The Other
Chapter 10
Early the next morning, Adrian is already dressed for work. He sits on the edge of the bed and shakes Todd gently out of slumber.
She greets him with a contented smile, reaching up to caress his face.
"Good morning."
He takes hold of her hand and kisses it.
"Good morning."
"You're dressed," Todd murmurs, propping herself up.
"Yes, I'm afraid I have to leave. I have a meeting with representatives from the Indian Famine Appeal."
Todd is disappointed but hides it.
"That's okay. You go save the world."
Go save the world. Of all the things she could have said to him.
The ominous irony to which she is oblivious.
He kisses her forehead, knowing the choice of words is merely a fluke.
He promises that he will make time for her.
The cooks will make her anything she wants for breakfast.
She nods, lets him go. She knows that she can't have a man like Veidt all to herself, not a man who has so much to give the world.
She has already made plans for this evening with another man.
A certain reporter who's kindness she needs to repay.
...
Marty is waiting for her when she arrives at Rafael's. He has dressed for the occasion, wearing his best suit. He looks pleasantly surprised to see her.
"I thought you might not show," he admits as they are led to their table.
"We had a deal," Todd says, "Oh, before I forget..." she kisses him on the cheek.
Marty laughs in embarrassment.
"Was that part of the deal?" he says as they take their seats, "I don't remember."
"No, just part of my thank you for helping."
"So how did that go?" Marty inquires, "Did you ring the parents?"
"I did. Only I chickened out and hung up without even saying anything..."
Todd sighs at her folly,
"So I went to their house instead."
Marty's eyes widen with interest.
"What happened? Did you meet them?"
"Yes. They weren't happy to see me. The father mostly, he yelled at me," Todd winces at the memory, "Turns out that when Blair was kidnapped, they reached out to my family for help and got no response. He's still angry about it, understandably."
"Yeah but you didn't know that right?" Marty says, coming to her defence, "He shouldn't have taken it out on you. You were tryin' to put things right."
Todd shrugs,
"That's the thing. Maybe I'm not meant to put things right. You can't change the past," she says, echoing the words of Marjorie Roche.
Marty is regarding her sympathetically.
"So where does that leave you?" he asks.
"I don't know," she says truthfully.
When she laid flowers on Blair's grave, it didn't feel like resolution.
She smiles bitterly.
"I'm sorry, I'm such a downer. I bet you wish you hadn't asked me to dinner."
"Well I'd complain if you weren't so good looking," Marty says with a grin.
Todd's smile changes to one of amusement.
"Does that charm of yours help a lot in your profession?"
"There's not much room for charm when ya writing about our stand-off with Russia," Marty replies, "Which is the only topic I seem to writing at the moment."
The humour has faded from his face, replaced by weariness.
"That must be tough," Todd says, she can understand what it's like to dwell on a depressing subject.
"I admit it does start to get to ya," Marty says, "All that doom and gloom. Threat of nuclear war, end of days etc, etc," he waves his hand dismissively, "But let's not go there. You know what we need?"
Todd shakes her head.
"We need to get drunk," Marty says matter-of-factly.
Todd laughs,
"We do?"
"Yeah, drown our sorrows. What do you say?"
"Sounds good to me," Todd says.
Marty hails a passing waiter, "Hey, can we order some drinks over here?"
...
Several rounds and several hours later, Todd and Marty stumble happily out of Rafael's.
"That's the first time I've had a lady pick up the check," Marty says, "I feel both flattered and emasculated."
"You did me a favour remember," Todd says, "This is my way of repaying you."
"Then I think you got the short end of stick. Talk about overpriced."
Todd smiles,
"It was worth it. I had a nice time. You're a good guy Marty."
"Ha, that's the alcohol talking."
Todd hits him playfully on the shoulder, "No I mean it."
Marty holds up his hands in mock surrender, "Okay I concede. I'm wonderful."
Todd laughs, she can't help laughing at him. She likes his sense of humour. She is able to relax around him, be herself.
It isn't like that with Adrian. She is always so aware around him, of what she says, wanting to impress him. He is so... perfect. A perfection that reflects her own imperfections back at her. She has none of his drive or generosity. It's his intelligence too, his worldliness, it makes her feel stupid. This is unintentional on his part. He can't help being the world's smartest man.
She wants to be worthy of him, which means she must become better, better than what she is.
With Marty, this is unnecessary. They are simply two flawed human beings, enjoying each other's flawed company.
"We should do this again some time," she tells him as he opens the cab door for her to climb in.
Marty smiles, not Adrian's brilliant white smile, but endearing all the same.
"You have my number," he says.
He goes to the driver's window and passes him a bunch of notes.
"Get her home safe pal."
Todd sticks her head out the window as the cab pulls out,
"You didn't have to do that."
Marty laughs, waving,
"Yeah I did. Night Todd."
...
The cab is edging along in traffic when she spots him. Walking down the street. An unmistakeable figure in his fedora and trench coat and mask. Rorschach.
She turns to watch him through the back window. He turns into an alleyway, disappearing.
She knows she has to follow him. He's the one who got her into this mess. She needs to talk to him.
"Can you stop? I need to get out."
She scrambles to unfasten her seat-belt. She has to move fast, otherwise she will lose him.
The driver turns his head to look at her,
"I thought you wanted to go the Village?"
"I've changed my mind," Todd says urgently, hand on the door handle, "Please pull over!"
...
Rorschach stops, Kovacs' mouth frowning underneath his face.
Someone is calling his name.
"Rorschach! Wait! Rorschach!"
Woman's voice. Mad click of heels.
Behind him.
Turns.
Todd Roche is running towards him.
The woman who has been haunting his dreams. Here. In the flesh.
In a grubby little back street, far from her upscale apartment.
Calling out to him.
"Rorschach!"
To be continued...