Blair had a pinched, uncertain look on her face, while Viki looked on with unrestrained benevolence. Tea hung in the background, biting her lip and with tears threatening to spill down her face any second. Bo leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and an unreadable look on his face. Finally feeling strong enough, Todd rose to his feet, lifting Starr and holding her on his hip.
"You smell bad, Daddy," said the little girl candidly.
"Well, I guess I do. I think Daddy needs a shower," he replied.
Blair was having a difficult time hiding her shock at Todd's appearance. He looked like he had been sleeping less and eating less than usual. He was wrung out, but Blair couldn't tell if it was the heat or the ordeal of the murder charge that was the cause. "I hope I did the right thing bringing Starr here," she worried. Todd looked at his ex-wife carefully. He walked over to her, took a deep breath, and attempted to hand the little girl to her.
"Why did you bring Starr here, Blair?" he asked in a strained voice. "She doesn't belong here." But Starr clung around his neck and refused to go to her mother. Todd was close to losing it. Blair was speechless as she stared at her ex.
Trying to ease things for all of them, Viki said, "Todd, Starr has missed you terribly. You've been so busy working with the police," she said pointedly, "you haven't had time to see her. It was very generous of Blair to bring her here."
"The police have been working on me, all right," said Todd, glaring at the commissioner with flint in his eyes. Starr remembered something in her hand and shoved a crumpled paper at her father. Colored confetti cutouts glued down on a sheet of paper formed a crude star shape. The word "Daddy" was scrawled across the top in a childish hand.
"I made you something, Daddy," she said. "Kelly helped me make it," Starr said proudly. Todd clutched the offering.
"That's real nice, Shorty," he said in a choked voice. Suddenly feeling afraid that his legs wouldn't support him any more, he sat down abruptly on the commissioner's desk, knocking several items to the floor. Starr still clung to him.
"Tell me a story, Daddy. The funny one about the frog and the prince."
"Why don't we let Starr and Todd have some time together?" suggested Viki. She walked to the door and opened it, revealing two officers huddled outside. Blair shuffled as though still struggling with her decision. Tea took a few steps forward and gently grabbed her upper arm.
"C'mon, Blair. Starr will be fine with her father for a few minutes." Todd and Tea made eye contact and a long, wordless moment passed between them. Then Todd looked at Blair.
"Thank you," he said simply, a small tremor in his voice. "I know this must have been hard for you."
"You're her father, Todd. She needs you--remember that," said Blair weakly. She followed Tea and Viki into the corridor, waving encouragement to Starr. Bo slowly unfolded his arms and walked to the door.
"15 minutes, Manning. And don't try anything." The door closed behind them and Todd was alone with Starr. He leaned his chin on the top of her head as she sat on his lap.
He sighed. "You don't really want the Frog Prince, do you? Let's do Cinderella instead."
"No, Daddy! I hate Cinderella! The Frog Prince!"
"I can't remember how it starts," he teased.
Starr helped him out. "Once there was a little princess and her daddy loved her a lot..."
He looked at her with a smile in his eyes. "Yeah, I guess he did..."

In the squad room, Viki approached Bo, who was looking warily toward the door of his office, as though he expected to see Todd come barreling out any minute and over-power the two guards. "It's amazing how he is with her, isn't it?" she asked.
"Are you saying a man who loves his child is incapable of murder, Viki?" asked Bo with a weary sigh.
"No, I'm saying this man did not murder Georgie Phillips."
Bo excused himself to speak to Hank, and Viki joined her sister-in-law on the bench in the waiting area. Tea looked up. "Thanks for persuading Bo to let Todd see her, Viki."
"I only closed the deal, Tea. He was halfway there himself, I think." Tea leaned forward and sniffled.
"He won't even speak to me, Viki," she said. He just won't forgive me for that perceived betrayal when I called Sam from Niagara Falls. I guess I should be grateful he hasn't fired me from his defense team."
"Tea, you only have to see the way he looks at you to know he still loves you," soothed Viki. "When he's angry at himself, he takes it out on everyone else. You just make an easy target for his disappointment in the way things have turned out."
Tea clasped her hands together and leaned her chin on them. "I sure hope this works, Viki, and that seeing Starr will make Todd take an interest in his own defense. Without his cooperation, we haven't got a chance, and we go to trial in a few days." Tea glanced up and saw Rachel Gannon entering the squad room. Oddly enough, she stopped when she saw Tea and actually tried to back out through the door. "Amiga!" shouted Tea, getting to her feet. "Wait! I've been trying to reach you for days." Rachel reluctantly stopped. "Haven't you been getting the messages I've been leaving for you?" asked Tea.
"Look, Tea, I just came to see my dad for a minute...I can't chat right now."
Tea's face fell and her mouth hung open in surprise for a moment. "Oh, I get it," she said with a profound hurt in her voice. "As long as I'm supporting Todd Manning I'm not worthy to be your friend. I'll get out of your face then. See you around." Tea turned away and noticed Viki watching them closely. Rachel's shoulders slumped. She looked after Tea, then making a decision, followed her a few steps and grabbed her arm.
"Tea, I'm so sorry. I didn't think how that sounded. Of course I'm still your friend, Todd or no Todd." Rachel definitely seemed distracted, and was having trouble maintaining eye contact. "It's just that I've been busy, and I'm still very upset by losing my roommate."
"But Rachel, before she died you told me you were going to throw Georgie out. She was annoying you."
"I never said that, Tea!" cut in Rachel, a little too loudly. Noticing some of the officers looking their way, she lowered her voice. "Sorry," she said again. "Let's not talk about Georgie. Why don't we talk about you?" she continued, changing moods entirely. "So how've you been?" she asked cheerily.
Tea looked at her with mild disbelief. "Well, the man I love is in jail for a crime he didn't commit. Beyond that, he still isn't speaking to me because I interfered with his plan to run away and disappear with Starr. Apart from that, I'm just ducky," said Tea sarcastically.
Rachel rubbed at her nose. "Oops. I'm just stepping in it all over today, Girlfriend. I guess that was insensitive." She paused and asked nonchalantly, "So how is Todd's defense coming?"
"It's not!" snorted Tea. "He won't even try to help us come up with a case. It's like he's given up."
"So, you think he'll be convicted?" asked Rachel. "Sent to prison?"
Tea was taken back by the blunt questions, but before she could answer, Nora Buchanan entered the room, and started when she saw Rachel with Tea. She quickly joined the two younger women. "Sweetheart! I've been looking all over for you," she prattled brightly. "Oh, hello Tea," she added somewhat briskly. "I'm sure you'll excuse us, since we're late for a hair appointment," she continued as she started dragging her daughter away.
"But I thought you were here to see Hank," said Tea in confusion to her friend.
Rachel seems disoriented and Nora made an excuse about seeing Hank later when things weren't so busy. "Call me!" shouted Tea as they disappeared out the door. "That was weird," said Tea as she rejoined Viki. "Rachel seemed like 6 different people." She stopped, suddenly horrified by what she had said. "I'm sorry, Viki. I didn't mean...."
Viki held up her hand and smiled. "Of course you didn't. I understand what you were trying to say. Rachel was distracted. And Nora was equally odd. She didn't even notice me, and she blanched when she saw you with Rachel...." The two women were interrupted by a police officer with a request for their presence.

Starr was begging for a third story from her father when the door opened and the commissioner's office was again flooded with people. Todd set her gently on her feet and squatted down so he could look directly in her face. "That will have to do it for today, Kiddo. Daddy has to go back to...I have to leave again for a while. But I'll see you as soon as I can get away, I promise."
"I don't want you to go, Daddy. I want another story." Starr's lower lip began to jut out.
Swallowing hard, Blair approached and took the little girl's hand. "Now Starr, I told you Daddy couldn't stay long. But we're going with Aunt Viki to have ice cream at the Country Club. Won't that be nice?" Starr looked at her father.
"Go on, now," he said. "You go with Mommy. Ice cream sounds good."
The little girl stopped after taking a few steps. "I love you, Daddy," she said simply.
"I love you too, Shorty," Todd answered, swallowing hard. He rose to his feet and watched his daughter walk through the door with a little wave. Blair stopped and turned back toward her ex-husband.
"Take care of yourself, Todd," she said quietly before she left. Viki walked over and gave Todd a squeeze, but he didn't return it. He stood there immobile like a statue.
"You see?" asked Viki. "I told you she's doing fine. But it was quite obvious how happy Starr was to see you."
Todd took a deep breath and looked at his sister. "I'm not going to see her again, am I, Viki?" he asked with the slightest catch in his voice.
"That's nonsense. Of course you'll see her! You'll tell her stories and take her for ice cream yourself because you are going to be cleared of these charges and set free!" assured Viki soothingly. Todd looked past her to Bo watching him warily.
"Not if your ex brother-in-law has anything to say about it, Sis. He hates me." Viki turned around and looked at Bo, then back at her brother.
"If he hated you, would he just have let you see your little girl? No, he doesn't hate you. He's just acting on the evidence in the case that implicates you, Todd. We both know he's mistaken, so prove him wrong! Help your lawyers build a case to clear you!"
"What's the use, Viki? They've all got me convicted already. I might as well plead guilty and get it over with..."
"Stop it! Just stop it! What's the use? The use is making sure your little girl has a daddy to be there for all her school plays and dance recitals. The use is so I won't have to grow old knowing my brother is locked up unjustly. The use is so Tea can have happily ever after with the man she loves," shouted Viki.
Todd looked across the room at his wife, waiting hopefully by the door. "Delgado doesn't care about me, Viki," he said quietly. "She only wants to win the case to further her career."
"That's nonsense and you know it," insisted Viki. "She's practically made herself sick with worry over you the last few weeks. She called Sam from Niagara Falls because she wanted to help you, the same way she tried to help you today by persuading Blair to bring Starr here."
"She did that?" asked Todd, surprised.
"Well, Blair didn't need much persuading, Todd. She's worried about you, too," said Viki.
"Oh, sure she is, Viki! Blair cares about one thing: my money and how to get her hands on it." Todd turned to Bo. "I'll return to my cell now, Commissioner. I'd rather face the heat torture than listen to more sage advice from my sister." Viki followed Todd, stretched up and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"It's good advice, Little Brother. Think about it." She smiled and walked out the door. Tea stood rooted to her spot, clutching her briefcase to her chest and staring at Todd with unshed tears in her eyes. He stared back impassively, his face devoid of expression. The guards moved up on either side of him, and one put an urgent hand on Todd's shoulder. Her husband wouldn't acknowledge her, so with a little cry, Tea put her head down and started to run out the door.
Todd finally reacted. "Delgado, wait!" he cried, going limp as the guards grabbed his upper arms and started forcing him backwards. Tea stopped and looked up at him with a tear now streaking her face. Todd looked near tears himself as he shrugged off the guard's insistent hands. "This'll just take a minute," he pleaded. Bo nodded and the cops backed off. Todd moved a couple of steps closer to his attorney. In a strained voice he said, "Look, Tea, I was just wondering...hoping...well, maybe you could come back tonight and we could discuss my case a bit." He paused and swallowed. "If you're not too busy."
Tea smiled and wiped away the tear. "I'll be there, Todd. See you later." She walked through the door with a light step. Todd let himself relax, putting his head down and taking a couple of deep breaths as one of the guards cuffed his wrists together again. He turned toward the rear door of the office, and catching the commissioner's gaze on him, he straightened his back and hardened his eyes.
"I'll never figure out how a scumbag like you can command such loyalty from the women in his life, Manning," said Bo with a shake of his head. He picked up Starr's artwork, looked at it blankly and handed it to the prisoner. Todd held out his chained hands and snatched it roughly away. He glanced down contemptuously at the photo of the commissioner's wife on the desk.
"What's the matter, Commissioner?" he sneered. "Still sore that the little woman didn't come running home like a lapdog after you let your son take the fall for you?"
"The only one going down for this crime is you, Manning. And we'll see how long the ladies stick around when they lock you in Statesville and throw away the key." Bo and Todd continued with their eyes locked in open hatred until Todd was shoved out the office door by the guards.
The commissioner pulled Nora's portrait toward him and sat down slowly in his chair. He sighed deeply as he took out a key, unlocked a drawer and threw the Georgie Phillips file on his desk. He glanced again at the picture.
TO BE CONTINUED