Truth Or Lies

And if LeFrenz was even half-right, here was the reason for that sense of purpose.

“A good cop is dead,” Cade went on. “If you have anything to report on that, let’s hear it. But don’t even think about yanking me around on this, LeFrenz. Brian Hollister got a hero’s funeral. No one in the city would even blink at the death of a two-bit drug dealer.”

The two men’s gazes did battle, while LeFrenz’s face slowly flushed red from the stranglehold the detective had on him. When Tremaine showed no signs of releasing him, Shae put her hand on his arm.

“Let’s give his wound a chance to heal before we inflict any further damage, shall we?” For a moment she didn’t think the detective was going to respond. LeFrenz was turning scarlet. She exerted a bit of pressure on the detective’s arm, and he slanted a look at her, the bitterness in it as sharp as a blade. Then in the next instant he released his grip, allowing the patient to drop down to the bed again.

“You’re the doctor” was all he said.

The pent-up breath she’d been holding streamed out of her. “That’s right. And I need to get back to the E.R. Let’s end this.”

“You tell the D.A. I got information on the shooting, Tremaine,” LeFrenz said when he could speak again. “You tell him that’s what I’m dealing. The name of a cop killer ought to trump a dead kid, right?”

“No one is going to believe you have something to trade on Hollister’s murder.” Shae listened in horrified fascination as the two men bartered. “Do you think you can just throw out some street gossip and beat a murder rap with it? You can’t be that stupid.”

“I got more than that, Tremaine. I got me a personal relationship with Freddie. You ’member Freddie, doncha?” Shae saw from the look on the detective’s face that the name was all too familiar. “I’ve had me some…transactions with him.”

“You mean you deal to him,” Cade said flatly.

LeFrenz rolled his shoulders. “Don’t matter how I know him. Just that he came to me that night in a big hurry. Had to get out of town and he needed some…supplies before he went.”

Cade folded his arms over his chest. “Let me guess. You set him up with a quick fix. Easier to pump a junkie for details when he’s just starting to reach for that high, isn’t it? And Freddie must have been getting desperate by the time he found you.”

“You never know when this kind of information is going to come in handy.” One eye slid closed in a sly wink. “He was shook up, all right. Figured you both for dead. Had himself a wad of cash, too, so someone paid him off. Since cops don’t deal in that kind of money, I’m thinking the shooters did.”

The conversation was painting an all-too-vivid picture for Shae. She could almost hear the gunfire, see the bodies crumpled on the ground. But if the words were bringing back traumatic memories for Tremaine, it didn’t show in his expression. That awesome control was back, and the rage that had briefly flared had been reined in, hidden. Somehow that evidence of his restraint was as fearsome as his temper had been.

“Where’s Freddie now?”

Again LeFrenz shrugged. “Split, man. Guess it wouldn’t be too healthy for him to stick around here. But before he left, he told me all about the whole thing.”

Cade considered him for a long moment. “I’ll run it by the D.A., see if he wants to deal. But your tip has to lead somewhere before he even considers trading for it. And we’re still gonna need the name of your supplier, too, if you’re hoping to slip out of a murder rap.”

Her beeper sounded, an insistent reminder. Shae didn’t reach for it. She was transfixed by the scene playing out before her.

LeFrenz laughed, an ugly sound. “Now who’s blowing smoke? I give up a cop killer, they gonna give me the key to the city. You go on and call the D.A., Tremaine. Run this by him. He’ll deal. I guarantee it.” He looked at Shae then, clearly finished with the conversation. “So Angel Eyes, you gonna stay up here a while and keep me company? Fluff my pillows? Give me a sponge bath, maybe?”

“She needs to get back to the E.R. You’ve already wasted enough of her time, LeFrenz.” The detective took her elbow and guided her of the room.

“You come on back and see me tomorrow, Doc,” LeFrenz called after her. “You and me, we have lots to talk about.”

Once in the hallway, she reached for her beeper, saw the E.R. number. “I have to get downstairs,” she said numbly.

“I figured.” Tremaine was all business now. “Thanks for coming up today. There shouldn’t be any reason for you to be here tomorrow. I think Jonny will jump at whatever bone the D.A. decides to throw him.”

He walked her to the elevator, jabbed the down button. Shae cautioned herself to keep silent. This wasn’t her business, none of it. But the questions whirling around inside her wouldn’t be quieted. “Is what he said in there true?” When Cade only looked at her, she continued, “I mean about what happened to you and your partner.”

The doors of the elevator slid open. Before they stepped inside, she was forced nearer to him to make room for people to exit. She chose the corner opposite his at the back of the compartment and leaned against the wall as she waited for his answer.

“It was close enough,” he finally responded. “Whether he has any more than that remains to be seen. He might just be bluffing, trying to avoid giving up his supplier’s name.”

She studied him, but his profile could have been set in stone. No one would guess that he was talking about discovering the identity of the man, or men, who’d shot him. Who’d killed his partner.

Something compelled her to push further. “And if he does have information about your partner’s death?” She waited for the detective’s gaze to meet hers. “What then? Will that boy who died be ignored in favor of arresting a cop killer?”

“Unless you want to loan me that crystal ball of yours, I have no idea what the D.A. is going to go for. Whichever is the surest thing, I imagine.”

The elevator doors opened to the E.R. floor. But Shae didn’t move. She couldn’t. No more than she could prevent the bitterness from shading her tone. “So that’s justice to you? The surest thing? Trading information for freedom with scum like that the way kids trade baseball cards?” There was a burning in her chest that was all too familiar. A helpless hopeless fury that she could never seem to completely dispel.

He stepped out of the elevator, his voice trailing over his shoulder. “It might not pass for justice to you, Doc. But sometimes it’s the only thing we’ve got.”

Chapter 3

“I liked the monkeys best.” The pigtailed six-year-old at Shae’s side skipped a little as they made their way down the hallway back to her apartment. “Especially the ones with the rainbows on their bottoms.”

“Those are baboons, honey.” Shae smiled at TeKayla’s description. “But they were funny, weren’t they?”

The little girl nodded. “And I liked feeding crackers to the giraffes, too. Can we go back to the zoo sometime?”

Stopping before the girl’s door, Shae rang the bell. “Maybe next month.” Noting a sulk on the way, she reminded the girl, “You wanted to go to the alligator farm next, remember?”

TeKayla brightened just as the door swung open. “Momma, Momma, guess what?” She barreled through the doorway and wrapped her arms around her mother’s legs. “Shae’s gonna take me to a gator farm next.”

“That sounds fine, baby doll.” Weariness sounded in the woman’s voice, showed on her face. She managed a wan smile for Shae. “Thanks for taking her to the zoo. I know she can be a handful.”

“No problem. Did you get any sleep while we were gone?” Hapi Gleason worked two jobs, one of them third shift. TeKayla spent much of the time at home with a sitter when her mother could afford it, and alone when she couldn’t. Shae knew Social Services were aware of the situation, but recent budget cuts had decreased their resources. So far, their involvement hadn’t seemed to change things appreciably.

The door was already closing. “Had me laundry to do. Din’t have no time for sleep.”

“Well, let me know if I can—” the door closed in her face “—help.” Staring at the raised panels, she sighed. There was no doubt in her mind that Hapi considered her an interfering do-gooder. But the truth was…

The truth, she thought, as she made her way to the elevator to go up to her apartment, was that fifteen years ago she’d have thought the same thing about anyone who tried to lend her assistance. She’d have viewed it with doubt and suspicion and sooner have spit on it than accept help, however well intended. At any rate, it was totally out of character for her to get involved like this. Her patients were her duty, her neighbors were not. Other than the Gleasons and the super, she had only a nodding acquaintance with the other people in her building. That had always been the way she liked it. Her hours didn’t give her a lot of free time, and the time off she did have would be better spent on her own errands and chores.

When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, she went to her door and inserted the key. From the first there had been something about TeKayla’s gap-toothed grin and puppy-dog friendliness that had charmed her. The child spent way too much time unsupervised on the stoop out front, even when her mother was home. Although this was a decent enough neighborhood, it was old and close enough to the projects to warrant exercising some caution.

She pushed open the door, dropped her keys and the mail she’d collected from her mailbox downstairs on the table beside it. Crossing to the closet, she hung up her coat and purse. There was no way she would have been able to afford this much space in a more exclusive neighborhood. The entire top floor had been converted to a loft apartment, with screens and throw rugs delineating the space. Upstairs, beneath a huge skylight, was a bedroom with an attached bath. It was simple, comfortable and private. It fit her needs precisely.

Walking to the kitchen tucked into one corner, she opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water. Twisting off the cap, she tipped it to her lips, drank.

“Quite a place you got here, Shae girl.”

The bottle dropped from nerveless fingers as she swung around, her gaze sweeping the area for a weapon. She had her hand on the knife board before she recognized the voice. It was telling that even then, especially then, she had to force herself to release her grip on the weapon.

“What are you doing here, Da?” Her tone was flat, no welcome in it. She watched the tall handsome, man stroll down the spiral staircase from the loft, before posing theatrically at its base, arms spread.

“Shae, my girl, is that any way to greet your old man? Come over and give me a proper welcome.”

A proper welcome would be something between a knife in his heart and a boot out the door. She settled for uncompromising indifference. “Most people use the doorbell. Mind telling me how you got in here?”

One well-manicured index finger to his lips, Ryan O’Riley said, “Now, now. You know I never divulge my methods.”

“You don’t have to. You either broke in or bribed someone.” She bent down, picked up the bottle she’d dropped and grabbed a towel to wipe up the water that had spilled. “Knowing your basic lack of ambition, I imagine bribery was your means of choice.”

“You’ve grown hard, girl.” An expression of sadness settled on Ryan’s face as he heaved a sigh. “I blame myself for that.”

Rising again, she tossed the wet towel in the sink. “There’s plenty to blame yourself for, Da. By all means, don’t stop there.”

If age had caught up with Ryan McCabe O’Riley, it hadn’t dared to show itself. His six-foot frame was still straight, his red hair as bright as her own. His unlined face looked a good ten years younger than its fifty years. It was amazing, Shae thought bitterly, what living without care or conscience could do for a person.

“I wouldn’t say no to one of those bottled waters if you were to offer,” he hinted broadly, leaning against the counter.

It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse. But spitefulness wouldn’t solve anything, and it certainly wouldn’t get rid of him. When he wanted something, her father could be amazingly thick-skinned. And he definitely wanted something, or he never would have shown up here.

She got him a water, slid it over to him. “I’m not giving you any money.”

The stage had missed a born actor in Ryan O’Riley. The injured expression on his face was worthy of a Tony. “Can’t I just stop by and catch up with my only daughter? My eldest and the dearest to her father’s heart?”

Giving up, Shae propped a hip against the wall, watching him. There would be no rushing him. He’d take his own time getting to the point, and then use charm, guilt and familial loyalty to try to get his way. The combination had never worked on her, but he’d always refused to acknowledge that.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.” Few seeing the beaming paternal look on his handsome face would doubt his sincerity. “My daughter, the doctor. I can’t believe the little girl I raised is saving lives every day. The emergency room at Charity, right?”

She ignored his question, preferring to focus on his statement. “It would certainly be a stretch to claim you had any part in raising me. If we were to add up all the time you actually spent with your family, we’d probably come up with…what? Three years, total?”

His brows lowered. “Now, Shae, don’t go blaming me for things out of my control. I did what I had to do to put food on my family’s table, to provide for your mother, you and your brother. I know you always felt I could have done more, but—”

“You mean like hold a steady job? Bring a paycheck home? Be a father, instead of an occasional house guest?” With effort she kept her tone expressionless. Emotion was an ineffective weapon against him. He’d only wield it against her. “Any of those would have been a start. But you chose to take the easy route, running one scam after another in search of a quick buck.”

“Those were legitimate entrepreneurial enterprises,” he corrected her. “Each and every one of them.”

“Of course. And the police take such a narrow view of entrepreneurs, don’t they?”

“Apparently.” Nodding, he took another swig. Sarcasm was wasted on him. It was only one of his annoying qualities. “Because I understand poor Liam got caught up in their net.”

Rage, only recently tucked away, bubbled through her veins. “Poor Liam took a page out of his da’s book and looked for the easy life. He was caught red-handed with an apartment full of electronics. Where do you suppose he learned his skill breaking and entering?”

“I won’t be having you take that tone with me, Shae Kathleen O’Riley.” Ryan’s voice was stern. “I taught the boy better than that, just like I taught you.”

As quickly as the fury had boiled over, it vanished, leaving desolation in its wake. “You should have left him with me after Mam died. We were doing fine on our own. He was in a good school and making decent grades. Living with you ruined him.”

“Well, now, I know you’ve never forgiven me for taking him and leaving you alone, girl.” With a neat twist, he turned the words back on her, distorting the truth. “But what kind of father would I have been to leave my son to be raised by his sister, and you only twenty yourself?”

The kind of father, she thought resentfully, who hadn’t had his eye on the welfare check that could be applied for when an unemployed man had a dependent. She imagined the majority of it every month had gone to the track.

“We’d done well enough on our own for over two years.” Not for the first time, she considered the futility of this line of conversation. Ryan would never change. She’d known that since she was eight. Arguing about it was pointless. She spent as much effort as necessary to avoid thinking about him most days.

“Why don’t you tell me what brought you here today?” She hadn’t even known he was in the city. She hadn’t seen him since Liam’s eighteenth birthday.

“Can’t a father even…” Observing the stony expression on her face, he swallowed his words. “The truth is, darlin’, your old man is in a wee spot of trouble.” With the dimple winking in his left cheek, he looked like a mischievous rogue admitting to stealing a kiss from the neighbor girl. She’d seen the look too often to be swayed by it.

“Police or money?” she asked briskly.

He made a sound of dismay. “I believe the NOPD may be looking to have a discussion with me, but that’s just a misunderstanding. However, there are some people I need to pay if I want in on a new venture. I think you’ll agree that this is an opportunity I can’t afford to pass up.”

The buzzer sounded, which was just as well. Her temples had begun to throb, a sure sign that she’d been in her father’s company too long. Crossing to the front door, she pressed the button on the intercom. “Yes?”

“Let me up, Shae.”

She had no difficulty identifying the raspy tones, softened by a cadence of the South. But she did have difficulty responding to it. What could be so important that Cade Tremaine would seek her out here? That thought was quickly followed by another. She didn’t want him here in her home. Didn’t want to see him among her things, his presence stamping the area with an indelible brand that would be impossible to erase even when he’d gone.

“What do you want, Detective?” From the corner of her eye she saw the alarm cross Ryan’s face, saw him push away from the counter.

“I’m not going to have this conversation standing in the street.” His low smoky drawl was adamant. “Buzz me in.”

“This isn’t a good time for me.”

There was a moment of silence when she wondered what he was thinking. But when he spoke again finally, he sounded no less determined. “Then I’ll apologize for the inconvenience, but this won’t wait.”

“I’m afraid it’s going to have to.” She no more wanted to prolong this time with her father than she wanted Tremaine up here. And there was no way she could deal with the two men together.

She turned away from the intercom, fully expecting more demands. But it remained silent. Her father was staring at her, trepidation on his face. “What would a detective want with you?”

“It has nothing to do with you, Da.” Abruptly a wave of weariness swept over her. The day had started in a relaxed-enough fashion, but stress was seeping in, one layer at a time. Seeing that her words hadn’t wiped the worry from her father’s face, she added, “It’s something about work. A patient of mine. Let’s get back to what brought you here.”

Understanding had taken the place of concern in his expression. Understanding that, as it turned out, was totally misplaced. “You’re not in any kind of trouble, are you girl? Take some advice from your da—keep your cons out of your workplace. It’s cleaner that way.”

For one of the few times in her life, she was speechless. She stared at him, shocked that he knew her so little. And then shocked at herself for being surprised by that. She shook her head, gave a grim laugh. “Yeah, Da, I’m running scams in the hospital. Got a little betting pool going on the wheelchair races on the fourth floor.”

“Which brings me to why I’m here.” Although she didn’t quite follow his segue, she was glad he was finally getting to the point of his visit. Ryan reached for his bottle of water again. “I’ve got a chance to get in on a dandy little deal, and I think you can be a big help to me.”

“No.”

He went on as if he hadn’t heard her. “All I need is a list of people in the city with the kind of money needed to be interested in what I’ll be selling.”

Shae picked up the lid to her own bottle, screwed it on with more force than necessary. “Didn’t you hear me? I said no.”

“Names, that’s all I’m asking you for. Doctors have plenty of money and you must have contacts at the other hospitals, as well.” His tone became wheedling. “It’s not so much to give, Shae, to your dear old da you haven’t seen in years.” Pleased with his pitch, he tilted the bottle to his lips and drank. “Maybe you could arrange for an introduction or two, as well. I’ll do the rest.”

“I realize this is a difficult concept for you to understand, Da, but listen carefully. I’m not going to say it again.” She leaned over the counter, shoved her face close to his. “No.”

“You’ve got a streak of stubbornness in you, girl. Have to think you got it from your sainted mother’s side, God rest her soul.” Ryan did a quick sign of the cross, cast his gaze heavenward. “Can’t help but believe she’d frown on the way you’re treating your father right now.”

“You’ve always had a talent for believing whatever suited your purposes.” The irony in her voice was lost in the sound of her doorbell ringing. Her head jerked toward the door. She was the only occupant on this floor. It was rare for another tenant to come calling for any reason, with the occasional exception of TeKayla. Pushing away from the counter, she went to the door, looked out the peephole.

Somehow, the last person she’d expected to see there was Detective Cade Tremaine. She took a step back, and then another. But she couldn’t avoid his voice. “Open the door, Shae. It’d be useless to pretend you’re not in there.”

Dimly she was aware that Ryan was rapidly making his way to the staircase, ascending it. She could only assume he was looking for a place to hide until the detective left.

“How about if I just pretend you weren’t invited into the building?” Temper snapped in her words. “Oh, wait, that wouldn’t be pretense, would it? I told you it wasn’t a good time, Detective.”

“And I’m sorry about that.”

There was that voice again, the same one he’d used when he’d tried to convince her to help him with LeFrenz in I.C.U. The smooth drawl coated his raspy tones like thick sweet honey, designed to weaken the knees and elevate the pulse. But the fact that hers was pounding had nothing to do with him, she told herself firmly, and everything to do with the stress of the past hour.

“I won’t take up much of your time, Dr. O’Riley. Shae.” His voice dropped intimately on the last word, as if caressing the single syllable. “Let me in. I don’t want to talk to you through a door and I’m not going away. I can be very persistent.”

She didn’t need to be told that. Undecided, she threw a look over her shoulder. There was no sign of Ryan, and probably no reason to worry about him. He’d always had an aptitude for dodging the police.

Making her decision, she unlocked the dead bolt, swung open the door a few inches and surveyed him. “Persistent isn’t the word I would have used. Stubborn, maybe. Inconsiderate. Pesky.”

His mouth curved slightly. “Semantics. Are you going to let me in?”

She didn’t even need to think about her answer. “No.”

“Okay.” His easy acceptance didn’t fool her. This man’s will was like forged steel. He propped himself against the doorjamb, the position putting his face too close to hers. She wasn’t short, but he topped her five-foot eight by a good four inches. “I looked for you at the hospital last night.”

Wariness threaded through her. “I got off at five. I’m not back on again until tomorrow.”

“That’s what somebody said.” He wore jeans again today, old sneakers and a white shirt under an open leather jacket. His eyes were a little bloodshot and he hadn’t shaved recently. Either he’d gone on a bender last night or he hadn’t slept at all. Intuitively she knew it was the latter.

“Why are you here, Detective?” she asked bluntly. The sooner they got this over with, the sooner she could send him on his way. And then focus on dispatching Ryan with the same speed. Just the thought made her tired again.

“Do you think I could have a glass of water?” When she only blinked, his mouth curved again. “Got a bit parched standing out front trying to wheedle my way in here.”

“Since I didn’t let you in, I’m assuming you wheedled one of the other tenants.”

He gave a slow nod. “Nicest little old blue-haired lady. She had a mite more respect for my shield than you do.”