department, pending investigation into his role in withholding information about the true parentage of Tommy McBain. Tommy, the adopted son of John's younger brother Dr. Michael McBain (Chris Stack) and his wife Marcie (Kathy Brier), is Todd Manning's (St. John) biological son, thought murdered by Spencer Truman; when the truth comes out and Todd is awarded custody, Marcie flees town with the child. Though they dislike each other, John and Todd join up to pursue her across the country, as John wants to catch up with Marcie before Lee Ramsey, John's unpredictable FBI rival who is in charge of the case. When John and Todd end up in jail, Marty and Todd's ex-wife Blair Cramer arrive to bail them out, and to join in the search for Marcie. John and Marty bond further as Marty confesses to John her deceased husband, Patrick Thornhart, had been murdered. John and Marty make love, but Marty soon disappears in New Orleans, and Cole vanishes from Llanview. With Marty and Cole kidnapped by the Irish terrorists who had killed Patrick, John and Lee follow. Their plan goes awry, and though Cole is saved, a van explodes with Marty inside on December 4, 2007, and she is presumed dead. John and Blair Cramer (Kassie DePaiva) fall into bed together and begin a relationship, but the events surrounding Ramsey's death in June 2008 leave John with questions about Todd's involvement. John pieces together Ramsey had a mystery woman staying with him, and soon deduces she is now with Todd. Todd plays the hero to an amnesiac Marty, secretly saved and nursed back to health by Ramsey, but in a twisted pursuit of redemption, Todd fails to tell Marty that he had raped her years before, or that she has a son. She begins to fall in love with Todd, and he for her. On November 10, 2008, John breaks into Todd's home and finds Marty, soon realizing what Todd has been up to. The truth revealed to her, Marty lashes out, John beats Todd to a bloody pulp, and Todd is arrested. With Marty's return and John's obvious concern for her, Blair gives John the opportunity to end their relationship on good terms; he reassures Blair he is committed to their blossoming relationship. Todd is charged with kidnapping and rape; Marty is grilled on the stand by Todd's lawyer and ex-wife Téa Delgado (Florencia Lozano), her