Hoaley Ill-Manored (13 page)

Was he strong? Adam had always thought he
was. But everything seemed to be lining up against him at the
moment, and he just wasn’t all that sure anymore.

DS

It was dark by the time Adam pulled his
truck into the circular drive and stopped. He looked at the manor
and suddenly wasn’t sure if he had the strength to go inside. Both
Dirk’s and Spence’s cars were still parked in front of the house so
he still had that to deal with. He almost put the truck in reverse
and headed for a hotel.

But then Walter ran around the side of the
house, barking and anger gave him new strength. Walter should never
have been outside alone. He thought Dirk was clear on that point.
He left the truck and bent down to greet the big dog.

Walter licked his face, whining happily, and
then wriggled with impatience when Adam buried his face in the
dog’s thick fur. “Hey buddy. Thanks for not killing raccoons.”

Walter hopped back and danced around,
barking and wagging his tail with excitement. He turned and ran
toward the front door and Adam figured he still needed to be fed.
Another black mark in Dirk’s column. He opened the door and let
Walter tear in ahead of him. There was no sign of Dirk or Spence in
the kitchen or living room, but the library door was closed. Adam
went into the kitchen and made Walter a bowl of food. Maddy had
stuck a note on the refrigerator, it said, “Call me if you want to
talk.”

Adam appreciated her support, but he wasn’t
sure he was ready to talk about the violent death of his love life.
Maybe in a few months. Or years. He put Walter’s bowl on the floor
and refilled his water dish.

Then he headed for the stairs. He was going
to get a shower before dealing with Dirk. He could barely stand the
way he smelled. A warm breeze slipped over him and Adam frowned.
The draft was scented with the lilacs overrunning the area around
the veranda. Someone must have left the veranda doors open again.
He’d be willing to bet that was how Walter got out.

With a muttered curse, Adam changed course
and headed for the ballroom. Sure enough, the doors leading to the
veranda stood open to the night. Walter trotted into the room
behind him and started for the doors, his nails clicking ominously
on the marble floor. Adam grabbed his collar as he brushed past.
“Oh no you don’t, Jack Kerouac. You’re not hitting the proverbial
road again tonight.”

He pulled the doors closed and locked them.
Adam glanced toward the library door as he started up the stairs.
It was still closed. But, a heartbeat later, loud voices rose
behind the door and, despite himself, Adam stopped on the third
stair, listening with quiet satisfaction as Dirk screamed at the
producer.

“I told you to stay in California! You had
no right to come here and lay that bomb on Adam. He didn’t deserve
to hear about it that way.”

“It’s not like I told him I was stealing the
house from him. It’s a damn good deal, darlin’.”

“Stop calling me that! You’re just trying to
tear us apart…”

“There is no ‘us’ with you and Hoale, Dirk!
You told me that yourself.”

Adam’s knees buckled and he sat down hard.
Dirk had told that ass-hat he had no relationship with Adam. There
would be only one reason for him to do that. Adam’s stomach twisted
painfully. He tried to calm himself with the reminder that he’d
already suspected Dirk was probably sleeping with Spence. But
thinking it and hearing it firsthand were two very different
things.

“Stop being such a coward, Dirk! Just go
tell the man you need his help on this! Spence’s even-tempered act
was degrading. Adam heard the building rage in the producer’s
voice.

“No! I’m not going to side with you against
Adam. You fucked this all up by coming here. I want you to go.”

Silence pulsed and Adam stood, figuring
Spence might come storming out of the room. He underestimated the
man’s tenacity. “I’m not leaving without you, Dirk.”

“I’m not leaving, Lin.”

“You’d better think very carefully before
making that decision. This is your career…”

“I don’t give a flying fuck about my career.
I want you to leave. Now!”

Adam started up the stairs. He hoped Spence
did leave, but he also hoped Dirk wouldn’t think that made a
difference to Adam. He was done having his heart ripped to shreds
by Dirk’s wandering dick.

The library door opened and Adam stopped at
the top of the stairs, hidden by the shadows.

Spence stood in the doorway, his shadow
stretching across the foyer. “I love you, Dirk. I’ve made no secret
of that. I want you to come home with me. I’ll be waiting at the
hotel for you. Our flight is at two tomorrow afternoon.”

“I won’t be coming, Lin.”

“If you want a career you’ll come.”

Adam watched the producer walk calmly across
the foyer and leave, then he did the only thing he could do. He
escaped into his room, locking the door behind him.

One level below, the brittle sound of glass
shattering gave proof to Dirk’s foul mood.

Heading for the bathroom and a hot shower,
Adam shoved his instinctual concern aside. All he wanted at that
point was for Dirk to leave. He didn’t care where the other man
went or what he did with his life. Adam only wanted a chance to try
to rebuild his own life. And put the excruciating pain of betrayal
behind him.

Again.

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN

Scratch, scratch, scratch

Adam tossed and turned on the cot, his sleep
haunted by visions of dead animals, nooses, and blazing fire.

Scratch, scratch, scratch

A cold nose nudged his arm and Adam
grumbled, pulling his arm back from the edge of the cot and draping
it over his stomach.

He started to doze, his dreams rising up to
disturb him again. A hoarse scream pierced Adam’s half-sleep and he
sat up with a gasp. Walter was across the room, digging at the
closed door and whining.

Adam surged off the cot, got tangled in the
sheet wrapped around his legs, and fell to his knees on the floor.
A crash split the silence. Walter barked, frantically biting at the
wood.

Adam realized the noises were coming from
down the hall and, with a jolt of horror, understood that it had to
be Dirk. He threw open his door and started running. Dirk’s door
was locked, the handle refusing to turn in Adam’s hand. He screamed
Dirk’s name as he pounded and Walter lunged at the door.

A horrible, wet, choking noise sounded
behind the door and Adam lost all semblance of reason. He shoved
Walter out of the way and stepped back, kicking the door beside the
knob as hard as he could.

Pain sheared up his leg. He ignored it,
kicking the door a second time. The choking sounds had grown more
frantic by the time his third kick crashed the door back on its
hinges. And his worst nightmare was realized.

Dirk hung from the iron fixture at the
center of the ceiling, twisting and frantically clawing at the rope
noose digging into his throat. As he spun, fighting death with
every second, the fixture started to loosen from the plaster.

Unfortunately, it didn’t appear that it
would fall in time to save Dirk. Adam ran over and grabbed at
Dirk’s thrashing legs. In full out panic mode, Dirk couldn’t stop
himself from flailing. His legs kicked in violent arcs, slamming
against Adam over and over before Adam managed to get his arms
wrapped around them.

Gritting his teeth, Adam lifted Dirk as best
he could, managing only a couple inches. It was enough to allow
Dirk to pull some air into his lungs. He gasped in a breath and
cried out at the pain caused by the effort. “Breathe, baby,” Adam
urged. “Just breathe. You’re gonna be fine.” Even as he tried to
calm his lover, Adam looked around for a way to hoist Dirk up
enough so he could remove the noose.

There was a chair across the room, lying on
its side against the wall as if it had been thrown or kicked there.
Adam had the sudden, horrifying thought that Dirk had done this to
himself. He couldn’t reach the chair unless he let go of Dirk again
and there was no way he was doing that.

Dirk’s legs started to slip through Adam’s
arms and he panicked. His arms and shoulders were already straining
from trying to keep him elevated in the clumsy hold. He glanced at
Dirk. Can you get your legs over my shoulders?”

Dirk pulled on the rope with bloody fingers
and managed to lift himself a little but he was weak from his
struggles and grew quickly frustrated when his fingers slipped.

“Never mind, here…” Adam stretched out a leg
and hooked his toe over the cot, dragging it closer. Dirk started
to struggle again and Adam realized he was pulling on Dirk’s legs.
He quickly readjusted to take the slack off the rope and reached
out with his leg again. With much grunting and straining, Adam
finally managed to hook his foot around the frame and tug the cot
closer. The cot scraped over the floor until it was close enough
for Adam to step up with one foot.

With his leg bent and supported by the cot,
he settled Dirk’s feet onto his bent thigh. Dirk was able to shove
upward onto his toes and give himself another couple inches of
slack. He gasped, his bleeding fingers slipping over the rope as he
tried to pull it past his chin and scrape it over his head. Finally
he was free and he looped his fingers through the noose so he could
lower himself to the floor. Adam held onto Dirk as he slid
downward, supporting him as he dropped.

As Dirk’s feet touched the floor his legs
collapsed beneath him. Adam caught him, grabbing him into a hug
that nearly finished the job the rope had started. He finally
loosened his grip when Dirk gasped in pain. Kissing Dirk’s face
Adam thought his heart might pound right out of his chest. Dirk
clutched him hard, his chest heaving.

“Who did this to you, Dirk?”

Dirk scraped a shaky hand over his face but
didn’t respond. He was vibrating with adrenalin and his gaze was
blank. He appeared to be shocky with fear.

“It’s okay, babe, we’ll talk about it later.
Let’s get you to the hospital. We need to have that throat checked
out. If it swells up you might not be able to breathe.”

Dirk sighed but let Adam help him to his
feet and out the door.

DS

Adam called CC while Dirk was being checked
out in the ER.

He wasn’t exactly happy to receive the call.
“Jesus, Mary, Joseph and their podiatrist! This had better be good
or you’re under arrest for disturbing the police! ”

Adam grimaced. “CC, I need your help.”

“Hoale, did you miss the part where I’m on
vacation? What time is it, anyway? Shit!”

“I know it’s seven in the morning. I’m
sorry, but Dirk’s been attacked…” Adam’s voice broke.

CC stopped busting Adam’s chops immediately.
“Where are you?”

“Hospital…” Adam sniffed, dragging a hand
over his eyes. Now that the crisis was passed, the reality of the
situation was starting to knock his legs out from under him. He
dropped into a hard plastic chair.

“How bad is he?”

“He’ll be all right I think. It’s gonna take
some time though. Someone tried to hang him.”

“Holy fuckin’ shit!”

“That
almost
sums it up. God, CC,
I’ve never been so scared.”

“At least he’s going to be all right. You
might want to ask the staff there to keep it quiet. The media will
have a world-wide party over this one.”

Adam frowned, “You’re right. Shit…I hadn’t
even thought of that.”

“You can be sure Dirk has. It would probably
make him feel a lot better if you headed that one off.”

“Okay. Thanks, CC.”

“No problem. You take care of that and I’ll
meet you at the house in what…about an hour?”

“Yeah. I think they’re gonna keep him
overnight. They’re worried about swelling and he’s in shock. If you
get there first just go on in. You can use the veranda doors. The
new lock we had installed doesn’t seem to be working. I need to get
the locksmith out there again tomorrow…or today.” He scrubbed a
hand over his face again, trying to pull himself together so he
could think.

“Okay. I’ll see you in an hour at the
house.” CC disconnected and Adam just sat for a moment, so tired he
didn’t know what to do next. Once the adrenalin rush passed he was
left kind of dazed and numb.

“Mr. Hoale?”

He looked up. The doctor who’d been taking
care of Dirk was a pretty young woman whose velvet-brown eyes had
widened in shock and pleasure when she’d seen who her patient was.
“I understand you brought Mr. Williams in?”

Adam forced himself to his feet, feeling
about a thousand years old. “I did, yes. Is he all right?”

She touched his hand. “Let’s sit. You look
dead on your feet.” Her skin felt cool and soft against his. She
squeezed his hand gently and sat down in the chair next to him.
“Mr. Williams is resting comfortably. We’ve got him on pain meds
and anti-inflammatory drugs and we’ll keep a close eye on his
breathing until the drugs can do their work.”

“Is there any permanent damage?”

She frowned. “We won’t know of course until
the swelling goes down. His larynx might have been damaged to the
point where it will permanently affect his voice. We just don’t
know yet.”

For the first time Adam considered what the
attack might mean for Dirk long-term. If he couldn’t talk he
couldn’t act. His whole career might have been destroyed by the
evil actions of someone who apparently had a grudge against
Adam.

He dropped his head into his hands and
fought the nausea roiling in his stomach.

The soft hand dropped onto his cotton clad
knee. The staff had given him green surgery scrubs to wear since
he’d arrived at the ER in his boxers and a t-shirt. “He’ll be fine,
Mr. Hoale. A husky voice will only add to his charm on the big
screen.”

When he looked up he saw that she was
smiling and he laughed. “You might be right. Can I see him
now?”