"Hello," the tired officer said as he picked up the phone.
"Lieutenant Malcolm?" a voice asked in a distinctly French accent.
"That's right. What can I do for you?" Art Malcolm asked the disembodied voice on the phone.
"This is detective Frank Williams with the New Orleans police department. I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk?"
"What can I do for the New Orleans Police?" Malcolm asked.
"Is there any way you could come to New Orleans?"
The hairs on the nape of Malcolm's neck stood on end as soon as he heard the question. "It might take a couple of days but I think it could be arranged. What's this pertaining to?"
"I'd like you to identify someone. I'm pretty certain who it is but I don't know him that well."
Cold shivers ran down Malcolm's arms as he sat up straighter in his chair, "Joe Mannix?" he asked, gripping the phone tightly.
"I can't say for sure. He's lost a lot of weight and it looks like he's been beaten pretty badly. That's why I want you to come down to make a positive identification."
"I'll be on the next flight out," Malcolm told him.
"I'll meet you at the airport," Williams said.
"How bad is he, Detective Williams?"
"He's in intensive care, Lieutenant. I'm afraid he was struck by a car."
"Damn," Malcolm said. "There'll be two of us on that plane Detective. I'll be bringing Mannix's secretary with me."
"That's fine, Lieutenant. I'll see you then."
Malcolm dropped the phone in its cradle and hurried out of the office. It didn't take long for him to clear the trip with the chief. The man was just as anxious to find out if they'd really found the missing man as he was.
MANNIX-MANNIX-MANNIX
Peggy hurried to the door as the urgent knocking continued. "Art, come in," she said.
"Peggy, where's Toby?"
"He's at school, Art. What's wrong?" she asked as she noticed the worried expression on his face.
"I got a call from a Detective Williams in New Orleans. There's a man in the hospital there and they think it's..."
"Joe?" she said before he had a chance to finish. At Malcolm's slight nod her knees buckled and he reached out to grab her.
"Easy, Peggy," he said, leading her to the couch and easing her down.
"How bad is he, Art?" Peggy asked knowing instinctively that the unknown man in New Orleans was her missing boss.
"He's in intensive care, Peggy," Malcolm said softly.
"I have to go see him," she said.
"It's all arranged. The flight leaves in two hours. Do you think your neighbour could watch Toby for a few days?" Malcolm asked her.
"I'll call her," Peggy said as she struggled to get her emotions under control. Joe Mannix had been missing for close to two months. Two long months of waiting and worrying for Peggy in which nightmare visions controlled her imagination. "Oh, God, Art," she said as tears flowed from her dark eyes.
"I know, Peggy," Malcolm said simply.
Peggy shook her head and wiped the tears from her eyes, knowing there'd be time enough for that later. She hurried to the phone and called her neighbour. Thanking the woman she hung up the phone and hurriedly threw some clothing into a suitcase.
Art took the bag from her and they hurried outside to his car. Neither spoke as he pulled into the traffic, both thinking of the man in the hospital in New Orleans, both wondering if it was their missing friend, and both wondering if he'd still be alive when they arrived.
MANNIX-MANNIX-MANNIX
Frank Williams recognized the tall moustached man walking toward him. He'd seen pictures of the police lieutenant and the woman beside him. He remembered the special articles that had plastered the newspaper for weeks after Joe Mannix had successfully infiltrated the mob and taken down the female mob leader.
"Lieutenant Malcolm," he said and stuck his hand out in friendship.
"Detective Williams?" Malcolm asked the tall blond standing before him.
"Yes, Sir," Williams said, turning to the woman standing beside Malcolm. "Ma'am," he said with a slight nod of his head.
"Hello," Peggy said hurrying toward the carousel to retrieve their luggage.
"How is he?" Malcolm asked.
"He's still in intensive care I'm afraid. I should warn you before we get there that the doctors don't hold out much hope. He's in pretty bad shape," Williams answered. He took the suitcase from Peggy's hand and hurried them out of the small airport.
Peggy looked up into Art's eyes and saw the worry and fear she felt mirrored there. Somehow she knew in her heart that the man they were about to see was Joe Mannix but she also knew it would be a long time before he was himself again.
Williams opened the back door of his tiny car and she slid inside, her stomach churning at the thought of what she'd see when they reached their destination.
MANNIX-MANNIX-MANNIX
Williams pulled his car into the space reserved for the police in front of the Ochsner Clinic and Hospital located on Jefferson Avenue. "Follow me," he said as he headed towards the main entrance doors. "We'll have to check in with Dr. Louis Marseilles before we go to the intensive care unit. He'll be able to give you more information about the patient," Williams explained.
"Alright," Malcolm said as he reached across to steady Peggy as her legs threatened to buckle.
"Thanks," Peggy said and held tightly to the offered support. Art flashed a smile at her as they followed the New Orleans detective into an elevator.
Williams stepped up to the nurses' desk and asked to speak with Dr. Marseilles. The nurse smiled at him as she paged the doctor and then signalled for the three of them to have a seat in the doctor's lounge.
It wasn't long before a tall balding grey haired man entered the room. His eyes quickly took in the three people sitting at the tiny table. He recognized the police detective but the other two were strangers to him. "Frank," he said.
"Hi, Louis. I'd like you to meet Lieutenant Art Malcolm and Mrs. Peggy Fair," Williams explained. "They're here about your mystery patient."
"Lieutenant, Ma'am," Marseilles said.
"Call me Art," Malcolm said.
"Well, Art, I'm not sure if this is the man you're seeking, but I must warn you if it is, he's in bad shape."
"How bad," Peggy asked as her eyes once more filled with tears.
"Well, Ma'am, he's got four broken ribs on his right side, broken right collarbone and elbow, his right knee is also broken. We did surgery to repair some internal damage. He's got a tube in his side to correct a collapsed lung. He's also had major trauma to his head, probably from the car accident, but not all the damage is from that. He's been severely beaten and there's some kind of drug in his system. A ventilator is breathing for him right now as he's too weak to do it for himself. I'm sorry for being so blunt but I want you both prepared before I take you to see him," Marseilles explained as he watched the horror filled face of the young woman.
"Will he m...make it?" Peggy asked in a quivering voice.
"At this point in time I don't hold out much hope," Marseilles answered.
"Can we see him?" Malcolm asked.
"This way," Marseilles answered leading them out the door and down a brightly lit corridor. He stopped in front of a glass enclosed room and waited for the others to catch up to him.
Peggy looked into the tiny room and her eyes opened wide when she gazed at the figure lying so pale and still on the bed. A thin sheet covered his lower body to just above the waist. White bandages covered his upper torso and his right arm was immobilized at his side. Dark bruises covered what little could be seen of his face, but she knew instinctively that the body on the bed was Joe Mannix. Soft sobs shook her slim frame as Art Malcolm reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Is that Joe Mannix?" Williams asked.
"Yes," Malcolm answered and held the sobbing woman in his arms.
"Oh, Joe," Peggy cried softly, wanting nothing more than to hold the man and tell her how much he meant to her and that she wasn't ready to let him go.
"Easy, Peggy," Malcolm said as he felt her trembling body against his own.
"I'm alright, Art. I need to see him," she told the doctor.
"You can stay with him as long as you want, but stay out of the nurses' way," Marseilles said.
"We will," Malcolm assured him as he led Peggy into the room.
"I'll be here when you're finished," Williams said and watched the two people enter the unit.
Peggy and Art made their way to the bed holding the too still body of their friend. The bruising and damage had looked bad from the window, but close up, the damage was extensive.
Peggy slipped from Art's strong hold and gently placed her hand against a bruised cheek, tears flowing freely from her eyes as she watched the ventilator breath for the man who'd come to mean so much to her. "Oh, Joe, please don't leave me," she said softly as she ran her hand along his jaw, carefully avoiding the bandages that covered an area along his chin. She vaguely heard Malcolm telling the nurse their names and the nurse telling Malcolm that her name was Julia.
'Who did this to you, Joe?' Malcolm thought as he watched Peggy display her emotions openly. "How is he?" he asked the dark haired nurse who seemed to be constantly in motion.
"He's alive and we're doing everything we can to keep him that way, but it's going to be a long hard road for him," she answered. "I'm sure Dr. Marseilles explained everything to you."
"He said he didn't hold out much hope," Malcolm said as he touched his friend's right hand, carefully avoiding the IV line that ran into it.
"Right now he seems to be in a coma. I've been working with comatose patients for a lot of years, Mr. Malcolm, and it's important to talk to them. We can't say for sure whether they hear us or not but I'm a firm believer that they do," she told them.
"A coma, oh God, Joe, who did this to you?" Peggy asked as she slipped into the chair Malcolm slid under her.
"I aim to find out, Peggy," Malcolm told her as he squeezed her shoulder.
"You hear that, Joe, we're going to find out who did this to you," Peggy said softly.
"Joe, I don't know if you can hear me but we need you here with us. You're a strong man and a good friend, Joe, and that combination is hard to come by. I'm not ready to lose the friendship we've had. Fight this, Joe," Malcolm said as he patted the bare left shoulder. "I'm going to speak with Williams, Peggy."
"Ok, Art, I want to sit with Joe for awhile."
"I'll be back," Malcolm told her.
"Thanks, Art," Peggy said as tears slid from her eyes. "Oh, God, I have to phone Joe's father. He has a right to be here in case…in case..."
"I'll take care of it, Peggy," Malcolm said.
Peggy looked up at the older man, a silent plea in her eyes, "Thank you, Art," she said.
Malcolm nodded his head and walked out of the room, wondering if he'd ever hear Joe Mannix's voice again. "Detective Williams."
"Please call me Frank," Williams said as he turned away from the nurse at the desk.
"Frank, I need to make a call to Joe's father," Malcolm said.
"There's a phone in the waiting room. I spoke with my Captain and he said to extend you every courtesy. Follow me."
"Thanks," Malcolm said.
TBC