A MAN APART Read online

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  Contents:

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

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  Chapter 1

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  More than a dozen policemen stood vigil in the corridor outside the hospital operating room. Every few minutes, more officers arrived to join the silent watch. When one of their own took a hit, the men and women in blue rallied around.

  Less than an hour earlier, the frantic call had gone out over the police radio frequency.

  "Shots fired! Shots fired! Officer down! We need assistance!"

  Within seconds, every available man and woman on the Houston police force had raced to aid the besieged detectives at the scene of a drug bust gone bad.

  Now, grim-faced and tense, those same men and women waited for news of their fellow officer's condition.

  John Werner and Hank Pierson, the two men who were closest to the wounded officer, paced like caged lions, their faces dark and stony.

  Guilt and worry ate at Hank like sharp-toothed animals. Dammit, it was his duty to protect his partner's back, and he had let Matt down. Now he might die. Matt had taken two bullets, and for that he blamed himself. Under a hail of automatic weapons' fire, hunkered down behind their squad car, he had radioed in the frantic call for assistance and fired random shots at the attackers over the hood of the vehicle, but beyond that he had been helpless.

  Hank suddenly stopped pacing, and with an oath, he slammed the side of his fist against the wall. Several of the other policemen eyed him askance, but no one said a word.

  Lieutenant Werner understood his detective's frustration and ignored the outburst.

  As chief of detectives, John Werner felt a personal responsibility for every man and woman on his squad, but he shared a special friendship with the wounded officer. John had gone through the police academy with Matt's father. Patrick Dolan had been John's best friend and one of the finest officers the city had ever had.

  That it was Matt Dolan who had been shot had spread like wildfire through the Houston Police Department. The news had stunned everyone and left them shaken. Matt was a smart, straight-arrow, tough cop, a twelve-year veteran on the force. He had seemed invincible.

  The double doors of the operating room swung open and every officer in the hallway sprang to attention. A middle-aged man dressed in green scrubs emerged and flashed a look around at the crowd, meeting the anxious expressions with a grim look.

  "I'm Dr. Barnes. Who's in charge here?" He raked the paper scrub cap off his head and absently massaged the tense muscles in his neck.

  "I am." John Werner stepped forward. Hank edged up beside him. "How is he, Doc?"

  "Alive. Just barely. The first bullet nicked his right lung. The second caused severe damage to his right leg. Plus, he lost a lot of blood before he arrived here. He's a tough nut, though, I'll give him that. If he weren't, he'd never have made it this far. But he is in bad shape."

  "I see." John's jaw clenched and unclenched for several seconds. At last he asked the question that was foremost on his and every other officer's mind, the question to which they all dreaded the answer. "Is Matt going to make it, Doc?"

  "Barring complications, yes."

  "Thank God for that."

  "Yes, well … I feel it's only fair to warn you, given the condition of that leg … well…"

  "What? What're you trying to say, Doc?" Hank demanded.

  "Just that … well … I think you should know that it's unlikely he will ever be able to return to police work. At least, not on the streets."

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  Matt turned his head on the pillow and gazed out the window at nothing in particular. The lady in the mist had come to him again last night.

  The fanciful thought brought a hint of a smile to his stern mouth. Nevertheless, that was how he thought of the recurring dream that had plagued him all his life: a visitation by a phantom figure.

  It was strange. For the past fifteen or twenty years he'd had the dream very infrequently—once or twice a year at the most—but since awaking in the hospital two weeks ago, it had been nightly. Not even the sleeping tablets the staff administered so faithfully had helped.

  Absently, Matt fingered the jagged fragment of silver that hung from a chain around his neck, his thumb rubbing back and forth over the lines etched on either side. The pie-shaped wedge had been roughly cut from a silver medallion approximately two inches in diameter.

  The instant Matt had regained consciousness he'd reached for the piece, and he'd panicked when he discovered it was no longer around his neck.

  The medallion piece had been returned to him only because he had threatened to tear the place apart if it wasn't. The hospital prohibited patients from wearing jewelry of any kind. Matt, however, had worn the medallion fragment since he was a small boy, never taking it off.

  Matt's fingers continued to rub the etched surface and jagged edges. Somehow, merely touching it seemed to soothe him. Particularly after a night of chasing after the lady in the mist.

  He smiled again. The lady in the mist. He'd named the dream that years ago. It wasn't scary or in any way threatening—just him and others he couldn't identify, chasing through swirling mist after the shadowy figure of a woman, calling out to her, reaching for her as she backed away and disappeared—yet the experience always disturbed him. Invariably, he awoke with a start, his heart pounding. Last night had been no different. He wondered, as he had countless times, if he'd ever decipher the meaning behind the subconscious message.

  Pushing the futile thought aside, Matt sighed and focused his attention elsewhere.

  The impersonal atmosphere of the hospital made him feel adrift, removed from the world outside, a spectator with no part to play. Which, he supposed, was appropriate, since the life he had built for himself was most likely finished.

  "Dammit, Matt, are you listening to me?"

  John Werner stepped between the bed and the window, blocking Matt's view of the street and giving him no option but to acknowledge him. The older man glared, his jaw thrust forward. "I've put up with your silent treatment long enough. If you think you can just clam up and pretend I'm not here, like you've been doing to me and everyone else for the past two weeks, think again. I won't stand for it, you hear?"

  John was a big bull of a man, standing six foot seven and weighing more than three hundred pounds. He had a broad, menacing face that looked as though it had been hewn from oak with a blunt ax and a voice that rumbled out like the wrath of God when he was angry. Most of the detectives on his squad cringed when he got on their cases.

  Matt didn't turn a hair.

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "The hell you don't. You've had a steady stream of visitors —family and friends, the guys on the force, the department psychologist, even your doctors—but you barely talk to any of them. You just turn away and tune them out. The few times you have bothered to speak was just to bite someone's head off. Well, it won't work with me. Like it or not, we're going to talk about this."

  "There's nothing to talk about."

  "Oh, no? How about the fact that you've refused all the offers of help you've received? Huh? How about that? Hank here has practically begged you to come stay with him and his wife while you recuperate. So have several others, but you've turned them all down flat." He nodded toward Hank Pierson, who stood on the other side of the room watching his partner with a worried expression. "Isn't that right, Hank?"

  "Sure is. Look, old buddy, it's no problem. Patty and I really want you to stay with us."

  "Patty's got enough on her hands with three kids to look after."

  "Hey, one more won't bother Patty. Really. In fact, she insists. You know she thinks of you as family. We all do."

  "Thank
s all the same, but no." Matt shook his head and looked away.

  "If you don't want to stay with Hank and Patty, then how about someone else?" John persisted. "Several of the other guys and their wives have offered to look after you."

  "The answer is still no. I don't need anyone to look after me. Besides, I don't want to impose on my friends."

  "All right. I think you're wrong and full of stiff-necked pride, but I understand. Trust me, though, like it or not, you will need someone to look after you when you leave here. At least for a while. So why don't you let the department pay for a nurse to stay with you?"

  "Forget it. I don't want some stranger in my house. Anyway, I prefer to be alone. As soon as I get those discharge papers tomorrow, I'm going home."

  "You're in no condition to stay in that town house alone," John roared. "Dammit, man, you've got a long recuperation ahead of you, and once your body is healed you're going to be in for some grueling rehab work before you'll be ready to return to duty."

  Matt snorted. "What makes you think I'll ever be?"

  "Because I know you, you bullheaded Irishman. You're not a quitter, any more than your old man was. And you love police work too much to throw in the towel without a fight."

  Matt shrugged. "The doctor doesn't share your confidence."

  "So what does he know? You're going to have to work your tail off for weeks, maybe even months, to pass the reentry physical, but if anyone can do it, you can."

  Matt gave another scornful snort. "You have more faith in me than I do."

  "Probably, but that will change. Now, the way I see it, you've got two choices. You can either hire a live-in nurse or you can spend the summer up at my fishing lodge on Lake Livingston."

  "Your fishing lodge?"

  "Why not? It's the perfect place to recuperate. The fresh air and peace and quiet of the country will be good for you. You can go for walks in the woods and fish off the pier at first. Later, when you're stronger, you can go sailing or take the fishing boat out onto the lake."

  "Don't you have tenants at the lodge?"

  "Just one right now, but that's no problem. It's a big place. You'll probably never run into each other. Anyway, you can use my quarters. There's a private entrance off the side veranda."

  "I still don't—"

  "This isn't a suggestion, Dolan, it's an order."

  Matt bristled. "You can't order me to do anything when I'm not on duty."

  Smiling benignly, the lieutenant crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels. "Oh, yeah? Don't forget, you need my permission to even take the reentry physical. You spend the summer getting well at the lodge or you can forget about working the streets again. Got that, Dolan?"

  "You'd do it, too, wouldn't you?" Matt snarled. "You'd refuse to let me take the physical for street duty and stick me behind a desk."

  John shrugged and spread his hands wide. "Hey. It's up to you, Dolan. All you have to do is recuperate and get back in shape up at Lake Livingston."

  "That's blackmail."

  "Maybe," John agreed with a shrug. "But I don't see it that way. I'm just trying to help one of my men get back on his feet."

  "Listen to him, Matt," Hank urged. "You gotta recuperate somewhere, and shoot, any way you look at it, that's not bad duty. A carefree summer at a lake in a comfortable fishing lodge. If I thought Patty would allow it, I'd almost be tempted to go out and get myself shot if it meant a summer at the lake." He paused and gave his partner a lopsided grin. "So whaddaya say?"

  A muscle worked in Matt's jaw as his gaze slid back and forth between his two friends. Hank's expression was coaxing. John's, though pleasant, was adamant, and unyielding as granite.

  "Excuse me. Am I interrupting something?"

  The heads of the other two men snapped around, but Matt merely gritted his teeth. He knew that drawling voice with its underlay of laughter only too well. Turning his head slowly on the pillow, he stabbed the new arrival with a hard stare.

  The man stood in the doorway, one shoulder propped against the frame, an amused smile on his roguishly handsome face. Everything about him—his loose stance, the careless panache of his attire, the smooth nonchalance—made him appear friendly and harmless, but Matt knew that beneath that laid-back charm was a sharp mind and a pit-bull determination when he smelled a story.

  Their gazes locked, one pair of vivid blue eyes narrowed and hard, with no trace of welcome, the other pair twinkling with curiosity and mischief and humor. Neither wavered.

  "Who let you in here?" John snarled, putting an end to the silent battle. "I specifically told the staff that Matt's room was off-limits to reporters."

  "C'mon, Lieutenant. Can't a guy drop by to see an old friend?"

  "Just because we've known each other for a few years doesn't make us friends, Conway," Matt growled.

  "All right, then, a close acquaintance. And it's been more than a few years. More like ten or eleven."

  "Whatever. I still don't want you here. I have nothing to say to the press."

  "You heard the man."

  J.T. Conway straightened away from the doorjamb and stepped into the room, ignoring Hank's warning. "Look, I just want to do a small piece on your recovery. The public want to know how their local hero is doing."

  "Yeah, right. We both know that if that was all you wanted, your paper would've sent a cub reporter, not their ace."

  A rueful grin hiked up one corner of J.T.'s mouth. "Okay, maybe I was hoping to get a quote or two about the raid. Word is, the dealer was tipped off. That someone in the department is on the take. How does it feel to know that you nearly bought the farm because one of your own is dirty?"

  Matt's eyes narrowed. "Get out."

  "Look, Matt, I know—"

  "All right, that's it. You're outta here," Hank growled. Both he and John took a menacing step toward the reporter.

  "Whoa now. Look, guys, I'm just doing my job. The readers have a right to know—"

  "How about I show you how it feels to eat teeth? How about that for a story? Your readers ought to love that."

  J.T. looked from one determined face to the other, weighing his chances. He was a big man, matching Matt's six foot one and broad-shouldered build, but he knew when to back off. Raising both hands, palms out, he retreated. "Okay, okay. I'm going." His blue eyes darted to Matt and he winked. "You get well, buddy."

  "Boy, the nerve of that guy," Hank muttered after J.T. left.

  The lieutenant, with his usual tenacity, turned his attention back to Matt. "If you go home to that town house of yours, you can expect more of that sort of thing. And there won't be anyone there to run interference. If you go to the lake, you'll have privacy. No one but Hank and me and a few others will even know you're there."

  "Jeez! Don't you ever give up?" Matt groaned. "Oh, all right! I'll go to your damned fishing lodge."

  John beamed. "Good, good." He rubbed his palms together. "I'll make the arrangements. Hank will go by your place and pack your clothes, then be here tomorrow at checkout time to drive you up to the lake."

  "I'm thrilled," Matt drawled.

  "We'll get out of here now and let you rest," John returned, ignoring the sarcastic comment. "C'mon, Hank."

  Out in the hallway Hank fell into step with the lieutenant. When they were out of earshot of the room, he cleared his throat and asked, "Uh, does Matt know who your tenant at the lodge is?"

  "Nope. We made our deal after he was shot."

  "That's what I thought. Are you sure you know what you're doing boss?"

  They reached the bank of elevators and John punched the down button. The doors of the waiting elevator opened and the two men stepped inside.

  "Absolutely. I've given this a lot of thought," John replied, punching the button for the lobby. "Matt's like an injured animal right now, snapping and snarling at everyone and trying his best to curl up in the dark alone and lick his wounds. Well, I'll be damned if I let him."

  The lieutenant leaned back against the elevator wa
ll and shot his detective a self-satisfied look. "Tender loving care and nurturing—that's the best medicine for what ails him. In other words, what Matt needs most right now is a good dose of Maude Ann."

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  Chapter 2

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  Matt felt every pothole and bump as the car bounced along the dirt road through the woods. Clutching the armrest, he gritted his teeth against the pain and tried to maintain a stoic expression, but a hard jar made him groan. "Ahhh … damn, doesn't the lieutenant ever grade this excuse for a road?"

  "Sorry." Hank slanted him a sheepish look. "I'm going as slow as I can. Hang on. The lodge is just around the next bend."

  "Yeah, I know." Matt had been to the lodge with John several times to fish.

  He looked around at the thick woods on either side of the road. Through the trees on the right he caught an occasional glimpse of the lake, but there were no houses or people in sight. That was the main reason he had agreed to come here. The lodge was about two miles down the gravel road from the highway and the only structure on this finger of land, so he would have plenty of privacy.

  John had inherited the lodge and all the land between it and the highway from an uncle. At present he was merely renting out a few boats, and occasionally a tenant occupied the building. When John retired, his plan was to reopen the place as a fishing lodge and run it himself.

  "You know, I really do envy you, getting to spend the summer here," Hank said as he brought the car to a stop in the circular drive in front of the lodge. "This is a real nice place, in a rustic sort of way."

  The large, two-story building sat in a clearing about a hundred yards from the lakeshore. Made of rough cedar, it had a covered veranda that ran all the way around, with porch swings and groupings of wicker furniture at intervals so that the fishermen who came here could sit and enjoy the view. John's uncle had built the lodge to cater to people who preferred a quiet place where they could go fishing and boating, and just relax and enjoy good family-style meals and the peace and quiet of the country.