A Confession and Two Goodbyes
March 18, 2003
Bo: We've got Todd's gun with a silencer on it, a bloody glove from his apartment, the message he left on Sam's answering machine --
Nora: Hearsay.
Bo: Victor lord's ring. You ok?
Nora: Fine.
Bo: Yeah, look, why don't you do yourself a favor and take some time, ok?
Nora: No, thank you.
Bo: I can do all this.
Nora: No, thanks. The only thing that's keeping me going is finding Sam's killer.
Bo: That mean you don't think that Todd shot Sam?
Nora: Just doesn't make any sense. Actually, it makes too much sense. Todd's gun, then there are the gloves, then there's the ring. It's just -- it's all so convenient.
Hank: Hey. You two can stop debating the evidence against Todd. As of five minutes ago, we got a confession.
*~*
Bo: "I'm the one. You all know that by now. Call it a crime of passion or insanity or whatever you want. It doesn't matter now. Ever since Marty Saybrooke, I've tried to get my anger under control but I can't. Maybe it took meeting my dear, departed father to convince me I really am Victor lord's son and there's no escaping that legacy. When I saw Sam with Blair, I lost it. I killed a good man and I'll figure out how to live with that, or I won't. Not your problem. But don't bother looking for me. You'll never find me. The consolation prize -- I'm out of Llanview and out of your lives forever. Todd manning." Typed, not signed. What -- where did you find this?
Hank: Todd's desk, after a search of "The Sun's" offices.
Nora: Don't believe a word of it.
Hank: Why not?
Nora: Number one, Todd's always been about self-justification and denial, not confession. And two, he refers to Marty as Marty Saybrooke. He would've said "Marty." He knows perfectly well we know who he's referring to. Three, he claims to -- "Sam was a good man"? He was a lot more to him than that. He meant the world to him, especially when he was younger. And four, it's too pat. It's just too easy.
Bo: But a man commits a crime of passion. You got to question his state of mind.
Hank: Yeah, Todd's always been unpredictable. Why not an unpredictable act like confessing?
Nora: Are you going to talk to Viki?
Bo: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's next on my list. Excuse me. I figure if anybody is going to hear from Todd, it'd be her.
Hank: All right, look, I've got a hearing to go to. You keep me posted, all right?
Bo: Ok.
Hank: Yeah.
Bo: You coming?
Nora: Uh, no. I'm going to go home and check on Matthew. Todd didn't do it. He didn't kill Sam. Maybe he knows who did. Maybe he's covering for them. But he didn't do it, Bo.
Bo: I know. Doesn't sit right with me, either. So if Todd didn't shoot Sam, is he protecting someone, or is someone framing him?
*~*
Viki: Bo.
Bo: I guess you've heard.
Viki: Yeah, one of my reporters called. Come in.
Bo: Thanks.
Viki: Bo, it's so awful. I have to tell you, in a way I'm glad that Ben doesn't have to deal with this.
Bo: Viki, I need to know if you've heard from Todd.
Viki: Now, is he a suspect?
Blair: No, Bo, he can't be.
Bo: Right now all of the evidence points in his direction.
*~*
Matthew: Mommy, look! My soccer team won second place in the league.
Nora: You -- congratulations. I'm so proud of you. Look at that!
Matthew: Coach Henderson said I should get a trophy, too.
Nora: Of course you should. I'm very proud of you, sweetheart. Look at that -- a match set. This one's even bigger than the last one.
Matthew: I wish daddy could see it. I bet he could because he's in heaven, right?
Nora: Absolutely.
Matthew: Can I go show Marianne?
Nora: Yes. She's in the kitchen. Your daddy's so proud of you.
*~*
Viki: Todd confronted Mitch Laurence with a gun in his hands, fully intending to kill him, and he couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.
Bo: How do you know that?
Viki: Because he admitted it to me.
Blair: Sam admitted the same thing to me.
Viki: I mean, if he couldn't kill Mitch Laurence, he really couldn't kill Sam.
Bo: Ok, then. Where is he?
Viki: Well, I don't know that. I wish I did. I -- I hate to do this -- I have to go. Natalie's divorce hearing is today and I'm already late. I'm sorry.
Bo: Ok. Blair?
Blair: Look, Viki's right. Todd did not kill Sam.
Bo: Well, how do you explain the typewritten confession that we found in his office?
Blair: Confession? What -- he wouldn't confess! Not unless he was forced to, Bo.
Bo: Or unless he was trying to protect someone. Do you have any idea who that might be?
Blair: He wasn't trying to protect anybody because he didn't do it he's being framed, Bo.
Bo: Framed by who?
Blair: I don't know! But I'm telling you right now he didn't do it.
*~*
Bo: Did you find out whose prints were on the gun?
Hank: No. I was just headed downstairs. I'll check with forensics.
Bo: Ok.
Hank: All right.
Bo: Jen. I'm sorry for your loss.
Jen: Thank you. I want to see him.
Bo: Excuse me?
Jen: I want to see my father.
Bo: Are you sure about that?
Jen: Yes. We both do. Right, mom?
Bo: You know, it might be a good idea to wait till he goes to the funeral parlor.
Jen: No. I can't explain it. I just -- I really, really need to see my dad, ok? Please.
Bo: Come with me. Lindsay?
*~*
Bo: Jen, you o ?
Jen: I need to do this.
Jen: Daddy.
Jen: I can't -- I can't believe that you're never going to hold me again. You're not going to dance with me at my wedding. You're not going to know my children. I'm going to make you proud, daddy. I love you.
Jen: Mom?
Bo: Lindsay, are you ok?
Lindsay: Just get me out of here. Just get me out of here!
*~*
Nora: Hey.
Bo: Hey.
Nora: Did you see Viki?
Bo: Yeah. Yeah, Blair was there, and there's definitely something she's not telling us.
Nora: So, is there something you're not telling me?
Bo: Hmm? Lindsay and Jen were by here a while ago. They wanted to see Sam. And seeing him was a lot harder on Lindsay than it was on Jen.
Nora: Well, of course. How do you say goodbye to someone that you've loved for years? The father of your children?
*~*
Nora: I don't know how to say goodbye, Sam, because I don't want to say goodbye. It just hurts too much. And I got -- I got a heartache that's -- I don't think it's ever going to go away.
Nora: I miss you. And Matthew misses you so much. Matthew -- the precious life that we created together. He's a wonderful, adorable child who reminds me more and more of you every day. He's your legacy, Sam. He's a living message that you sent into a time you're not going to see. I promise you, I'll take care of him. And I'll protect him. And I will treasure him always.
*~*
Jen: I'm sorry. I didn't think that you would take it so badly. I was just so terrified that something would happen to you. That's why I called daddy, because I -- I thought that you might even commit suicide. And now he's the one that's gone.
Lindsay: That's what I should've done. I should've killed myself.
Bo: You all right?
Nora: I don't want to talk about it, ok? Let's just talk about finding Sam's killer.
Bo: I still can't think of a reason why Blair would shoot Sam.
Nora: Uh, maybe she totally lost it. You know, she did shoot Max in the back once upon a time.
Bo: Temporary insanity?
Nora: Yeah, just sane enough long enough to put a silencer on. You're right, it's a long shot. Never mind.
Hank: Just got the forensics report on the murder weapon. Makes interesting reading.
Bo: One set of fingerprints.
Nora: Identified?
Hank: Blair's.
*~*